Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method, and Program

Abstract

Enable the information terminal to flexibly change the process of transmitting data after reducing its capacity using communication resources. 【Solution means】The transmission device 1 includes a specifying unit 122 that specifies the importance of each of a plurality of sub-data constituting the data to be transmitted, and for each of the plurality of sub-data, based on the importance of the sub-data, selects any one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the sub-data, and any one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the sub-data. A selection unit 123, and a transmission unit 125 that transmits each of the plurality of sub-data using the communication resource selected for the sub-data after reducing the capacity of the sub-data using the capacity reduction method selected for the sub-data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program for transmitting data by communication resources.

Background Art

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

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An information terminal may perform processing of reducing the capacity such as compression processing on data to be transmitted and then transmitting it externally by communication resources. Also, since data may have important parts and unimportant parts, the quality and reliability required for each part of the data may be different. Conventionally, in an information terminal, the processing of reducing the capacity of data and then transmitting it by communication resources has been determined in advance, and the processing could not be changed for each part of the data.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to enable an information terminal to flexibly change the processing of reducing the capacity of data and then transmitting it by communication resources.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a specifying unit that specifies the importance of each of a plurality of sub-data constituting the data to be transmitted, and for each of the plurality of sub-data, based on the importance of the sub-data, any one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the sub-data, and any one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the sub-data, a selection unit that selects, and a transmission unit that transmits each of the plurality of sub-data after reducing the capacity of the sub-data using the selected capacity reduction method for the sub-data by the communication resource selected for the sub-data.

[0007] The data to be transmitted is image data, and the plurality of sub-data may be data of regions different from each other in the display region when the image data is displayed, or data of different colors constituting the image data.

[0008] The data to be transmitted is data indicating information that changes along a time axis, and the plurality of sub-data may be data indicating information of different periods in the data to be transmitted.

[0009] The specifying unit may divide the data to be transmitted into the plurality of sub-data corresponding to the number of the plurality of communication resources.

[0010] The specifying unit may specify the importance of each of the plurality of sub-data by inputting the data to be transmitted into a machine learning model generated to output the plurality of sub-data and the importance of each of the plurality of sub-data when the data to be transmitted is input.

[0011] The selection unit may select, for the sub-data for which the first importance is specified, a capacity reduction method with a lower degree of capacity reduction than the sub-data for which a second importance lower than the first importance is specified.

[0012] The selection unit may select the communication resource with a higher communication speed for the partial data with the first specified importance than the partial data with a second specified importance lower than the first importance.

[0013] The information processing apparatus further includes a reception unit that receives, from a user terminal that transmits the data to be transmitted, a transmission condition for transmitting the data to be transmitted specified by a user who uses the user terminal, and the selection unit may select the capacity reduction method and the communication resource based on the importance and the transmission condition.

[0014] The specifying unit may specify a fee required for transmitting the data to be transmitted according to the capacity reduction method and the communication resource selected by the selection unit.

[0015] An information processing method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a step of specifying the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting data to be transmitted, which is executed by a processor; for each of the plurality of partial data, any one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data based on the importance of the partial data, and any one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the partial data; and a step of selecting and transmitting each of the plurality of partial data after reducing the capacity of the partial data using the selected capacity reduction method for the partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data.

[0016] The program according to the third aspect of the present invention causes a processor to execute steps of: specifying the importance level of each of a plurality of sub-data constituting data to be transmitted; selecting, for each of the plurality of sub-data, any one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the sub-data based on the importance level of the sub-data, and any one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the sub-data; and transmitting each of the plurality of sub-data after reducing the capacity of the sub-data using the selected capacity reduction method for the sub-data by means of the selected communication resource for the sub-data.

