Image providing system and application program

Abstract

To allow a user to receive a video image which has been verified by the user, from a server device, thereby improving utilization efficiency while avoiding waste.SOLUTION: When a request is made from a user terminal to a server device to provide a video image with a search condition including a date and time and a location, the server device searches for a video image that satisfies the search condition, blurs a secret portion in the video image in advance, and allows the user terminal to browse the blurred concealed video image. When a request is made from the user terminal to download the browsed concealed image, the server device eliminates the blur of the concealed video image, and allows the user terminal to download the unblurred video image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image providing system and application program that provides a user with a desired video image from among a large number of video images captured at various locations based on conditions such as date, time, and location specified by the user. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of this type of image provision system is the technology described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7330773 (Patent Document 1). In this image provision system, a server device stores video images captured by an imaging device and accompanied by additional information including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture, supplied from a provider terminal. When a user accesses the server device using a user terminal and specifies search criteria including at least the date, time, location, and related information, requesting video images that satisfy the search criteria, the server device searches the stored video images based on the specified search criteria, identifies video images that satisfy the search criteria, and provides the identified video images to the user for a fee. If there are multiple video images that meet the specified search criteria, the system estimates the most relevant video based on information other than the date, time, and location of the search criteria and provides it. For example, if there is video imagery of the scene of a car accident, theft, arson, etc., the user can obtain the video images and use them as evidence. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7330773 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional image providing system, if a video satisfying the search criteria specified by the user is found, the server device forcibly charges the user and provides the video without the user verifying it, so even if the user views the provided video and finds that the content is not what they wanted or that the video is not actually necessary, they must still receive the video for which they are charged, resulting in a waste of time. In particular, when there are multiple videos that match the search criteria such as the specified date, time, location, etc., the server device estimates the most relevant video by referring to related information and provides this video. However, there may be cases where a different video is more useful to the user than the provided video, and the user cannot judge the superiority of the other video by viewing it, which results in a problem that the user's needs cannot be fully met.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to provide an image providing system that allows users to verify in advance the moving images that a server device is going to provide, thereby preventing waste and improving utilization efficiency by providing users with the moving images that they desire. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the image providing system of the present invention comprises a provider terminal that provides moving images captured by an imaging means and to which additional information including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture is added; a user terminal that specifies search conditions including at least the date and time and the location and requests the provision of moving images related to the search conditions; and a server device that stores the moving images provided by the provider terminal and, when a request for provision of moving images related to the specified search conditions is received from the user terminal, is capable of providing to the user terminal from the stored moving images moving images corresponding to at least the date and time and the location of the search conditions, The server device a storage means for storing the moving images supplied from the supplier terminal; a video extraction means for, when the search conditions are specified from the user terminal and a request is made for provision of a video related to the search conditions, searching for additional information corresponding to at least the date, time and location of the specified search conditions from the video stored in the storage means, and extracting a video to which the additional information has been added; a concealed video creation means for creating a concealed video in which the concealed parts are blurred by applying a blurring process or a mosaic process to the concealed parts when the concealed parts are recognized as being highly confidential and consist of at least a person's face or a vehicle license plate in the video extracted by the video extraction means; a viewing and providing means for making the anonymized video extracted by the video extracting means and created by the anonymized video creating means available for viewing on the user terminal; download processing means for de-blurring the concealed video when a download request is received from the user terminal for the concealed video that has been made viewable by the viewing providing means, and for making the de-blurred video available for download to the user terminal; a charging processing means having a download charging processing section for charging a fee for a moving image corresponding to the download when the moving image is downloaded at the user terminal and processing the charging, The user terminal is a video requesting means for requesting the server device to provide a video according to the search conditions by specifying at least a date, time, and a location; a viewing means for viewing the concealed video provided by the viewing and providing means of the server device; The system is configured to include a download request means for requesting the download of the moving image viewed by the viewing means.

[0007] Here, moving images include a series of still images in the form of disassembled photographs. Examples of imaging devices include security cameras and surveillance cameras installed in various locations, and dashcams equipped with in-vehicle cameras. Also included are digital cameras owned by individuals and cameras installed on mobile devices such as smartphones.

[0008] Examples of supplier terminals and user terminals include portable terminals (mobile terminals) such as smartphones and feature phones, and computers such as desktop PCs, notebook PCs, laptop PCs, and tablet PCs. In the case of a drive recorder, the drive recorder itself can also be configured as a supplier terminal. Generally, there are many suppliers, and they are registered in advance in a server device. There are also many users, and they are registered in advance in a server device.

[0009] Examples of additional information include the date and time of capture, the location of capture, and the direction (the direction the camera lens is facing). In addition to video image data, drive recorders can record various data, such as current location, audio, and acceleration, based on the Global Positioning System (GPS). Additional information can be based on these. Additional information is not limited to these. The vehicle number displayed on the vehicle's license plate is not included in the additional information because it is information captured in the video. Therefore, since the video extraction means searches for additional information, it does not extract videos that show the vehicle number. However, if the vehicle number is included in the search criteria, the video extraction means may be configured to search for and extract information from the video, allowing it to extract videos that show the vehicle number. This can be modified as appropriate. However, in this case, if there is no matching vehicle number, even the required video will not be extracted, so it is best to set the extraction criteria as broad as possible.

