Management devices and methods, systems, programs and storage media

Abstract

In consideration of the interests of both the user of the imaging device and the client requesting imaging using the said imaging device, the dynamic information of the imaging device shall be disclosed. [Solution] The system includes: a first receiving means that receives from each of several terminal devices, for each imaging device managed by each terminal device, dynamic information that changes regardless of user operation, a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device, and information regarding whether or not each imaging device has an ongoing shooting plan; a second receiving means that receives from each of several shooting planning devices, a shooting plan that uses one of the imaging devices permitted to be used, and a second setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of the imaging device used in the shooting plan; a determination means that determines the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding whether or not an ongoing shooting plan is being implemented and the first and second settings; and a control means that controls the disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device to the destination determined by the determination means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management apparatus, method, system, program, and storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when conducting newsgathering, a planner plans in advance equipment for newsgathering such as cameras, newsgatherers, newsgathering locations, dates and times, content, etc., and shares the plan with the planner and the newsgatherers to efficiently conduct newsgathering. A newsgathering support system has been provided. With such a newsgathering support system, seamless business cooperation between the planner and the newsgatherers is carried out. For example, when making a newsgathering request using the newsgathering support system, first, the planner creates a newsgathering plan including a camera, a cameraman, a newsgathering location, a date and time, newsgathering content, etc. on the newsgathering support system. Then, the newsgatherer receives the newsgathering plan via an application on a smartphone or a PC.

[0003] Here, in order for a newsgatherer (cameraman) to use the newsgathering support system, it is necessary to register the camera and the cameraman himself / herself with the newsgathering support system. In the case of a cameraman belonging to a company, the camera and the cameraman himself / herself are registered with the affiliated company on the newsgathering support system. In the case of a freelance cameraman, the camera and the cameraman himself / herself are registered with all companies that accept newsgathering requests on the newsgathering support system. The planner looks at the information of the cameras and cameramen registered in the system, searches for a camera and a cameraman suitable for the newsgathering plan, and formulates the newsgathering plan. Also, dynamic information that changes regardless of user operations such as the position information, power supply information, and network connection status of the camera is updated by periodically obtaining information from the camera.

[0004] As a technology for collecting this dynamic information, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that periodically collects the location information of photographers in the cloud, calculates the shortest time required to reach the location of an incident when an incident occurs, and finds a photographer who is easy to hire. Furthermore, as a technology for determining where the collected information is disclosed, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that controls where the information is disclosed by changing the disclosure conditions or issuing a warning when the information disclosure conditions of the smartphone and the server differ. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2014-521160 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-111406 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] While the news coverage support system periodically collects dynamic information, if a freelance photographer registers the same camera with multiple companies on the system, the dynamic information may be disclosed to companies other than the one that requested the coverage during the interview. In such cases, the company that requested the coverage may suffer disadvantages, such as the location of the interview becoming known to companies other than the one that requested the coverage. On the other hand, in order for a freelance photographer to receive more interview requests, it is preferable to disclose dynamic information to more companies when they are not currently conducting interviews.

