Information processing apparatus, method and program, and information processing system

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, method and program, and an information processing system that can perform imaging complying with content of an instruction.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 10 acquires an input of first information related to information about equipment used for imaging from a first terminal apparatus T1 of an imaging person P1, acquires an input of second information related to information about content of an instruction with respect to imaging from a second terminal apparatus T2 of a requesting person P2, derives settings of the equipment required for performing imaging complying with the instruction and an operation method of the equipment required for the settings based on the first information and on the second information, and outputs third information related to information about the operation method to the first terminal apparatus T1 of the imaging person P1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, method, program, and information processing system, and more particularly to an information processing device, method, program, and information processing system for processing information relating to the operation of equipment used for shooting. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for finding people to help with photography by using social media in response to a photography request.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a system that transmits images captured by a video camera to a client via a network.

[0004] Patent Document 3 describes a technique in which, between two cameras with different operation methods, a shooting operation performed on one camera is converted into the operation method of the other camera and displayed on the display unit of the other camera.

[0005] Patent Document 4 describes a technique for performing a hierarchical guidance display to set desired shooting control settings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-10825 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-14119 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-258744 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2007-201693 A Summary of the Invention

[0007] One embodiment of the technique disclosed herein provides an information processing device, a method, a program, and an information processing system that are capable of capturing an image in accordance with instructions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) An information processing device comprising a processor, which receives first information as input regarding information on equipment used for shooting, receives second information as input regarding information on the content of instructions for the shooting, derives settings of the equipment necessary to shoot in accordance with the instructions and an operation method for the equipment necessary for the settings based on the first information and the second information, and outputs third information regarding information on the operation method.

[0009] (2) The information processing device of (1), wherein the processor outputs second information.

[0010] (3) An information processing device according to (1) or (2), wherein the second information is composed of text information, and the processor extracts a topic related to shooting from the text information and derives settings corresponding to the topic.

[0011] (4) The information processing device of (3), wherein the processor derives settings corresponding to the topic by referring to a first database that records information about the settings.

[0012] (5) The information processing device of (4), wherein the processor derives settings corresponding to the topics by referring to a first database that records information relating to topics and settings in association with each other.

[0013] (6) Any one of information processing devices (1) to (5), wherein the processor obtains information about a manual corresponding to the equipment from a second database that records information about the equipment manual, and derives an operating method based on the information about the manual.

[0014] (7) An information processing device according to (6), wherein the first information includes information relating to an equipment manual, and the processor acquires an input of the first information and records the information relating to the equipment manual included in the first information in a second database.

[0015] (8) An information processing device as defined in (6) or (7), in which the processor extracts from the equipment manual a section describing how to operate the equipment required for setup.

[0016] (9) Any one of information processing devices (1) to (8), wherein the processor receives input of first information from a first terminal, receives input of second information from a second terminal, and outputs third information and second information to the first terminal.

[0017] (10) An information processing device (9) in which a processor receives images taken by the equipment in chronological order and transmits them to a second terminal.

[0018] (11) Any one of information processing devices (1) to (10), in which a processor receives information regarding the settings of equipment when an image was captured, and derives the settings of equipment required to capture an image in accordance with instructions and a method of operating the equipment required for the settings based on the first information, the second information, and the information regarding the settings of equipment when the image was captured.

[0019] (12) An information processing system comprising: a first terminal owned by a first user who undertakes the photography; a second terminal owned by a second user who requests the photography; and any one of information processing devices (1) to (11), wherein the information processing device receives input of first information from the first terminal, receives input of second information from the second terminal, and outputs third information to the first terminal.

[0020] (13) An information processing method which obtains input of first information relating to information on equipment used for shooting, obtains input of second information relating to information on the content of instructions for the shooting, derives settings of the equipment necessary to shoot in accordance with the instructions and an operating method for the equipment necessary for the settings based on the first information and the second information, and outputs third information relating to information on the operating methods.

[0021] (14) An information processing program that causes a computer to realize the following functions: a function to obtain input of first information regarding information on equipment used for shooting; a function to obtain input of second information regarding information on the content of instructions for the shooting; a function to derive settings of the equipment necessary to shoot in accordance with the instructions and an operating method for the equipment necessary for the settings based on the first information and the second information; and a function to output third information regarding information on the operating method. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a first terminal device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a second terminal device. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a data storage server. [Diagram 5] Block diagram of main functions provided by information processing device [Figure 6] Block diagram of the main functions of the instruction information analysis unit [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a device setting database. [Figure 8] An example of a manual database [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how operation information, instruction information, and setting information are displayed on a display; [Figure 10] Sequence diagram of processing performed in an information processing system [Figure 11] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of an information processing system. [Figure 12] Block diagram of main functions provided by information processing device [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a display of a second terminal device; [Figure 14] Block diagram of main functions provided by information processing device [Figure 15] Block diagram of the main functions of the instruction information analysis unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] [First embodiment] Matching services are known as services that act as intermediaries between those who have demand and those who can supply. In the field of photography, matching services are known that act as intermediaries between those who want to request photography and those who can take the photos. By using a matching service, it becomes possible to easily find someone who can take the photos and request them, even if the photography is to be done in a remote location.

