JP2003044762A - System and method for processing recorded information and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user visiting a theme park, a sightseeing area, etc., with rental video device and an information processing service for photographed information contents. SOLUTION: A video device is rented at a place where people gather such as the theme park and the sightseeing area. After the video device is returned, various processing services such as storage, editing, conversion and release of photographed images together with meta-data are provided. For instance, an image is uploaded to a server place as digital data to be released on the Internet. Also, a theme image and an advertisement to be remembrance of a photographing place are inserted at the front or last part of images photographed by the user. The photographed images are also recorded on media desired by the user to be distributed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording information processing system and a recording information processing method for processing recorded contents obtained by using an electronic device such as a video camera, and a storage medium, and more particularly to a theme park and The present invention relates to a recording information processing system and a recording information processing method for processing recorded contents obtained by using an electronic device such as a video camera rented to each user at a tourist resort or the like, and a storage medium.

More specifically, the present invention provides a recording information processing system, a recording information processing method, and a storage medium for providing a service of processing contents recorded by an electronic device to a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera. In particular, a recording information processing system and recording that provide various information processing services such as storage, editing, data conversion, and disclosure of content recorded by an electronic device to a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera. The present invention relates to an information processing method and a storage medium.

[0003]

[Prior Art] When going to a tourist spot or a theme park,
Bringing in electronic devices for shooting and recording such as video cameras has become a common lifestyle.
However, since this kind of equipment is heavy and bulky, it is inconvenient to carry it from home. Moreover, since this type of portable device is driven by a battery, it is troublesome that the battery must be fully charged in advance.
Of course, it is necessary to check the remaining capacity of a recording medium such as a magnetic tape in advance or prepare a spare recording medium.

Further, even the highest-performance photographing equipment at the time of purchase tends to become old with the passage of time, so the number of trips with the equipment tends to decrease, and memories of theme parks and sightseeing spots are often saved. I will not do it.

[0005] In recent years, the user himself often edits images taken at sightseeing trips and theme parks, and further publishes them on the Internet. However, this kind of processing of video information requires a certain level of knowledge or operation skill regarding a video editing device or a personal computer (PC), in other words, a general user still has a high threshold and is a troublesome task. Is. As a result, many users have left the recorded contents as they are while still shooting.

[0006] At present, it is general to record photographed video information on a recording medium such as a magnetic tape.
However, the types of recording media are always changing with the times, and there is no compatible playback device.
There is also a phenomenon that the images taken in the past cannot be played back.

In addition, even if there is a playback device,
Since the recording medium always has a life, the user is forced to perform a troublesome work such as repeating backup regularly for long-term storage.

[0008] Further, conventionally, the photographed image is recorded on a recording medium of a forward access system such as a magnetic tape.
It was hard to find the video that I wanted to see. For example, when looking at the image when I went to Hawaii three years ago, I had to perform complicated work such as checking the entry contents of the index attached to each tape. Also, if the number of tapes is large, it takes a lot of time to search.

At present, there is already a service of uploading a video image taken by a user to a server using a communication medium such as the Internet. However, the threshold is still high for general users, and the work is troublesome.
The reality is that it is hardly used.

Images taken can be sent by e-mail, television, personal computer (PC), PDA
(Personal Digital Assistant) In order to play on various devices such as mobile phones, the user has to convert the recorded content into a format suitable for the purpose, which is very troublesome.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to suitably process recorded contents obtained by utilizing electronic devices such as video cameras rented to each user at a theme park or a tourist spot. To provide an excellent recording information processing system and recording information processing method, and a storage medium.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an excellent recording information processing system capable of providing a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera with various information processing services regarding contents recorded by the electronic device. And a recording information processing method and a storage medium.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera with various information processing services such as storage, editing, data conversion, and disclosure of contents recorded by the electronic device. An excellent record information processing system, a record information processing method, and a storage medium that can be performed.

[0014]

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first aspect thereof is a record information for processing record information obtained from a recorder lent to a user. A processing system or a recording information processing method, comprising: a user registration means or step for registering a user who lends a recording machine; a recording machine lending means or step for lending a recording machine to a registered user; and collecting the recording machine from the registered user. A recording machine collecting means or step, a recording information acquiring means or step for acquiring recording information from the collected recording machine, and a recording information processing means or step for applying information processing to the recording information. Is a recording information processing system or a recording information processing method.

However, the term "system" as used herein refers to a logical assembly of a plurality of devices (or functional modules that realize a specific function), and each device or functional module is a single casing. It does not matter whether it is in the body or not.

