JP5318820B2 - Image providing method and image providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user with an image taken by a person other than the user. <P>SOLUTION: An image taking device 40 takes an image in response to an image taking instruction from a helper device 60, and grants an image ID to the image. The image taking device 40 indicates the image ID to a terminal device 10 and uploads the combination of the image ID and the image data to a server 30. When the server 30 receives a request for image data for a designated image ID from a client 20, the server 30 generates watermarked image data by embedding a user ID and a business ID as an electronic watermark in the corresponding image data and supplies the generated data to the client 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

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 photographing using a digital camera, photographing 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.

  An image providing method and an image providing system disclosed in the present application capture an image, give image identification information, and transmit the image identification information to a user terminal. Also, the image identification information and the image are held in the server, and when the server receives a request for an image for which the image identification information is designated, an image in which a digital watermark is embedded in the image corresponding to the designated image identification information is provided. .

  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 client. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the server. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram regarding movement of the terminal device 10 and acquisition of an image ID. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an action map. FIG. 8 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, a photographing device 40, and a helper device 60.

  The terminal device 10 is a user terminal carried by a user, and is a device lent from a user-owned device such as a mobile phone or a theme park, for example. 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 performs photographing based on a photographing instruction from the helper device 60. The helper device 60 is a photographing auxiliary terminal carried by, for example, a staff wearing a character park costume.

  When the user carrying the terminal device 10 wishes to take a commemorative photo in the vicinity of the staff carrying the helper device 60, the identification information is exchanged between the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60, and the helper device 60 takes a picture on the photographing device 40. Send instructions and take a picture. By taking a picture based on the photographing instruction from the helper device 60 in this way, it is possible to reliably photograph the user who carries the terminal device 10 as compared with the case where the photographing is performed at random. It is possible to obtain a good image of the user who carries the camera.

  In addition, the photographing device 40 determines photographing conditions based on the identification information of the helper device 60. The shooting conditions include the background of the image and effect processing at the time of shooting. It also includes image processing performed on the captured image data. In this way, by determining the shooting conditions based on the identification information of the helper device 60, it is possible to obtain image data that matches the character carrying the helper device 60 and the like. Furthermore, if the shooting conditions are determined based on the identification information of the terminal device 10, image data suitable for the user carrying the terminal device 10 can be obtained.

  An image photographed by the photographing device 40 is assigned an image ID and stored in the server 30. The user can acquire desired image data from the server 30 by requesting image data specifying an image ID from the client 20. The client 20 may be, for example, a computer owned by a user or may be integrated with the terminal device 10.

  When the server 30 provides image data to the client 20, the server 30 provides an image in which a digital watermark is embedded. Information related to the user such as a user ID and information related to the business such as identification information of the business can be embedded in the digital watermark. In this manner, by embedding information on the user or business operator as a digital watermark, it is possible to monitor the diversion of an unauthorized image, and thus copyright protection can be performed.

  The user information may be acquired from the terminal device 10 via the photographing device 40 or may be acquired from the client 20. Moreover, it is preferable to store the business operator information in the server 30 in advance.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the terminal device 10 includes a wireless signal transmission / reception unit 11, a data storage unit 12, a signal transmission / reception unit 13, a control unit 14, and a display unit 15. The radio signal transmission / reception unit 11 is a radio used for transmitting a user ID to the helper device 60, receiving a helper ID from the helper device 60, transmitting a user ID and a helper ID to the imaging device 40, and receiving an image ID from the imaging device 40. It is a communication interface.

  The control unit 14 is a control unit that controls the operation of the terminal device 10, reads the user ID from the data storage unit 12 based on an operation from the user, transmits the user ID to the helper device 60, and receives the helper ID received from the helper device 60. Is stored in the data storage unit 12. In addition, the control unit 14 transmits the user ID and the helper ID to the imaging device 40, receives the image ID from the imaging device 40, displays the image ID on the display unit 15, and stores the image ID in the data storage unit 23. Further, the control unit 14 reads the image ID from the data storage unit 12 and transmits it to the client 20 via the signal transmission / reception unit 13. Since the terminal device 10 is carried by the user and moves, the terminal device 10 can accumulate image IDs received from a plurality of photographing devices and transmit the accumulated image IDs to the client 20.

  The helper device 60 includes a wireless signal transmission / reception unit 61, a control unit 62, a display unit 63, and a data storage unit 64. The wireless signal transmission / reception unit 61 is a wireless communication interface used for receiving a user ID from the terminal device 10, transmitting a helper ID to the terminal device 10, transmitting a photographing instruction to the photographing device 40, and receiving an image ID from the photographing device 40. It is.