[0007] As a technology for controlling who can access information, Patent Document 2 describes a technology that restricts who can access information based on stricter conditions among the information disclosure conditions of smartphones and servers. However, this technology restricts who can access dynamic information based on the stricter of the information disclosure conditions set by both the photographer and the company. Therefore, for example, even if a photographer has set their camera to disclose dynamic information, if a company has set its camera not to disclose dynamic information, the dynamic information will not be disclosed to other companies, even if the photographer has not been requested to do so by that company.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to enable the disclosure of dynamic information of an imaging device, taking into consideration the interests of both the user of the imaging device and the client who requests imaging using the imaging device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the management device of the present invention includes: a first receiving means that receives from each of a plurality of terminal devices, for each of the one or more imaging devices managed by each terminal device, dynamic information that changes regardless of user operation, a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device, and information regarding whether or not each imaging device has an ongoing shooting plan; a second receiving means that receives from each of a plurality of shooting planning devices, a shooting plan that uses any of the one or more imaging devices that are permitted to be used, and a second setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of the imaging device used in the shooting plan; a determination means that determines the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding whether or not an ongoing shooting plan is being implemented, the first setting, and the second setting; and a control means that controls the disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device to the destination determined by the determination means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, dynamic information of the imaging device can be disclosed in consideration of the interests of both the user of the imaging device and the client who requests imaging using the imaging device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing an example configuration of a news gathering support system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device in the embodiment. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of the camera management system in the embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram illustrating the outline of the control over the disclosure destination of dynamic information in the embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the camera-side setting process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] (a) A diagram showing an example of the camera-side disclosure setting screen in the first embodiment, and (b) A diagram showing the destination of the dynamic information according to the camera-side disclosure setting. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the settings screen for the interview plan implementation settings in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the company-side configuration process in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] (a) A diagram showing an example of the settings screen for corporate disclosure settings in the first embodiment, and (b) A diagram showing the destinations for the disclosure of dynamic information according to the corporate disclosure settings. [Figure 10] Flowchart of the dynamic information disclosure control process in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the destination of the dynamic information based on the combination of the interview plan implementation settings, camera-side disclosure settings, and company-side disclosure settings in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a combination of camera-side disclosure settings, interview plan implementation settings, and company-side disclosure settings in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] Flowchart of the process for setting up the interview plan in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] <First Embodiment> ●System Configuration FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the interview support system 100 in this embodiment. The interview support system 100 includes a plurality of cameras 101, a plurality of camera management terminals 102, a camera management system 103, a plurality of interview planning systems 104 (shooting planning devices), and a plurality of PCs 105. In FIG. 1, two cameras 101, two camera management terminals 102 connected to each camera 101, two interview planning systems 104, and two PCs 105 connected to each interview planning system 104 are shown, but the number of each device is not limited to this.

[0014] The camera management system 103 manages an application (hereinafter referred to as the "camera management application") for cooperation between the camera 101 and the interview planning system 104. The camera management system 103 may be configured using a server connected to a network such as the Internet, or may be configured using cloud computing. The camera management terminal 102 and the interview planning system 104 can access using a dedicated application for accessing the camera management application.

[0015] Users of the coverage planning system 104 (hereinafter referred to as "corporate users") register their company with the camera management system 103 in advance when using the camera management application. Similarly, users of camera 101 (hereinafter referred to as "camera users") register themselves and the camera 101 they will use with their desired company from among the companies registered with the camera management system 103 when using the camera management application. This allows them to undertake filming based on the coverage plans of the registered companies. In this case, one camera user can register with one or more companies, and if one camera user registers with multiple companies, they can receive filming requests based on coverage plans using the same camera from multiple registered companies.

[0016] Camera 101 may be an imaging device such as a digital still camera or a digital video camera, or any electronic device equipped with a shooting function. Examples of electronic devices include information processing devices such as tablet devices and personal computers with camera functions, mobile phones, smartphones, robots, and drones. In Figure 1, one camera management terminal 102 corresponds to one camera 101, but it is also possible to link multiple cameras to one camera management terminal. For example, if one camera user owns multiple types of cameras, that camera user and multiple types of cameras may be registered in the camera management system 103.

[0017] The planner connects to the interview planning system 104 using PC 105 and creates an interview plan (shooting plan) that includes information such as the date and time of the interview (shooting date and time), the location of the interview (shooting location), and the equipment to be used, including cameras. The planner and the corporate user may be the same person or different people. When creating an interview plan, the planner can view various camera information such as the type of camera 101, usage status, and camera status from the camera management system 103 via the interview planning system 104, and the planner can view the information of the camera 101 and select the camera 101 to be used for the interview. When the planner registers the interview plan in the interview planning system 104, the interview planning system 104 registers the interview plan in the camera management system 103. A report plan ID is assigned to the registered interview plan.

[0018] When a coverage plan is registered, the camera management system 103 notifies the camera management terminal 102 corresponding to the camera 101 included in the coverage plan, assigning it a coverage plan ID. If the camera management terminal 102 accepts the notified coverage plan, it sends a notification of acceptance to the camera management system 103 and saves the coverage plan within the camera management terminal 102.

[0019] Camera 101 transmits dynamic information that changes regardless of user operation, such as its location, power information, and network connection status, as well as captured images, to the camera management terminal 102. When the camera management terminal 102 receives dynamic information and images from camera 101, it associates the dynamic information and, if the images were taken during the execution of the coverage plan, the coverage plan ID with the images, and transmits them to the camera management system 103. The images may be still images or videos, and may also include audio.

