Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To enable an information terminal to flexibly change processing for transmitting data by a communication resource after reducing the capacity of the data.SOLUTION: A transmission device 1 includes an identification unit 122 for identifying importance of each of a plurality of pieces of partial data constituting data to be transmitted; The communication apparatus includes a selection unit 123 which selects one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data and one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the partial data, and a transmission unit 125 which transmits each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity by using the capacity reduction method selected for the partial data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing method for transmitting data using communication resources. [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 reduce the volume of data to be transmitted by compressing it or the like before transmitting it to an external device using communication resources. Since data may contain important and unimportant parts, the required quality and reliability may differ for each part of the data. Conventionally, in information terminals, the process of reducing the volume of data before transmitting it using communication resources was predetermined, and it was not possible to change the process for each part of the data.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and has as its object to enable an information terminal to flexibly change the processing to be transmitted using communication resources after reducing the data volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device of a first aspect of the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives a plurality of partial data constituting data to be transmitted by a transmitting device, a selecting unit that selects a capacity increasing method that increases a capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit, the capacity increasing method corresponding to a capacity reduction method applied by the transmitting device to the plurality of partial data, and a data processing unit that increases a capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit using the capacity increasing method selected for the plurality of partial data, The data processing unit is characterized in that, when the receiving unit does not receive some of the partial data among the plurality of partial data within a predetermined period, it generates data corresponding to the part of the partial data based on partial data that is different from the part of the partial data, and when the receiving unit receives the part of the partial data after generating the data, it uses the part of the partial data received by the receiving unit instead of the generated data.

[0007] The data to be transmitted may be image data, and the plurality of partial data may be data of different areas within a display area when the image data is displayed, or data of different colors that constitute the image data.

[0008] The transmission target data may be data indicating information that changes along a time axis, and the plurality of partial data may be data indicating information for different periods within the transmission target data.

[0009] The plurality of partial data may be generated by dividing the data to be transmitted into a number corresponding to the number of communication resources used by the transmitting device to transmit the data.

[0010] An information processing method of a second aspect of the present invention includes the steps of receiving a plurality of partial data constituting data to be transmitted and transmitted by a transmitting device, executed by a processor; selecting a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received in the receiving step, corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied by the transmitting device to the plurality of partial data; increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received in the receiving step using the capacity increase method selected for the plurality of partial data; if some of the plurality of partial data are not received within a predetermined period in the receiving step, generating data corresponding to the some of the partial data based on partial data different from the some of the partial data; and if the some of the partial data are received after generating the data, using the received some of the partial data instead of the generated data.

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[0019] [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, an information terminal can reduce the amount of data and then flexibly change the processing to be performed using communication resources. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [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] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a receiving unit receives a transmission condition. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a specifying unit divides data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which an identification unit identifies a level of importance. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a selection unit selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a process in which a transmitting unit transmits partial data. [Figure 8] 2 is a sequence diagram of an information processing method executed by an information processing system S according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] [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 transmitting device 1 and a receiving device 2. The information processing system S may also include other terminals, devices, etc. The transmitting device 1 and the receiving device 2 transmit and receive data via a network such as the Internet.

[0023] The transmitting device 1 is a computer (information processing device) that processes information about data that a user wishes to transmit. A user is a person who wishes to transmit data. The data to be transmitted is data generated by the transmitting device 1 or data acquired by the transmitting device 1 from another device. The data to be transmitted is, for example, data representing at least one of an image (still image or moving image), sound, and text.

[0024] The transmitting device 1 executes a program to reduce the data volume and executes a process to transmit the reduced-volume data to the receiving device 2. The transmitting device 1 may be a single computer or multiple computers. The transmitting device 1 may also be one or multiple virtual servers operating on a cloud, which is a collection of computer resources.

[0025] The transmitting device 1 is a user terminal, which is a computer used by a user, or a relay device (communication device), which is a computer that relays data transmitted by the user terminal and transmits it to the receiving device 2.

