Location information management device, content distribution system, and location information management method

Abstract

To enhance accuracy for information about a place.SOLUTION: A place information management device (12) comprises: a place information storage section (60) which stores place information (Dc), which is information about the place and which includes first emotion information (Dca) about an emotion that can be felt by a person in the place, in association with the place; a shooting position acquisition section (64) which acquires a shooting position (Df1) of a shot image (De) captured by a shooting device (F); a music information acquisition section (66) which acquires music information (Dn) which is information on music to be reproduced in time to display of the shot image (De) and which includes second emotion information (Dha) about an emotion that can be felt by a person listening to the music; and a place information generation and update section 67 which generates the first emotion information (Dca) about a place corresponding to the shooting position (Df1) or updates the first emotion information (Dca), based on the second emotion information (Dha) of the music information (Dn), and stores the first emotion information (Dca) in the place information storage section (60).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a location information management device, a content distribution system, and a location information management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Services that deliver music to users in vehicles are known. In these services, it is also known that music to be delivered is selected based on the vehicle's traveling position, thereby delivering music appropriate for the location at that time (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-189969 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-123488 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To select music appropriate for a location, information that serves as a guide for selecting music must be associated with the location in advance. However, if the accuracy of this information is insufficient, music that is inappropriate for the location will be selected.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a location information management device, a content distribution system, and a location information management method that can improve the accuracy of information about locations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a location information management device comprising: a location information storage unit that stores location information, which is information about a location and includes first affective information about an emotion that a person at the location may feel, in association with the location; a shooting position acquisition unit that acquires a shooting position of an image captured by an image capture device; a music information acquisition unit that acquires music information, which is information about music to be played in sync with the display of the image, including second affective information about an emotion that a person listening to the music may feel; and a location information creation / update unit that creates the first affective information about a location corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, the location information management device further comprises a shooting time information acquisition unit that acquires shooting time information including at least one of information on a date and a time when the photographed image was taken, and the location information creating / updating unit classifies the second affective information based on the shooting time information, creates the first affective information for a location corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information after classification, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit in association with a time based on the shooting time information.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the location information management device, when the location corresponding to the shooting location is a predetermined location, the location information creating / updating unit creates the first affective information for the location corresponding to the shooting location based on the second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the location information management device, the predetermined locations include at least one of locations where the location information is not stored in the location information storage unit, locations corresponding to the location information where the information amount of the first sensory information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, locations corresponding to the location information where the certainty of the first sensory information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and locations designated in advance according to the variability of the scenery.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the location information management device further includes a match evaluation acquisition unit that acquires a match evaluation, which is an evaluation of the degree to which music played in conjunction with the display of the captured image is suitable for the captured image, and the location information creation / update unit creates or updates the first affective information for a location corresponding to the shooting position based on second affective information of the music information when the match evaluation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, the location information management device further includes a music determination process determination unit that determines whether the music played in conjunction with the display of the captured image is music determined based on instructions from a user of the captured image and music, and the location information creating / updating unit, if the music is music determined based on instructions from the user, creates or updates the first affective information about the location corresponding to the shooting position based on second affective information of the music information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the location information management device, the user's instructions include at least one of the user's specification of the music and the user's agreement to the automatically selected music.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the location information management device further includes a subject determination unit that determines a subject of the photographed image, and when the main subject of the photographed image is not a person, the location information creating / updating unit creates or updates the first affective information about a place corresponding to the photographing position based on second affective information of the music information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a content distribution system comprising any one of the location information management devices described above and a content output device that outputs content, wherein the content output device comprises: a content information storage unit that pre-stores content sensibility information about sensibilities that a person who comes into contact with the content may feel; a location acquisition unit that acquires the location of a device to which the content is to be output; a location information acquisition unit that acquires, from the location information management device, the first sensibility information about a location corresponding to the location of the output device; and a content selection unit that selects the content corresponding to the content sensibility information in accordance with the first sensibility information acquired by the location information acquisition unit, and outputs the content selected by the content selection unit.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention is a location information management method for a location information management device having a location information storage unit that stores location information, which is information about a location and includes first emotional information about an emotion that a person at the location may feel, in association with the location, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a shooting location of an image captured by an image capture device; acquiring music information, which is information about music to be played in conjunction with the display of the image, including second emotional information about an emotion that a person listening to the music may feel; and creating the first emotional information about the location corresponding to the shooting location based on the second emotional information of the music information, or updating the first emotional information, and storing the first emotional information in the location information storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, the accuracy of information about a location can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a music distribution system and a location information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a music distribution server. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a first client device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an electronic album creating server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a second client device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a location information management server. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of a process for creating and updating location information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a location information management server according to a first modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a music distribution system 1 and a location information management system 2 according to this embodiment. The music distribution system 1 includes a music distribution server 10 that provides a music distribution service via a telecommunications line 4 such as the Internet, and a client device (hereinafter referred to as a "first client device C1") that uses the music distribution service. The music distribution server 10 of this embodiment selects music based on the current location Da (FIG. 2) of the first client device C1 and distributes the selected music data Db1 (FIG. 2). As a result, when the user of the first client device C1 (hereinafter referred to as "first user A1") is traveling on foot or in a vehicle, music appropriate for the location of the user is distributed. Note that in this embodiment, "music" refers to a sound pattern played by an instrument, voice, computer, etc., and may or may not include singing.