[0020] When the camera management system 103 receives an image linked to a news coverage plan ID from the camera management terminal 102, it sends the image linked to the news coverage plan ID to the news coverage plan system 104 of the company that registered the news coverage plan. In addition, when it receives dynamic information from the camera management terminal 102, it updates the information of the cameras 101 that it manages according to the camera disclosure settings, implemented news coverage plan settings, and company disclosure settings described later.

[0021] ●Configuration of the information processing device Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the general hardware configuration of devices used as a camera management terminal 102, a camera management system 103, and a news gathering planning system 104. While actual devices with the configuration shown in Figure 2 can take various forms, such as PCs, servers, smartphones, and tablet devices, they will be collectively referred to as the information processing device 200 in this explanation.

[0022] In the information processing device 200 shown in Figure 2, the control unit 201 is a central processing unit (CPU) that cooperates with other components based on a computer program to control the operation of the entire information processing device 200. The ROM 202 is a read-only memory that stores basic programs and data used for basic processing. The RAM 203 is a writable memory that functions as a work area for the control unit 201. The recording device 204 is a device that functions as a large-capacity memory such as an SSD (solid-state drive) and stores various computer programs and data.

[0023] The operation unit 205 consists of components for receiving instructions and commands from the user, such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel. The display unit 206 displays commands entered from the operation unit 205 and the response output of the information processing device 200. The communication interface (IF) 207 relays data exchange with external devices. The input unit 208 receives data from external devices. The system bus 209 controls the flow of data within the information processing device 200.

[0024] ●Functional configuration of the camera management system Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the camera management system 103, which is realized by executing a camera management application in the camera management system 103. The authentication unit 301 authenticates the accessing device or user when the camera management terminal 102 or the coverage planning system 104 accesses the camera management system 103, and determines which data recorded in the recording unit 305 (described later) is permitted to be accessed.

[0025] The data management unit 302 manages the recording of data transmitted from the camera management terminal 102 and the coverage planning system 104 via the IF unit 304 to the appropriate location in the recording unit 305. It also manages the provision of data recorded in the recording unit 305 to the camera management terminal 102 and the coverage planning system 104 via the IF unit 304. The IF unit 304 is used for exchanging data with the camera management terminal 102 and the coverage planning system 104.

[0026] The recording unit 305 stores dynamic information, including company information, camera function information, location information, and power information. It also stores setting data for controlling the scope of disclosure of dynamic information, such as the camera user's dynamic information disclosure settings (hereinafter referred to as "camera-side disclosure settings"), the settings for ongoing interview plans (hereinafter referred to as "interview plan implementation settings"), and the company user's dynamic information disclosure settings (hereinafter referred to as "company-side disclosure settings"). The camera-side disclosure settings, interview plan implementation settings, and company-side disclosure settings will be described later.

[0027] The judgment unit 303 reads the camera-side disclosure settings, interview plan implementation settings, and company-side disclosure settings stored in the recording unit 305, and restricts access to the dynamic information stored in the recording unit 305 according to the settings.

[0028] ● Overview of controlling the disclosure destination of dynamic information Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic control of the disclosure destination of dynamic information in this embodiment.

[0029] In this embodiment, the control of the destination for disclosure of dynamic information consists of a camera-side setting process 401, a company-side setting process 402, and a dynamic information disclosure control process 403, and each process is performed independently at any arbitrary timing.

[0030] The camera-side setting process 401 is performed from the camera management terminal 102 to the camera management system 103, and sets the camera-side disclosure settings and the interview plan implementation settings. The company-side setting process 402 is performed from the interview plan system 104 to the camera management system 103, and sets the company-side disclosure settings. Then, the dynamic information disclosure control process 403 is performed according to the settings of the camera-side disclosure settings, interview plan implementation settings, and company-side disclosure settings. The details of the camera-side setting process 401, the company-side setting process 402, and the dynamic information disclosure control process 403 will be explained in order below.

[0031] ●Camera-side setting processing Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the camera-side setting process 401 for setting whether or not to disclose dynamic information from the camera management terminal 102.