  The control unit 62 is a control unit that controls the operation of the terminal device 10, stores the user ID received from the terminal device 10 in the data storage unit 64, reads the helper ID from the data storage unit 64, and transmits the helper ID to the terminal device 10. To do. In addition, the control unit 62 transmits a photographing instruction to the photographing device 40, receives an image ID from the photographing device 40, displays the image ID on the display unit 63, and stores the image ID in the data storage unit 64.

  The imaging device 40 includes an imaging unit 41, a control unit 42, a data storage unit 43, a wireless signal transmission / reception unit 44, and a signal transmission / reception unit 45. The wireless signal transmission / reception unit 44 is a wireless communication interface used for receiving a user ID and a helper ID from the terminal device 10, receiving a shooting instruction from the helper device 60, and transmitting an image ID to the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60. .

  The control unit 42 is a control unit that controls the operation of the imaging device 40, receives a user ID and a helper ID from the terminal device 10, and stores them in the data storage unit 43. The control unit 42 sets shooting conditions based on the helper ID. As a specific example, a shooting condition corresponding to the received helper ID may be read from a table in which shooting conditions are set for a plurality of helper IDs. Further, the shooting condition information may be included in the helper ID itself.

  Further, when receiving a shooting instruction from the helper device 60, the control unit 42 performs shooting by the shooting unit 41 and assigns an image ID, which is identification information, to image data obtained by shooting. This image ID includes the position information of the photographing device 40 and the information of the photographing time. The control unit 42 stores the image data and the image ID in the data storage unit 43, and transmits the image ID to the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60. The transmission of the image ID is performed every time shooting is performed. The range of transmission is about 10 m as an example.

  In addition, the control unit 42 reads out the image ID and the image data from the data storage unit 43 and uploads them to the server periodically via the signal transmission / reception unit 45.

  The client 20 includes a signal transmission / reception unit 21, a control unit 22, a display unit 23, a data storage unit 24, and a watermark confirmation unit 25. 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 image ID from the terminal device 10. The signal transmission / reception unit 21 requests image data by transmitting the image 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 operation of the client 20. Specifically, the control unit 22 stores the image ID received from the terminal device 10 in the data storage unit 24. Further, the control unit 22 creates an action map in which the image ID is plotted on predetermined map data, and stores it in the data storage unit 24. The control unit 22 displays the behavior map on the display unit 23 and sends the image ID instructed to acquire an image by the user to the server 30. The server 30 provides watermarked image data in which a digital watermark is embedded. When the watermarked image data is acquired from the server 30, the control unit 22 creates an image map that displays the image data superimposed on the action map, and displays the image map on the display unit 23.

  The watermark confirmation unit 25 reads the information embedded in the watermarked electronic data and displays it on the display unit 23. The processing by the watermark confirmation unit 25 can be executed at a desired timing by a user operation.

  The server 30 includes a signal transmission / reception unit 31, a control unit 32, a data storage unit 33, and a digital watermark processing unit 34. The signal transmission / reception unit 31 receives a combination of an image ID and image data from the imaging device 40. Further, the signal transmission / reception unit 31 receives a request for image data specifying an image ID from the client 20, and transmits corresponding digital watermarked image data to the client 20.

  The control unit 32 is a processing unit that controls the operation of the server 30. Specifically, the control unit 32 receives a combination of an image ID and image data from various imaging devices such as the imaging device 40 and stores the combination in the data storage unit 33. In addition, when there is a request for image data specifying an image ID from the client 20, the control unit 32 reads out the image data with digital watermark corresponding to the image ID from the data storage unit 33 and transmits it to the client 20.

  The digital watermark processing unit 34 performs processing for embedding information such as a user ID and a business operator ID into the image data as a digital watermark to create watermarked image data. The processing by the digital watermark processing unit 34 may be performed after receiving an image request from the client 20, or may be performed in advance between the time when the server 30 acquires image data and the time when the image request is received. good. In the following description, a case where an electronic watermark is embedded after receiving an image request from the client 20 will be described as an example.

  FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of the entire image providing system. First, the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user and notifies the helper device 60 of the user ID. The helper device 60 receives the notification of the user ID and notifies the terminal device 10 of the helper ID.