The recording information processing system and the recording information processing method according to the first aspect of the present invention lend and collect a recording device such as renting a video device at a place where people gather, such as a theme park or a tourist spot. At the same time, various information processing services for the recorded information are provided along with metadata of recorded contents such as images captured or recorded by the recording device after the recording device is returned from the user.

The recorded information processing service referred to here includes, for example, storage, editing, conversion, and disclosure of information content. Of course, such a recorded information processing service
The service is not limited to theme parks and sightseeing spots, but may be held at golf courses and various event venues, and services can be deployed on a global scale using a wide area network such as the Internet.

A user who rents a recorder such as a video device for the first time is asked to register as a user and obtain an account (user qualification). For user registration, for example, user identification information for confirming the user to be registered such as the user's name, address, and email address,
Ask them to enter user-related information related to the user, such as age, sex, occupation, hobbies / preferences.

When the user registration procedure is completed, the user is assigned a user ID and the card containing the above-mentioned input information (hereinafter, also referred to as "user card") is distributed to the user. The user card is composed of a medium such as an IC card that can be authenticated, and is installed at rental counters (hereinafter, referred to as
"Rental station").

The storage service of information contents shot by a video machine is a service of uploading video as digital data on a server, for example. Therefore, since the captured video is uploaded to the server, the user can handle the content on the server from a remote location without bothering the user.

In addition, the editing service of the information content shot by the video device is, for example, inserting a theme video commemorating the shooting location at the beginning or the end of the video shot by the user, or appropriately inserting the video in the video content. It is a service that inserts advertisements by providing an advertisement insertion frame (advertisement slot). After making such edits, the information content is uploaded to the server. For example, the service provider can make a profit in the form of an advertisement fee by inserting an advertisement in the recorded content. In addition, the user may view a part of the inserted advertisement so that a part of the advertisement fee is returned (for example, discount of service usage fee).

In addition, the conversion service of information contents photographed by a video machine, for example, records digital data stored on a server in various recording media desired by the user, such as DVD and VHS, and delivers it. It is a service. Or mobile phone, personal computer (PC), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
For example, the video content may be converted into a format suitable for the characteristics of the playback device and distributed. For example, at the time of user registration, the user can specify the data conversion method.

In addition, the information content publishing service shot by a video device is to publish personal content stored on a server to a person who shot the image or a specific acquaintance through a wide area network such as the Internet. It is a service to do.

The owner of the content can specify the other party to be disclosed by the user ID or the like. Also, for people you frequently publish such as family members and friends, the user ID
May be allowed to be grouped. It is also possible to specify all users as the parties to whom the disclosure is made.

The information contents thus published are
It can be viewed on a device connected to the Internet, such as a personal computer. The server may stream the information content, or may download it once to a personal computer for playback. The server side may perform format conversion according to the type of client (for example, MPEG2 or MPEG4).

Since the information disclosed on the server is basically personal content, it is not necessary to protect the copyright depending on the user's request, and the downloaded data can be copied to an acquaintance depending on the user's permission. Can be passed.

Further, a device for browsing the information contents published on the server may be equipped with a user card reader. In such a case, the user ID can be identified by inserting the user card into the reading device, or the user ID and a unique URL (Un
iform Resource Locator) or other resource identification information is automatically recognized, and it is possible to jump directly to the corresponding page and immediately see the published information content.

The metadata relating to the information content is, for example, information such as shooting date / time, shooting location, and weather at the time of shooting. For example, a rental recorder such as a video recorder may have a function of acquiring metadata.

On the server, a home page dedicated to each user is prepared to publish personal contents. For example, if you jump to a personal page, a map with anchors (that is, link information) embedded in the display positions corresponding to each shooting location (for example, a theme park, a tourist spot, a map of an event venue, a map of Japan,
World map etc.) is displayed. Then, by clicking the anchor corresponding to the shooting location, the video taken at that location can be viewed. Such processing is realized by using metadata that describes information such as a shooting location at the time of shooting. Of course, instead of such a map display, the indexes may be displayed by sorting in order of shooting date and time or name.

As a device to be rented out at the rental station, a device equipped with the latest performance and functions or a device that is simple and easy to operate by the user should be prepared in advance so as to support a wide range of user phases. preferable. If users are satisfied with the service as a result of using it, it will be an opportunity to purchase the product.

The second aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable physical form of computer software written so as to execute processing of recorded information obtained from a recorder lent to a user on a computer system. The computer software stores a recording medium from the registered user, the user registration step of registering a user who lends a recording machine, the lending step of lending a recording machine to a registered user, and the recording machine from the registered user. A recording medium collecting step for collecting recording information from the collected recording machine, and a recording information processing step for applying information processing to the recording information. Is.