[0025] However, a problem with matching services for photography is that it is difficult to specify equipment. This makes it difficult for the client to understand how the photographer's equipment corresponds to the shooting instructions of the client, making it difficult to give detailed shooting instructions.

[0026] In this embodiment, an information processing system will be described that is capable of taking pictures that reflect the wishes of a client when requesting a photoshoot from another person using a matching service or the like.

[0027] [Information Processing System] The information processing system of this embodiment is configured as a system that receives instructions for photography from a client, derives a method for operating the equipment required to perform photography in accordance with the instructions, and presents the method to the photographer.

[0028] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a first terminal device T1 owned by a photographer P1, a second terminal device T2 owned by a client P2, and an information processing device 10 that processes information acquired from the first terminal device T1 and the second terminal device T2. The information processing device 10, the first terminal device T1, and the second terminal device T2 are communicatively connected via a communication network 2. This communication network 2 is constructed by, for example, a wireless communication network such as 5G (5th Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 3G (3rd Generation), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), each base station 2a, and the Internet.

[0030] In the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, the photographer P1 corresponds to a first user who undertakes the photography, and the client P2 corresponds to a second user who requests the photography. The first terminal device T1 is an example of a first terminal, and the second terminal device T2 is an example of a second terminal.

[0031] [First terminal device and second terminal device] The first terminal device T1 and the second terminal device T2 are configured as computers equipped with a communication function, specifically, as mobile computers equipped with a communication function, such as smartphones, tablet terminals, notebook computers, and PDAs (Personal Data Assistance).

[0032] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the first terminal device T1, in which the first terminal device T1 is a smartphone.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the first terminal device T1 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a flash memory 104 storing various programs including an operating system (OS) and various data, a display 105, a touch panel 106 detecting touch operations on the display screen, a GPS receiver 107 receiving a Global Positioning Systems (GPS) signal, a camera unit 108 electronically capturing images, a microphone unit 109 inputting audio, a speaker unit 110 outputting audio, a communication unit 111 that wirelessly communicates with the nearest base station 2a etc. via an antenna 111A, a short-range wireless communication unit 112 that wirelessly communicates with an external device via an antenna 112A, a sensor unit 113 including various sensors such as a geomagnetic sensor, a gyrocompass, an acceleration sensor, and a media drive 114 that reads and writes data to a memory card 115.

[0034] The first terminal device T1 accepts input of predetermined information from the photographer P1, and transmits the input information to the information processing device 10. It also receives information transmitted from the information processing device 10, and outputs the information to the display 105. It also outputs sound from the speaker unit 110 as necessary. The first terminal device T1 realizes these functions by the CPU 101, which is a processor, executing a predetermined program.

[0035] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the second terminal device T2, in which the second terminal device T2 is configured as a smartphone.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the second terminal device T2, like the first terminal device T1, is equipped with a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a flash memory 204, a display 205, a touch panel 206, a GPS receiver 207, a camera unit 208, a microphone unit 209, a speaker unit 210, a communication unit 211 that wirelessly communicates with the nearest base station 2a etc. via an antenna 211A, a short-range wireless communication unit 212 that wirelessly communicates with an external device via an antenna 212A, a sensor unit 213, and a media drive 214 that reads and writes data to a memory card 215.

[0037] The second terminal device T2 accepts input of predetermined information from the person requesting photography P2, and transmits the input information to the information processing device 10. It also receives information transmitted from the information processing device 10, and outputs the information to the display 205. It also outputs sound from the speaker unit 210 as necessary. The second terminal device T2 realizes these functions by the CPU 201, which is a processor, executing a predetermined program.

[0038] [Information processing device] The information processing device 10 is composed of a computer equipped with a communication function.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the data storage server.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the information processing device 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an auxiliary storage device 14 for storing various programs including an OS and various data, a display 15, a network I / F 16 (I / F: interface) for data communication using a communication network 2, a keyboard 17, a mouse 18, an optical drive 19, etc. The auxiliary storage device 14 is composed of, for example, a flash memory including an SSD (Solid State Drive), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The CPU 11 is an example of a processor.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of main functions provided by the information processing device.

[0042] 5, the information processing device 10 has functions of a device information acquisition unit 10A, an instruction information acquisition unit 10B, an instruction information analysis unit 10C, an operation method derivation unit 10D, an operation information output unit 10E, etc. The functions of each unit are realized by the CPU 11 executing a predetermined program (information processing program).

[0043] The equipment information acquisition unit 10A acquires input of information about the equipment C used for shooting (equipment information). The equipment information is acquired from the first terminal device T1. The photographer P1 who undertakes the shooting inputs the equipment information into the first terminal device T1 owned by the photographer P1. When the equipment information is input, the first terminal device T1 transmits the input equipment information to the information processing device 10. The equipment information acquisition unit 10A receives and acquires the equipment information transmitted from the first terminal device T1.

