BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image management apparatus, an image management method, a communication apparatus, a control method, and a storage medium.

Description of the Related Art

There are sales services which allow members to view registered images and purchase images they like. With such a sales service, images which meet a predetermined standard under which the images are expected to be purchased are selected for registration. As such, even if an image is considered to be good by a user, it is not necessarily the case that the image will be selected (registered) by the sales service, if the user cannot understand the selection standard and an image they shot is not selected, they may less motivated to use the sales service. This has caused a problem in that the number of users using the sales service drops and the sales service can no longer collect a sufficient number of images.

With respect to image evaluation, a method is known in which trends of each of SNSs are analyzed over time to evaluate images, and users are then notified (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2020-009114). Additionally, a method is known in which when a user posts a shot image to an SNS, a suitable SNS where the image can receive a good evaluation is selected on the basis of related information of the image (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-220616). Furthermore, a method is known in which shot images are selectively transferred to an external apparatus on the basis of rating information added to the shot images (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-148994).

The method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2020-009114 is a configuration only for evaluating and providing a notification for an image obtaining a positive evaluation, and cannot implement a system for automatically collecting images with sale value. Additionally, the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-220616 is a configuration for selecting an appropriate SNS in which a favorable evaluation can be obtained, and cannot implement a system for automatically collecting images with sale value. Additionally, the method of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-148994 is a configuration for selecting an image on the basis of rating information, and cannot implement a system for automatically collecting images with sale value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Having been conceived in light of such circumstances, the present invention provides a technique which prompts a user to register, in an image sales service, an image having a relatively high likelihood of being purchased by another user, while suppressing a burden on the user.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image management apparatus comprising: a first receiving unit configured to receive an image from a communication apparatus; a sending unit configured to send the image and an evaluation request for the image to an image evaluation apparatus configured to perform evaluation with respect to likelihood that another user will purchase the image; a second receiving unit configured to receive an evaluation result for the image from the image evaluation apparatus; and a registering unit configured to register the image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, in a case where the evaluation result indicates that the likelihood satisfies a predetermined standard and information, which indicates that a user consents to having the image registered in the server apparatus, is set in the image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image management method executed by an image management apparatus, comprising: receiving an image from a communication apparatus; sending the image and an evaluation request for the image to an image evaluation apparatus configured to perform evaluation with respect to likelihood that another user will purchase the image; receiving an evaluation result for the image from the image evaluation apparatus; and registering the image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, in a case where the evaluation result indicates that the likelihood satisfies a predetermined standard and information, which indicates that a user consents to having the image registered in the server apparatus, is set in the image.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus configured to communicate with an image management apparatus configured to register an image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, comprising: a setting unit configured to, in response to an instruction from a user, set information, which indicates that a user consents to having an image registered in the server apparatus configured to provide the image sales service, in the image; and a sending unit configured to send the image to the image management apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a communication apparatus configured to communicate with an image management apparatus configured to register an image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, the control method comprising: in response to an instruction from a user, setting information, which indicates that a user consents to having an image registered in the server apparatus configured to provide the image sales service, in the image; and sending the image to the image management apparatus.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to execute an image management method comprising: receiving an image from a communication apparatus; sending the image and an evaluation request for the image to an image evaluation apparatus configured to perform evaluation with respect to likelihood that another user will purchase the image; receiving an evaluation result for the image from the image evaluation apparatus; and registering the image in a server apparatus configured to provide an image sales service, in a case where the evaluation result indicates that the likelihood satisfies a predetermined standard and information, which indicates that a user consents to having the image registered in the server apparatus, is set in the image.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

