Display terminal, communication system, display method, communication method, and program

Abstract

The purpose of this disclosure is to reproduce and display a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed on a designated communication terminal during recording, when the wide-field image is reproduced and displayed after recording. [Solution] The present disclosure relates to a display terminal that plays back and displays a video recorded when it is delivered to a communication terminal, and is characterized by comprising: a reception unit that receives a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the recorded video, and a display control unit that, based on the reception by the reception unit, causes the display unit to play back and display a predetermined region image which is the predetermined region in the wide-field image, based on viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of delivery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display terminal, an information processing system, a communication system, a display method, an information processing method, a communication method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a communication system that transmits images and sounds in real time from one base to one or more other bases and enables remote communication using images and sounds between users located at remote locations. As this image, for example, a wide-angle image (hereinafter referred to as a "wide-angle image") having a wide viewing angle captured in a wide imaging range including a 360-degree image (also referred to as an omnidirectional image, a panoramic image, or a full-surround image) in which a 360-degree full circumference including portions that cannot be fully confirmed in a normal angle of view is imaged is known. A user can browse another predetermined area after the change in the wide-angle image by operating a communication terminal to change a virtual viewpoint for a predetermined area in the wide-angle image displayed on the display screen of the communication terminal.

[0003] Also, conventionally, a technique for cutting out a more suitable predetermined area from a wide-angle image without complicated operations has been disclosed (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Furthermore, when a wide-angle image related to a video is distributed to a predetermined base, users at the predetermined base can each browse while independently changing a desired predetermined area in the wide-angle image. Also, if a wide-angle image related to a video obtained by shooting a work site or the like is recorded when it is distributed to a predetermined base, the user can also play and display the recorded wide-angle image for browsing later. If the user who views after recording can grasp which predetermined area of the wide-angle image was displayed on a predetermined communication terminal at a predetermined base during recording, it is possible to grasp which predetermined area was being focused on at the predetermined base, and thus it is possible to use it as a reference for subsequent thoughts and actions.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, when a user views a recording after it has been made and plays back a wide-field image related to that recording, the designated communication terminal cannot determine which specific area of ​​the wide-field image was displayed during the recording process.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reproduce and display a predetermined area of ​​a wide-field image that was displayed on a predetermined communication terminal at the time of recording when a wide-field image is reproduced and displayed after recording. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 is a display terminal that plays back and displays a video recorded when it is delivered to a communication terminal, and is characterized by comprising: a reception unit that receives the playback display of a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the recorded video; and a display control unit that, based on the reception by the reception unit, causes the display unit to play back and display a predetermined region image which is the predetermined region in the wide-field image, based on viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of delivery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] As described above, the present invention has the effect of being able to reproduce and display a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed on a predetermined communication terminal during recording when a wide-field image is reproduced and displayed after recording. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an example of remote communication using wide-field imaging. [Figure 2] This is an example of a schematic diagram of a communication system configuration. [Figure 3] This is an example of a hardware configuration diagram for an imaging device. [Figure 4]This is an example of a hardware configuration diagram for a communication terminal and an information processing system. [Figure 5] (a) is a left side view of the imaging device, (b) is a front view of the imaging device, and (c) is a top view of the imaging device. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the use of the imaging device. [Figure 7] (a) is a hemispherical image (front) captured by the imaging device, (b) is a hemispherical image (back) captured by the imaging device, and (c) is an image represented using equirectangular projection. [Figure 8] (a) A conceptual diagram showing the state of covering the sphere with an equirectangular projection image, and (b) A diagram showing a full-sphere image. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the positions of a virtual camera and a predetermined region when a 360-degree image is treated as a three-dimensional sphere. [Figure 10] (a) is a stereoscopic perspective view of Figure 5, (b) is a diagram showing the predetermined region image in the state of (a) on the display, (c) is a diagram showing the predetermined region after changing the viewpoint of the virtual camera IC in (a), and (d) is a diagram showing the predetermined region image in the state of (c) on the display. [Figure 11] This figure shows the relationship between information from a predetermined region and an image of a predetermined region T. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing a point in three-dimensional Euclidean space using spherical coordinates. [Figure 13] This is an example of a functional configuration diagram for a communication system. [Figure 14] (a) and (b) are conceptual diagrams showing the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit. [Figure 15] (a) A conceptual diagram showing virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit, and (b) A conceptual diagram showing tenant information stored in the tenant information storage unit. [Figure 16] This is a conceptual diagram showing the viewpoint-related information stored in the viewpoint-related information memory unit. [Figure 17] (a) is a diagram showing an example of the room entry screen. (b) is a diagram showing an example of the image viewing screen displayed by the communication terminal when a user enters a virtual room. [Figure 18] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which a user (or communication terminal) enters a virtual room. [Figure 19] This is a diagram showing an example of a device registration screen displayed by a communication terminal. [Figure 20] (a) is an example of a diagram showing an imaging device registration dialog. (b) is an example of a diagram showing a two-dimensional code screen. [Figure 21] This is a diagram showing an example of a VR goggles registration screen displayed when the VR goggles registration button is pressed. [Figure 22] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 1) for associating an imaging device with a virtual room. [Figure 23] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 2). [Figure 24] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 3). [Figure 25] This is a diagram showing an example of a wide-view image transmission start / stop dialog displayed by a communication terminal. [Figure 26] This is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure by which a user registers an imaging device in a virtual room. [Figure 27] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the flow in which a wide-view image is shared. [Figure 28] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which a user requests imaging from an imaging device from a communication terminal when sharing a wide-view image. [Figure 29] This is a diagram showing an example of an image viewing screen displayed by a communication terminal. [Figure 30] This is a diagram showing an example of an image viewing screen in which a download button is displayed when an imaging button is pressed on a communication terminal. [Figure 31] (a) is an example of a diagram showing an image viewing screen displayed before a user presses a download button. (b) is an example of a diagram showing an image viewing screen displayed after a user presses a download button. [Figure 32]This is an example of a diagram showing an image viewing screen with thumbnail images displayed. [Figure 33] This figure shows an example of an image viewing screen with three image fields. [Figure 34] This diagram shows a modified version of a sequence diagram illustrating the process by which a user requests imaging from an imaging device via a communication terminal when sharing wide-field images. [Figure 35] This is a sequence describing the process by which a user views wide-field images stored in storage. [Figure 36] This figure shows an example of a virtual room list screen displayed by any user after connecting a communication terminal to storage. [Figure 37] This figure shows an example of a location display image selection screen for selecting thumbnails of display images at each location. [Figure 38] This is a flowchart showing the process for changing the playback screen. [Figure 39] (a) is a diagram showing an example of a playback screen, and (b) is a diagram showing another example of a playback screen. [Figure 40] This figure shows an example of how the playback screen can be changed. [Figure 41] This diagram illustrates an example of remote communication where a communication system is applied to telemedicine. [Figure 42] This figure shows an example of a virtual room mapping screen used to associate imaging equipment with a virtual room in the case of telemedicine. [Figure 43] This figure shows an example of a virtual room list screen displayed by any user after connecting a communication terminal to storage. [Figure 44] This figure shows an example of a location display image selection screen for selecting thumbnails of display images at each location. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention: an information processing system and an image transmission method performed by the information processing system.

[0011] <An example of remote communication> Figure 1 illustrates an example of remote communication using wide-field imaging. In Figure 1, three locations A to C communicate via an information processing system 50. The number of locations is just an example; there could be two locations, four or more locations, or any number of locations.

[0012] Location A is, for example, a construction site. Locations B and C can be anywhere, such as an office, as long as they are locations where wide-field images can be transmitted. Location A is equipped with an imaging device 10 that can generate wide-field images, such as a 360-degree spherical image, or wide-angle wide-field images of the surroundings, such as 180 to 360 degrees in the vertical or horizontal direction, by capturing images of subjects, etc. Hereafter, such wide-angle images will simply be referred to as "wide-field images." Locations A to C are equipped with various communication terminals 30A to 30C for viewing wide-field images. Hereafter, any of the communication terminals 30A to 30C will be referred to as "communication terminal 30."

[0013] At the construction site, various construction tasks are being carried out by workers at different locations. The imaging device captures the entire construction site to generate a wide-field image of the site. If users at locations A to C want to focus on a particular construction task or operation, users a to c at locations A to C can arbitrarily change their virtual viewpoint to check it. In this case, the viewpoint refers to the center position or range of a predetermined area displayed on a screen such as a display within the entire wide-field image.

[0014] The imaging device 10 can be mounted on a tripod 86 or on an arm 85 via a gimbal 87. A relay device (in Figure 1, the communication terminal 30A also serves as the relay device) is installed at the construction site, and the communication terminal 30A transmits the wide-field images received from the imaging device 10 via wired or wireless connection to the information processing system 50. The communication terminal 30A can also serve as a terminal for viewing the wide-field images. A camera 9 is connected to (or built into) the communication terminal 30, and images of a normal field of view (or wide-field images) captured by the camera 9 can also be transmitted to the information processing system 50. In addition, user a (for example, a worker) can wear smart glasses 88, and images of a normal field of view (or wide-field images) generated by the smart glasses 88 may be transmitted to the information processing system 50. Smart glasses 88 are information terminals that display information acquired via the internet on a display while maintaining a field of view. Smart glasses 88 may be placed at any location.

[0015] On the other hand, at site B, a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone is provided as an example of a communication terminal 30B. Furthermore, any device capable of communicating with the information processing system 50 can be a communication terminal 30B; other devices such as tablet terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), electronic whiteboards, or projectors are also acceptable. A camera may be built into or connected to the communication terminal 30B.

[0016] Furthermore, at base C, examples of communication terminals 30C include PCs, smartphones, and VR (Virtual Reality) goggles 89. In Figure 1, a camera 8 is built into or connected to the communication terminal 30C. The VR goggles 89 are an information terminal that displays an artificial world on a computer or a 360-degree image in accordance with the direction of movement of the head and body. The VR goggles 89 may also be a smartphone with VR goggles attached, similar to an external VR scope (a VR scope with plastic or other lenses attached to the main body, which can be assembled and a smartphone inserted to easily enjoy VR). The camera 8 may be for wide-angle or normal field of view. In addition, the communication terminal 30C may be any device capable of communicating with the information processing system 50, such as a tablet terminal, PDA, electronic whiteboard, or projector. The VR goggles 89 may be placed at any base.

[0017] In this embodiment, the imaging device 10 and each communication terminal 30 manage communication within a communication group called a "virtual room." The imaging device 10 is associated with the virtual room, and the communication terminal 30 (the user operating the communication terminal 30) enters this virtual room and receives the wide-field image transmitted by the imaging device 10, allowing the user to view the wide-field image. Smart glasses 88 and VR goggles 89 can also be associated with the virtual room. Cameras 8 and 9 enter the virtual room in the same way as the communication terminal 30.

[0018] Users a to c at locations A to C can arbitrarily change the viewpoint of the wide-field image on their respective communication terminals 30. Therefore, since users a to c are viewing the wide-field image in real time, there is a possibility that they are each seeing a different viewpoint, which could make communication difficult. To address this, this embodiment allows the virtual viewpoint information set on the communication terminal 30 of any given location to be shared with the communication terminals 30 of other locations. The general outline of this sharing is explained below. For illustrative purposes, the case where the viewpoint specified by user b at location B is shared with users a and c at locations A and C is shown.

[0019] (1) Communication terminals 30A to 30C share a wide-field image (an example of a first wide-field image) generated by the imaging device 10. When user b requests a wide-field image while viewing from an arbitrary viewpoint on communication terminal 30B, communication terminal 30B (an example of a first communication terminal) transmits viewpoint information and an imaging request to the information processing system 50.

[0020] (2) In response to an imaging request, the information processing system 50 specifies viewpoint information and requests the imaging device 10 to take an image (either a still image or a video).

[0021] (3) The imaging device 10 takes an image in response to an imaging request and stores the wide-field image (an example of a second wide-field image) and viewpoint information in association with a URL (an example of storage location information; in Figure 1, the storage location on the storage 90) notified by the information processing system 50. The wide-field image stored on the storage 90 can be downloaded and displayed by any communication terminal 30.

[0022] (4) The information processing system 50 sends a URL to the communication terminal 30B.

[0023] (5) The information processing system 50 also automatically or at the request of user b transmits the URL to the communication terminals 30A and 30C (an example of a second communication terminal) that are in the same virtual room.

[0024] (6) The communication terminals 30A and 30C access a URL to receive viewpoint information and a wide-field image, and set the viewpoint of the wide-field image identified by the viewpoint information to align with the center of the image field and display it. However, it is not necessary to align the viewpoint perfectly with the center; the viewpoint may be set to be included in the area near the center of the image field and displayed.

[0025] The same applies when sharing the perspective of user a at location A with users at locations B and C, and when sharing the perspective of a user at location C with users at locations A and B.

[0026] As described above, even when a wide-field image is distributed, the communication system 1a of this embodiment allows for the sharing of viewpoint information without requiring instructions to move the viewpoint relative to the wide-field image generated by imaging so that a predetermined area of ​​focus at each location is displayed, thus facilitating communication of user intentions.

[0027] In addition, in (3), the imaging device 10 can transmit the wide-field image itself to the information processing system 50, and in (4), the information processing system 50 can transmit the wide-field image to the communication terminals 30A to 30C.

[0028] Furthermore, while Figure 1 illustrates an example where the imaging device 10 is deployed at a construction site, this embodiment can also be applied to VR education, event distribution, remote customer service, telemedicine, and the like. In VR education, the imaging device 10 is deployed at a site location such as a laboratory, allowing students to view blackboards, equipment, samples, experimental results, etc., from a remote location by arbitrarily changing their viewpoint. In event distribution, the imaging device 10 is deployed at the event venue, allowing event participants, such as spectators, to view the venue online from a remote location by arbitrarily changing their viewpoint. The venue includes images of performers, contestants, presenters, products and exhibits explained at the event, images of materials explained at the event, and images of the venue's condition. The event venue can be indoors or outdoors and includes venues for sports, concerts, plays, etc. In remote customer service, for example, when applied to customer service at a travel agency, the imaging device 10 is deployed at the travel destination, allowing customers to review their itinerary from a remote location by arbitrarily changing their viewpoint. In telemedicine, the imaging device 10 is placed in a medical setting such as an operating room, and doctors, students, medical equipment personnel, etc., can remotely change their viewpoint and view the actions of doctors and nurses performing medical procedures in the medical setting, the placement of equipment, the patient's condition, vital signs, etc.

[0029] The locations where images are captured are not limited to these; any space where users (viewers) at the viewing location have a need to understand the situation at a remote location, such as schools, factories, warehouses, construction sites, server rooms, or stores, is acceptable.

[0030] <About Terminology> A tenant refers to a group of users associated with a contract unit when contracting to receive an image distribution service from a service provider (in this embodiment, an information processing system). This includes contracting companies, organizations, individuals, etc. Therefore, a tenant can also be referred to as a user group. While a user may belong to a tenant as an example, an individual user may also subscribe to the service. In addition to users, imaging devices, virtual rooms, etc., are registered within a tenant (user group).

[0031] A base of operations refers to a place that serves as the foundation for activities. In this embodiment, a conference room is used as an example of a base of operations. A conference room is a room set up primarily for the purpose of holding meetings. Meetings are also called gatherings, meetings, discussions, assemblies, and other similar terms.

[0032] A device refers to an apparatus other than a general-purpose communication terminal 30 such as a PC or smartphone, and is an imaging device or a wide-field image viewing device. In this embodiment, examples include an imaging device 10, smart glasses 88, and VR goggles 89.

[0033] Viewpoint information refers to parameter information that specifies which predetermined region of a wide-field image to display on the display screen. In this embodiment, the "radial radius," "polar angle," and "azimuth angle" corresponding to the center of the wide-field image displayed on the display screen are described as examples of viewpoint information, but it may also be specified by other parameter information such as the coordinates of diagonal vertices.

[0034] A wide-field image refers to an image that has a wide viewing angle that is wider than the display range that can be displayed at once on the display screen (the area where the wide-field image is displayed) in a given display method. A wide-field image has a display range of up to 360 degrees (or 180 degrees) vertically and 360 degrees horizontally, but any image that has a wide viewing angle that is wider than the display range that can be displayed at once on the display is also included as a wide-field image, even if it is less than 360 degrees vertically or horizontally. Images with a display range of 160 degrees or more vertically and horizontally are also included as wide-field images. For example, an image with a display range wider than the range that a human can see at once is also included as a wide-field image. In addition, depending on the display method, even an image that can be displayed at once on the display screen can be included as a wide-field image if it has a wide viewing angle when switched to or changed in a given display method (display mode, zoom in or out, etc.). In this embodiment, an equirectangular spherical image is used as an example of a wide-field image, but omnidirectional images, hemispherical images, 3D panoramic images, 2D panoramic images, and VR images are also included in the wide-field image category. The wide-field image may also be an image in the form of cube mapping, dome master, etc. Furthermore, the spherical image may be in a format other than equirectangular.

[0035] Images captured with a normal field of view are not wide-field images, but in this embodiment, they will be described as non-wide-field images (planar images).

[0036] A communication group is a collection of users from whom wide-field images are shared (distributed). In a normal space, a communication group is described as a virtual room, meaning that when each user enters the same room, each user can share the wide-field image. Here, "virtual" means that it is realized through information processing via a network.

