JP2011242866A - Image providing method and image providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user with an image taking by a person other than the user.SOLUTION: An image taking device 40 generates image data by periodically taking images with an image taking part 41 and gives a formal image ID to the data. The image taking device 40 also issues a tentative image ID corresponding to the formal image ID and registers the image data, formal image ID, tentative image ID and a user ID on a server 30 upon receiving the user ID from a terminal device 10. The server 30 performs user authentication based on the user ID, and if the authenticated user is a regular member, informs the user of the formal image ID. The client 20 acquires the image data from the server 30 based on the tentative image ID received from the terminal device 10 and the formal image ID received from the server 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image providing method and an image providing system.

  In recent years, utilization of image data has been advanced. For the creation of image data, in addition to shooting using a digital camera, shooting using a camera mounted on a mobile phone terminal, a music playback device, or the like is widely used. In addition, the utilization method of image data is diversified. As an example, a usage method is known in which a user performs daily shooting and creates an action record including image data as a life log.

  As the use of image data progresses in this way, it is required to make available not only images captured by a user's hand-held recording device, but also the recording device of another person and recording data by that device. In particular, when image data is used for a life log, it is desired to provide various images for a range in which the user has acted.

  As a method of using image data other than that a user takes a picture with a recording device on hand, a method of using a commemorative photo service at a theme park or a surveillance camera is known.

http://guide.usj.co.jp/en/shop/j_spm_photo_op.do(2010/04/26) http://www.ncam.net/index.html (2010/04/05)

  However, in the above-described conventional service, there is no means for freely obtaining an image captured by a device other than the user's hand-held recording device, and electronic data cannot be obtained and used freely. .

  For example, in the commemorative photo service, it is required to decide whether to purchase a photo at the place where the photo was taken, and image data cannot be obtained later. In addition, the surveillance camera does not capture an image that is supposed to be provided to the user for that purpose, and does not provide image data.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image providing method and an image providing system for providing an image taken by a user other than the user to the user.

  In the image providing method and the image providing system disclosed in the present application, an imaging device captures an image and gives first identification information, and a portable terminal device transmits user information to the imaging device to request identification information. The second identification information corresponding to the first identification information is received. In addition, the imaging apparatus stores the first identification information, the second identification information, the user information, and the image in association with each other in the server. The server authenticates the user using the user information, notifies the authenticated user of the first identification information, and receives an image request specifying the first identification information from the authenticated user. Provide the corresponding image.

  According to the image providing method and the image providing system disclosed in the present application, it is possible to obtain an image providing method and an image providing system that provide an image taken by a user other than the user to the user.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of the image providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing operations of the photographing apparatus and the terminal apparatus. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the server. (Part 1) FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the server. (Part 2) FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the client. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram regarding movement of the terminal device 10 and acquisition of an image ID. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an action map. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an image map.

  Embodiments of an image providing method and an image providing system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image providing system according to the present embodiment. The image providing system illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a terminal device 10, a client 20, a server 30, and a photographing device 40. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the image providing system according to the present embodiment, and shows the operation of the system having the photographing device 50 in addition to the terminal device 10, the client 20, the server 30, and the photographing device 40.

  The photographing device 40 is a photographing device installed in a street, an amusement park, a theme park, an exhibition hall, or the like, and periodically photographs the surroundings. In addition, the imaging device 40 assigns an image book ID as first identification information to the image data obtained by imaging, and associates the image book ID with the image data. Furthermore, when receiving the user ID from the terminal device 10, the image capturing device 40 creates a temporary image ID corresponding to the main image ID and broadcasts the temporary image ID to the periphery of the image capturing device 40.

  Similarly, the imaging device 50 is installed in a street, a theme park, or the like, periodically shoots the periphery, assigns an image book ID to the image data, and associates the image book ID with the image data. When receiving the user ID from the terminal device 10, the photographing apparatus 50 creates a temporary image ID corresponding to the main image ID and broadcasts the temporary image ID to the periphery of the photographing apparatus 50.

  The terminal device 10 is a device carried by the user, for example, a user-owned device such as a mobile phone or a device lent from a theme park. The terminal device 10 has a function of transmitting a user ID to the photographing device 40 or the photographing device 50 and receiving a temporary image ID from the photographing device 40 or the photographing device 50.

  The server 30 receives the image book ID, the image data, the user ID, and the image temporary ID from the image capturing device 40 and the image capturing device 50 and holds them. In addition, the server 30 performs user authentication based on the user ID, and notifies the user who has been confirmed as a legitimate user as a result of the authentication, the combination of the temporary image ID and the main image ID.