[0017] An information processing system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a transmission device and a reception device capable of communicating with the transmission device. The transmission device includes a specifying unit that specifies the importance level of each of a plurality of sub-data constituting data to be transmitted, a selecting unit that selects, for each of the plurality of sub-data, any one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the sub-data based on the importance level of the sub-data, and any one of a plurality of communication resources used for transmitting the sub-data, and a transmission unit that transmits each of the plurality of sub-data after reducing the capacity of the sub-data using the selected capacity reduction method for the sub-data by means of the selected communication resource for the sub-data. The reception device includes a reception unit that receives the plurality of sub-data transmitted by the transmission device, a selecting unit that selects a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of sub-data corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied to each of the plurality of sub-data received by the reception unit, and a data processing unit that increases the capacity of each of the plurality of sub-data received by the reception unit using the selected capacity increase method for the sub-data.

[0018] When the reception unit does not receive some of the plurality of sub-data within a predetermined period, the data processing unit may generate data corresponding to the some of the sub-data based on the sub-data different from the some of the sub-data.

[0019] After the data processing unit generates data corresponding to a part of the plurality of partial data that the receiving unit has not received, if the receiving unit receives the part of the partial data, the data received by the receiving unit may be used instead of the generated data for the part of the partial data.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, there is an effect that the information terminal can flexibly change the process of transmitting by the communication resource after reducing the data capacity.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

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Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] [Outline of Information Processing System S] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing system S according to the present embodiment. The information processing system S includes a transmission device 1 and a reception device 2. The information processing system S may include other terminals, devices, etc. The transmission device 1 and the reception device 2 transmit and receive data via a network such as the Internet.

[0023] The transmission device 1 is a computer (information processing device) that processes information regarding data that a user desires to transmit. The user is a person who desires to transmit data. The data to be transmitted is data generated by the transmission device 1 or data acquired by the transmission device 1 from other devices. The data to be transmitted is, for example, data indicating at least one of an image (still image or moving image), sound, and characters.

[0024] The transmission device 1 executes a program for reducing the capacity of data and executes a process of transmitting the data with reduced capacity to the reception device 2. The transmission device 1 is a single computer or a plurality of computers. Also, the transmission device 1 may be one or more virtual servers operating on a cloud that is a collection of computer resources.

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

[0026] The user terminal is an information terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer, for example. The user terminal has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display for displaying information and an operation unit such as a touch panel for receiving operations by the user. Also, the user terminal may include an imaging unit including an imaging element for imaging a predetermined imaging range, an audio input unit including a microphone for inputting audio, etc. The user terminal transmits data directly to the reception device 2 or transmits data via a relay device.

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

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

[0029] The outline of the process executed by the information processing system S according to the present embodiment will be described below. The transmitting device 1 specifies the importance level of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the transmission target data, which is the data to be transmitted. The partial data is a part of the transmission target data. The partial data is, for example, data in different regions or data in different colors in the transmission target data which is image data. The importance level is an index indicating the importance of each of the plurality of partial data.

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

[0031] A plurality of capacity reduction methods include, for example, a process of masking (excluding) a part of data, or a process of performing reversible compression or irreversible compression on the data. The plurality of communication resources include, for example, a plurality of communication lines for performing wireless communication or wired communication via different types of communication facilities, a plurality of communication services provided by different communication carriers, and the like.

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

[0033] In this way, the information processing system S selects a capacity reduction method and a communication resource based on the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted, and applies the selected capacity reduction method and communication resource to the partial data. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the process of reducing the capacity of the data to be transmitted by the transmission device 1 and then transmitting it using the communication resource.

[0034] [Configuration of Information Processing System S] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the information processing system S according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the arrows indicate the main data flow, and there may be data flows other than those shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, each block shows a configuration in units of functions, not in units of hardware (devices). Therefore, the blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be divided and implemented in a plurality of devices. The exchange of data between the blocks may be performed via any means such as a data bus, a network, a portable storage medium, or the like.

[0035] The transmission device 1 includes a storage unit 11 and a control unit 12. The storage unit 11 is a storage medium including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, and the like. The storage unit 11 stores in advance a program executed by the control unit 12.