[0044] Here, the equipment information is composed of information that can identify the equipment C used for shooting. The equipment C used for shooting is what is known as a camera. Cameras also include devices equipped with a camera function. Therefore, what is known as a smartphone with a camera and a tablet terminal with a camera are also included in the equipment C used for shooting. The equipment information is composed of, for example, a combination of a manufacturer name and a model name. The manufacturer name is the name of the manufacturing company. The model name is synonymous with the product name, model name, model number, model number, etc. For example, when using a camera model "X-001" made by "ABC Company," the equipment information becomes "ABC, X-001." "ABC" is the manufacturer name and "X-001" is the model name.

[0045] The input of equipment information may be, for example, a configuration in which the manufacturer name and model name are directly input as characters, or may be a configuration in which they are selected from candidates and input. In the configuration in which they are selected from candidates and input, first, a list of selectable manufacturer names is displayed on the display 105, and the photographer P1 is made to select one from the manufacturer names displayed in the list. After that, a list of model names of models sold by the selected manufacturer is displayed on the display 105, and the photographer P1 is made to select one from the model names displayed in the list. For character input, a general character input function provided in the first terminal device T1 is used.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the "equipment information" is an example of first information related to information on the equipment C used for shooting.

[0047] The instruction information acquisition unit 10B acquires input of information (instruction information) on the content of instructions for shooting. The instruction information is acquired from the second terminal device T2. A person requesting shooting P2 inputs the instruction information to the second terminal device T2 owned by the person requesting shooting. When the instruction information is input, the second terminal device T2 transmits the input instruction information to the information processing device 10. The instruction information acquisition unit 10B receives and acquires the instruction information transmitted from the second terminal device T2.

[0048] The instruction information may be input, for example, by inputting the instruction contents as characters, or by voice input using a known voice recognition technology. For the character input, a general character input function provided in the second terminal device T2 is used.

[0049] As an example, in this embodiment, the instruction content is expressed in natural language. Therefore, the instruction information is composed of a sentence expressed in natural language, and is composed of text information (text information) that expresses the sentence in characters. Therefore, for example, a shooting instruction is input in an expression format such as "Please take a picture with a soft feel" or "Please take a picture with a dynamic feel."

[0050] In the present embodiment, the "instruction information" is an example of second information related to information on the contents of instructions for photographing.

[0051] The instruction information analysis unit 10C analyzes the instruction information acquired by the instruction information acquisition unit 10B, and derives settings of equipment required for photographing in accordance with the instructions.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of main functions of the instruction information analysis unit.

[0053] As shown in the figure, the instruction information analysis unit 10C has the functions of a topic extraction unit 10C1, an equipment setting derivation unit 10C2, and the like.

[0054] The topic extraction unit 10C1 analyzes the instruction information and extracts a topic from a sentence indicating the content of the instruction. The topic extracted is a topic related to shooting. The topic extraction unit 10C1 is configured, for example, with a topic model generated by machine learning (for example, configured with a known topic model such as LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation)). In addition, the topic extraction unit 10C1 performs a process of dividing words from a sentence (morphological analysis) as necessary.

[0055] For example, the topic "make it soft" is extracted from the shooting instruction "take a picture with a soft feel" by the topic extraction unit 10C1. Also, the topic "make it dynamic" is extracted from the shooting instruction "take a picture with a dynamic feel."

[0056] The equipment setting derivation unit 10C2 derives the settings of the equipment (camera) corresponding to the topic extracted by the topic extraction unit 10C1. Here, the topic extracted by the topic extraction unit 10C1 is a topic extracted from the instruction information. Therefore, by deriving the settings of the equipment corresponding to the topic, the settings of the equipment according to the instruction are derived. That is, the settings of the equipment necessary for shooting according to the instruction are derived. Note that the settings of the equipment here are universal settings that apply to any shooting equipment (camera). For example, the settings are for the shutter speed (shooting time), the aperture value (F-number), ISO sensitivity (International Organization for Standardization film speed), the exposure compensation amount, the white balance, the lens, and the like.

[0057] In this embodiment, equipment setting deriving section 10C2 derives equipment settings corresponding to a topic by referring to equipment setting database (Data Base: DB) 14A.

[0058] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the equipment setting database.

[0059] In the equipment setting database 14A, a plurality of terms related to photography are recorded, and information on the settings of the equipment (setting information) is recorded in association with each recorded term. The recorded terms are terms that can be extracted as topics. In other words, the terms recorded in the equipment setting database 14A are extracted by the topic extraction unit 10C1. The terms recorded in the equipment setting database 14A are composed of vocabulary in the photography field. The equipment setting information is composed of information on the settings of the equipment required to perform photography of the associated term. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, for the term "soften", information "aperture value: small, exposure compensation: plus" is recorded as the equipment setting information. When taking a soft photograph, generally, blur is used and the photograph is taken brightly. For this reason, for the term "soften", setting information is recorded that the aperture value is set small and the exposure is compensated to the plus side. Also, for the term "make dynamic", information "aperture value: large, lens: wide angle" is recorded as the equipment setting information. When shooting landscapes dynamically, a lens with a wide angle of view is generally used. Also, contrast is emphasized to produce a sharp image. For this reason, for the term "to make dynamic," setting information is recorded that indicates using a wide-angle lens or zooming to the wide side and setting a large aperture value.