  The client 20 acquires a temporary image ID from the terminal device 10. Further, the client 20 receives a notification of a combination of the temporary image ID and the actual image ID from the server 30. Then, the client 20 specifies the main image ID and acquires the corresponding image data from the server 30. The client 20 may be, for example, a computer owned by a user or may be integrated with the terminal device 10.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the imaging device 40 includes an imaging unit 41, a control unit 42, a data storage unit 43, a wireless signal transmission unit 44, and a signal transmission / reception unit 45. The photographing unit 41 obtains image data by photographing the periphery of the photographing device 40 at regular time intervals. The imaging unit 41 does not aim at a specific person, but captures the entire direction in which the imaging unit 41 is facing.

  The control unit 42 assigns an image book ID, which is first identification information, to the image data obtained by photographing by the photographing unit 41. When the control unit 42 receives a user ID from the terminal device 10, the control unit 42 creates a temporary image ID corresponding to the main image ID and broadcasts the temporary image ID to the periphery of the imaging device 40. This temporary image ID includes information on the position of the photographing apparatus 40 and information on the photographing time.

  The data storage unit 43 stores the image data, the image book ID, the image temporary ID, and the user ID in association with each other. The wireless signal transmission unit 44 is a wireless communication processing unit that receives a user ID and transmits a temporary image ID. The range of wireless communication is about 10 m as an example. Therefore, the terminal device 10 can transmit a user ID to the imaging device 40 and receive a temporary image ID when the terminal device 10 exists within a range of about 10 m from the imaging device 40. In other words, the terminal device 10 receives the temporary image ID corresponding to the image photographed around the own device.

  The signal transmission / reception unit 45 periodically transmits a combination of the user ID, the temporary image ID, the main image ID, and the image data stored in the data storage unit 43 to the server 30 and uploads it.

  Since the configuration and operation of the imaging device 50 are the same as those of the imaging device 40, illustration and description thereof are omitted.

  The terminal device 10 includes a wireless signal transmission / reception unit 11, a data storage unit 12, and a signal transmission / reception unit 13. The wireless signal transmission / reception unit 11 reads the user ID from the data storage unit 12 and transmits the user ID to the imaging device 40, receives the temporary image ID from the imaging device 40, and stores it in the data storage unit 12. The signal transmission / reception unit 13 transmits the temporary image ID stored in the data storage unit 12 to the client 20. Since the terminal device 10 is carried by the user and moves, the terminal device 10 can store the temporary image IDs received from the plurality of photographing devices and can transmit the stored temporary image IDs to the client 20.

  The client 20 includes a signal transmission / reception unit 21, a control unit 22, a display unit 23, and a data storage unit 24. The signal transmission / reception unit 21 is a communication unit that communicates with the terminal device 10 and the server 30. The signal transmission / reception unit 21 receives the temporary image ID from the terminal device 10. Further, the signal transmission / reception unit 21 receives the image book ID from the server 30. The signal transmitting / receiving unit 21 requests image data by transmitting the image book ID to the server 30 and receives the image data from the server 30.

  The control unit 22 is a processing unit that controls the entire client 20. Specifically, the control unit 22 stores the temporary image ID received from the terminal device 10 in the data storage unit 24. Further, the control unit 22 stores the main image ID received from the server 30 in the data storage unit 24. Further, the control unit 22 creates an action map in which the temporary image ID is plotted on predetermined map data, and stores it in the data storage unit 24. Note that the data storage unit 23 holds the user ID in advance or received from the terminal device 10.

  The control unit 22 displays the behavior map on the display unit 23, and sends the corresponding image book ID to the server 30 for the temporary image ID instructed by the user to acquire an image. When the image data is acquired from the server 30, the control unit 22 creates an image map that displays the image data superimposed on the behavior map, and displays the image map on the display unit 23.

  The server 30 includes a signal transmission / reception unit 31, a control unit 32, and a data storage unit 33. The signal transmission / reception unit 31 receives a combination of the temporary image ID, the user ID, the main image ID, and the image data from the imaging device 40. In addition, the signal transmission / reception unit 31 transmits a combination of the temporary image ID and the actual image ID to the client 20. Then, the signal transmission / reception unit 31 receives a request for image data specifying the image book ID from the client 20, and transmits corresponding image data to the client 20.

  The control unit 32 is a processing unit that controls the server 30 as a whole. Specifically, the control unit 32 receives a combination of the temporary image ID, the user ID, the main image ID, and the image data from various imaging devices such as the imaging devices 40 and 50 and stores the combination in the data storage unit 33. In addition, the control unit 32 performs user authentication for the user ID received from the imaging apparatus. For example, the user authentication is performed by holding registered user data in the data storage unit 33 in advance and confirming whether the user ID received from the photographing apparatus is registered in the registered user data.

  The control unit 32 notifies the combination of the temporary image ID and the actual image ID for the user ID that is confirmed to be a legitimate user. The notification destination for each user ID may be included in the registered user data. Here, a case where the client 20 is registered as a notification destination will be described as an example.

