JP5299377B2 - Information provision system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing system that uses an image in which a code printed on a printing medium is embedded as a user interface (UI) and accesses information (content) corresponding to the code, and in particular, the same printed image. It is related with the information provision system which enabled access to different contents using.

Conventionally, the following various codes have been used as codes printed on a printing medium or codes embedded in an image on a printing medium.
First, a two-dimensional code (for example, a QR code) as a code printed on a printing medium has a remarkably large amount of data that can be stored compared to a one-dimensional code or a digital watermark (the QR code has about 4300 English characters). Therefore, not only the ID but also information for acquiring content such as a URL can be stored. For this reason, by reading the QR code, it is possible to acquire a URL and directly access the content using the URL. However, since a code image that is meaningless to human beings is printed on the paper surface, a space for the code image must be provided on the paper surface.

  In addition, the digital watermark does not require a space for printing the code itself like the above-described two-dimensional code such as a QR code, but compared with the two-dimensional code because it is embedded in the image on the printing medium. The amount of information that can be embedded is small (about 10 digits). For this reason, only an ID is usually embedded in a digital watermark. Then, the ID is extracted from the read digital watermark, the ID is transmitted to the conversion server, the information for acquiring the content corresponding to the ID, for example, the URL is received from the conversion server, and the received A method of accessing the content using information for acquiring the content is used.

  In the information providing system using the two-dimensional code disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, when exchanging a paper business card using a network environment, electronic personal information of a paper business card exchange partner is printed on the business card. A technique is disclosed that makes it possible to obtain a read code by reading it with a code reader.

  Also, in the information providing system using the digital watermark of Patent Document 2 below, an ID is embedded in the advertisement image using the digital watermark, and the advertisement image embedded with the ID is transmitted from the terminal to the server that manages the advertisement information. A technology is disclosed in which the server receives the advertisement image and transmits advertisement information corresponding to the advertisement image to the terminal side.

JP 2004-38442 A JP 2003-150437 A

  However, as in Patent Document 2, when a code is embedded in an image printed on a printing medium, there is a problem that the corresponding information cannot be changed for the code as the fixed value. That is, when the information corresponding to the print image is changed based on various reasons, the user who uses the print image has different information (content) via the print image, for example, There is a problem that the information after the change cannot be accessed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information providing system that enables access to different contents from a print image in which a code on a print medium is embedded.

  The information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system for receiving or acquiring information corresponding to an image in which the code is embedded using a medium to be printed on which the image in which the code is embedded is printed. An image obtained by reading an image in which a code printed on the image is embedded, or a code transmitting means capable of transmitting a code extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and an image obtained by the reading, or An information providing means for receiving a code extracted from the image obtained by reading and transmitting information corresponding to the image or information for acquiring information corresponding to the image; and corresponding to the image Receiving information, or receiving information for acquiring information corresponding to the image, and responding to the image based on the information for acquiring the information. An information receiving and acquisition means for the information to be able to obtain is an information providing system characterized by having the information changing means capable of changing the information corresponding to the image in the information providing means.

  Here, by using the information changing means, it is possible to change the information (content) corresponding to the print image in which the code on the print medium is embedded, and for example, the latest content corresponding to the print image is different. Can access content.

  According to the present invention, content acquired using a print image in which a code on a print medium is embedded can be changed even after the print medium is distributed. Taking a business card as an example, even if the contact information such as the company name, department, etc. to which the individual belongs is changed after distribution, by providing new contact information as content, You can get the latest contact information.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the content to be provided is switched at the registration terminal by reading an image from the same printed material as the distributed printed material, the content corresponding to the embedded code can be easily specified. For example, in the registration work on the registration terminal side, the operator does not need to be aware of the URL for acquiring the code and content, and instead of using the content with an image that is easy to understand visually and intuitively as an interface, Can be switched.

