Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To flexibly change processing for reducing the capacity of data to be transmitted by an information terminal.SOLUTION: The management server 1 includes an acquisition unit 121 that acquires information indicating a transmission condition for transmitting data by a user terminal used by a user and information indicating a communication status of a communication resource used for transmitting the data, an identification unit 122 that identifies a program for reducing a volume of the data based on the transmission condition and the communication status, and a distribution unit 124 that distributes program execution information for executing the program to at least one of the user terminal that transmits the data by the communication resource and a communication device that transmits the data received from the user terminal by the communication resource.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for processing information relating to data transmitted by a user terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a system that switches the communication line used by an information terminal between a communication line via an artificial satellite and a communication line via a terrestrial base station based on positioning information indicating the position of the information terminal or the electric field strength of the radio waves emitted by the information terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-300061 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An information terminal may perform processing such as compression to reduce the volume of data to be transmitted. The volume and quality of data required may vary depending on various conditions, such as the communication line used by the information terminal, the location of the information terminal, and the purpose of the data. Conventionally, the processing for reducing the volume of data transmitted by an information terminal has been predetermined, and it has not been possible to change the processing depending on the conditions.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and has as its object to make it possible to flexibly change the process for reducing the amount of data transmitted by an information terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device of a first aspect of the present invention has an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating transmission conditions for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating the communication status of communication resources used to transmit the data, a selection unit that selects a program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of programs that reduce the capacity of the data, and a transmission unit that transmits the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program selected by the selection unit and program identification information indicating the program selected by the selection unit to a device that increases the capacity of the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information.

[0007] The information processing device may further include an execution unit that reduces the volume of the data by executing the program selected by the selection unit on the data.

[0008] The acquisition unit may acquire association information that associates each of the plurality of programs with a combination of each of the plurality of transmission conditions and each of the plurality of communication situations, and the selection unit may select the program associated with the transmission condition and the communication situation in the association information.

[0009] The transmission conditions may be conditions that specify at least one of the type of data, the purpose of the data, the volume of the data, the location where the data is transmitted, the number of user terminals transmitting the data, the communication speed for transmitting the data, and the communication quality when transmitting the data.

[0010] The communication status may include at least one of a congestion level of the communication resource and a communication speed of the communication resource.

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

[0018]

[0019] An information processing method of a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: executing, by a processor, acquiring information indicating transmission conditions for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating the communication status of communication resources used to transmit the data; selecting a program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of programs that reduce the capacity of the data; and transmitting the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program selected in the selecting step and program identification information indicating the program selected in the selecting step to a device that increases the capacity of the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information.

[0020] A third aspect of the program of the present invention causes a processor to execute the steps of acquiring information indicating the transmission conditions for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating the communication status of the communication resources used to transmit the data, selecting a program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of programs that reduce the capacity of the data, and transmitting the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program selected in the selecting step and program identification information indicating the program selected in the selecting step to a device that increases the capacity of the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly change the process for reducing the amount of data transmitted by an information terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which an acquisition unit acquires condition information and situation information. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which an identification unit identifies a program. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process in which an identification unit selects an execution subject. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a generating unit generates program execution information; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a user terminal, a relay device, and a receiving device execute a program. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method executed by the management server according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] [Outline of Information Processing System S] 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system S according to this embodiment. The information processing system S includes a management server 1, a user terminal 2, a relay device 3, and a receiving device 4. The information processing system S may also include other terminals, devices, etc. The management server 1, the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, and the receiving device 4 transmit and receive data via a network such as the Internet.

[0024] The management server 1 is a computer that processes information related to transmission data sent by the user terminal 2. The management server 1 executes processing to have the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, or the receiving device 4 execute a program (also called software or application) that reduces or increases the volume of transmission data. The management server 1 may be a single computer or multiple computers. The management server 1 may also be one or multiple virtual servers operating on a cloud, which is a collection of computer resources.

[0025] The user terminal 2 is a computer used by a user. The user terminal 2 is, for example, an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The user terminal 2 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display for displaying information and an operation unit such as a touch panel for receiving operations by the user. The user terminal 2 may also be a device such as a surveillance camera or a news camera that automatically transmits transmission data such as captured images according to preset conditions. The user terminal 2 may also include an imaging unit including an imaging element for capturing an image of a predetermined imaging range, an audio input unit including a microphone for inputting audio, etc.

[0026] The user is a person who transmits transmission data using the user terminal 2. In this case, for example, when the user terminal 2 transmits transmission data, the user performs an operation to cause the user terminal 2 to transmit the transmission data.