[0037] Users at each location communicate remotely with each other. Remote communication is a meeting held at a remote location. A meeting is when people gather together for consultation, discussion, or other purposes. Meetings can take various forms, such as customer service, conferences, gatherings, meetings, study groups, classes, seminars, and presentations. It does not necessarily have to be two-way communication. Therefore, a virtual room may also be called a virtual conference room.

[0038] <Example of a communication system configuration> Figure 2 is an example of a schematic diagram of the configuration of communication system 1a. Figure 1 is an example of applying communication system 1a from Figure 2 to remote communication with the field. Communication system 1a is a system that transmits and receives wide-field images and normal-angle images captured by the imaging device 10 bidirectionally between multiple locations. By displaying images distributed from one location at other locations, users at other locations can view the images. As an example of a wide-field image, a 360-degree spherical image captured by the imaging device 10 is distributed. Communication system 1a can, for example, allow a wide-field image captured at a predetermined location to be viewed at other locations in remote locations.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, in the communication system 1a, the imaging device 10, communication terminal 30A, and information processing system 50 located at base A, and the communication terminals 30B and 30C located at each of the multiple bases (bases B and C), are connected in a way that enables communication.

[0040] If the imaging device 10 has a communication function that allows it to connect directly to the communication network N, then a communication terminal 30A acting as a relay device (e.g., a router) is not necessary. In this case, the communication terminal 30A connects to the communication network N without the imaging device 10. However, if the communication terminal 30A is located at site A, the communication terminal 30A also functions as a relay device, allowing user a to view wide-field images in the same way as with communication terminals 30B and 30C. Furthermore, imaging devices 10 may be located at other sites besides site A, or multiple imaging devices 10 may be located at site A.

[0041] Each communication terminal 30 and information processing system 50 can communicate via the communication network N. The communication network N is constructed using the Internet, mobile communication networks, LANs (Local Area Networks), etc. The communication network N may include not only wired communication but also wireless communication networks such as 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0042] As will be described later, the imaging device 10 will be explained using a digital camera as an example of an imaging device capable of capturing wide-field images. This camera can capture subjects, landscapes, etc., to obtain two hemispherical images as the basis, and generate a single full-sphere image. The wide-field image obtained by the imaging device 10 may be a video, a still image, or both. Furthermore, the captured image may be a video containing sound along with the image.

[0043] The communication terminal 30 is a computer such as a PC used by users at each location. The communication terminal 30 displays images obtained by imaging at its own location, wide-field images (still images or videos) distributed from other locations, and images with a normal field of view. For example, the communication terminal 30 acquires wide-field images captured by the imaging device 10 via the communication network N. The communication terminal 30 also has image processing software such as OpenGL ES installed, and can display images based on viewpoint information that identifies a part of the wide-field image. Note that OpenGL ES is just one example of image processing software, and other software may be used. Furthermore, even if image processing software is not installed, image processing may be performed by software received from an external source, or image display may be performed by receiving the results of image processing performed by external software. In other words, the communication terminal 30 can display a predetermined area of ​​a wide-field image.

[0044] The communication terminal 30 can arbitrarily change the viewpoint relative to the display range of a wide-field image in response to user operation. The communication terminal 30 can change the field of view (predetermined area) based on viewpoint information corresponding to the changed viewpoint by moving the virtual viewpoint in response to user operation input (including key input, drag, scrolling, etc.) to a touch panel, directional buttons, mouse, keyboard, touchpad, etc. Furthermore, if the communication terminal 30 is a communication terminal worn by a user, such as VR goggles, the communication terminal 30 may detect the change in posture information of the communication terminal 30 in response to changes in the movements of the user wearing it, and change the field of view (predetermined area) based on viewpoint information corresponding to the changed viewpoint by moving the virtual viewpoint in response to the detected posture information.

[0045] The communication terminal 30A distributes wide-field images acquired from the imaging device 10 via a wired cable, such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, connected to the input / output I / F 116 described later, to communication terminals 30 at other locations via the information processing system 50. The connection between the imaging device 10 and the communication terminal 30A may be a wireless connection using short-range wireless communication, etc., instead of a wired connection using a wired cable. Multiple communication terminals 30A may be located at location A.

[0046] In some cases, a user at location A may wear smart glasses 88, and the smart glasses 88 may connect to the communication network N. In this case, the images captured by the smart glasses 88 are transmitted to the information processing system 50 via the communication network N, and the information processing system 50 can distribute them to the communication terminals 30 at each location.

[0047] Communication terminal 30B is located at site B where user b is located, and communication terminal 30C is located at site C where user c is located. Multiple communication terminals 30B and 30C may be located at sites B and C. Furthermore, communication terminals 30B and 30C may be carried around by user b and user c, respectively.

[0048] Furthermore, the communication terminals 30A to 30C at locations A to C can have cameras 8 and 9 built-in or externally attached as imaging units, and the communication terminals 30A to 30C can distribute images of their own location captured by their own cameras 8 and 9 to other locations. In addition, any devices may be placed at locations A to C.

[0049] The arrangement of each terminal and device (communication terminal 30 and imaging device) and the user shown in Figure 2 is just an example, and other examples may be used. Furthermore, the communication terminal 30 is not limited to a PC, but may be, for example, a tablet terminal, smartphone, PDA, wearable device (including smart glasses and VR goggles), PJ (Projector), electronic whiteboard (a whiteboard with electronic blackboard functionality that enables mutual communication), or autonomous mobile robot. The communication terminal 30 can be any computer on which a dedicated application for a web browser or image distribution service runs.

[0050] Furthermore, if the imaging device 10 has a display, it may be configured to display images distributed from other locations.

[0051] The information processing system 50 has one or more information processing devices. The information processing system 50 manages and controls communication between the imaging devices 10 and communication terminals 30 at each location, and manages the wide-field images that are transmitted and received. The information processing system 50 provides a platform that allows users to utilize the functions necessary to provide an image distribution service that distributes wide-field images. This platform may be made available to service providers, such as individuals or companies that wish to provide image distribution services, by contract. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish them from tenants that receive image distribution services, service providers who provide image distribution services to users using the contracted platform will be referred to as platform subscribers.

[0052] Therefore, the information processing system 50 may, as a platform, expose an API (Application Programming Interface), allowing platform subscribers to use this API to provide various image distribution services. Platform subscribers only need to develop software such as applications that handle screens displayed by the communication terminal 30 and API calls, and do not need to develop functions provided by APIs such as image distribution from scratch.

[0053] The information processing system 50 may be constructed using a single computer, or it may be constructed using multiple computers, each part (function or means) of which is arbitrarily assigned. Furthermore, all or part of the functions of the information processing system 50 may be server computers located in a cloud environment, or server computers located in an on-premises environment.

[0054] Storage 90 is a memory device that stores data such as wide-field images. Storage 90 may be an external storage device separate from the information processing system 50 (it may be storage located on the cloud or storage located on-premises), or it may be storage included in the information processing system 50.

[0055] <Example Hardware Configuration> Next, the hardware configuration of each device or terminal in the image communication system according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 3 and 4. Note that the hardware configuration shown in Figures 3 and 4 may have components added or removed as needed.

[0056] <<Hardware configuration of the imaging device>> First, the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10. In the following, the imaging device 10 will be described as a 360-degree (omnidirectional) imaging device using two image sensors, but it may have one image sensor or two or more. Furthermore, it is not necessarily required to be a device dedicated to omnidirectional imaging; an omnidirectional imaging unit can be attached to a regular digital camera or smartphone, etc., to provide essentially the same functionality as the imaging device 10.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, the imaging device 10 consists of an imaging unit 101, an image processing unit 104, an imaging control unit 105, a microphone 108, a sound processing unit 109, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) 113, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 114, an operation unit 115, an input / output interface 116, a short-range communication circuit 117, an antenna 117a for the short-range communication circuit 117, an electronic compass 118, a gyro sensor 119, an acceleration sensor 120, and a network interface 121.

[0058] Of these, the imaging unit 101 includes wide-angle lenses (so-called fisheye lenses) 102a and 102b (hereinafter referred to as lens 102 unless otherwise specified) each having a field of view of 180° or more for forming a hemispherical image, and two image sensors 103a and 103b provided corresponding to each lens. The image sensors 103a and 103b have an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that converts the optical image from the lenses 102a and 102b into electrical signal image data and outputs it, a timing generation circuit that generates horizontal or vertical synchronization signals and pixel clocks for the image sensors, and a group of registers for setting various commands or parameters necessary for the operation of the image sensors. Note that the configuration in which the imaging unit 101 has two wide-angle lenses is merely an example; it may have only one, or three or more.

[0059] The image sensors 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the image processing unit 104 via a parallel I / F bus. On the other hand, the image sensors 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the imaging control unit 105 via a serial I / F bus (such as an I2C bus). The image processing unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, and the sound processing unit 109 are connected to the CPU 111 via a bus 110. Furthermore, the bus 110 is also connected to the ROM 112, SRAM 113, DRAM 114, operation unit 115, input / output I / F 116, short-range communication circuit 117, electronic compass 118, gyro sensor 119, acceleration sensor 120, and network I / F 121, etc.

[0060] The image processing unit 104 receives image data output from image sensors 103a and 103b via a parallel I / F bus, performs predetermined processing on each image data, and then combines these image data to create data for an equirectangular projection image (an example of a wide-field image), which will be described later.

[0061] The imaging control unit 105 generally uses the I2C bus to set commands and other information in the registers of the image sensors 103a and 103b, with the imaging control unit 105 acting as the master device and the image sensors 103a and 103b as slave devices. It receives the necessary commands and other information from the CPU 111. The imaging control unit 105 also uses the I2C bus to acquire status data and other information from the registers of the image sensors 103a and 103b and send it to the CPU 111.

[0062] Furthermore, the imaging control unit 105 instructs the image sensors 103a and 103b to output image data when the shutter button on the operation unit 115 is pressed. Depending on the imaging device 10, there may also be functions to display a preview or video on a display (for example, the display of an external terminal such as a smartphone that communicates with the imaging device 10 via a short-range communication circuit 117). In this case, the image data output from the image sensors 103a and 103b is performed continuously at a predetermined frame rate (frames / minute).

[0063] Furthermore, as will be described later, the imaging control unit 105 also functions as a synchronization control means that works in cooperation with the CPU 111 to synchronize the output timing of image data from the image sensors 103a and 103b. In this embodiment, the imaging device 10 is not provided with a display unit, but a display unit may be provided. The microphone 108 converts sound into sound (signal) data. The sound processing unit 109 takes in the sound data output from the microphone 108 through the I / F bus and performs predetermined processing on the sound data.

[0064] The CPU 111 controls the overall operation of the imaging device 10 and executes necessary processing. The ROM 112 stores various programs for the CPU 111. The SRAM 113 and DRAM 114 are work memories that store programs executed by the CPU 111 and data in progress. In particular, the DRAM 114 stores image data in progress of processing by the image processing unit 104 and data of completed equirectangular projection images.

[0065] The control unit 115 is a collective term for various operation buttons, a power switch, a shutter button, and a touch panel that combines display and operation functions. The user inputs various imaging modes, imaging conditions, etc., by operating the control unit 115.

[0066] The input / output interface (I / F) 116 is a general term for interface circuits (such as USB I / F) to external media such as SD cards or personal computers. The I / F 116 can be wireless or wired. The data of the equirectangular projection image stored in the DRAM 114 is recorded to external media via the I / F 116, or transmitted to an external terminal (device) via the I / F 116 as needed.

[0067] The short-range communication circuit 117 communicates with an external terminal (device) via an antenna 117a provided on the imaging device 10 using a short-range wireless communication technology such as NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi. The short-range communication circuit 117 can transmit equirectangular projection image data to the external terminal (device).

[0068] The electronic compass 118 calculates the orientation of the imaging device 10 from the Earth's magnetic field and outputs orientation information. This orientation information is an example of related information (metadata) in accordance with Exif, and is used for image processing such as image correction of captured images. The related information also includes the date and time the image was captured and the data size of the image data.

[0069] The gyro sensor 119 is a sensor that detects changes in angle (roll angle, pitch angle, yaw angle) associated with the movement of the imaging device 10. The changes in angle are an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif, and are used for image processing such as image correction of captured images.

[0070] The acceleration sensor 120 is a sensor that detects acceleration in three axes. The imaging device 10 calculates its own orientation (angle relative to the direction of gravity) based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 120. By providing the acceleration sensor 120, the accuracy of image correction in the imaging device 10 is improved.

[0071] Network I / F 121 is an interface for data communication using a communication network N such as the Internet via a router or the like. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10 is not limited to what is shown here, and any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the imaging device 10 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on the communication network N.

[0072] <<Hardware configuration of the communication terminal>> Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 and the information processing system 50. First, the communication terminal 30 will be described. The hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 is indicated by codes in the 300 series. The communication terminal 30 is built by a computer and, as shown in Figure 4, is equipped with a CPU 301, ROM 302, RAM 303, HDD (Hard Disk) 304, HDD controller 305, display 306, external device connection I / F 308, network I / F 309, bus line 310, keyboard 311, pointing device 312, DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 314, media I / F 316, sound input / output I / F 317, microphone 318, speaker 319, short-range communication circuit 320, and camera 321.

[0073] Of these components, the CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the communication terminal 30. The ROM 302 stores programs used to drive the CPU 301, such as the IPL. The RAM 303 is used as the work area for the CPU 301. The HDD 304 stores various data, such as programs and data. The HDD controller 305 controls the reading or writing of various data to the HDD 304 according to the control of the CPU 301.

[0074] The display 306 displays various information such as cursors, menus, windows, characters, or images. The display 306 may be a touch panel display equipped with input means. Note that the display 306 is just one example of a display unit. The display unit includes not only the display provided on the communication terminal 30, but also an external display of the communication terminal 30, an external display of another communication terminal attached to the communication terminal 30, or a screen projected by a projector (including the object to be displayed by projection mapping).

[0075] The external device connection interface 308 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, external devices include, for example, USB memory or printers. The network interface 309 is an interface for data communication using the communication network N. The bus line 310 is an address bus or data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component, such as the CPU 301 shown in Figure 4. Note that the HDD 304 and HDD controller 305 are examples of storage for storing programs and data, etc., and may be SSDs (Solid State Drives) or SSD controllers, respectively.

[0076] The keyboard 311 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 312 is a type of input means for selecting or executing various instructions, selecting processing targets, or moving a cursor, etc. Note that the input means may not be limited to the keyboard 311 and the pointing device 312, but may also be a touch panel or an audio input device, etc. The DVD-RW drive 314 controls the reading or writing of various data to the DVD-RW 313, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW 313 may be a DVD-R or a Blu-ray® Disc, etc. The media I / F 316 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to the recording medium 315, such as flash memory. The microphone 318 is a type of built-in sound collection means for inputting sound. The sound input / output I / F 317 is a circuit that processes the input and output of sound signals between the microphone 318 and the speaker 319 according to the control of the CPU 301. The short-range communication circuit 320 is a communication circuit for communicating with an external terminal (device) using short-range wireless communication technology such as NFC, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi. The camera 321 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data. Note that the microphone 318, speaker 319, and camera 321 may be external devices rather than being built into the communication terminal 30.

[0077] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 is not limited to that shown herein; any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the communication terminal 30 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on the network N.

[0078] <<Hardware configuration of the information processing system>> As shown in Figure 4, each hardware component of the information processing system 50 is indicated by a 500-series code in parentheses. The information processing system 50 is built using a computer and has a configuration similar to that of the communication terminal 30, as shown in Figure 4; therefore, a description of each hardware component is omitted.

[0079] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the information processing system 50 is not limited to those shown herein; any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the information processing system 50 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on a network.

[0080] Furthermore, each of the above programs may be distributed as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of recording media include CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), SD card, USB memory, etc. The recording media can also be provided domestically or internationally as a program product. For example, the communication terminal 30 realizes the image display method according to the present invention when the program according to the present invention is executed.

[0081] <Regarding wide-field images and viewpoint information> The following section explains how to generate wide-field images (spherical images) using Figures 5 to 12.

[0082] First, the external appearance of the imaging device 10 will be described using Figure 5. The imaging device 10 is a digital camera for obtaining captured images that will form the basis of a 360° spherical image. Figure 5(a) is a left side view of the imaging device, Figure 5(b) is a front view of the imaging device, and Figure 5(c) is a top view of the imaging device. This external view is merely one example of the imaging device 10, and other external appearances are also possible.

[0083] As shown in Figure 5(a), the imaging device 10 is small enough to be held in one hand, but this shape is merely an example, and other shapes are also possible. Also, as shown in Figures 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c), the imaging device 10 has an image sensor 103a on the front side and an image sensor 103b on the back side at the top. These image sensors 103a and 103b are used in conjunction with optical components (for example, lenses 102a and 102b described later) that can capture hemispherical images (angle of view of 180° or more). Also, as shown in Figure 5(b), an operating section 115 such as a shutter button is provided on the side of the imaging device 10 opposite to the front side. As mentioned above, there may be only one image sensor, or there may be three or more.