  When there is a request for image data specifying an image book ID from the client 20, the control unit 32 reads out image data corresponding to the image book ID from the data storage unit 33 and transmits it to the client 20.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing operations of the photographing apparatus and the terminal apparatus. The imaging device 40 images the periphery (S101) and assigns an image book ID to the obtained image data (S102). Next, the imaging device 40 determines whether or not a user ID has been received from the terminal device (S103). If the user ID has not been received (S103, No), the processing ends.

  When the user ID is received from the terminal device (S103, Yes), the imaging device 40 issues a temporary image ID corresponding to the actual image ID (S104), and wirelessly transmits the temporary image ID (S105). In addition, the imaging device 40 transmits the combination of the image data, the image book ID, the image temporary ID, and the user ID to the server 30 (S106), and ends the process. The imaging device 40 executes this processing operation every predetermined time. Here, the case where the photographing apparatus 40 uploads to the server 30 for every photographing is illustrated, but the uploading to the server 30 is a plurality of times of image data, image book IDs, and image images after photographing a plurality of times. It is good also as transmitting temporary ID and user ID.

  If there is no image temporary ID acquisition request from the user (S201, No), the terminal device 10 ends the process as it is. Then, when there is a request for obtaining a temporary image ID from the user (S201, Yes), the terminal device 10 transmits the user ID to the photographing device (S202), and waits for the reception of the temporary image ID (S203). When the temporary image ID is received (S203, Yes), the terminal device 10 stores the temporary image ID in the data storage unit 12 (S204), and ends the process. The terminal device 10 executes this processing operation every predetermined time.

  4 and 5 are flowcharts for explaining the processing operation of the server 30. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the server 30 acquires the image main ID, the image data, the user ID, and the temporary image ID from the photographing apparatus (S301), and performs user authentication based on the user ID (S302).

  As a result of the authentication, if the user is not a regular user (S303, No), the server 30 ends the process as it is. As a result of authentication, if the user is an authorized user (S303, Yes), the server 30 notifies the user of the correspondence between the temporary image ID issued to the user and the actual image ID (S304).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when there is a request for image data specifying the image book ID from the client (S311, Yes), the server 30 provides the client with image data corresponding to the image book ID (S311, Yes). S306) is repeatedly executed.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the client. The client 20 acquires the temporary image ID from the terminal device 10 (S401), stores it in the data storage unit 24, plots the temporary image ID on the base map data, and creates an action map (S402).

  Here, the base map data is stored in advance by the client 20 or acquired in advance. The base map data for plotting the image ID acquired from the photographing device installed in the amusement park or theme park may be acquired from the amusement park or theme park. Moreover, arbitrary map data can be used for the base map data which plots image ID acquired from the imaging device installed in the street, for example.

  Since the image temporary ID includes the position information of the image capturing device and the information of the image capturing time, the client 20 determines the plot position on the base map data based on the position information included in the image temporary ID, and captures the image. The time is written on the behavior map as information visible to the user.

  Further, the client 20 receives the correspondence between the image main ID and the image temporary ID from the server 30 (S403). Then, the client 20 displays the created behavior map on the display unit 23 (S404).

  When the client 20 receives an image acquisition request from the user for the image temporary ID shown in the behavior map (S405, Yes), the client 20 transmits an image main ID corresponding to the image temporary ID requested to be acquired to the server (S406). The image data is received from the server (S407). The client 20 creates an image map by superimposing the received image data on the base map data or the behavior map (S408), and displays the image map on the display unit 23 (S409).

  And when the image acquisition request from a user is lost with respect to the map displayed on the display part 23 (S405, No), the client 20 stores an action map, image data, and an image map in the data storage part 24, The process ends.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the terminal device 10 and the acquisition of the temporary image ID. In the example shown in FIG. 5, each of the imaging devices 51 to 53 periodically performs imaging. The user transmits a user ID in the vicinity of the photographing apparatus that desires to obtain an image, and obtains a temporary image ID from the photographing apparatus. The area A1 is a range in which the temporary image ID can be received from the photographing device 51, the area A2 is a range in which the temporary image ID can be received from the photographing device 52, and the area A3 is a temporary image ID from the photographing device 53. It is a receivable range.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal device 10 carried by the user moves in the order of a position P1 in the area A1, a position P2 in the area A2, and a position P3 in the area A3. The terminal device 10 is present at the position P1, at the time T1, the position P2 is present at the time T2, and the position P3 is present at the time T3.

