Photographing behavior analysis system, photographing behavior analysis method, and photographing behavior analysis program

Abstract

To provide, regarding images widely published on social media, etc., a technology capable of estimating preferences of photographers of images by performing behavioral analysis related to the photographers rather than viewers of the images.SOLUTION: A system comprises: a shooting content determination unit 1 for analyzing a content of an image captured by a photographer; a shooting mode determination unit 2 for analyzing a shooting mode of the photographer at the time when the image was captured; a usage mode determination unit 3 for analyzing an usage mode of the image by the photographer; a photographer preference information generation unit 4 for generating photographer preference information, which is information related to preferences of the photographer of the image, based on the analysis results at the shooting content determination unit 1, the shooting mode determination unit 2, and the usage mode determination unit 3; and a token generation unit 5 for generating a photographer token, which is a non-fungible token having a correspondence relationship with the photographer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for analyzing photographer preferences through analysis of characteristics of photography behavior. [Background technology]

[0002] Cameras, which were once owned and used only by professionals or a select few enthusiasts, have become more widely available as prices have fallen. Today, with the widespread use of portable information terminals such as smartphones equipped with digital cameras, every citizen owns a camera, and images are taken in all sorts of situations, including in everyday life, when traveling, and when attending events.

[0003] In addition, with the spread of digital camera functions, it has become possible to utilize captured images as digital images, and the means of using captured images have diversified, such as the rapid increase in the number of users of online SNS (social networking services) that allow images to be attached, so captured images can now be used in a variety of ways.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology relating to an assist function that infers the intention of the photographer when taking an image for the purpose of sharing it on social networking sites, etc., and then displays a guide to enable the photographer to take an image in accordance with the intention. Patent Document 2 also discloses a technology that, when a video among images is distributed over the Internet, determines the objective evaluation of the video posted by the viewer by acquiring information on non-verbal feedback from the viewer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-55656 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-36740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Because social networking sites and other online services have an extremely large number of users, their behavioral history, such as purchasing activities and viewing of advertising content, is analyzed to analyze user preferences and conduct marketing research, and many technologies related to such analysis and research are publicly available. However, users are aware that such analysis and research is being conducted, and as a result, they take measures such as intentionally taking countermeasures to prevent excessive display of advertising content, etc., resulting in a so-called cat-and-mouse game, which causes problems such as a decrease in the accuracy of analysis and research.

