JP2007108989A - Information processing system and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing system and method for instantaneously acquiring information suitable for the circumstances of its location while freely moving, and for realizing a desired operation suitable for the circumstances of its location based on the information, and for achieving desired information processing for complementing the information acquired in the location. <P>SOLUTION: This information processing system is provided with an information management device and an information processor for transmitting/receiving information, and the information processor receives identification information from an identification information transmission means installed in a near object, and transmits the identification information and additional information required for acquiring object related information to the information management device, and generates the relevant information by the information management device, and transmits it to the information processor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system including an information management device and an information processing device, and an information processing method for the information processing device, which transmit and receive information to and from each other over a network.

  In recent years, with the expansion of information processing functions of mobile terminals, the generalization of wireless communication functions and network use, etc., it has become possible to obtain many information services instantly anytime and anywhere using an information processing system.

  For example, there are route guidance and transfer guidance using a mobile phone. This is because position information using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or a mobile phone relay station can be easily obtained. In addition, services such as information that can be obtained immediately by using a portable terminal are being put into practical use for articles and the like that are seen while moving.

  In this way, when trying to obtain information about surrounding objects at the place where the user happens to be, in addition to information obtained directly, related information can be provided in real time using the information processing system. Various techniques have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 proposes an information providing system in which a user can acquire more detailed advertising information from an advertising medium or the like using a mobile terminal, for example. By the user operation on the portable terminal, the reader / writer reads the advertisement identification information of the RF tag (wireless tag) attached to the article in a non-contact manner, and transmits the read identification information to the satellite server. The satellite server searches for information content corresponding to the identification information, and transmits the searched information content to the mobile terminal. The portable terminal displays the transmitted information content by the display means.

  This technology makes it possible to obtain information that is not there immediately on the spot. However, the information obtained is limited to information relating to the specific object alone, and is not related to the surrounding situation. Information about the relationship between a specific object and the surrounding situation (location, building, other object, etc.) is not covered. Further, only information content can be obtained, and the user is limited to the usage form in which the user obtains knowledge by viewing the display. Furthermore, information acquisition is by user operation and requires an active user action to find a specific object to read.

  As a means for directly obtaining surrounding information, acquisition of image information by photographing has become popular, and portable terminals having photographing functions have become common. However, although image information has abundant information, data processing such as search is not easy compared to character data or the like. There has also been proposed a technique capable of acquiring easy-to-handle information regarding an object that is a subject using an information processing system while handling image information (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

  Patent Document 2 proposes a technique for collating a previously prepared table and obtaining corresponding place name information based on position information acquired by GPS at the time of shooting. The place name information is generated as character data, and is combined with image information as metadata to form image information with a place name. The image information with a place name is displayed and stored on the monitor.

  With such a technique, information corresponding to a place can be obtained in real time at the time of shooting, and its utilization can be increased by combining with image information. However, position information that can be obtained by a GPS or a mobile phone relay station cannot provide detailed position information. In addition, information on a moving object such as a train cannot be obtained. Furthermore, the place name information corresponding to the position information uses a table prepared in advance. When the place name information is changed, the table needs to be replaced, and the real-time property is impaired.

  In addition, when combining image information and information related to the subject that is the subject, a technique that recognizes the subject from the image itself by using image recognition and that is useful for obtaining information about the subject that is the subject has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 3).

  In Patent Document 3, when a captured image is stored, a subject is recognized based on a reference image stored in advance, and image information is classified and classified by subject. Alternatively, a technique has been proposed in which the date of birth of a subject is associated with a reference image, the age of the subject is acquired by collating with the shooting date, and information classified by subject and age is displayed and stored. ing.

By using such image recognition technology, more appropriate metadata can be acquired and combined with images, so even if the amount of image information files increases, image information management such as simple search can be performed. It becomes possible. However, since only the information that can be extracted from the image information in the form of recognition is used, the range of metadata is narrowed. Further, reference images necessary for image recognition are limited to those prepared in advance or those prepared by the user, and the number of subjects that can be recognized is also limited.
JP 2005-63145 A JP 2001-235790 A JP 2002-169809 A

  As mentioned above, there are various technologies that can provide related information in real time in addition to the information that can be obtained directly when trying to obtain information about surrounding objects at the place where the user happens to be. There are challenges.

  The object of the present invention is to obtain information suitable for the situation of the place in real time, which is not directly obtained on the spot while the user moves freely, and the situation of the spot by the information. Providing an information processing system and an information processing method capable of realizing a desired operation suitable for the user, realizing a desired information processing that complements information directly obtained on the spot, and the information processing method thereof is there.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

(1) In an information processing system including an information management device and an information processing device that transmit and receive information to and from each other over a network, the information processing system includes an identification information transmission unit that is installed on a target and transmits identification information about the target, The information processing apparatus receives the identification information transmitted by the identification information transmitting means, and receives desired related information related to the object to the specific information management apparatus based on the identification information. The necessary additional information and the identification information are transmitted, and the information management device receives the additional information and the identification information transmitted by the information processing device, and based on the received additional information and the identification information, A related information generating unit configured to generate desired related information related to the object related to the identification information; An information processing system that transmits the related information to the information processing apparatus.