[0032] First, in S501, the camera user logs in to the camera management application, which is managed by the camera management system 103, using a dedicated application from the camera management terminal 102.

[0033] In S502, the camera user configures the settings for disclosing dynamic information. The camera user selects the recipient of the dynamic information from three options: "Disclose," "Do not disclose," or "Specify." Figure 6(a) shows an example of a settings screen displayed on the camera management terminal 102 in S502. The settings screen 601 displays the options "Disclose," "Do not disclose," and "Specify." If "Specify" is selected, the selection screen 602 is displayed, showing a list of companies to which the camera 101 is registered as an option. The camera user can select the companies from the displayed list to which dynamic information will be disclosed. Here, the state in which companies A and B have been selected is shown.

[0034] Figure 6(b) is a table showing the camera-side disclosure settings and the combinations of destinations for the dynamic information according to the camera-side disclosure settings. As shown in Figure 6(b), if "Disclose" is selected, the dynamic information will be disclosed to all companies that have registered camera 101. If "Do not disclose" is selected, the dynamic information will not be disclosed to any company. If "Specify" is selected, the dynamic information will be disclosed only to the companies selected (specified) by the camera user from among the companies that have registered camera 101 (in the example shown in Figure 6(a), companies A and B).

[0035] Next, in S503, the camera user selects the interview plan to be implemented. The camera user can either select an interview plan from the currently ordered interview plans or select "none". Depending on this selection, the recipient of the information disclosed in the dynamic information disclosure control process 403, described later, will change. At this time, regardless of the settings of the camera-side disclosure settings in S502, the selected interview plan will be disclosed to the company that ordered it.

[0036] Figure 7 shows an example of the settings screen displayed on the camera management terminal 102 in S503. Here, the selection of "Interview Plan 1 (Company A)" from the options "None," "Interview Plan 1 (Company A)," and "Interview Plan 2 (Company B)" is shown. By confirming this selection, subsequent shooting by camera 101 is considered to be based on Interview Plan 1, which was requested by Company A, and the captured images are associated with the Interview Plan ID of Interview Plan 1.

[0037] Once the series of processes is complete, S504 logs out of the camera management application and terminates the camera-side configuration process 401.

[0038] ● Company-side configuration process Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the corporate-side configuration process 402 for setting whether or not to update dynamic information from the camera management system 103 in the news gathering support system 100.

[0039] In S801, corporate users log in to the camera management application managed by the camera management system 103 via the reporting planning system 104 from the PC 105.

[0040] S802 allows corporate users logged in via S801 to configure whether or not to disclose dynamic information for each camera 101 registered with their company. Corporate users can choose to disclose dynamic information from either "Disclose" or "Do not disclose during coverage."

[0041] Figure 9(a) is a table showing the corporate disclosure settings and the combinations of destinations for the dynamic information based on those settings. As shown in Figure 9(a), if "Disclose" is selected, the dynamic information will be disclosed according to the camera-side disclosure settings for dynamic information set from the camera management terminal 102. On the other hand, if "Do not disclose during coverage" is selected, the dynamic information will be disclosed only to the company that ordered the coverage plan while the coverage plan ordered by that company is being implemented, and will not be disclosed to other companies. Furthermore, when the coverage plan is not being implemented, the dynamic information will be disclosed according to the camera-side disclosure settings for dynamic information set from the camera management terminal 102.

[0042] Figure 9(b) shows an example of a settings screen displayed on the PC105 display in S802. Here, we show settings screens 901 and 902, respectively, displayed on the PC105 display operated by corporate users of two companies (Company A and Company B). In this example, cameras A, B, and C are registered in Company A, and cameras A, D, and E are registered in Company B, with camera A being registered in both Company A and Company B.

[0043] As shown in settings screen 901, a corporate user of company A has set camera A to "Do not disclose during coverage" and cameras B and C to "Disclose". Similarly, as shown in settings screen 902, a corporate user of company B has set cameras A, D, and E to "Disclose". Since company A has set camera A's dynamic information to "Do not disclose during coverage" and company B has set it to "Disclose", the destination of the dynamic information disclosure changes depending on which coverage plan is being implemented using camera A. For example, if camera A is implementing a coverage plan ordered by company A, the dynamic information will only be notified to company A. On the other hand, if camera A is implementing a coverage plan ordered by company B, the dynamic information will be disclosed according to the camera-side disclosure settings for dynamic information set from the camera management terminal 102.