[0007] On the other hand, as mentioned above, in a situation where image capture devices are widely owned by the general public and the means of using captured images are diversifying, it is common for users of online services such as SNS to not only view content such as images, but also share images that they have taken themselves. While such user behavior also reflects the user's preferences, beliefs, etc., no technology has been disclosed for analyzing such photographic behavior, etc., and Patent Documents 1 and 2 make no mention of it whatsoever.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can estimate the preferences of an image photographer by performing behavioral analysis on the image photographer rather than the image viewer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the photography behavior analysis system according to claim 1 is a photography behavior analysis system that analyzes photography behavior by a photographer, and is characterized by comprising: photography content determination means that identifies a photography subject included in a photographed image as the photography content of the image photographed by the photographer and determines the type of the photography subject; photography mode determination means that determines, as the photography mode at the time of photographing the photographed image, one or more of the type of location where the photographed image was taken, the type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and the type of photography equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; utilization mode determination means that determines, as the utilization mode of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the presence or absence of processing of the photographed image and, if processing has been performed, the content of the processing, the medium / output area on which the photographed image is output and the type of one or more of the output devices used to output the photographed image, and the range of publication of the output photographed image; and photographer preference information generation means that generates photographer preference information that is information about the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image based on the determination results of the photography content analysis means, the photography mode determination means, and the utilization mode determination means.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the photography behavior analysis system according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the above invention, it further comprises an information generation means for generating information including the photographer preference information regarding the photographer, which is recorded in a distributed ledger on a distributed network corresponding to a non-fungible token that is in a corresponding relationship with the photographer, and an output instruction means for instructing the information generated by the information generation means to be output to the distributed network.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the photography behavior analysis system of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the above invention, it further comprises photographer preference information acquisition means for acquiring the photographer preference information from information recorded in the distributed ledger, information provision means for providing the photographer with warning information corresponding to the acquired photographer preference information, reaction information acquisition means for acquiring reaction information including information regarding whether the photographer has reacted to the provided warning information and the content of the reaction if a reaction has been made, and information correction means for determining whether the photographer preference information is correct based on the acquired reaction information, and correcting the photographer preference information if it is determined to be incorrect.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the photographing behavior analysis method according to claim 4 is a photographing behavior analysis method for analyzing photographing behavior by a photographer, and includes: a photographing content analysis step of identifying a photographing object included in a photographed image as the photographing content of the image photographed by the photographer and determining the type of the photographing object; a photographing mode determination step of determining, as the photographing mode at the time of photographing of the photographed image, one or more of the type of location where the photographed image was taken, the type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and the type of photographing equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; a utilization mode determination step of determining, as the mode of utilization of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the output mode being information regarding whether the photographed image has been processed and, if processed, the content of the processing, the medium / output area on which the photographed image has been output and the type of one or more of the output devices used to output the photographed image, and the range of publication of the output photographed image; and a photographer preference information generation step of generating photographer preference information being information regarding the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image based on the determination results of the photographing content analysis step, the photographing mode determination step, and the utilization mode determination step.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the photography behavior analysis method of claim 5 is characterized in that, in the above invention, it further comprises an information providing step of providing the photographer with warning information corresponding to the photographer preference information, a reaction information acquisition step of acquiring reaction information including information regarding whether or not the photographer has reacted to the provided warning information and the content of the reaction if a reaction has been made, and an information correction step of determining whether the photographer preference information is correct based on the acquired reaction information, and correcting the photographer preference information if it is determined to be incorrect.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a photography behavior analysis program according to claim 6 is a photography behavior analysis program that causes a computer to analyze photography behavior by a photographer, and causes the computer to execute a photography content analysis function that identifies a photography subject included in a photographed image as photography content of the image photographed by the photographer and determines the type of the photography subject; a photography mode determination function that determines, as photography modes at the time of photographing the photographed image, one or more of the type of location where the photographed image was taken, the type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and the type of photography equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; a utilization mode determination function that determines, as utilization modes of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the presence or absence of processing of the photographed image and, if processing has been performed, the content of the processing, the medium / output area on which the photographed image is output and the type of one or more of the output devices used to output the photographed image, and the range of publication of the output photographed image; and a photographer preference information generation function that generates photographer preference information that is information about the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image based on determination results by the photography content analysis function, the photography mode determination function, and the utilization mode determination function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to estimate the preferences of a photographer by analyzing the behavior of the photographer of an image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a photographing behavior analysis system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a photographing behavior analysis system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of correcting photographer preference information in the photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, examples that are considered to be the most appropriate embodiments of the present invention will be described, and it goes without saying that the contents of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific examples shown in the present embodiments. Of course, any configuration that achieves similar functions and effects, even if it is a configuration other than the specific configuration shown in the embodiments, is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) First, a description will be given of a photography behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the photography behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment includes a photography content determination unit 1 that analyzes the content of an image taken by a photographer, a photography mode determination unit 2 that analyzes the photography mode of the photographer when taking the image, a utilization mode determination unit 3 that analyzes the utilization mode of the image by the photographer, a photographer preference information generation unit 4 that generates photographer preference information that is information on the preferences of the photographer of the image based on the analysis results of the photography content determination unit 1, the photography mode determination unit 2, and the utilization mode determination unit 3, a token generation unit 5 that generates a photographer token that is a non-fungible token corresponding to the photographer, and a holder of the photographer token. The system comprises a transaction generation unit 6 that generates a transaction to be stored in a block in a distributed ledger corresponding to the photographer token as information including information about the photographer and photographer preference information, an electronic signature generation unit 7 that generates an electronic signature which is data that proves that the generation and output of the information included in the transaction is in accordance with the intentions of the holder of the photographer token, an output unit 8 that instructs the transaction and the electronic signature to be output to a distributed network associated with the photographer token, and a photographer preference information acquisition unit 9 that accesses the distributed network and acquires the photographer preference information included in the transaction.

[0019] The photographic content determination unit 1 analyzes the content of images captured by a photographer. The images to be analyzed can be any type captured by the photographer, including still images, videos, and both 2D and 3D images. The term "photographed by a photographer" encompasses not only cases where the photographer presses the shutter after checking the image displayed in the viewfinder of a typical camera, but also cases where the image is captured under the photographer's specific direction and supervision regarding composition, timing, etc. Specifically, the photographic content determination unit 1 includes a photographic image input unit 11 that inputs the photographic image, an object identification unit 12 that identifies image portions of the photographic image that are presumed to correspond to the subject of the photograph, a type determination unit 13 that determines the type of the subject of the photograph identified by the object identification unit 12, and an image content information generation unit 14 that generates image content information including the determination result by the type determination unit 13.

[0020] The photographed image input unit 11 is used to input an image photographed by a photographer. The specific configuration can be any configuration as long as it has a function of inputting image data output from a digital camera, smartphone, etc. Furthermore, the configuration of the photographed image input unit 11 is not limited to a configuration that inputs image data as electronic data, but may also include a camera function or a scanner function that optically reads a printed photographed image.

[0021] The object identification unit 12 is for identifying a photographic object, which is an object intentionally photographed by the photographer, in a photographed image input via the photographed image input unit 11. Specifically, the object identification unit 12 recognizes what is captured in the photographed image using image recognition technology, and then identifies the photographic object based on the size (for example, a larger object is more likely to be determined as the photographic object), position (for example, an object located near the center is more likely to be determined as the photographic object), focus (for example, an object in focus is more likely to be determined as the photographic object), etc. of the recognized object (person, building, etc.) in the photographed image. Note that the photographic object identified by the object identification unit 12 does not need to be limited to one per photographed image, and multiple photographic objects (for example, person A, person B, person C) may be identified in the same photographed image. Alternatively, the system may be configured to simply identify as the subject of the photograph anything other than something that is clearly not the subject of the photograph, such as a background that has simply appeared by chance, or it may be configured to use a method of identifying the subject of the photograph by also referring to images taken before and after the target photographed image, for example, a method of identifying as the subject of the photograph only something that is photographed in multiple images, including images taken before and after.