[0010] The video images captured by the imaging means are transmitted via a cable, a network, or the like and received by the provider terminal. The transmission and reception may be in real time, or may be transmitted and received collectively at appropriate times, like recorded data stored in a drive recorder. The provider terminal adds additional information, including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture, to the video images obtained from the imaging means and transmits them to a server device, primarily via a network. The transmission may be in real time, or may be stored and then transmitted collectively at appropriate times to the server device.

[0011] In the server device, the blurring and mosaic processing of the secret portion performed by the secret video generating means is realized by a well-known program that automatically detects the secret portion and performs a masking process. The blurring process includes filling in the secret portion. Here, the confidential part may be a person's face, a vehicle license plate, or other information that can identify an individual, such as a company name or an individual name displayed in a video, and may be determined as appropriate. These may be displayed, for example, on the body of a car, or on a sign or nameplate on a building.

[0012] As a result, moving images captured by imaging means and with additional information including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture are normally transmitted to and supplied from a large number of supplier terminals owned by a large number of suppliers to the server device. The server device stores these moving images in a storage means, sorting them by supplier, etc. If there is a limit to the storage capacity, the images can be deleted in order from the oldest to the newest.

[0013] For example, if a user wishes to obtain video footage of a car accident, theft, arson, or other incident to use as evidence, the user can utilize this system. For example, in the case of a car accident, a scenario may arise in which, unknowingly, the user's car is hit by a third party's car while parked in a parking lot, and the third party flees the scene. In such a case, the user uses the user terminal to specify search criteria, including at least the date, time, and location, to the server device, and requests the provision of video footage with additional information related to the search criteria.

[0014] When the server device receives this, the video extraction means searches for additional information corresponding to at least the date, time, and location among the specified search criteria from the video stored in the storage means. If the search results in no corresponding video, the server device may notify the user terminal of this fact. If the search results in a video with corresponding additional information, the server device extracts this video. Then, if the extracted video contains highly confidential parts consisting of at least a person's face and a vehicle license plate, the anonymized video creation means applies a blurring process or a mosaic process to the confidential parts to create an anonymized video in which the confidential parts are blurred.

[0015] Next, the viewing providing means makes the anonymized video corresponding to the extracted video available for viewing on the user terminal. In this case, the length of time for which the anonymized video can be viewed may be determined appropriately, and may be limited to, for example, 20 minutes from the date and time of the specified search criteria.

[0016] In the user terminal, the viewing means views the anonymized images sent from the server device. In this case, the video to be viewed has the concealed portions blurred, but the user can see the general state of the specified location at the specified date and time. This allows the user to determine to some extent whether the video is what the user wanted. Then, for the video that the user wants to view after de-anonymizing, the user requests download using the download request means. In particular, when there are multiple anonymized images, the optimal video can be selected, preventing waste. If downloading is not required, the process can be terminated. Of course, multiple videos may be downloaded.

[0017] On the other hand, in the server device, when a download request is received from a user terminal for the anonymized video made available for viewing by the viewing providing means, the download processing means de-blurs the anonymized video corresponding to the download request and transmits the de-blurred video to the user terminal for download. Also, when a video is downloaded at the user terminal, the download charging processing unit of the charging processing means performs charging processing for the video fee corresponding to the download. In this case, the length of the video that can be downloaded can be determined appropriately.

[0018] As a result, the user can obtain the desired video and view its content at the user terminal. In this case, in the past, if a server device found a video that met the search criteria specified by the user, the server device would forcibly charge the user and provide it to the user without the user verifying it. Therefore, even if the video provided was not what the user wanted or was actually unnecessary, the user had to be charged for the video, which resulted in waste. However, in the present invention, the user can verify in advance the video that the server device intends to provide, even if it is a concealed video, and the video desired by the user can be provided, thereby preventing waste and improving utilization efficiency. In particular, if there are multiple videos that meet the search criteria of the specified date, time, and location, the user can obtain the video with the highest priority, thereby fully satisfying the user's needs.

[0019] Then, as necessary, in the server device, the viewing providing means has a function of, when the video extracting means extracts a plurality of videos, assigning an identifier to each of the concealed videos of the plurality of videos and making the videos viewable on the user terminal; In the above user terminal, The download request means has a function of specifying an identifier for one or more of the multiple anonymized videos viewed by the viewing means, and making it possible to request the download of the corresponding videos. When there are a plurality of videos that meet the search conditions, the user can be sure to select and provide the desired video.

[0020] Furthermore, if necessary, in the server device, the download processing means has a function of downloading from the user terminal to the user terminal a video of a required time range corresponding to a start time and an end time specified based on the additional information of the confidential video; a download charging processing unit of the charging processing means having a function of charging a predetermined fee to the user terminal according to the time range of the downloaded moving image, and processing the charging; In the above user terminal, The download request means includes a time range designation unit that designates the start time and end time of the video requested to be downloaded based on the additional information of the viewed confidential video.

[0021] This allows the user to download the desired video for the required time range, so there is no waste in this respect either, and utilization efficiency can be further improved.

[0022] Furthermore, if necessary, in the server device, the browsing providing means includes an advertising information browsing selection request unit that allows the user to browse advertising information of an advertiser prior to browsing of the provided concealed video, and allows the user terminal to select whether or not to browse the advertising information; the billing processing means comprises a viewing billing processing unit that charges a viewing fee free of charge or a low fee when the user terminal selects to view the advertisement information, and charges a normal viewing fee for viewing the confidential video when the user terminal selects not to view the advertisement information, In the above user terminal, The viewing means includes an advertisement information viewing selection unit that selects whether or not to view the advertisement information before viewing the concealed video.