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

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

[0038] The control unit 22 includes a reception unit 221, a selection unit 222, and a data processing unit 223. The control unit 12 is a processor such as a CPU, and functions as the reception unit 221, the selection unit 222, and the data processing unit 223 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 21.

[0039] Hereinafter, the processing executed by the information processing system S will be described in detail. Before the transmission of the data to be transmitted, in the transmission device 1, the reception unit 121 receives from the user the transmission conditions for transmitting the data to be transmitted.

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

[0041] The immediacy is an index indicating, for example, the degree of speed at which the data to be transmitted reaches the receiving device 2. The immediacy is represented, for example, by a numerical range or characters such as "high", "medium", "low", etc. The immediacy is set high, for example, when the user hopes that the data to be transmitted reaches the receiving device 2 quickly, and is set low when the user does not hope that the data to be transmitted reaches the receiving device 2 quickly.

[0042] The accuracy is an index indicating the degree of accuracy of the data to be transmitted received by the receiving device 2. The accuracy is represented, for example, by a numerical range or characters such as "high", "medium", "low", etc. The accuracy is set high, for example, when the user hopes that the data to be transmitted is accurate, and is set low when the user does not hope that the data to be transmitted is accurate. The transmission conditions are not limited to the specific conditions shown here, and may include other conditions related to data transmission.

[0043] The user specifies the transmission conditions using the operation unit of the transmission device 1 which is the user terminal. The reception unit 121 receives the transmission conditions specified by the user and stores information indicating the received transmission conditions in the storage unit 11.

[0044] When the transmission of the data to be transmitted is performed, the specifying unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data that make up the data to be transmitted. The transmission of the data to be transmitted is started, for example, when a predetermined start condition such as the user specifying the data to be transmitted or new data to be transmitted being stored in the transmission device 1 is satisfied.

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

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

[0047] In the example of FIG. 4(b), the specific unit 122 divides the transmission target data, which is image data, into partial data of a plurality of different colors that make up the image data. The plurality of colors corresponding to the plurality of partial data include, for example, predetermined colors such as red, green, and blue.

[0048] In the example of FIG. 4(c), the specific unit 122 divides the transmission target data, which is audio data, into partial data of a plurality of different frequency bands. The plurality of frequency bands (audible region, inaudible region, etc.) corresponding to the plurality of partial data are, for example, specified in advance by the user.

[0049] The specific unit 122 is not limited to the specific methods shown here, and the transmission target data may be divided into a plurality of partial data by other methods according to the type of the transmission target data (image, audio, character, etc.).

[0050] When the data to be transmitted is moving image data (i.e., data indicating information that changes along the time axis), the specifying unit 122 may divide the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data based on the information along the time axis of the data to be transmitted. In this case, for example, the specifying unit 122 specifies a score for each time (such as a frame) of the data to be transmitted, which is moving image data. The specifying unit 122 specifies the score for each time of the data to be transmitted, for example, by inputting the data to be transmitted for each time into a machine learning model generated to output a score that is an index indicating the importance of an image by known machine learning processing. The specifying unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data indicating information for different periods along the time axis by concatenating consecutive frames in the data to be transmitted whose specified scores are close to each other (for example, the scores of the preceding and succeeding frames are within a range of a predetermined value or ratio).

[0051] Thereby, the information processing system S can transmit, for example, in the moving image captured by a surveillance camera, the part where an abnormality may have occurred, with low compression and using un-congested communication resources, and the part with no change, with high compression and using congested communication resources, etc., and can transmit the data to be transmitted in a suitable method for each part along the time axis.

[0052] Also, when the data to be transmitted is audio data, similar to the case where the data to be transmitted is moving image data, the specifying unit 122 may specify the score of the data to be transmitted at each time and divide the data to be transmitted into a plurality of partial data indicating information for different periods along the time axis based on the specified scores.