[0022] The type determination unit 13 determines the type of the photographic object identified by the object identification unit 12. The "type" determined by the type determination unit 13 refers to information related to the attributes of the photographic object and / or information identifying the photographic object itself. For example, if the photographic object is the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto Prefecture, the type determination unit 13 determines the type of the photographic object as one of the "types" in addition to information related to attributes such as "building," "Buddhist temple," "tourist facility," and "Kyoto historical building." Similarly, if the photographic object is a specific person, the type determination unit 13 determines the type of the photographic object as one of the "types" in addition to information related to attributes such as "human," "male," and "born in 1980," as well as the name or title identifying the person. Furthermore, if the photographic object is an event such as a concert (or a specific person performing at the event), the type determination unit 13 determines the "type" as a specific performer name, event name, or the like, as well as "music concert" or "Western rock concert." The type determination process by the type determination unit 13 preferably involves searching a predetermined database or public information on the Internet for images that are identical or similar to the image portion identified as the subject of photography, and determining the type from descriptions of the discovered similar images, or may also be performed by referring to comments from the photographer, etc. Note that in the first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of pieces of information are determined as the "type," but a simpler configuration may be adopted in which only any one piece of attribute information and specific information is determined as the "type."

[0023] The image content information generation unit 14 generates image content information, which is information about the content of the photographed image and is a determination result of the photographed content, including information about the type of the photographed object determined by the type determination unit 13, in association with the target photographed image. The image content information generation unit 14 preferably generates image content information in a format that includes, in addition to information about the type, information about the image portion corresponding to the photographed object (e.g., its size and position in the entire photographed image) and information about the photographer's level of interest in the photographed object (e.g., information inferring a "high level of interest" based on the fact that the object has been photographed multiple times in images taken before and after, or that it is large enough to fill the entire screen), but it may also include only information about the type. The image content information generated by the image content information generation unit 14 is output to the photographer preference information generation unit 4, which generates photographer preference information based on the image content information.

[0024] The shooting mode determination unit 2 is for analyzing the shooting mode (for example, where, under what circumstances, with what equipment, etc.) at the time of shooting of the photographed image input via the photographed image input unit 11. Specifically, the shooting mode determination unit 2 includes a shooting location determination unit 15 that determines the position of the photographer at the time of shooting, a shooting situation determination unit 16 that determines the circumstances at the time of shooting, a photographing equipment determination unit 17 that determines the photographing equipment used for shooting, and a shooting mode information generation unit 18 that generates shooting mode information, which is information about the shooting mode, based on the determination results of the shooting location determination unit 15, the shooting situation determination unit 16, and the photographing equipment determination unit 17. Note that the photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment employs a configuration that includes all of the shooting location determination unit 15, the photographing situation determination unit 16, and the photographing equipment determination unit 17, but a configuration in which the shooting mode determination unit 2 includes only some of these may be employed as a simpler configuration.

[0025] The photography location determination unit 15 determines the type of photography location where the target photograph was taken. The type of photography location, like the type of image content, refers to information about the attributes of the photography location and / or information identifying the photography location itself. Specifically, the photography location determination unit 15 determines the type of photography location by, for example, extracting the location information if the image data of the photographed image includes the location information of the photography location; by inputting the recorded information from the photography device if the location at the time of photography is recorded in the photography device; by using the location of the photography subject if the location of the content of the photograph (e.g., the subject of photography) is known; or by using the location information of the photography device if the photography device is a fixed device (e.g., a photo booth or a photography dome for 3D photography). The photography location determination unit 15 preferably includes, as location information, not only information about the specific coordinates (longitude, latitude, etc.) of the photography location but also geographical information about the area to which the photography location belongs (e.g., type information such as "tourist spot" or "entertainment district" or specific information such as "Shibuya Center Street"). Note that geographical information is information about the "location of photography" and is different from type information about the object of photography (for example, the name of an individual building) (for example, geographical information about the location of photography would be "Tokyo Disneyland," and type information about the object of photography would be "Cinderella Castle.") However, the distinction between the two is not strict, and overlapping between the two is acceptable.

[0026] The shooting situation determination unit 15 determines the type of behavioral situation of the photographer before and after capturing a target photographic image. The type of behavioral situation of the photographer, like the type of image content, refers to information on the attributes of the behavioral situation and / or information that identifies the behavioral situation itself. Specifically, the shooting situation determination unit 15 determines whether the photographer was moving at the time of capturing the image or was stationary for a certain period of time, including the time of capturing the image, based on, for example, information on the temporal fluctuation of the position information. The temporal fluctuation of the position information may be detected or estimated from the capture date and time and position information recorded in multiple captured images, or may be detected by inputting data generated by a position detection function such as a GPS device built into the photographic device or a portable information terminal carried by the photographer. The shooting situation determination unit 15 may also detect the behavioral state (e.g., walking, traveling in a car, working in a fixed location without moving, or completely stationary without moving or performing any action) at the time of capturing the image and before and after capturing the image, based on, for example, the measurement results of an acceleration sensor built into the photographic device or a portable information terminal carried by the photographer.

[0027] The photographic equipment determination unit 17 is for determining what photographic equipment was used to capture the target photographic image. Specifically, the photographic equipment determination unit 17 has a function of determining, for example, at least one of a specific name that identifies the photographic equipment and a category to which the photographic equipment belongs (a camera attached to a smartphone, a digital single-lens reflex camera, a photo ID camera, a photography dome for 3D photography, etc.). The photographic equipment determination unit 17 may determine the photographic equipment by, for example, extracting information about the photographic equipment if it is included in the photographic image data and determining the specific name and category of the photographic equipment, or by directly acquiring information from the photographic equipment or inputting information created by the photographer.