[0044] Once the corporate disclosure settings are complete, S803 logs out of the camera management application and terminates the corporate configuration process 402.

[0045] ● Dynamic information disclosure control processing Next, referring to the flowchart in Figure 10, the dynamic information disclosure control process 403 shown in Figure 4 will be explained. When the camera management terminal 102 receives dynamic information from the camera 101, it transmits the received dynamic information to the camera management system 103.

[0046] In S1001, the determination unit 303 of the camera management system 103 determines whether it has received dynamic information for camera 101 from one of the camera management terminals 102. The process in S1001 is repeated until dynamic information is received, at which point the process proceeds to S1002.

[0047] In S1002, the determination unit 303 of the camera management system 103 determines whether the coverage plan is in progress based on the coverage plan implementation setting by the camera management terminal 102, which is the source of the dynamic information from camera 101. Here, it is determined whether the coverage plan was selected in S503 in Figure 5, which was performed immediately before this determination process by the camera management terminal 102, the source of the dynamic information from camera 101. If the coverage plan is selected (i.e., in progress), the process proceeds to S1007; if the coverage plan is not selected (i.e., in progress), the process proceeds to S1003.

[0048] In S1003, the determination unit 303 of the camera management system 103 determines the camera-side disclosure setting made by the camera management terminal 102, which is the source of the dynamic information from the camera 101. The determination made here is based on the selection made in S502 in Figure 5, which was made immediately before this determination process, and as mentioned above, it is one of "disclose", "do not disclose", or "specify". If "do not disclose" is set, the process proceeds to S1004; if "disclose" is set, the process proceeds to S1005; and if "specify" is selected, the process proceeds to S1006.

[0049] In S1004, the decision unit 303 of the camera management system 103 decides not to disclose the dynamic information of camera 101 received in S1001 to any of the companies that have registered camera 101. At this time, it is not necessary to update the dynamic information recorded in the recording unit 305 with the received dynamic information, or it may be updated and then controlled so that access to the dynamic information is not possible. As a result, even if a corporate user of any company views the information of camera 101 managed by the camera management system 103 via the coverage planning system 104, they will not be able to view the dynamic information of camera 101 that was received while it was set to "not disclose".

[0050] In S1005, the decision unit 303 of the camera management system 103 decides to make the dynamic information of camera 101 received in S1001 public to all companies. In this process, the data management unit 302 updates the dynamic information recorded in the recording unit 305 with the received dynamic information and grants access to all companies that have registered camera 101. As a result, corporate users of all companies that have registered camera 101 can view the latest dynamic information of camera 101 managed by the camera management system 103 via the coverage planning system 104.

[0051] In S1006, the decision unit 303 of the camera management system 103 decides to disclose the dynamic information of camera 101 received in S1001 only to the specified company. In this process, the data management unit 302 updates the dynamic information recorded in the recording unit 305 with the received dynamic information and grants access only to the specified company among the companies that have registered camera 101. As a result, among all companies that have registered camera 101, only the corporate users of the specified company can view the latest dynamic information of camera 101 managed by the camera management system 103 via the coverage planning system 104. After completing any of the processes S1004, S1005, or S1006, the program returns to S1001.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1002 that a news coverage plan has been selected (is in progress), then in S1007, the dynamic information of camera 101 received in S1001 is disclosed to the company that ordered the news coverage plan selected by the camera management terminal 102. In this process, the data management unit 302 updates the dynamic information recorded in the recording unit 305 with the received dynamic information and grants access only to the company that ordered the selected news coverage plan among the companies that have registered camera 101. This process is performed regardless of the camera's disclosure settings.

[0053] Next, in S1008, the determination unit 303 of the camera management system 103 determines the corporate disclosure setting for the dynamic information of camera 101 received in S1001. The determination made here is based on the selection made in S802 in Figure 8, which was made immediately before this determination process, and as mentioned above, it is either "Do not disclose during coverage" or "Disclose". If "Do not disclose during coverage" is set, the process returns to S1001. On the other hand, if "Disclose" is set, the process proceeds to S1003, the process described above is performed, and then the process returns to S1001.