[0060] Equipment setting derivation section 10C2 refers to equipment setting database 14A for the topic extracted by topic extraction section 10C1, and acquires setting information of the equipment corresponding to the topic.

[0061] The equipment setting database 14A is stored in the auxiliary storage device 14. In the present embodiment, the equipment setting database 14A is an example of a first database that records information related to settings.

[0062] The operation method deriving unit 10D derives an operation method for the equipment C required to perform the setting derived by the instruction information analysis unit 10C. In this embodiment, the operation method deriving unit 10D derives the operation method for the equipment C with reference to the manual database 14B.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the manual database.

[0064] The manual database 14B records data on the manuals of each piece of equipment (manual data). The manual data is recorded, for example, in association with the manufacturer name and model name. Therefore, the corresponding manual data can be identified from the manufacturer name and model name information acquired as the equipment information. The operation method derivation unit 10D acquires manual data for the equipment C used by the photographer P1 from the manual database 14B based on the equipment information acquired by the equipment information acquisition unit 10A.

[0065] The manual data includes main text data describing operation methods, and index data. The main text data is recorded in a predetermined electronic document file format. As an example, it is recorded in PDF (Portable Document Format). The index data is data for indexing, and is data in which the main words and items described in the main text data are arranged in a specific sequence and their location (page of description) is recorded. Usually, a manual is provided with an index. Therefore, the index data provided in the manual may be used as is. In other words, index data may be extracted from the manual and used as the index data. Also, index data may be generated separately so as to be suitable for use in this system. In this case, index data corresponding to the settings of the equipment derived by the instruction information analysis unit 10C is generated.

[0066] The manual database 14B is stored in the auxiliary storage device 14. In the present embodiment, the manual database 14B is an example of a second database in which information relating to the manual for the item C is recorded.

[0067] The operation method derivation unit 10D refers to the index data to identify a page of the manual on which the desired operation method is described (a portion on which the operation method of the equipment required for the setting is described). That is, in this embodiment, the operation method of the equipment C required for performing the derived setting is searched for in the manual of the equipment C, and the operation method of the equipment C is derived. The operation method derivation unit 10D extracts data of the identified page from the main text data, and outputs it as information on the operation method (operation information). For example, when a setting of "aperture value: small, exposure compensation: plus" is derived, the operation method derivation unit 10D outputs the operation information as follows. First, the page on which the operation method of "aperture value" and the page on which the operation method of exposure compensation are described are identified from the index data of the manual of the equipment C used by the photographer P1. Next, the data of the identified page is extracted from the main text data of the manual. The data of the extracted page is output as operation information. In this embodiment, the operation information is an example of third information related to the information on the operation method.

[0068] The operation information output unit 10E outputs (transmits) the operation information to the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1. In this embodiment, instruction information and setting information are output together with the operation information.

[0069] The first terminal device T1 acquires (receives) the operation information, instruction information, and setting information output (transmitted) from the operation information output unit 10E, and outputs (displays) them on the display 105.

[0070] 9 is a diagram showing an example of operation information, instruction information, and setting information displayed on a display. This figure shows an example of output of operation information in response to a shooting instruction of "take a picture with a soft feel."

[0071] As described above, from the shooting instruction "take a picture with a soft feel", the setting information "aperture value: small, exposure compensation: positive" is derived. Then, from this setting information, data on a page of the manual describing how to operate the aperture value and data on a page of the manual describing how to operate the exposure compensation are output as operation information. FIG. 9(A) shows an example in which data on a page of the manual describing how to operate the aperture value is displayed as operation information. FIG. 9(B) shows an example in which data on a page of the manual describing how to operate the exposure compensation is displayed as operation information.

[0072] As shown in Figs. 9(A) and 9(B), the first area R1 to the fourth area R4 are set as information display areas on the screen of the display 105 of the first terminal device T1. The first area R1 is a display area for "instruction content" information, and instruction information is displayed. The second area R2 is a display area for "equipment settings" information, and setting information is displayed. When the setting information includes multiple setting items, each item is displayed with a number assigned. The third area R3 is a display area for "operation method" information, and information on the item to be operated is displayed. That is, information on the setting item to be operated is displayed. Fig. 9(A) shows a display example when the setting item to be operated is "aperture value". Fig. 9(B) shows an example when the setting item to be operated is "exposure compensation". The fourth area R4 is a display area for a manual, and data on a page of the manual on which an operation method for the setting item to be operated is described is displayed. Fig. 9(A) shows an example of displaying data on a page of the manual on which an operation method for the aperture value is described. Fig. 9(B) shows an example of displaying data on a page of the manual on which an operation method for the exposure compensation is described. The page data displayed in the fourth area R4 can be enlarged, reduced, moved, etc., by pinching in, pinching out, sliding, etc. on the screen. A switching button B1 is displayed in the fourth area R4. Touching the switching button B1 switches the setting items to be displayed.