  The terminal device 10 notifies the photographing device 40 of the user ID and helper ID. The imaging device 40 receives the notification of the user ID and the helper ID from the terminal device 10 and sets the imaging conditions. A staff member who carries the helper device 60 operates the helper device 60 to transmit a photographing instruction when preparation for photographing is completed. It is preferable to include a helper ID in the photographing instruction so that the helper apparatus that has made the transmission instruction on the photographing apparatus side can be specified even when there are a plurality of helper apparatuses.

  The imaging device 40 performs imaging upon receiving an imaging instruction, and notifies the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60 of the image ID. The terminal device 10 and the helper device 60 that have received the notification of the image ID display the image ID, respectively, so that the user or the staff confirms the display of the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60 to confirm that the shooting has ended normally. Can be confirmed.

  The imaging device 40 uploads the image ID and image data to the server 30, and the terminal device 10 notifies the client 20 of the image ID. Here, the imaging device 40 can upload the user ID to the server 30 together with the image ID and the image data. When an image request designating an image ID is sent from the client 20 to the server 30, the server 30 embeds a digital watermark in the corresponding image data and provides the watermarked electronic data to the client 20.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing operations of the terminal device, the helper device, and the photographing device. The terminal device 10 receives the operation from the user, transmits a user ID to the helper device 60 (S101), and receives the helper ID from the helper device 60 (S102). The terminal device 10 transmits the user ID and the helper ID to the photographing device 40 (S103), receives the image ID from the photographing device 40 (S104), displays the image ID (S105), and ends the process.

  The helper device 60 receives the user ID from the terminal device 10 (S201) and transmits the helper ID (S202). The helper device 60 receives an operation from the staff and transmits a photographing instruction to the photographing device 40 (S203), and receives an image ID from the photographing device 40 (S204). After displaying the image ID (S205), the helper device 60 resets the user ID and the image ID based on the staff operation (S206), and ends the process.

  The imaging device 40 receives the user ID and helper ID from the terminal device 10 (S301), and sets imaging conditions based on the helper ID (S302). When receiving an imaging instruction from the helper device 60 (S303), the imaging device 40 performs imaging, assigns an image ID (S304), and transmits the image ID to the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60 (S305). Thereafter, the imaging device 40 transmits the image data and the image ID to the server (S306), and ends the process. Here, the case where the image capturing apparatus 40 transmits a combination of image data and an image ID to the server 30 every time of image capturing is illustrated, but the image data for a plurality of times is transmitted to the server 30 after performing a plurality of image capturing. And the image ID may be transmitted.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the client. The client 20 acquires the image ID from the terminal device 10 (S401), stores it in the data storage unit 24, plots the 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 ID includes the position information of the photographing apparatus and the information of the photographing time, the client 20 determines the plot position on the base map data based on the position information included in the image ID, and the photographing time. Is displayed on the behavior map as information visible to the user.

  The client 20 displays the created behavior map on the display unit 23 (S403). When an image acquisition request is received from the user for the image ID shown in the action map (S404, Yes), the client 20 transmits the image ID requested to be acquired to the server (S405), and the watermarked image data is received from the server. Is received (S406). The client 20 creates an image map by superimposing the received watermarked image data on the base map data or the action map (S407), and displays the image map on the display unit 23 (S408).

  When there is no image acquisition request from the user for the map displayed on the display unit 23 (S404, No), the client 20 stores the action map, watermarked image data, and image map in the data storage unit 24. To end the process.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the server. The server 30 acquires the image ID, the image data, and the user ID from the imaging device 40 and stores them in the data storage unit 33 (S501).

  Upon receiving a request for image data specifying an image ID from the client 20 (S502, Yes), the server 30 selects image data corresponding to the image ID (S503). The server 30 adds the user ID and the business operator ID to the selected image data with a digital watermark, and creates watermarked image data (S504). The server 30 provides the watermarked image data to the client 20 (S505) and ends the process.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram regarding movement of the terminal device 10 and acquisition of an image ID. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the imaging devices 51 to 53 are illustrated. Areas A1 to A3 are ranges in which the photographing devices 51 to 53 can communicate with each other, and a helper device (not shown) is arranged in each area.

  In the example shown in FIG. 6, 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 perform photographing by the photographing device 51 through the helper device at the position P1, and can receive an image ID corresponding to the photographed image data. Similarly, the terminal device 10 can perform photographing by the photographing devices 52 and 53 through the helper device at the positions P2 and P3, and can receive an image ID corresponding to the photographed image data.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an action map. The action map D1 shown in FIG. 7 plots the map data of the theme park based on the 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 this theme park based on the image ID. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal device 10 receives the image ID from the photographing device 51 at 10:15, receives the image ID from the photographing device 52 at 12:30, and receives the image ID from the photographing device 53 at 14:10. The image ID is received. 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 imaging device 51, the client 20 acquires the corresponding watermarked image data from the server. To create an image map.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a specific example of an image map. The image map D2 shown in FIG. 8 displays the image data F1 photographed by the photographing device 51 superimposed on the vicinity of the attraction E1.

