JP2002073638A - Device and system for distributing information, information transmitting terminal device and information requesting terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily transmit and receive information to be a distribution object. SOLUTION: Terminals 2A and 2B having a camera dispatch transmission agents (a) and (b) having photographed animation information and tag information to an intermediary server 1. Meanwhile, an animation reproducing terminal 3 dispatches a request agent (x) having position information and timing information as a retrieval condition to the server 1. The agent (x) brings back only the tag information of a retrieved transmission agent and the terminal 3 displays the tag information. The terminal 3 dispatches a request agent xs having a device ID corresponding to the selected tag information to the server 1 and acquires actual animation information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information distribution method for distributing information to be distributed, and more particularly to a technique for facilitating transmission and acquisition of information using an agent.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the number of users who use audio, video, and the like with a computer has rapidly increased due to the improvement in the processing capability of the computer. Due to such consumer needs, mobile terminals equipped with video cameras have recently become available for purchase at low prices. And, for example, information transmission in the form of video lovers using such a device, taking a picture while walking on the street corner, posting it on his homepage, and other video lovers browsing this, It is prevalent among some avid photography enthusiasts.

[0003]

However, the conventional information distribution method as described above requires the editing and editing of information at the information source and the cumbersome search operation on the information requesting side.

[0004] In other words, information transmitters (photographers, etc.)
For example, it is necessary to purchase software for editing a homepage, create a homepage including a shooting location and a shooting time together with moving image information, and upload and manage the homepage in an area of a server. On the other hand, video appreciating enthusiasts who seek to obtain video information find out the location of such enthusiastic photography enthusiasts' homepages with magazines or Internet search engines, etc. While checking the shooting location, time, etc., the user must search for the desired moving image information among the various information. In addition, on a page in which a shooting location and a time are not described, it is necessary to appropriately reproduce a part of the moving image information to check the content.

[0005] Under such circumstances, the distribution of moving picture information is still a high threshold for ordinary users, and even those who can shoot excellent moving pictures will introduce their works widely to the general public. At present it is difficult.

[0006] Further, with the spread of the Internet, the number of users who are willing to distribute information has increased, so that the information to be distributed today is not limited to moving picture information, but is diversified.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information distribution method that facilitates transmission and acquisition of distribution target information.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, an information distribution apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes information to be distributed and time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the distribution target information. Transmission agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a transmission agent having location tag information on an acquisition location of the distribution target information,
Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information and location tag information relating to a request for an acquisition location of distribution target information, the request agent comprising: Information providing means for searching the tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of the tag information to obtain distribution target information and providing the distribution target information via a network.

According to the present invention, the transmission agent and the request agent are received, the tag information of the transmission agent is retrieved based on at least one of the tag information included in the request agent, the information is obtained, and the network is acquired. , The transmission and acquisition of information becomes extremely easy, and for example, there is an excellent effect that information distribution between individuals can be promoted.

[0010] An information distribution apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:
2. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information provision is performed when a time period for requesting the distribution target information acquired within a predetermined period is specified in the time tag information of the request agent. The means retrieves and provides the distribution target information acquired during the designated period, so that the information acquired within the designated period can be easily obtained.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information distribution apparatus comprising:
3. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the location tag information of each of the sending agent and the requesting agent specifies one selected from location information classified in a hierarchical structure in advance. The information providing means performs a search on condition that the location information designated as the originating agent is located below the location information designated as the requesting agent, so that it is not necessary to designate a detailed location. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information transmitting terminal device having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the distribution target information, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the distribution target information. A transmitting agent receiving means for appropriately receiving an agent via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information, and a location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired, via a network. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving the request information, and information providing means for searching the tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of the tag information included in the request agent to obtain distribution target information and providing the distribution target information via a network, Transmitting the transmission agent to an information distribution apparatus having A manner, so that easily a transmission of information.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information transmitting terminal device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the information transmitting terminal device includes means for capturing moving image information as the distribution target information. Video information can be sent immediately.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information requesting terminal device, comprising: a source having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the distribution target information, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the distribution target information; A transmitting agent receiving means for appropriately receiving an agent via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information, and a location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired, via a network. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving the request information, and information providing means for searching the tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of the tag information included in the request agent to obtain distribution target information and providing the distribution target information via a network, Sending the request agent to an information distribution device having A manner, the retrieval of information so that easily.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information requesting terminal device according to the sixth aspect, wherein the information requesting terminal device includes means for reproducing the moving image information as the distribution target information. The information is made available for immediate playback.