[0023] As a result, the user selects whether or not to view the advertiser's advertising information prior to viewing the concealed video using the advertising information viewing selection unit of the user terminal. When the user terminal selects to view the advertising information, the viewing fee is free or a low fee, allowing the concealed video to be viewed free of charge or at a low price, improving user convenience. Meanwhile, the server device can earn advertising revenue, eliminating waste. Furthermore, when the user terminal selects not to view the advertising information, the server device charges the regular viewing fee for viewing the concealed video, eliminating waste in this respect as well.

[0024] Furthermore, if necessary, the search conditions specified by the user terminal include a vehicle number selectively specified and displayed on the license plate of the vehicle, In the server device, The concealed video creation means a license plate identification unit that, when a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal, searches for whether or not a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number is present in the video extracted by the video image extraction means, and, if present, identifies the license plate; The system is configured to include a processing selection unit that does not apply blurring or mosaic processing to the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit, and applies blurring or mosaic processing to other license plates.

[0025] This allows the user to specify a specific vehicle number as a search condition in addition to the date, time, and location. In the concealed video creation means of the server device, when a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal, the license plate identification unit searches for the presence or absence of a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the video searched by the video extraction means, and if present, identifies the license plate with the vehicle number.

[0026] The selection processing unit then performs blurring or mosaic processing on the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit, and performs blurring or mosaic processing on the other license plates to create a concealed image.Then, the viewing providing unit makes the concealed video related to the extracted video available for viewing on the user terminal.

[0027] The user then views the anonymized image on the user terminal, and if the video being viewed includes a license plate with the vehicle number specified on the user terminal, the license plate is not blurred or pixelated, so the user can clearly see it. Therefore, if all of the license plates of the vehicles shown in the video being viewed are blurred with a pixel or the like, it can be cumbersome and time-consuming to find the vehicle with the desired license plate. However, for the vehicle with the specified license plate, the license plate number can be visually identified, so the vehicle with this license plate can be identified, and the user can concentrate on understanding the situation, such as how the identified vehicle is moving or what the surrounding situation is like, focusing on vehicles with known license plates.

[0028] For example, in the case of a car accident involving a user's vehicle, the license plate number of the user's vehicle can be specified. This allows the user's vehicle to be immediately identified when viewing anonymized images, making it easier to distinguish the vehicle from other vehicles and understand the accident details. This makes it easier to identify anonymized images that the user subsequently requests to download, thereby improving the efficiency of video selection.

[0029] Furthermore, if necessary, the supplier terminal can be configured to have the functions of the user terminal, or the user terminal can be configured to have the functions of the supplier terminal. That is, one terminal can be configured to function as both a supplier terminal and a user terminal. Having the functions of supplying and receiving video images makes management easier.

[0030] Furthermore, the application program of the present invention for achieving the above object is an application program that is installed on the supplier terminal or user terminal and executes the functions of the supplier terminal and the user terminal. This allows one person to be qualified as both a supplier and a user, and a supplier can also be a user, and a user can also be a supplier, making management easier when operating under a membership registration system.

[0031] The application program here refers to software that executes both the functions of a user terminal and a supplier terminal. This application program includes an access program that accesses the administrator's server device from the user terminal via an Internet line to realize the required functions, a usage contract program that concludes and terminates usage contracts with users on behalf of the administrator, and a payment program that accesses a payment server that processes billing on the server device and makes payments via credit card or other means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, even if the video provided by the server device is a concealed video, the user can verify the video he or she wants in advance and obtain the video, thereby preventing waste and improving utilization efficiency. In particular, when there are multiple videos that meet the search criteria such as the specified date and time or location, the user can obtain the video with the highest priority, thereby fully satisfying the user's needs.

[0033] As a result, if there is a car accident, theft, arson, etc. and the user wants to obtain video footage of the scene to use as evidence, the user can use this system to their advantage. For example, in the case of a car accident, it is assumed that the user's car is hit by a third party's car while parked in a parking lot, without the user's knowledge, and the third party's car then flees the scene. In such cases, this system would be extremely useful. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an image providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a supplier terminal in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a server device in an image providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a user terminal in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B show a video provided from a server device in an image providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention when a specific vehicle number is present, where FIG. 1A shows an example of an anonymized video, and FIG. 1B shows an example of an anonymized video after deblurring. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B show a video provided from a server device in an image providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention when there is no specific vehicle number, where FIG. 1A shows an example of an anonymized video, and FIG. 1B shows an example of an anonymized video after deblurring. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of a supplier terminal in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of a server device in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation flow of a concealed video creating unit in the server device of the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a subsequent operation flow of the server device in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of a user terminal in the image providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention and an application program used therein will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 6, an image providing system S according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to include a provider terminal Tk that supplies moving images captured by an imaging means 1 and to which additional information including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture is added, a user terminal Tr that specifies search criteria including at least the date, time, and location and requests the provision of moving images related to these search criteria, and a server device H that stores the moving images supplied from the provider terminal Tk and, when a request for the provision of moving images related to the search criteria specified by the user terminal Tr is received, is able to provide to the user terminal Tr from the stored moving images those moving images that correspond to at least the date, time, and location of the search criteria. In the embodiment, the search criteria include, in addition to the date, time, and location, a vehicle number that is selectively specified and displayed on the vehicle's license plate.