[0073] It should be noted that the display form shown in FIG. 9 is just an example, and various forms can be adopted for displaying operation information and the like.

[0074] [Functions of information processing systems] Next, a flow of a series of processes (information processing method) performed in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0075] As described above, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment is configured as a system that receives instructions for shooting from the client P2, derives a method of operating the equipment C required to shoot according to the instructions, and presents it to the photographer P1. The photographer P1 and the client P2 are linked using a known matching service, social networking service (SNS), etc. As an example, the client P2 posts the request content (photography subject, shooting location, shooting date and time, etc.) on an electronic bulletin board using a computer network, and a person who can undertake the request applies in response to the post, and matching is established. In addition, a method of extracting and presenting users who match the request content of the client P2 from users who have registered the conditions for shooting (photography subject, shooting location, shooting date and time) in advance, and establishing matching, etc. can be adopted.

[0076] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of the processing performed in the information processing system.

[0077] First, the photographer P1 inputs information (equipment information) of the equipment C to be used when taking a photograph into the first terminal device T1 (step S1). The equipment information includes the manufacturer name and model name. The input equipment information is transmitted to the information processing device 10 (step S2). The information processing device 10 receives the equipment information transmitted from the first terminal device T1 and acquires the input equipment information (step S3).

[0078] Meanwhile, the person requesting photography P2 inputs information on the content of instructions for photography (instruction information) into the second terminal device T2 (step S4). The instruction content is input in a sentence expressed in a natural language. The input instruction information is transmitted to the information processing device 10 (step S5). The information processing device 10 receives the instruction information transmitted from the second terminal device T2 and acquires the input instruction information (step S6).

[0079] The information processing device 10 analyzes the acquired instruction information and derives the settings of the equipment required to perform shooting according to the instruction (step S7). At this time, the information processing device 10 first extracts a topic from the sentence indicating the content of the instruction. Next, the information processing device 10 refers to the equipment setting database 14A and derives the settings of the equipment corresponding to the topic.

[0080] After the device settings are derived, an operation method for device C required to implement the derived settings is derived (step S8). At this time, the information processing device 10 derives the operation method of the equipment C with reference to the manual database 14B. More specifically, the operation method is derived in the following procedure. First, based on the equipment information, manual data of the equipment C used by the photographer P1 is acquired from the manual database 14B. Next, index data included in the manual data is referenced to identify the page of the manual on which the desired operation method is described. In other words, the page on which the operation method for making the derived settings is described is identified. Data on the identified page is extracted from the main text data of the manual, and the operation information is derived.

[0081] The information processing device 10 outputs (transmits) the derived operation information to the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1 (step S9).

[0082] The first terminal device T1 acquires (receives) the operation information output (transmitted) from the information processing device 10 (step S10) and displays it on the display 105 in a predetermined format (step S11). The photographer P1 checks the display 105 of the first terminal device T1 (see FIG. 9) and operates the equipment C to take a picture. The captured image is transmitted, for example, from the first terminal device T1 to the second terminal device T2 via the information processing device 10.

[0083] As described above, according to the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, the photographer P1 is presented with a photography method for taking pictures in accordance with the instructions of the client P2. This allows the photographer P1 to give appropriate photography instructions even if he or she is not familiar with photography equipment. This also allows the photographer P1 to take pictures that reflect the client P2's intentions when requesting a photoshoot from another person using a matching service or the like.

[0084] [Second embodiment] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of an information processing system.

[0085] The information processing system 1 of this embodiment is configured as a system that allows the client P2 to check in real time the image being shot by the photographer P1. That is, the information processing system 1 is configured as a system that allows the second terminal device T2 on the client P2 side to check the live view video (so-called live streaming system).

[0086] 11, a device (camera) C owned by a photographer P1 and a first terminal device T1 are communicatively connected, and an image displayed on a display Cd of the device C is transmitted to the first terminal device T1. The image transmitted to the first terminal device T1 is transferred to an information processing device 10 via a communication network 2. The image transferred to the information processing device 10 is further transferred to a second terminal device T2 of a client P2 via the communication network 2, and displayed on a display 205 of the second terminal device T2.

[0087] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of main functions provided by the information processing device.

[0088] 12, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment further has the functions of an image acquisition unit 10F and an image output unit 10G. The other functions are the same as those of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the functions of the image acquisition unit 10F and the image output unit 10G will be described here.

[0089] The image acquisition unit 10F acquires images transmitted from the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1. As described above, the images transmitted from the first terminal device T1 are images displayed on a display (including an electronic viewfinder) Cd provided on the equipment C. When a live view is displayed on the display Cd of the equipment C, images of the live view are transmitted. Images are transmitted sequentially. In this embodiment, the live view images transmitted from the equipment C via the first terminal device T1 are an example of images captured in time series by the equipment C.