[0053] The number by which the specific unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted (the number of multiple sub-data) is, for example, specified in advance by the user. Also, the number by which the specific unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted may be a number corresponding to the number of one or more communication resources available for the transmission device 1 to transmit the data to be transmitted. In this case, the specific unit 122, for example, acquires the number of one or more communication resources stored in advance in the storage unit 11, and divides the data to be transmitted into sub-data in a number with the number of one or more communication resources as the upper limit. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the number by which the data to be transmitted is divided according to the number of one or more communication resources available for transmitting the data to be transmitted.

[0054] When the number by which the specific unit 122 divides the data to be transmitted is one, the specific unit 122 may not divide the data to be transmitted, and may use the entire data to be transmitted as one sub-data. In this case, the specific unit 122, the selection unit 123, and the data processing unit 124 perform subsequent processing on one sub-data.

[0055] The specific unit 122 specifies the importance level of each of the multiple sub-data that make up the data to be transmitted. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process by which the specific unit 122 specifies the importance level. The importance level is an index indicating the importance of each of the multiple sub-data. The importance level is, for example, a higher value as the sub-data is more important, and a lower value as the sub-data is less important. Also, the importance level may be, for example, any of a plurality of characters corresponding to the level of importance such as "high", "medium", "low", etc.

[0056] The specific unit 122 may, for example, specify the importance level specified by the user for each of the multiple sub-data. In this case, the user designates the importance level of each of the multiple sub-data using the operation unit of the transmission device 1 which is the user terminal. The reception unit 121 receives the importance level designated by the user, and stores information indicating the received importance level in the storage unit 11.

[0057] The specific unit 122 may determine the importance of the partial data using a machine learning model. In this case, the specific unit 122 acquires, for example, a machine learning model for determining the importance of the partial data, which is pre-stored in the storage unit 11. The machine learning model is generated to output the importance of data when the data is input, by executing known machine learning processing on teacher data including, for example, a combination of data and importance. The specific unit 122 specifies the importance of each of the plurality of partial data by inputting each of the plurality of partial data into the machine learning model.

[0058] The specific unit 122 may perform the division of the transmission target data into a plurality of partial data and the specification of the importance at once. In this case, the machine learning model is generated to output a plurality of partial data constituting the data and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data when the data is input, by executing known machine learning processing on teacher data including, for example, a combination of data, a data division mode, and importance. The specific unit 122 specifies a plurality of partial data constituting the transmission target data and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data by inputting the transmission target data into the machine learning model.

[0059] The selection unit 123 selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, any one of the plurality of capacity reduction methods and any one of the plurality of communication resources based on the importance of the partial data specified by the specific unit 122 and the transmission condition received by the reception unit 121.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process in which the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources. The capacity reduction method is a method of reducing the capacity of partial data by a predetermined process. The capacity reduction method is executed, for example, by a capacity reduction program (also referred to as software or an application) pre-stored in the storage unit 11.

[0061] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of masking (excluding) a part of the partial data. In this case, the capacity reduction program inputs the partial data into a machine learning model generated by, for example, known machine learning processing, which is a machine learning model that masks a part of the partial data, thereby masking a part of the partial data. A part to be masked in the partial data is, for example, an area in the image data where complementation is relatively easy (such as an area with high regularity), an area in the image data that is not relatively important (such as an area where no person is shown), etc.

[0062] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of encoding the partial data into different types of data. The process of encoding the partial data into different types of data is, for example, generating a character string that describes the content of the image data from the image data, generating 2D image data from 3D point cloud data, etc. In this case, the capacity reduction program inputs the partial data into a machine learning model generated by, for example, known machine learning processing, which is a machine learning model that encodes the partial data into different types of data, thereby encoding the partial data.

[0063] The capacity reduction program may include, for example, a process of performing reversible compression or irreversible compression on the partial data. In this case, the capacity reduction program compresses the partial data, which is image data or other types of data, by, for example, known compression processing.