[0036] Examples of the imaging means 1 include security cameras and surveillance cameras installed in various locations, and in-vehicle cameras installed in drive recorders in vehicles. It also includes personally owned digital cameras and cameras installed in mobile devices such as smartphones.

[0037] Examples of the supplier terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr include portable terminals (mobile terminals) such as smartphones and feature phones, and computers such as desktop PCs, notebook PCs, laptop PCs, and tablet PCs. In addition, in the case of a drive recorder, the drive recorder itself can be configured as a supplier terminal, for example.

[0038] The supplier terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr may be separate, or a dual-function terminal that functions as both the supplier terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr may be used. In an embodiment, an application program may be installed on the supplier terminal Tk or the user terminal Tr, which will be described later, and execute the functions of the supplier terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr. In this case, one person can be granted the qualifications of both supplier and user, which makes management easier when operating under a membership registration system.

[0039] In detail, as shown in Figure 2, the supplier terminal Tk is configured to include a supplier terminal control unit 10, which is realized by the functions of a CPU or the like, that performs the process of supplying to the server device H a moving image captured by the imaging means 1 and to which additional information including the date and time of capture and the location of capture is added, a display unit 11 that performs various displays, and a communication unit 12 that communicates with the imaging means 1, the server device H, the payment server Hk described below, and the like.

[0040] Examples of additional information include the date and time of the image capture, the location of the image capture, and the direction (the direction the camera lens is facing). In a drive recorder, various data such as the current position, voice, and acceleration based on a GPS (Global Positioning System) can be recorded along with the video image data. Additional information can be based on these.

[0041] The provider terminal control unit 10 includes a video acquisition means 13 for acquiring video data from the imaging means 1, a storage means 14 for storing the acquired video, and a video sending means 15 for transmitting the video to the server device H. The storage means 14 is not necessarily provided. The video acquisition means 13 receives the video transmitted from the imaging means 1 via a cable, a network, or the like. The reception may be in real time or in a timely compilation, such as recorded data stored in a drive recorder. Additional information, including the capture date and time and location of the video, may be added to the video from the imaging means 1 or may be added after acquisition by the video acquisition means 13. The video sending means 15 transmits the video acquired by the video acquisition means 13 to the server device H mainly via a network. The transmission may be in real time or may be temporarily stored and then collectively transmitted to the server device H at an appropriate time. A hashtag may also be entered along with the video.

[0042] 3, the server device H is configured to include a server control unit 20 realized by functions such as a CPU, and a communication unit 21 for communicating with the supplier terminal Tk, the user terminal Tr, the settlement server Hk described below, etc. The server control unit 20 includes a video receiving means 22 for receiving videos supplied from the supplier terminal Tk, a storage means 23 for storing the videos supplied from the supplier terminal Tk, a video extracting means 24 for, when search conditions are specified from the user terminal Tr and a request for provision of videos related to the search conditions is made, searching for additional information corresponding to at least the date, time, and location of the specified search conditions from the videos stored in the storage means 23 and extracting videos to which the additional information has been added, and a concealed video creating means 25 for, when a concealed portion recognized as having a high degree of confidentiality, consisting of at least a person's face or a vehicle license plate, in the video extracted by the video extracting means 24, applying a blurring process or a mosaic process to the concealed portion to create a concealed video in which the concealed portion is blurred.

[0043] The blurring and mosaic processing of the secret portion performed by the secret video generating means 25 is realized by a well-known program that automatically detects the secret portion and performs a masking process. The blurring process includes filling in the secret portion.

[0044] Here, confidential information can include not only a person's face and a vehicle's license plate, but also information that can identify an individual, such as a company name or personal name displayed in a video. These may be displayed on the body of a car, a signboard or nameplate on a building, etc.

[0045] In particular, when a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal Tr, the concealed video creation means 25 is configured to include a license plate identification unit 26 that searches for whether or not there is a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the video extracted by the video extraction means 24, and identifies the license plate if present, and a processing selection unit 27 that does not apply blurring or mosaic processing to the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit 26, and applies blurring or mosaic processing to other license plates.

[0046] Figure 5(a) shows an example of a parking lot, where a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal Tr, and a license plate with the specified vehicle number is present in the extracted video image.The example shows a case in which masking is performed on the person's face, and the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit 26 is not masked (view A in Figure 5(a)), while the other license plates are masked.

[0047] Furthermore, when there is no license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the video extracted by the video extraction means 24, the processing selection unit 27 determines that the license plate identification unit 26 will not identify the license plate, and the concealed video creation means 25 applies blurring or mosaic processing to all recognizable vehicle license plates in the video to make them unclear.

[0048] Figure 6(a) shows an example of a parking lot similar to the one described above, where a vehicle number is not specified in the search criteria from the user terminal Tr, or where a vehicle number is specified but there is no license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the extracted video.This shows an example in which masking is applied to people's faces and to all recognizable license plates.