[0020] The location information management system 2 includes a location information management server 12 that manages location information Dc (Figure 6), which is information about locations, an electronic album creation server 14 that provides an electronic album creation service via a telecommunications line 4, and a client device (hereinafter referred to as the "second client device C2") that uses the electronic album creation service.

[0021] In this embodiment, a "place" refers to an area defined on a map, and a "position" refers to a specific point. Furthermore, the location information Dc of this embodiment is information that serves as an index when the music distribution server 10 selects music based on the current location Da, and includes first emotion information Dca about the emotion that a person may feel at that location. Sensitivity includes human emotions, impulses, desires, etc. More specifically, sensibility includes emotions, impulses, desires, etc. that a person feels from features that come into view of the person in that place or from objects associated with that place. A feature is a natural or artificial object that exists on the ground, such as a landmark or a landscape (such as the sea, a river, a sunset, a grassland, a mountain range, or illumination). Associations are things such as features, people, and events associated with a place, as well as the impressions that many people have of that place.

[0022] For example, if the location is a big city, emotions such as "exhilaration" and "hustle and bustle" and impulses and desires such as "play" are recorded in the first affective information Dca. Also, if the location is a seaside, emotions such as "refreshment," "openness," and "summer heat" and impulses and desires such as "swimming in the sea" and "fishing" are recorded in the first affective information Dca. In the first affective information Dca, words indicating affects are recorded as tag information.

[0023] The first affective information Dca may be information about the features or associations that cause the person to feel the emotion. In this case, words indicating the features or associations are recorded in the first affective information Dca as tag information.

[0024] Furthermore, the location information management server 12 of this embodiment uses information obtained from an electronic album Dd (FIG. 4) created by a user of the electronic album creation service (hereinafter referred to as the "second user A2") operating the second client device C2 to create new location information Dc or update the first affective information of the location information Dc.

[0025] The electronic album Dd of this embodiment is data that allows the second user A2 to view the photographed image De (Figure 5) along with music, and is packaged data that includes the photographed image De to be displayed and music data Db2 (Figure 4) that is played in conjunction with the display of the photographed image De. The music data Db2 is music designated by the second user A2 as music to be played in conjunction with the display of the photographed image De, or music automatically determined based on publicly known or well-known electronic album creation technology. Such music is generally music that is closely related to the photographed image De, designated by the second user A2 or automatically determined. Furthermore, the captured image De is image or video data having additional information Df including various types of metadata, and this metadata includes various types of information such as the shooting position Df1 and shooting time information Df2. The shooting position Df1 is information indicating the position at the time of shooting. If the captured image De is a video, the shooting position is recorded at the shooting position Df1 at appropriate time intervals throughout the shooting. The shooting time information Df2 is information including at least one of the date and time at the time of shooting. In the shooting time information Df2 of this embodiment, information on both the date and time at the time of shooting (i.e., date and time) is recorded.

[0026] The location information management server 12 of this embodiment creates or updates location information Dc for a location including the shooting position Df1 of the photographed image De based on the correspondence between the photographed image De and the music data Db2, thereby enriching and improving the accuracy of the location information Dc. The location information Dc (first affective information Dca) can be referenced by the music distribution server 10 via the telecommunications line 4, and is used to select music corresponding to the location where the first user A1 is located.

[0027] Next, each device will be described in more detail. In the following description, music distributed by the music distribution server 10 will be referred to as "distributed music," and the data for this distributed music will be referred to as "distributed music data Db1." Furthermore, music used in the electronic album Dd will be referred to as "material music," and the data for this material music will be referred to as "material music data Db2."

[0028] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the music distribution server 10. As shown in FIG. The music distribution server 10 includes a computer equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a memory device (also called a main memory device) such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage device (also called a secondary memory device) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication device (a receiver and a transmitter) that communicates via a telecommunications line 4, and an interface circuit for connecting various peripheral devices. The processor executes computer programs stored in the memory device or the storage device to realize various functions related to the music distribution service. Note that the music distribution server 10 may also include multiple computers, which cooperate to realize the functions related to the music distribution service.

[0029] The music distribution server 10 has, as its functional configuration, a distribution music data source 20, a distribution music information storage unit 21, a distribution request acquisition unit 22, a position acquisition unit 23, a location information acquisition unit 24, a distribution music selection unit 25, and a music transmission control unit 26.

[0030] The distributed music data source 20 stores distributed music data Db1, which is data on distributed music, and the distributed music information storage unit 21 stores in advance distributed music information Dh, which is information on distributed music.

[0031] The distributed music information Dh includes, in addition to information indicating the attributes of the distributed music, second affective information Dha about the affect that a person who listens to the distributed music may have. The information indicating the attributes is appropriate information used to classify music, such as the song title, composer, lyricist, performer, singer, genre (classical, jazz, pop, folk, etc.), and year of release. The second affective information Dha includes emotions, impulses, desires, etc. that people feel from the melody, atmosphere, and lyrics of the distributed music. For example, words such as "dark," "bright," "light," "refreshing," "solemn," "summer heat," and "snow country atmosphere" are recorded in the second affective information Dha. In the second affective information Dha, words indicating such affective feelings are recorded as tag information.