  (2) The identification information transmitting means is installed on a moving object, and the related information generated by the related information generating means is information that changes as the object moves ( The information processing system according to 1).

  (3) The related information generation unit collates related data tables based on the identification information, and processes the acquired intermediate data based on the additional information to generate the related information. The information processing system according to (1) or (2).

  (4) The information processing apparatus includes image information acquisition means for acquiring image information, and transmits the image information acquired by the image information acquisition means to the information management apparatus as the additional information. The information processing system according to any one of (1) to (3).

  (5) The related information generation means includes image recognition means for recognizing a subject of the image information, and performs a comparison with a related data table based on a recognition result of the image recognition means ( The information processing system according to 4).

  (6) The information processing apparatus adds the received identification information and the additional information to the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit, and records the information as image information with the information added ( The information processing system according to 4) or (5).

  (7) The information processing apparatus adds the related information related to the image information received from the information management apparatus to the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit (4) to ( The information processing system according to any one of 6).

  (8) The information management apparatus stores the image information in a storage destination set for the image information corresponding to the related information generated by the related information generation unit (4). The information processing system according to any one of (7) to (7).

  (9) An information processing method in an information processing system including an information management device and an information processing device that transmit and receive information to and from each other through a network, and an identification information transmitting unit installed on the target is related to the target An identification information transmitting step for transmitting identification information; an identification information receiving step for receiving the identification information transmitted in the identification information transmitting step; and an identification information received in the identification information receiving step. An additional information transmitting step for transmitting the additional information and the identification information necessary for receiving the desired related information related to the object to the specific information management device based on the information management device; An additional information receiving step for receiving the additional information and the identification information transmitted in the information transmitting step; and the additional information received in the additional information receiving step. Based on the identification information, a related information generating step for generating desired related information related to an object related to the identification information, and related information for transmitting the related information generated in the related information generating step to the information processing apparatus An information processing method comprising: a transmission step.

  (10) In the identification information transmission step, the identification information transmission means installed on the moving object transmits the identification information on the object, and the related information generation step includes the moving object. The information processing method according to (9), wherein the related information that changes as the object moves is generated.

  (11) The related information generating step is to collate related data tables based on the identification information, process the acquired intermediate data based on the additional information, and generate the related information. The information processing method according to (9) or (10), which is characterized.

  (12) The information processing apparatus includes an image information acquisition step of acquiring image information, and the additional information transmission step transmits the image information acquired in the image information acquisition step to the information management device as the additional information. (9) The information processing method according to any one of (9) to (11).

  (13) An image recognition process for recognizing a subject of the image information received by the information management device, wherein the related information generation process performs a comparison with a related data table based on a recognition result of the image recognition process. The information processing method according to (12), wherein the information processing method is performed.

  (14) The information processing apparatus adds the identification information and the additional information received in the identification information receiving step to the image information acquired in the image information acquisition step, and records the information as image information to which information is added. The information processing method according to (12) or (13), further comprising an information-added image recording step.

  (15) The information processing apparatus includes a related information adding step of receiving the related information transmitted from the information management device in the related information transmitting step and adding the related information to the image information. The information processing method according to any one of (14) to (14).

  (16) The information management apparatus includes an image information storage step of storing the image information in a storage destination set for the image information corresponding to the related information generated in the related information generation step. The information processing method according to any one of (12) to (15), characterized in that:

  According to the present invention, in an information processing system including an information management device and an information processing device that transmit and receive information to and from each other over a network, and an information processing method thereof, the information processing device possessed by the user is a nearby object. The identification information from the identification information transmission means installed in the system is received and transmitted to the information management device together with additional information necessary to obtain the desired related information. By transmitting to the device, it is possible to obtain in real time information suitable for the situation of the place that cannot be obtained directly on the spot while the user moves freely, for example, to the user Realize the desired action suitable for the situation, such as guidance, or supplement the information directly obtained on the spot, such as processing of captured image information It can be provided or implements the information processing of Nozomu, an information processing system capable of, and the information processing method.

  An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of information processing system)
The configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the above embodiment.

  The image processing system according to the present embodiment includes one information processing apparatus, two information management apparatuses, and identification information transmitters 4a to 4c. The number of identification information transmitters is arbitrary.

  The information processing apparatus 1 can use a portable information processing terminal such as a mobile phone or a mobile device. Reference numeral 3 denotes a network, and the information processing apparatus 1 has an access function for them, and has a function of obtaining various services through them.

  The information management apparatus 2 is a large-capacity information management apparatus such as a server to which the information processing apparatus 1 can be connected via communication means such as the network 3. It manages and provides various information in cooperation with various large-capacity databases.

  The identification information transmitters 4a to 4c function as identification information transmission means, are attached to a certain object, and transmit identification information regarding the object by a communication method such as infrared communication or Bluetooth. Therefore, when the information processing apparatus 1 is in the vicinity of the object, the communication can be received and identification information can be obtained.

  The information processing apparatus 1 includes the following components.