[0049] 3, the server device H also includes a viewing providing means 30 that makes the anonymized videos extracted by the video extraction means 24 and created by the anonymized video creation means 25 available for viewing on the user terminal Tr. When the video extraction means 24 searches for multiple videos, the viewing providing means 30 has a function of assigning an identifier to each of the multiple anonymized videos and making them available for viewing on the user terminal Tr. The length of time for which the anonymized videos can be viewed may be determined as appropriate, and may be limited, for example, to 20 minutes from the date and time of the specified search criteria.

[0050] Furthermore, the browsing providing means 30 is configured to include an advertising information browsing selection request unit 31 that makes the advertising information of the advertiser available for browsing prior to viewing of the provided anonymized video, and allows the user terminal Tr to select whether or not to view the advertising information. The anonymized video provided by the browsing providing means 30 is provided with an input display (not shown) that allows the user terminal Tr to input whether or not to view the advertising information. As shown in FIG. 1, the server device H accepts advertising information from the advertiser terminal K, and when the advertising information has been viewed on the user terminal Tr, it notifies a settlement server Hk (described later), and the settlement server Hk performs a settlement process for the advertising fee through the advertiser terminal K. Note that the server device H does not necessarily have to be connected to the advertiser via a network.

[0051] Furthermore, the server device H is provided with a download processing means 32 that, when a download request is received from a user terminal Tr for the anonymized video that has been made available for viewing by the viewing providing means 30, removes the blurring from the anonymized video and makes the unblurred video available for download to the user terminal Tr. Figures 5(b) and 6(b) show an example of the parking lot described above, where masking has been removed from people's faces and vehicle license plates.

[0052] The download processing means 32 has a function of downloading to the user terminal Tr a video for the required time range corresponding to the start time and end time specified based on the additional information of the concealed video from the user terminal Tr. When the viewing providing means 30 provides the concealed video, the user terminal Tr displays an input display (not shown) that allows the user to input a video download request and the start time and end time of the video.

[0053] The server device H also includes a billing processing means 33. The billing processing means 33 includes a viewing billing processing unit 34 that charges a viewing fee of free or a low amount when the user terminal Tr selects to view the advertising information, and charges the normal viewing fee for viewing the confidential video when the user terminal Tr selects not to view the advertising information.

[0054] Furthermore, the billing processing means 33 includes a download billing processing unit 35 that, when a video is downloaded to the user terminal Tr, charges the user a video fee corresponding to the download and processes the billing. The download billing processing unit 35 has a function of charging the user terminal Tr a predetermined fee according to the time range of the downloaded video, and processes the billing.

[0055] In this system S, as shown in Figure 1, a payment server Hk is installed separately from the server device H, and the supplier terminal Tk, the user terminal Tr, and the server device H are connected to the payment server Hk via a network, and the billing processing means 33 of the server device H performs billing processing such as card payment through this payment server Hk. The payment server Hk notifies the supplier terminal Tk of the determined price and performs predetermined processing such as card payment.

[0056] Although not shown, the server device H is provided with a member registration means for registering suppliers and users as members and storing member information such as a member ID for each member in the storage means 23, and has the function of confirming whether the supplier is registered or not when a moving image is provided by a supplier or when a moving image is requested by a user, associating the request with the member information and performing the above-mentioned predetermined processing. Also, when the download processing means 32 performs the download processing, it has a notification function for notifying the supplier terminal Tk that a request has been made by the user terminal Tr and the corresponding moving image has been provided.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal Tr is configured to include a user terminal control unit 40 implemented by functions such as a CPU, a communication unit 41 for communicating with the server device H, the payment server Hk, etc., a display unit 42 for displaying various information, and an input unit 43 such as a keyboard. The user terminal control unit 40 is equipped with a video request means 44 for specifying at least a date, time, and location as search conditions to the server device H and requesting the provision of videos that match these search conditions. In particular, in the embodiment, the search conditions include, in addition to the date, time, and location, a selectively specified vehicle number displayed on the vehicle's license plate. Note that other search conditions, such as the direction of imaging, may also be specified. For inputting search conditions, a dedicated entry screen (not shown) is provided which is transmitted to the server device H.

[0058] The user terminal control unit 40 also includes a viewing unit 45 for viewing the anonymized video provided by the viewing providing unit 30 of the server device H. The server device H requests the user to select whether or not to view the advertiser's advertising information prior to viewing the anonymized video to be provided, and the viewing unit 45 includes an advertising information viewing selection unit 46 for selecting whether or not to view the advertising information prior to viewing the anonymized video. The anonymized video provided by the viewing providing unit 30 is provided with an input display (not shown) that allows the user terminal Tr to input whether or not to view the advertising information, and the selection of whether or not to view the advertising information is input from the input unit in this input display unit. When the user terminal Tr selects to view the advertising information, the advertising information is displayed, and then the anonymized video is displayed. On the other hand, when the user terminal Tr selects not to view the advertising information, the anonymized video is immediately displayed.

[0059] Furthermore, the user terminal control unit 40 includes a download request unit 47 that requests the download of a video viewed by the viewing unit 45. If downloading is not required, the process can be terminated. When multiple anonymized videos have been viewed by the viewing unit 45, the download request unit 47 has a function of identifying the identifiers of one or more of the videos and requesting the download of the corresponding videos. The download request unit 47 also includes a time range designation unit 48 that designates the start and end times of the videos to be downloaded based on the additional information of the viewed anonymized videos. When anonymized videos are provided by the viewing and providing unit 30 of the server device H, an input display (not shown) is displayed on the user terminal Tr, allowing the user terminal Tr to input a video download request and the start and end times of the videos, and the user enters the required information through the input unit on the input display.