[0032] Note that, similar to the first affective information Dca, the second affective information Dha may be information that causes a person to feel that emotion (for example, words that appear in lyrics, the content of the lyrics, the melody, or the atmosphere of the song). In this case, words that indicate such information are recorded in the second affective information Dha as tag information.

[0033] The distribution request acquisition unit 22 acquires a music distribution request E. The music distribution request E is a transmission message sent by the first client device C1, and is received by a communication device included in the music distribution server . The position acquisition unit 23 acquires the current position Da of the first client device C1. The current position Da may be transmitted and received between the music distribution server 10 and the first client device C1 in any suitable manner, and the music distribution server 10 (position acquisition unit 23) may request the first client device C1 to transmit the current position Da, or the first client device C1 may voluntarily transmit the current position Da to the music distribution server 10 when transmitting the music distribution request E.

[0034] The location information acquisition unit 24 acquires the location information Dc about the location (predetermined area) including the current location Da of the first client device C1 from the location information management server 12 via the electric communication line 4.

[0035] Based on location information Dc of the current location Da, the distribution music selection unit 25 identifies second affective information Dha corresponding to the first affective information Dca of the location information Dc, and selects distribution music corresponding to the second affective information Dha as a distribution target. Specifically, the distribution music selection unit 25 searches the distribution music information storage unit 21 using the tag information included in the first affective information Dca of the location information Dc as a search key, and identifies second affective information Dha that includes the search key most frequently. Then, the distribution music selection unit 25 selects distribution music corresponding to distribution music information Dh of the second affective information Dha as a distribution target. The music transmission control unit 26 transmits the distribution music data Db1 to the first client device C1 based on the selection made by the distribution music selection unit 25. This causes the distribution music to be distributed to the first client device C1, allowing the first user A1 to enjoy distribution music appropriate for the current location.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the functional configuration of the first client device C1. The first client device C1 is a device that travels with the first user A1 and receives music delivered from the music distribution server 10. The first client device C1 is, for example, a portable device such as a smartphone, a wearable device such as a wearable computer, or an in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle in which the first user A1 rides. As shown in FIG. 3, the first client device C1 of this embodiment includes an operation device 30, a music playback device 31, a communication device 32, a position detection device 33, and a computer .

[0037] The operation device 30 is a device that accepts operations by the first user A1, and is a button, touch panel, or the like. The music playback device 31 is a device that plays the distributed music data Db1. The communication device 32 is a device that communicates with the music distribution server 10 via the telecommunications line 4. The position detection device 33 is a device that detects the current position Da. The position detection device 33 of this embodiment is equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver that receives positioning signals transmitted from multiple positioning satellites and identifies the current position Da based on these positioning signals.

[0038] The computer 34 includes a processor, a memory device, a storage device (also called a secondary storage device), and an interface circuit for connecting peripheral devices (such as the above-mentioned operation device 30, music playback device 31, communication device 32, and position detection device 33), and functions as a client computer of the music distribution server 10 by the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory device or storage device.

[0039] Specifically, the computer 34 includes, as functional components, a distribution request unit 35, a location information transmission control unit 36, a distribution reception control unit 37, and a music playback control unit 38. The delivery request unit 35 executes control to transmit a music delivery request E from the communication device 32 to the music delivery server 10 in response to an operation (instruction) by the first user A1 or when it is determined that the first user A1 is in a predetermined location. The determination of whether the first user A1 is in a predetermined location can be performed using publicly known or well-known technology using the position detection device 33 and map information. Note that the delivery request unit 35 may perform such a determination, or the computer 34 may have a functional unit for such determination separate from the delivery request unit 35. The current location Da may also be transmitted together with the music delivery request E. The position information transmission control unit 36 ​​executes control to transmit the current position Da from the communication device 32 to the music distribution server 10. The distribution reception control unit 37 executes control to receive the distributed music data Db1 from the music distribution server 10 via the communication device 32, and the music playback control unit 38 executes control to control the music playback device 31 to play the distributed music data Db1.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the electronic album creating server 14. As shown in FIG. The electronic album creation server 14 has a computer equipped with a processor, a memory device (also called a main memory device), a storage device (also called a secondary memory device), a communication device (receiver and transmitter) that communicates via the telecommunications line 4, and an interface circuit for connecting various peripheral devices. The processor executes computer programs stored in the memory device or the storage device to realize various functions related to the electronic album creation service. Note that the electronic album creation server 14 may also be equipped with multiple computers, which cooperate to realize functions related to the music distribution service.

[0041] The electronic album creation server 14 has, as its functional configuration, a material music data source 40, a photographed image acquisition unit 41, a material music designation acquisition unit 42, a material music automatic determination unit 43, a first match degree evaluation acquisition unit 44, an electronic album output unit 45, and an electronic album information output unit 46.

[0042] The material music data source 40 stores in advance material music data Db2, which is data on material music of an electronic album Dd.