[0064] A plurality of capacity reduction programs corresponding to a plurality of capacity reduction methods may include a plurality of processes that are the same type of process and have different degrees of reducing the capacity of the partial data. In this case, the plurality of capacity reduction programs may include, for example, a plurality of processes that mask regions of different areas in the partial data. The plurality of capacity reduction programs may include, for example, a plurality of processes that perform reversible compression or irreversible compression on the partial data at different compression ratios.

[0065] The capacity reduction program is not limited to the specific processes shown here, and may include other processes for encoding the capacity of the partial data to a smaller capacity. The process of encoding the partial data is a process of performing reversible encoding that can restore the information of the original partial data, or a process of performing irreversible encoding that cannot restore the information of the original partial data.

[0066] The communication resources are resources available for the transmission device 1 to transmit partial data. The plurality of communication resources include, for example, communication lines for wireless communication via a base station installed on the ground, communication lines for wireless communication via a satellite placed in space, and the like. Also, the plurality of communication resources may include a plurality of communication lines corresponding to a plurality of communication carriers (such as MNO (Mobile Network Operator), MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), etc.) that provide communication services. Further, the plurality of communication resources may include a plurality of communication lines provided by the same communication carrier and having different communication speeds or communication qualities from each other.

[0067] The selection unit 123 acquires, for example, information indicating a plurality of capacity reduction methods available to the transmission device 1 and information indicating a plurality of communication resources available to the transmission device 1, which are pre-stored in the storage unit 11.

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

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

[0070] For example, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method with a lower degree of capacity reduction for partial data with a first specified importance level than for partial data with a second importance level lower than the first importance level. That is, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method such that the higher the importance level, the lower the degree of capacity reduction, and the lower the importance level, the higher the degree of capacity reduction. Thereby, the information processing system S can prevent the capacity of important partial data from being greatly reduced and suppress deterioration in quality.

[0071] For example, the selection unit 123 selects communication resources with a higher communication speed for partial data with a first specified importance level than for partial data with a second importance level lower than the first importance level. That is, the selection unit 123 selects communication resources such that the higher the importance level, the higher the communication speed, and the lower the importance level, the lower the communication speed. Thereby, the information processing system S can increase the communication speed for important partial data and cause it to reach the receiving device 2 earlier.

[0072] The selection unit 123 may select different importance levels and communication resources according to transmission conditions specified by the user. For example, the selection unit 123 selects communication resources such that the higher the immediacy indicated by the transmission conditions, the higher the communication speed, and the lower the immediacy indicated by the transmission conditions, the lower the communication speed. Also, for example, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method such that the higher the accuracy indicated by the transmission conditions, the lower the degree of capacity reduction, and the lower the accuracy indicated by the transmission conditions, the higher the degree of capacity reduction. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the capacity reduction method and communication resources according to the transmission conditions specified by the user.

[0073] The selection unit 123 may select a capacity reduction method and communication resources using the association information pre-stored in the storage unit 11. For example, the selection unit 123 acquires the association information used to select a capacity reduction method and communication resources from the storage unit 11.

[0074] The association information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of a plurality of capacity reduction methods, each of a plurality of communication resources, each of a plurality of importance levels, and each of a plurality of transmission conditions. That is, the association information is information that enables selection of a capacity reduction method and communication resources according to a combination of a specific importance level and a specific transmission condition. The same capacity reduction method may be associated with a combination of a plurality of importance levels and a plurality of transmission conditions. The same communication resource may be associated with a combination of a plurality of importance levels and a plurality of transmission conditions. The association information is, for example, specified in advance by an administrator of the information processing system S and stored in the storage unit 11.

[0075] For example, for each of the plurality of partial data, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources associated with the importance level specified by the specifying unit 122 and the transmission condition received by the reception unit 121 in the acquired association information. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the capacity reduction method and communication resources applied to the partial data according to the importance level of the partial data and the transmission condition specified by the user.