[0060] Furthermore, an application program according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a supplier terminal Tk or a user terminal Tr and is a program that executes the functions of the supplier terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr. This application program is software that can fulfill the functions of both the user terminal Tr and the supplier terminal Tk, and includes an access program that accesses the administrator's server device H via an Internet line from the user terminal Tr to realize the required functions, a usage contract program that concludes and terminates usage contracts with users on behalf of the administrator, and a payment program that accesses a payment server Hk that handles payments via credit cards or the like through the server device H's billing process. Therefore, this application program allows the terminal to function as both a supplier terminal Tk and a user terminal Tr. This allows one person to be qualified as both a supplier and a user, making management easier when operating under a membership registration system.

[0061] Therefore, the image providing system S according to the embodiment is as follows: Here, the explanation will be given using the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

[0062] <Provider terminal> 7, images of various locations are normally captured by a number of imaging means 1 at various locations, and these captured video images are sent to the associated supplier terminal Tk and acquired by the video acquisition means 13 of the supplier terminal Tk (S101). If additional information including the capture date and time and the capture location of the video has been added as data to the video from the imaging means 1, it is stored as is in the storage means 14; if not, it is added as data after acquisition by the video acquisition means 13 and stored in the storage means 14 (S102). Then, at an appropriate time, the video, to which the additional information including the capture date and the capture location has been added, is transmitted by the video transmission means 15 to the server device H and supplied (S103). Note that the video may be transmitted in real time to the server device H without first being stored in the storage means 14.

[0063] <Server device H> Referring to FIG. 8, when these videos are supplied to the server device H, they are stored in the storage means 23, for example, sorted by supplier (S201). If there is a limit to the storage capacity, they can be deleted in order of oldest to newest. The server device H waits for a request for a video from the user terminal Tr (S202). When the server device H receives a request for a video from the user terminal Tr (S202 Yes), the video extraction means 24 searches the videos stored in the storage means 23 for additional information corresponding to the date, time, and location specified as search criteria (S203, S204). If the search result of the video extraction means 24 is that there is no corresponding video (S204 No), the user terminal Tr is notified of this (S205), and the process ends. If the search result of the video extraction means 24 is that there is a corresponding video (S204 Yes), the video is extracted (S206). If the video contains a highly confidential part such as a person's face or a vehicle license plate, the concealed video creation means 25 applies blurring or mosaic processing to the concealed part to create a concealed video in which the concealed part is blurred (S206).

[0064] 9, in the concealed video creation means 25, when a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal Tr (Yes in S2061), the license plate identification unit 26 searches for whether or not there is a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the video extracted by the video extraction means 24 (S2062), and if there is a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number (Yes in S2062), the processing selection unit 27 does not apply blurring or mosaic processing to the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit 26, but applies blurring or mosaic processing to other license plates (S2063).

[0065] Figure 5(a) shows an example of a parking lot, where a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal Tr, and a license plate with the specified vehicle number is present in the extracted video, where masking is performed on the person's face, and the license plate identified by the license plate identification unit 26 is not masked (view A in Figure 5(a)), while masking is permitted for other license plates. Note that there may be multiple videos to be searched.

[0066] On the other hand, when a vehicle number is not specified in the search conditions from the user terminal Tr (S2061 No), the concealed video creation means 25 applies masking processing to all recognizable license plates (S2064). When a vehicle number is specified (S2061 Yes), the license plate identification unit 26 searches for whether or not there is a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number in the video extracted by the video extraction means 24 (S2062). If there is no license plate displaying the specified vehicle number (S2062 No), the concealed video creation means 25 applies masking processing to all recognizable license plates (S2064).

[0067] 6(a) shows an example of a parking lot similar to the one described above, where the search criteria from the user terminal Tr do not specify a vehicle number, or where the extracted video does not contain a license plate bearing the specified vehicle number, and masks the faces of people and all recognizable license plates. Note that there may be multiple videos to be searched.

[0068] 8, next, the browsing providing means 30 makes the anonymized video related to the extracted video available for browsing on the user terminal Tr. Prior to viewing the anonymized video, the advertising information of the advertiser is made available for browsing, and the advertising information viewing selection request unit 31 of the browsing providing means 30 prompts the user terminal Tr to select whether or not to view the advertising information (S207, S208). On the other hand, if the user terminal Tr selects not to view the advertising information (S208 No), the browsing charge processing unit 34 of the charging processing means 33 processes to charge the regular viewing fee for viewing the anonymized video, and provides the anonymized video (S209). On the other hand, if the user terminal Tr selects to view the advertising information (S208 Yes), the browsing charge processing unit 34 of the charging processing means 33 processes to charge no viewing fee or a low viewing fee for viewing the anonymized video, and provides the anonymized video (S210).

[0069] As a result, when a user selects to view the advertising information, the viewing fee is free or a low fee, so the user can view the concealed video for free or at a low price, improving the user's convenience. Meanwhile, the server device H can earn advertising revenue, so there is no waste. Also, when the user terminal Tr selects not to view the advertising information, the server device H charges the regular viewing fee for viewing the concealed video, so there is no waste on the server device H side, as it can earn charging revenue.