  An image information acquisition unit 11 functions as an image information acquisition unit. If image information is not necessary for the function of the information processing apparatus 1, it may be omitted. The image information acquisition unit 11 includes means for capturing an image such as a camera, for example, and acquires an image obtained by converting an optical image into an electric signal and digitized as image information according to a file format such as Exif. The image information indicates an image file or a data string read from the file.

  Reference numeral 12 denotes a display unit that displays an optical image before photographing or an image after photographing. In recent years, liquid crystal displays are often used. In addition to images, information related to shooting and information related to images are often displayed.

  Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation unit, for example, buttons and switches for the user to make necessary inputs in a timely manner. When accessing the information management apparatus 2 from the information processing apparatus 1, necessary operations are performed using this operation unit.

  A memory 14 temporarily stores necessary information when the information processing apparatus 1 performs information processing.

  A control unit 15 controls the overall functional operation of the information processing apparatus 1.

  Reference numeral 16 denotes a transmission / reception unit, which has an interface function when communicating with the information management device 2 and the identification information transmitters 4a to 4c.

  The information management device 2 includes the following components.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes a related information generation unit, which functions as related information generation means. The function is to refer to and collate a necessary database based on the identification information and additional information obtained from the information processing apparatus 1 to select and generate related information. The identification information, additional information, and related information will be described later.

  The related information generation unit 21 includes an image recognition unit 51, a related information matching unit 52, and an image management unit 53. However, the image recognition unit 51 and the image management unit 53 do not have to handle image information.

  The image recognition unit 51 functions as an image recognition unit. The object of the image information is recognized by executing an image recognition program such as pattern matching, recognition by a neural network, recognition by a genetic algorithm. However, these image recognitions require data obtained by learning an actual subject, dictionary data, and templates.

  The related information collating unit 52 obtains data necessary for generating related information by collating the identification information or additional information with the database. When image information is handled as additional information, the subject recognized by the above-described image recognition is collated with information related to the subject to generate desired related information.

  The image management unit 53 controls processing for handling the image, and performs addition of related information to the image information, recording of the image information, and the like.

  A transmission / reception unit 22 has an interface function for receiving identification information and additional information from the information processing apparatus 1 and transmitting related information.

  A control unit 23 controls the overall functional operation of the information management apparatus 2.

  Reference numeral 24 denotes a memory, which temporarily stores necessary information when the information management apparatus 2 performs an information processing service. A data table for retrieving related information is also required in the memory. The related information data table may be configured to access a database in an external memory (not shown).

(Outline function and operation sequence)
In the information processing system configured as described above, the schematic functional operation can be expressed by the following information transmission / reception sequence.

  (1) The identification information transmitters 4a to 4c installed on the object are transmitting identification information.

  (2) The information processing apparatus 1 receives the identification information from the identification information transmitter 4a in the vicinity.

  (3) The information processing device 1 specifies the connection destination for obtaining the related information, that is, the information management device 2 based on the identification information, and sets the additional information necessary for obtaining the related information related to the object. Above, identification information and additional information are transmitted.

  (4) The information management device 2 receives the identification information and additional information.

  (5) The information management device 2 sets a data table to be referred to based on the received identification information and additional information, and extracts and generates related information related to the object through a collation operation.

  (6) The information management device 2 transmits the generated related information, that is, information required by the information processing device 1 to the information processing device 1.

  (7) The information processing apparatus 1 receives the related information.

  (8) The information processing apparatus 1 performs a predetermined operation based on the received related information.

  Also, the information transmitted and received in the above sequence is the following information.

(A) Identification information:
An IP address for specifying a specific object such as a MAC address, a code, etc., and a source of information related to the object, for example, for specifying the object on which the identification information transmitter is installed , URL, etc.

(B) Related information:
-Display and operation of digital content according to information desired to be obtained in connection with the object, for example, situation (position information, location, existing object, etc.), operation parameters thereof, and information processing terminal 1 suitable for the situation For example, vibration, light emission, transmission / reception, sound reproduction, display, program execution, and the like.

(C) Additional information:
-Information added to identification information necessary to obtain the related information. For example, information related to the information processing device itself that receives the related information, information related to the user who is operating the information processing device, and information that is stored in the information processing device or that can be obtained through a network is effective. Information and digital contents (for route search, station name, route, etc.).

(D) Image information:
As the additional information, it is also effective to use an image or the like obtained by photographing the situation in the vicinity of the information processing apparatus in order to obtain the situation (position information, location, existing object, etc.) more appropriately. That is, it is also effective to use the image information itself represented by the image file or the data string read from the file as the additional information.

  Further, in the above sequence, in order to generate related information, collation with a data table is performed to obtain intermediate data.

(E) Intermediate data:
If there is no table that can be directly compared with the desired related information from the identification information or the additional information, the intermediate data table is checked to obtain the intermediate data necessary for obtaining the related information. Based on the intermediate data, necessary related information is further generated by collation or an arithmetic program.

  The general function and operation sequence have been described above, and specific processing examples will be described in processing example 1 and processing example 2 below for details.

<Processing Example 1>
Processing example 1 regarding the information processing method in the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The purpose and intended operation of the functional operation of Processing Example 1 are as follows.