[0026] The user terminal is, for example, an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The user terminal 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 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. The user terminal transmits data to the receiving device 2 directly or via a relay device.

[0027] The relay device is an information processing device such as a server that relays data transmitted by a user terminal and transmits the data to the receiving device 2. The relay device, for example, receives data transmitted by the user terminal and transmits the received data to the receiving device 2. The relay device may perform predetermined processing on the data received from the user terminal and transmit the data after the predetermined processing to the receiving device 2.

[0028] The receiving device 2 is a computer (information processing device) that receives the data transmitted by the transmitting device 1. The receiving device 2 receives data from the transmitting device 1, for example, and stores the received data in a predetermined storage unit. The storage unit in which the data is stored may be a storage unit included in the receiving device 2, or a storage device different from the receiving device 2. The receiving device 2 may perform predetermined processing on the data received from the transmitting device 1, and store the data after the predetermined processing in the storage unit.

[0029] An overview of the processing executed by the information processing system S according to this embodiment will be described below. The transmitting device 1 identifies the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted, which is data to be transmitted. The partial data is a portion of the data to be transmitted. The partial data is, for example, data in different areas or data of different colors in the data to be transmitted, which is image data. The importance is an index indicating the importance of each of the plurality of partial data.

[0030] For each of the plurality of partial data, the transmitting device 1 selects one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data based on the importance of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources to be used for transmitting the partial data.

[0031] The multiple capacity reduction methods include, for example, a process of masking (removing) part of the data, or a process of performing lossless or lossy compression on the data, etc. The multiple communication resources include, for example, multiple communication lines for performing wireless or wired communication via different types of communication facilities, multiple communication services provided by different communication carriers, etc.

[0032] The transmitting device 1 reduces the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data using the capacity reduction method selected for that partial data, and then transmits the partial data using the communication resource selected for that partial data.

[0033] In this way, the information processing system S selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources based on the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted, and applies the selected capacity reduction method and communication resources to the partial data. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the process in which the transmitting device 1 reduces the capacity of the data to be transmitted and then transmits it using the communication resources.

[0034] [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.

[0035] The transmission device 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.

[0036] The control unit 12 has a reception unit 121, an identification unit 122, a selection unit 123, a data processing unit 124, and a transmission unit 125. The control unit 12 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and functions as the reception unit 121, the identification unit 122, the selection unit 123, the data processing unit 124, and the transmission unit 125 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 11.

[0037] The receiving device 2 includes a storage unit 21 and a control unit 22. The storage unit 21 is a storage medium including a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 21 stores in advance a program to be executed by the control unit 22.

[0038] The control unit 22 includes a receiving unit 221, a selecting unit 222, and a data processing unit 223. The control unit 22 is a processor such as a CPU, and functions as the receiving unit 221, the selecting unit 222, and the data processing unit 223 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 21.

[0039] The following describes in detail the processing executed by the information processing system S. Before transmission of the transmission target data is performed, the receiving unit 121 in the transmission device 1 receives, from the user, a transmission condition for transmitting the transmission target data.

[0040] 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of receiving transmission conditions by the receiving unit 121. The transmitting device 1, which is a user terminal, receives a specification of transmission conditions for transmitting data to be transmitted from a user. The transmission conditions include, for example, at least one of the immediacy required for transmitting the data to be transmitted and the accuracy required for the data to be transmitted.

[0041] The immediacy is, for example, an index indicating how quickly the data to be transmitted reaches the receiving device 2. The immediacy is, for example, expressed by a range of numerical values ​​or by letters such as "high," "medium," or "low." The immediacy is set high, for example, when the user desires the data to be transmitted to reach the receiving device 2 quickly, and is set low when the user does not desire the data to be transmitted to reach the receiving device 2 quickly.

[0042] The accuracy is an index indicating the degree of accuracy of the data to be transmitted received by the receiving device 2. The accuracy is expressed, for example, by a range of numerical values ​​or by letters such as "high," "medium," or "low." The accuracy is set high, for example, when the user desires the data to be transmitted to be accurate, and is set low when the user does not desire the data to be transmitted to be accurate. 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 an operation unit of the user terminal, that is, the transmission device 1. The reception unit 121 receives the transmission conditions specified by the user, and stores information indicating the received transmission conditions in the storage unit 11.