[0028] The shooting mode information generation unit 18 generates shooting mode information as a shooting mode determination result, which is information related to the shooting location determination unit 15, the shooting situation determination unit 16, and the shooting equipment determination unit 17, based on the determination results of these units. Specifically, the shooting mode information generation unit 18 generates shooting mode information as information including at least one or more pieces of information (preferably all of the information) among the specific coordinates of the shooting location, geographical information of the shooting location, information about the photographer's movement and behavior, and information about the name and category of the shooting equipment, in association with the target photographed image. The shooting mode information generated by the shooting mode information generation unit 18 is output to the photographer preference information generation unit 4, which generates photographer preference information based on the shooting mode information in addition to the image content information.

[0029] The utilization mode determination unit 3 is for analyzing the utilization mode by the photographer of the target photographed image. Specifically, the utilization mode determination unit 3 is for analyzing the presence / absence and content of image processing on the photographed image taken by the photographer, the image output mode, whether or not the image is made public, the extent of disclosure, etc. Specifically, the utilization mode determination unit 3 includes a utilization image input unit 20 that inputs information about the utilization image to be utilized that is associated with the photographed image, a processing content determination unit 21 that compares the input utilization image with the photographed image and extracts differences caused by processing, an output mode determination unit 22 that determines the output mode of the utilization image, a disclosure range determination unit 23 that determines whether or not the utilization image is made public and, if so, the disclosure level, and a utilization mode information generation unit 24 that generates utilization mode information including information about the determination results of the processing content determination unit 21, the output mode determination unit 22, and the disclosure range determination unit 23.

[0030] The usable image input unit 20 is used to input information about a usable image generated based on the target photographed image. The term "usable image" encompasses not only photographed images that have undergone a certain level of processing, but also photographed images without any processing, and is intended to encompass all images used by photographers when utilizing them. "Information about the usable image" includes not only the content (image data) of the usable image itself, but also, preferably, information about the medium on which the usable image is published and the publication settings of that medium. Regarding the association between the usable image and the photographed image, if no processing has been performed, an image whose image content matches the photographed image can be considered the usable image. If some processing has been performed, for example, if the image data has a layered structure and the layer corresponding to the processing can be separated, the processed layer can be separated and compared with the photographed image, and if there is a significant degree of match, the usable image is determined to have been generated based on the photographed image. If the layer corresponding to the processing cannot be separated, each image is compared overall, and if there are a significant number of identical portions, or if there are a certain percentage or more of the different portions that can be estimated to have been caused by processing, the usable image is determined to have been generated based on the photographed image.

[0031] The processing content determination unit 21 determines whether or not the original photographed image has been processed, and if so, what the processing has been. The processing content determination unit 21 determines whether or not the original photographed image has been processed, for example, by comparing the image data of the processed image and the photographed image, and determining that no processing has been performed if the difference is less than a certain percentage. If the difference exceeds a certain percentage, the processing content determination unit 21 determines that the original photographed image has been processed. If the processed image has a layered structure and the processing layers can be separated, the processing content determination unit 21 separates and extracts the processing layers to determine the processing content. If the processing layers cannot be separated and extracted, the processing content determination unit 21 compares the processed image and the photographed image at the image data level, determines that the differences are processing parts, and then estimates the processing content. The determination result of the processing content determination unit 21 may be configured, for example, as a group of information indicating how pixels at specific positions have changed. However, more preferably, the determination result is information that clearly indicates the meaning of the processing, such as that the eyes of a person have been enlarged or that the skin has been whitened.

[0032] The output mode determination unit 22 determines the output mode of the processed image. The term "output mode" refers not only to outputting the visual content of the processed image on a physical medium such as photographic paper, but also to electronically outputting image data to a specific computer program, an internet service, or the like. In the first embodiment, the term "output mode" also includes information about the output area (both a geographical area and a virtual area such as an internet URL). When the output mode is output to a physical medium, the output mode determination unit 22 determines, for example, the content of the medium, the output area, and the device used for output. In this case, it is preferable to determine the type, classification, or categorical concept of the medium, output area, and output device in addition to the specific name. For example, the output mode determination unit 22 determines the specific name of the medium as photographic paper, the category as "sheet-like medium," the specific location information and category as "convenience store" for the output area, and the specific model name and category as "color printer" for the output device.

[0033] Similarly, when image data is output electronically as the output mode, the output mode determination unit 22 determines, for example, the output medium, output area (a location in virtual space such as a URL), and output device. For example, the output medium may be determined as a specific online service name and category "SNS," the output area may be determined as a specific URL and category "shopping mall," and the output device may be determined as a specific server device name and category "cloud server." Note that when image data is output electronically, the output medium, output area, and output device may conceptually overlap, so the determination process may be performed for only some of these items rather than all of them. Similarly, when image data is output to a physical medium, the determination process may be simplified and performed for only some of the items. Furthermore, for each item, either the specific name or the category may be determined. The determination process in the output mode determination unit 22 is performed by searching for image data identical or similar to the image data of the processed image to determine the fact that it has been output, and then determining information such as the output area based on the output fact and publicly available information on the Internet, etc. In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which the output device used to output the processed image outputs information such as the content of the processed image, the output area, etc. to the output mode determination unit 22 for each output.