[0027] Furthermore, the user may be a person who sets in advance conditions (such as the transmission conditions described below) for transmitting transmission data to the user terminal 2. In this case, the user sets the conditions in advance for the user terminal 2 (such as a surveillance camera or a news gathering camera) without directly operating the user terminal 2 when the user terminal 2 transmits transmission data, for example.

[0028] The transmission data is data generated by the user terminal 2 or data acquired by the user terminal 2 from another device. The transmission data is, for example, data representing at least one of an image (still image or moving image), sound, and text. The user terminal 2 transmits the transmission data that the user wishes to transmit to the relay device 3 or the receiving device 4.

[0029] The relay device 3 (communication device) is a computer that relays transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2 and transmits it to the receiving device 4. The relay device 3, for example, receives the transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2 and transmits the received transmission data to the receiving device 4. The relay device 3 may perform predetermined processing on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2 and transmit the transmission data after the predetermined processing to the receiving device 4.

[0030] The receiving device 4 is a computer that receives transmission data sent by the user terminal 2. The receiving device 4 receives transmission data, for example, from the user terminal 2 directly or via the relay device 3, and stores the received transmission data in a predetermined storage unit. The storage unit that stores the transmission data may be a storage unit provided in the receiving device 4, or a storage device different from the receiving device 4. The receiving device 4 may perform predetermined processing on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3, and store the transmission data after the predetermined processing in the storage unit.

[0031] An overview of the processing executed by the information processing system S according to this embodiment will be described below. The management server 1 acquires information indicating transmission conditions for the user terminal 2 to transmit transmission data and information indicating the communication status of the communication resources used to transmit the transmission data. The transmission conditions are, for example, the type of transmission data and the location from which the transmission data is transmitted, which are specified by the user. The communication status is, for example, the congestion level or communication speed of the communication resources used by the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 to transmit the transmission data to the receiving device 4.

[0032] The management server 1 identifies a capacity reduction program that reduces the capacity of the transmission data based on the transmission conditions and communication status indicated by the acquired information. The management server 1 also identifies a capacity increase program that increases the capacity of the transmission data whose capacity has been reduced by the identified capacity reduction program.

[0033] The management server 1 distributes program execution information for executing the identified capacity reduction program to at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3. The management server 1 also distributes program execution information for executing the identified capacity increase program to the receiving device 4. The program execution information includes, for example, at least one of the program itself, an execution instruction for executing a program pre-stored in the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, or the receiving device 4, and a generation instruction for generating a program in the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, or the receiving device 4.

[0034] The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 executes a capacity reduction program based on the distributed program execution information to transmit the transmission data, the capacity of which has been reduced, to the receiving device 4. The receiving device 4 receives the transmission data from the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3, and stores the transmission data, the capacity of which has been increased by executing a capacity increase program based on the distributed program execution information, in a storage unit.

[0035] In this way, the information processing system S identifies a program for reducing or increasing the amount of transmission data based on the transmission conditions and communication status, and distributes information for executing the identified program to a device that transmits or receives the transmission data. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the process for reducing or increasing the amount of transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2.

[0036] [Configuration of Information Processing System S] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an information processing system S according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, arrows indicate main data flows, and data flows other than those shown in FIG. 2 may also exist. In FIG. 2, each block indicates a functional configuration rather than a hardware (device) configuration. Therefore, the blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be implemented separately in multiple devices. Data may be exchanged between blocks via any means, such as a data bus, a network, or a portable storage medium.

[0037] The management server 1 includes a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12. The storage unit 11 is a storage medium including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 11 stores in advance a program to be executed by the control unit 12.

[0038] The control unit 12 has an acquisition unit 121, an identification unit 122, a generation unit 123, and a distribution unit 124. The control unit 12 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and functions as the acquisition unit 121, the identification unit 122, the generation unit 123, and the distribution unit 124 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 11.

[0039] The following describes in detail the processing executed by the information processing system S. In the management server 1, the acquisition unit 121 acquires condition information indicating transmission conditions for the user terminal 2 used by the user to transmit transmission data, and status information indicating the communication status of the communication resources used to transmit the transmission data.

[0040] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of acquiring condition information and situation information by the acquisition unit 121. The user terminal 2, for example, accepts designation of transmission conditions from a user. The transmission conditions include, for example, at least one of the type of transmission data, the purpose of the transmission data, the capacity of the transmission data, the location from which the transmission data is transmitted, the number of user terminals 2 transmitting the transmission data, the communication speed for transmitting the transmission data, and the communication quality when transmitting the transmission data.