[0044] When transmitting data to be transmitted, the specifying unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted. The transmission of the data to be transmitted is initiated when a predetermined initiation condition is satisfied, for example, when the user designates data to be transmitted or when new data to be transmitted is stored in the transmitting device 1.

[0045] 4(a), 4(b), and 4(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining the process of dividing the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data by the identification unit 122. The identification unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data in accordance with a predetermined rule stored in advance in the storage unit 11.

[0046] In the example of Fig. 4(a), the identification unit 122 divides the transmission target data, which is image data, into partial data of multiple different regions within a display region when the image data is displayed. The multiple regions (coordinate ranges, etc.) corresponding to the multiple partial data are designated in advance by, for example, a user. Alternatively, the multiple regions corresponding to the multiple partial data may be determined by inputting the transmission target data into a machine learning model, which will be described later.

[0047] 4(b), the specifying unit 122 divides the transmission target data, which is image data, into partial data of multiple different colors that constitute the image data. The multiple colors corresponding to the multiple partial data include predetermined colors such as red, green, and blue.

[0048] 4(c), the specifying unit 122 divides the transmission target data, which is sound data, into partial data of a plurality of different frequency bands. The plurality of frequency bands (audible range, inaudible range, etc.) corresponding to the plurality of partial data are designated in advance by, for example, the user.

[0049] The identification unit 122 is not limited to the specific method shown here, and may divide the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data using other methods according to the type of data to be transmitted (image, sound, text, etc.).

[0050] When the data to be transmitted is video data (i.e., data indicating information that changes along a time axis), the identification unit 122 may divide the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data pieces based on information along the time axis of the data to be transmitted. In this case, the identification unit 122, for example, identifies a score for each time (frame, etc.) of the data to be transmitted, which is video data. The identification unit 122 identifies the score for each time of the data to be transmitted, for example, by inputting the data to be transmitted for each time into a machine learning model that has been generated by a known machine learning process to output a score that is an index indicating the importance of an image. The identification unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data pieces that indicate information for different periods along the time axis by concatenating consecutive frames of the data to be transmitted whose identified scores are close to each other (for example, the scores of the preceding and following frames are within a predetermined value or percentage range).

[0051] This allows the information processing system S to transmit the data to be transmitted in a manner appropriate for each portion along the time axis, for example, by compressing the portion of a video image captured by a surveillance camera where an abnormality may have occurred and transmitting it using less congested communication resources, and compressing the portion that remains unchanged and transmitting it using more congested communication resources.

[0052] Furthermore, when the data to be transmitted is sound data, the determination unit 122 may determine the score of the data to be transmitted at each time, and divide the data to be transmitted into multiple partial data representing information for different periods along the time axis based on the determined score, just as when the data to be transmitted is video data.

[0053] The number of pieces of partial data into which the specification unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted (the number of pieces of partial data) is, for example, specified in advance by a user. Furthermore, the number of pieces of partial data into which the specification unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted may be a number corresponding to the number of one or more communication resources available for the transmitting device 1 to transmit the data to be transmitted. In this case, the specification unit 122 obtains, for example, the number of one or more communication resources stored in advance in the storage unit 11, and divides the data to be transmitted into a number of pieces of partial data up to the number of one or more communication resources. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the number of pieces of partial data into which the data to be transmitted is divided, depending on the number of one or more communication resources available for transmitting the data to be transmitted.

[0054] When the number of divisions of the data to be transmitted by the identification unit 122 is 1, the identification unit 122 may not divide the data to be transmitted, but may treat the entire data to be transmitted as one partial data. In this case, the identification unit 122, the selection unit 123, and the data processing unit 124 perform the following processes on one partial data.