  In this way, by exchanging identification information between the terminal device 10 and the helper device 60 and transmitting a shooting instruction from the helper device 60 to the shooting device 40 to perform shooting, the user carrying the terminal device 10 can select a desired location. Therefore, it is possible to reliably shoot, and to obtain a good image of the user carrying the terminal device 10.

  Also, by determining the shooting conditions based on the identification information of the helper device 60, it is possible to obtain image data that matches the character carrying the helper device 60. Furthermore, if the shooting conditions are determined based on the identification information of the terminal device 10, image data suitable for the user carrying the terminal device 10 can be obtained.

  Furthermore, since an image in which information such as a user ID and a business ID is embedded as a digital watermark is provided, it is possible to monitor illegal use of the image and protect copyright.

  The present embodiment is merely an example, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications. For example, in the present embodiment, the case where the helper device is a terminal that is carried and operated by the staff has been described as an example, but the helper device is fixed near the photographing device and is implemented as a device that operates automatically. It is also good.

  Further, in this embodiment, an example in which shooting is performed based on a shooting instruction from the helper device 60 has been described. However, the shooting device 40 periodically shots the surroundings and acquired from a nearby helper device during shooting. You may implement as a structure which changes imaging conditions based on ID and user ID acquired from the terminal device 10 of the vicinity.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the server 30 includes the digital watermark processing unit has been described as an example, but the configuration may be such that the digital watermark processing unit is provided on the photographing apparatus side.

  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 device 11, 44, 61 Wireless signal transmission / reception part 12, 24, 33, 43, 64 Data storage part 13, 21, 31, 45 Signal transmission / reception part 14, 22, 32, 42, 62 Control part 15, 23, 63 Display unit 20 Client 25 Watermark confirmation unit 30 Server 34 Digital watermark processing unit 40, 51 to 57 Imaging device 41 Imaging unit 60 Helper device

Claims (5)

Transmitting user identification information from a user terminal owned by the user to a photographing device owned by the photographer;
Determining a shooting condition based on a photographer identifier by which the photographing apparatus identifies the photographer;
The imaging device capturing an image including the user according to the imaging conditions ;
Providing image identification information to an image captured by the imaging device;
The imaging device transmitting the image identification information to a user terminal;
Storing the image identification information and the image in association with each other on a server;
When the server receives a request for an image specifying the image identification information, the user identification information of the user included in the image and the operator to which the photographer belongs to the image corresponding to the specified image identification information and the step of embedding the operator identifier as an electronic watermark that identifies the,
And a server providing an image in which the digital watermark is embedded. Transmitting user identification information from a user terminal owned by the user to a photographing device owned by the photographer;
Determining a shooting condition based on a photographer identifier by which the photographing apparatus identifies the photographer;
The imaging device capturing an image including the user according to the imaging conditions ;
Providing image identification information to an image captured by the imaging device;
The imaging device transmitting the image identification information to a user terminal;
Storing the image identification information and the image in association with each other on a server;
The server embeds in the image, as a digital watermark , user identification information of a user included in the image and an operator identifier identifying the operator to which the photographer belongs ;
Providing an image in which the digital watermark corresponding to the designated image identification information is embedded when the server receives a request for an image designating the image identification information. Method. 3. The image providing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of reading information embedded in the digital watermark by the client device that has acquired the image embedded with the digital watermark. 4. User identification information is acquired from a user terminal owned by a user, shooting conditions are determined based on a photographer identifier for identifying a photographer, and an image including the user is captured according to the shooting conditions and image identification information is provided. And an imaging device that transmits the image identification information to the user terminal;
A digital watermark processing unit that embeds in the image, as a digital watermark , user identification information of a user included in the image and a business identifier that identifies the business operator to which the photographer belongs ;
The image identification information specified when the image identification information and the image or the image identification information and the image embedded with the digital watermark are associated with each other and a request for an image specifying the image identification information is received. And a server for providing an image embedded with the digital watermark corresponding to the above. The image providing system according to claim 4, further comprising a client device that acquires an image in which the digital watermark is embedded and reads out information embedded in the digital watermark.

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