  The user is moving using a train. You can get the route to the destination and the transfer station by using the route guidance service, etc. In addition, if the transfer station is approaching, please let the information processing device vibrate in advance.

  In executing the above operation, the first processing example follows a sequence as shown in FIG.

(Operation sequence of Processing Example 1)
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence of Processing Example 1. The outline of the operation sequence of Processing Example 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Each step of the sequence will be described with reference to a flowchart described later.

  The identification information transmitter transmits the identification information D31 in the identification information transmission step 111, and the information processing apparatus receives it in the identification information reception step 122.

  This is the only process of the identification information transmitter. That is, it is a function of the identification information transmitter to always transmit the identification information D31 regarding the train on which it is installed.

  The identification information D31 is information for specifying a train flight name and an access destination for obtaining related information related thereto.

  The information processing device specifies the information management device to be accessed based on the identification information D31. Further, additional information D33 necessary for obtaining the related information D34 to be obtained is set.

  Next, the information processing apparatus transmits additional information D33 (including identification information D31) in the additional information transmission step 123, and the information management apparatus receives it in the additional information reception step 131.

  The additional information D33 is setting information related to route information such as transfer stations and advance notice of transfer.

  In the related information generation step 133, the information management device collates the identification information D31 with the intermediate data table, and acquires the intermediate data D32.

  The intermediate data D32 is information regarding travel of the train such as the stop station and time. Based on the intermediate data D32 and the additional information D33, the information management device calculates the estimated arrival time at the transfer station and generates related information D34.

  The information management device transmits the acquired related information D34 in the related information transmission step 134, and the information processing device receives the related information reception step 124.

  The related information D34 is a notice command for the information processing apparatus, and is either an ON signal that causes the information processing apparatus to vibrate one minute before arrival at the transfer station or an OFF signal that does not vibrate until then.

  The information processing apparatus executes a predetermined operation based on the related information D34 in the related information processing step 125. That is, if the related information D34 is the notice command ON, the notice vibration is executed, and if the notice information is OFF, the process waits until the next notice command.

(Flowchart of Processing Example 1)
Next, a more detailed flow of the above operation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of Processing Example 1. In the description, reference is also made to FIG. 1 from time to time.

  When the information providing process for transfer notice is started, first, the information processing apparatus 1 receives the identification information via the transmission / reception unit 16 in step S11. Step S11 functions as an identification information receiving step.

  This identification information is transmitted by the identification information transmitter 4a in step S12, and is for specifying the train on which the identification information transmitter 4a is installed. Step S12 functions as an identification information transmission step.

  The identification information transmitter 4a is installed in a specific train, and always transmits identification information for specifying the train during train operation. The information processing apparatus 1 possessed by the user who is the passenger receives the identification information from the identification information transmitter 4a that happens to be in the vicinity of the train.

  The number of identification information transmitters installed is arbitrary, and it is desirable that passengers can be received anywhere in the train. Moreover, the identification information transmitter which transmits the identification information which can specify the train is installed in each other arbitrary train.

  Next, in step S13 and step S14, the transmission / reception unit 16 of the information processing device 1 connects to the connection destination specified by the identification information, that is, the transmission / reception unit 22 of the information management device 2 via the network 3.

  In step S15, using the information processing apparatus 1, a route to the destination is determined using the train. For example, the route information provided from the information management device 2 is displayed on the display unit 12 and an operation such as selection by the operation unit 13 is performed to determine the route.

  In step S16, the information management device 2 receives information on the determined route and registers the determined route in the memory 24 on the information management device 2 side. Alternatively, the information processing device 1 downloads the information from the information management device 2 and stores the determined route information in the memory 14 in the device.

  The route determination and registration or holding of the determined route information in step S15 and step S16 may be performed before getting on the train. However, in such a case, the inconvenience of redoing occurs when the train is delayed, so if real-time performance is important, it is desirable to use an automated process.

  In step S <b> 17, additional information is set using the information processing apparatus 1. This is also input using the display unit 12 and the operation unit 13 of the information processing apparatus 1. The additional information is a setting condition for receiving the advance notice of arrival at the transfer station, and includes a notice method, a notice time, presence / absence of notice, and the like. For the advance notice, in response to the advance notice command from the information management apparatus 2, the information processing apparatus 1 performs a predetermined operation such as driving a vibration function.

  In step S18, as a preparatory operation for receiving the notice command, the control unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 1 turns on the flag for the notice command. Thus, when a notice command is received from the information management device 2, a permission state in which the notice command can be executed is entered.

  In step S <b> 20, the information processing apparatus 1 transmits the set additional information to the information management apparatus 2 together with the identification information through the transmission / reception unit 16. Step S20 functions as an additional information transmission step. For example, it is assumed that the additional information is set in advance so that the information processing apparatus 1 is vibrated one minute before arrival at the transfer station.

  In step S <b> 21, the information management apparatus 2 receives additional information from the information processing apparatus 1 together with identification information through the transmission / reception unit 22. Step S21 functions as an additional information receiving step.

  In step S <b> 22, the information management device 2 generates related information in the related information generation unit 21 based on the received additional information and identification information. Step S22 functions as a related information generation step. Details of this process will be described later (see the flowchart and description in FIG. 4).

