JP2007188229A - Flower information inquiry method and flower information inquiry system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a network system for providing community for executing name retrieval specialized in a flower, and for exchanging the retrieved flower information. <P>SOLUTION: The image data of a flower whose image has been picked up by a portable terminal(MB) 2 are transmitted to a flower information management server(SV) 1, and the names of flowers unlikely to bloom in the region and the period are removed from the latitude/longitude data or date data of a GPS, and the much more accurate name candidates of flowers are presented to a user. Thus, it is possible to much more accurately achieve the name retrieval of flowers by retrieving the flower information database of a server 1 specialized in flowers based on the shapes or colors of the flowers, and transmitting the candidate flower names to a portable terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a network technique for extracting flower name candidates based on a flower image captured using a mobile phone terminal incorporating a camera function.

  When you find a flower during an outdoor walk or trekking, if you want to know the name of the flower, you had to go back indoors and search for it with a picture book.

In this regard, in Patent Document 1, image data such as a flower imaged by a mobile phone terminal is transmitted to a management computer, the feature amount of the image data of the inquiry image is calculated by the management computer, and the similarity to the registered image is calculated. A technique to calculate and analyze what flower it is is shown.
JP 2005-107990 A

  However, since the technique described in Patent Document 1 calculates the similarity to a registered image registered in advance based on the feature amount of the image data and examines the name of the flower or the like. In the case of flowers having similar feature quantities, accurate search could not be performed.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and implement | achieves the network system which can provide the community which can perform the name search specialized in the flower and can exchange the searched flower information. Is a technical issue.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a portable terminal including an imaging function unit, the step of imaging a flower by the imaging function unit;
In the portable terminal, transmitting the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit to a server via the network by the communication function unit;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
In the server, transmitting the flower name candidate data retrieved in the above via a network for displaying on the portable terminal;
This is a flower information inquiry method executed by a portable terminal and a server.

  In this way, by searching the flower information database specialized for flowers based on the shape and color of the flower and sending the candidate flower name to the mobile terminal, the flower name search is more reliable. Become.

[Claim 2] In the portable terminal, when the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit, together with the flower image data, the portable terminal of the flower image data Execute the step of sending the saved date and time data to the server as additional data,
The server that has received the flower image data and the additional data searches the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data, and searches for flower name candidate data. The flower information executed by the portable terminal and the server according to claim 1, wherein the step of narrowing down the candidate data of the flower name that matches the flowering time of the flower information database from the storage date and time data of the additional data and executing the candidate data is executed. It is an inquiry method.

  According to this method, only flower name candidates that coincide with the flowering time of the flower information database are extracted based on the stored date and time data. For example, flower image data captured in spring is flowered from summer to winter. Since flower name candidates can be excluded, only more accurate flower name candidates can be searched.

[Claim 3] When the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit in the portable terminal, the flower image data and the portable terminal of the flower image data are transmitted. Execute the step of sending the saved date and time data and the latitude and longitude data at that time to the server as additional data,
The server that has received the flower image data and the additional data searches for flower name candidate data from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data, and further, latitude / longitude data of the additional data 3. The flower information inquiry method executed by the mobile terminal and the server according to claim 1, wherein the step of narrowing down to candidate data of flower names that match the flowering area of the flower information database is performed as the candidate data. .

  According to this method, based on the latitude and longitude data obtained from the mobile terminal at the time of imaging, only the flower name candidates that match the flowering area of the flower information database are extracted. For example, a flower image captured in Hokkaido in the spring Since it is possible to exclude candidates for flower names that bloom only in Okinawa in autumn, it becomes possible to search for even more accurate flower name candidates.

In the portable terminal that has received candidate data of one or more flower names received from the server,
Displaying the one or more flower names and waiting for a selection input of a flower size and a flower shape via the input function unit;
In the portable terminal, when a flower size and a flower shape are selected and input from the input function unit, the selection input data is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit;
In the server, based on the received selection input data, the flower information database is searched again, the flower name candidate data is narrowed down, and the narrowed flower name candidate data is displayed again on the mobile terminal. It is a flower information inquiry method performed with the portable terminal and server in any one of Claims 1-3 which consist of the step which transmits via a network in order to make it do.

  According to this method, the user further selects the flower size (how many centimeters in diameter, etc.) and the flower shape (the tip is round, the tip is sharp, etc.) for the candidate flower name data received from the server to the mobile terminal. When inputting and performing a refinement search again on the server, a more accurate name search becomes possible.