[0034] The disclosure range determination unit 23 determines whether the utilized image is publicly available and, if so, the level of public availability. Specifically, the disclosure range determination unit 23 has a function of determining the extent of public availability for each output mode determined by the output mode determination unit 22, such as unpublished (viewable only by the photographer), fully public (viewable by anyone in the world), or partially public (viewable only by a limited number of people). The disclosure range determination unit 23 may determine the public availability for each output mode determined by the output mode determination unit 22, for example, by deciphering the public availability information displayed on the social networking site where the processed image is posted, or may determine the public availability based on the access results from multiple accounts (e.g., viewable by account A, inaccessible by account B). More simply, the public availability may be estimated from the output mode itself (for example, if an unprocessed processed image is physically printed on photographic paper using a color printer in a convenience store, it may be determined to be "unpublished" because it is assumed that the image will not be publicly available and will be kept for record keeping).

[0035] The utilization mode information generation unit 24 generates utilization mode information as a utilization mode determination result, which is information related to the determination results of the processing content determination unit 21, the output mode determination unit 22, and the disclosure range determination unit 23. Specifically, the utilization mode information generation unit 24 generates utilization mode information that is information related to the target captured image and includes at least one or more pieces of information (preferably all of the information) among the presence and content of processing, information regarding the output medium, output area, and output device of the processed image, and information regarding the presence and range of disclosure of the output processed image. The utilization mode information generated by the utilization mode information generation unit 24 is output to the photographer preference information generation unit 4, which generates photographer preference information based on the image content information, shooting mode information, and the utilization mode information.

[0036] The photographer preference information generation unit 4 generates photographer preference information, which is information about the preferences of the photographer who shot and utilized the target photographed image, based on at least one or more pieces of information (preferably all of the information) selected from image content information related to the image content of the photographed image, shooting mode information related to the shooting mode when the photographed image was shot, and utilization mode information related to the utilization mode of the photographed image. Specifically, the photographer preference information generation unit 4 includes a relationship information database 26 that records relationship information indicating the relationship between the image content information, shooting mode information, and utilization mode information and the preference content, a preference extraction unit 27 that extracts preference content corresponding to the input image content information, etc., while referring to the relationship information recorded in the relationship information database, and an information generation unit 28 that generates photographer preference information based on the preference content extracted by the preference extraction unit 27.

[0037] The relationship information database 26 is for storing relationship information, which is information including each item of image content information, shooting mode information, and utilization mode information, and the corresponding preference information for each item. The relationship information may be generated by associating a past photographer whose preference information has been separately confirmed with image content information related to the photographer, or by extracting the relationship between the two using machine learning or the like. The relationship information may be in a format that associates specific content related to all items of image content information, shooting mode information, and utilization mode information with a single preference information, or in a format that associates specific content related to a single item or multiple items extracted from all items with one or more preference information. The preference information is preferably information related to a specific person's preferences, including, for example, internal personality, interests in other people, content, and other objects, external behavioral tendencies, purchasing history, etc.

[0038] The preference extraction unit 27 extracts preference content associated with the image based on the specific content of each item described in the image content information, shooting mode information, and utilization mode information generated for the target captured image, while referring to the related information. When using specific content related to multiple items, the preference extraction unit 27 may refer to related information whose item content is an exact match, or may refer to related information whose item content is an exact match for the majority of items (e.g., 80% of all items). Regarding the determination of whether the item content for each item is an exact match, the item content may be extracted as an identical or similar item in terms of semantic content, rather than just an exact match in terms of wording.

[0039] The information generation unit 28 is for generating photographer preference information, which is information including the content of preferences included in the related information extracted by the preference extraction unit 27. Specifically, the information generation unit 28 generates preference information in a format that links the content of preferences extracted by the preference extraction unit 27 with the photographer of the target photographed image, and outputs the preference information to the transaction generation unit 6.

[0040] The token generation unit 5 is for generating a photographer token, which is a non-fungible token corresponding to the photographer who took the target photograph. A "non-fungible token" refers to a so-called NFT (Non-Fungible Token), that is, a token that has unique data and is therefore non-fungible for other tokens, and is issued, for example, based on ERC721, an Ethereum (registered trademark) standard. The photographer token in this first embodiment is issued based on ERC721 or another predetermined standard, and is configured to store information about the corresponding user and information about the user's interest in partial content, etc., on the blockchain.

[0041] "Blockchain" is a technology that uses encryption technology to synchronize data between multiple computers that make up a distributed network. Specifically, each block is made up of a collection of information about tokens, such as agreed-upon transaction records, and information for connecting to other blocks (information from the previous block), and a blockchain is made up of multiple blocks linked together. Even if data is tampered with on one of the multiple computers, the correct data is selected by majority vote among the other computers, making it extremely difficult to destroy or tamper with data.

[0042] The correspondence between the photographer token and the photographer is a one-to-one link between the photographer token identifier and the photographer's identification information (the photographer's identification information may be the photographer's name or some other character string associated with the photographer). More directly, the photographer token identifier and the photographer's identification information may be the same, or a correspondence may be established between them composed of different character strings, etc. Alternatively, the photographer token identifier and the photographer's identification information may be linked to URL information on the Internet where data related to the photographer is saved.