[0084] Next, the usage of the imaging device 10 will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram of the imaging device in use. As shown in Figure 6, the imaging device 10 is used, for example, to image a subject around the imaging device 10. In this case, two hemispherical images can be obtained by imaging the subject around the imaging device 10 using the image sensors 103a and 103b shown in Figure 5, respectively.

[0085] Next, using Figures 7 and 8, we will outline the process from the image captured by the imaging device 10 to the creation of a full-sphere image. Figure 7(a) shows the hemispherical image (front side) captured by the imaging device, Figure 7(b) shows the hemispherical image (rear side) captured by the imaging device, and Figure 7(c) shows the image represented by equirectangular projection (hereinafter referred to as "equirectangular projection image"). Figure 8(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the sphere is covered by the equirectangular projection image, and Figure 8(b) shows the full-sphere image. The "equirectangular projection image" is an equirectangular full-sphere image as an example of the wide-field image described above.

[0086] As shown in Figure 7(a), the image obtained by the image sensor 103a is a curved hemispherical image (front side) by the lens 102a described later. Similarly, as shown in Figure 7(b), the image obtained by the image sensor 103b is a curved hemispherical image (rear side) by the lens 102b described later. The imaging device 10 then combines the hemispherical image (front side) and the 180-degree inverted hemispherical image (rear side) to create an equirectangular projection image EC as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0087] The imaging device 10 then uses software such as OpenGL ES (Open Graphics Library for Embedded Systems) to overlay an equirectangular projection image EC so that it covers the sphere, as shown in Figure 8(a), and creates a full-sphere image (full-sphere panoramic image) CE as shown in Figure 8(b). In this way, the full-sphere image CE is represented as an image where the equirectangular projection image EC is facing the center of the sphere. OpenGL ES is a graphics library used to visualize 2D (2-Dimensional) and 3D (3-Dimensional) data. OpenGL ES is merely one example of software that performs image processing, and the full-sphere image CE may be created using other software. The full-sphere image CE may be a still image or a video. Here, the imaging device 10 has been described as generating a full-sphere image, but the information processing system 50 or the communication terminal 30 may perform similar image processing or some of the image processing steps.

[0088] As described above, the 360-degree spherical image CE is an image pasted to cover a sphere, which can cause discomfort to the human eye. Therefore, by displaying a predetermined area T (hereinafter referred to as the "predetermined area image") of the 360-degree spherical image CE as a flat image with less curvature in the imaging device 10 or the communication terminal 30, a display that does not cause discomfort to the human eye can be achieved. This will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 10.

[0089] Figure 9 shows the positions of the virtual camera and a predetermined region when the 360-degree spherical image is treated as a three-dimensional sphere. The virtual camera IC corresponds to the position of the virtual viewpoint of the user viewing the 360-degree spherical image CE, which is displayed as a three-dimensional sphere. In Figure 10, (a) is a stereoscopic perspective view of Figure 9, (b) is a diagram showing the predetermined region image in the state of (a) displayed on the screen, (c) is a diagram showing the predetermined region after changing the viewpoint of the virtual camera IC in (a), and (d) is a diagram showing the predetermined region image in the state of (c) displayed on the screen.

[0090] If the resulting spherical image CE is considered a solid sphere CS, then, as shown in Figure 9, the virtual camera IC is located inside the spherical image CE. A predetermined region T in the spherical image CE is the imaging region of the virtual camera IC and is identified by predetermined region information indicating the imaging direction and field of view of the virtual camera IC in the three-dimensional virtual space containing the spherical image CE. Furthermore, zooming in on the predetermined region T can also be represented by moving the virtual camera IC closer to or further away from the spherical image CE. The predetermined region image Q is an image of the predetermined region T in the spherical image CE. Therefore, the predetermined region T can be identified by the field of view α and the distance f from the virtual camera IC to the spherical image CE (see Figure 11).

[0091] Then, the predetermined region image Q shown in Figure 10(a) is displayed on a predetermined display as an image of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC, as shown in Figure 10(b). The image shown in Figure 10(b) is a predetermined region image represented by the predetermined region information that has been initially set (default). The following explanation will use the imaging direction (ea, aa) and field of view (α) of the virtual camera IC. Note that the predetermined region T may be represented by the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC, which is the predetermined region T, rather than by the field of view α and distance f.

[0092] Furthermore, when the virtual viewpoint of the virtual camera IC is moved (also called "changed") to the right (left side in the drawing) from the state shown in Figure 10(a) to the state shown in Figure 10(c), a predetermined region T in the 360-degree image CE is moved to a predetermined region T' accordingly, and the predetermined region image Q displayed on the predetermined display is changed to a predetermined region image Q'. As a result, the image shown in Figure 10(b) is changed to the image shown in Figure 10(d) on the display.

[0093] Next, we will explain the relationship between the predetermined region information and the image of the predetermined region T using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the predetermined region information and the image of the predetermined region T. As shown in Figure 11, "ea" is the elevation angle, "aa" is the azimuth angle, and "α" is the field of view (Angle). That is, the orientation of the virtual camera IC is changed so that the point of fixation of the virtual camera IC, indicated by the imaging direction (ea,aa), becomes the center point CP(x,y) of the predetermined region T, which is the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC. As shown in Figure 11, the center point CP(x,y) when the diagonal field of view of the predetermined region T, represented by the field of view α of the virtual camera IC, is α becomes the parameter ((x,y)) of the predetermined region information. The predetermined region image Q is the image of the predetermined region T in the 360-degree spherical image CE. f is the distance from the virtual camera IC to the center point CP(x,y). L is the distance between any vertex of a given region T and the center point CP(x,y) (2L is the diagonal). In Figure 11, the following trigonometric function generally holds:

[0094]

number

[0095] Figure 12 shows the relationship described in Figure 11 as a point in a three-dimensional Euclidean space using spherical coordinates. Here, the position coordinates of the center point CP shown in Figure 11, expressed in spherical polar coordinates, are (r,θ,φ). (r,θ,φ) are the radial, polar angle, and azimuth angle, respectively. The radial r is the distance from the origin of the three-dimensional virtual space containing the full-sphere image to the center point CP, and is therefore equal to the distance f shown in Figure 11. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating these relationships. Hereafter, the position coordinates (r,θ,φ) of the virtual camera IC will be used as an example of viewpoint information for explanation. The viewpoint information only needs to be parameter information that can identify a predetermined region T (predetermined region image Q) that is displayed as an image of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC on the predetermined display shown in Figure 10, as described above, and includes the coordinates of the diagonal vertices of the predetermined region T. Alternatively, the information indicating the field of view α of the virtual camera IC and the information indicating the center point CP(x,y) described in Figure 11 may also be considered as viewpoint information. Furthermore, the information indicating the field of view α and azimuth angle aa of the virtual camera IC described in Figure 11 may also be considered viewpoint information. In addition, viewpoint information may include not only position coordinate information in spherical coordinates, but also position coordinate information in orthogonal coordinates and coordinate difference values ​​from the initially set (default) predetermined area information. Furthermore, viewpoint information may also include information other than coordinate information, such as angles and distances, as shown in Figure 11. In addition, although the center point of the predetermined area T is used as the reference in Figures 11 and 12, the predetermined area T may also be identified by parameter information based on any of the vertices of the predetermined area T. Note that in the above explanation of viewpoint information, the case where the wide-field image is a 360-degree spherical image was used as an example, but in the case of other wide-field images, the information that identifies the predetermined area T in that wide-field image will be the viewpoint information. Furthermore, viewpoint information may include parameter information such as the height and width of the predetermined area T, and parameter information such as the magnification ratio due to the zoom of the virtual camera IC. Furthermore, if the position of each pixel in the equirectangular projection image EC, as shown in Figure 7(c), is associated with the coordinates of the surface of the sphere (for example, coordinates with two axes: latitude and longitude), then parameter information such as the direction and field of view of the virtual camera IC may be used as viewpoint information, or information such as latitude and longitude may be included in the viewpoint information. Thus, viewpoint information is not necessarily limited to information that indicates a point.

[0096] <About the features> Next, the functional configuration of the communication system 1a according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication system 1a according to this embodiment. In Figure 13, the terminals, devices, and servers shown in Figure 1 that are related to the processing or operation described later are shown.

[0097] <<Functional Configuration of Imaging Device>> First, the functional configuration of the imaging device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 13. The imaging device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a reception unit 12, an imaging processing unit 13, an analysis unit 14, a registration request unit 15, a connection unit 16, a storage processing unit 17, an image transmission control unit 18, and a storage / reading unit 19. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 3 operating according to instructions from the CPU 111 that follow a program deployed on the SRAM 113 or DRAM 114. The imaging device 10 also has a storage unit 1000 constructed from a ROM 112, etc., as shown in Figure 3.

[0098] The communication unit 11 is primarily implemented by the processing of the short-range communication circuit 117 by the CPU 101, and has the function of connecting to the communication network N using wireless communication means such as Wi-Fi to send and receive various data or information with other devices. In this embodiment, the connection unit 16 mainly transmits the wide-field image acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 to the information processing system 50, but it is also possible for the communication unit 11 to transmit the wide-field image to the information processing system 50.

[0099] The reception unit 12 is primarily implemented by the processing performed by the CPU 101 on the operation unit 115, and its function is to receive user input for the imaging device 10. The reception unit 12 receives user input such as power on / off, shutter button on / off (start or stop transmission of wide-field images), and input from the touch panel or buttons.

[0100] The imaging processing unit 13 is primarily implemented by the CPU 101's processing of the image processing unit 104, and captures images of subjects, landscapes, etc., and acquires (generates) the captured images. The captured images acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 may be videos or still images (or both), and may include sound along with the image. The imaging processing unit 13 also captures, for example, a two-dimensional code (see Figure 20) displayed on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. Furthermore, the imaging processing unit 13 may generate a wide-field image by performing the image processing described in Figures 7 and 8 on the captured image.

[0101] The analysis unit 14 is mainly implemented by the CPU 101 and analyzes the two-dimensional code captured and acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 to extract the information contained in the two-dimensional code (URL for registering the imaging device with the tenant, temporary ID and password).

[0102] The registration request unit 15 is mainly implemented by the CPU 101 and uses the information contained in the two-dimensional code read by the analysis unit 14 to send a request to the information processing system 50 via the communication unit 11 to register the imaging device 10 as a tenant of the information processing system 50.

[0103] The connection section 16 is primarily implemented by the processing of the input / output interface 116 by the CPU 101, and has the function of receiving power supply from the communication terminal 30A and performing data communication.

[0104] The storage processing unit 17 is mainly implemented by the CPU 101 and performs the process of saving wide-field images captured in response to imaging requests from any location to a URL (e.g., storage 90) notified by the information processing system 50.

[0105] The image transmission control unit 18 is primarily implemented by the CPU 101 and controls the transmission of wide-field images to the information processing system 50. For example, the image transmission control unit 18 transmits captured images acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 to the information processing system 50 periodically or in response to user input if they are still images, or at a predetermined FPS (Frames Per Second) if they are videos. The image transmission control unit 18 also switches between the communication unit 11 and the connection unit 16.

[0106] The storage / reading unit 19 is mainly implemented by the CPU 101 and has the function of storing various data in the storage unit 1000 or reading various data from the storage unit 1000. The storage unit 1000 also stores the image capture data acquired by the image capture processing unit 13, the image capture device ID, etc. The image capture data stored in the storage unit 1000 may be deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was acquired by the image capture processing unit 13, or it may be deleted when data has been transmitted to the information processing system 50.

[0107] Furthermore, the imaging device 10 has an application (also called a plug-in) installed to support the communication system 1a. This application is used when associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room and when receiving control from external sources. Some of the functions shown in Figure 13 (for example, the registration request unit 15) are provided by this application. Alternatively, the application for supporting the communication system 1a may be placed on the communication network N, and the same functions may be achieved by accessing the application using a web browser or the like on the imaging device 10.

[0108] <<Communication terminal function configuration>> Next, the functional configuration of the communication terminal 30 will be explained using Figure 13. The communication terminal 30 includes a communication unit 31, a reception unit 32, a display control unit 33, an imaging unit 34, a recording unit 35, a storage / reading unit 39, a connection unit 36, and a screen generation unit 37. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 4 operating according to instructions from the CPU 301 following a program (which may be a web browser or a dedicated application) deployed on the RAM 303. The communication terminal 30 also has a storage unit 3000 constructed from the ROM 302 or recording medium 315 shown in Figure 4.

[0109] The communication unit 31 is primarily implemented by the processing performed by the CPU 301 on the network interface 309, and has the function of connecting to the communication network N and sending and receiving various data or information with other devices.

[0110] The reception unit 32 is mainly implemented by the processing of the keyboard 311 and pointing device 312 by the CPU 301, and has the function of receiving various selections or operation inputs to the communication terminal 30. The display control unit 33 has the function of displaying wide-field images, normal-angle images, and various screens on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. The communication terminal 30 may also be equipped with a touch panel, gesture, or voice input interface, and in such cases, various selections or operation inputs may be received by touch input, gesture, or voice input.

[0111] The display control unit 33 is mainly implemented by the processing of the CPU 301, and for example, it displays a two-dimensional code transmitted from the information processing system 50 on the display 306. The two-dimensional code is, for example, QR code (registered trademark), DataMatrix (DataCode), MaxiCode, or PDF417. The two-dimensional code may also be a barcode.

[0112] The imaging unit 34 is mainly implemented by the processing performed by the CPU 301 on the camera 321, and captures images of the subject and its surroundings.

[0113] The recording unit 35 is implemented by the processing of the CPU 301, and after receiving wide-field image data related to video distributed from the information processing system 50 at the communication unit 31, it records the data and saves the recorded data to the storage unit 3000 via the storage / reading unit 39.

[0114] The connection section 36 is primarily realized by the processing performed by the CPU 301 on the short-range communication circuit 320, and its function is to supply power to the imaging device 10 and to perform data communication.

[0115] The screen generation unit 37 is implemented primarily by the processing of the CPU 301 through a viewing application ("viewing app"), and generates (creates) thumbnail images of predetermined regions indicated by each viewpoint information. It is not necessary to install the viewing app in advance; the communication terminal may have pre-installed functionality equivalent to that of the image generation unit 37, or the communication terminal may execute the functions of the image generation unit 37 by receiving a program with functionality equivalent to that of the viewing app from the information processing system or other servers when entering a virtual room. Furthermore, the viewing app on the communication terminal may be implemented using a web browser.

[0116] The storage / reading unit 39 is mainly executed by the CPU 301 and has the function of storing various data in the storage unit 3000 or reading various data from the storage unit 3000. The storage unit 3000 has an image management information storage unit 3001. The image management information storage unit 3001 will be explained in the description of the information processing system 50.

[0117] <<Functional Configuration of the Information Processing System>> Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system 50 will be described. The information processing system 50 includes a communication unit 51, a screen generation unit 52, an association processing unit 53, an image distribution unit 54, an authentication unit 55, a communication group management unit 56, a communication control unit 57, a connection management unit 58, a storage / reading unit 59, and an API management unit 60. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 4 operating according to instructions from the CPU 501 in accordance with a program deployed on the RAM 503. The information processing system also includes a storage unit 5000 constructed from a ROM 502, HDD 504, or recording media 515, as shown in Figure 4.

[0118] The communication unit 51 primarily performs the function of sending and receiving various data or information with other devices via the communication network N, which is processed by the CPU 501 for the network interface 509.

[0119] The screen generation unit 52 is mainly implemented by the CPU 501 and generates screen information to be displayed by the communication terminal 30. When the communication terminal 30 runs a web application, the screen information is created using HTML, XML, CSS (Cascade Style Sheet), and JavaScript (registered trademark), etc. When the communication terminal 30 runs a native application, the screen information is held by the communication terminal 30, and the information to be displayed is transmitted in XML, etc. The screen generation unit 52 generates screen information on which wide-field images, etc., distributed by the image distribution unit 54 via the communication unit 51 are placed.

[0120] The association processing unit 53 is mainly implemented by the CPU 501 and controls the association and sharing of viewpoint information for wide-field images. When the association processing unit 53 receives viewpoint information and an imaging request from the communication terminal 30, it requests imaging from the imaging device 10 and performs processing to associate the acquired wide-field image with the viewpoint information. Furthermore, the associated wide-field image and viewpoint information are stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 by the storage / reading unit 59. The association processing unit 53 also transmits storage location information (e.g., URL) to the communication terminal 30 as information indicating the storage location where the associated wide-field image and viewpoint information are stored. Note that the information processing system 50 does not need to receive viewpoint information and an imaging request from the communication terminal 30 simultaneously; it may receive them separately and then perform the association processing. Also, URL is just one example of storage location information indicating a storage location, and other formats such as URI may be used.

[0121] The image distribution unit 54 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and distributes images such as wide-field images transmitted by the imaging device 10, which is associated with the same virtual room, to the communication terminal 30 operated by the user who is in the virtual room, via the communication unit 51. Images of the normal field of view captured by the camera of the communication terminal 30 or connected cameras 8 and 9 are also distributed in the same manner. The distributed images include streaming video, video, still images, etc.