[0076] In addition to the importance level and the transmission condition, the selection unit 123 may select a capacity reduction method and communication resources based on the communication status. In this case, for example, the selection unit 123 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources associated with the importance level specified by the specifying unit 122, the transmission condition received by the reception unit 121, and the communication status indicated by the acquired status information in the acquired association information. Thereby, in addition to the importance level and the transmission condition, the capacity reduction method and communication resources applied to the partial data can be flexibly changed according to the communication status of the communication resources.

[0077] The specifying unit 122 may specify the fee incurred for the user to transmit the data to be transmitted according to the capacity reduction method and communication resources selected by the selection unit 123. For example, the specifying unit 122 acquires the fee information stored in advance in the storage unit 11 and used for specifying the fee. The fee information is, for example, information such as a table or database that associates each of a plurality of capacity reduction methods, each of a plurality of communication resources, and the fee.

[0078] For example, the specifying unit 122 specifies the fee associated with the capacity reduction method and communication resources selected by the selection unit 123 in the acquired fee information. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the fee incurred for the user to transmit the data to be transmitted according to the capacity reduction method and communication resources applied to the data to be transmitted.

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

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

[0081] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process in which the transmission unit 125 transmits partial data. The transmission unit 125 transmits each of the plurality of partial data with reduced capacity by the data processing unit 124, together with method identification information indicating the capacity reduction method applied to the partial data, to the receiving device 2 by the communication resources selected for the partial data. The method identification information is, for example, information indicating the process (e.g., a compression process of a specific reversible compression or irreversible compression) included in the capacity reduction method.

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

[0083] The selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method for increasing the capacity of each of the plurality of partial data received by the receiving unit 221, corresponding to the capacity reduction method applied to each of the plurality of partial data. For example, when the capacity reduction method is a process of masking a part of the partial data, the selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method including a process of generating the masked part of the partial data using a known generation process (such as generative AI (Artificial Intelligence)). For example, when the capacity reduction method is a compression process of a specific reversible compression or irreversible compression, the selection unit 222 selects a capacity increase method including a decompression process of decompressing the data on which the compression process has been performed.

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

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

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

[0087] The data processing unit 223 generates integrated data by combining one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 (one or more partial data whose capacity has been increased by the above-described capacity increasing method) and generated data corresponding to one or more partial data not received by the receiving unit 221, and stores the generated integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device. Thereby, even when the receiving device 2 cannot receive some of the plurality of partial data, the information processing system S can provide the user with integrated data supplemented with the some partial data.

[0088] Further, after the data processing unit 223 generates generated data corresponding to some of the partial data not received by the receiving unit 221 among the plurality of partial data, when the receiving unit 221 receives the some partial data, the data processing unit 223 may regenerate the integrated data using the some partial data received by the receiving unit 221 instead of the generated data.

[0089] In this case, before generating the generated data, the data processing unit 223 combines one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 with one or more partial data received by the receiving unit 221 after generating the generated data, thereby generating integrated data, and stores the integrated data in the storage unit 21 or another storage device instead of the already stored integrated data. As a result, when the information processing system S generates integrated data in a state where the receiving device 2 cannot receive some partial data and then receives the some partial data, the information processing system S can regenerate the integrated data using the some partial data received later.

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

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

[0092] The selection unit 123 selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, any one of the plurality of capacity reduction methods and any one of the plurality of communication resources based on the importance level of the partial data specified by the specifying unit 122 and the transmission conditions received by the reception unit 121 (S13).

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

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

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

[0096] [Effect of Embodiment] According to the information processing system S according to the present embodiment, the transmitting device 1 selects a capacity reduction method and communication resources based on the importance of each of the plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted, and applies the selected capacity reduction method and communication resources to the partial data. Thereby, the information processing system S can flexibly change the process of reducing the capacity of the data to be transmitted by the transmitting device 1 and then transmitting it using communication resources.

[0097] Note that the present invention can contribute to Goal 9, "Build the infrastructure for industry and innovation," of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations.