[0043] The photographed image acquisition unit 41 acquires a photographed image De, which is data of an image that will be used as material for the electronic album Dd. In addition, the material music designation acquisition unit 42 acquires, from the second client device C2, user-designated material music information Dm, which is designation by the second user A2 of material music to be played along with the display of the photographed image De. The captured image De and the user-specified material music information Dm are acquired by the communication device by receiving them from the second client device C2.

[0044] The automatic material music determination unit 43 automatically determines material music on behalf of the second user A2 when the second user A2 has not specified material music using the user-specified material music information Dm. The material music may be determined based on the captured image De or the attributes or preferences of the second user A2, or any other suitable known or publicly known method.

[0045] When the automatic material music determination unit 43 determines material music on behalf of the second user A2, the first match degree evaluation acquisition unit 44 obtains a match degree evaluation Di for that material music. The match degree evaluation Di is an evaluation value obtained by the second user A2 as to the degree of match between the material music and the captured image De. This match degree indicates the degree to which the material music is suitable as music to be played along with the display of the captured image De, and is evaluated based on the sensibility (i.e., subjectivity) of the second user A2. Note that the form of the match degree evaluation Di may be any form as long as the evaluation can be converted into a score. The communication device acquires the match degree evaluation Di by receiving it from the second client device C2.

[0046] The electronic album output section 45 generates an electronic album Dd in which the material music data Db2 of the material music is associated with the captured image De, and transmits the electronic album Dd to the second client device C2.

[0047] The electronic album information output unit 46 outputs electronic album information Dj of the electronic album Dd to the location information management server 12. The electronic album information Dj is information that includes at least the correspondence between the shooting position Df1 of the photographed image De and the music data Db2. In this embodiment, the electronic album information Dj includes additional information Df of the photographed image De, a match degree evaluation Di, and material music identification information Dk that is identification information of the material music. Note that the electronic album Dd itself may be used as the electronic album information Dj.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows the functional configuration of the second client device C2. The second client device C2 is a device operated by the second user A2 to create an electronic album, such as a smartphone, a notebook computer, or a desktop computer, and as shown in Figure 5, it is equipped with an operation device 50, a display device 51, a music playback device 52, a communication device 53, and a computer 54.

[0049] The operation device 50 is a device that accepts operations from the second user A2, and is a button, touch panel, etc. The display device 51 is a device that displays various information. Examples of the various information include photographed images De of the electronic album Dd and photographed images De of material candidates before the electronic album Dd was generated. The music playback device 52 is a device that plays back material music data Db2 of the electronic album Dd and material music data Db2 of material candidates before the electronic album Dd was generated. The communication device 53 is a device that communicates with the electronic album creation server 14 via the electric communication line 4.

[0050] The computer 54 includes a processor, a memory device, a storage device (also called a secondary storage device), and an interface circuit for connecting peripheral devices (such as the above-mentioned operation device 50, display device 51, music playback device 52, and communication device 53), and functions as a client computer of the electronic album creation server 14 by the processor executing a computer program stored in the memory device or storage device.

[0051] Specifically, the computer 54 has, as its functional configuration, a captured image storage unit 55, a captured image transmission control unit 56, a material music designation transmission control unit 57, a match degree evaluation transmission control unit 58, and an electronic album reception control unit 59.

[0052] The photographed image storage unit 55 stores photographed images De that are candidates for material for the electronic album Dd. The photographed images De are data taken by the second user A2 using a photographing device F and imported from the photographing device F into the second client device C2 via an interface circuit. Note that the second client device C2 may also be equipped with the photographing device F.

[0053] The photographed image transmission control section 56 executes control to transmit one or more photographed images De selected by an operation of the second user A2 from the communication device 53 to the electronic album creating server 14. The material music designation transmission control unit 57 also controls transmission of user-designated material music information Dm designated by the operation of the second user A2 from the communication device 53 to the electronic album creation server 14. The material music designation transmission control unit 57 may also obtain a list of material music from the electronic album creation server 14, display the list on the display device 51, and allow the second user A2 to select material music from the list.

[0054] The match degree evaluation transmission control unit 58 executes control to transmit the match degree evaluation Di input by the operation of the second user A2 from the communication device 53 to the electronic album creating server 14. The electronic album reception control unit 59 executes control to receive the electronic album Dd output from the electronic album creating server 14 by the communication device 53.

[0055] In the second client device C2, the display device 51 displays the captured images De of the electronic album Dd, and the music playback device 52 plays back the material music data Db2 in accordance with the display, thereby allowing the second user A2 to enjoy the electronic album Dd.

[0056] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the location information management server 12. As shown in FIG. The location information management server 12 has a computer including a processor, a memory device (also called a main memory device), a storage device (also called a secondary memory device), a communication device (a receiver and a transmitter) that communicates via the telecommunications line 4, and an interface circuit for connecting various peripheral devices. The processor executes computer programs stored in the memory device or the storage device to realize various functions related to the management of the location information Dc. Note that the location information management server 12 may also include multiple computers, and the computers may cooperate to realize the functions related to the management of the location information Dc.