[0055] The identification unit 122 identifies the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of the identification unit 122 identifying the importance. The importance is an index indicating the importance of each of the plurality of partial data. For example, the more important the partial data, the higher the importance value, and the less important the partial data, the lower the importance value. Furthermore, the importance may be one of a plurality of characters corresponding to the level of importance, such as "high," "medium," or "low."

[0056] The identification unit 122 may, for example, identify the importance level designated by the user for each of the plurality of partial data. In this case, the user designates the importance level for each of the plurality of partial data using an operation unit of the transmission device 1, which is a user terminal. The reception unit 121 receives the importance level designated by the user and stores information indicating the received importance level in the storage unit 11.

[0057] The identification unit 122 may determine the importance of partial data using a machine learning model. In this case, the identification unit 122 acquires, for example, a machine learning model for determining the importance of partial data that is stored in advance in the storage unit 11. The machine learning model is generated, for example, by executing a known machine learning process on training data including combinations of data and importance, so as to output the importance of data when data is input. The identification unit 122 inputs each of the multiple partial data into the machine learning model, thereby identifying the importance of the partial data.

[0058] The identification unit 122 may simultaneously divide the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data sets and identify the importance of each of the plurality of partial data sets. In this case, the machine learning model is generated by, for example, executing a known machine learning process on training data including a combination of data, a data division pattern, and an importance of each of the plurality of partial data sets, so that when data is input, the model outputs a plurality of partial data sets constituting the data and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data sets. The identification unit 122 inputs the data to be transmitted into the machine learning model, thereby identifying the plurality of partial data sets constituting the data to be transmitted and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data sets.

[0059] The selection unit 123 selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of the plurality of capacity reduction methods and one of the plurality of communication resources based on the importance of the partial data identified by the identification unit 122 and the transmission conditions accepted by the acceptance unit 121.

[0060] 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of selecting a capacity reduction method and a communication resource by the selector 123. The capacity reduction method is a method of reducing the capacity of partial data by a predetermined process. The capacity reduction method is executed by, for example, a capacity reduction program (also called software or application) stored in advance in the storage unit 11.

[0061] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of masking (excluding) a portion of the partial data. In this case, the capacity reduction program masks a portion of the partial data by inputting the partial data into a machine learning model that is generated by a known machine learning process and that masks a portion of the partial data. The portion of the partial 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 a person in it), or the like.

[0062] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of encoding partial data into different types of data. The process of encoding partial 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 partial data by inputting the partial data into a machine learning model that is generated by a known machine learning process and that encodes the partial data into different types of data.

[0063] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of performing lossless or lossy compression on the partial data. In this case, the capacity reduction program compresses the partial data, which may be image data or other types of data, using a known compression process.

[0064] The plurality of capacity reduction programs corresponding to the plurality of capacity reduction methods may include a plurality of processes of the same type but with different degrees of capacity reduction of the partial data. In this case, the plurality of capacity reduction programs may include, for example, a plurality of processes for masking areas of different areas in the partial data. The plurality of capacity reduction programs may include, for example, a plurality of processes for lossless compression or lossy compression of the partial data at different compression rates.

[0065] The capacity reduction program is not limited to the specific processes shown here, and may include other processes for encoding the partial data so that the capacity of the partial data becomes smaller. The process for encoding the partial data is a process for performing reversible encoding that allows the information of the original partial data to be restored, or a process for performing irreversible encoding that does not allow the information of the original partial data to be restored.

[0066] The communication resources are resources that the transmitting device 1 can use to transmit partial data. The multiple 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 multiple communication resources may also include multiple communication lines corresponding to multiple communication operators (such as MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) and MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators)) that provide communication services. The multiple communication resources may also include multiple communication lines provided by the same communication operator that have different communication speeds or communication qualities.

[0067] The selection unit 123 acquires, for example, information indicating a plurality of capacity reduction methods that can be used by the transmitting device 1 and information indicating a plurality of communication resources that can be used by the transmitting device 1, which are stored in advance in the storage unit 11.