[0054] Figure 11 is a table showing the destinations of dynamic information based on the combination of camera-side disclosure settings, interview plan implementation settings, and company-side disclosure settings, as shown in Figure 10. If an interview plan is selected (implemented) and the company-side disclosure setting is "Disclose," the information will be disclosed to the company that ordered the interview plan that is currently being implemented, and the destinations of the dynamic information will be determined according to the camera-side disclosure settings. If an interview plan is selected (implemented) and the company-side disclosure setting is "Do not disclose during interview," the dynamic information will be disclosed only to the company that ordered the interview plan that is currently being implemented. If no interview plan is set, the destinations of the dynamic information will be determined according to the camera-side disclosure settings, regardless of the content of the company-side disclosure settings.

[0055] Figure 12(a) shows an example of the interview plan implementation settings and camera-side disclosure settings, and Figure 12(b) shows an example of the company-side disclosure settings. In this example, "Disclose" is selected on the settings screen 1201 for camera-side disclosure settings, and "Interview Plan 2 (Company B)" is selected on the settings screen 1202 for interview plan implementation settings. Also, as shown on the settings screen 1203 for company-side disclosure settings, company A has set camera A's dynamic information to "Disclose", and as shown on the settings screen 1204, company B has set camera A's dynamic information to "Do not disclose during interview".

[0056] In the settings shown in Figure 12, the disclosure of dynamic information from camera A is set to "Disclose" for company A and to "Do not disclose during coverage" for company B. Therefore, when filming is done using camera A, the recipient of the dynamic information disclosure changes depending on the coverage plan implementation settings. In this case, coverage plan 2 requested by company B is selected, so the dynamic information from camera A is disclosed only to company B.

[0057] Furthermore, if interview plan 1, requested by company A, is selected, the dynamic information from camera A will be disclosed to all companies to which camera A is registered.

[0058] As described above, according to the first embodiment, dynamic information of cameras can be disclosed in accordance with the intentions of camera users and corporate users registered in the camera management system.

[0059] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the configuration of the interview support system 100 in the second embodiment is the same as that described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, so its description will be omitted here. In the first embodiment described above, the setting of the interview plan was performed at the same time as the setting of the camera side disclosure. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the setting of the interview plan is performed by notifying the camera management system 103 from the camera management terminal 102 at the start and end of the interview plan. That is, in the camera side setting process 401 shown in Figure 5, the processing of S502 and the processing of S503 are performed at independent timings.

[0060] When a camera user performs photography based on a contracted interview plan, they typically select the corresponding interview plan before starting shooting and initiate the process by pressing the start button or similar. Images taken after this point will have an interview plan ID added to them. To end photography based on an interview plan, the user initiates the process by pressing the end button or similar. Images taken after this point will not have an interview plan ID added to them. In the second embodiment, the interview plan implementation settings are changed based on the start and end instructions for the interview plan.

[0061] Figure 13 is a flowchart of the process for setting up the coverage plan in the second embodiment. Initially, the recording unit 305 of the camera management system 103 is set to "none" as the setting for the coverage plan of camera 101.

[0062] In S1301, the camera management terminal 102 determines whether the camera user has selected a reporting plan to be implemented and given the instruction to start it. If the instruction to start is given, the process proceeds to S1302, where the camera management terminal 102 notifies the camera management system 103 of the reporting plan ID of the reporting plan that has been instructed to start, as a reporting plan implementation setting. In S1303, the camera management system 103 changes the reporting plan implementation setting of the camera 101 corresponding to the camera management terminal 102 that received the notification in S1302 to the notified reporting plan.

[0063] In S1304, the camera management terminal 102 determines whether the camera user has instructed the camera user to end the ongoing coverage plan. If the user has instructed the user to end the plan, the process proceeds to S1305, where the camera management terminal 102 notifies the camera management system 103 that the coverage plan implementation setting is "none". In response, in S1306, the camera management system 103 changes the coverage plan implementation setting of the camera 101 corresponding to the camera management terminal 102 that received the notification in S1305 to "none".

[0064] Based on the interview plan implementation settings set in this manner, and the camera-side disclosure settings and company-side disclosure settings set as described in the first embodiment, the dynamic information disclosure control processing described with reference to Figure 10 can be performed.