[0090] There is no particular limitation on the method of communication between the first terminal device T1 and the equipment C. As an example, an image is transmitted from the equipment C to the first terminal device T1 using short-distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network). This type of technology is well known, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] The image output unit 10G sequentially outputs (transmits) the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 10F to the second terminal device T2 of the client P2. The second terminal device T2 of the client P2 sequentially receives the images output from the information processing device 10 and displays them on the display 205.

[0092] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the display of the second terminal device, in which a live view is displayed on the display Cd of the photographer's equipment C.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 13, the image displayed on the display Cd of the photographer's equipment C is displayed on the display 205 of the client's second terminal device T2. When a live view is displayed on the display Cd of the photographer's equipment C, the live view image is also displayed on the display 205 of the client's second terminal device T2. When the photographer's equipment C displays equipment setting information (shutter speed, aperture value, exposure compensation value, ISO sensitivity, etc.) superimposed on the live view image, this information is also displayed. By displaying this information together, the client can check what settings the photographer is using to take the picture.

[0094] In this way, according to the information processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the client P2 can check the image being photographed by the photographer P1 in real time. Therefore, the client P2 can give more detailed photographing instructions. This allows the photographing to be performed in a way that better reflects the client P2's intentions.

[0095] In this embodiment, the screen information of the equipment C of the photographer P1 is transmitted, but it is also possible to transmit only the captured image. Furthermore, the size of the image may be changed when transmitting. For example, the image may be transmitted at a reduced size compared to the size of the image displayed on the display Cd of the equipment C. Furthermore, the frame rate may be changed before transmission.

[0096] [Third embodiment] In the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, an image taken by a photographer P1 is transmitted to a second terminal device T2 of a client P2. In addition, information on the settings of the equipment C when the image was taken is transmitted to the information processing device 10. Based on the acquired information, the information processing device 10 derives the settings of the equipment required to take a photograph in accordance with the instructions from the client P2.

[0097] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of main functions provided by the information processing device.

[0098] Like the information processing device 10 of the second embodiment, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment has the functions of an image acquisition unit 10F and an image output unit 10G.

[0099] The image acquisition unit 10F acquires images transmitted from the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1. The images transmitted from the first terminal device T1 include images of live view as well as images that have actually been captured. That is, images captured by a release operation (captured images) are included. Information (so-called metadata) related to the settings when the image was captured is added to the captured image. As an example, Exif (Exchangeable image file format) data is added to the image. Therefore, by referring to the information (metadata) added to the image, information related to the settings when the image was captured can be acquired. The Exif data includes information such as the resolution of the entire image, the resolution per unit in the horizontal and vertical directions, the shutter speed, the speed, the aperture value, the ISO sensitivity, the photometry mode, whether or not a flash was used, the exposure correction step value, the focal length, and color space information.

[0100] The image output unit 10G outputs (transmits) the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 10F to the second terminal device T2 of the client P2. Therefore, in addition to the live view image, the captured image is output to the second terminal device T2 of the client P2. The second terminal device T2 of the client P2 receives the image output from the information processing device 10 and displays it on the display 205. Therefore, in addition to the live view image, the actually captured image (captured image) is displayed on the display 205. The client P2 checks the actually captured image (captured image) and gives instructions for shooting.

[0101] The captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 10F is further input to the instruction information analysis unit 10C. The instruction information analysis unit 10C derives settings of equipment required for capturing images according to the instructions, based on the instruction information and metadata of the captured image.

[0102] FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing main functions of the instruction information analysis unit.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 15, the instruction information analysis unit 10C of the present embodiment further includes a metadata analysis unit 10C3.

[0104] The metadata analysis unit 10C3 analyzes the metadata of the captured image and acquires information about the settings when the captured image was captured. The acquired information is added to the equipment setting derivation unit 10C2.

[0105] The equipment setting derivation unit 10C2 derives equipment settings corresponding to the topic extracted by the topic extraction unit 10C1. At this time, the equipment setting derivation unit 10C2 derives equipment settings corresponding to the topic by taking into consideration information acquired by the metadata analysis unit 10C3 (information on settings when a photographed image was photographed). As in the first embodiment, the equipment setting derivation unit 10C2 derives equipment settings corresponding to the topic by referring to the equipment setting database 14A. A plurality of terms related to photography are recorded in the equipment setting database 14A, and equipment setting information is associated with each recorded term and recorded. The equipment setting information also includes information on a preferred setting range. For example, for the term "soften", the equipment setting information is recorded as "aperture value: small (F8 to 11), exposure compensation: plus (+1.0 to 1.5)".

[0106] The equipment setting derivation unit 10C2 refers to the equipment setting database 14A for the topic extracted by the topic extraction unit 10C1, and acquires setting information of the equipment corresponding to the topic. Then, taking into consideration the information acquired by the metadata analysis unit 10C3 (information on the settings when the photographed image was taken), it derives the setting of the equipment corresponding to the topic. For example, for the term "soften", if the aperture setting when the photographed image was taken was F5.6 and there was no exposure compensation, the setting information "aperture: small, exposure compensation: plus" is derived. On the other hand, if the aperture setting when the photographed image was taken was F8 and there was no exposure compensation, the setting information "exposure compensation: plus" is derived.