[0068] The selection unit 123 may acquire, 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 transmitting device 1 to transmit partial data. The communication status includes at least one of the congestion level of each of the one or more communication resources and the communication speed of the communication resource. The congestion level is an index (such as a network occupancy rate) indicating the degree to which a communication resource is congested. The congestion level is represented, for example, by an actual measurement or estimated value of the congestion level for each area (such as a region or communication cell). The communication speed is the amount of data transmitted and received per unit time. The communication speed is represented, for example, by an actual measurement or estimated value of the communication speed for each area (such as a region or communication cell).

[0069] The selector 123 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources according to the importance and transmission conditions for each of the plurality of partial data in accordance with a predetermined rule stored in the storage unit 11 in advance.

[0070] For example, for partial data for which a first importance level has been identified, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method that reduces the capacity to a lesser extent than partial data for which a second importance level, which is lower than the first importance level, has been identified. That is, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method such that the higher the importance level, the lower the capacity reduction level, and the lower the importance level, the greater the capacity reduction level. This allows the information processing system S to prevent a large reduction in the capacity of important partial data, thereby suppressing quality degradation.

[0071] For example, for partial data for which a first importance level has been identified, the selection unit 123 selects a communication resource having a faster communication speed than partial data for which a second importance level lower than the first importance level has been identified. That is, the selection unit 123 selects a communication resource such that the higher the importance level, the higher the communication speed, and the lower the importance level, the lower the communication speed. This enables the information processing system S to increase the communication speed for important partial data, allowing it to arrive at the receiving device 2 more quickly.

[0072] The selection unit 123 may select different importance levels and communication resources according to the transmission conditions specified by the user. For example, the selection unit 123 selects communication resources such that the communication speed increases as the immediacy indicated by the transmission conditions increases, and the communication speed decreases as the immediacy indicated by the transmission conditions decreases. Furthermore, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method such that the degree of capacity reduction decreases as the accuracy indicated by the transmission conditions increases, and the degree of capacity reduction increases as the accuracy indicated by the transmission conditions decreases. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the capacity reduction method and communication resources according to the transmission conditions specified by the user.

[0073] The selection unit 123 may select a capacity reduction method and a communication resource by using association information stored in advance in the storage unit 11. The selection unit 123 acquires, for example, from the storage unit 11, the association information used to select a capacity reduction method and a communication resource.

[0074] The association information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of a plurality of capacity reduction methods, each of a plurality of communication resources, and each of a plurality of combinations of importance and a plurality of transmission conditions. In other words, the association information is information that enables a capacity reduction method and a communication resource to be selected according to a combination of a specific importance and a specific transmission condition. The same capacity reduction method may be associated with a combination of a plurality of importance and a plurality of transmission conditions. The same communication resource may be associated with a combination of a plurality of importance and a plurality of transmission conditions. 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.

[0075] For example, the selection unit 123 selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, a capacity reduction method and a communication resource associated with the importance identified by the identification unit 122 and the transmission condition accepted by the acceptance unit 121 in the acquired association information. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the capacity reduction method and the communication resource to be applied to the partial data in accordance with the importance of the partial data and the transmission condition specified by the user.

[0076] The selection unit 123 may select a capacity reduction method and communication resources based on the communication status in addition to the importance and transmission conditions. In this case, the selection unit 123 selects, for example, a capacity reduction method and communication resources associated with the importance identified by the identification unit 122, the transmission conditions accepted by the acceptance unit 121, and the communication status indicated by the acquired status information in the acquired association information. This makes it possible to flexibly change the capacity reduction method and communication resources to be applied to partial data in accordance with the communication status of the communication resources in addition to the importance and transmission conditions.

[0077] The determination unit 122 may determine a fee that the user will incur for transmitting the data to be transmitted, depending on the capacity reduction method and communication resource selected by the selection unit 123. The determination unit 122 acquires, for example, fee information used to determine the fee, which is stored in advance in the storage unit 11. The fee information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of a plurality of capacity reduction methods with each of a plurality of communication resources and a fee.