[0070] 10, the server device H then waits for a response from the user terminal Tr as to whether or not there is a download request for the anonymized video made available for viewing by the viewing providing means 30 (S211). If there is no download request from the user terminal Tr (S211 No), or if there is a response indicating no download is required or a predetermined time has passed (S212 Yes), the process ends. If there is a download request from the user terminal Tr (S211 Yes), the download processing means 32 de-blurs the anonymized video corresponding to the download request (S213), and transmits this de-blurred video to the user terminal Tr for download (S214). Figures 5(b) and 6(b) show an example of the parking lot described above, with masking removed from people's faces and vehicle license plates.

[0071] If a video is downloaded to the user terminal Tr, the download charging processing unit 35 of the charging processing means 33 performs charging processing for the video fee corresponding to the download (S214). In this case, the download charging processing unit 35 of the charging processing means 33 performs charging processing by charging the user terminal Tr a predetermined fee according to the time range of the downloaded video.

[0072] <User terminal Tr> Using FIG. 11, a user can utilize this system when, for example, there is a car accident, theft, arson, or the like, and the user wants to obtain video footage of the scene to use as evidence. For example, in the case of a car accident, a scenario may arise in which, unknowingly, the user's own car is hit by a third party's car while parked in a parking lot, and the third party's car flees the scene. In such a case, the user uses the user terminal Tr to specify search criteria, including the date, time, and location, to the server device H, and requests the provision of video footage related to these search criteria (S301). In this case, for example, if the user wants to know the scene of an accident involving the user's own vehicle, the user's own vehicle license plate number is known, and can be specified as a search criterion.

[0073] The server device H then waits for a notification from the server device H as to whether or not there is a video relevant to the search criteria (S302). If the server device H notifies the user that there is no video relevant to the search criteria (S302 No, S303), the process ends. If the server device H finds a video relevant to the search criteria (S302 Yes), the server device H makes the anonymized video available for viewing. Prior to this, the user is prompted to select whether or not to view the advertiser's advertising information (S304). If the user terminal Tr selects to view the advertising information (S305 Yes), the advertising information is viewed (S307), and the anonymized video can then be viewed free of charge or at a low viewing fee (S307). On the other hand, if the user terminal Tr selects not to view the advertising information (S305 No), the regular viewing fee for viewing the anonymized video is charged, and the user can view the anonymized video (see FIGS. 5(a) and 6(a)) (S307).

[0074] As a result, when a user selects to view the advertisement information, the viewing fee is free or low, so the user can view the concealed moving image free or at a low price, thereby improving the user's convenience.

[0075] The user views the anonymized video using the viewing means 45 on the user terminal Tr. In this case, although the video being viewed has the concealed portions blurred, the user can see the general state of the specified location at the specified date and time. This allows the user to determine to some extent whether the video is what they wanted. In particular, for example, if the user specifies their own vehicle license plate number, as shown in FIG. 5(a), if the video being viewed contains a license plate with the vehicle license plate specified on the user terminal, the license plate is not blurred or pixelated (viewpoint A in FIG. 5(a)), so the user can clearly see it. Therefore, if all the license plates of the vehicles in the video being viewed are blurred by pixelation or other means, it can be difficult or cumbersome to find the vehicle with the desired license plate. However, for the vehicle with the specified license plate number, the vehicle license plate can be visually identified, allowing the user to identify the vehicle with this license plate and to understand the vehicle's movements, the surrounding situation, and other circumstances, focusing on vehicles with known license plates.

[0076] On the other hand, if a vehicle number plate is specified but the corresponding vehicle number plate is not captured, or if no vehicle number plate is specified at all, the user will see an image in which all recognizable license plates have been masked, as shown in Figure 6(a). Even in this case, the video image to be viewed will have the confidential parts obscured, but the user will be able to see the general state of the specified location at the specified date and time. This allows the user to determine to some extent whether the video image is what they wanted.

[0077] In this way, the transmitted anonymized image is displayed on the display unit 42, and a decision is made as to whether or not the image is necessary (S308). If the anonymized image is judged unnecessary (S308 No), the process is terminated (S309). If there is a video that the user would like to view without anonymization (S308 Yes), a download request is made using the download request means 47 (S310). In this case, if there are multiple anonymized images, the optimal video can be selected, thereby preventing waste. A download request may be made for multiple videos.

[0078] In this case, the user terminal Tr specifies the start time and end time of the video to be downloaded using the time range specification unit 48 of the download request means 47 (S310). This allows the user to download the desired video for the required time range, which also eliminates waste and further improves utilization efficiency.