[0122] The authentication unit 55 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and performs authentication of the requester based on the authentication request received by the communication unit 51. The authentication unit 55 authenticates the user, for example, by determining whether the authentication information (user ID and password) included in the authentication request received by the communication unit 51 matches pre-held authentication information. The authentication information may include the card number of an IC card, biometric authentication information such as a face, fingerprint or voiceprint, device ID, passcode, access token, security key, ticket, etc. The authentication unit 55 may also authenticate using an external authentication system or authentication method such as OAuth. Furthermore, the authentication unit 55 may authenticate not only users but also devices such as imaging devices.

[0123] The communication group management unit 56 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and manages the entry of communication terminals 30 and users into virtual rooms, as well as the mapping of devices. When authentication by the authentication unit 55 is successful, the communication group management unit 56 registers the user ID and the IP address of the communication terminal 30 in the virtual room information storage unit 5002, and associates the imaging device 10 with the virtual room.

[0124] The communication control unit 57 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and manages the initiation, establishment, and termination of communication with the imaging device 10 associated with each virtual room. The communication control unit 57 also manages the initiation, establishment, and termination of communication for distributing wide-field images and audio in response to communication terminals 30 entering or leaving virtual rooms.

[0125] The connection management unit 58 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and manages the communications (connections) established between the communication terminal 30 and the imaging device 10 and the information processing system 50, associating them with virtual rooms.

[0126] The API management unit 60 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and manages APIs used by platform subscribers when providing wide-field image distribution services. When using APIs, platform subscribers only need to develop separate software to call the APIs. The developed software may run on a server or on a client such as a communication terminal. Any function provided by the information processing system 50, such as the image distribution unit 54, association processing unit 53, and communication control unit 57, can be provided as an API. It is also possible to provide functions added to the information processing system 50 later as APIs. Whether or not to provide an API is determined by the communication terminal operated by the platform provider accessing the information processing system 50 and accepting the API disclosure setting, allowing the API management unit 60 to control the API based on the disclosure setting. The API management unit 60 may also perform authentication processing to verify whether the requesting software requesting the API call is software developed by a legitimate platform subscriber. Authentication processing can be performed by comparing information pre-registered and stored as platform subscriber information in the storage unit 5000 with information transmitted from the requesting software.

[0127] As a specific example of the authentication process, the information processing system 50 receives an application ID, which has been previously issued by the API management unit 60, from the requesting software to the software developed by the platform subscriber. If the API management unit 60 determines that the application ID is stored in the storage unit 5000, the API management unit 60 performs control to permit the provision of the API as legitimate software. On the other hand, if it cannot determine that the software is legitimate, the API management unit 60 performs control to deny permission to provide the API.

[0128] The app ID is just one example of authentication information used to determine legitimacy, and the API management unit 60 may verify the legitimacy of the requester using authentication information such as an access token, ticket, security key, password, or PIN code issued in advance by the API management unit 60 of the information processing system or an external system. In this embodiment, the form in which the functions provided by the information processing system 50 are used as an API is not described, but the processing flow is the same except that the software such as an application developed by the platform subscriber uses the functions provided by the information processing system 50 via a decision made by the API management unit 60.

[0129] The memory / read unit 59 is primarily implemented by the CPU 501 and has the function of storing various data in the memory unit 5000 or reading various data from the memory unit 5000.

[0130] "Image Management Information Storage Unit 5001" The memory unit 5000 includes an image management information memory unit 5001. Figure 14(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the image management information stored in the image management information memory unit 5001. The image management information memory unit 5001 stores image management information as shown in Figure 14. Image management information is information for managing wide-field images captured in response to an imaging request, and when a user sends an imaging request from the communication terminal 30, one record of image management information is generated. The items contained in the image management information will be explained below.

[0131] The data ID for a wide-field image is identification information used to identify the data of the wide-field image. The data ID is assigned by the information processing system 50. ID is an abbreviation for Identification and means identifier or identification information. An ID is a name, code, string, number, or a combination of one or more of these used to uniquely distinguish a particular object from multiple objects. Note that the data ID may be associated not only with wide-field images, but also with images captured at a normal field of view by the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room.

[0132] The data name is the name of the wide-field image set by the user of the communication terminal 30. The data name can be set by the user, but it may also be set automatically.

[0133] The imaging start date and time information is information used to identify the start date and time of imaging of a wide-field image or other image, such as the date and time when the user entered an imaging request into the communication terminal 30, or the date and time when the imaging device 10 captured an image such as a wide-field image. The imaging start date and time information may be substituted with the timestamp information of the image such as a wide-field image.

[0134] The imager information is the identification information (including user ID and username) of the user who entered the imaging request into the communication terminal 30. Since the user enters the imaging request into the communication terminal 30 while inside the virtual room, the user registered in the imager information is identified by authentication to the information processing system 50 or the virtual room. The imager information is transmitted to the information processing system 50 along with the imaging request. Note that the imaging request and the imager information do not necessarily have to be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at the same time; they may be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at different times.

[0135] The imaging device information is the identification information (imaging device ID) of the imaging device 10 that captured the wide-field image. The imaging device ID is assigned by the information processing system 50 and shared with the imaging device 10, but information unique to the imaging device 10, such as a MAC address or serial number, may also be used. The imaging device ID is transmitted to the information processing system 50 along with the wide-field image. Note that the imaging device ID and the wide-field image do not necessarily have to be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at the same time; they may be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at different times.

[0136] The virtual room ID used during imaging is the identification information of the virtual room to which the imaging device 10 is associated.

[0137] The storage location information for wide-field image data (storage location information) is information indicating where the wide-field image is stored, such as a URL or file path. The storage location identified by the storage location information may also be information indicating a predetermined folder. The folder may be a folder associated with the virtual room used during imaging. Alternatively, it may be a folder associated with identification information (additional information such as a name) indicating one or more combinations of classifications such as the date and time of imaging, imaging device, imager, and virtual room used during imaging. Furthermore, the storage location information of the data may be combined with information such as the data ID and data name to identify the storage location of the data.

[0138] The participant ID is an example of user identification information used to identify users who participated in a virtual room, which is identified by the virtual room ID at the time of filming.

[0139] Figure 14(b) is a conceptual diagram showing image management information as a modified version of Figure 14(a). In Figure 14(b), wide-field images with the same virtual room ID at the time of acquisition are stored. In this way, image management information may be classified by virtual room.

[0140] "Virtual Room Information Storage Unit 5002" A virtual room information storage unit 5002 is constructed within the memory unit 5000. Figure 15(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. The virtual room information storage unit 5002 stores virtual room information as shown in Figure 15(a). Virtual room information is information about a virtual room and is maintained for each virtual room. The items contained in the virtual room information will be explained below. Note that although virtual rooms are registered with tenants here, registration with tenants is not mandatory, and information on temporarily created virtual rooms and virtual rooms that can be used for sharing is also stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0141] The virtual room ID is identification information that identifies the virtual room. In this embodiment, virtual rooms can be created at the user's discretion.

[0142] The virtual room name is a name used by users to identify a virtual room and can be set by the user at will. The virtual room ID and virtual room name may be the same information.

[0143] The device information is the identification information (device ID) of the device, including the imaging device 10, which is associated with the virtual room.

[0144] The user currently in the virtual room is the user ID of the user currently in the virtual room. This user is able to view images such as wide-field images distributed to the virtual room entrants. The method of entering the room will be described later. In addition, the user ID may be associated with the IP address of the communication terminal 30 operated by that user. In addition, the username may be associated with and stored as the user ID.

[0145] "Tenant Information Storage Unit 5003" A tenant information storage unit 5003 is constructed within the storage unit 5000. Figure 15(b) is a conceptual diagram showing the tenant information stored in the tenant information storage unit 5003. The tenant information storage unit 5003 stores tenant information as shown in Figure 15(b). Tenant information is information about tenants (user groups) and is maintained for each tenant. The items contained in the tenant information will be explained below. Note that various other information is registered in the tenant information, such as user information, and Figure 15(b) is only a part of it. • The tenant ID is identification information that identifies the tenant. The tenant name is a name used by users to identify the tenant. Note that the tenant ID and tenant name may be the same information. The tenant registration virtual room ID is the identification information for the virtual room registered with the tenant. • Tenant registration devices are information about devices registered with the tenant. Furthermore, the tenant information storage unit, tenant ID, tenant name, tenant registration virtual room ID, and tenant registration device can be rephrased as the user group information storage unit, user group ID, user group name, user group registration virtual room ID, and user group registration device, respectively.

[0146] "Perspective-related information storage unit 5004" A viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004 is constructed within the memory unit 5000. Figure 16 is a conceptual diagram showing the viewpoint-related information stored in the viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004. The viewpoint-related information is associated with the wide-field image data ID, participant ID, viewing start date and time information, and location information for the viewpoint information. Note that the wide-field image data ID and participant ID have the same meaning as the items with the same names in the image management information in Figure 14.

[0147] The viewing start date and time information indicates the date and time when viewing of a new designated area image began, after the default (initialized) designated area image being viewed at each location was changed from the wide-field image being streamed during recording. Note that instead of the viewing start date and time, information indicating the elapsed playback time for a single video may also be used.

[0148] The viewpoint information retention time information is information that indicates the location where viewpoint information is stored to identify a predetermined area viewed at the date and time indicated by the viewing start date and time information of the same record, and is such as a URL or file path.

[0149] The viewpoint-related information shown in Figure 16 allows for recording which communication terminal 30 (user) at which location changed the image to a desired predetermined area image and displayed (viewed) it, and from when, with respect to a predetermined wide-field image.

[0150] <Entering a virtual room using a communication terminal> Next, referring to Figures 17 and 18, the process of user b entering the virtual room will be explained. It is assumed that the imaging device 10 has already been associated with the virtual room, and that the communication terminal 30A has transmitted wide-field images and normal-angle images to the information processing system 50 (the association of the imaging device 10 with the virtual room will be explained in Figure 19 and later). Furthermore, in the following explanation, there will be no particular distinction made between user b entering the virtual room and the communication terminal 30B operated by user b entering the virtual room.

[0151] Figure 17 shows an example of a screen displayed by the communication terminal 30B when user b enters a virtual room. Figure 17(a) is an example of the entry screen 200. Prior to the display of the entry screen 200, user b is logged into the information processing system 50. Logging in identifies the tenant to which user b belongs. Virtual rooms are associated with tenants. User b displays a list of virtual rooms associated with the tenant on the communication terminal 30B (see Figure 22) and selects a virtual room to enter from the list. Figure 17(a) is the entry screen 200 for the virtual room selected by user b in this way. Note that temporarily created virtual rooms or shared virtual rooms not associated with a tenant may also be displayed on the screen in Figure 17(a).

[0152] Alternatively, the creator of the virtual room may request the information processing system 50 to issue a URL corresponding to the virtual room and send this URL to user b via email or other means. When user b clicks the URL displayed on the communication terminal 30B, the communication terminal 30B displays the room entry screen 200 shown in Figure 17(a).

[0153] The entry screen 200 has a virtual room name 201, a participant name input field 202, and an entry button 203. The virtual room name 201 is the same as the one stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. The participant name input field 202 is a field for entering the username to be displayed in the virtual room, which may be a nickname or other designation for user b. When user b logs in, the username associated with user b's user ID is identified, and this identified username may be displayed automatically. The entry button 203 is a button for user b to request entry into the virtual room.

[0154] Furthermore, authentication for entering the virtual room may be required separately from the tenant login process.

[0155] Figure 17(b) shows the image viewing screen 210 displayed by the communication terminal 30B when user b enters the virtual room. In the image viewing screen 210 of Figure 17(b), the imaging device 10 has already started distributing wide-field images via the information processing system 50, and the communication terminal 30A has already started distributing images with a normal field of view. Therefore, the image viewing screen 210 has a first image section 211 and a second image section 212. The first image section 211 displays the wide-field image, and the second image section 212 displays the image with a normal field of view. If there are three or more locations transmitting images, the image viewing screen 210 is divided according to the number of transmitting locations.

[0156] The first image field 211 displays a wide-field image mark 213. The wide-field image mark 213 is set by the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 when it determines that the image to be displayed in the first image field 211 is a wide-field image. The communication terminal 30B may also determine and display it. By seeing the wide-field image mark 213, user b can understand that a wide-field image that allows the viewpoint to be changed is being delivered. In addition, the first image field 211 displays the device name 214 (transmitted from the imaging device 10 along with the wide-field image). The device name 214 is information set by user a, etc., as will be described later (see Figure 20).

[0157] The second image field 212 displays the participant name 215. The participant name 215 is a username, and the participant name of a user who has already entered the room (in this case, user a has already entered, so "AAA" entered by user a in the participant name input field 202) is displayed in the participant name input field 202.

[0158] Figure 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process by which user b (or communication terminal 30B) enters a virtual room.

[0159] S1: First, user b at site B performs an operation to display the virtual room list screen. The communication terminal 30B has previously accessed the information processing system 50 in response to the operation by user b and has received virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002 for displaying the virtual room list screen from the information processing system 50. At this time, the communication terminal 30B may be authenticated by the authentication unit 55 of the information processing system 50 by sending authentication information necessary for login, etc., to the information processing system 50. The authentication information may be authentication information associated with user b or authentication information associated with the communication terminal 30B. In such cases, the virtual rooms displayed on the list screen may be virtual rooms registered in the tenant associated with user b or virtual rooms registered in the tenant associated with the communication terminal 30B. When the reception unit 32 receives the operation to display the list screen, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B displays the selection screen on the display 306.

[0160] S2: When user b selects a virtual room selection button, the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30B accepts the selection of the virtual room. The display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B displays the room entry screen 200 shown in Figure 17(a) on the display 306.

[0161] S3: User b enters the required information and presses the enter button 203. Upon receiving the press from the reception unit 32, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B sends an entry request to the information processing system 50. This entry request includes information such as the virtual room ID indicating the virtual room selected in step S2, the user ID of user b authenticated by login, etc., and the IP address of the requesting terminal, communication terminal 30B. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the entry request.

[0162] S4: The communication group management unit 56 registers the user ID and IP address authenticated through login, etc., in the virtual room information identified by the virtual room ID in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0163] S5: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 then sends a response to the communication terminal 30B indicating that it has entered the room. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B receives the response indicating that it has entered the room. Following step S5, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B receives the screen information generated by the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 and the image information distributed by the image distribution unit 54, and displays the image viewing screen 210 shown in Figure 17(b) based on the received information.

[0164] <Assigning imaging equipment to rooms> Next, the mapping of the imaging device 10 to the virtual room will be explained with reference to Figures 19 to 26. Note that the mapping of the imaging device 10 to the virtual room will be explained assuming that user a at site A performs this task, but it may also be performed by a system administrator, tenant administrator, etc.

[0165] Figure 19 shows an example of a device registration screen 220 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. User a is authenticated by logging into the information processing system 50. Logging in identifies the tenant to which user a belongs. User a requests the information processing system 50 to display the device registration screen 220, and the communication terminal 30A displays the device registration screen 220 received from the information processing system 50. The device is first registered with the tenant via the device registration screen 220.

[0166] The device registration screen 220 has buttons for registering an imaging device 221, a VR goggles 222, and smart glasses 223. Buttons are provided for each type of device because there are differences in the presence or absence of a camera, the information used for registration, etc. Furthermore, since devices are registered according to their type, the information processing system 50 can also determine the type of device.

[0167] The imaging device registration button 221 is for user a to register the imaging device 10, the VR goggles registration button 222 is for registering the VR goggles 89, and the smart glasses registration button 223 is for registering the smart glasses 88.

[0168] Figure 20 shows an example of a screen displayed when the imaging device registration button 221 is pressed. Figure 20(a) shows the imaging device registration dialog 230. The imaging device registration dialog 230 has a name field 231 for the imaging device 10, a description field 232, and a next button 233. User a sets an arbitrary name in the name field 231 for the imaging device 10 so that it is clear that it is the imaging device 10 to be registered, and sets a description in the description field 232.

[0169] When user a presses the next button 233, the communication terminal 30A requests a two-dimensional code from the information processing system 50, and the communication terminal 30A displays the two-dimensional code.

[0170] Figure 20(b) shows an example of a two-dimensional code screen 240 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. The two-dimensional code screen 240 contains a message 241 stating, "Please scan the following two-dimensional code to register the device named XX (the name entered in the name field)," and a two-dimensional code 242. User a scans the two-dimensional code 242 with the imaging device 10 that they wish to register. The two-dimensional code 242 contains authentication information necessary for registration, such as the URL to which the imaging device 10 connects for its own registration, and a temporary ID and password.

[0171] When user a scans the two-dimensional code 242 with the imaging device 10, the imaging device 10 connects to a URL and is authenticated with a temporary ID and password. If authentication is successful, the official imaging device ID is exchanged, and the name, description, and imaging device ID of the imaging device 10 are registered with the tenant. The imaging device 10 also retains this imaging device ID, name, and description. The imaging device 10 registered with the tenant is associated with a virtual room according to the operations of user a, as described later. Note that the two-dimensional code 242 is just one example of code information; any code with similar authentication information embedded may be used, and other forms of codes such as barcodes may also be used.

[0172] Next, with reference to Figure 21, an example of how to register communication terminals such as VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88 to a tenant will be explained. Figure 21 is an example of the VR goggles registration screen 250 that is displayed when the VR goggles registration button 222 is pressed. The VR goggles registration screen 250 has a temporary code input field 251 and a secret input field 252.