[0041] The type of transmission data is, for example, moving images, still images, sound, etc. The use of the transmission data is, for example, anomaly detection, art, commemoration, etc. The capacity of the transmission data is, for example, the value of the data capacity to be transmitted (X megabytes or more, Y megabytes or less, etc.). The location where the transmission data is transmitted is, for example, coordinates, address, region, etc. The number of user terminals 2 is, for example, the number of user terminals 2 that the user intends to use simultaneously to transmit the transmission data.

[0042] The communication speed for transmitting the transmission data is, for example, the range of communication speeds (high speed, low speed, etc.) of the communication resources used to transmit the transmission data. The communication quality when transmitting the transmission data is, for example, values ​​related to communication quality such as packet loss rate, delay, jitter, etc. The communication speed and communication quality may be specified, for example, by an upper limit value allowed by the user. The transmission conditions are not limited to the specific conditions shown here and may include other conditions related to data transmission.

[0043] The user specifies transmission conditions using the operation unit of the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 transmits condition information indicating the transmission conditions specified by the user to the management server 1. In the management server 1, the acquisition unit 121 receives the condition information from the user terminal and stores the received condition information in the storage unit 11.

[0044] The acquiring unit 121 acquires, from a predetermined device (such as a server of a telecommunications carrier), status information indicating the communication status of one or more communication resources available for the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 to transmit transmission data. The communication resources include, for example, a communication line for wireless communication via a base station installed on the ground, a communication line for wireless communication via an artificial satellite deployed in space, etc. The communication resources may also include a communication line for wired communication. The communication resources may also include multiple communication lines corresponding to multiple telecommunications carriers (such as MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators)) that provide communication services. The communication resources may also include multiple communication lines provided by the same telecommunications carrier that have different communication speeds or communication qualities.

[0045] The communication status includes at least one of the congestion level of one or more communication resources and the communication speed of the communication resources. The congestion level is an index (such as network occupancy rate) indicating the degree of congestion of a communication resource. The congestion level is expressed, for example, by an actual measurement or estimated value of the congestion level for each area (region, communication cell, etc.). The communication speed is the amount of data transmitted and received per unit time. The communication speed is expressed, for example, by an actual measurement or estimated value of the communication speed for each area (region, communication cell, etc.).

[0046] The acquisition unit 121 receives status information indicating the communication status of each of one or more communication resources from one or more devices, and stores the received status information in the storage unit 11.

[0047] The identifying unit 122 identifies a capacity reduction program that reduces the capacity of transmission data and a capacity increase program that increases the capacity of transmission data based on the condition information and situation information acquired by the acquiring unit 121.

[0048] 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process of identifying a program by the identification unit 122. The acquisition unit 121 acquires, for example, association information that is stored in advance in the storage unit 11 and that the identification unit 122 uses to identify a program.

[0049] The association information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of a plurality of capacity reduction programs with each of a plurality of capacity increase programs with each of a plurality of combinations of a plurality of transmission conditions and a plurality of communication situations. In other words, the association information is information that enables a capacity reduction program and a capacity increase program to be identified according to a combination of a specific transmission condition and a specific communication situation. The same capacity increase program may be associated with a combination of a plurality of transmission conditions and a plurality of communication situations. The same capacity reduction program may be associated with a combination of a plurality of transmission conditions and a plurality of communication situations. The association information is, for example, designated in advance by an administrator of the information processing system S and stored in the memory unit 11.

[0050] The capacity reduction program is a program that reduces the capacity of transmission data that a user desires to transmit through a predetermined process. The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of masking (excluding) a portion of the transmission data. In this case, the capacity reduction program masks a portion of the transmission data by inputting the transmission data into a machine learning model that is generated by a known machine learning process and that masks a portion of the transmission data. The portion of the transmission data that is masked may be, for example, an area in the image data that is relatively easy to complement (such as an area with high regularity), an area in the image data that is relatively unimportant (such as an area without people in it), or the like.

[0051] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of encoding transmission data into different types of data. The process of encoding transmission data into different types of data includes, for example, generating a character string describing the contents of image data from the image data, generating two-dimensional image data from three-dimensional point cloud data, etc. In this case, the capacity reduction program encodes the transmission data by inputting the transmission data into a machine learning model that is generated by a known machine learning process and that encodes the transmission data into different types of data.

[0052] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of performing lossless or lossy compression on the transmission data. In this case, the capacity reduction program compresses the transmission data, which may be image data or other types of data, using a known compression process.

[0053] The capacity reduction program is not limited to the specific processes shown here, and may include other processes for encoding the transmission data to reduce its capacity. The process for encoding the transmission data is a process for performing reversible encoding that allows the information in the original transmission data to be restored, or a process for performing irreversible encoding that does not allow the information in the original transmission data to be restored.