The storage medium according to the second aspect of the present invention is, for example, a medium that provides computer software in a computer-readable format to a general-purpose computer system capable of executing various program codes.
Such media are, for example, CD (Compact Disc) and F
It is a removable and portable storage medium such as a D (Floppy Disc) or MO (Magneto-Optical disc). Alternatively, it is technically possible to provide computer software to a specific computer system via a transmission medium such as a network (whether the network is wireless or wired).

Such a program storage medium defines a structural or functional cooperative relationship between the computer software and the storage medium for realizing a predetermined function of the computer software on the computer system. It is a thing. In other words, by installing the predetermined computer software in the computer system via the program storage medium according to the second aspect of the present invention, the cooperative action is exerted on the computer system and the present invention is realized. It is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the recording information processing system or the recording information processing method according to the first aspect.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention are as follows.
It will be clarified by a more detailed description based on embodiments of the present invention described below and the accompanying drawings.

[0035]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Many people take pictures and videos when they travel. However, these equipments are generally heavy, and it is troublesome because it is necessary to charge the battery before departure. Also, it is easy to see, search, classify, and organize videos taken afterwards, so after all, just taking a picture makes me feel relieved, and there is a great opportunity to use video contents effectively afterwards. Few.

According to the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, a rental station is installed in a place where people gather together with recorders such as cameras and videos to provide a rental service for these recorders. To do. Then, after the recorder is returned, a service is provided in which the photographed data is digitized, stored on a server, and centrally managed. further,
We develop various information processing services using this kind of personal contents collected on the server.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of a recording information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For example, rental stations (Rental Stations) 10A, 10B, etc. are installed at various places such as theme parks, sightseeing spots, various event venues where people gather with cameras, video recorders, etc. There is.

To rent a video device, the user must
Just visit the nearest rental station 10. For the first time to use the rental station 10,
First, perform user registration and acquire an account (user qualification). The registration information here includes information necessary for confirming the identity such as the user's address, name, and mail address, and information necessary for profiling age, sex, occupation, hobbies / preferences, and the like.

When the user registration is completed, the user is assigned a user ID and the "user card" containing the above-mentioned input information is distributed. The user card is composed of a medium such as an IC card that can be authenticated, and can be used at other rental stations installed all over the world.

Each rental station 10A, 10B
Then, rent a recording device such as a video device for a fee. For example, by lending out the latest high-performance and easy-to-use models to let rental users experience the superiority of the product, it is possible to improve the satisfaction of this record information processing service and arouse purchasing will. it can. In other words, the recorder rental service can give a large advertising effect to the recorder manufacturer by allowing the consumer to use the recorder rental service. Can also be collected.

At the rental station, the recorder is rented in a sufficiently charged state so that the battery does not run out while the user operates the video device in a theme park or a tourist spot. A spare battery may be rented out to a user who is still unbearable.

The recording medium used by the rented video device may be, for example, a DV tape, but other types such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory may be used. With a hard disk or semiconductor memory, it is possible to dramatically reduce the work time required for sucking recorded information from the video device body after it is returned.

Also, the outer casing of the video equipment may be provided with a unique printing (for example, a character unique to the theme park is printed) at the place where the rental station is installed. As a result, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the recording machine can be obtained only in the park, the sense of value is improved. (2) Because the difference with commercially available products can be seen by the eye, the existence of the rental service can be made known by word of mouth without intentionally advertising.

Using the rented device, the user can freely enjoy shooting in theme parks, sightseeing spots, and event venues. Then, when leaving the park or the like, the user presents the user card to the rental stations 10A, 10B, ... And returns the device.

In this embodiment, the video data or the storage medium on which the video data is recorded is not handed to the user on the spot when the device is returned or collected. Instead, it will be sent to the specified address registered by the user at a later date. The video data is stored in a storage medium such as a DVD or VHS according to the user's request. The storage form can be specified by the user at the time of user registration or device return, for example. Further, a separate charge may be added depending on the type of storage medium and the recording method.

Although the equipment is basically returned to the rental station 10 that has been rented, it is of course possible to allow the equipment to be returned to the rental station 10 at another location. In such a case, an additional charge may be added.

Rental stations 10A, 10B ...
The returned device is shipped to the nearest authoring station 20A, 20B ... Information such as the user ID, rental date, rental location, desired media and metadata of the user who rented the device can be found at the rental station 1.
0A, 10B ... From authoring station 20
A, 20B ... to be transferred online or together with the device.

In other words, the video data of the video equipment, together with the user information and metadata, are
Transferred from station 10 to authoring studio 20. In the recording information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, one authoring studio 20 is configured to collect a plurality of rental stations 10A, 10B ...