[0173] If the VR goggles 89 do not have a camera, they cannot capture the QR code. For this reason, user a may have the VR goggles 89 output (display) a temporary code (temporary ID) and a secret (password), and enter them into the temporary code input field 251 and the secret input field 252. The communication terminal 30A registers the VR goggles 89 with the tenant by transmitting the temporary code and secret to the information processing system 50. The VR goggles 89 connects to the information processing system 50 and receives authentication by transmitting the temporary code and secret. If authentication is successful, a formal VR goggle ID is exchanged, and the VR goggle ID is registered with the tenant. The VR goggles 89 also holds this VR goggle ID. The VR goggles 89 registered with the tenant is associated with a virtual room according to the operation of user a, which will be described later. The smart glasses 88 will be explained in detail later, but user a can register them in the same way as the imaging device 10 or the VR goggles 89. Note that the temporary code and secret are just examples of authentication information, and other information may be used as authentication information. The imaging device ID, VR goggles ID, and smart glasses ID are examples of device IDs and can therefore be referred to simply as "device ID." Thus, when registering devices other than the imaging device 10, VR goggles, and smart glasses, the same procedure can be used to associate the device ID with virtual rooms and tenants. The device ID may also be identification information linked to the device owner.

[0174] Figure 22 shows an example of a virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 for associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room. The screen configuration can be the same for VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88. The virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 has a virtual room list 261. The virtual room list 261 displays individual virtual room fields 262 to 264 based on the virtual rooms created in the tenant. Each individual virtual room field 262 to 264 has a link issuance button 265, an entry button 266, a settings button 267, and a virtual room name 268. The link issuance button 265 is a button for issuing a link to the virtual room (URL for invitation) and a passcode. The entry button 266 is a button for user a to enter the virtual room. The settings button 267 is a button for associating the imaging device 10 with the virtual room. The virtual room name 268 is the same as that stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. Therefore, user a presses the settings button 267. Pressing the settings button 267 causes the communication terminal 30A to display the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270.

[0175] Additionally, if a device is already associated with a virtual room, the device name 269 will be displayed in the individual virtual room section (individual virtual room section 264 in the diagram).

[0176] Figure 23 shows an example of the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270. Note that the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 is displayed as a pop-up on the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260. The screen transition from the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 to the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 does not go through the information processing system 50, but a screen transition that does go through the information processing system 50 is also possible.

[0177] The virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 has the name 271 of the imaging device 10 currently (already) mapped to the virtual room (not yet registered, so not shown in the diagram), a connection button 272, and a storage button 273. The connection button 272 is a button that displays a list of devices registered in the tenant as mapping candidates for mapping a device to a virtual room. The storage button 273 is a button that displays a list of storage 90s that store wide-field images and normal-angle images captured by the imaging device 10 mapped to the virtual room. The list of storage 90s may include not only a list of storage 90s mapped to the virtual room, but also a list of specific storage locations such as folders on the storage 90. By selecting a predetermined storage 90 or a specific storage location such as a folder on the storage 90, the storage 90 can be mapped to the virtual room. The information of the storage 90 mapped in this way (address information for accessing the storage 90 and storage locations such as folders on the storage 90) can be stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002 in association with the virtual room ID. When the connect button 272 is pressed, the communication terminal 30A displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 3).

[0178] The communication terminal 30A transmits the virtual room ID to the information processing system 50 and obtains the name of the device registered in the tenant where the virtual room is created (including the device ID, etc.), and the name of the device associated with the virtual room (including the device ID, etc.).

[0179] Figure 24 shows an example of the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280. The virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 has the name 281 of the imaging device 10 currently (already) mapped to the virtual room, a list of additional devices 282, and a save button 283. User a selects a device from the list of additional devices 282 that they want to map to the virtual room and presses the save button 283. This maps the device to the virtual room (the device ID, such as the imaging device ID, is registered in the virtual room information storage unit 5002). Note that, as shown in Figure 24, the number of imaging devices that can be mapped to a virtual room may be limited. For example, if the upper limit is two devices, the number of remaining devices that can be registered may be displayed on the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) by referring to the number of imaging device IDs already registered in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0180] <Processing to initiate transmission of wide-field images to the imaging device> With the above steps, devices such as the imaging device 10 are associated with the virtual room, but user a needs to initiate image transmission to the device.

[0181] For the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88, user a can turn image transmission on and off by operating the device itself. This is because currently, there is no dedicated application running on the communication system 1a for the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88. If a dedicated application were running on the communication system 1a for the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88, user a would be able to remotely turn image transmission on and off.

[0182] In the case of the imaging device 10, if the application is enabled, user a can enter the virtual room and turn the transmission of wide-field images on or off from the menu.

[0183] Figure 25 shows an example of a wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. The wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 is displayed as a pop-up on the image viewing screen 210. Assume that user a has entered a virtual room associated with the imaging device 10 by operating the communication terminal 30A. The wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 displays the name 292 of the imaging device 10 associated with this virtual room. A toggle button 291 is displayed near the name 292, and user a can operate the toggle button 291 to turn on (start transmission) or off (stop transmission) the transmission of wide-field images by the imaging device 10. Note that the method of setting on or off using the toggle button is just one example, and it is sufficient if it can be set according to user input. For example, it may be set by selecting radio buttons or predetermined icons, or by menu operation. Alternatively, the transmission of wide-field images may start automatically after the imaging device 10 enters the room, without requiring user operation. Alternatively, certain conditions such as the date and time, the number of users who entered the room, or whether a specific user participated may be predetermined, and the transmission of wide-field images may begin when it is determined that these conditions have been met.

[0184] The communication terminal 30A transmits transmission control setting information to the information processing system 50 by operating the toggle button 291. The information processing system 50 transmits a transmission start request or a transmission stop request to the imaging device 10 according to the transmission control setting information.

[0185] Figure 25(a) shows the state where the toggle button 291 is set to OFF. Therefore, the wide-field image is not displayed in Figure 25(a). On the other hand, in Figure 25(a), when the communication terminal 30A enters the room, the image of the normal field of view captured by the camera 9 of the communication terminal 30A has already been shared and is displayed on the image viewing screen 210.

[0186] Figure 25(b) shows the state where the toggle button 291 is set to ON. When the toggle button 291 is turned ON, the information processing system 50 sends a transmission start request to the imaging device 10, and the imaging device 10 starts transmitting the wide-field image. As a result, two images are shared in one virtual room, and the image viewing screen 210 is divided into two. Also, when the setting is changed from ON to OFF, the communication terminal 30A sends OFF setting information, and the information processing system 50, upon receiving the OFF setting information, sends a transmission stop request to the imaging device 10, and the imaging device 10 stops transmitting the wide-field image.

[0187] As explained in Figure 26, even if a user is on-site, the imaging device 10 can be associated with a virtual room through a simple operation such as capturing code information with the imaging device 10. Since on-site users may not have a PC, the ability to perform the association process on the spot, using only pre-issued code information and the imaging device 10, is particularly useful for on-site users. Furthermore, by performing the association process in advance, the user can connect the imaging device 10 to a designated virtual room without having to select a virtual room, and the start or stop of transmission can be instructed from a remote location, thus reducing the burden on users who want to concentrate on their work on-site. Therefore, a system can be provided that enables efficient communication between the on-site and remote locations even during the preparation process.

[0188] <<Procedure for registering the imaging device in the virtual room>> Next, referring to Figure 26, the procedure for registering the imaging device 10 to the virtual room, as described in the series of screen transitions in Figures 19 to 25, will be explained. Figure 26 is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure for user a to register the imaging device 10 to the virtual room.

[0189] S11: First, user a connects the communication terminal 30A to the information processing system 50, enters authentication information (user ID, password, etc.), and requests login. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A accepts the operation.

[0190] S12: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a login request to the information processing system 50, specifying authentication information. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the login request, and the authentication unit 55 performs authentication based on the specified authentication information. Here, we assume that the authentication was successful. At this time, the information processing system 50 can also identify the tenant ID associated with the authenticated user ID by referring to the tenant information storage unit 5003.

[0191] S13: In response to user operation, the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates a device registration screen 220, and the communication unit 51 transmits the screen information of the device registration screen 220 to the communication terminal 30A.

[0192] S14: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives screen information from the device registration screen 220, and the display control unit 33 displays the device registration screen 220 shown in Figure 19. User a selects the type of device (here, the imaging device 10 (for example, a 360-degree camera) is selected), and then enters the name and description of the imaging device 10 as shown in Figure 20. The reception unit 32 accepts the input.

[0193] S15: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a request for code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) to the information processing system 50, specifying the name and description entered by user a.

[0194] S16: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code). The communication group management unit 56 generates a URL (a connection destination for registration) associated with the name and description, and generates code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) including the URL, a temporary ID, and a password. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) to the communication terminal 30A. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code), and the display control unit 33 displays the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) as shown in Figure 20.

[0195] S17: Next, user a operates the imaging device 10 that they want to associate with the virtual room to capture code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code). The reception unit 12 of the imaging device 10 receives the operation.

[0196] S18: The imaging processing unit 13 of the imaging device 10 generates image data by performing imaging processing on the target to be imaged, which includes code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code), and the analysis unit 14 analyzes the image data to extract a URL, a temporary ID, and a password. As a result, the registration request unit 15 connects to the URL via the connection unit 16 and sends a registration request from the imaging device 10 to the information processing system 50, specifying the temporary ID and password. Note that if the registration method using the registration screen described in Figure 21 is implemented, the code information is not imaged, so the imaging device 10 is replaced by a communication terminal such as VR goggles 89 or smart glasses 88, and steps S15 to S17 can be omitted.

[0197] S19: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a temporary ID and password, and the authentication unit 55 determines whether they match the temporary ID and password associated with the connected URL. Here, we assume they match.

[0198] S20: The communication group management unit 56 of the information processing system 50 receives a request to register the imaging device 10. As an example of a device ID, it generates an imaging device ID and registers it in the tenant corresponding to the tenant ID identified when user a logged in. The imaging device ID is associated with a name and description. Specifically, the communication group management unit 56 refers to the tenant information storage unit 5003 and adds the imaging device ID to the tenant registration devices associated with the identified tenant ID and registers it. Although the communication group management unit 56 generates and registers the imaging device ID here, it may also register the imaging device ID received from the imaging device 10. If a communication terminal such as VR goggles 89 or smart glasses 88 is to be registered in the tenant instead of the imaging device 10, the corresponding device ID can be registered in the tenant information storage unit 5003 using the same procedure.

[0199] S21: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the imaging device ID to the imaging device 10. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the imaging device ID and stores it in the storage unit 1000.

[0200] S22: The communication terminal 30A is notified of the completion of registration from the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50, which allows user a to start associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room. User a displays the virtual room association screen (part 1) 260 on the communication terminal 30A and selects the virtual room to which they want to associate the imaging device 10 registered with the tenant. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the operation input indicating the selection. Specifically, when the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the operation input from user a, the display control unit 33 displays the virtual room association screen (part 1) 260. At this time, the communication unit 31 may send a screen update request to the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50. When the information processing system 50 receives the update request, it refers to the tenant information storage unit 5003 and identifies the virtual room ID registered with the tenant associated with the authenticated user ID. Subsequently, it refers to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and obtains the virtual room name associated with the identified virtual room ID. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the identified virtual room ID and corresponding virtual room name information (which may also be information from a screen generated by the screen generation unit 52 based on this information) to the communication terminal 30A. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the virtual room ID and virtual room name information, and the display control unit 33 can update and display the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 based on the received information. Since such information can be identified based on the user ID, it may also be received in step S13 after authentication. The reception unit 32 receives an operation input from user a indicating a selection for the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 displayed in this way, allowing the communication terminal 30A to identify the selected virtual room ID.

[0201] S23: Next, user a displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 on the communication terminal 30A and presses the connect button 272 to map an additional device to a virtual room. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the input indicating the press. Specifically, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30A displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 corresponding to the selected virtual room ID identified in step S22. Furthermore, the reception unit 32 receives the instruction from user a to map an additional device to a virtual room (press of connect button 272).

[0202] S24: In response to the operation input in step S23, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A requests information from the information processing system 50 regarding devices registered with tenants that are candidates for devices to be associated with the virtual room, and devices that have already been associated with the virtual room ID selected in step S22.

[0203] S25: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for information on devices registered with the tenant and devices associated with the selected virtual room ID, and the screen generation unit 52 generates a virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 that includes the device IDs of the devices registered with the tenant and devices associated with the selected virtual room ID. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the screen information of the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 to the communication terminal 30A.

[0204] S26: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives screen information from the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280, and the display control unit 33 displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280. User a selects a device to associate with the virtual room (here, the imaging device 10 is used as an example). The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A accepts the selection, and the imaging device ID is identified as the device ID of the selected device.

[0205] S27: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends an association request to the information processing system 50, specifying the virtual room ID selected in step S22 and the device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) selected in step S26.

[0206] S28: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the mapping request, and the communication group management unit 56 registers the device (e.g., imaging device 10) in the virtual room. That is, the communication group management unit 56 refers to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and registers the device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) associated with the virtual room ID specified in the request of step S27.

[0207] S29: Since a device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) has been associated with a virtual room, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the virtual room ID, name, and description to the imaging device 10. The information processing system 50 may use push notifications or transmit the information by utilizing polling by the imaging device 10. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the virtual room ID, name, and description and stores them in the storage unit 1000. This allows the imaging device 10 to add the imaging device ID, virtual room ID, name, description, etc. when transmitting wide-field images. Other devices besides the imaging device 10 can also be associated with virtual rooms using the same procedure. Furthermore, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 may send a notification to the communication terminal 30A indicating that the association is complete. From this step onward, devices registered with a virtual room (imaging device 10) can connect to the associated virtual room. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that the imaging device 10 has connected to the virtual room by sending a connection request to the information processing system 50, specifying the virtual room ID received in step S29. However, the timing of the imaging device 10 connecting to the virtual room can be changed by user operation.

[0208] S30: The communication terminal 30A and the information processing system 50 perform the entry process described in Figure 18, thereby allowing the communication terminal 30A to enter the virtual room associated with the device (imaging device 10).

[0209] S31: After entering the room, user a turns on the toggle button 291 of the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room on the image viewing screen 210. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the ON signal.

[0210] S32: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a request to the information processing system 50 to start transmitting wide-field images, specifying the device ID (imaging device ID). Alternatively, user a may directly start transmitting wide-field images by operating a button on the imaging device 10. In addition, user a may also cause the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A to send a request to stop transmission to the information processing system 50.

[0211] S33: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a transmission start request and requests the imaging device 10, identified by its device ID (imaging device ID), to start transmission. The information processing system 50 may use push notifications or the imaging device 10 may use polling. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the transmission start request and the imaging processing unit 13 starts imaging. The image transmission control unit 18 repeatedly transmits wide-field images via the connection unit 16 at a fixed FPS or an FPS corresponding to the bandwidth. Therefore, the communication terminal 30 that has entered the virtual room can display the status of site A on the image viewing screen 210 in real time.

[0212] <Distribution of wide-field images, etc.> Referring to Figure 27, the process by which wide-field images and normal-angle images are shared will be explained. Figure 27 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating the process of sharing wide-field images. In Figure 27, communication terminals 30A and 30B have completed the entry process described in Figure 18 and have entered the virtual room. Communication terminal 30A also has a normal-angle camera 9, which is shared with communication terminal 30B. Instead of the camera 9 of communication terminal 30A, images captured by smart glasses 88 associated with the virtual room may also be shared. Also in Figure 27, the imaging device 10 has already been connected to the same virtual room through the registration procedure described in Figure 26.

[0213] S41: The imaging unit 34 of the communication terminal 30A takes an image of the surroundings, and the communication unit 31 specifies the virtual room ID in which the user is staying and transmits the video and audio, including the image obtained from the imaging, to the information processing system 50.

[0214] S42, S43: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio including images, the image distribution unit 54 obtains the IP addresses of the communication terminals 30A and 30B that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and transmits the video and audio including images via the communication unit 51. In Figure 27, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives and displays an image with a normal field of view from the information processing system 50, but it may also display an image with a normal field of view captured by the imaging unit 34 without receiving it.

[0215] S44: Next, in response to a transmission start request based on the transmission start setting, the imaging device 10 captures a wide-field image, and the image transmission control unit 18 transmits the video and audio, including the wide-field image, to the information processing system 50 via the connection unit 16, specifying the virtual room ID, imaging device ID, name, and description to which the device is registered.

[0216] S45, S46: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio including wide-field images, the image distribution unit 54 obtains the IP addresses of communication terminals 30A and 30B that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and transmits video and audio including wide-field images via the communication unit 51.

[0217] S47: Next, the communication terminal 30C equipped with camera 9 entered the new virtual room by performing the entry process described in Figure 18.

[0218] S48: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30C transmits video and audio, including images with a normal field of view, to the information processing system 50.

[0219] S49~S51: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio, including images with a normal field of view, from the communication terminal 30C, obtains the IP addresses of the communication terminals 30A~30C that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002, and the image distribution unit 54 transmits video and audio, including images with a normal field of view.

[0220] S52: In addition, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits video, including wide-field images, and audio to the communication terminal 30C that has entered the same virtual room.