[0054] The capacity increasing program is a program that increases the capacity of transmission data whose capacity has been reduced by the capacity reducing program through a predetermined process. That is, the capacity increasing program includes a process of decoding the encoded transmission data in accordance with the process by which the capacity reducing program encoded the transmission data. One capacity increasing program may correspond to multiple capacity increasing programs.

[0055] For example, if the capacity reduction program includes a process for masking a portion of the transmission data, the capacity increase program includes a process for generating a masked portion of the transmission data. In this case, the capacity increase program generates a masked portion of the transmission data by inputting the transmission data into a machine learning model that is generated by a known machine learning process and that generates the masked portion from the masked transmission data, and combines the generated portion with the transmission data.

[0056] For example, when the capacity increase program includes a process of encoding transmission data into a different type of data, the capacity increase program also includes a process of decoding the transmission data encoded into the different type of data back into the original type of transmission data. In this case, the capacity increase program decodes the transmission data by inputting the transmission data into a machine learning model generated by a known machine learning process, the machine learning model decoding the transmission data encoded into the different type of data back into the original type of transmission data. Note that when the transmission data encoded into the different type of data is used as is (for example, when a description of the image data is used), the capacity increase program does not need to be executed.

[0057] For example, when the capacity increase program includes a process of performing lossless or lossy compression on the transmission data, it expands the losslessly or lossy compressed transmission data using a known expansion process corresponding to the compression process used on the transmission data.

[0058] The capacity increase program is not limited to the specific processes shown here, and may include other processes for decoding transmission data in accordance with the processes included in the capacity reduction program.

[0059] The specifying unit 122 selects a capacity reduction program and a capacity increase program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of capacity reduction programs and a plurality of capacity increase programs. For example, the specifying unit 122 selects a capacity reduction program and a capacity increase program associated with the transmission conditions indicated by the condition information acquired by the acquiring unit 121 and the communication status indicated by the status information acquired by the acquiring unit 121 in the association information acquired by the acquiring unit 121. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the program for reducing and increasing the capacity of transmission data in accordance with the transmission conditions specified by the user and the communication status of the communication resources.

[0060] The identifying unit 122 may also identify a capacity reduction program according to the communication capacity available to the user terminal 2. The available communication capacity is, for example, the remaining communication capacity out of the communication capacity (X gigabytes per month, etc.) determined in a contract between the user of the user terminal 2 and a telecommunications carrier that provides communication resources.

[0061] For example, the identification unit 122 identifies a first capacity reduction program when the available communication capacity is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and identifies a second capacity reduction program that reduces the capacity of transmission data compared to the first capacity reduction program when the available communication capacity is less than the threshold. This allows the information processing system S to identify a capacity reduction program that increases the capacity of transmission data when the communication capacity available to the user terminal 2 is large, and reduces the capacity of transmission data when the communication capacity available to the user terminal 2 is small.

[0062] Furthermore, the identifying unit 122 may identify a capacity reduction program according to the importance of the user terminal 2. The importance of the user terminal 2 is an index indicating which user terminal 2 should have priority in transmitting transmission data, and is specified in advance for each user terminal 2. The importance of the user terminal 2 is specified to be relatively high, for example, when the user terminal 2 is an information terminal intended for anomaly detection, and relatively low when the user terminal 2 is an information terminal intended for other purposes.

[0063] For example, the identification unit 122 identifies a first capacity reduction program when the importance is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and identifies a second capacity reduction program that reduces the capacity of transmission data compared to the first capacity reduction program when the importance is less than the threshold. This allows the information processing system S to identify a capacity reduction program that increases the capacity of transmission data (i.e., reduces degradation or loss of transmission data) when the user terminal 2 is important, and reduces the capacity of transmission data when the user terminal 2 is not important.

[0064] The specifying unit 122 selects at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 as an execution entity that executes the capacity reduction program. In this embodiment, the execution entity of the capacity increase program is the receiving device 4.

[0065] 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of selecting an execution entity by the identification unit 122. The identification unit 122 selects at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 as an execution entity that will execute the capacity reduction program, based on, for example, at least one of the transmission conditions indicated in the condition information acquired by the acquisition unit 121, the performance of the user terminal 2, and a request received from the user.

[0066] For example, the identification unit 122 selects the relay device 3 as the execution entity when the transmission conditions satisfy the use conditions of the relay device 3, and selects the user terminal 2 as the execution entity when the transmission conditions do not satisfy the use conditions. The use conditions of the relay device 3 are, for example, that the location where the transmission data is transmitted is within a predetermined range that includes the location of the relay device 3. This allows the information processing system S to select the execution entity according to the transmission conditions specified by the user.