  In step S <b> 23, the information management device 2 transmits the generated related information to the information processing device 1 through the transmission / reception unit 22. Step S23 functions as a related information transmission step.

  The related information is a notice instruction of arrival at the transfer station. For example, according to the setting related to the notice in the additional information, the notice ON signal that vibrates the information processing apparatus 1 is not vibrated until then one minute before arrival at the transfer station A notice OFF signal is transmitted as a notice instruction.

  In step S <b> 24, the information processing apparatus 1 receives related information from the information management apparatus 2, that is, an ON / OFF notice command through the transmission / reception unit 16. Step S24 functions as a related information receiving step.

  In step S25, it is determined whether the received related information, that is, the notice command is an ON signal or an OFF signal. If the notice command is an ON signal (step S25: YES), step S26 is executed. If the notice command is not an ON signal (step S25: NO), the process proceeds to step S19, and the information processing apparatus 1 receives the identification information from the information transmitter 4a via the transmission / reception unit 16 again.

  At that time, receiving the identification information again is confirmation of whether there is a change in the train on which it is boarded and its operation. It is also assumed that the train route gets off due to an emergency or the route is suddenly changed due to an accident.

  After receiving the identification information again in step S19, the information processing apparatus 1 and the information management apparatus 2 repeat the processing procedure from step S20, that is, the process of transmitting additional information and identification information again. Regenerate the related information again, that is, calculate the estimated arrival time according to the change of the situation, and issue the notice command again. Steps S20 to S24 are repeated, and when step S25 is reached, the determination as to whether the notice command is an ON signal or an OFF signal is repeated.

  The above processing procedure is repeated until it is determined in step S25 that the notice command is an ON signal. When the notice command becomes an ON signal in step S25, the process repeats and step S26 is executed.

  In step S26, the control unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 1 confirms the flag ON for the notice command, and the information processing apparatus 1 drives the vibration function according to the notice command ON signal. The user senses that it is one minute before the arrival at the transfer station by the vibration of the information processing apparatus 1 possessed by the user.

  In step S27, because the notice transfer guidance itself is no longer necessary, the control unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 1 turns off the flag for the notice instruction, and sets the notice instruction to a disallowed state.

  This completes the information provision process for the transfer notice.

  Next, a more detailed flow of the step S22 in the flowchart of FIG. 3, that is, the related information generation step will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the related information generation step in Processing Example 1.

  When the related information generation process is started, first, in step S31, the related information generation unit 21 of the information management device 1 accesses the appropriate database in the memory 24 or the external memory based on the identification information D31, and performs intermediate processing related to train travel information. Extract the data table. The related information collation unit 52 of the related information generation unit 21 collates the extracted intermediate data table with the identification information D31, thereby acquiring the travel information of the corresponding train as the intermediate data D32.

  Next, in step S32, the related information generation unit 21 adds additional information D33 including train travel information (stop station and scheduled time, current position, etc. of the corresponding train) and route (route, transfer station, etc.) as intermediate data D32. To calculate the estimated time of arrival at the transfer station.

  In step S33, a notice command based on the current travel position and time is created as related information D34 based on the calculated transfer station estimated arrival time and additional information D33 (setting for notice). If the current time is one minute before the estimated arrival time, the notice command is an ON signal, otherwise it is an OFF signal.

  In step S <b> 34, the created notice signal that is an ON signal or an OFF signal is set as related information D <b> 34 that is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 1.

  Thus, the related information generation process by the related information generation unit 21 of the information management device 1 ends.

<Processing example 2>
Processing example 2 regarding the information processing method in the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The purpose and intended operation of the functional operation of Processing Example 2 are as follows.

  The user is taking a picture using an information processing apparatus having a digital camera function while moving the visited place. For convenience, such as organizing photos taken or searching for a desired photo from a large number of photos, if you take a photo at a certain place or subject, character data representing the shooting scene is automatically converted into a photo image I want to be granted and recorded.

  For example, if you take a photo in a theme park, the text data such as “Photo taken with a mouse doll in front of a castle before noon” in the photo image data is automatically recorded as an image file. Is done.

  In executing the above operation, the second processing example follows a sequence as shown in FIG.

(Operation sequence of processing example 2)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence of Processing Example 2. The outline of the operation sequence of Processing Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. Each step of the sequence will be described with reference to a flowchart described later.

  The information processing apparatus has a camera function and can acquire image information by normal photography. As soon as the information processing apparatus takes a picture in the image information acquisition step 221, the identification information D61 is received, and this operation sequence starts.

  The identification information transmitter always transmits the identification information D61 in the identification information transmission step 211, and the information processing apparatus receives it in the identification information reception step 222.

  This is the only process of the identification information transmitter. In other words, it is set on a subject in a shooting scene, for example, a characteristic object such as a character (eg, a mouse doll) or a building (eg, XX Castle) in a theme park, and identification information D61 regarding these objects is always displayed. It is the function of the identification information transmitter to transmit.

  The identification information D61 is information for specifying information for specifying these objects and an access destination for obtaining related information D64 related to them.