[0043] In addition, in the first embodiment, the block constituting the distributed ledger corresponding to the generated photographer token records not only transaction records related to the transfer of ownership of the photographer token, but also photographer preference information related to the photographer. This information is converted into transactions, which are information output to the distributed network by the transaction generation unit 6.

[0044] The photographer token may be generated by the token generation unit 5 itself, or may be generated by an external system that is directly or indirectly connected to the token generation unit 5 by issuing a predetermined command to the external system. The specific format of the photographer token is not limited to one that complies with ERC721, the Ethereum (registered trademark) standard, and may be any format as long as it is non-fungible and the transaction history is stored on the blockchain.

[0045] The transaction generation unit 6 has a function of generating transactions to be stored in blocks in the distributed ledger, and corresponds to an example of the information generation means in the claims. Specifically, the transaction generation unit 6 generates information including photographer preference information generated by the photographer preference information generation unit 4 (information generation unit 28) as the transaction content, in addition to information regarding a change in the name of the photographer token holder. More preferably, the transaction generation unit 6 may include image content information, shooting mode information, and utilization mode information regarding the target captured image in addition to the above information as the transaction content.

[0046] The digital signature generation unit 7 has a function of generating a digital signature, which is data that proves that the creation and output of information included in a transaction complies with the intentions of the photographer token holder. Specifically, the digital signature generation unit 7 has a function of generating a hash value of the transaction generated by the transaction generation unit 6 and encrypting the hash value with a private key held by the photographer token holder to generate a digital signature. A "hash value" is a fixed-length value obtained by applying a specific calculation procedure to the original data. Because the calculation procedure is irreversible, it is considered impossible to restore the original data from the hash value. A "private key" is a sequence of numbers used in the encryption process that can be decrypted using a corresponding "public key." In the first embodiment, the transaction generation unit 6 and the digital signature generation unit 7 are configured to generate transactions and digital signatures, which are a form of ownership change information, by themselves. However, this is not a limitation. The transaction generation unit 6 and the digital signature generation unit 7 may simply have a function of instructing an external device to generate transactions and digital signatures.

[0047] The output unit 8 instructs the distributed network associated with the photographer token to output the transaction generated by the transaction generation unit 6 and the electronic signature generated by the electronic signature generation unit 7. The output unit 8 functions as one aspect of the output instruction means in the claims. In this embodiment, the output unit 8 is configured to directly output the transaction and the electronic signature, but may also be configured to only instruct other components to output the transaction. In this embodiment, the output unit 8 is directly or indirectly connected to the distributed network and is configured to be able to output predetermined data to the distributed network. The distributed network generates a hash value of the output transaction and compares it with data obtained by decrypting the electronic signature using a public key (= the hash value of the transaction). If the two values ​​differ, the distributed network determines that the transaction is not legitimate and rejects registration. If the two values ​​match, the distributed network determines that the transaction is legitimate and stores the information composed of the transaction in a block constituting the distributed ledger. The transaction output by the output unit 8 includes information regarding a change in the holder's name. When the transaction is output to the distributed network, this information is stored in a block constituting the distributed ledger established on the distributed network.

[0048] The photographer preference information acquisition unit 9 accesses the corresponding distributed network to acquire the photographer preference information included in the transaction. Specifically, the photographer preference information acquisition unit 9 accesses the distributed ledger on the distributed network output from the output unit 8 and downloads the photographer preference information recorded in the distributed ledger to acquire the photographer preference information. The photographer preference information acquired by the photographer preference information acquisition unit 9 is provided to, for example, a business operator that provides web services on the Internet, and the business operator can use the information to develop new web services and products that suit the preferences described in the photographer preference information.

[0049] Next, advantages of the photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment will be described. The photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment is configured to generate photographer preference information, which is information about the preferences of the photographer who photographed and utilized the target photographed image, based on at least one or more pieces of information (preferably all of the information) selected from image content information related to the image content of the photographed image, photographing mode information related to the photographing mode at the time of photographing the photographed image, and utilization mode information related to the utilization mode of the photographed image. In today's world where photographing behavior using photographic equipment is widely practiced by the general public, the act of photographing itself expresses individuality, and the photographer's individuality is expressed in each situation, such as what to photograph, the scene to photograph, and how to utilize the image. The first embodiment has the advantage of being able to acquire highly accurate information about the photographer's preferences by performing an analysis in consideration of the characteristics of such photographing behavior. In particular, the photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment generates preference information based on the photographing content, photographing mode, and utilization mode, which are not generally the subject of behavioral analysis. Therefore, it has the advantage of preventing problems such as inaccurate information being generated due to the photographer intentionally behaving in an unusual manner.

[0050] Furthermore, the photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment records the generated photographer preference information in a block in the distributed ledger in a manner that includes the information in a transaction. By using blockchain technology, it is possible to prevent a third party from tampering with the recorded content, and therefore the photographing behavior analysis system according to the first embodiment has the advantage of being able to accurately record the generated photographer preference information.