It is a principle block diagram of the information provision system of this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram (part 1) illustrating an exchange of information between a user terminal and an information providing unit from when an image with an embedded ID is read until content is acquired; FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating an exchange of information between a user terminal and an information providing unit from when an image in which an ID is embedded is read until content is acquired. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) illustrating the exchange of information between a user terminal and an information providing unit from when an image with an embedded ID is read until content is acquired; It is FIG. (4) explaining the exchange of the information of a user's terminal and information provision part after reading the image which embedded ID is acquired. It is a figure which shows an ID-URL conversion table. FIG. 5 is a diagram (part 1) illustrating an exchange of information between a registration terminal and an information providing unit when content corresponding to an image in which an ID is embedded is changed. It is FIG. (2) explaining the exchange of information of the registration terminal and information provision part in the case of changing the content corresponding to the image which embedded ID. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 3) illustrating the exchange of information between the registration terminal and the information providing unit when the content corresponding to the image in which the ID is embedded is changed. It is a figure explaining the application example of the information provision system of this invention in case the printed matter distributed is a business card.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of an information providing system according to the present invention.
The information providing system in FIG. 1 is a system that receives or acquires information corresponding to a print image in which the code is embedded, using a printing medium 11 on which the image in which the code is embedded is printed.

  In FIG. 1, the information providing system can transmit an image obtained by reading an image in which a code printed on the printing medium 11 is embedded, or a code extracted from the image obtained by reading the image. The code transmission unit 12 and the image obtained by the reading or the code extracted from the image obtained by the reading and acquiring information corresponding to the image or information corresponding to the image The information providing unit 14 for transmitting the information and the information corresponding to the image are received, or the information for acquiring the information corresponding to the image is received, and the information for acquiring the information is used. An information receiving / acquiring unit 13 that can acquire information corresponding to an image, and an information changing unit 1 that can change information corresponding to an image in the information providing unit 14. And, equipped with a.

  The information providing unit 14 receives the image obtained by the reading or the code extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and uses information for acquiring information corresponding to the image, for example, a URL as a transmission destination. An information conversion unit 16 that transmits information, and an information disclosure unit 15 that receives information for acquiring information corresponding to the image from the information conversion unit 16 and the like and transmits information corresponding to the image to a transmission destination.

  The information changing unit 17 reads the image in which the code is embedded from the printing medium 11 on which the image in which the code is embedded is printed, and reads the read image or the code extracted from the read image to the information conversion unit 16. The information for acquiring the information corresponding to the read image is acquired, and the information for acquiring the information corresponding to the image is transmitted to the information disclosure unit 15 together with the new content corresponding to the information. The first information rewriting unit 18 that reads the image in which the code is embedded is read from the print medium 11 on which the image in which the code is embedded is printed, and the read image, or the code extracted from the read image, Second information to be transmitted to the information conversion unit 16 together with information for acquiring information corresponding to the newly designated read image. And a rewriting unit 19. For example, the second information rewriting unit 19 transmits information instructing to rewrite the URL information corresponding to the ID in the ID-URL conversion table of FIG.

  In addition, the information change part 17 may be comprised including the function of both the 1st and 2nd information rewriting parts 18 and 19, or may be comprised only by any one function.

2A to 2D are diagrams for explaining the exchange of information between the user terminal and the information providing unit from when the image in which the ID is embedded is read until the content is acquired.
2A to 2D, the user terminal corresponds to, for example, the code transmission unit 12 and the information reception / acquisition unit 13 in FIG. 1. 2A and 2B are examples in which content information is received by the same terminal that transmits the ID (code), and FIGS. 2C and 2D are contents by a different terminal from which the ID (code) is transmitted. It is an example which receives information.

  The conversion server corresponds to the information conversion unit 16 in FIG. 1, and the content server corresponds to the information disclosure unit 15 in FIG. In the present embodiment, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is used as information for acquiring content from an ID (code). Then, the conversion server converts the ID into a URL using an ID-URL conversion table as shown in FIG. Further, the content server converts the URL into content.

  In the following description of FIGS. 2A to 2D, a case where a code extracted from an image obtained by reading a print image on a print medium (printed material) is transmitted from a code transmission unit (terminal) will be described. Instead of the code, an image obtained by reading an image in which the code is embedded may be transmitted. In this case, the process of extracting the code from the image obtained by the reading is performed by the conversion server on the receiving side.