[0079] As a result, the user can obtain the desired video and view its content on the user terminal Tr, as shown in Figure 5(b) or 6(b) (S311). In this case, in the past, if the server device H found a video that satisfied the search criteria specified by the user, it would forcibly charge the user and provide it to the user without the user verifying it. Therefore, even if the video provided to the user was not what the user wanted and was not actually needed, the user had to be charged and receive the video, which was a waste. However, in this embodiment, the user can verify the video that the server device H is about to provide in advance using concealed video and receive the video that the user wants, thereby preventing waste and improving utilization efficiency. In particular, when there are multiple videos that meet the search criteria, such as the specified date, time, and location, the user can obtain a video with a higher priority, thereby fully satisfying the user's needs.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the application program is configured as software that executes the functions of the provider terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. The provider terminal Tk and the user terminal Tr may be configured as dedicated software that functions separately, and modifications may be made as appropriate. In the above embodiment, the vehicle license plate number displayed on the vehicle is information that appears in the video and is therefore not included in the additional information. Therefore, the video extraction means 24 searches for additional information and does not extract video images that include the vehicle license plate number. However, if the vehicle license plate number is included in the search criteria, the video extraction means may be configured to search for and extract information from the video, thereby enabling the extraction of video images that include the vehicle license plate number. This configuration may be modified as appropriate. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Many such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] S Image Provision System Tk Supplier Terminal Tr user terminal H Server equipment Hk payment server 1. Imaging means 10 Supplier terminal control unit 11 Display section 12 Communications Department 13 Video image acquisition means 14 Memory means 15 Video image transmission means 20 Server control unit 21 Communications Department 22 Video image reception means 23 Memory means 24 Video image extraction means 25. Means for creating confidential video images 26 License Plate Identification Unit 27 Processing selection section 30. Means of providing access 31 Advertising information viewing selection request unit 32 Download processing means 33 Billing Processing Method 34 Viewing charge processing unit 35 Download billing processing section 40 User terminal control unit 41 Communications Department 42 Display section 43 Input section 44 Video image request means 45 Viewing Method 46 Advertising information viewing and selection section 47 Download request method 48 Time range specification section

Claims

1. An image providing system comprising: a provider terminal that supplies moving images captured by an imaging means and to which additional information including at least the date and time of capture and the location of capture is added; a user terminal that specifies search conditions including at least the date and time and the location and requests the provision of moving images related to the search conditions; and a server device that stores the moving images supplied from the provider terminal and, when a request for provision of moving images related to the specified search conditions is made from the user terminal, is capable of providing to the user terminal from the stored moving images moving images corresponding to at least the date and time and the location of the search conditions, The server device a storage means for storing the moving images supplied from the supplier terminal; a video extraction means for, when the search conditions are specified from the user terminal and a request is made for provision of a video related to the search conditions, searching for additional information corresponding to the date, time, and location of the specified search conditions from the video stored in the storage means, and extracting a video to which the additional information has been added; a concealed video creation means for creating a concealed video in which the concealed part is blurred by applying a blurring process or a mosaic process to the concealed part when the concealed part is recognized as being highly confidential and includes at least a person's face or a vehicle license plate in the video extracted by the video extraction means; a viewing and providing means for making the anonymized video extracted by the video extracting means and created by the anonymized video creating means available for viewing on the user terminal; download processing means for de-blurring the concealed video when a download request is received from the user terminal for the concealed video that has been made viewable by the viewing providing means, and for making the de-blurred video available for download to the user terminal; a charging processing means having a download charging processing section for charging a fee for a moving image corresponding to the download when the moving image is downloaded at the user terminal and processing the charging, The user terminal is a video requesting means for requesting the server device to provide a video according to the search conditions by specifying at least a date, time, and a location; a viewing means for viewing the concealed video provided by the viewing and providing means of the server device; The image providing system further comprises a download request means for requesting download of the moving image viewed by the viewing means.

2. In the server device, the viewing providing means has a function of, when the video extracting means extracts a plurality of videos, assigning an identifier to each of the concealed videos of the plurality of videos and making the videos viewable on the user terminal; In the above user terminal, The image providing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the download request means has a function of identifying an identifier for one or more of the multiple anonymized moving images viewed by the viewing means and requesting the download of the corresponding moving images.

3. In the server device, the download processing means has a function of downloading from the user terminal to the user terminal a video of a required time range corresponding to a start time and an end time specified based on the additional information of the confidential video; a download charging processing unit of the charging processing means having a function of charging a predetermined fee to the user terminal according to the time range of the downloaded moving image, and processing the charging; In the above user terminal, The image providing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the download request means includes a time range specification unit that specifies the start time and end time of the video image to be downloaded based on the additional information of the viewed confidential video image.

4. In the server device, the browsing providing means includes an advertising information browsing selection request unit that allows the user to browse advertising information of an advertiser prior to browsing of the provided concealed video, and allows the user terminal to select whether or not to browse the advertising information; the billing processing means comprises a viewing billing processing unit that charges a viewing fee free of charge or a low fee when the user terminal selects to view the advertisement information, and charges a normal viewing fee for viewing the confidential video when the user terminal selects not to view the advertisement information, In the above user terminal, 4. The image providing system according to claim 3, wherein the viewing means includes an advertisement information viewing selection unit for selecting whether or not to view the advertisement information prior to viewing the concealed video image.

5. The search conditions specified by the user terminal include a vehicle number selectively specified and displayed on the vehicle license plate, In the server device, The concealed video creation means a license plate identification unit that, when a vehicle number is specified as a search condition from the user terminal, searches for whether or not a license plate displaying the specified vehicle number is present in the video extracted by the video image extraction means, and, if present, identifies the license plate; The image providing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a processing selection unit that does not apply blurring or mosaic processing to license plates identified by the license plate identification unit, and applies blurring or mosaic processing to other license plates.

6. 5. An image providing system according to claim 1, wherein the supplier terminal is configured to have the functions of the user terminal, or the user terminal is configured to have the functions of the supplier terminal.

7. An application program that is installed in the supplier terminal or the user terminal and that executes the functions of the supplier terminal and the user terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images