[0051] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a photographing behavior analysis system according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, components with the same names and symbols as those in embodiment 1 will perform the same functions as those in embodiment 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0052] The photography behavior analysis system of embodiment 2 has the function of generating photographer preference information based on the analysis results of the photography content determination unit 1, the photography mode determination unit 2, and the utilization mode determination unit 3, as in embodiment 1, and also has the function of correcting photographer preference information generated in the past by correcting the content of the relationship information used to generate the photographer preference information based on reaction information, which is information including the content of the photographer's reaction to an approach from a third party to the photographer based on the generated photographer preference information, and generating more accurate photographer preference information by using the corrected relationship information when generating new photographer preference information.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, the photography behavior analysis system of this embodiment 2, in addition to having the same configuration as in embodiment 1, also includes an alert information generation unit 30 that generates alert information corresponding to the photographer preference information acquired by the photographer preference information acquisition unit 9, an information provision unit 31 that provides the generated alert information to the corresponding photographer, a reaction information acquisition unit 32 that acquires reaction information including information on whether or not the photographer who received the alert information responded and the content of the reaction if a response was made, and an information correction unit 33 that determines whether the photographer preference information is correct or not based on the content of the reaction information, and corrects the content of the photographer preference information and / or the corresponding relationship information if it is determined to be incorrect.

[0054] The warning information generator 30 generates warning information corresponding to the photographer's preference information. Warning information is a general term for information that warns the photographer. The content of the warning information is generated based on the photographer's preference information about the photographer and is intended to warn the photographer against uneconomical or economical behavior. For example, the warning information may introduce photography spots that match the preference information included in the warning information, or may encourage the photographer to purchase online services or products that match the preference information. More preferably, the warning information generator 30 generates, in addition to the warning information, prediction information about the likely reaction of the photographer receiving the warning information. Furthermore, the warning information may generate information that actively warns the photographer, as well as information that passively warns the photographer, i.e., information that elicits an indifferent reaction from the photographer.

[0055] The reaction information acquisition unit 32 is used to acquire reaction information, which is information regarding the reaction of the photographer who received the photographer preference information. The reaction information does not have any particular items or formats, and includes general information regarding the actions taken or not taken by the photographer in response to the warning information. For example, the reaction information may include a purchase order or other response to warning information encouraging the purchase of a service or product, or information regarding the photographer actually taking a new photograph at a photography spot in response to an introduction of that spot. Furthermore, the reaction information includes not only positive reactions, but also information regarding no reaction or hostile reactions.

[0056] The information correction unit 33 compares the provided warning information with the acquired reaction information to determine whether the photographer preference information, which was the basis for creating the warning information, is correct, and if an error is determined, corrects the photographer preference information and the corresponding relationship information. Specifically, the information correction unit 33 compares the reaction content expected from the original photographer preference information with the reaction information actually obtained from the photographer (including when no reaction information is returned), and determines that the photographer preference information is "correct" if the match or difference remains within an expected range. On the other hand, if the expected reaction content and the reaction information (including when no reaction information is returned) differ by more than a certain level, the information correction unit 33 determines that the photographer preference information, which was the basis for creating the warning information, contains an "error." If an error is determined, the information correction unit 33 corrects the content of the photographer preference information so that the warning information and the actually obtained reaction information are consistent with each other, and outputs the corrected photographer preference information to the transaction generation unit 6. The transaction generation unit 6 generates a transaction including the corrected photographer preference information and outputs it, along with a digital signature, to the distributed ledger corresponding to the photographer. The information correction unit 33 also corrects the relationship information used to generate the photographer preference information so that a similar error will not occur in the future. Specifically, the information correction unit 33 accesses the relationship information database 26 to detect the relationship information used to derive the photographer preference information determined to be erroneous, and corrects the preference content in the relationship information so that photographer preference information with correct content (i.e., as corrected by the information correction unit 33) will be generated in the future.

[0057] 3 is a flowchart showing the process of correcting photographer preference information in the photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment. First, the attention information generation unit 30 generates attention information based on the photographer preference information (step S201), and the information provision unit 31 provides the attention information to the photographer (step S202). Then, the reaction information acquisition unit 32 searches for information on the reaction (including no reaction) of the photographer to whom the attention information has been provided, and generates reaction information (step S203). The information correction unit 33 compares the photographer's predicted reaction derived from the photographer preference information with the photographer's reaction content included in the actually obtained reaction information (step S204). If the predicted reaction content and the actual reaction content match or the difference level is within an expected range (step S204, No), the processing of the photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment ends. If the difference level between the predicted reaction and the actual reaction content is outside the expected range (step S204, Yes), the information correction unit 33 corrects the photographer preference information so that the warning information and the actual reaction content are consistent (step S205). Furthermore, in order to prevent erroneous content when generating author preference information in the future, the information correction unit 33 accesses the relationship information database, extracts the relationship information that caused the error, and corrects the preference content of the relationship information (step S206).

[0058] Next, the advantages of the photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment will be described. The photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment has the advantage of being able to generate more accurate photographer preference information by adopting a configuration in which the correctness of the photographer preference information once generated is confirmed and the content of the photographer preference information is corrected if it is determined to be incorrect. In particular, the photographing behavior analysis system according to the second embodiment can handle general advertising information as part of warning information, so that it has the advantage of being able to determine the correctness of photographer preference information when a company or the like that has acquired photographer preference information provides information to advertise its own products or services and the response to that information differs from expected, without having to take the trouble of generating warning information specifically for testing.