  First, in FIG. 2A, the user reads a print image in which an ID on a printed material is embedded using a terminal. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the terminal as a transmission destination. The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, acquires the URL corresponding to the ID, and transmits the URL to the terminal that has transmitted the ID Is transmitted to the content server together with the identification information. The content server transmits content corresponding to the received URL to the terminal.

  In FIG. 2B, the user reads the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded using the terminal. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the terminal as a transmission destination. The conversion server uses the ID of the received information to search the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3), obtains the URL corresponding to the ID, and uses the URL as the terminal that transmitted the ID Reply to The terminal transmits the received URL to the content server. The content server transmits content corresponding to the received URL to the terminal.

  In FIG. 2C, the user uses the terminal 1 to read the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the destination terminal 2. The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, acquires the URL corresponding to the ID, and uses the URL of the terminal 2 of the transmission destination. It is transmitted to the content server together with the identification information. The content server transmits the content corresponding to the received URL to the terminal 2.

  In FIG. 2D, the user reads a print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded using the terminal 1. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the destination terminal 2. The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, acquires the URL corresponding to the ID, and transmits the URL to the terminal 2. The terminal 2 transmits the received URL to the content server. The content server transmits the content corresponding to the received URL to the terminal 2.

Through the above operation, the content corresponding to the ID is acquired from the image in which the ID on the print medium is embedded.
2A to 2D, a mobile phone equipped with a camera may be used as each terminal. In this case, the image in which the ID on the print medium is embedded is taken by the user using the camera of the mobile phone. Then, by using the communication function of the mobile phone, the captured image or the ID extracted from the captured image is transmitted to the conversion server. In addition, the content received from the content server can be viewed by being displayed on the display unit (display screen) of the mobile phone.

4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the exchange of information between the registration terminal and the information providing unit when the content corresponding to the image in which the ID is embedded is changed.
4A to 4C, the registration terminal corresponds to, for example, the information changing unit 17 in FIG. In FIG. 4A, the second information rewriting unit 19 in the information changing unit 17 is used to rewrite the URL that is information for acquiring the content. 4B and 4C, the first information rewriting unit 18 in the information changing unit 17 is used, and the content itself is rewritten. In addition, the corresponding content changing process using the registration terminal, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C, is performed independently of the access from the user terminal to the information providing unit.

  In FIG. 4A, the user reads the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded using the registration terminal. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with information (URL) for acquiring content that newly corresponds to the image (ID). The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, and rewrites the URL corresponding to the ID with the new URL.

  In FIG. 4A, only the rewrite request from a specific registered terminal may be permitted on the conversion server side. In this case, the registration terminal uniquely identifies the ID (code) extracted from the image obtained by reading the image in which the code on the print medium is embedded, the new URL corresponding to the ID, and the registration terminal. To the conversion server, and the conversion server receives the ID, a new URL corresponding to the ID, and the identification information from the registration terminal, and writes to the conversion server using the identification information. Whether or not to rewrite the URL corresponding to the received ID in the internal database with the new URL depending on whether or not the terminal list (not shown) to which permission is given is searched and the identification information is in the list To decide.

  In FIG. 4B, the user reads the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded using the registration terminal. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by the reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the registered terminal (own terminal) as a transmission destination. The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, acquires the URL corresponding to the ID, and transmits the URL to the registration terminal. The registration terminal transmits the received URL to the content server together with the content newly associated with the URL. The content server receives the URL and the content newly associated with the URL, and rewrites the content corresponding to the URL with the newly associated content.

  In FIG. 4B, only a rewrite request from a specific registration terminal may be permitted on the content server side. In this case, the registration terminal transmits a URL, content newly associated with the URL, and identification information that can uniquely identify the registration terminal to the content server. The content server transmits the URL and the URL from the registration terminal. And receiving a new list of contents and identification information that can uniquely identify the registered terminal, and using the identification information, search a list of terminals (not shown) that are permitted to write to the content server. Depending on whether or not the identification information is in the list, it is determined whether or not the content corresponding to the received URL is to be rewritten with the newly associated content.