  The information processing device specifies the information management device to be accessed based on the identification information D61. Further, additional information D63 necessary for obtaining the related information D64 to be obtained is set.

  The additional information D63 is image information acquired in this case and information relating to shooting, and is data necessary for specifying the subject and is a target to which the related information D64 is added later.

  As the operation sequence, the process may proceed to the next additional information transmission step 223 as it is (processing example 2-1), or the additional information D63 including the image information and the identification information D61 are once recorded on the recording medium. After reading using the information processing apparatus or another image information management apparatus, the process may proceed to the next additional information transmission step 223 (processing example 2-2).

  The processing procedure will be described separately for processing example 2-1 and processing example 2-2.

  Next, the information processing apparatus transmits additional information D63 (including identification information D61) in the additional information transmission step 223 of 223, and the information management apparatus receives it in the additional information reception step 231.

  In the image recognition step 232, the information management apparatus searches the database based on the identification information D61 for specifying the subject, and extracts, for example, a template or dictionary data related to the subject corresponding to the identification information D61. Using the image information as the additional information D63, the image information is collated and the subject is recognized.

  In the related information matching step 233, the information management apparatus acquires the intermediate data D62 from the intermediate data table based on the recognized subject. The intermediate data D62 is subject information representing those features corresponding to the recognized subject. Based on this intermediate data D62 and additional information D63, related information D64 is generated.

  The information management device transmits the generated related information D64 in the related information transmission step 234, and the information processing device receives the related information reception step 224.

  The related information D64 is character data expressing a shooting scene created based on the intermediate data D62 and additional information D63 related to shooting, and should be added to the image information.

  In the related information adding step 225, the information processing apparatus adds the character data received as the related information D64 to the image information.

  Further, in the image information storage step 226, the information processing apparatus records and stores the image information to which the related information D64 is added on a recording medium or the like. The storage destination may be distributed according to the assigned character data.

  The steps 225 and 226 in the information processing apparatus may be performed by the information management apparatus. In this case, 235 is a related information adding step and 236 is an image information storing step.

(Flowchart of Processing Example 2-1)
Next, a more detailed flow of the above operation (processing example 2-1) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of process example 2-1. In the description, reference is also made to FIG. 1 from time to time.

  At the start of the related information-added image creation process 1, first, in step S41, an operation for obtaining image information is performed by the user. That is, it is a captured image input to the information processing apparatus. Immediately after shooting, the next step S42 is executed, and capturing of identification information relating to the subject or the like starts. Step S41 functions as an image information acquisition process.

  In step S <b> 42, the information processing apparatus 1 receives identification information via the transmission / reception unit 16. Step S42 functions as an identification information receiving step.

  This identification information is transmitted by the identification information transmitter 4a in step S43. Step S43 functions as an identification information transmission step.

  The identification information transmitter 4a is installed for a characteristic object such as a specific place, building, character, etc., and an access destination for obtaining information for specifying the characteristic object and related information about the characteristic object. Is transmitted as identification information. When photographing is performed with the information processing apparatus 1 possessed by the user, the identification information is received from the identification information transmitter 4a that happens to be installed on the subject.

  Next, in step S48 and step S49, the transmission / reception unit 16 of the information processing device 1 connects to the connection destination specified by the identification information, that is, the transmission / reception unit 22 of the information management device 2 via the network 3.

  In step S50, additional information is set using the information processing apparatus 1. The additional information includes the acquired image information itself and conditions relating to shooting. Image information is data necessary for specifying a subject and is a target to which related information is added. Conditions relating to shooting may be automatically set by the information processing apparatus 1 or may be input using the display unit 12 and the operation unit 13.

  Next, in step S51, the information processing apparatus 1 transmits the set additional information to the information management apparatus 2 through the transmission / reception unit 16 together with the identification information. Step S51 functions as an additional information transmission step.

  In step S <b> 52, the information management device 2 receives the additional information from the information processing device 1 through the transmission / reception unit 22 together with the identification information. Step S21 functions as an additional information receiving step.

  In step S <b> 53, the information management apparatus 2 generates related information in the related information generation unit 21 based on the received additional information and identification information. Step S53 functions as a related information generation step. Details of this process will be described later (see the flowchart and description in FIG. 7).

  In step S <b> 54, the information management device 2 transmits the generated related information to the information processing device 1 through the transmission / reception unit 22. Step S54 functions as a related information transmission step.

  The related information is character data representing a shooting scene, for example, character data such as “a photograph taken with a mouse doll in front of a castle before noon”. By adding to the image information, it is easy to organize the photos taken and search for the desired photo from a large number of photos.

  In step S <b> 55, the information processing apparatus 1 receives related information from the information management apparatus 2, i.e., character data representing a shooting scene, through the transmission / reception unit 16. Step S55 functions as a related information receiving step.

  In step S <b> 56, the information processing apparatus 1 displays the received related information, that is, character data representing a shooting scene on the display unit 12 together with image information.

  In step S57, the information processing apparatus 1 adds the character data received as related information to the image information. Step S57 functions as a related information adding step.