[0067] The performance of the user terminal 2 is, for example, the specifications of the processor or memory included in the user terminal 2. For example, the identification unit 122 selects the user terminal 2 as the execution entity when the performance of the user terminal 2 satisfies a performance condition, and selects the relay device 3 as the execution entity when the performance of the user terminal 2 does not satisfy the performance condition. The performance condition is, for example, that the processor speed or memory capacity is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. This allows the information processing system S to switch the execution entity so that, for example, the user terminal 2 executes the program when the performance of the user terminal 2 is high, and the relay device 3 executes the program when the performance of the user terminal 2 is low.

[0068] The preference received from the user indicates, for example, whether the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 is desired to be used as the execution entity. The user terminal 2 receives the preference from the user in advance. For example, if the user desires to use the user terminal 2 as the execution entity, the identification unit 122 selects the user terminal 2 as the execution entity, and if the user desires to use the relay device 3 as the execution entity, the identification unit 122 selects the relay device 3 as the execution entity. This allows the information processing system S to reflect the user's preference in the selection of the execution entity.

[0069] When the capacity reduction program is composed of multiple programs, the identification unit 122 may select both the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 as the execution entities so as to execute the multiple programs that make up the capacity reduction program separately.

[0070] The identification unit 122 may identify a fee that the user will incur for transmitting transmission data according to the identified capacity reduction program and capacity increase program. Furthermore, the identification unit 122 may identify a fee that the user will incur for transmitting transmission data according to whether the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 is selected as the execution entity. The acquisition unit 121 acquires, for example, fee information that is stored in advance in the storage unit 11 and that the identification unit 122 uses to identify the fee. The fee information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of the multiple capacity reduction programs, each of the multiple capacity increase programs, an execution entity that is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3, and a fee.

[0071] For example, the identification unit 122 identifies the fees associated with the identified capacity reduction program and capacity increase program and whether the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 is selected as the execution entity in the fee information acquired by the acquisition unit 121. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the fees charged to the user for transmitting transmission data depending on the program related to the transmission of the transmission data and the execution entity.

[0072] The generation unit 123 generates program execution information for causing an execution subject to execute the capacity reduction program and the capacity increase program. Figures 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the process by which the generation unit 123 generates program execution information.

[0073] The generating unit 123 generates program execution information (also referred to as capacity reduction program execution information) for causing an execution subject, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 selected by the identifying unit 122, to execute the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122. The program execution information of the capacity reduction program includes any of the capacity reduction program itself, an execution instruction for the capacity reduction program, and a generation instruction for the capacity reduction program.

[0074] 6(a), the program execution information is information including a capacity reduction program identified by the identification unit 122. In the example of Fig. 6(b), the program execution information is information including an execution instruction that specifies a capacity reduction program identified by the identification unit 122 and that is pre-stored in a storage unit of an execution entity that is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3.

[0075] The generating unit 123 may generate different program execution information depending on whether the storage unit of the executing subject stores the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122. The acquiring unit 121, for example, acquires, from the executing subject, storage information indicating one or more capacity reduction programs stored in advance in the storage unit of the executing subject.

[0076] The generating unit 123 generates program execution information including the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122, based on the storage information acquired by the acquiring unit 121, on the condition that the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122 is not stored in the storage unit of the executing entity. On the other hand, the generating unit 123 generates program execution information including an execution instruction that specifies the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122, on the condition that the capacity reduction program identified by the identifying unit 122 is stored in the storage unit of the executing entity.

[0077] 6(c), the program execution information is information including a generation instruction for causing an execution subject, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3, to generate a capacity reduction program identified by the identification unit 122. The generation instruction is information that specifies the process to be executed by the capacity reduction program (for example, a compression process using lossless compression or lossy compression), and the capacity reduction program is generated by the execution subject in accordance with the generation instruction.

[0078] Similar to the program execution information of the capacity reduction program, the generation unit 123 generates program execution information (also referred to as capacity increase program execution information) for causing the execution entity, which is the receiving device 4, to execute the capacity increase program. The program execution information of the capacity increase program includes any one of the capacity increase program itself, an execution instruction for the capacity increase program, and an instruction for generating the capacity increase program.

[0079] The distribution unit 124 distributes the program execution information of the capacity reduction program generated by the generation unit 123 to an execution entity, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 selected by the identification unit 122. The distribution unit 124 distributes the program execution information of the capacity increase program generated by the generation unit 123 to an execution entity, which is the receiving device 4. The user terminal 2, the relay device 3, and the receiving device 4 each receive the program execution information from the management server 1, and store the received program execution information in a memory unit.