Authoring studio 20A, 20B ...
Then, the video data captured by the video device is captured (see FIG. 2). Here, if the storage medium used by the video equipment is not a sequential access method such as a magnetic tape but a high-speed access such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, the work time for capturing the video data is extremely high. It can be short.

The rental stations 10A, 1
0B ... and authoring studios 20A, 20B ... If a network environment is in place, the rental video equipment itself is not transported to authoring studio 20, but the video data on the video equipment is transferred online. It is also possible to transfer from the rental station 10 (see FIG. 3).

The authoring studio 20 applies various information processing services to the video data uploaded from the video equipment or the rental station 10 according to the user's request. The information processing service referred to here is storage, editing, conversion, disclosure, etc. of video data, and these services will be described in detail later.

The authoring studio 20 further includes
The captured video data is uploaded to the content server 21 in the authoring system 20 together with the accompanying metadata.

It is preferable that the data uploaded to the content server 21 in the authoring studio 20 is not compressed so much and is stored in high image quality. Further, when uploading, the user ID of the uploaded video data is recorded in the user database 52 by determining which user's video data the video data has as a key.

In the authoring studio 20, for example, a theme video commemorating the shooting location is inserted at the beginning or end of the video data, or an advertisement is inserted by appropriately providing an advertisement insertion frame (slot) in the video content. . The theme video and advertisement video to be inserted are prepared in advance on the authoring studio 20 side and automatically added to the video data of the user.

The service provider can obtain a profit in the form of an advertisement fee by inserting the advertisement in the recorded content. In addition, the user may view a part of the inserted advertisement so that a part of the advertisement fee is returned (for example, discount of service usage fee).

In this way, the data editing process in the authoring studio 20 is completed. As for the edited video data, error and
Check to make sure that no data is missing. Regarding the quality compensation / management, it is preferable that the operator reproduces the image and visually checks it. However, since this cannot handle a large amount of images, an electronic error check may be introduced.

The contents produced through the editing process and the error check are written in a recording medium desired by the user, such as a DVD or VHS, and delivered to a designated address such as home. The medium on which the writing has been completed may be printed to give added value as a product. Or mobile phone, personal computer (PC), PDA (Personal Digital A)
The video content may be converted into a format suitable for the characteristics of each playback device such as ssistant) and distributed. For example, at the time of user registration, the user can specify the data conversion method.

Further, the completed data contents are transferred to the contents server 51 in the central data center 50 and made accessible via a wide area network such as the Internet. At the central data center 50,
According to the user's request, the video data uploaded to the content server 51 is disclosed to the user via a wide area network such as the Internet. As a publication method, content download to a client using the Web server 53, streaming delivery, or the like is used.

The media completed in the authoring studio 20 is sent to the user. At this time, the home page address (URL: Un) dedicated to the user is sent.
iform Resource Locator) and the password to access it. This home page is a page designed exclusively for individual users, and cannot be accessed by users who do not know the password (that is, unauthorized users).

When the user accesses his or her own home page from his or her personal computer connected to the Internet, the map is displayed.

This map on the home page covers all the shooting locations that the user has taken so far, such as the map of theme parks, sightseeing spots, event venues, Japan map, world map (see FIG. 4). It is preferable to be able to.
In this map display, anchors, that is, link information, are embedded at display positions corresponding to the respective shooting locations. Such processing is realized by using metadata that describes information such as a shooting location at the time of shooting. Of course, instead of such a map display, the indexes may be displayed by sorting in order of shooting date and time or name.

In the map display on the home page, an anchor is attached to the place where the user took a picture. Initially there is only one anchor, but as you explore each theme park attraction or travel around the world, the number of anchors grows and becomes a sort of collection or stamp rally. As a result, the user can be provided with an incentive to rent a video device at the rental station 10 and repeat the shooting action.

The map display can be enlarged or reduced. Then, click the anchor corresponding to the shooting location,
The video taken at that location will be streamed. The streaming distribution service is provided free of charge, for example. In addition, the video content is owned by the user (copyright).
Therefore, you can freely download the data as a file to the client, or copy and pass it to your friend. However, data may be downloaded for a fee.

As described above, the home page is exclusively for users and cannot be accessed by other users without permission. However, if the user himself / herself permits, it can be disclosed to other users. Access to all contents owned by the user may be permitted at once to other users, or access from other users may be permitted in units of contents.

For example, when the user wants to publish a certain content to his friend A, all he has to do is select the content and add Mr. A to the publication list. It is possible to add all users to the public Christ, not just a specific user. This way, you can publish your content to everyone.