  In FIG. 4C, the user reads the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded using the registration terminal. Then, an ID is extracted from the image obtained by reading, and the ID is transmitted to the conversion server together with unique information for identifying the registered terminal (own terminal). The conversion server searches the internal database (ID-URL conversion table in FIG. 3) using the ID of the received information, acquires the URL corresponding to the ID, and uses the URL as identification information of the registered terminal. And send it to the content server. In addition, the registration terminal transmits content to be newly associated with the print image in which the ID on the printed material is embedded together with the identification information of the registration terminal to the content server. The content server specifies a pair of URL and new content transmitted from the same registered terminal using the received URL and the identification information of the registered terminal associated with each of the received new content. For the pair, the content corresponding to the URL is rewritten with the newly associated content.

  In FIG. 4C, only the rewrite request from a specific registration terminal may be permitted on the content server side. In this case, when the pair is specified on the content server side, a list of terminals (not shown) that is permitted to write to the content server is searched using the identification information of the registered terminal, and the identification is performed. Whether or not the content corresponding to the received URL is rewritten to the newly associated content is determined depending on whether or not the information is in the list.

Through the above operation, new contents can be provided even for a printed matter on which an image in which a distributed ID is embedded is printed.
4A to 4C, a mobile phone equipped with a camera, an image scanner, or a computer connected with a camera may be used as the registration terminal. In this case, the image in which the ID on the print medium is embedded is taken by the user using a mobile phone camera or an image scanner or camera connected to a computer. Then, by using the communication function of the mobile phone or computer, the captured image or the ID extracted from the captured image is transmitted to the conversion server.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the content acquired using the print image in which the code on the print medium is embedded can be changed even after the print medium is distributed. Taking a business card as an example, even if the contact information such as the company name, department, etc. to which the individual belongs is changed after distribution, by providing new contact information as content, You can get the latest contact information.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the content to be provided is switched at the registration terminal by reading an image from the same printed material as the distributed printed material, the content corresponding to the embedded code can be easily specified. For example, in the registration work on the registration terminal side, the operator does not need to be aware of the URL for acquiring the code and content, and instead of using the content with an image that is easy to understand visually and intuitively as an interface, Can be switched.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an application example of the information providing system of the present invention when the printed matter to be distributed is a business card.
In FIG. 5, on the business card, the photograph of the person is printed as an image in which the code is embedded. For example, when changing the content corresponding to a photo (image), the distributor, that is, the person corresponding to the business card photo (image) uses a camera-equipped mobile phone to take a photo on the business card. Extract the code. Then, the code, the identification information of the mobile phone, and the URL newly associated with the photograph (image) are transmitted from the mobile phone to the conversion server. The conversion server determines whether rewriting should be performed based on the received identification information. For example, when rewriting is permitted, the URL corresponding to the code is rewritten to the new URL.

  For example, when a user (a person who has been distributed a business card) browses content, the user uses a camera-equipped mobile phone to take a picture on the business card and extract a code. Then, the code is transmitted from the mobile phone to the conversion server, and the URL corresponding to the code is returned from the conversion server. Subsequently, the user transmits the URL to the content server using the camera-equipped mobile phone, and the content corresponding to the URL is returned from the content server. For example, the user can browse the content on the screen of a mobile phone.

  In the above description, unless a new registration process is performed, the same content is acquired on the user's terminal side for the code as a fixed value, but even when the same code is transmitted The content provided by the user may be different. In this case, identification information that can uniquely identify the terminal is transmitted from the terminal together with the code, and the conversion server receives the code and the identification information, and the terminal shown in FIG. 2A or the terminal shown in FIG. 2C depending on the identification information. 2 may be received, or information that can be acquired by the terminal of FIG. 2B or the terminal 2 of FIG. 2D may be determined. In this case, for example, instead of the table shown in FIG. 3, a table that stores URLs corresponding to combinations of codes and terminal identification information is used.

  Needless to say, the output form differs depending on the type of content information. Various output forms are conceivable, such as when displaying on a screen or when outputting sound from a speaker.