[0080] The distribution unit 124 may distribute program execution information including the capacity reduction program or capacity increase program identified by the identification unit 122, based on the above-mentioned storage information acquired by the acquisition unit 121, on the condition that the capacity reduction program or capacity increase program identified by the identification unit 122 is not stored in the storage unit of the execution entity. On the other hand, the distribution unit 124 may distribute program execution information including an execution instruction specifying the capacity reduction program or capacity increase program identified by the identification unit 122, on the condition that the capacity reduction program or capacity increase program identified by the identification unit 122 is stored in the storage unit of the execution entity. In this way, the information processing system S does not transmit the program itself if the program is already stored in the storage unit of the execution entity, thereby reducing the communication capacity required for transmitting the program execution information.

[0081] When the identification unit 122 identifies multiple candidate capacity reduction programs, the distribution unit 124 may accept a selection of one of the multiple candidate capacity reduction programs from the user. In this case, before distributing the program execution information, the distribution unit 124 distributes information for displaying the multiple capacity reduction programs identified by the identification unit 122 to the user terminal 2.

[0082] The user terminal 2 displays, on a display unit, information indicating the multiple capacity reduction program candidates identified by the identification unit 122 based on the information transmitted by the management server 1. The user terminal 2 accepts a selection of a capacity reduction program from the user among the multiple capacity reduction program candidates. The user terminal 2 transmits, to the management server 1, information indicating the capacity reduction program selected by the user.

[0083] In the management server 1, the acquisition unit 121 receives information indicating the capacity reduction program selected by the user, which information is transmitted from the user terminal 2. The generation unit 123 generates program execution information for executing the capacity reduction program selected by the user, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 121. The distribution unit 124 distributes the program execution information for executing the capacity reduction program selected by the user to an execution entity. As a result, when multiple capacity reduction programs are identified based on the transmission conditions and communication status, the information processing system S can cause the execution entity to execute any one of the capacity reduction programs selected by the user.

[0084] An execution entity, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3, executes a capacity reduction program on the transmission data to be sent based on the program execution information received from the management server 1. An execution entity, which is the receiving device 4, executes a capacity increase program on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 based on the program execution information received from the management server 1.

[0085] 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the process of executing a program by the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, and the receiving device 4. Fig. 7(a) shows a case where the user terminal 2 is the executing entity. Fig. 7(b) shows a case where the relay device 3 is the executing entity. Fig. 7(c) shows a case where the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 are the executing entities.

[0086] The execution entity, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3, acquires a capacity reduction program based on the program execution information received from the management server 1. If the program execution information includes the capacity reduction program itself, the execution entity acquires the capacity reduction program included in the program execution information. If the program execution information includes an instruction to execute the capacity reduction program, the execution entity acquires the capacity reduction program indicated by the execution instruction from among multiple capacity reduction programs pre-stored in the memory unit of the execution entity.

[0087] When the program execution information includes an instruction to generate a capacity-reducing program, the execution entity generates the capacity-reducing program indicated by the generation instruction. The execution entity generates a capacity-reducing program that executes the process specified by the generation instruction (for example, a specific lossless or lossy compression process) using, for example, a known program generation process (such as generation AI (Artificial Intelligence)).

[0088] The execution entity, which is the receiving device 4, acquires a capacity increase program based on the program execution information received from the management server 1. If the program execution information includes the capacity increase program itself, the execution entity acquires the capacity increase program included in the program execution information. If the program execution information includes an instruction to execute a capacity increase program, the execution entity acquires the capacity increase program indicated by the execution instruction from among multiple capacity increase programs pre-stored in the storage unit of the execution entity.

[0089] When the program execution information includes an instruction to generate a capacity increase program, the execution entity generates the capacity increase program indicated by the instruction. The execution entity generates a capacity increase program that executes the process specified by the instruction (for example, a specific lossless or lossy compression decompression process) using, for example, a known program generation process (such as a generation AI).

[0090] In the example of Fig. 7(a), the user terminal 2 executes a capacity reduction program on the transmission data to be transmitted, and transmits the transmission data, the capacity of which has been reduced by the capacity reduction program, to the receiving device 4. In the example of Fig. 7(b), the user terminal 2 transmits the transmission data to be transmitted to the relay device 3 without executing a capacity reduction program, and the relay device 3 executes a capacity reduction program on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2, and transmits the transmission data, the capacity of which has been reduced by the capacity reduction program, to the receiving device 4.