Further, on the homepage, not only the image browsing but also the data conversion / processing service may be provided. For example, call the data conversion / modification service via the homepage screen to display VHS or D
You can copy it to a recording medium such as VD and send it.

Alternatively, a mobile phone, a personal computer (PC), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
The video content may be converted into a format (eg, MPEG2, MPEG4, etc.) suitable for the characteristics of the playback device such as t) and distributed.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide video contents in various forms, such as sending a video mail to a friend or having a specific scene printed on the back of a New Year's card.

In the authoring studio 20, since the original video content is stored in high image quality (as described above), deterioration of image quality can be minimized even when converting to another format. .

5 and 6 show the overall processing flow executed in the recording information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The flow of the recording information processing service will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, at the rental station 10, when a user logs in (or visits a window), it is checked whether or not the user is the first to rent a recording device such as a video device (step S1).

User registration processing is executed for the first-time rental user (step S2).

In this user registration procedure, information necessary to confirm the identity of the user to be registered, such as name, address, mail address, age, sex, occupation, hobbies / hobbies / hobbies /
You will be prompted to enter information required for profiling, such as taste. Then, a unique user ID is given to the registered user. The registered user information is finally registered in a user information table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50.

The user card in which the user registration information is written is distributed to the user who rented the recorder at the rental station 10 (step S3).

Each user card has a unique card ID, and the information written in the user card is registered in a card information table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50.

Next, at the rental station 10, the desired recorder is lent to the user (step S4). A user ID and the ID of the rented device are registered in a rental status management table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50, and the status of the entry is set to "rental".

In the device rented out here, it is preferable that the battery be fully charged and that there be sufficient free space such as a tape or a disk. By lending out a device that complies with the latest specifications, it is possible to motivate the user to purchase the device.

Through such a procedure, the user can rent a desired recording machine and can enjoy recording work such as photographing at a theme park or a tourist spot (step S5).

Then, the user takes a picture and returns the rental recording machine to the rental station 10 when leaving the theme park or tourist spot (step S6). It is not always necessary to return the rental station to the original rental station, and it may be acceptable to return the rental station to a rental station installed at a different place from the rental station.

In response to the return act at the rental station 10, the status of the corresponding entry in the rental status management table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50 is "returned".
Can be rewritten as

At the time of return, the user is asked for a medium for storing the information recorded on the recorder (step S).
7). The desired contents obtained here are registered in an order information management table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50.

Next, it is determined whether or not the returned recording machine should be transferred to the authoring studio 20 (step S8).

When the network environment between the rental station 10 and the authoring studio 20 is maintained, the rental station 10 transfers the recorded information contents stored in the recorder to the authoring studio 20 online. Transfer (Step S
9). Central data center 50 along with content transfer
The record information is registered in the content information management table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of FIG.

If the network environment between the rental station 10 and the authoring studio 20 is not sufficiently maintained, the rental station 1
0 is transferred to the authoring studio 20 together with the recording machine. Then, the authoring studio 20 captures the record information from the delivered recorder and stores it in its own content server 21 (step S10). Further, with the content transfer, the record information is registered in a content information management table (described later) managed in the user database 51 of the central data center 50.

Next, in the authoring studio 20, based on the shooting location and shooting date and time described in the metadata, the video material to be inserted into the opening and ending of the recorded information is determined and added to the recorded information. Data is edited (step S11).

The video material referred to here includes a memorial video of the shooting location, advertising content, and the like. The inserted video material is in computer file format,
The insertion work can be automated and unmanned.

Then, it is confirmed that there is an error in the edited record information data (step S12). Originally, the error verification is more accurate when the operator visually confirms all the images, but from the viewpoint of labor cost reduction, the error verification may be limited to the check of the error correction code.

After the error verification, when it is determined that there is no error (step S13), the edited record information is saved again in the content server 21 (step S1).
4) The entire processing routine is ended. At this time, the data before editing may be overwritten.

When it is determined that there is an error (step S13), it is further determined whether or not there is an error in the image itself taken by the recorder (step S15).

If it is an error in the captured image itself, the user is notified of that (step S16), and the entire processing routine ends.

If it is determined that there is no error in the captured image, it is confirmed whether or not the image material inserted in step S11 has an error, the editing work is redone (step S17), and the process returns to step S11. Then, the same processing as described above is repeatedly executed.

Further, FIG. 7 shows a processing procedure in the recording information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, in which recording information photographed on a recording machine rented by the user is stored in a medium desired by the user and a delivery service is provided. It is shown in the form of a flow chart.

First, referring to the order information table and the content information management table, it is determined what kind of processing should be performed for which file (step S21).