  In step S58, the information processing apparatus 1 records and saves the image information to which the related information is added on a recording medium or the like. The storage destination may be distributed according to the assigned character data. Step S58 functions as an image information storage step.

  The related information added image creation process 1 is thus completed.

  Next, a more detailed flow of the step S53 in the flowchart of FIG. 6, that is, the related information generation step, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed procedure of the related information generation step in Processing Example 2.

  When the related information generation process is started, first, in step S61, the related information generation unit 21 of the information management apparatus 1 accesses the appropriate database in the memory 24 or the external memory based on the identification information D61, and intermediate data related to the subject information. A table, that is, dictionary data is extracted.

  In step S62, the image recognition unit 51 of the related information generation unit 21 recognizes the subject in the shooting scene by comparing the extracted intermediate data table with the additional information D63, that is, the image information. Step S62 functions as an image recognition process.

  In step S63, the related information collating unit 52 of the related information generating unit 21 collates the recognized subject in the shooting scene with the intermediate data table, and acquires the subject information as the intermediate data D62. The subject information is character data or the like (character data relating to a character, a building, or the like) representing those features corresponding to the recognized subject.

  In step S64, as related information D64 corresponding to the image information, character data representing a shooting scene is created based on the subject information. For example, character data such as “a photo taken with a mouse doll in front of a castle before noon”.

  Thus, the related information generation process by the related information generation unit 21 of the information management device 1 ends.

(Flowchart of Processing Example 2-2)
Next, a more detailed flow of the processing example 2-2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the detailed procedure of the processing example 2-2. Description of the same steps as those of the processing example 2-1 will be omitted, and different portions of the processing procedure will be described.

  First, the first half of process example 2-2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  At the start of the related information addition image creation process 2, first, in step S71, the user performs an operation for acquiring image information. This is the same process as step S41 of processing example 2-1. Immediately after shooting, the next step S72 is executed, and capturing of identification information relating to the subject or the like starts.

  Step S72 is also the same process as step S42 of processing example 2-1.

  The identification information received in step S72 is transmitted by the identification information transmitter 4a in step S73. Step S73 is the same step as Step S43 of Processing Example 2-1.

  In step S74, the information processing apparatus 1 sets additional information (information regarding photographing). This is also the same as Step S50 in Processing Example 2-1.

  In step S75, the image management unit 53 of the information processing apparatus 1 temporarily adds additional information and identification information to the image information. This assumes that you do not want to proceed to the step of generating the related information immediately. Before generating the related information, temporarily record the information for obtaining the related information instead. .

  In step S76, the image management unit 53 of the information processing apparatus 1 temporarily records the image information in which the additional information and the identification information are added to the image information on the recording medium. Thereby, related information can be acquired later. When a detachable recording medium is used, for example, related information can be acquired, stored, and managed based on the image management apparatus.

  Steps S75 and S76 described above function as an information-added image recording step.

  Here, the description of the flowchart portion of FIG. 8 is finished, and the flowchart portion of FIG. 9 is continued. During this time, the necessary information is once recorded on the recording medium as described above, and can be moved both in time and space. It is also possible to perform subsequent processing by changing the apparatus.

  Next, the latter half of the processing example 2-2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As described above, the part described as the information processing apparatus 1 in the following description may be another apparatus having a necessary similar function, such as an image management apparatus.

  In step S77, the information processing apparatus 1 reads image information to which additional information and identification information are added from the recording medium. Each piece of information is divided and temporarily stored in the memory 14, for example.

  Next, in step S78 and step S79, the connection destination specified by the read identification information, that is, the transmission / reception unit 22 of the information management apparatus 2 is connected via the network 3. This is also the same as Step S48 and Step S49 in Processing Example 2-1.

  In step S80, additional information is set again. This is also the same as Step S50 in Processing Example 2-1. Necessary information is read from the recording medium in step S77 and already held.

  Steps S81 to S85 are also the same steps as Steps S51 to S55 in Processing Example 2-1. The details of the process of step S83 that functions as the related information generation process are the same as those in the processing example 2-1, and are the same as those described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S <b> 86, the information processing apparatus 1 displays the received related information, that is, character data representing a shooting scene on the display unit 12 together with image information. This is also the same as Step S56 in Processing Example 2-1.

  Step S87 is also the same process as step S57 of Processing Example 2-1. At the stage when the image information is first read out, the identification information and the additional information are given. At this stage, the image information given the relevant information as a target is replaced by it.

  Step S88 is also the same process as step S58 of Processing Example 2-1. Similarly, the storage destination may be distributed according to the assigned character data. In particular, when an image management apparatus that can handle a large amount of data is used, related data, that is, character data can be used effectively.

  The related information added image creation process 2 is thus completed.

  In the information processing system including the information management device and the information processing device and the information processing method for transmitting and receiving information to and from each other through the network according to the embodiment described above, the information processing device possessed by the user is Receiving the identification information from the identification information transmitting means installed on the object in the vicinity, sending it to the information management device together with the additional information necessary for obtaining the relevant information, and the information management device side By generating and transmitting to the information processing device, it is possible to acquire information suitable for the situation of the place in real time that the user can move freely but cannot be obtained directly on the spot. To realize a desired operation suitable for the situation such as guidance to the user, or directly on the spot such as processing of photographed image information. Or to achieve a desired processing to supplement the information provided, it is possible to provide an information processing system, and the information processing method which can be.