[0091] 7(c), in a situation where the capacity reduction program is made up of multiple programs, the user terminal 2 executes some of the multiple programs that make up the capacity reduction program on the transmission data to be transmitted, and transmits the executed transmission data to the relay device 3. The relay device 3 executes the remaining part of the multiple programs that make up the capacity reduction program on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2, and transmits the executed transmission data to the receiving device 4.

[0092] The receiving device 4 executes a capacity increase program for the transmission data received from the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3. This allows the information processing system S to dynamically cause the user terminal 2, the relay device 3, and the receiving device 4 to execute a program that reduces or increases the capacity of the transmission data specified based on the transmission conditions and communication status.

[0093] [Information processing method flow] 8 is a flowchart of an information processing method executed by the management server 1 according to this embodiment. The acquisition unit 121 acquires condition information indicating transmission conditions for the user terminal 2 used by the user to transmit transmission data, and status information indicating the communication status of the communication resources used to transmit the transmission data (S11).

[0094] The identifying unit 122 identifies a capacity reduction program that reduces the capacity of transmission data and a capacity increase program that increases the capacity of transmission data based on the condition information and situation information acquired by the acquiring unit 121 (S12).

[0095] The specifying unit 122 selects at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 as an execution entity that will execute the capacity reduction program (S13). The execution entity of the capacity increase program is the receiving device 4.

[0096] The generation unit 123 generates program execution information for causing an execution entity to execute the capacity reduction program and the capacity increase program (S14). The distribution unit 124 distributes the program execution information of the capacity reduction program generated by the generation unit 123 to the execution entity, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3 selected by the identification unit 122 (S15). In addition, the distribution unit 124 distributes the program execution information of the capacity increase program generated by the generation unit 123 to the execution entity, which is the receiving device 4.

[0097] An execution entity, which is at least one of the user terminal 2 and the relay device 3, executes a capacity reduction program on the transmission data to be sent based on the program execution information received from the management server 1. An execution entity, which is the receiving device 4, executes a capacity increase program on the received transmission data based on the program execution information received from the management server 1.

[0098] [Effects of the embodiment] In the information processing system S according to this embodiment, the management server 1 identifies a program for reducing or increasing the volume of transmission data based on the transmission conditions and communication status, and distributes information for executing the identified program to a device that transmits or receives the transmission data. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the process for reducing or increasing the volume of transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2.

[0099] <First Modification> In the above-described embodiment, a receiving device 4 different from the management server 1 executes the capacity increase program, whereas in this modification, the management server 1 executes the capacity increase program. The following mainly describes the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0100] In this modification, the distribution unit 124 does not distribute the program execution information of the capacity increasing program generated by the generation unit 123 to the receiving device 4. The control unit 12 of the management server 1 further includes an execution unit that executes the program.

[0101] In the management server 1, the execution unit acquires a capacity increase program based on the program execution information generated by the generation unit 123. When the program execution information includes the capacity increase program itself, the execution unit acquires the capacity increase program included in the program execution information. When the program execution information includes an execution instruction for the capacity increase program, the execution unit acquires the capacity increase program indicated by the execution instruction from among multiple capacity increase programs pre-stored in the storage unit 11.

[0102] When the program execution information includes an instruction to generate a capacity increase program, the execution unit generates the capacity increase program indicated by the instruction. The execution unit generates the capacity increase program by using, for example, a known program generation process (such as a generation AI) to execute the process specified by the generation instruction (for example, a specific lossless or lossy compression decompression process).

[0103] The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 transmits the transmission data, the capacity of which has been reduced by the capacity reduction program, to the management server 1. In the management server 1, the acquisition unit 121 receives the transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3. The execution unit executes the capacity increase program on the transmission data received from the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3. The distribution unit 124 transmits the transmission data, the capacity of which has been increased by the capacity increase program, to the receiving device 4. The receiving device 4 receives the transmission data transmitted by the management server 1 and stores the received transmission data in a storage unit.

[0104] According to the information processing system S of this modified example, the management server 1 executes a capacity increase program identified based on the transmission conditions and communication status, and transmits the transmission data after the capacity increase program has been executed to the receiving device 4, thereby reducing the processing load executed by the receiving device 4.

[0105] <Second Modification> In the above embodiment, the management server 1 identifies the capacity reduction program, but in this modification, the capacity reduction program is executed by the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3. The following mainly describes the differences from the above embodiment.

[0106] The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 acquires the condition information and the status information in the same manner as the acquiring unit 121. The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 identifies a capacity reduction program for reducing the capacity of the transmission data based on the acquired condition information and status information in the same manner as the identifying unit 122. The capacity increase program is identified by the management server 1 as described below, and is therefore not identified by the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3.