  The terminal device 10 can receive the temporary image ID corresponding to the image data captured by the imaging device 51 at time T1 at the position P1. In addition, the terminal device 10 can receive the temporary image ID corresponding to the image data captured by the image capturing device 52 at time T2 at the position P2. Similarly, the terminal device 10 can receive the temporary image ID corresponding to the image data captured by the image capturing device 53 at time T3 at the position P3.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an action map. The action map D1 shown in FIG. 6 plots the map data of the theme park based on the temporary image ID. The map data of the theme park indicates the positions of the attractions E1 to E7, and the photographing devices 51 to 57 are arranged in the attractions E1 to E7.

  The client 20 plots the map data of the theme park based on the temporary image ID. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the terminal device 10 receives the temporary image ID from the photographing device 51 at 10:15, receives the temporary image ID from the photographing device 52 at 12:30, and the photographing device 53 from 14:00. The temporary image ID is received in 10 minutes. For this reason, in the behavior map D1, the display which shows that the image which can be obtained exists in the vicinity of attraction E1-E3 and the time when the available image was image | photographed are displayed.

  When the user looks at the behavior map D1 and requests acquisition of image data taken in the vicinity of the attraction E1, that is, taken by the photographing device 51, the client 20 obtains corresponding image data from the server to obtain an image. Create a map.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an image map. The image map D2 shown in FIG. 7 displays the image data F1 photographed by the photographing device 51 superimposed on the vicinity of the attraction E1.

  As described above, the image capturing apparatus transmits an ID including the image capturing location and the image capturing time and is received by a terminal device carried by a nearby user, so that the user can obtain information on the image captured in the specific area where the user exists. It can be obtained automatically. Then, the user can determine whether or not the image data is necessary using information about the image, and can obtain desired image data from the server at a desired timing. For this reason, it is possible to correlate the shooting location and time with the user's action, provide an image shot by another person's shooting device, and use it as a life log. Even when the user does not obtain image data, information on the shooting location and time can be used as a kind of life log.

  Furthermore, the image capturing apparatus provides a temporary image ID based on the reception of the user ID, and the server 30 provides the main image ID after performing user authentication, thereby providing an image only to an authorized user with high security. An image providing system can be implemented.

  In addition, when the user determines that an image is necessary, the user ID is presented to the photographing apparatus and the temporary image ID is acquired. Therefore, it is possible to avoid collecting IDs for unnecessary images.

  As described above, the image providing method and the image providing system according to the present invention are useful for providing image data, and are particularly suitable for providing images taken by others.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Terminal apparatus 11 Wireless signal transmission / reception part 12, 24, 33, 43 Data storage part 13, 21, 31, 45 Signal transmission / reception part 20 Client 22, 32, 42 Control part 23 Display part 30 Server 40, 50-57 Image pick-up apparatus 41 Imaging unit 44 Wireless signal transmitter

Claims (10)

A step of photographing an image by the photographing device;
Providing first identification information to an image captured by the imaging device;
A portable terminal device transmitting user information to the imaging device to request identification information;
The imaging device replacing the first identification information with second identification information and transmitting to the terminal device;
The imaging device associating and storing the first identification information, the second identification information, the user information, and the image in a server;
The server authenticating a user using the user information;
The server notifying the authenticated user of the first identification information;
And a step of providing an image when the server receives a request for an image designating the first identification information from the authenticated user.   The image providing method according to claim 1, wherein the photographing apparatus broadcasts the second identification information.   3. The server according to claim 1, wherein the server holds a correspondence relationship between the first identification information, the second identification information, and the user information for images captured by a plurality of imaging apparatuses. Image providing method. The terminal device receiving the second identification information;
A client device acquiring second identification information from the terminal device;
The client device receiving a notification of the first identification information from the server;
The image providing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a step in which the client device designates the first identification information and requests an image from the server. .   The second identification information includes position information of the photographing apparatus, and the client apparatus further includes a step of plotting the second identification information on map data based on the position information. Item 5. The image providing method according to any one of Items 1 to 4. A photographing device for photographing images;
First identification information is assigned to an image photographed by the photographing device, and the first identification information is replaced with second identification information when a request for identification information is received together with user information from a portable terminal device. A control unit for transmitting to the terminal device,
The first identification information, the second identification information, the user information, and the image are held in association with each other, the first identification information is notified based on the user information, and the first identification information is An image providing system comprising: a server that provides an image corresponding to a request for a designated image.   The image providing system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit broadcasts the second identification information.   A plurality of the photographing devices are provided, and the server holds correspondence relationships with the first identification information, the second identification information, and the user information for images photographed by the plurality of photographing devices. The image providing system according to claim 6 or 7.   A client device that obtains second identification information from the terminal device, receives notification of the first identification information from the server, designates the first identification information, and requests an image from the server; The image providing system according to claim 6, wherein the image providing system is included.   The said 2nd identification information contains the positional information on the said imaging device, The said client apparatus plots the said identification information on map data based on the said positional information. The image providing system according to claim 1.

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