[0065] As described above, according to the second embodiment, in response to instructions to start and end filming based on the filming plan, the filming plan ID or "none" is notified to the camera management system 103 as the filming plan implementation setting. This ensures that even if the camera-side disclosure settings are not changed, the destination of the dynamic information can be determined based on the appropriate filming plan implementation setting without fail.

[0066] <Variation> In the first and second embodiments described above, the camera management system 103 records the dynamic information of the camera 101 in the recording unit 305, and controls the destination of disclosure of the dynamic information by controlling access to the dynamic information.

[0067] Alternatively, the information of registered cameras 101, including dynamic information, may be managed in the coverage planning system 104. In this case, the camera management system 103 notifies the recipient determined by the process shown in Figure 10 of the dynamic information, and the coverage planning system 104 updates the dynamic information of the corresponding camera 101 upon receiving notification of the dynamic information. This allows the planner to obtain information about camera 101 without having to access the camera management system 103.

[0068] <Other Embodiments> Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices or to a device consisting of a single device.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0070] <Summary> This embodiment includes the following configuration.

[0071] (Item 1) A first receiving means that receives from multiple terminal devices, for each of the one or more imaging devices managed by each terminal device, dynamic information that changes regardless of user operation, a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device, and information regarding whether or not each imaging device is currently carrying out an imaging plan. A second receiving means that receives from each of the multiple imaging planning devices an imaging plan that uses one of the one or more imaging devices that is permitted to be used, and a second setting that indicates the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of the imaging device used in the imaging plan, A determination means for determining the destination of disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan currently being implemented, the first setting, and the second setting, Control means for controlling the disclosure of dynamic information of each imaging device to the disclosure recipient determined by the determination means. A control device characterized by having the following features. (Item 2) The management device according to item 1, characterized in that the dynamic information includes at least one of location information indicating the position of each imaging device, power supply information, and network connection status. (Item 3) The management device according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that each terminal device allows one or more imaging devices to use each imaging device managed by each terminal device among the plurality of imaging planning devices. (Item 4) The management device according to item 3, characterized in that the first setting is to disclose the dynamic information to the imaging planning device authorized to use each imaging device, not to disclose it, or to disclose it only to a designated imaging planning device. (Item 5) The management device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the determination means determines the destination of the disclosure of the dynamic information based on the first setting when there is no shooting plan in progress for each of the imaging devices. (Item 6) The management device according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that, for each imaging device, if there is an ongoing imaging plan, the determination means determines the destination of the disclosure of the dynamic information based on the second setting received from the imaging planning device that created the imaging plan. (Item 7) The management device according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the determination means determines, with respect to each imaging device, if there is an ongoing imaging plan, to disclose the dynamic information to the imaging planning device that created the imaging plan, regardless of the first setting. (Item 8) The control device according to any one of items 1 to 7, characterized in that the second setting is to either disclose or not disclose the dynamic information during the execution of the shooting plan. (Item 9) The management device according to item 8, characterized in that, for each imaging device, if there is an ongoing imaging plan, and the second setting received from the imaging planning device that created the imaging plan is to disclose, the management device determines the destination of the dynamic information based on the first setting. (Item 10) The management device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the first receiving means successively receives the first setting and information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan being implemented from each of the terminal devices. (Item 11) The management device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the first receiving means receives information regarding the first setting and the presence or absence of the shooting plan being implemented from each terminal device at mutually independent timings. (Item 12) The control means is characterized in that, for each imaging device, it notifies the disclosure destination determined by the determination means of the dynamic information via a communication means, as described in any one of items 1 to 11. (Item 13) Multiple terminal devices, each terminal device managing one or more imaging devices, Multiple imaging planning devices for creating imaging plans that utilize any of the one or more imaging devices permitted to be used, A control device described in any one of items 1 to 12, A system characterized by including (Item 14) The system according to item 13, characterized in that the plurality of terminal devices, the plurality of shooting planning devices, and the management device are connected via communication. (Item 15) A method for managing information received from multiple terminal devices, The process of receiving dynamic information from each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices, for each of the one or more imaging devices managed by each terminal device, regardless of user operation; The process of receiving a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device from each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices, The process of receiving information from each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices regarding whether or not each imaging device is currently carrying out an imaging plan, The process of receiving a shooting plan from each of the multiple shooting planning devices, using one of the one or more imaging devices that is permitted to be used, A step of receiving a second setting from each of the plurality of imaging planning devices that indicates the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of the imaging device used for the imaging plan, A step of determining the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan currently being implemented, the first setting, and the second setting, A step of controlling the disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device to the disclosure recipient determined above. A management method characterized by having the following. (Item 16) A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a control device described in any one of items 1 through 12. (Item 17) A computer-readable storage medium containing the program described in item 16.

