A method of generating distributable and/or shareable selectively animated images comprising the steps of: (a) opening a client computer program, implemented as client computer program loaded on a mobile device; (b) capturing or accessing a video content; (c) using a user interface of the client computer program, a user drawing a path or region on an image frame from the video content to be animated (animated region), wherein the client computer program generated based on the animated region a mask, wherein the mask represents the static portion of a selectively animated image, and the mask is operable to mask underlying animated regions; and (d) the client computer program initiating, at the mobile device or via a server linked to the mobile device, the composition of a series of images including user selected animated regions, by rendering an animated image based on mask and the underlying masked animated regions. A computer program is provided for implementing the steps of the method, which may consist of a mobile application. The computer program may include a server application that cooperates with the mobile application for enabling the animated image composition processes and/or distribution and sharing of the animated images. A computer system is provided that includes a mobile device implementing the mobile application and optionally a server implementing the server application.

An image forming apparatus combines a plurality of sub-movies representing operation procedures to be performed to perform maintenance on the image forming apparatus and plays the combined sub-movies sequentially as one movie. In response to stopping the movie being played, the image forming apparatus displays a replay mark for use to issue a command to replay the movie from the beginning of a sub-movie corresponding to a position where the movie is stopped.

An image processing apparatus locks a particular cover so as not to be opened based on a particular jam being detected, and displays a particular screen for notifying a user that the particular cover is locked.

A method of generating distributable and/or shareable selectively animated images comprising the steps of: (a) opening a client computer program, implemented as client computer program loaded on a mobile device; (b) capturing or accessing a video content; (c) using a user interface of the client computer program, a user drawing a path or region on an image frame from the video content to be animated (animated region), wherein the client computer program generated based on the animated region a mask, wherein the mask represents the static portion of a selectively animated image, and the mask is operable to mask underlying animated regions; and (d) the client computer program initiating, at the mobile device or via a server linked to the mobile device, the composition of a series of images including user selected animated regions, by rendering an animated image based on mask and the underlying masked animated regions. A computer program is provided for implementing the steps of the method, which may consist of a mobile application. The computer program may include a server application that cooperates with the mobile application for enabling the animated image composition processes and/or distribution and sharing of the animated images. A computer system is provided that includes a mobile device implementing the mobile application and optionally a server implementing the server application.

A method and apparatus for processing metadata of an image are disclosed. The metadata is associated with the image and an applet views the metadata in response to selection of the image. The metadata may include links to websites, audio files, video files, and text files, as well as image capture information including GPS location, time and date of capture, camera settings, etc. In response to selection of the image, or in response to arriving at a website pointed to by a URL in the metadata, a list of information materials associated with the image may be displayed. One or more of the information materials may be automatically activated.

Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of presenting to a user movies that show operation steps for solving a maintenance event occurring in the apparatus without increasing the number of times the user needs to perform the operation of playing the movie. A CPU is configured to play a combination of a plurality of movies as a series of movies that show operation steps for solving a maintenance event occurring in the image forming apparatus. The CPU is further configured to determine a stop point at which the series of movies that is playing stops playing, based on stop point information set for each of the combination of the plurality of movies. The CPU is further configured to stop the series of movies that is playing at the determined stop point.

A moving image data recording apparatus and method that records a moving image file and a still image file and associates them with each other in the same directory.