Claim 5 is a portable terminal provided with an imaging function unit for photographing a flower and a communication function unit for transmitting the captured flower image data to a server via a network;
A server connected to the mobile terminal via a network;
The server is configured to extract at least flower shape data and color data from the flower image data received from the mobile terminal;
A search function unit for searching the flower information database using the shape data and color data extracted by the analysis function unit as search keys;
A flower information database that is accessed by the search function unit and associated with at least a flower name, shape data, and color data;
A flower information inquiry system comprising: a transmission function part that transmits the candidate data of the flower name searched by the search process to the flower information database of the search function part via a network in order to display on the portable terminal.

  According to this system, as described in claim 1, based on the shape and color of the flower, a flower information database specialized for flowers is searched, and candidate flower names are stored in the mobile terminal. By transmitting, the name search of a flower becomes more reliable.

Claim 6 is a server flower information inquiry program for extracting flower name candidates based on flower image data received from a mobile terminal,
Receiving flower image data captured by a portable terminal including a communication function unit and an imaging function unit via a network;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
In the server, a flower information inquiry program that can be executed in the server including the step of transmitting candidate data of the flower name searched in the above via a network for display on the portable terminal.

  Such a program is provided in the form of a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM or the like, and is installed in the hard disk device of the server. The program installed on the server is read by the server specialized for flowers based on the flower image data received from the mobile terminal in conjunction with the flower information database that is sequentially read into the central processing unit of the server and accessible from the server. By searching the flower information database and transmitting candidate flower names to the mobile terminal, the flower name search is performed more reliably.

Claim 7 is a storage medium storing a flower information inquiry program executable in a server that extracts flower name candidates based on flower image data received from a mobile terminal,
Receiving flower image data captured by a portable terminal including a communication function unit and an imaging function unit via a network;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
In the server, a storage medium storing a flower information inquiry program executable in the server comprising the step of transmitting candidate data of the flower name searched in the above via a network for displaying on the portable terminal is there.

  The storage medium means all recording media capable of recording data optically and magnetically, such as the aforementioned CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and hard disk device.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the network system which can provide the community which can perform the name search specialized in the flower and can exchange the searched flower information is realizable.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a communication procedure between a server (SV) and a mobile terminal (MB) of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a network configuration diagram of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the server.
As shown in FIG. 2, the system of this embodiment includes a flower information management server (SV) 1 having a flower information database (FDB), and the flower information management server (SV) 1 and a network (NW).
) 4 and a mobile terminal (MB) 2 connected via a base station (MS) 3.

  The flower information management server (SV) 1 is a general-purpose information processing device, and as shown in FIG. 3, a main memory (MM) 6 connected by a bus (BUS) 11 with a central processing unit (CPU) 5 as a center. , A display device (DISP) 9 as an output device, a keyboard (KBD) 10 as an input device, a hard disk device (HD) 7 as a large-scale storage device, and the like.

  In addition to the operating system (OS) 8, a flower information inquiry program (processing program) 12 for realizing the functions of this embodiment is installed in the hard disk device (HD) 7.

  In the figure, the flower information database (FDB) 13 is also registered in the hard disk device (HD) 7. However, the flower information database (FDB) 13 is provided as a separate database server on the network (NW) 4. It may be.

  The flower information inquiry program (processing program) 12 is read into a central processing unit (CPU) 5 via a bus (BUS) 11 and a main memory (MM) 6 and sequentially executed.

  The mobile terminal (MB) 2 can be connected to a network and can exemplify a mobile phone terminal provided with a liquid crystal display unit and an input button, but is not limited thereto, and may be an information processing terminal such as a PDA or a laptop computer. Good.

  The mobile terminal (MB) 2 also has a memory, push buttons, a communication function unit, a liquid crystal display unit, an imaging function unit, etc., centering on a central processing unit (CPU), and centrally stores a terminal application program stored in the memory. A processing device (CPU) can read and execute the processing. In addition, when the mobile terminal (MB) 2 has a GPS function unit, latitude and longitude data can also be held in the memory.

  The flower information database (FDB) 13 is provided with a flower database (flower DB) as shown in FIG. 4B and a member database (member DB) as shown in FIG. .

  In the former flower-specific database (flower-specific DB), a flower ID, a flower name, a flower shape, a flower color, a flowering time, a flowering area, a flower size, and the like are associated and registered. ing.

  In the member database (member DB), a member ID, personal information such as a member's address, telephone number, and email address, a flower ID obtained by the member, and a blog address of the member are registered in association with each other.

Next, an information processing procedure by software using the hardware resource described above with reference to FIG. 1 will be described.
First, a flower is imaged by the imaging function unit (digital camera) of the portable terminal (MB) 2 and the imaged data is recorded in the memory (or portable memory medium) of the portable terminal (MB) 2 (FIG. 1: S1).