[0057] The location information management server 12 has, as its functional configuration, a location information storage unit 60, an electronic album information acquisition unit 61, a subject determination unit 62, a second match degree evaluation acquisition unit 63, a shooting position acquisition unit 64, a shooting time information acquisition unit 65, a music information acquisition unit 66, and a location information creation / update unit 67.

[0058] The location information storage section 60 stores the location information Dc in association with the location indicated by the location information Dc. The electronic album information acquisition section 61 acquires the electronic album information Dj from the electronic album creating server 14 via the electric communication line 4.

[0059] The subject determination unit 62 determines whether a person is the main subject of the photographed image De used as material for the electronic album Dd. Specifically, the subject determination unit 62 uses a publicly known or well-known recognition technology to recognize whether a person is included as a subject in the photographed image De. The subject determination unit 62 then determines whether a person is the main subject based on the proportion of the image area of ​​the photographed image De that is occupied by people, the number of people, etc.

[0060] For a photographed image De in which a person is the main subject, there is relatively little information about the location of the photographed position Df1. Furthermore, the music material for that photographed image De tends to be music associated with memories of the subject, rather than music associated with the location of the photographed position Df1. In other words, in the electronic album Dd, the music material associated with a photographed image De in which a person is the main subject is unlikely to be music appropriate for the location of the photographed position Df1. For this reason, in this embodiment, the music material is not used in generating and updating the location information Dc.

[0061] The second match degree evaluation acquisition unit 63 acquires the match degree evaluation Di from the electronic album information Dj, the shooting position acquisition unit 64 acquires the shooting position Df1 from the additional information Df of the captured image De, and the shooting time information acquisition unit 65 acquires the shooting time information Df2 from the additional information Df.

[0062] The music information acquisition unit 66 acquires music information Dn of the material music associated with the captured image De from the electronic album Dd. Like the above-mentioned distributed music information Dh held by the music distribution server 10, this music information Dn includes information indicating attributes of the music and second affective information Dha about the affect felt by a person who listens to the music. In this embodiment, the distributed music information Dh is used for the music information Dn, and the music information acquisition unit 66 acquires the material music information Dn from the music distribution server 10 via the telecommunications line 4. It goes without saying that the location information management server 12 may also have a database of the music information Dn.

[0063] The location information creating / updating unit 67 newly creates or updates the first affective information Dca of the location information Dc of the location indicated by the shooting position Df1 of the captured image De, based on the music information Dn. Then, the location information creating / updating unit 67 stores the music information Dn in the location information storage unit 60.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the process of creating and updating the location information Dc. In the place information management server 12, the place information creating / updating unit 67 creates or updates the first affective information Dca of the place information Dc in accordance with the procedure shown in FIG.

[0065] First, the location information creating / updating unit 67 determines whether the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 of the captured image De is a predetermined location (step Sa1). This predetermined location is a location previously determined as a location requiring new creation or updating of first affective information Dca of the location information Dc. In this embodiment, at least one of the following four locations is set as the predetermined location. The first location is a location for which the location information Dc (first affective information Dca) is not stored in the location information storage unit 60. The second location is a location corresponding to the location information Dc for which the amount of information in the first affective information Dca is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., the amount of information is small). The third location is a location corresponding to the location information Dc for which the degree of certainty of the first affective information Dca is equal to or less than a predetermined value (i.e., the degree of certainty is low). For example, if the first affective information Dca includes a predetermined number or more pieces of information such as conceptually contradictory emotions, the degree of certainty of the first affective information Dca is deemed to be equal to or less than a predetermined value. The fourth location is a location that is designated in advance as a location where the scenery changes frequently, and where frequent updates of the location information Dc are desired. For example, this fourth location is a location where the scenery changes frequently due to development, etc.

[0066] If the location of the shooting location Df1 does not correspond to the predetermined location (step Sa1: No), the location information creating / updating unit 67 ends the process, but if the location of the shooting location Df1 corresponds to the predetermined location (step Sa1: Yes), it determines whether the material music in the electronic album Dd is appropriate for the location of the shooting location Df1. Specifically, the location information creating / updating unit 67 determines whether the subjects of the photographed image De are mainly people (step Sa2), and also determines whether the match degree evaluation Di is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step Sa3).

[0067] If the subjects are primarily people (step Sa2: Yes), as described above, the material music associated with the image De is unlikely to be appropriate for the shooting position Df1. Therefore, in this case, the location information creating / updating unit 67 simply ends the process.

[0068] Next, if the match evaluation Di is low (step Sa3: No), the second user A2 has indicated that the material music is not very suitable for the captured image De, and the material music can be considered to have a low correlation with the location corresponding to the capture location Df1. Therefore, in this case, the location information creating / updating unit 67 simply ends the process.

[0069] On the other hand, if the match degree evaluation Di is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step Sa3: Yes), this indicates that the second user A2 has evaluated the material music as being highly suitable for the photographed image De. In particular, in the creation / update processing of this embodiment, the determination in step Sa3 is made when photographed images De whose subjects are mainly people have been excluded by the determination in step Sa2, so there is a high degree of certainty that the material music is associated with the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1, that is, there is a high possibility that the material music is suitable for the location of the shooting position Df1.

