Video management method and video management system

1. A video management method of managing video information which is uploaded to a server by a user belonging to a group including a virtual administrator and a plurality of users and which is viewable by at least one different user belonging to the group via an Internet connection using an information terminal, the video management method comprising:

associating the video information to be uploaded to the server by the user with user information indicating the user;

storing the video information uploaded via the Internet connection into a storage unit;

authorizing the different user to view the video information stored in the storage unit, the different user belonging to the group to which the user indicated by the user information associated with the video information belongs; and

presenting to the user, at withdrawal of the user from the group, options for a process to be selected by the user, the process to be executed on the video information that the different user belonging to the group is authorized to view, the options for the process including (i) deleting the video information; (ii) transferring to the different user a right of management of the video information by associating the video information with user information indicating the at least one different user belonging to the group; and (iii) transferring to the virtual administrator the right of management of the video information by associating the video information with administrator information indicating the virtual administrator of the group.

2. The video management method according to claim 1 , further comprising

executing, at the withdrawal of the user from the group, the process selected in the presenting, on the video information that the different user belonging to the group is authorized to view in the authorizing.

3. The video management method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the user information includes a user ID identifying the user and a password which are associated with each other,

the video management method further comprises:

receiving the user ID and the password entered by the user; and

authenticating the user ID and the password received in the receiving, with reference to the user information associated with the video information stored in advance, and

in a case where the user has not been authenticated in the authenticating for a predetermined period of time, the user is considered in the executing to have withdrawn from the group to which the user belongs.

4. The video management method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, when the video information is accessed by a user, whether or not the accessing user matches one of the virtual administrator and the user indicated by the user information associated with the video information; and

changing a mode to receive an instruction to edit the video information from the accessing user determined as matching one of the virtual administrator and the user indicated by the user information associated with the video information in the determining.

5. The video management method according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the user uploading the video information belongs to a plurality of groups, the video information is further associated in the associating with a user ID and a group ID identifying a group selected by the user, and

the different user belonging to the group identified by the group ID associated with the video information in the associating is authorized to view the video information in the authorizing.

6. The video management method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

notifying the different user authorized to view the video information in the authorizing that the different user is authorized to view the video information via the Internet connection;

receiving, from the different user, a viewing request to view the video information regarding which the notification has been made; and

distributing, to the different user, the video information requested through the viewing request received in the receiving.

7. The video management method according to claim 6 , further comprising

identifying an individual captured in the video information, with reference to face information in which a face image and individual information indicating the individual are associated with each other,

wherein information indicating the video information is notified in the notifying to the different user authorized to view the video information in the authorizing, together with the individual information indicating the individual identified in the identifying.

8. The video management method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

generating, from the video information, a digest video including at least a time slot where the individual identified in the identifying is captured; and

receiving an entry to select the individual information notified in the notifying,

wherein the digest video is distributed in the distributing to the different user making the entry received in the receiving, the digest video showing the individual indicated by the individual information received in the receiving.

9. The video management method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video information is further associated in the associating with a location and a time where the video information is captured, and

when a location and a time associated with first video information uploaded by a first user belonging to a first group are equal to a location and a time associated with second video information uploaded by a second user belonging to a second group different from the first group, the users belonging to the first group and the users belonging to the second group are authorized in the authorizing to view the first video information and the second video information.

10. A video management system comprising an information transmitting terminal and a server which are connected to each other via an Internet connection,

the information transmitting terminal uploading, to the server, video information created by a user belonging to a group including a virtual administrator and a plurality of users,

the video management system further comprising an association unit configured to associate the video information to be uploaded to the server by the user with user information indicating the user, and

the server including:

a storage unit configured to store the video information uploaded via the Internet connection;

an authorization unit configured to authorize at least one different user to view the video information stored in the storage unit, the different user belonging to the group to which the user indicated by the user information associated with the video information belongs; and

a selection unit configured to present to the user, at withdrawal of the user from the group, options for a process to be selected by the user, the process to be executed on the video information that the different user belonging to the group is authorized to view, the options for the process including (i) deleting the video information; (ii) transferring to the different user a right of management of the video information by associating the video information with user information indicating the at least one different user belonging to the group; and (iii) transferring to the virtual administrator the right of management of the video information by associating the video information with administrator information indicating the virtual administrator of the group.