[0098] As described above, the present invention has been explained using embodiments. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically dispersing and integrating it in any unit. Also, new embodiments resulting from any combination of a plurality of embodiments are included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination have the effects of the original embodiments combined.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0099] S Information processing system 1 Transmission device 11 Storage unit 12 Control unit 121 Reception unit 122 Identification unit 123 Selection unit 124 Data processing unit 125 Transmission unit 2 Reception device 21 Storage unit 22 Control unit 221 Reception unit 222 Selection unit 223 Data processing unit

Claims

1. an identification unit that identifies the importance of each of the plurality of partial data by inputting the data to be transmitted into a machine learning model that is generated so as to output a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data; a selection unit that selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data based on the importance of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources that is used to transmit the partial data; a transmission unit that transmits each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; An information processing device having the above configuration.

2. An identification unit that identifies the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted; a selection unit that selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data based on the importance of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources that is used to transmit the partial data; a transmission unit that transmits each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; having the selection unit selects, for the partial data for which a first importance level has been specified, the capacity reduction method that reduces capacity to a smaller extent than the partial data for which a second importance level lower than the first importance level has been specified. Information processing device.

3. a reception unit that receives, from a user terminal that transmits data to be transmitted, an accuracy indicating a degree of accuracy when the data to be transmitted, which is specified by a user who uses the user terminal; a determination unit that determines the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the transmission target data; a selection unit that selects, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources to be used for transmitting the partial data, based on a combination of the importance and the accuracy of the partial data; a transmission unit that transmits each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; An information processing device having the above configuration.

4. The data to be transmitted is image data, The plurality of partial data are data of different areas in a display area when the image data is displayed, or data of different colors constituting the image data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

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

6. The identification unit divides the data to be transmitted into the plurality of partial data, the number of which corresponds to the number of the plurality of communication resources. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The identification unit inputs the data to be transmitted into a machine learning model that is generated so as to output the plurality of partial data and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data by inputting the data to be transmitted, thereby identifying the importance of each of the plurality of partial data.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2 or 3.

8. the selection unit selects, for the partial data for which a first importance level has been specified, the capacity reduction method that reduces capacity to a smaller extent than the partial data for which a second importance level lower than the first importance level has been specified. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

9. the selection unit selects, for the partial data for which a first importance level has been specified, the communication resource having a higher communication speed than the partial data for which a second importance level lower than the first importance level has been specified. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. the specifying unit specifies a fee to be charged for transmitting the data to be transmitted, depending on the capacity reduction method and the communication resource selected by the selecting unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

11. The processor executes A step of inputting data to be transmitted into a machine learning model that is generated so as to output a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted and the importance of each of the plurality of partial data, thereby identifying the importance of each of the plurality of partial data; selecting, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources to be used for transmitting the partial data, based on the importance of the partial data; transmitting each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; An information processing method comprising the steps of:

12. The processor executes Identifying the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted; selecting, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources to be used for transmitting the partial data, based on the importance of the partial data; transmitting each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; having In the selecting step, for the partial data for which a first importance level is specified, a capacity reduction method that reduces capacity to a smaller extent than the partial data for which a second importance level lower than the first importance level is specified is selected. Information processing methods.

13. The processor executes receiving, from a user terminal that transmits data to be transmitted, an accuracy indicating a degree of accuracy when the data to be transmitted, specified by a user using the user terminal; identifying the importance of each of a plurality of partial data constituting the data to be transmitted; selecting, for each of the plurality of partial data, one of a plurality of capacity reduction methods for reducing the capacity of the partial data, and one of a plurality of communication resources to be used for transmitting the partial data, based on a combination of the importance and the accuracy of the partial data; transmitting each of the plurality of partial data by the communication resource selected for the partial data after reducing the capacity of the each of the plurality of partial data by using the capacity reduction method selected for the each of the partial data; An information processing method comprising the steps of:

14. A program causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

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