[0221] In this way, users a and b who have entered the same virtual room can share video, including wide-field images, captured by the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room, in real time. Note that the transmission order of each image shown in Figure 27 is just an example; the wide-field images may be shared first, or the images with a normal field of view may be shared first.

[0222] Here, we will provide some additional information about the smart glasses 88 and VR goggles 89. The smart glasses 88 have a camera and display function with a normal field of view. Images with a normal field of view obtained by the camera held by the smart glasses 88 are distributed in the same way as cameras 8 and 9. The display function held by the smart glasses 88 is flat, like a normal display, so a portion of the wide-field image is displayed at the viewpoint indicated by the user. The VR goggles 89 have a display function (they may also have a camera with a normal field of view). The display function held by the smart glasses 88 projects a wide-field image at a viewpoint determined by the orientation of the user's head, so a predetermined region image Q of a predetermined region T in the wide-field image is displayed at a viewpoint corresponding to the orientation of the user's head. While viewing a wide-field image with the smart glasses 88 or VR goggles 89, the user can send an imaging request specifying the viewpoint information being viewed to the information processing system 50.

[0223] <Recording of the imaging device based on instructions from a communication terminal> Next, referring to Figures 29 to 34, we will explain the process by which the imaging device 10 records based on instructions from any communication terminal 30.

[0224] First, we will explain the screen that appears when a user requests recording from the imaging device 10 by operating the communication terminal 30 during the sharing of a wide-field image. While any user can instruct recording, here we will assume that user b instructs recording. Also, since this is during the sharing of a wide-field image, strictly speaking, the imaging device 10 is already "capturing" in real time. A recording request during the sharing of a wide-field image means recording the wide-field image for saving purposes. Simply put, when the wide-field image is being streamed in real time, the image is not saved and therefore cannot be reviewed later (a certain scene may not be saved as intended).

[0225] Figure 29 shows an example of the image viewing screen 400 displayed by the communication terminal 30B. The explanation of Figure 29 will primarily focus on the differences from Figure 25(b). Communication terminals 30A and 30B each display video, including wide-field images, which are being streamed in real time. Both terminals also display video, including images with a normal field of view captured by the camera 9 of communication terminal 30A. The wide-field image video allows users at each location to arbitrarily change the virtual viewpoint (see Figure 11), thereby changing a predetermined area T (see Figures 9 and 10) of the displayed wide-field image. This allows for checking the situation on site in areas that cannot be seen with a normal field of view.

[0226] As shown in Figure 29, a recording button 401 is displayed in the first image field 211 where the wide-field image is displayed. The recording button 401 is a button that allows the communication terminal 30B to send a recording request to the imaging device 10 using viewpoint information to identify a predetermined area of ​​the video, including the wide-field image currently displayed in the first image field 211. In Figure 29, the recording button 401 is labeled with the explanation "Record 360-degree video," but this is just one example of a button for recording a 360-degree spherical image, which is an example of a wide-field image. The button may have a different explanation, or it may be represented by an icon or other image without an explanation. It may also be a button that instructs the recording of a wide-field image other than a 360-degree spherical image. The recording button 401 can be any GUI component capable of instructing recording, and is not limited to the example in Figure 29.

[0227] Figure 30 shows the image viewing screen 400 on the communication terminal 30B, where the download button 402 is displayed after the recording button 401 is pressed. In Figure 30, the download button 402 (an example of a display component) is displayed below the first image field 211. The download button 402 displays the message "Download the captured video." The download button 402 has embedded information about the storage location (e.g., URL) where the wide-field image recorded by the imaging device 10 in response to the recording request sent by pressing the recording button 401 has been uploaded. When user b presses the download button 402, the communication terminal 30B connects to the URL and can download the recorded wide-field image. Since viewpoint information is associated with the wide-field image, when the communication terminal 30B displays the downloaded wide-field image, it sets a virtual viewpoint so that a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image, identified by the viewpoint information, aligns with the center of the first image field 211 and displays it. If the downloaded wide-field image is associated with viewpoint information from multiple locations, the system may display options on the screen to determine which viewpoint information to use for display, and then display the image based on the selected viewpoint information after receiving input from the user. It is not necessary to perfectly center the viewpoint; the viewpoint may be set to be within the vicinity of the center of the first image field 211 for display. While this example describes displaying the downloaded wide-field image in the first image field 211, which was previously displaying video containing the wide-field image being streamed in real time, the first image field 211 may continue to display the video containing the wide-field image being streamed in real time, while a new image field is added to the image viewing screen 400, and the downloaded wide-field image is displayed in the new image field. This allows users to check changes in the site situation using the real-time wide-field image video while simultaneously viewing wide-field images that capture specific situations at the site.

[0228] The appearance of the download button 402 is just one example; the download button 402 may display a message such as "360° image URL." Alternatively, instead of a button, a link corresponding to save location information (e.g., a URL) may be displayed. The user may also be able to download by clicking the link.

[0229] Furthermore, the communication terminal 30B may automatically receive and display the saved wide-field image and associated viewpoint information without displaying the download button 402.

[0230] Furthermore, while Figure 30 shows the image viewing screen 400 displayed by the communication terminal 30B that requested recording, the download button 402 may also be displayed on the image viewing screen 400 displayed by the communication terminal 30A that is displaying video including wide-field images being streamed in real time. In one embodiment, when user b performs an operation to instruct the sharing of the wide-field image captured by the recording request, the download button 402 may be displayed on the communication terminals 30A of participants who are in the same virtual room. By doing so, the person who instructed the recording (user b) can check the recorded image on their end before sharing it with other participants, thus preventing the sharing of accidentally recorded wide-field images or wide-field images that do not need to be shared. However, all communication terminals 30 in the virtual room may automatically display the download button 402 when the wide-field image is saved.

[0231] Referring to Figure 31, the explanation will assume that the communication terminal 30A displays the download button 402. Figure 31(a) is an example of the image viewing screen 410 that is displayed before user a presses the download button 402. Before user a presses the download button 402, the communication terminal 30A displays a wide-field image in the first image field 211 with a field of view that includes, for example, a work machine equipped with a drill, as an arbitrary virtual viewpoint specified by user a. In this state, user a presses the download button 402.

[0232] Figure 31(b) is an example of the image viewing screen 420 displayed on user a's side after user b presses the download button 402. The viewpoint information when user b presses the record button 401 is the first image field 211 in Figure 29, so as shown in Figure 31(b), the first image field 211 of the communication terminal 30A displays the downloaded recorded wide-field image with the same viewpoint as the first image field 211 in Figure 29. Therefore, it displays a wide-field image recorded with a field of view that allows confirmation of a scene where building materials are being lifted from the roof of a building by a crane, rather than a work machine equipped with a drill. In addition, user a can arbitrarily change the virtual viewpoint of the downloaded wide-field image displayed in the first image field 211 in Figure 31(b), just as with the wide-field image video delivered in real time. Therefore, even for a wide-field image that has been extracted from a specific scene, the viewpoint of the user who requested the recording can be reflected as the initial value, and specific scenes of the site can be confirmed in a range that cannot be confirmed with a normal field of view.

[0233] In this way, users at different locations can later share a virtual viewpoint of a recorded wide-field image of a specific scene. Note that the wide-field image saved via save request may be displayed as a pop-up instead of in the first image pane 211 in Figure 31(b), or in a separate window. This allows for efficient communication between users by using wide-field images of specific scenes captured from recordings, while simultaneously monitoring the ever-changing situation on-site in real-time via the wide-field video feed.

[0234] As shown in Figure 31(b), the recording button 401 is not displayed while the wide-field image downloaded by the communication terminal 30A is being displayed. This is because the real-time wide-field image is not being displayed in the first image field 211. In addition, the device name 214 in the first image field 211 displays the name of the imaging device 10 along with a statement indicating that it is a shared image. The device name 214 can be identified from the tenant registration device information stored in the tenant information storage unit 5003. Alternatively, the device name 214 may be the device ID.

[0235] Furthermore, on communication terminals 30A and 30B where the download button 402 is displayed, users a and b can arbitrarily delete the download button 402.

[0236] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 32, the communication terminals 30A and 30B may display a thumbnail image 404 of the wide-field image along with (and also function as) the download button 402. The thumbnail image 404 may be created by the information processing system 50 or by the communication terminal 30. The viewpoint of the thumbnail image 404 is determined by viewpoint information.

[0237] Furthermore, it is preferable that users a and b each be able to set a data name (registered in the image management information storage unit 3001 of each communication terminal 30) for the wide-field image recorded in response to the recording request.

[0238] Figure 33 shows an example of an image viewing screen 430 when there are three image fields. In the image viewing screen 430 of Figure 33, for example, a first image field 211 displays a wide-field image captured by the imaging device 10, a second image field 212 displays a normal-angle image captured by the camera 9 of the communication terminal 30A, and a third image field 431 displays a normal-angle image captured by the camera 8 of the communication terminal 30C. Any of users a, b, and c can press the record button, and users a, b, and c at each location can share the wide-field image from the same viewpoint.

[0239] <<Actions or processes in response to recording requests when sharing wide-field images>> Next, referring to Figure 28, the operation or processing of the communication system 1b in response to a recording request when sharing a wide-field image will be explained. Figure 28 is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which user b requests recording from communication terminal 30B when sharing a wide-field image. In the explanation of Figure 28, it is assumed that communication terminals 30A and 30B have entered the virtual room through the entry process explained in Figure 18. Also, in the explanation of Figure 28, the case in which user b presses the recording button 401 and shares viewpoint information with user a is explained, but it is also possible for user a to press the recording button 401 and share viewpoint information with user b. In addition, in Figure 28, the imaging device 10 has already been connected to the same virtual room through the registration procedure explained in Figure 26. In addition, in Figure 28, as an example of an embodiment, a viewing application (viewing app) having functions related to displaying a predetermined area image and transmitting viewpoint information is installed on each communication terminal 30 for explanation. It is not necessary to install the browsing application in advance; the communication terminal may have equivalent functionality built-in, or the communication terminal may receive a program with equivalent functionality to the browsing application from the information processing system or other servers when entering the virtual room, thereby executing the processing described in Figure 28. Furthermore, the browsing application on the communication terminal may be implemented using a web browser.

[0240] S61: User b inputs the operation of pressing the record button 401 in Figure 29. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30B receives the input of the operation to press the button. Pressing the record button 401 is one example of an operation input method for sending a recording request, and a recording request may also be sent in response to other inputs to the user interface. The user interface includes not only GUIs but also voice and gesture interfaces.

[0241] S62: In response to receiving an input for sending a recording request, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B sends a recording request to the information processing system 50. This recording request includes a virtual room ID to identify the currently used virtual room, and a camera ID to identify the camera that is the source of the video. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the recording request. Although sound is also recorded in addition to images, for simplicity's sake, only image recording will be described from here on. However, in this embodiment, sound data is also transmitted and recorded, similar to images.

[0242] S63: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a recording request, the association processing unit 53 refers to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and creates storage location information (e.g., URL) for the recorded wide-field image based on the virtual room ID. Furthermore, it identifies the communication terminal 30A currently in the virtual room and creates storage location information (e.g., URL) for viewpoint information targeting the storage 90 configured in the same virtual room. The communication unit 51 then sends an instruction to start uploading viewpoint information to the communication terminal 30A. This instruction includes a URL for saving viewpoint information specifically for the communication terminal 30A. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the instruction. In response, the display control unit 33 displays the download button 402.

[0243] S64: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 sends an instruction to start uploading viewpoint information (including information on the location where the viewpoint information is stored) to the communication terminal 30B that requested recording, similar to the instruction sent to the communication terminal 30A, and also sends a recording start instruction as a response to the recording requester. This recording start instruction includes information on the location where the recorded wide-field image is stored.

[0244] S65: The recording unit 35 of the communication terminal 30B starts recording wide-field images (see S46) related to the video distributed from the imaging device 10 and also records audio. The recorded video data is temporarily stored in the storage unit 3000 via the storage / reading unit 19 from the recording unit 35. If the image data includes audio data, the recording unit 35 also records the audio.

[0245] S66: User b inputs an operation to move (change) the virtual viewpoint to the default predetermined area image displayed by the communication terminal 30B using a pointing device 312 or an external mouse. As a result, the reception unit 32 receives the viewpoint movement operation, and the display control unit 33 displays the predetermined area image corresponding to the changed viewpoint on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30B. For example, in Figure 10, if the predetermined area image displayed by default is shown in Figure 10(b), then the viewpoint of the virtual camera IC moves as shown in Figure 10(c) due to the operation by user b, and as a result, the predetermined area image as shown in Figure 10(d) is displayed on the display 306. Note that the movement of the virtual viewpoint is not limited to input to a user interface such as a pointing device 312, but may also be input by voice or gesture.

[0246] S67: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A uploads viewpoint information and viewpoint-related information to the information processing system 50 in response to the viewpoint movement operation. This viewpoint information is information for identifying a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image after the virtual viewpoint has been moved. The viewpoint-related information includes, as shown in Figure 16, the data ID of the wide-field image to be recorded, the user ID of user b, who is a participant, viewing start date and time information indicating the date and time when the virtual viewpoint was moved and viewing of the new predetermined area image could be started, and storage location information of the viewpoint information acquired in step S64. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the viewpoint-related information, and the storage / reading unit 59 stores the viewpoint-related information as one record in the viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004.

[0247] S68: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 saves the viewpoint information received in step S67 to the storage location (URL, etc.) related to the viewpoint information storage location information received in step S67. Alternatively, the information processing system 50 may save the viewpoint information in the viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004 of Figure 16 in place of the "viewpoint information storage location information" in the viewpoint-related information, instead of saving the viewpoint information to the storage 90.

[0248] S69: User A operates in the same way as user B in step S66.

[0249] S70: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A uploads viewpoint information and viewpoint-related information to the information processing system 50, similar to step S67.

[0250] S71: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 saves the viewpoint information received in step S70 to the storage location (URL, etc.) related to the storage location information of the viewpoint information received in step S70, similar to step S68.

[0251] S72: When user b inputs an operation to stop recording using a mouse or the like, the reception unit 32 accepts the recording stop operation.

[0252] S73: In response to the input for stopping recording, the recording unit 35 stops the recording operation.

[0253] S74: In the communication terminal 30B, the storage / reading unit 39 reads the recorded video data stored in the storage unit 3000, and the communication unit 31 uploads and saves the recorded video data of the wide-field image related to the video to the storage location of the storage 90 related to the storage location information of the wide-field image acquired in step S64. Alternatively, step S74 may be performed by uploading and saving to the storage location of the storage 90 via the information processing system 50.

[0254] S75: When the upload is completed in step S74, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B notifies the information processing system 50 that the upload of the recorded data has been completed.

[0255] S76-1,S76-2: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the notification that the upload has been completed, it notifies the communication terminal 30A and the communication terminal 30B that have entered the virtual room of the storage location information (such as URL) of the wide-view image respectively. The display control units 33 of the communication terminal 30A and the communication terminal 30B that have received these notifications can display the download button 402 described in FIGS. 30 and 31 respectively. When the communication units 31 of the communication terminal 30A and the communication terminal 30B respectively receive an operation input corresponding to the pressing of the download button 402 by the reception unit 32, they request the recorded data stored in the storage location of the storage 90 corresponding to the storage location information (it may also be requested via the information processing system 50), and can share the recorded data by downloading the recorded data from the storage 90 (it may also be downloaded via the information processing system 50).

[0256] As described above, the process of FIG. 28 ends.

[0257] Note that when the smart glass 88 or the VR goggles 89 are the communication terminal 30, the process shown in FIG. 28 is similarly executed.

[0258] FIG. 34 shows a modified example of the process of FIG. 28. FIG. 34 is a sequence diagram showing the process (Part 2) of uploading the viewpoint information and the wide-view image. Note that in this modified example, since the same processes as steps S61 to S65 in FIG. 28 are performed, these explanations are omitted, and the process after the recording is started by the communication terminal 30B will be described from step S86.

[0259] S86: Similar to step S66 above, user b inputs an operation to move (change) the virtual viewpoint on the default predetermined area image displayed by the communication terminal 30B using a pointing device 312 or an external mouse. As a result, the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30B receives the input to move the viewpoint, and the display control unit 33 displays the predetermined area image corresponding to the changed viewpoint on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30B.

[0260] S87: In the communication terminal 30B, the storage and reading unit 39 stores viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined area after the virtual viewpoint has been moved by step S86, and viewpoint-related information related to this viewpoint information, in the storage unit 3000.

[0261] S88: User a, similar to step S86, inputs an operation to move (change) the virtual viewpoint on the default predetermined area image displayed by the communication terminal 30A using a pointing device 312 or an external mouse. As a result, the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the input to move the viewpoint, and the display control unit 33 displays the predetermined area image corresponding to the changed viewpoint on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30A.

[0262] S89: In the communication terminal 30B, similar to step S89, the storage and reading unit 39 stores viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined area after the virtual viewpoint has been moved by step S88, and viewpoint-related information related to this viewpoint information, in the storage unit 3000.

[0263] S90: If user b stops recording using a mouse or the like, the reception unit 32 receives notification of the recording stop, similar to step S72.

[0264] S91: The recording unit 35 stops recording.