Then, the processing corresponding to the service content is executed (step S22). For example, in the case of copying to a DVD, the content is transmitted to a computer equipped with a DVD-R and the writing process to the DVD is performed.

Then, it is checked whether or not the write data has an error (step S23). If an error is detected, the operation is retried (step S25) and the process returns to step S22.

Then, with no error in the write data, the completed medium is sent to the requesting user (step S24), and this processing routine is terminated.

Further, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for browsing the recorded information content published by the Web server 53 of the central data center 50 in the recorded information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. It shows with.

The user can access the Web of the central data center 50 from the self-injection computer activated by the client.
The server 53 accesses the dedicated site prepared by the server 53 (step S31).

Next, the user sends the We from the client.
The password for access is transmitted to the server b (step S32).

On the other hand, the central data center 50 side checks the personal content display URL information table (described later) to see if the password is correct (step S33).

If the passwords match (step S34), the HTML content to be displayed is displayed on the server side in accordance with the "attribute" and the "display format" specified in the personal content display URL information table (described later). It is dynamically created (step S35).

An example of the display format referred to here is a map in which the user can cover all the shooting locations so far, and the link information to the record information corresponding to the display locations corresponding to the respective shooting locations is embedded in the map. (For example, a map in a theme park or various event venues, a map of Japan, a map of the world, etc.) is displayed (see FIG. 4). The HTML content in such a display format is displayed on the client side, and the entire processing routine ends. On the client side, desired record information can be searched for via the home page screen.

On the other hand, if the passwords do not match (step S34), the fact that the password is incorrect is displayed on the client side (step S36), and the entire processing routine ends.

Finally, information managed by the user database 52 in the central data center 50 will be described.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show examples of the structure of database tables managed in the user database 52 of the central data center 50. As shown in the figure, the user database includes a user information table, a card information table, a content information management table, a personal content display URL information table, an order information management table, and a rental information management table. Has been done.

The user information table is a table for managing information about users. Have the user fill out the entries in this table at the time of user registration. The input contents are transferred to the central data center 50 and are centrally managed by the user database. The user ID is automatically issued at the time of registration.

The card information table is a table for managing the information to be added to the user card, and has a one-to-one relationship with the above-mentioned user information table (that is, one user ID corresponds to the user card. Is one).
At the time of user registration, it is transferred to the central data center 50 together with the user information.

The content information table is a table for managing the storage location of recorded information content and its metadata. The content URL represents the location of the file in the URL format, and the content can be placed on a remote server. Items other than the content URL in the content information table are determined when the user returns the recorder, and the central data center 50
Transferred to. The content URL is determined when the content acquired from the recorder is uploaded to the server side.

[0112] The "attribute" means that the content can be viewed only by the user himself (Private), can be viewed only by the authorized users (Group), or is disclosed to all users ( It is an input item for specifying whether or not (Public).

Since one user can have a plurality of contents, the user information table and the contents information management table have a one-to-many relationship.

The personal content display URL information table is a table for managing a home page for the user to access the content.
It is possible to prepare each URL having attributes for vate, Group, and Public, and a password can be set for each URL.

Also, the display format when accessing the site should be the map format (see FIG. 4), or
You can set whether or not to sort by date.

When the private URL is accessed, the user ID and password are required to be input, and after authentication, the user can access his own content having any attributes.

Further, when the URL for Group is accessed, the password input is required. After authentication,
Only the content having the attribute for Group is allowed to access. The password in this case is the U
It is for RL and is different from that for Private. The user need only give the password for Group to the person he / she wants to see.

Further, when the Public URL is accessed, it is not necessary to input the password. In this case, the user can access the content having the Public attribute.

The order information management table is a table for managing order information from the user. In order type,
"Copy to recording media", "Format conversion",
You can specify various types of services such as "edit" and "send video mail". The order contents differ depending on each order type, and in the case of copying to a recording medium, it may be the designation of "medium type".

In the present embodiment, one user is allowed to make a plurality of orders, so the user information table and the order information management table have a one-to-many relationship.

The rental status management table is a table for managing the recorders rented by each user. The user ID and the device ID are associated with each other, and the status (for example, "rental" or "returned") is set. , Etc.) is displayed.

In this embodiment, one user can simultaneously
As a general rule, the recording machine can be rented out only up to the number of units. In such a case, the user information table and the rental status table have a one-to-one relationship.

[Supplement] The present invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments. However, it is obvious that those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the embodiments of the present invention described in the present specification, the description has been centered on the case where the rental station is installed in the theme park, but the gist of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, by installing rental stations at various places where people gather or visit, such as sports stadiums, event venues, tourist resorts, resorts, etc., the record information processing service according to the present invention can be spread over a wide area or on a global scale. It is also possible.