  Next, the address (URL) of the flower information management server (SV) 1 is designated using the communication function unit of the portable terminal (MB) 2 to connect to the network (NW) 4 (FIG. 1: S2).

  A flower information inquiry menu provided from the flower information management server (SV) 1 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit of the portable terminal (MB) 2. In this flower information inquiry menu, “Image Upload”, “Detailed Input”, “Hana Forum”, “My Page”, etc. are prepared. When “Image Upload” is specified with a push button, it is registered in the memory. The flower image data is uploaded (transmitted) to the flower information management server (SV) 1 via the network (NW) 4.

  At this time, a format such as JPEG, a storage date (time stamp), and the like are also transmitted as additional data to the flower image data.

  At this time, when the mobile terminal (MB) 2 has a GPS function unit, the latitude / longitude data at the time of imaging is also transmitted to the flower information management server (SV) 1 as additional data.

  When the flower information management server (SV) 1 receives the flower image data and the additional data, the central processing unit (CPU) 5 of the flower information management server (SV) 1 temporarily stores the image data and the additional data on the hard disk device. (HD) 7 is registered, and a reception mail is automatically transmitted to the portable terminal (MB) 2 (FIG. 1: S3, S4).

  Next, the central processing unit (CPU) 5 reads the flower image data from the hard disk device (HD) 7 and extracts the flower shape (shape 1) and the flower color from the flower image data by the analysis processing program. Specifically, petal outline information and color information are extracted from the flower image data. Based on the contour information (shape 1) and color information (color) obtained in this way, the flower information database (FDB) 13 is accessed by the flower-specific database (flower-specific DB, FIG. Narrow down the name of the flower.

  Next, the central processing unit (CPU) 5 reads the storage date / time from the additional data, compares it with the “period” in the flower database (flower database), and further narrows down to flower names having the same flowering time.

  At this time, flower names that do not match the time are excluded from the candidates. That is, when the imaging date / time is the spring season, the flower that blooms in the winter season is excluded from the candidates, and therefore, it is narrowed down to more reliable flower name candidates.

  Further, when the additional data includes latitude / longitude data, the central processing unit (CPU) 5 collates with the “region” of the flower-specific database (flower-specific DB) and further narrows down to flower names having the same flowering region. .

  The candidate data for one or more flower names thus narrowed down is stored in an e-mail and transmitted to the mobile terminal (MB) 2 via the network (NW) 4 (FIG. 1: S5).

  This e-mail stores an address (URL) for accessing the flower information management server (SV) 1 again. When the address (URL) is designated and input by the push button of the portable terminal (MB) 2, a selection input screen for narrowing down is provided (display data is transmitted) from the flower information management server (SV) 1 (FIG. 1). : S6).

  On this selection input screen, the user can select and input the size of the flower and the shape of the flower (shape 2) with a push button.

  Here, when the size (cm) of the flower and the shape of the flower (shape 2: rounded tip, sharp tip) are selected and input, the narrowing condition data from the mobile terminal (MB) 2 to the flower information management server (SV) 1 Will be replied to.

  When the central processing unit (CPU) 5 of the flower information management server (SV) 1 receives the narrowing condition data, the central processing unit (CPU) 5 searches the flower-specific database (flower-specific DB) again based on the narrowing condition data, and performs a re- narrowing search. Do.

  The central processing unit (CPU) 5 of the flower information management server (SV) 1 returns the candidate data of the flower name extracted as a result of the re-refining search in this way via the network (NW) 4 again to the portable terminal ( MB) 2 (FIG. 1: S7, S8).

  In the database classified by flower (DB classified by flower) described above, shape 1, color, time, region, size, shape 2 and the like are associated with each other. As shown in Fig. 5, the leaf size may be registered as association information of the flower database (flower database).

  In addition to the size and shape 2 as selection input items on the mobile terminal (MB) 2, the habitat (plateau, lowland, coast, riverside, etc.), habitat (temperature, humidity, sunshine, geology, etc.) May be selected and input.

Next, a community formation system for the flower information exchange service will be described with reference to FIG.
This system can be realized by the hardware described in FIGS.

  When the communication function unit of the mobile terminal (MB) 2 is activated and the address (URL) of the flower information management server (SV) 1 is specified, a menu screen of the flower information exchange service is displayed (FIG. 5: S11). If you access "Flower Forum" from this menu screen, you will be connected to the flower information inquiry site.