[0265] S92: The communication unit 92 of the communication terminal 30B sends a recording stop notification to the information processing system 50 indicating that recording has been stopped. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the recording stop notification.

[0266] S93: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 sends an upload request for viewpoint information and viewpoint-related information to the communication terminal 30A, which is not currently recording. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the upload request.

[0267] S94: In the communication terminal 30B, the memory / read unit 39 reads the wide-field image recording data, viewpoint information, and viewpoint-related information that have been stored in the memory unit 3000, and the communication unit 31 uploads these to the information processing system 50. As mentioned above, the viewpoint-related information includes information on the location where the viewpoint information is stored. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the wide-field image recording data, viewpoint information, and viewpoint-related information.

[0268] S95: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 stores the viewpoint information received in step S94 at the storage location (URL, etc.) related to the storage location information of the viewpoint information received in step S94. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 also stores the wide-field image recording data received in step S94 at the storage location (URL, etc.) of the storage 90 indicated by the storage location information of the wide-field image data stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 (see Figure 14). If the communication terminal 30B can identify the storage location, the wide-field image recording data and viewpoint information may be stored in the storage 90 without going through the information processing system 50.

[0269] S96: In the communication terminal 30A, the memory / read unit 39 reads out the viewpoint information and viewpoint-related information that had been stored in the memory unit 3000, and the communication unit 31 transmits these to the information processing system 50. As mentioned above, the viewpoint-related information includes information on the location where the viewpoint information is stored. As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the viewpoint information and viewpoint-related information.

[0270] S97: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 saves the viewpoint information received in step S96 to the storage location (URL, etc.) of the storage 90 related to the storage location information of the viewpoint information received in step S96. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 also saves the wide-field image recording data received in step S96 to the storage location (URL, etc.) of the storage 90 indicated by the storage location information of the wide-field image data stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 (see Figure 14). If the communication terminal 30A can identify the storage location, the viewpoint information may be saved to the storage 90 without going through the information processing system 50.

[0271] S98-1, S98-2: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 completes the saving of the recorded data and viewpoint information to the storage 90 by executing the processes described in steps S95 and S97, it notifies the communication terminals 30A and 30B, which are in the virtual room, of the storage location information (URL, etc.) of the wide-field image. Upon receiving these notifications, the display control units 33 of communication terminals 30A and 30B can display the download buttons 402 described in Figures 30 and 31, respectively. When the communication unit 31 of communication terminals 30A and 30B receives an operation input corresponding to the pressing of the download button 402 via the reception unit 32, it requests the recorded data stored in the storage location of the storage 90 corresponding to the storage location information from the storage 90 (the request may also be made via the information processing system 50), and the recorded data can be shared by downloading the recorded data from the storage 90 (the download may also be made via the information processing system 50).

[0272] This completes the process shown in Figure 34.

[0273] Furthermore, in the examples shown in Figures 28 and 34, recording was started and stopped on the communication terminal 30. However, as explained in Figure 27, the information processing system 50 also receives wide-field images captured by the imaging device 10, just like the communication terminal 30. Therefore, the information processing system 50 may be equipped with a recording unit 35, similar to that of the communication terminal 30, and the recording unit of the information processing system 50 may be used to start and stop recording of the wide-field images. In such a case, the recording is performed on a server such as a cloud, which has the advantage of not placing a processing load related to recording on the communication terminal 30 operated by the user. In this modified example, in step S74, the communication terminal 30 uploads the recording data, but the information processing system 50 saves the recording data to the storage 90.

[0274] Similarly, if the imaging device 10 also has the function of a recording unit 35, the imaging device 10 may perform recording of a wide-field image. In such a case, there is the advantage that the information processing system 50 and the communication terminal 30 are not burdened with processing load related to recording. In this modified case, when the information processing system 50 receives a recording request in step S62, the information processing system 50 sends a recording request to the imaging device 10 corresponding to the imaging device ID, thereby enabling the imaging device 10 to start recording. Also, when the communication terminal 30 receives input for a recording stop operation in step S72, it sends a recording stop request to the information processing system 50, and the information processing system 50 further sends a recording stop request including storage location information to the imaging device 10, thereby enabling the imaging device 10 to stop recording. After recording has stopped, as in step S74, the imaging device 10, rather than the communication terminal 30, can upload the recorded data to the storage 90 (or via the information processing system 50) based on the storage location information.

[0275] Also, in the examples of FIGS. 28 and 34, in the communication terminal 30, only the communication terminal 30 that transmitted the recording request executed recording. However, when all the communication terminals 30 that have entered the virtual room receive an instruction to start uploading viewpoint information, the start and stop of recording of the wide-view image distributed in the same manner as the communication terminal 30 that transmitted the recording request are controlled, and the upload of the recording data of the wide-view image may be performed.

[0276] Also, in the examples of FIGS. 28 and 34, when transmitting the viewpoint information to the information processing system 50 or the storage 90, if the viewpoint information is in a data format embedded in the recording data, the viewpoint information may be transmitted by transmitting the recording data including the viewpoint information.

[0277] <Viewing of the wide-view image registered in the storage> Subsequently, referring to FIGS. 35 to 40, the viewing of the information stored in the storage 90 including the recorded wide-view image will be described. FIG. 35 is a sequence for explaining the process of a user viewing the wide-view image stored in the storage 90. FIG. 36 is an example of a virtual room list screen 600 displayed by connecting a communication terminal 30 of an arbitrary user to the information processing system 50. FIG. 37 is a diagram showing an example of a base point selection screen for selecting a thumbnail of the displayed image at each base point.

[0278] S301: In a state where the user accesses the information processing system 50 with the communication terminal 30 (an example of a display terminal), the communication terminal 30 receives an input of authentication information (user ID, password, etc.) from the user, and the communication terminal 30 receives an operation input for a login request to the tenant to which the user belongs. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30 receives these operation inputs.

[0279] S302: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 transmits a login request to the information processing system 50 by specifying the authentication information. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the login request, and the authentication unit 55 performs authentication based on the authentication information. Here, it is assumed that the authentication is successful.

[0280] S303: The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates a virtual room list screen 600 that classifies wide-field images according to a predetermined classification, and the communication unit 51 transmits the screen information of the generated virtual room list screen 600 to the communication terminal 30. Specifically, it generates a virtual room list screen 600 that displays a list of classifications as selection candidates based on the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 in Figure 14, the virtual room information storage unit 5002 in Figure 15, the tenant information storage unit 5003, etc. In the example in Figure 36, as an example of virtual room classification, it generates a virtual room list screen 600 that includes a list (classification list 604) classified according to which virtual room the data containing wide-field images stored in storage 90 is associated with.

[0281] S304: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives screen information of the virtual room list screen 600, and the display control unit 33 displays the virtual room list screen 600 on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. Specifically, the selectable categories (in this example, virtual rooms associated with dates) are displayed in the header column 601 of Figure 36. The communication terminal 30 receives operation input from the user corresponding to the selection of a category (in this example, a virtual room associated with a specific date) associated with a wide-view image that the user wishes to view. The reception unit 32 receives these operation inputs.

[0282] Here, we will explain the virtual room list screen 600 in detail.

[0283] The virtual room list screen 600 is created using the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 (Figure 14), the virtual room information storage unit 5002 (Figure 15), the tenant information storage unit 5003, and the viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004. When a user logs into a tenant, a selection screen categorized by the information associated with that tenant is displayed. Note that it is not always necessary to log into a tenant; users can also log in as an account not associated with a tenant. In such cases, a selection screen categorized based on the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001, for which the logged-in user has access rights, may be displayed. A user's access rights to the image management information may be updated by connecting a predetermined communication terminal 30 to the information processing system 50 and sending an access rights update instruction from the communication terminal 30 to the information processing system 50. Various classifications can be applied to the selectable classifications. Figure 36 illustrates an example of a classification, showing a selection screen categorized based on the virtual room ID at the time of imaging, stored in the image management information storage unit 5001.

[0284] The virtual room list screen 600 has a header field 601 and an image selection field 602. The header field 601 displays the logged-in username 603 and the classification list 604. The logged-in username 603 is information that identifies the user logged into the tenant and includes the user's name and user ID. The classification list 604 is a list of classifications based on the information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001. Here, as an example of classification, data containing recorded wide-field images stored in the storage 90 can be classified according to which virtual room it is associated with. For example, the wide-field images included in the recorded data can be identified by the virtual room ID at the time of capture, which is stored in the image management information storage unit 5001, indicating which virtual room each image was captured in during remote communication. Note that "at the time of capture" here can also be rephrased as "at the time of recording," since recording is also performed in parallel. In the classification list 604 of Figure 36, in addition to the name of the virtual room where remote communication took place, the date on which the remote communication took place (corresponding to the date and time information of the image capture) is also displayed. In the example in Figure 36, for instance, remote communication took place on the date "October 12, 2021" in a virtual room named "Construction Site A," and the images captured during this remote communication are stored in the classification of the virtual room named "Construction Site A" on the date "October 12, 2021." If information on images captured on a date other than "October 12, 2021" in the virtual room named "Construction Site A" is stored in the image management information storage unit 5001, then the classification list 604 can display classification options that combine a date other than "October 12, 2021" (for example, October 13, 2021) with the virtual room name "Construction Site A." Users can edit the virtual room name by accessing the virtual room information storage unit 5002 of the information processing system 50 using the communication terminal 30, and the virtual room name is set when the virtual room is created and stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.By referring to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 based on the virtual room ID at the time of imaging stored in the image management information storage unit 50001, the corresponding virtual room name can be identified. The date can be identified from the imaging date and time of the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001 (if there are multiple, the first date and time is used). In Figure 36, classification is shown by virtual room, but classification may also be shown by date, date and time, imager information, imaging device information, or data name. Furthermore, classification may be shown by combining two or more of these classifications.

[0285] The image selection field 602 contains image management information 605 and a thumbnail image 606. When a user selects a classification from the classification list 604 (virtual room in this example), the thumbnail image 606 is displayed in the image selection field 602 as information about the wide-field image recorded during remote communication in the selected virtual room. In the example in Figure 36, the classification for the date "October 12, 2021" and the virtual room name "Construction Site A" is selected. In the example in Figure 36, the classification is a combination of the virtual room classification and the date on which remote communication took place in the virtual room, but the classification list 604 may be created using only the virtual room classification regardless of the date, or using only the date classification. The thumbnail image 606 can be a wide-field image taken at any point from the start to the end of recording.

[0286] Furthermore, the thumbnail image 606 is displayed with the viewpoint of the wide-field image, identified by the viewpoint information, aligned to the center of the thumbnail image. Therefore, users viewing the virtual room list screen 600 can view the thumbnail image with the viewpoint information that the imager wanted to share. Note that the viewpoint does not necessarily have to be aligned to the center; it may be displayed with a viewpoint that is included in the range near the center.

[0287] Furthermore, the virtual room list screen is created through the following process.

[0288] First, the tenant ID of the tenant to which the authenticated user ID belongs in step S302 is identified by referring to the tenant information storage unit 5003 shown in Figure 15. In the tenant information storage unit 5003, each tenant has a virtual room registered. Wide-field images captured and stored by the imaging device associated with the virtual room in response to a request from a participant during remote communication conducted in the virtual room are stored in the image management information storage unit 5001, associated with the virtual room ID of the virtual room where the remote communication took place, the person who requested the recording (participant), the date and time of capture, the imaging device, viewpoint information, storage location, etc.

[0289] In this context, "image capturer" can also be referred to as "recorder," as recording is performed in parallel with image capture. Therefore, the screen generation unit 52 can identify the virtual room ID and corresponding virtual room name associated with the tenant ID of the tenant to which the logged-in user belongs by referring to the tenant information storage unit 5003. In this way, the virtual room name to be displayed in the classification list 604 shown in Figure 36 can be identified.

[0290] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 36, when displaying the classification of virtual rooms associated with the stored data in combination with the date of imaging, the screen generation unit 52 can identify the data ID associated with each identified virtual room ID by referring to the image management information storage unit 5001.

[0291] Furthermore, the screen generation unit 52 can identify the imaging date and time information associated with the identified data ID by referring to the image management information storage unit 5001. Since the screen generation unit 52 can identify the date from the imaging date and time information identified in this way, it can generate a virtual room list screen 600 that displays the identified date associated with the virtual room to be displayed in the classification list 604, as shown in Figure 36. By combining the date in this way, for example, if multiple wide-field images taken in a virtual room named "Construction Site A" are stored, and the dates on which they were taken are different, they can be displayed in the classification list as different classifications. This is useful, for example, when you want to narrow down the candidates for wide-field images that can be selected based on the date on which the work was performed, because even if wide-field images are taken at the same site, different work may be performed on different dates.

[0292] Similarly, instead of displaying information by date, the image management information storage unit 5001 can be used to display information about the imager, imaging device, or storage location in combination with the classification of virtual rooms. This display is useful, for example, when you want to narrow down the candidates for wide-field images that can be selected based on conditions such as the imager, imaging device, or storage location, even if they are wide-field images taken at the same site. In addition, a classification list 604 can be generated by classifying each of these classification conditions individually, or a classification list 604 can be generated by classifying two or more conditions in combination, as shown in Figure 36. In this example, the screen generation unit 52 generates the virtual room list screen 600 (classification list 604), but the image generation unit 52 may also transmit the classification information to be displayed in the classification list 604 (in this example, the virtual room name and date that match the classification conditions) to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 51, thereby causing the communication terminal 30 to generate a virtual room list screen 600 with a classification list 604 based on the classification information.

[0293] Therefore, the screen information transmitted in step S303 may include the virtual room list screen 600 generated by the screen generation unit 52, or it may include classification information to be displayed in the classification list 604 instead of the generated screen. Alternatively, the screen information may include both the generated virtual room list screen 600 and the classification information to be displayed in the classification list 604.

[0294] Next, we will continue the explanation from step S305.

[0295] S305: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 sends a request for a list of wide-field images to the information processing system 50, specifying identification information that identifies the classification selected by the user (in this example, the virtual room ID and date information of the selected virtual room) as conditions. Note that the conditions such as the virtual room ID and date do not necessarily have to be specified at the same time; they may be specified separately and the request sent.

[0296] S306, S307: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for a list of wide-field images. The screen generation unit 52 identifies the data IDs associated with the virtual room IDs included in the conditions specified in the request from the image management information storage unit 5001. Furthermore, since the date is also specified as a condition in the received request, the image management information storage unit 5001 identifies the data IDs associated with the date of acquisition that matches the date specified in the image management information storage unit 5001 from among the identified data IDs. For each data ID that matches the specified conditions in this way, the image management information storage unit 5001 obtains information on the storage location of the associated data. The screen generation unit 52 accesses each storage location in the storage 90 using the obtained storage location information via the communication unit 51 and obtains the wide-field images and viewpoint information from the storage 90. The screen generation unit 52 may also obtain and use the viewpoint information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001.

[0297] S308: The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 creates thumbnail images using the wide-field images and viewpoint information acquired in S306 and S307. Furthermore, it acquires image information (information such as imaging device, imager, and virtual room participants) related to data IDs that match the conditions specified in S305 from the image management information storage unit 5001, and generates a virtual room list screen 600 on which the thumbnail images and image information are arranged based on the acquired image information and the created thumbnail images. In this example, the screen generation unit 52 generates the virtual room list screen 600, but the image generation unit 52 may also transmit the thumbnail images and image information to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 51, causing the communication terminal 30 to generate the virtual room list screen 600 based on the thumbnail images and image information.

[0298] S309: The communication unit 51 transmits screen information of the virtual room list screen 600 to the communication terminal 30. The screen information here may be the virtual room list screen 600 generated in S308, or it may be the information necessary for the communication terminal 30 to generate the virtual room list screen 600 (such as the thumbnail images generated in S306 to S308 and the acquired image information). The screen information also includes identification information (data ID in this example) used to identify the data corresponding to each thumbnail image created, which was identified in S306 and S307.

[0299] S310: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives screen information of the virtual room list screen 600, and the display control unit 33 displays the updated virtual room list screen 600 based on the received screen information. If the received screen information is necessary for the communication terminal 30 to generate the virtual room list screen 600, the communication terminal 30 executes a screen update process to update the virtual room list screen 600 displayed by the communication terminal 30 based on the received screen information. Specifically, the image selection field 602 shown in Figure 36 is updated with image information and thumbnail images associated with the selected classification. The communication terminal 30 receives operation input from the user to select a thumbnail image of a specific wide-field image that they want to view by playback display from among the updated image selection field 602. The reception unit 32 receives these operation inputs.

[0300] S311: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 identifies the data ID of the wide-field image corresponding to the thumbnail image of the specific wide-field image selected by the user based on the operation input received in S310, and sends a request for the wide-field image to the information processing system 50, specifying the identified data ID of the wide-field image.

[0301] S312, S313: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for a wide-field image. The screen generation unit 52 obtains information (e.g., URL) of the data storage location associated with the data ID of the wide-field image specified in the request from the image management information storage unit 5001, as well as the viewing start date and time and the participant ID. Furthermore, based on the wide-field image data ID, viewing start date and time and the participant ID, the screen generation unit 52 obtains the storage location information for each corresponding viewpoint information from the viewpoint-related information storage unit 5004. Then, via the communication unit 51, the screen generation unit 52 obtains the wide-field image and viewpoint information from the storage 90 using the storage location information.