[0072] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 101...Camera, 102...Camera management terminal, 103...Camera management system, 104...Interview planning system, 105...PC, 301...Authentication unit, 302...Data management unit, 303...Decision unit, 304...IF unit, 305...Recording unit

Claims

1. A first receiving means that receives from multiple terminal devices, for each of the one or more imaging devices managed by each terminal device, dynamic information that changes regardless of user operation, a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device, and information regarding whether or not each imaging device has an ongoing shooting plan. A second receiving means that receives from each of the multiple imaging planning devices an imaging plan that uses one of the one or more imaging devices that is permitted to be used, and a second setting that indicates the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of the imaging device used in the imaging plan, A determination means for determining the destination of disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan currently being implemented, the first setting, and the second setting, Control means for controlling the disclosure of dynamic information of each imaging device to the disclosure recipient determined by the determination means. A control device characterized by having the following features.

2. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the dynamic information includes at least one of location information indicating the position of each imaging device, power supply information, and network connection status.

3. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that each terminal device allows one or more imaging devices to use each imaging device managed by each terminal device among the plurality of imaging planning devices.

4. The management device according to claim 3, characterized in that the first setting is to disclose the dynamic information to the imaging planning device authorized to use each imaging device, not to disclose it, or to disclose it only to a designated imaging planning device.

5. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines the destination of the disclosure of the dynamic information based on the first setting when there is no shooting plan in progress for each of the imaging devices.

6. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines the destination of the disclosure of the dynamic information based on the second setting received from the imaging planning device that created the imaging plan, when there is an imaging plan being implemented for each imaging device.

7. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines, with respect to each imaging device, that if there is an ongoing imaging plan, the dynamic information will be disclosed to the imaging planning device that created the imaging plan, regardless of the first setting.

8. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second setting is to either disclose or not disclose the dynamic information during the execution of the shooting plan.

9. The management device according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines the destination of the disclosure of the dynamic information based on the first setting when there is an ongoing shooting plan for each of the imaging devices and the second setting received from the shooting planning device that created the shooting plan is to disclose.

10. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first receiving means successively receives the first setting and information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan being implemented from each of the terminal devices.

11. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first receiving means receives information regarding the first setting and the presence or absence of the shooting plan being implemented from each terminal device at independent timings.

12. The management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means notifies the disclosure destination determined by the determination means of the dynamic information for each imaging device via a communication means.

13. Multiple terminal devices, each terminal device managing one or more imaging devices, Multiple imaging planning devices for creating an imaging plan that uses any of the one or more imaging devices that are permitted to be used, A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, A system characterized by including

14. The system according to claim 13, characterized in that the plurality of terminal devices, the plurality of shooting planning devices, and the management device are connected via communication.

15. A method for managing information received from multiple terminal devices, The process of receiving dynamic information from each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices, for each of the one or more imaging devices managed by each terminal device, regardless of user operation; A step of receiving a first setting indicating the destination for disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device from each of the plurality of terminal devices, The process of receiving information from each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices regarding whether or not each imaging device is currently carrying out an imaging plan, The process of receiving a shooting plan from each of the multiple shooting planning devices, using one of the one or more imaging devices that is permitted to be used, The process of receiving a second setting from each of the plurality of imaging planning devices that indicates the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of the imaging device used for the imaging plan, A step of determining the destination for disclosing the dynamic information of each imaging device based on the information regarding the presence or absence of the shooting plan currently being implemented, the first setting, and the second setting, A step of controlling the disclosure of the dynamic information of each imaging device to the disclosure recipient determined above. A management method characterized by having the following.

16. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of a management device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing the program described in claim 16.

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