[0070] Therefore, if the match degree evaluation Di is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step Sa3: Yes), the location information creating / updating unit 67 creates new or updates the first affective information Dca of the location information Dc based on the material music.

[0071] Specifically, the location information creating and updating unit 67 first acquires the music information Dn of the material music (step Sa4). This acquires the second affective information Dha linked to the material music. If the location information Dc for the location of the shooting position Df1 does not exist in the location information storage unit 60 (step Sa5: Yes), the location information creating and updating unit 67 newly creates the first affective information Dca for the location information Dc based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn (step Sa6). On the other hand, if the location information Dc already exists in the location information storage unit 60 (step Sa5: No), the location information creating and updating unit 67 updates the first affective information Dca for the location information Dc based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn (step Sa7).

[0072] Here, in creating (step Sa6) or updating (step Sa7) the location information Dc, if the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 is a specific location, the location information creating / updating unit 67 classifies the second affective information Dha about the material music for each time (date and / or time) recorded in the shooting time information Df2 of the photographed image De, and creates or updates the first affective information Dca of the location information Dc based on the classified second affective information Dha. Then, the location information creating / updating unit 67 stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60 in association with the time based on the shooting time information Df2. In this embodiment, a "specific place" is a place where a particularly eye-catching landscape (for example, sunset, starry sky, etc.) can be seen at a specific time (a specific time zone, time of day, season, etc.). This makes it possible to obtain first affective information Dca tailored to a specific time for a place where the landscape or atmosphere changes at that specific time.

[0073] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved.

[0074] The location information management server 12 of this embodiment includes a location information storage unit 60 that stores location information Dc, which is information about a location and includes first affective information Dca about the affect that a person at the location may have, in association with the location; a shooting position acquisition unit 64 that acquires a shooting position Df1 of a captured image De captured by a photographing device F; a music information acquisition unit 66 that acquires music information Dn, which is information about material music to be played in accordance with the display of the captured image De and includes second affective information Dha about the affect that a person who listens to the material music may have; and a location information creation / update unit 67 that creates new first affective information Dca about the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 or updates the first affective information Dca based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn, and stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60. According to this configuration, the second affective information Dha about the material music of the electronic album Dd created by the second user A2 is used to newly create or update the first affective information Dca about the location corresponding to the shooting location Df1. This makes it possible to collect a large amount of first affective information Dca for various locations, and also makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the first affective information Dca.

[0075] The location information management server 12 of this embodiment includes a shooting time information acquisition unit 65 that acquires shooting time information Df2 including at least one of information about the date and time (in this embodiment, both the date and the time) when the captured image De was captured. The location information creating / updating unit 67 classifies the second affective information Dha based on the shooting time information Df2, and creates new first affective information Dca for a location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 or updates the first affective information Dca based on the classified second affective information Dha, and stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60 in association with the time based on the shooting time information Df2. According to this configuration, for a place where the scenery or atmosphere changes at a certain time, first affective information Dca suited to that specific time can be obtained.

[0076] In the location information management server 12 of this embodiment, when the location corresponding to the shooting location Df1 is a predetermined location, the location information creating / updating unit 67 newly creates first affective information Dca for the location corresponding to the shooting location Df1 based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn, or updates the first affective information Dca, and stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60. According to this configuration, the location where the first affective information Dca is to be newly created or updated can be controlled by setting the predetermined location.

[0077] In the location information management server 12 of this embodiment, the predetermined location includes at least one of a location where location information Dc (first affective information Dca) is not stored in the location information storage unit 60, a location corresponding to location information Dc where the information amount of the first affective information Dca is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a location corresponding to location information Dc where the degree of certainty of the first affective information Dca is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a location that has been designated in advance as having a landscape that is prone to change. According to this configuration, it is possible to reliably enrich the first affective information Dca for a place that relatively requires new creation or updating of the first affective information Dca of the place information Dc, and also to improve its accuracy.

[0078] The location information management server 12 of this embodiment includes a second match degree evaluation acquisition unit 63 that acquires a match degree evaluation Di, which is an evaluation of the degree to which material music played in accordance with the display of a photographed image De is suitable for the photographed image De. If the match degree evaluation Di is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the location information creating / updating unit 67 newly creates first affective information Dca for the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn, or updates the first affective information Dca, and stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60. According to this configuration, the second affective information Dha of the material music that is highly suitable for the captured image De can be used to newly create the first affective information Dca or to update the first affective information Dca.

[0079] The location information management server 12 of this embodiment includes a subject determination unit 62 that determines a subject of a photographed image De. When the main subject of the photographed image De is not a person, a location information creating / updating unit 67 creates or updates first affective information Dca for a place corresponding to the shooting position Df1, based on the second affective information Dha of the music information Dn, and stores the first affective information Dca in the location information storage unit 60. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the first affective information Dca from being created or updated based on material music that is unlikely to be appropriate for the location of the shooting position Df1.