[0125] It is also possible to add a case where the user goes on a trip as a tour as an option menu, lend the device at the time of gathering, and collect it at the site or at the time of dissolution.

In any case, regardless of the image taken at any place, the user accesses the home page for exclusive use of the user to display an anchor for browsing the corresponding image content on a predetermined map. Therefore, it is possible to easily watch the video at that time anytime and anywhere.

In short, the present invention has been disclosed in the form of exemplification, and the contents of this specification should not be construed in a limited manner. To determine the gist of the present invention,
The claims section mentioned at the beginning should be taken into consideration.

[0128]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
Excellent recording information processing system, recording information processing method, and storage capable of suitably processing recorded contents obtained by using electronic devices such as video cameras rented to each user in theme parks, tourist resorts, etc. A medium can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, an excellent recording information processing system capable of providing various processing services regarding contents recorded by an electronic device to a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera, etc. A recording information processing method and a storage medium can be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, for a user who rents an electronic device such as a video camera, various information such as storage, editing, data conversion, and disclosure of the content recorded by the electronic device together with its metadata. It is possible to provide an excellent recording information processing system, recording information processing method, and storage medium that can provide a processing service.

By using the recording information processing service according to the present invention, the user can take a picture without bringing the video equipment to the destination. In addition, the user does not need to charge the battery in advance or purchase a recording medium such as a tape in advance, which is convenient. Also, even if the times change, it is attractive that you can always rent equipment with the latest performance at a low price. In addition, it is convenient because you can receive the video shot by yourself on the recording medium you specified.

Further, according to the recording information processing service of the present invention, since the video contents photographed by the user are recorded as digital data in high quality, the data is always written on a medium suitable for the era. Can be provided. Therefore, the user can enjoy the image captured by the user with high quality at any time.

Further, according to the recording information processing service of the present invention, the video contents can be stored on the server without bothering the user, and can be browsed on the Internet or disclosed to acquaintances. Can be done easily.

Further, according to the recording information processing service of the present invention, it is possible to perform editing processing such as inserting a theme video commemorating the shooting location or an advertisement video in the video content shot by the user. You can

Further, according to the recording information processing service according to the present invention, since the video content photographed by the user is stored on the predetermined content server, the user himself does not need to back up the data.

Further, according to the recording information processing service of the present invention, the user can search the video content on the home page screen displaying the shooting location on the map, so that the search can be performed easily and intuitively. be able to.

Further, according to the recording information processing service according to the present invention, a television, a personal computer (P
C), PDA, mobile phone, and the like, which are convenient because the video content captured by converting the format into a format suitable for a reproducing device is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration of a typical personal computer (PC) 100 suitable for implementing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a processing flow of transporting a video device from the rental station 10 to the authoring studio 20 and capturing video data in the authoring studio 20.

[Figure 3] Rental station 10 and authoring
The network environment between the studios 20 is maintained,
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a processing flow of directly transferring only video data from the rental station 10 to the authoring studio 20.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a homepage screen for disclosing video content shot by a user.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an overall processing flow (first half) executed in the recording information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an overall processing flow (first half) executed in the recording information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the recording information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, in which recording information photographed on a recorder rented by a user is stored in a medium desired by the user and distributed. .

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for browsing recorded information content published on the Web server 53 of the central data center 50 in the recorded information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example (first half) of a database table managed in the user database 52 of the central data center 50.

10 is a diagram showing a configuration example (second half) of a database table managed in the user database 52 of the central data center 50. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Record information processing system 10 ... Rental station 20 ... Authoring Studio 50 ... Central data center 51 ... Content server 52 ... User database 53 ... Web server 60 ... Internet

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yu Kasami             6-735 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Soni             -Inside the corporation

Claims (31)