[0302] S314: The communication unit 51 transmits the data of a specific wide-field image and the viewpoint information acquired in step S313 to the communication terminal 30.

[0303] S315: In the communication terminal 30, the screen generation unit 37 generates (creates) thumbnail images of predetermined regions identified by each viewpoint information within a specific wide-field image, thereby generating the base display image selection screen 610 as shown in Figure 37. The display control unit 33 then displays the base display image selection screen 610 on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. Note that the thumbnail images of the predetermined regions may be generated by the information processing system 50 instead of the communication terminal 30 and transmitted to the communication terminal 30 in S314.

[0304] The location display image selection screen 610 includes recording (distribution) date and time information 612 for the wide-field image, and thumbnail images 616 related to the predetermined region image displayed at each location. Furthermore, the user ID 617 of the user at each location who was viewing the image at the time of recording is displayed at the top of each thumbnail image 616. Therefore, a user viewing the location display image selection screen 610 during playback can identify the user who was viewing the predetermined region image that forms the basis of each thumbnail image. Note that each thumbnail image may be an image that allows the virtual viewpoint to be moved (changed).

[0305] S316: When the user inputs an operation to select a thumbnail image based on specific viewpoint information using cursor c1 or the like, the reception unit 32 accepts this selection operation input.

[0306] S317: The screen generation unit 37 generates a playback screen 640 or playback screen 650 as shown in Figure 39. Figure 39(a) shows an example of a playback screen, and (b) shows another example of a playback screen. The playback screen 640 has various buttons 701 to 704 and also has predetermined region images 641 and 642 in a specific wide field of view image based on all the thumbnail images selected in step S316.

[0307] Both predetermined region images 641 and 642 are displayed on a single playback screen 640. Furthermore, predetermined region images 641 and 642 are images of the same wide field of view with the same playback elapsed time. Since the image management information shown in Figure 14 manages the acquisition start date and time information, and the viewpoint-related information shown in Figure 16 manages the viewing start date and time information, the screen generation unit 37 can generate a generated screen in which images with the same playback elapsed time are displayed.

[0308] This section shows the case where two thumbnail images are selected on the location display image selection screen 610 in Figure 37. Note that the predetermined area images 641 and 642 in Figure 39 are images that allow the virtual viewpoint to be changed.

[0309] The various buttons 701 to 704 are buttons for simultaneously performing the same display processing on each predetermined region image 641, 642 in Figure 39(a). Button 701 is for returning to the default (original) predetermined region image indicated by each viewpoint information and displaying it. Button 702 is for displaying all images at once. Button 703 is for displaying all images in reverse. Button 704 is for pausing all images at once. When the reception unit 32 receives a press of any of the buttons 701 to 704 from the user, the display control unit 33 executes the respective display processing.

[0310] Furthermore, if three thumbnail images are selected in Figure 37, the screen generation unit 37 generates a playback screen 650 including three predetermined region images 651 to 653, as shown in Figure 39(b).

[0311] All of the designated area images 651-653 are displayed on a single playback screen 650. All of the designated area images 651-653 are images from the same wide-field image and represent the same playback time. In this case, for example, the designated area image 651 of the host user (User110) is displayed enlarged compared to the other designated area images 652 and 653.

[0312] S318: When the user inputs a screen operation to the playback screen shown in Figure 39(a) or Figure 39(b) using a mouse or the like, the reception unit 32 receives the screen operation input.

[0313] S319: The display control unit 33 changes the display of the playback screen based on the screen operation input received by the reception unit 32.

[0314] Here, we will explain in detail the examples of screen operations using Figures 38 to 40. Figure 38 is a flowchart of the process for changing the playback screen. It shows an example of changing the playback screen. Note that the order of each process in the flowchart shown in Figure 38 does not matter.

[0315] S331: For example, when a user inputs a playback operation by pressing button 702 on the playback screen 650 shown in Figure 39(b), the reception unit 32 receives the playback operation input all at once, and in response to the received operation input, the display control unit 33 simultaneously plays back and displays predetermined region images to be played back (in the example of Figure 39(b), three predetermined region images 651 to 653) based on the recorded wide-field image.

[0316] When playback is being displayed by the processing in S332:S331, for example, if a user positions the cursor c1 with a mouse or the like in the predetermined region image 651a in Figure 40(a) in the predetermined region image 651 in Figure 39(b), and then inputs an operation to move the cursor c1 to the right as shown in Figure 40(b), the reception unit 32 receives the operation input for moving (changing) the virtual viewpoint, and the display control unit 33 displays the predetermined region image 651b as shown in Figure 40(b) in response to the received operation input.

[0317] S333: For example, when a user inputs the operation of pressing button 701 on the playback screen 650 shown in Figure 40(b), the reception unit 32 receives the operation input to return to the recorded viewpoint, and in response to the received operation input, the display control unit 33 returns the display from the predetermined region image 651b shown in Figure 40(b) to the predetermined region image 651a shown in Figure 40(a). If the virtual viewpoints of the predetermined region images 652 and 653 have also been moved, the display control unit 33 simultaneously returns them all to the original viewpoint of the predetermined region images.

[0318] S334: For example, when a user inputs the operation of pressing button 703 on the playback screen 650 shown in Figure 39(b), the reception unit 32 receives the operation input for batch reverse playback, and in response to the received operation input, the display control unit 33 simultaneously reverses the predetermined region images to be played back (in the example of Figure 39(b), there are three predetermined region images 651 to 653).

[0319] S335: For example, when a user inputs the operation of pressing button 704 on the playback screen 650 shown in Figure 39(b), the reception unit 32 receives an operation input indicating the stop of batch playback, and in response to the received operation input, the display control unit 33 simultaneously stops the playback of the predetermined region images to be played (in the example of Figure 39(b), there are three predetermined region images 651 to 653).

[0320] This concludes the explanation of the process shown in Figure 38.

[0321] <Examples of communication system applications in telemedicine> Figure 41 illustrates an example of remote communication where a communication system is applied to telemedicine. Figure 42 shows an example of a virtual room mapping screen for associating imaging devices with virtual rooms in the case of telemedicine. Figure 43 shows an example of a virtual room list screen displayed by any user after connecting a communication terminal to storage. Figure 44 shows an example of a location display image selection screen for selecting thumbnails of display images at each location.

[0322] In this explanation of the communication system 1b, the differences between Figure 41 and Figure 1 will be explained. In Figure 41, base A is an operating room, but the processing flow from (1) to (6) can be the same as in Figure 1. In Figure 41, the patient is placed on an operating table 355 and undergoes surgery performed by a medical professional such as a doctor. The medical professional (corresponding to the user) uses various surgical instruments 354, such as forceps and scalpels, to operate on the patient. The medical professional can also wear smart glasses 88 and transmit images of the medical professional's surgical field to the communication network N. In addition, various cameras such as an operating room camera 351, a surgical field camera 352, and an endoscope 353 are arranged in the operating room as imaging devices similar to the imaging device 10. Furthermore, each of these imaging devices may have an imaging function to capture images for generating wide-field images. All imaging devices and smart glasses 88 in the operating room are explained as an example of being associated with a virtual room.

[0323] A main unit 356 is located in the operating room to monitor the patient's vital signs and the operating status of medical equipment. The main unit 356 corresponds to the communication terminal 30 in this embodiment. In addition to the functions shown in Figure 1, the communication terminal 30 (main unit 356) in the operating room may also have the function of receiving images from the endoscope 353 and the surgical field camera 352. The communication terminal 30 can display the received images, including wide-field images, on the display 306 and can transmit them to the information processing system 50 as images from the communication terminal 30's location. The operation panel 357 is an input interface that accepts various operations, and may allow medical personnel to operate equipment in the operating room via the operation panel 357. The endoscope 353, surgical field camera 351, and surgical field camera 352 may also communicate directly with the information processing system 50 without going through the communication terminal 30. In this way, multiple imaging devices 10 can be associated with the same virtual room, so users at remote locations can request recordings of wide-field images capturing various scenes from the site at location A. For example, if you want to record images taken inside a patient's body, you can send a recording request to the imaging device corresponding to the endoscope 353, and if you want to record the overall situation in the operating room, you can send a recording request to the imaging device corresponding to the operating room camera 351.

[0324] Furthermore, the communication terminal 30 may have the functionality of an electronic medical record system, or it may have the functionality to communicate with an electronic medical record system. The communication terminal 30 may display electronic medical record information on the display 306. Also, the storage 90 may be an electronic medical record system. In such cases, the recording data of wide-field images (and associated viewpoint information) recorded in response to a recording request may be associated with the patient's electronic medical record and saved by the association processing unit 53. Also, the folders indicated by the storage location of the storage 90 may be classified by patient or surgery. Also, the virtual room information storage unit 5002 may store associated information indicating the patient and surgery. In this way, information related to the patient and surgery can always be displayed on the viewing screen of the communication terminal 30.

[0325] Figure 42 shows an example of a virtual room mapping screen 860 used to associate an imaging device with a virtual room in the case of telemedicine. The explanation of Figure 42 mainly focuses on the differences from Figure 22.

[0326] In the case of telemedicine, the virtual room mapping screen 860 displays a list of virtual rooms 861 associated with, for example, remote surgeries or consultations. Medical cameras, including an imaging device 10 which is a 360-degree camera, are associated with base A. Medical cameras include endoscopes (T111), surgical field cameras used for imaging the surgical field in the operating room, and cameras for capturing microscopic images.

[0327] Thus, in a medical setting, multiple cameras are used, and as shown in Figure 42, buttons are displayed not only to select one of several surgeries, but also to select a specific camera from among the multiple cameras (T111, T222, T333, T444) used in each surgery.

[0328] Furthermore, in the virtual room list screen 800 of Figure 43, which corresponds to Figure 36, a thumbnail image 806 for each camera is displayed. Then, in the location display image selection screen 810 of Figure 44, which corresponds to Figure 37, in addition to the date and time of recording and information identifying the surgery (such as the name of the surgery) 812, information identifying the selected camera (such as the name of the camera) 807 is also displayed. Also, similar to Figure 37, a thumbnail image 816 related to the predetermined area image displayed at each location is displayed, and at the top of each thumbnail image 816, the user ID 817 of the user at each location who was viewing at the time of recording is shown.

[0329] <Main effects> As described above, the communication system of this embodiment saves viewpoint information in association with the wide-field image related to the video during recording. Therefore, when the wide-field image is played back and displayed after recording, a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed on a predetermined communication terminal during recording can be played back and displayed. In other words, a user viewing the video during playback can later identify the predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that they were looking at during recording. In this way, if a user viewing the video after recording can understand which predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image was displayed on a predetermined communication terminal at a predetermined location during recording, they can understand which predetermined area was attracting attention at that location, which can be used as a reference for subsequent thoughts and actions.

[0330] <Other application examples> Although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these examples, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0331] For example, the configuration example shown in Figure 13 is divided according to its main function in order to facilitate understanding of the processing performed by the information processing system 50, the imaging device 10, and the communication terminal 30. The present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of those units. The processing of the information processing system 50, the imaging device 10, and the communication terminal 30 can be further divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, each processing unit can be divided to include even more processing.

[0332] Each of the functions of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0333] Furthermore, the aforementioned apparatus represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the information processing system 50 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including networks and shared memory, and perform the processing disclosed herein.

[0334] Furthermore, the information processing system 50 can be configured to share the disclosed processing steps, such as those shown in Figures 26, 27, 28, and 34, in various combinations. For example, a process executed by a predetermined unit can be executed by multiple information processing devices of the information processing system 50. Also, the information processing system 50 may be consolidated into a single server device or divided into multiple devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0335] 1a, 1b Communication Systems 10 Imaging device 30. Communication terminal (also called a "display terminal" when playback is shown after recording) 32 Reception Department 33 Display Control Unit 50 Information Processing Systems 306 Display (Example of a display unit) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0336] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-121857

Claims

1. A display terminal that plays and displays recorded videos when they are delivered to a communication terminal, A receiving unit that receives and displays a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the recorded video, Based on the reception by the reception unit, a display control unit causes the display unit to reproduce and display the predetermined region image, which is the predetermined region in the wide-field image, based on viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal during the distribution. A display terminal characterized by having the following features.

2. The display terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the display control unit reproduces and displays the predetermined region image based on the viewpoint information transmitted by the predetermined communication terminal.

3. A display terminal according to claim 1 or 2, The reception unit receives screen operations on the predetermined area image that is being displayed during playback. The display terminal is characterized in that the display control unit moves the virtual viewpoint over the wide-field image based on the screen operation received by the reception unit, and then changes and displays the predetermined region image based on the modified viewpoint information corresponding to the viewpoint after the move.

4. The display terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the display control unit reproduces and displays, on a single screen, a first predetermined region image which is a first predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by the first communication terminal and a second predetermined region image which is a second predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by the second communication terminal.

5. The display terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that it plays back and displays the first predetermined region image and the second predetermined region image at the same playback elapsed time of the wide field image relating to the video.

6. The display terminal according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the display control unit displays one of the first predetermined region image and the second predetermined region image at a larger size than the other.

7. The display terminal according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the display control unit, in accordance with the content of the screen operation received by the reception unit, returns the first predetermined region image and the second predetermined region image together to the original predetermined region image indicated by the viewpoint information and plays it back, plays it back, plays it back in reverse, or pauses the playback display.

8. The display control unit displays thumbnails of multiple predetermined region images, which are multiple predetermined regions of the wide-field image that were displayed by each of the multiple communication terminals. The receiving unit receives the selection of at least one of the thumbnails of the plurality of predetermined region images. The display terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the display control unit reproduces and displays at least one predetermined region image relating to a thumbnail received by the reception unit as the predetermined region image which is a predetermined region in the wide-field image.

9. The display terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the wide-field image has a viewing angle wider than the display range that can be displayed on the display unit at one time.

10. The display terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that the wide-field image is an equirectangular full-sphere image, omnidirectional image, hemispherical image, three-dimensional panoramic image, two-dimensional panoramic image, or VR image.

11. A distribution unit that distributes video to designated communication terminals, The communication terminal displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined region in a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the video recorded when it is distributed from the information processing system, and a receiving unit that receives viewpoint information for identifying the predetermined region transmits viewpoint information for identifying the predetermined region. A transmission unit transmits the wide-field image and the viewpoint information related to the video to a display terminal that displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined region of the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution, based on the viewpoint information, An information processing system characterized by having the following features.

12. A communication system comprising: an information processing system for distributing video; a communication terminal for receiving and displaying the distributed video; and a display terminal for playing back and displaying the video that was recorded when it was distributed, The aforementioned communication terminal is The system receives a video recorded when it is distributed from the aforementioned information processing system, and displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area in a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the video. The information processing system is provided with viewpoint information for identifying the predetermined area. The aforementioned information processing system is The viewpoint information is transmitted to the display terminal. The aforementioned display terminal is Based on the viewpoint information, the predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution, is reproduced and displayed on the display unit. A communication system characterized by the following features.

13. A display method performed by a display terminal that plays back and displays a video that was recorded when it was delivered to a communication terminal, The aforementioned display terminal is The system accepts playback and display of a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the recorded video. Based on the aforementioned reception, the predetermined region image, which is the predetermined region in the wide-field image, is reproduced and displayed on the display unit, based on viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal during the distribution. A method of display characterized by the following features.

14. An information processing method performed by an information processing system, The aforementioned information processing system is The video is distributed to a designated communication terminal. The communication terminal receives viewpoint information transmitted when it receives viewpoint information, by displaying a predetermined region image which is a predetermined region in a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the video recorded when it is distributed from the information processing system, thereby identifying the predetermined region. Based on the viewpoint information, the wide-field image and the viewpoint information relating to the video are transmitted to a display terminal that displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution, on a display unit. An information processing method characterized by the following:

15. A communication method comprising a communication system having an information processing system for distributing video, a communication terminal for receiving and displaying the distributed video, and a display terminal for playing back and displaying the video that was recorded when it was distributed, The aforementioned communication terminal is The system receives a video recorded when it is distributed from the aforementioned information processing system, and displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area in a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the video. The information processing system is provided with viewpoint information for identifying the predetermined area. The aforementioned information processing system is The viewpoint information is transmitted to the display terminal. The aforementioned display terminal is Based on the viewpoint information, the predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution, is reproduced and displayed on the display unit. A communication method characterized by the following features.

16. When a video is recorded and delivered to a communication terminal, the computer that plays and displays the video will have the following settings: The steps include receiving playback and display of a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the recorded video, Based on the reception, the steps include: displaying the predetermined region image, which is the predetermined region in the wide-field image, on the display unit, based on viewpoint information for identifying a predetermined region in the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution; A program that executes the command.

17. On the computer, The video is streamed to a designated communication terminal. The communication terminal displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined region in a wide-field image having a wide field of view related to the video recorded when it is distributed from the information processing system, thereby transmitting viewpoint information for identifying the predetermined region and receiving the viewpoint information. Based on the viewpoint information, the wide-field image and the viewpoint information relating to the video are transmitted to a display terminal that displays a predetermined region image, which is a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image that was displayed by a predetermined communication terminal at the time of distribution, on the display unit. A program characterized by the following features.

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