[0078] For example, the identifying unit 122 identifies, from the acquired fee information, the fee associated with the capacity reduction method and communication resource selected by the selecting unit 123. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the fee charged to the user for transmitting data to be transmitted, depending on the capacity reduction method and communication resource applied to the data to be transmitted.

[0079] The data processing unit 124 reduces the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for that partial data. For example, the data processing unit 124 acquires a capacity reduction program corresponding to the capacity reduction method selected by the selection unit 123 from among a plurality of capacity reduction programs pre-stored in the storage unit 11. The data processing unit 124 reduces the capacity of the partial data by executing the acquired capacity reduction program on the partial data.

[0080] The transmitting unit 125 transmits each of the plurality of partial data whose capacity has been reduced by the data processing unit 124 to the receiving device 2. When the transmitting device 1 is a user terminal, the user terminal transmits the partial data directly to the receiving device 2 or transmits the partial data via a relay device. When the transmitting device 1 is a relay device, the relay device receives the partial data transmitted by the user terminal and transmits the received partial data to the receiving device 2.

[0081] 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of transmitting partial data by the transmitting unit 125. The transmitting unit 125 transmits each of the plurality of partial data whose capacity has been reduced by the data processing unit 124, together with method specifying information indicating the capacity reduction method applied to the partial data, to the receiving device 2 by using the communication resource selected for the partial data. The method specifying information is, for example, information indicating the processing included in the capacity reduction method (for example, a specific lossless or lossy compression processing).

[0082] In the receiving device 2, the receiving unit 221 receives the plurality of partial data and the method identification information transmitted by the transmitting device 1. The selecting unit 222 identifies the capacity reduction method applied to each of the plurality of partial data, which is indicated by the method identification information received by the receiving unit 221.

[0083] The selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data items received by the reception unit 221, corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied to each of the plurality of partial data items received by the reception unit 221. For example, when the capacity reduction method is a process of masking a portion of the partial data item, the selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method including a process of generating a masked portion of the partial data item using a known generation process (such as generation AI (Artificial Intelligence)). For example, when the capacity reduction method is a compression process using a specific lossless or lossy compression method, the selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method including a decompression process of decompressing the data that has been subjected to the compression process.

[0084] For example, the data processing unit 223 acquires, for each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit 221, a capacity increase program corresponding to the capacity increase method selected by the selecting unit 222 from among a plurality of capacity increase programs pre-stored in the storage unit 21. The data processing unit 223 increases the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit 221 by executing the acquired capacity increase program. The data processing unit 223 generates integrated data by combining the plurality of partial data whose capacities have been increased, and stores the generated integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device.

[0085] As a result, the information processing system S can increase the capacity of the partial data to which the capacity reduction method selected based on the importance of the partial data and the transmission conditions specified by the user has been applied, and provide it to the user as a single integrated data.

[0086] If receiving unit 221 does not receive some of the multiple partial data constituting the data to be transmitted within a predetermined period of time, data processing unit 223 may generate generated data corresponding to the partial data based on partial data different from the multiple partial data. The predetermined period is, for example, a predetermined length of time (1 minute, 10 minutes, etc.) after receiving unit 221 receives the first of the multiple partial data. In this case, data processing unit 223 generates generated data corresponding to the one or more partial data that receiving unit 221 did not receive, for example, by executing a known generation process (generation AI, etc.) on one or more partial data that receiving unit 221 received from the multiple partial data constituting the data to be transmitted.

[0087] The data processing unit 223 generates integrated data by combining one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 (one or more partial data whose capacity has been increased by the above-mentioned capacity increasing method) with generated data corresponding to one or more partial data that the receiving unit 221 did not receive, and stores the generated integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device. In this way, even if the receiving device 2 is unable to receive some of the multiple partial data, the information processing system S can provide the user with integrated data that supplements the some partial data.

[0088] In addition, after generating generated data corresponding to some of the partial data that the receiving unit 221 did not receive among the multiple partial data, if the receiving unit 221 receives the part of the partial data, the data processing unit 223 may regenerate the integrated data using the part of the partial data that the receiving unit 221 received instead of the generated data.