An information distribution system according to claim 8 of the present invention is a transmission agent having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the distribution target information, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the distribution target information. Sending agent receiving means for appropriately receiving via the network, time tag information relating to the request of the acquisition time of the distribution target information, and a request agent having location tag information relating to the request of the acquisition location of the distribution target information, via the network. Request agent receiving means for receiving as appropriate, and information providing means for searching for tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of the tag information included in the request agent, obtaining distribution target information, and providing the distribution target information via a network. Information distribution device having the information transmission device, And information transmission terminal device for transmitting Ento, characterized in that at least includes an information requesting terminal apparatus transmits the request agent to the information distribution device.

In the present invention according to claim 8, an information distribution system capable of promoting the distribution of moving image information is provided.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration and a use form of a mediation server 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an intermediary server operated and managed by a service provider or the like who obtains service fee revenue by implementing the present invention, and 2 (each of 2A and 2B) is continuously connected to an imaging unit such as a CCD camera. A portable mobile terminal (hereinafter referred to as a camera-equipped terminal) equipped with an image processing unit (CPU and control software, etc.) for composing captured image information into moving image information and a memory for temporarily storing moving image information; And the like, and a portable mobile terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a moving image reproducing terminal) including a control unit (CPU, control software, etc.) for reproducing moving image information on the display unit. Mediation server 1
Is a central processing unit (CPU) that reads a processing program for each step and performs arithmetic processing, and an RA that temporarily stores the processing program and data generated during the processing.
This is a computer system including an agent control unit 11 including M and a data storage unit 12 configured in a magnetic storage device or the like. The agent control unit 11 has a “mediation function” that executes a processing program stored in advance to search for information that satisfies the required conditions from the information of the information sender and mediates the information to the information receiver. . The mediation server 1 corresponds to an information distribution device including a transmission agent receiving unit, a request agent receiving unit, and an information providing unit.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, an information transmitter (for example, a photography enthusiast) 20 takes a camera-equipped terminal 2 (2A or 2B) to a street corner and walks around the building while walking around the street. And landscapes. The camera-equipped terminal 2 automatically transmits the moving image information to the mediation server 1 when the photographing ends. The mediation server 1 temporarily stores the transmitted moving image information in the data storage unit 12 and, upon request, transmits the information to, for example, an information receiver (for example, a lover of watching a moving image).
It is provided to the 30 moving image reproducing terminals 3. FIG. 2 shows a preferred use mode. In the present invention, the camera-equipped terminal 2 and the moving image reproduction terminal 3 are not necessarily mobile terminals, but may be stationary terminals.

Returning to FIG. 1, the mediation server 1 receives transmission agents a and b transmitted from the terminals 2A and 2B with cameras of the information transmitters at different places. The transmission agents a and b include moving image information Da and Db, respectively, and further include transmitting terminal IDs 00A and 000B for identifying the transmitting camera-equipped terminals 2A and 2B, and moving image information Da and Db captured and acquired by the camera. , The time when the sending agents a and b were sent “July 13, 2000, 13
15:00, "July 13, 2000, 13:10
, And a transmission place tag indicating the place where the moving picture information was shot, “Yokohama Sakuragicho” and “Yokohama Chinatown”.

The transmission time at which the transmission agent is transmitted is usually the time at which the photographing is completed. The “transmission place tag” is automatically selected from a tag system defined in a so-called hierarchical structure, for example, according to the position of the camera-equipped terminal 2. For example, the camera-equipped terminal 2 has a GPS
(Grobal Positioning System) The position of a terminal is specified by receiving a radio wave from a satellite or communicating with a base station of a mobile network.