[0080] The music distribution system 1 of this embodiment includes the location information management server 12 and a music distribution server 10 that distributes distribution music to a first client device C1. The music distribution server 10 includes a distribution music information storage unit 21 that pre-stores content affective information (second affective information Dha in this embodiment) about the affect that a person who listens to the distribution music may have, a location acquisition unit 23 that acquires the current location Da of the first client device C1, a location information acquisition unit 24 that acquires first affective information Dca about a location corresponding to the current location Da of the first client device C1 from the location information management server 12, and a distribution music selection unit 25 that selects distribution music corresponding to the content affective information (second affective information Dha) based on the first affective information Dca, and distributes the distribution music selected by the distribution music selection unit 25. This configuration makes it possible to distribute music that is more suitable for the current location of the first client device C1 (ie, the user A1).

[0081] The above-described embodiment is merely an example of one aspect of the present invention. In other words, the above-described embodiment can be modified and applied as desired without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the various aspects of these embodiments, modifications, and applications can be combined as desired.

[0082] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, the location information creating / updating unit 67 of the location information management server 12 may be configured to create or update first affective information Dca about a location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 based on second affective information Dha of music information Dn of the material music when the material music of the electronic album Dd is music determined based on instructions from a second user A2 who is both the creator and listener of the electronic album Dd.

[0083] 8 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the location information management server 112 according to this modification. In the figure, the same reference numerals are used for the components that have already been described, and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in the figure, the location information management server 112 according to this modification differs from the location information management server 12 according to the above embodiment in that it includes a music determination process determination unit 168 .

[0084] The music determination process determination unit 168 determines whether the material music of the electronic album Dd (music played in accordance with the display of the photographed image De) is music determined based on an instruction from the second user A2. Specifically, in the electronic album creating server 14, when the material music designation acquisition section 42 acquires the above-mentioned user-designated material music information Dm, which is material music designation by the second user A2, from the second client device C2, the electronic album information output section 46 adds first information indicating that the material music has been decided based on the designation of the second user A2 to the electronic album information Dj and outputs it. Then, the music decision process determination section 168 determines, based on the first information, whether the music has been decided based on an instruction from the second user A2.

[0085] In this modified example, the second user A2 may specify the material music in the following two ways. In the first way, the second user A2 specifies the material music. In the second way, the second user A2 specifies the material music by agreeing to associate the material music automatically determined by the automatic material music determination unit 43 with the captured image De. When the material music is determined by instructions in either of these two ways, it can be assumed that the association between the material music and the captured image De largely reflects the sensibilities of the second user A2, who is a human.

[0086] Then, in the process of creating and updating location information Dc (first affective information Dca), the location information creating and updating unit 67 of the location information management server 112 creates or updates new first affective information Dca for the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 if the material music is music determined based on instructions from the second user A2, and does not create or update new first affective information Dca if the material music is not determined based on instructions from the second user A2. This makes it possible to create or update new first affective information Dca for the location corresponding to the shooting position Df1 based on the second affective information Dha of the material music, which reflects the sensibilities of the second user A2, who is a person, thereby further improving the accuracy of the first affective information Dca.

[0087] 7, the determination step of determining whether the material music is music determined based on instructions from second user A2 may be performed at any time from before step Sa1 to after step Sa3, or may be performed instead of one or more of steps Sa1 to Sa3.

[0088] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, the location information management server 12 may omit step Sa2 (determining whether or not the subject of the captured image De is mainly a person) and step Sa3 (determining whether or not the match degree evaluation Di is equal to or greater than a predetermined value) shown in FIG. 7 as appropriate. 7 only when the location corresponding to the shooting location Df1 is a predetermined type of location. The predetermined type of location may be any appropriate location, and may be, for example, a location with a low degree of certainty among the first to fourth locations exemplified in step Sa1.

[0089] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment, the music distribution server 10 that distributes music as content, and the music distribution system 1 that includes the music distribution server 10 have been described. However, the present invention can be applied to an appropriate content distribution server that uses location information Dc to distribute various types of content such as video and text information, and to a content distribution system that includes the content distribution server. In this case, the content distribution server pre-stores content information about the sensitivities that a person who comes into contact with the content may feel, as information equivalent to the second sensitivities information Dha stored in music distribution server 10.

[0090] (Other variations) In the above-described embodiment, any two or more servers among the location information management server 12, the music distribution server 10 (content distribution server), and the electronic album creation server 14 may be integrated.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the location information management server 12 does not need to have a server function for providing the location information Dc, and may be a location information management device configured using a non-server type computer.

[0092] In the above-described embodiment and variant example 2, the music distribution server 10 and the content distribution server do not need to have a server function for providing content such as distributed music through the telecommunications line 4, but may be configured using a non-server type computer and may be a device for outputting content such as distributed music.

[0093] The diagrams showing the functional configurations in the above-described embodiments and modifications are schematic diagrams in which components are classified according to the main processing content in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and these components can be further classified into more components according to the processing content. Also, one component can be classified so that it performs even more processing.

[0094] (Configuration supported by the disclosure herein) The disclosure herein supports the following configurations:

[0095] (Configuration 1) a location information storage unit that stores location information, the location information being information about a location, the location including first affective information about an affect that a person at the location may feel, in association with the location; a shooting position acquisition unit that acquires a shooting position of an image captured by an image capture device; a music information acquisition unit that acquires music information, the music information being information about music to be played in sync with display of the captured image, the music including second affective information about an affect that a person listening to the music may feel; and a location information creating / updating unit that creates the first affective information about a location corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit. According to the first configuration, the accuracy of the first affective information about a place can be improved.