Claims (4)

Using the recording medium with code embedded image is printed in the first get the information information providing system corresponding to the image specified by the code,
And Turkey over de transmission means to transmit the code extracted from the image in which the printed onto a print medium,
Information providing means for receiving the code transmitted from the code transmitting means, and transmitting second information for acquiring the first information specified by the received code and corresponding to the image;
An information receiving and acquisition means for acquiring the first information based on the information received the second information transmitted from the providing means, the received second information,
And a information changing means to change the first information provided by the information providing unit,
Said code transmission means uniquely identifiable identification information the code transmission unit and transmitted together with said code,
Wherein the information providing means, the receiving code to the code transmitted from the transmitting means and the identification information, the first information acquired the previous SL information receiving and acquisition means in response to the received the identification information Decide
The information changing means, the read-the image printed on the printing medium, and extracting the code from the image read, the extracted the code transmitted to the information providing means, said code The second information transmitted from the information providing means is acquired in response to the transmission, and the acquired second information is specified by the extracted code and together with new first information corresponding to the image Send to the information providing means ,
The information providing means receives the second information and the new first information transmitted from the information changing means, and receives the first information acquired by the received second information. The information providing system is characterized by changing to the new first information . Using the recording medium with code embedded image is printed in the first get the information information providing system corresponding to the image specified by the code,
And Turkey over de transmission means to transmit the code extracted from the image in which the printed onto a print medium,
Information providing means for receiving the code transmitted from the code transmitting means, and transmitting second information for acquiring the first information specified by the received code and corresponding to the image;
An information receiving and acquisition means for acquiring the first information based on the information received the second information transmitted from the providing means, the received second information,
And a information changing means to change the first information provided by the information providing unit,
The information changing means, the read-the image printed on the printing medium, and extracting the code from the image read, the extracted the code transmitted to said information providing means, said code wherein the information acquiring the second information transmitted from the providing means in response to the transmission, and extracted the code, specified by the acquired second information, extracted the code corresponding to the image a first information new to, and uniquely identifiable identification information the information changing means transmits to said information providing means,
Wherein the information providing means, said code transmitted from the information changing means, the second information, the a new first information, before receiving the Ki識 specific information, and received the code using said identification information, and determines whether or not to change to a received said first said that the information received new first information acquired by the second information Information provision system. In an information providing system for receiving first information corresponding to an image specified by the code using a printing medium on which an image in which the code is embedded is printed,
Code transmitting means for transmitting image data obtained by reading the image on the printing medium;
Receiving the image data transmitted from the code transmitting means, extracting the code embedded in the received image data, and transmitting first information corresponding to the image identified by the extracted code; Information providing means,
Information receiving / acquiring means for receiving the first information transmitted from the information providing means;
Information changing means for changing the first information provided by the information providing means,
The code transmission means transmits identification information that can uniquely identify the code transmission means together with the code,
The information providing means receives the code and the identification information transmitted from the code transmission means, and determines the first information received by the information reception / acquisition means according to the received identification information And
The information changing unit reads the image printed on the printing medium, extracts the code from the read image, transmits the extracted code to the information providing unit, and transmits the code. In response, the second information for acquiring the first information transmitted from the information providing means is acquired, and the acquired second information is specified by the acquired second information and Sending to the information providing means together with new first information corresponding to the image,
The information providing means receives the second information and the new first information transmitted from the information changing means, and receives the first information acquired by the received second information. The information providing system is characterized by changing to the new first information. In an information providing system for receiving first information corresponding to an image specified by the code using a printing medium on which an image in which the code is embedded is printed,
Code transmitting means for transmitting image data obtained by reading the image on the printing medium;
Receiving the image data transmitted from the code transmitting means, extracting the code embedded in the received image data, and transmitting first information corresponding to the image identified by the extracted code; Information providing means,
Information receiving / acquiring means for receiving the first information transmitted from the information providing means;
Information changing means for changing the first information provided by the information providing means,
The information changing unit reads the image printed on the printing medium, extracts the code from the read image, transmits the extracted code to the information providing unit, and transmits the code. The second information for acquiring the first information transmitted from the information providing means is acquired in response to the extracted code, the acquired second information, and the extracted New first information identified by a code and corresponding to the image, and identification information that can uniquely identify the information changing means are transmitted to the information providing means,
The information providing means receives the code transmitted from the information changing means, the second information, the new first information, and the identification information, and the received code and the identification And providing information to determine whether or not to change the first information acquired from the received second information to the received new first information. system.

Images