[0107] The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 acquires, for example, association information pre-stored in a storage unit of the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3. From among the multiple capacity reduction programs pre-stored in the storage unit, the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 selects a capacity reduction program that is associated in the association information with the transmission condition indicated by the condition information and the communication status indicated by the status information.

[0108] The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 executes the identified capacity reduction program on the transmission data to be transmitted. The user terminal 2 or the relay device 3 transmits to the management server 1 program identification information indicating the capacity reduction program identified based on the transmission conditions and communication status, and the transmission data whose capacity has been reduced by the capacity reduction program. The program identification information is, for example, information indicating the processing executed by the capacity reduction program (for example, a specific lossless or lossy compression processing).

[0109] In the management server 1, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the program identification information transmitted by the user terminal 2 or the relay device 3, and the transmission data whose size has been reduced by the size reduction program.

[0110] The identifying unit 122 identifies a capacity increasing program that increases the capacity of transmission data whose capacity has been reduced by the capacity reducing program indicated by the program identifying information acquired by the acquiring unit 121. The identifying unit 122 selects, for example, from among a plurality of capacity increasing programs pre-stored in the storage unit 11, any one of the capacity increasing programs that executes a process (for example, a process of decompressing lossless compression or lossy compression) corresponding to the capacity reducing program indicated by the program identifying information.

[0111] When a capacity increasing program that executes processing corresponding to the capacity reducing program indicated by the program identification information is not pre-stored in the storage unit 11, the generation unit 123 generates the capacity increasing program. The generation unit 123 generates a capacity increasing program that executes processing corresponding to the capacity reducing program indicated by the program identification information (for example, a specific lossless compression or lossy compression expansion process) using, for example, a known program generation process (such as a generation AI).

[0112] The control unit 12 of the management server 1 further includes an execution unit that executes a program. The execution unit executes the capacity increase program identified by the identification unit 122 or generated by the generation unit 123 on the transmission data acquired by the acquisition unit 121.

[0113] The distribution unit 124 transmits the transmission data, the capacity of which has been increased by the capacity increasing program, to the receiving device 4. The receiving device 4 receives the transmission data transmitted by the management server 1, and stores the received transmission data in a storage unit.

[0114] According to the information processing system S of this modification, the management server 1 identifies a capacity increase program corresponding to a capacity reduction program that the user terminal 2 has executed on the transmission data, and executes the identified capacity increase program to increase the capacity of the transmission data transmitted by the user terminal 2. This allows the information processing system S to dynamically identify and execute a capacity increase program corresponding to the capacity reduction program that the user terminal 2 has applied to the transmission data.

[0115] Furthermore, this invention will make it possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and promote innovation and resilience."

[0116] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] S Information Processing System 1 Management Server 11 Storage section 12 Control Unit 121 Acquisition Department 122 Specific part 123 Generation part 124 Distribution Department 2. User terminal 3. Relay Device 4. Receiving device

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a transmission condition for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating a communication status of a communication resource used to transmit the data; a selection unit that selects a program corresponding to the transmission condition and the communication situation from among a plurality of programs that reduce the data volume; a transmitting unit that transmits the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program selected by the selecting unit and program identification information indicating the program selected by the selecting unit to a device that increases the capacity of the data whose capacity has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information; An information processing device having the above.

2. further comprising an execution unit that executes the program selected by the selection unit on the data to reduce the volume of the data; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the acquisition unit acquires association information that associates each of the plurality of programs with a combination of each of the plurality of transmission conditions and each of the plurality of communication situations; the selection unit selects the program associated with the transmission condition and the communication status in the association information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. The transmission condition is a condition that specifies at least one of the type of the data, the purpose of the data, the volume of the data, the location where the data is transmitted, the number of the user terminals that transmit the data, the communication speed for transmitting the data, and the communication quality when transmitting the data.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. the communication status includes at least one of a congestion level of the communication resource and a communication speed of the communication resource; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

6. The processor executes acquiring information indicating a transmission condition for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating a communication status of a communication resource used for transmitting the data; selecting a program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of programs for reducing the data volume; a step of transmitting the data whose volume has been reduced by the program selected in the selecting step and program identification information indicating the program selected in the selecting step to a device that increases the volume of the data whose volume has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information; An information processing method comprising:

7. The processor acquiring information indicating a transmission condition for a user terminal used by a user to transmit data and information indicating a communication status of a communication resource used for transmitting the data; selecting a program corresponding to the transmission conditions and the communication status from among a plurality of programs for reducing the data volume; a step of transmitting the data whose volume has been reduced by the program selected in the selecting step and program identification information indicating the program selected in the selecting step to a device that increases the volume of the data whose volume has been reduced by the program indicated by the program identification information; A program that executes.

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