  In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment example is an illustration and restrictive at no points. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the information processing system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of the specific process example 1 of the information processing system which concerns on this embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed procedure of processing example 1; It is a flowchart which shows the detailed procedure of the related information generation process in the process example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of the specific process example 2 of the information processing system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed procedure of the process example 2-1. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed procedure of the related information generation process in the process example 2. FIG. It is the first half part of the flowchart which shows the detailed procedure of the process example 2-2. It is the latter half part of the flowchart which shows the detailed procedure of the process example 2-2.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information processing apparatus 2 Information management apparatus 3 Network 4a, 4b, 4c Identification information transmitter 11 Image information acquisition part 12 Display part 13 Operation part 14 Memory 15 Control part 16 Transmission / reception part 21 Related information generation part 22 Transmission / reception part 23 Control part 24 Memory 51 Image recognition unit 52 Related information matching unit 53 Image management unit 111, 211 Identification information transmission step 221 Image information acquisition step 122, 222 Identification information reception step 123, 223 Additional information transmission step 124, 224 Related information reception step 125 Related information Processing steps 131, 231 Additional information reception step 232 Image recognition step 133 Related information generation step 233 Related information collation step 134, 234 Related information transmission step 225, 235 Related information addition step 226, 236 Image information storage step

Claims (16)

In an information processing system comprising an information management device and an information processing device that transmit and receive information to and from each other over a network,
Provided with an identification information transmission means installed on an object and transmitting identification information about the object;
The information processing apparatus includes:
The additional information necessary for receiving the identification information transmitted by the identification information transmitting means and receiving the desired related information related to the object to the specific information management device based on the identification information and the information Send identification information,
The information management device includes:
While receiving the additional information and the identification information transmitted by the information processing apparatus,
Based on the received additional information and the identification information, comprising related information generating means for generating desired related information related to the object related to the identification information,
An information processing system, wherein the related information generated by the related information generating means is transmitted to the information processing apparatus. The identification information transmitting means is installed on a moving object,
The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the related information generated by the related information generating unit is information that changes as the object moves. The related information generating means includes
3. The information processing according to claim 1, wherein a related data table is collated based on the identification information, and the obtained intermediate data is processed based on the additional information to generate the related information. system. The information processing apparatus includes:
Image information acquisition means for acquiring image information is provided,
The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit is transmitted to the information management apparatus as the additional information. The related information generating means includes
Image recognition means for recognizing the subject of the image information,
5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein collation with a related data table is performed based on a recognition result of the image recognition means. The information processing apparatus includes:
6. The information processing according to claim 4, wherein the received identification information and the additional information are added to the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit, and the information is recorded as information-added image information. system. The information processing apparatus includes:
The information according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the related information related to the image information received from the information management apparatus is added to the image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit. Processing system. The information management device includes:
8. The image information according to claim 4, wherein the image information is stored in a storage destination set for the image information corresponding to the related information generated by the related information generating unit. The information processing system described. An information processing method in an information processing system comprising an information management device and an information processing device that transmit and receive information to and from each other over a network,
The identification information transmission means installed on the object is
An identification information sending step for sending identification information about the object;
The information processing apparatus is
An identification information receiving step for receiving the identification information transmitted in the identification information transmission step;
Additional information required to receive the provision of desired related information related to the target object and additional information necessary for receiving information related to the object based on the identification information received in the identification information receiving step Sending process;
The information management device is
An additional information receiving step of receiving the additional information and the identification information transmitted in the additional information transmitting step;
Based on the additional information and the identification information received in the additional information receiving step, a related information generating step for generating desired related information related to the object related to the identification information,
A related information transmitting step of transmitting the related information generated in the related information generating step to the information processing apparatus. In the identification information transmission step, the identification information transmission means installed on the moving object transmits the identification information related to the object,
The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the related information generation step generates the related information that changes with the movement of the moving object. The related information generation step includes
11. The related data table is collated based on the identification information, and the acquired intermediate data is processed based on the additional information to generate the related information. Information processing method. The information processing apparatus includes an image information acquisition step of acquiring image information,
12. The information according to claim 9, wherein the additional information transmission step transmits the image information acquired in the image information acquisition step to the information management apparatus as the additional information. Processing method. An image recognition step of recognizing a subject of the image information received by the information management device;
The information processing method according to claim 12, wherein the related information generation step performs collation with a related data table based on a recognition result of the image recognition step. An information-added image in which the information processing apparatus adds the identification information and the additional information received in the identification information receiving step to the image information acquired in the image information acquisition step, and records the information as image information to which information is added. 14. The information processing method according to claim 12, further comprising a recording step. 15. The information processing apparatus includes a related information adding step of receiving the related information transmitted from the information management device in the related information transmitting step and adding the related information to the image information. The information processing method according to any one of the above. The information management device includes an image information storage step of storing the image information in a storage destination set for the image information corresponding to the related information generated in the related information generation step. The information processing method according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

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