The moving image information Da and Db sent from the camera-equipped terminals 2A and 2B are temporarily stored in the data storage unit 12,
It is read out in response to a request from the video playback terminal 3.

The mediation server 1 sends / receives a request agent x and a request agent xs to / from the moving image reproducing terminal 3.

The request agent x includes the desired tag of the shooting location and the desired tag of the shooting time inputted by the moving picture reproducing terminal 3, and reproduces all the tag information of the transmitting agent that meets the request from the intermediary server 1 to the moving picture reproduction. It has a function to take it back to the terminal 3. Usually, the photographing time is requested by designating a period such as “within the past 30 minutes from the current time”.

The request agent xs is a request agent for bringing desired moving picture information back to the moving picture reproducing terminal 3. The request agent xs notifies the agent control unit 11 of the mediation server 1 of the originating terminal ID specified by the user of the moving image reproduction terminal 3 in order to bring back the moving image information.

It should be noted that mediation servers having the same configuration and functions as the mediation server 1 are provided in various places on the Internet, and the mediation server 1 generates a copy (clone) of the transmission agent and the request agent.
The data can be transferred to these other mediation servers.

The mediation server 1 can also perform the above information search by using a clone of the transmission agent and the request agent transferred from another mediation server.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG.
The operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing in the camera-equipped terminals 2A and 2B and the video playback terminal 3. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing in the mediation server 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is an external view showing an information search method and an information acquisition method in the camera-equipped terminal 2 and the moving image reproduction terminal 3.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 3, the camera-equipped terminal 2A shoots a moving image. In step S3, upon completion of the shooting, the camera-equipped terminal 2A adds the transmission terminal ID "000A" to the shot moving image information. , Call date and time "200
At 13:15 on July 13, 2008, transmission location information "Yokohama Sakuragicho" is added as tag information, and a transmission agent a having these information is automatically dispatched to the mediation server 1. Then, in step S5, the transmission agent a resides on the mediation server 1. This process is similarly performed for the camera-equipped terminal 2 </ b> B, and the transmission agent b is resident in the mediation server 1. Note that the sending agent b has a sending terminal ID “000B”, a sending date and time “2
13:13, 2000, 13:10 ", and a transmission location" Yokohama Chinatown "as tag information.

Then, in step S21, the information receiver uses the moving image reproducing terminal 3 to search, for example, as shown in FIG. When the conditions are input, the moving image reproducing terminal 3 sets the device ID “000” of the moving image reproducing terminal 3 in step S23.
X ", validity period" after July 12, 2000, 12:45 ", and request information (tag information) of location" Yokohama "
Is dispatched to the mediation server 1 having the request agent x.

Since the provision of information from the camera-equipped terminal 2 and the search request from the moving picture reproducing terminal 3 are performed at any time, the originating agent and the requesting agent stay in the mediation server 1, Mediation becomes possible.

Next, the mediation by the mediation server 1 will be described. Under the control of the agent control unit 11 of the mediation server 1, the resident request agent repeatedly performs the following processing.

At step S31, the request agent x
Is video information with tag information that satisfies the “place” and “valid time” of the transmission agent resident in the mediation server 1, in other words, transmission with this video information Find an agent. Then, in step S33, the request agent x brings back only the tag information of all the found outgoing agents to the moving image reproducing terminal 3. In the following step S35, FIG.
As shown in (b), the moving image reproducing terminal 3 displays a list of tag information of the transmission agent on the display unit. Therefore, the information receiver can make a selection from these.