[Claims] 1. A record information processing system for processing record information obtained from a recorder lent to a user, comprising: a user registration means for registering a user who lends the recorder, and a record for lending the recorder to the registered user. Machine lending means, recorder collecting means for collecting recorders from registered users, record information obtaining means for obtaining record information from the collected recorders, record information processing means for applying information processing to the record information A recorded information processing system comprising: 2. The user registration means inputs user identification information for confirming a user to be registered and / or user related information related to the user. Record information processing system. 3. The user registration means distributes a user card in which registered user information or a part thereof is written to a user who has completed the user registration procedure. The record information processing system described in 1. 4. The recording information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the recorder lending unit permits a user who has presented a valid user card to lend the recorder. 5. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the recording device lending unit and / or the recording device collecting unit is installed in a theme park, a tourist resort, a golf course or various event venues. Information processing system. 6. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording device lending unit lends a recording device having a battery charged to a user. 7. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording device lending unit lends a recording device loaded with a recording medium having a sufficient free space to a user. 8. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the recorder lending unit lends a recorder conforming to the latest specifications to a user. 9. The recording information processing means stores the recording information acquired from the recorder as digital data in association with the user information and / or predetermined metadata. Recorded information processing system described. 10. The recording information processing means inserts a theme image commemorating the shooting location at the beginning or the end of the recorded image acquired from the recorder, or appropriately provides an advertisement insertion frame in the image content. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, wherein an advertisement is inserted. 11. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the recording information processing means records the recording information acquired from the recorder on various recording media desired by the user and delivers the recording information. . 12. The recording information processing means converts the recording information acquired from the recorder into a format suitable for the characteristics of the reproducing apparatus desired by the user and distributes the format. Record information processing system. 13. The recording information processing means uploads the recording information acquired from a recorder as digital data on a server so that a user can remotely operate the recording information. Record information processing system. 14. The recording information processing means uploads the recording information acquired from a recorder as digital data on a server, and, according to the user's request, the user himself, a specific user or a user group, Alternatively, the recording information processing system according to claim 1, which is disclosed to an unspecified user. 15. The user can cover all the shooting locations so far, and displays a map in which the link information to the record information corresponding to the display positions corresponding to the respective shooting locations is embedded, to the user. The recording information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising recording information presenting means for guiding access to the recording information. 16. A recording information processing method for processing recording information obtained from a recorder lent to a user, comprising a user registration step of registering a user who lends the recorder and a record lending the recorder to the registered user. A machine lending step, a recorder collecting step of collecting a recorder from a registered user, a record information obtaining step of obtaining record information from the collected recorder, and a record information processing step of applying information processing to the record information. And a recording information processing method comprising: 17. In the user registration step, user identification information for confirming a user to be registered, and / or
Alternatively, the recording information processing method according to claim 16, wherein user-related information related to the user is input. 18. The user card in which the registered user information or a part thereof is written is distributed to the user who has completed the user registration procedure in the user registration step. The recorded information processing method described in. 19. The recording information processing method according to claim 18, wherein, in the recording machine lending step, the user presenting a valid user card is permitted to lend a recording machine. 20. The recording information according to claim 16, wherein the recording machine lending step and / or the recording machine collecting step is executed at a theme park, a tourist resort, a golf course or various event venues. Processing method. 21. The recording information processing method according to claim 16, wherein in the recording machine lending step, a recording machine with a charged battery is lent to a user. 22. The recording information processing method according to claim 16, wherein in the recording machine lending step, a recording machine loaded with a recording medium having a sufficient free space is lent to a user. 23. The recording information processing method according to claim 16, wherein the recording machine lending step lends a recording machine complying with the latest specifications to the user. 24. In the recording information processing step, the recording information acquired from a recording device is stored as digital data in association with user information and / or predetermined metadata. Recorded information processing method described. 25. In the recording information processing step, a theme image commemorating the shooting location is inserted at the beginning or end of the recorded image acquired from the recorder, or an advertisement insertion frame is appropriately provided in the image content. The recorded information processing method according to claim 16, wherein an advertisement is inserted. 26. In the recording information processing step, the recording information acquired from the recorder is recorded on various recording media desired by the user and delivered.
6. The recording information processing method described in 6. 27. The recording information processing step according to claim 16, wherein the recording information acquired from the recorder is converted into a format suitable for the characteristics of the reproducing apparatus desired by the user and distributed. Record information processing method. 28. The recording information processing step according to claim 16, wherein the recording information acquired from the recording device is uploaded as digital data onto a server so that the user can remotely operate the recording information. Record information processing method. 29. In the recording information processing step, the recording information acquired from the recorder is uploaded as digital data onto a server, and the user himself, a specific user or a user group,
Alternatively, the recording information processing method according to claim 16, which is disclosed to an unspecified user. 30. The user can cover all the shooting locations so far, and displays a map in which the link information to the record information corresponding to the display positions corresponding to the respective shooting locations is embedded to the user, The recorded information processing method according to claim 16, further comprising a recorded information presentation step of guiding access to the recorded information. 31. A storage medium that physically stores computer software in a computer-readable format, which is written so as to execute processing of recorded information obtained from a recorder lent to a user on a computer system, The computer software includes a user registration step of registering a user who lends a recording machine, a recording machine lending step of lending a recording machine to a registered user, and a recording machine collection step of collecting a recording machine from a registered user. A recording medium, comprising: a recording information acquisition step of acquiring recording information from a recording device; and a recording information processing step of applying information processing to the recording information.