[0059] The contents of the present invention have been described above in the first and second embodiments. However, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific configurations described in the embodiments. Various modifications and applications of the above embodiments also fall within the technical scope of the present invention as long as they can realize the functions of the present invention. For example, while the second embodiment is premised on the acquisition of photographer preference information by accessing transactions recorded in a distributed ledger, the photographer preference information generated by the photographer preference information generation unit 4 may be stored as is, and the stored information may be referenced when generating alert information. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] The present invention can be used as a technique for estimating the preferences of an image photographer by analyzing the behavior of the image photographer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Shooting content judgment section 2. Shooting mode determination section 3. Utilization mode determination unit 4. Photographer preference information generation unit 5. Token generation section 6 Transaction Generation Unit 7 Electronic signature generation section 8 Output section 9. Photographer preference information acquisition unit 11. Photographed image input section 12 Target identification part 13 Type determination section 14 Image content information generation unit 15. Shooting Location Determination Department 16. Shooting situation assessment unit 17. Filming Equipment Judgment Department 18. Shooting mode information generation unit 20 Image input section 21 Processing content judgment section 22 Output mode determination unit 23 Disclosure Range Determination Department 24. Utilization mode information generation unit 26 Relationship Information Database 27 Preference extraction part 28 Information generation section 30 Alert information generation unit 31 Information Provision Department 32 Reaction information acquisition unit 33 Information correction department

Claims

1. A photography behavior analysis system for analyzing photography behavior by a photographer, a photographic content determination means for identifying a photographic subject included in the photographed image as a photographic content of the image photographed by the photographer and determining the type of the photographic subject; a photographing mode determining means for determining, as a photographing mode at the time of photographing the photographed image, one or more of a type of location where the photographed image was taken, a type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and a type of photographing equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; a utilization mode determination means for determining, as utilization modes of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the following: whether or not the photographed image has been processed, and if so, the content of the processing; an output mode, which is information regarding the type of one or more of the medium / output area on which the photographed image has been output and the output device used to output the photographed image; and a disclosure range of the output photographed image; photographer preference information generating means for generating photographer preference information, which is information relating to the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image, based on the determination results of the photographing content analyzing means, the photographing mode determining means, and the utilization mode determining means; A photography behavior analysis system comprising:

2. an information generating means for generating information including the photographer preference information related to the photographer, the information being recorded in a distributed ledger on a distributed network corresponding to a non-fungible token that is in a corresponding relationship with the photographer; output instruction means for instructing the distributed network to output the information generated by the information generation means; 2. The photographing behavior analysis system according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. a photographer preference information acquisition means for acquiring the photographer preference information from information recorded in the distributed ledger; an information providing means for providing the photographer with alert information corresponding to the acquired photographer preference information; a reaction information acquisition means for acquiring reaction information including information on whether or not the photographer has reacted to the provided warning information and the content of the reaction if a reaction has occurred; an information correcting means for determining whether the photographer preference information is correct based on the acquired reaction information, and correcting the photographer preference information if it is determined to be incorrect; 3. The photographing behavior analysis system according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. A photography behavior analysis method for analyzing photography behavior by a photographer, comprising: a photographic content analysis step of identifying a photographic subject included in the photographed image as a photographic content of the image photographed by the photographer and determining a type of the photographic subject; a photographing mode determination step of determining, as a photographing mode at the time of photographing the photographed image, one or more of a type of a photographing location of the photographed image, a type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and a type of photographing equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; a utilization mode determination step for determining, as utilization modes of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the following: whether or not the photographed image has been processed, and if so, the content of the processing; an output mode, which is information regarding the type of one or more of the medium / output area on which the photographed image has been output and the output device used to output the photographed image; and a disclosure range of the output photographed image; a photographer preference information generating step of generating photographer preference information, which is information about the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image, based on the determination results of the photographing content analyzing step, the photographing mode determining step, and the utilization mode determining step; A photographing behavior analysis method comprising:

5. an information providing step of providing the photographer with attention-calling information corresponding to the photographer preference information; a reaction information acquisition step of acquiring reaction information including information on whether or not the photographer has reacted to the provided warning information and the content of the reaction if the photographer has reacted; an information correction step of determining whether the photographer preference information is correct or not based on the acquired reaction information, and correcting the photographer preference information if it is determined to be incorrect; 5. The photographing behavior analysis method according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. A photography behavior analysis program that causes a computer to analyze photography behavior by a photographer, to the computer, a photographic content analysis function for identifying a photographic subject included in the photographic image as the photographic content of the image photographed by the photographer and determining the type of the photographic subject; a photographing mode determination function that determines, as a photographing mode at the time of photographing the photographed image, one or more of a type of location where the photographed image was taken, a type of behavior of the photographer before and after the photographing, and a type of photographing equipment used by the photographer at the time of photographing; a utilization mode determination function that determines, as utilization modes of the photographed image by the photographer, one or more of the following: whether or not the photographed image has been processed, and if so, the content of the processing; an output mode, which is information regarding the type of one or more of the medium / output area on which the photographed image has been output and the output device used to output the photographed image; and a disclosure range of the output photographed image; a photographer preference information generation function that generates photographer preference information, which is information about the preferences of the photographer who took the photographed image, based on the determination results of the photographing content analysis function, the photographing mode determination function, and the utilization mode determination function; A photography behavior analysis program characterized by executing the above.

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