In step S37, the information receiver arbitrarily selects from the tag information displayed in the list. FIG. 5 (b)
Indicates that the transmission agent b having the moving image information of “Yokohama Chinatown” is selected. Step S39 after selection
Then, the moving image reproducing terminal 3 transmits the device ID 000 of the camera-equipped terminal 2B that is the transmission source of the selected transmission agent b.
B is assigned to the request agent xs, and the agent is dispatched to the mediation server 1. In step S41, the request agent xs receives the moving image information Db of the selected transmitting agent b and brings it back to the moving image reproducing terminal 3. In step S43, the moving image reproducing terminal 3 reproduces the moving image information Db received from the transmission agent B as shown in FIG. On the other hand, in step S45, the mediation server 1 charges the information receiver who has received the information an information fee. As a result, it is possible to pay the information fee by subtracting the commission from the information sender who provided the information.

The processing program executed by the agent control unit 11 is not only executed, but also, for example,
It can be distributed by storing it in a computer-readable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a magnetic tape. Therefore, by setting the recording medium in an arbitrary mediation server, reading the processing program, and executing the same, the same operation as that of the present invention works, and as a result, the same effect as that of the present invention can be obtained on the mediation server. Obtainable.

In the above embodiment, the information to be distributed is video information, but the information to be distributed includes:
All information such as audio information and still image information is included.
For example, temperature and humidity detected by a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor may be used. Also, a combination of these pieces of information may be used.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It becomes extremely easy to transmit and obtain information to be distributed, and for example, an excellent effect that information distribution between individuals can be promoted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration and a use form of an intermediary server 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a use method in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing in the camera-equipped terminals 2A and 2B and the moving image reproducing terminal 3.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing in the mediation server 1.

FIG. 5 is an external view showing an information search method and an information acquisition method in the camera-equipped terminal 2 and the moving image reproduction terminal 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Intermediation server 2, 2A, 2B Terminal with a camera 3 Video reproduction terminal 11 Agent control part 12 Data storage part a, b Transmission agent x, xs Request agent Da, Db Video information

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An outgoing agent receiving apparatus for appropriately receiving, via a network, an outgoing agent having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the information to be distributed, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the information to be distributed. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information and location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired; An information distribution device comprising: an information providing unit that retrieves tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of tag information included in an agent, acquires distribution target information, and provides the distribution target information via a network. 2. When the time tag information of the request agent specifies a period for requesting the distribution target information acquired within a predetermined period, the information providing unit performs the specified period. 2. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distribution target information obtained in the information is searched for and provided. 3. When the location tag information of each of the sending agent and the requesting agent specifies one selected from place information classified in a hierarchical structure in advance, the information providing means sends the information to the sending agent. 3. The information distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search is performed on condition that the designated location information is located below the location information designated by the request agent. 4. A transmission agent reception for appropriately receiving, via a network, a transmission agent having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the distribution target information, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the distribution target information. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information, and location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired; An information providing unit that retrieves the tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of the tag information included in the agent to obtain distribution target information and provides the distribution target information via a network. Information sending terminal device to send. 5. The information transmitting terminal device according to claim 4, further comprising means for photographing moving image information as said distribution target information. 6. An outgoing agent reception that appropriately receives, via a network, an outgoing agent having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the information to be distributed, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the information to be distributed. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information, and location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired; The request agent for an information distribution apparatus having information providing means for searching for tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of tag information included in an agent to obtain distribution target information and providing the information through a network. Information requesting terminal device to send. 7. The information request terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising: means for reproducing moving image information as the distribution target information. 8. An outgoing agent reception that appropriately receives via a network an outgoing agent having information to be distributed, time tag information relating to an acquisition time of the information to be distributed, and location tag information relating to an acquisition location of the information to be distributed. Request agent receiving means for appropriately receiving, via a network, a request agent having time tag information relating to a request for an acquisition time of distribution target information, and location tag information relating to a request for a location where the distribution target information is acquired; An information distribution device having information providing means for searching for tag information of the transmission agent based on at least one of tag information included in the agent to acquire distribution target information and providing the distribution target information via a network; An information transmission terminal device for transmitting the transmission agent to the terminal; Information distribution system characterized by at least the information request terminal apparatus transmits the request agent to the information distribution device.