[0107] The operation method deriving section 10D derives an operation method for the device C based on the setting information derived by the instruction information analyzing section 10C.

[0108] In this way, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, it is possible to instruct photography based on an image taken by the photographer P1. Also, it is possible to derive the settings of the equipment based on the results of previous photography (equipment settings). This makes it possible to take an image that reflects the client's intentions.

[0109] In addition, when deriving the settings of the equipment based on the results of a previous shooting, as in the information processing system of this embodiment, a situation may occur in which the desired settings cannot be derived. For example, if the previous shooting was performed within the desired setting range, no further settings can be proposed. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which a message is sent to the client P2 to prompt the client P2 to change the contents of the instructions, or a message to the effect that the settings are not possible.

[0110] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the configuration is such that the settings for shooting according to the instructions are derived based on the information on the settings of the equipment when the captured image was captured, but further, the configuration may be such that the settings for shooting according to the instructions are derived based on the captured image or only on the captured image. Specifically, the captured image is analyzed, and the settings for shooting according to the instructions are derived. For example, the captured image is analyzed, and the brightness, sharpness, etc. of the image are obtained, and the settings for shooting according to the instructions are derived.

[0111] [Other embodiments and modifications] [System Configuration] In the above embodiment, the first terminal device T1 is described as being configured by a computer with a communication function such as a smartphone, but the device configuring the first terminal device T1 is not limited to this. For example, if the equipment (photography equipment) used by the photographer P1 for photography has a communication function and a computer function (processor, memory, etc.), the photography equipment itself can be used as the first terminal device. In this case, direct communication is performed between the information processing device 10 and the equipment C such as a camera. Furthermore, the equipment information is directly transmitted from the equipment C such as a camera to the information processing device 10, and the operation information, etc. is directly transmitted from the information processing device 10 to the equipment C such as a camera. Furthermore, the transmitted operation information, etc. is directly displayed on a display provided on the equipment C such as a camera.

[0112] The second terminal device T2 may be configured as a mobile computer such as a smartphone, or as a personal computer.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 10 is provided separately from the first terminal device T1 and the second terminal device T2, but the first terminal device T1 or the second terminal device T2 may have the functions of the information processing device 10. In other words, the various processes performed by the information processing device 10 may be performed by the first terminal device T1 or the second terminal device T2.

[0114] [Data about the manual] In the above embodiment, the data on the manual is recorded in the manual database 14B in advance, but the method of acquiring the data on the manual is not limited to this. For example, the photographer P1 may transmit the data to the information processing device 10 via the first terminal device T1. In this case, the data on the manual transmitted from the photographer P1 may be recorded in the manual database 14B. This makes it possible to collect data on the manuals of a plurality of pieces of equipment. Also, the photographer P1 may be requested to provide the data on the manual only when the data on the manual of the equipment used by the photographer P1 is not recorded in the manual database 14B.

[0115] [Derivation of operation method] In the above embodiment, the data of the corresponding page of the manual data is extracted to derive the operation method of the equipment, but the method of deriving the operation method of the equipment is not limited to this. For example, instead of the data of the entire page, only the area of ​​the corresponding page where the operation method is described may be extracted to derive the operation method.

[0116] Also, for example, a web page on the Internet that contains the desired operation method may be searched for, and the corresponding web page may be output as operation information. For example, a web page on the manufacturer of the equipment used by the photographer P1 may be searched for, and the corresponding web page may be output as operation information. In this case, for example, a known search engine may be used to search for the web page on which the desired operation method is posted.

[0117] In the above embodiment, the index data is used to search for the relevant page, but the body data may be analyzed to search for the relevant page.

[0118] The data relating to the manual can also be made up of video data, that is, video recordings of operating methods corresponding to each term.

[0119] [Output of operation information, etc.] In the above embodiment, the instruction information and setting information are output to the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1 together with the operation information, but the information output to the first terminal device T1 of the photographer P1 may be only the operation information. That is, the instruction information and setting information may be notified to the photographer P1 by other means (for example, telephone, e-mail, etc.). Also, for example, the information processing device 10 may be equipped with a so-called chat function, allowing messages to be sent and received between the client P2 and the photographer P1.

[0120] [Deriving setting information] The settings (setting information) of the equipment required to take photographs in accordance with the instructions may be directly derived from the instruction information, for example, using a trained model.

[0121] When multiple items are to be set, the order in which they are to be set, that is, the order in which they are to be set, can also be stipulated. In this case, the operation methods are set to be displayed in the stipulated order.

[0122] [Equipment used for filming] As mentioned above, the equipment used for shooting includes not only so-called cameras, but also devices with camera functions such as smartphones with cameras. Cameras are not limited to digital cameras, but also include video cameras, television cameras, cine cameras, etc. Also, so-called film cameras are included.

[0123] Furthermore, the shooting instruction is not limited to an instruction to shoot a still image, but also includes an instruction to shoot a video.