[0089] In this case, the data processing unit 223 generates integrated data by combining one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 before generating the generated data with one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 after generating the generated data, and stores the integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device in place of the already stored integrated data. In this way, if the receiving device 2 generates integrated data in a state where it was unable to receive some partial data and then receives the partial data, the information processing system S can regenerate integrated data using the partially received partial data.

[0090] [Sequence of information processing methods] 8 is a sequence diagram of an information processing method executed by the information processing system S according to this embodiment. In the transmission device 1, the reception unit 121 receives transmission conditions designated by a user, and stores information indicating the received transmission conditions in the storage unit 11 (S11).

[0091] When transmitting data to be transmitted, the identification unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted. The identification unit 122 identifies the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted (S12).

[0092] The selection unit 123 selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of the plurality of capacity reduction methods and one of the plurality of communication resources based on the importance of the partial data identified by the identification unit 122 and the transmission conditions accepted by the acceptance unit 121 (S13).

[0093] The data processing unit 124 reduces the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for that partial data (S14). The transmission unit 125 transmits each of the plurality of partial data whose capacity has been reduced by the data processing unit 124, together with method specifying information indicating the capacity reduction method applied to that partial data, to the receiving device 2 by using the communication resource selected for that partial data (S15).

[0094] In the receiving device 2, the receiving unit 221 receives the plurality of partial data and the method identification information transmitted by the transmitting device 1. The selecting unit 222 identifies the capacity reduction method applied to each of the plurality of partial data indicated by the method identification information received by the receiving unit 221. The selecting unit 222 selects a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit 221, corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied to the respective partial data (S16).

[0095] For example, the data processing unit 223 increases the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit 221 using the capacity increasing method selected for that partial data (S17). The data processing unit 223 generates integrated data by combining the plurality of partial data whose capacities have been increased, and stores the generated integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device (S18).

[0096] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the information processing system S of this embodiment, the transmitting device 1 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources based on the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted, and applies the selected capacity reduction method and communication resources to the partial data. This allows the information processing system S to flexibly change the process in which the transmitting device 1 reduces the capacity of the data to be transmitted and then transmits it using the communication resources.

[0097] 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."

[0098] 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]

[0099] S Information Processing System 1. Transmitting device 11 Storage section 12 Control Unit 121 Reception 122 Specific part 123 Selection Section 124 Data Processing Unit 125 Transmitter 2. Receiving device 21 Memory section 22 Control Unit 221 Receiving unit 222 Selection section 223 Data Processing Unit

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives a plurality of partial data constituting the transmission target data transmitted by the transmitting device; a selection unit that selects a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit, the capacity increase method corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied by the transmitting device to the respective partial data; a data processing unit that increases the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data items received by the receiving unit using the capacity increasing method selected for the partial data item; and the data processing unit, when the receiving unit does not receive some of the plurality of partial data within a predetermined period, generates data corresponding to the some of the partial data based on the partial data different from the some of the partial data; When the receiving unit receives the partial data after generating the data, the data processing unit uses the partial data received by the receiving unit instead of the generated data. Information processing device.

2. the transmission target data is image data, The plurality of partial data are data of different areas in a display area when the image data is displayed, or data of different colors that constitute the image data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the transmission target data is data indicating information that changes along a time axis, The plurality of partial data are data indicating information of different periods within the transmission target data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the plurality of partial data are generated by dividing the data to be transmitted into a number corresponding to the number of communication resources used by the transmitting device to transmit the data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The processor executes receiving a plurality of partial data constituting the transmission target data transmitted by the transmitting device; selecting a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received in the receiving step, the capacity increase method corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied by the transmitting device to the respective partial data; increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received in the receiving step by using the capacity increasing method selected for the partial data; a step of generating data corresponding to a part of the partial data based on the part of the partial data that is different from the part of the partial data when the part of the partial data is not received within a predetermined period in the receiving step; a step of, when receiving the partial data after generating the data, using the received partial data instead of the generated data; An information processing method comprising:

Images