  Next, when the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit (digital camera) of the mobile terminal (MB) 2 is uploaded to the flower information management server (SV) 1 (FIG. 5: S12), the uploaded flower image data is displayed. Based on the information, it is entered into the flower information community (FIG. 5: S13). In this flower information community, flower image data, latitude / longitude data, flower size, and flower shape 2 are displayed as “teach me” information, and registered flower information corresponding to this (flower information) A plurality of image data and additional data) are displayed as “answer” information (FIG. 5: S14 to S16).

  Thus, the confirmed information regarding the flower image data confirmed and confirmed by the flower information community can be published as a blog on the user's page (personal page on the Internet) (FIG. 5: S17). .

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a network community that collects information about flowers taken outdoors and exchanges information about flowers.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the communication procedure of the flower information management server (SV) of this embodiment, and a portable terminal (MB). It is a network block diagram of an embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the flower information management server (SV) used by embodiment. It is a list of flower information collation data. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process procedure of the community of a flower information exchange service.

Explanation of symbols

1 Flower Information Management Server (SV)
2 Mobile devices (MB)
3 Base station (MS)
4 Network (NW)
5 Central processing unit (CPU)
6 Main memory (MM)
7 Hard disk device (HD)
8 Operating system (OS)
9 Display device (DISP)
10 Keyboard (KBD)
11 Bus (BUS)
12 Flower information inquiry program (processing program)
13 Flower Information Database (FDB)

Claims (7)

In a mobile terminal including a communication function unit and an imaging function unit, the step of imaging a flower by the imaging function unit;
In the portable terminal, transmitting the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit to a server via the network by the communication function unit;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
In the server, transmitting the flower name candidate data retrieved in the above via a network for displaying on the portable terminal;
The flower information inquiry method performed with the portable terminal which consists of, and a server. In the portable terminal, when the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit, together with the flower image data, the date and time data stored in the portable terminal of the flower image data To send to the server as additional data,
The server that has received the flower image data and the additional data searches the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data, and searches for flower name candidate data. The flower information executed by the portable terminal and the server according to claim 1, wherein the step of narrowing down the candidate data of the flower name that matches the flowering time of the flower information database from the storage date and time data of the additional data and executing the candidate data is executed. Inquiry method. In the portable terminal, when the flower image data captured by the imaging function unit is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit, together with the flower image data, the date and time data stored in the portable terminal of the flower image data And the step of transmitting the latitude and longitude data at that time to the server as additional data,
The server that has received the flower image data and the additional data searches for flower name candidate data from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data, and further, latitude / longitude data of the additional data The flower information reference method executed by the portable terminal and the server according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of narrowing down to candidate data of flower names that match the flowering area of the flower information database is used as the candidate data. In the mobile terminal that has received candidate data for one or more flower names received from the server,
Displaying the one or more flower names and waiting for a selection input of a flower size and a flower shape via the input function unit;
In the portable terminal, when a flower size and a flower shape are selected and input from the input function unit, the selection input data is transmitted to the server via the network by the communication function unit;
In the server, based on the received selection input data, the flower information database is searched again, the flower name candidate data is narrowed down, and the narrowed flower name candidate data is displayed again on the mobile terminal. The flower information inquiry method performed by the portable terminal and server in any one of Claims 1-3 which comprise the step which transmits via a network in order to make it do. A portable terminal including an imaging function unit for capturing a flower and a communication function unit for transmitting the captured flower image data to a server via a network;
A server connected to the mobile terminal via a network;
The server is configured to extract at least flower shape data and color data from the flower image data received from the mobile terminal;
A search function unit for searching the flower information database using the shape data and color data extracted by the analysis function unit as search keys;
A flower information database that is accessed by the search function unit and associated with at least a flower name, shape data, and color data;
A flower information inquiry system comprising: a transmission function part that transmits the candidate data of the flower name searched by the search process to the flower information database of the search function part over the network in order to display on the portable terminal. A server flower information inquiry program that extracts flower name candidates based on flower image data received from a mobile terminal,
Receiving flower image data captured by a portable terminal including a communication function unit and an imaging function unit via a network;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
In the server, a flower information inquiry program executable in the server comprising the step of transmitting candidate data of the searched flower name through the network in order to display on the portable terminal. A storage medium storing a flower information inquiry program executable in a server that extracts flower name candidates based on flower image data received from a mobile terminal,
Receiving flower image data captured by a portable terminal including a communication function unit and an imaging function unit via a network;
In the server that has received the flower image data, retrieving one or more candidate data of flower names from the flower information database from the flower shape data and color data extracted from the flower image data;
A storage medium storing a flower information inquiry program executable in the server, comprising the step of transmitting candidate data of the flower name retrieved in the server via a network in order to display the data on the portable terminal.

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