[0124] [Client and photographer] The requester and the photographer may be the same person. In this case, the photographer can learn the specific operation method for the equipment he or she uses when taking a specific photograph.

[0125] [Hardware configuration of information processing device] Each function of the information processing device can be configured with various processors. The various processors include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a general-purpose processor that executes a program and functions as various processing units, a programmable logic device (PLD), which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit, which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically to execute a specific process such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). One processing unit constituting the inspection support device may be configured with one of the above various processors, or may be configured with two or more processors of the same or different types. For example, one processing unit may be configured with multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA. In addition, multiple processing units may be configured with one processor. As an example of configuring multiple processing units with one processor, first, there is a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, and this processor functions as multiple processing units. Secondly, there is a form using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including multiple processing units on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by System On Chip (SoC). In this way, the various processing units are configured as a hardware structure using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors. Furthermore, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1. Information Processing Systems 2. Communication Network 2a base station 10. Information processing device 10A Equipment Information Acquisition Section 10B Instruction information acquisition section 10C Instruction information analysis section 10C1 Topic Extraction Unit 10C2 Equipment setting derivation section 10C3 Metadata Analysis Section 10D Operation method derivation part 10E Operation information output section 10F Image acquisition section 10G image output section 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Auxiliary storage 14A Equipment setting database 14B Manual Database 15 Display 16 Network Interface 17 Keyboard 18 Mouse 19 Optical Drive 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 Flash Memory 105 Display 106 Touch Panel 107 GPS receiver 108 Camera section 109 Microphone section 110 Speaker section 111 Communications Department 111A Antenna 112 Near Field Wireless Communication Department 112A Antenna 113 Sensor section 114 Media Drive 115 Memory Card 201 CPU 202 ROM 203 RAM 204 Flash Memory 205 Display 206 Touch Panel 207 GPS receiver 208 Camera Club 209 Microphone Section 210 Speaker section 211 Communications Department 211A Antenna 212 Near Field Wireless Communication Department 212A Antenna 213 Sensor section 214 Media Drive 215 Memory Card B1 Switch button C. Equipment CD equipment display P1 Photographer P2 Requester R1: First area on the display screen of the first terminal device R2: The second area on the display screen of the first terminal device R3: The third area on the display screen of the first terminal device R4: The fourth area on the display screen of the first terminal device T1 First Terminal Equipment T2 Second terminal device S1~S11 Processing procedures performed in the information processing system

Claims

1. A processor is provided. The processor, Obtaining input of first information regarding information of equipment used for shooting; Obtaining an input of second information relating to information on the content of instructions for shooting; deriving settings of the equipment necessary for performing photographing in accordance with the instructions and an operation method of the equipment necessary for the settings, based on the first information and the second information; outputting third information relating to the information on the operation method; Information processing device.

2. The processor further outputs the second information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the second information is composed of text information; The processor extracts topics related to photography from the text information; deriving the settings corresponding to the topics; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The processor derives the setting corresponding to the topic by referring to a first database that records information about the setting. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The processor derives the setting corresponding to the topic by referring to the first database in which the topic and information related to the setting are recorded in association with each other. The information processing device according to claim 4.

6. The processor, Obtaining information about a manual corresponding to the equipment from a second database in which information about the manual of the equipment is recorded; Deriving the operation method based on information about the manual; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. the first information includes information related to the manual for the equipment, The processor acquires the input of the first information, and records information about the manual of the equipment included in the first information in the second database. The information processing device according to claim 6.

8. The processor extracts, from the manual for the device, a portion describing an operation method for the device that is required for the setting.

8. The information processing device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The processor, Obtaining an input of the first information from a first terminal; Obtaining an input of the second information from a second terminal; outputting the third information and the second information to the first terminal; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The processor receives images captured by the device in time series and transmits the images to the second terminal. The information processing device according to claim 9.

11. The processor, receiving information regarding the settings of said equipment when the image was taken; deriving settings of the equipment necessary for performing shooting in accordance with the instructions and an operation method of the equipment necessary for the settings, based on the first information, the second information, and information related to settings of the equipment when the image was shot; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

12. a first terminal owned by a first user who undertakes photography; a second terminal owned by a second user who requests the photographing; An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; Equipped with the information processing device receives an input of the first information from the first terminal, receives an input of the second information from the second terminal, and outputs the third information to the first terminal. Information processing system.

13. Obtaining input of first information regarding information of equipment used for shooting; Obtaining an input of second information relating to information on the content of instructions for shooting; deriving settings of the equipment necessary for performing photographing in accordance with the instructions and an operation method of the equipment necessary for the settings, based on the first information and the second information; outputting third information relating to the information on the operation method; Information processing methods.

14. A function of acquiring input of first information regarding information of equipment used for shooting; A function of acquiring input of second information regarding information on the content of instructions for shooting; a function of deriving settings of the equipment necessary for performing photographing in accordance with the instruction and an operation method of the equipment necessary for the settings, based on the first information and the second information; a function of outputting third information related to the information on the operation method; An information processing program that enables a computer to realize the above.

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