[0096] (Configuration 2) the location information management device according to configuration 1 further comprising: a shooting time information acquisition unit that acquires shooting time information including information on at least one of a date and a time when the photographed image was taken; wherein the location information creating / updating unit classifies the second affective information based on the shooting time information, creates the first affective information for a place corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information after classification, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit in association with a time based on the shooting time information. According to the second aspect, first sensory information tailored to a specific time can be obtained.

[0097] (Configuration 3) 3. The location information management device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the location information creating / updating unit creates the first affective information for the location corresponding to the shooting location based on the second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information for the location corresponding to the shooting location, when the location corresponding to the shooting location is a predetermined location, and causes the location information storage unit to store the first affective information. According to the third aspect, the location of the target for creating or updating the first affective information can be controlled based on a predetermined location.

[0098] (Configuration 4) The location information management device according to configuration 3, wherein the predetermined locations include at least one of locations for which the location information is not stored in the location information storage unit, locations corresponding to the location information for which the amount of information of the first affective information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, locations corresponding to the location information for which the degree of certainty of the first affective information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and locations designated in advance depending on how easily the scenery changes. According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to enrich the first affective information about a location that requires creation or updating of the first affective information, and to increase the accuracy of the first affective information.

[0099] (Configuration 5) 5. The location information management device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, further comprising: a matching evaluation acquisition unit that acquires a matching evaluation, which is an evaluation of the degree to which music played in accordance with the display of the photographed image is suitable for the photographed image; and the location information creating / updating unit, when the matching evaluation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, creates the first affective information about a place corresponding to the photographing position based on second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit. According to configuration 5, the first affective information can be created or updated using the second affective information of material music that is highly suitable for the shot image.

[0100] (Configuration 6) 6. The location information management device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising: a music determination process determination unit that determines whether music played in accordance with the display of the photographed image is music determined based on an instruction from a user of the photographed image and music; and the location information creating / updating unit, when the music is music determined based on an instruction from the user, creates the first affective information about a place corresponding to the shooting position based on second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit. According to configuration 6, it is possible to create or update first affective information about a location corresponding to a shooting position based on second affective information of material music that reflects the sensibilities of a human user.

[0101] (Configuration 7) 7. The location information management device according to configuration 6, wherein the user's instruction includes at least one of the user's designation of the music and the user's consent to the automatically selected music. According to the seventh aspect, the second affective information of the material music, which largely reflects the sensibilities of the human user, can be used to create and update the first affective information.

[0102] (Configuration 8) 8. The location information management device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, further comprising: a subject determination unit that determines a subject of the photographed image; and wherein the location information creating / updating unit, when a main subject of the photographed image is not a person, creates the first affective information about a place corresponding to the shooting position based on second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit. According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to prevent the first affective information from being created or updated based on music that is inappropriate for the location of the image capture position.

[0103] (Configuration 9) 9. A content distribution system comprising: the location information management device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8; and a content output device that outputs content, wherein the content output device comprises: a content information storage unit that pre-stores content sensibility information about sensibilities that a person who comes into contact with the content may feel; a location acquisition unit that acquires a location of a device to which the content is to be output; a location information acquisition unit that acquires, from the location information management device, the first sensibility information about a place corresponding to the location of the output destination device; and a content selection unit that selects the content corresponding to the content sensibility information in accordance with the first sensibility information acquired by the location information acquisition unit; and outputs the content selected by the content selection unit. According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to output content that is more suitable for the location of the output destination device.

[0104] (Configuration 10) a step of acquiring a shooting position of an image captured by an image capturing device; a step of acquiring music information, the music information being information about music to be played in sync with the display of the image, the music including second affective information about an affect that a person who listens to the music may feel; and a step of creating the first affective information about the place corresponding to the shooting position or updating the first affective information based on the second affective information of the music information, and storing the first affective information in the location information storage unit. According to the tenth aspect, the accuracy of the first affective information about a place can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 2 Location Information Management System 10 Music distribution server 12, 112 Location information management server (location information management device) 14. Electronic album creation server 21 Distribution music information storage unit (content sensitivity information storage unit) 23 Position acquisition part 24 Location information acquisition unit 25. Distribution music selection section (content selection section) 60 Location information storage unit 61 Electronic album information acquisition unit 62 Subject determination section 63 Second match degree evaluation acquisition unit (match degree evaluation acquisition unit) 64 Shooting position acquisition unit 65 Shooting time information acquisition unit 66 Music Information Acquisition Unit 67 Location Information Creation and Update Department 168 Music Decision Process Judgment Section A2 Second User (User) Da Current position (position of the output device) Db2 Music Data (Music Data) DC location information Dca First Sensory Information Dd electronic album De Photographed Image Df Additional information Df1 shooting position Df2 shooting time information Dha Second Sensory Information (Content Sensory Information) Di Match Evaluation Dj electronic album information Dn Music Information F. Imaging device

Claims

1. a place information storage unit that stores place information, which is information about a place and includes first affective information about an affect that a person in the place may feel, in association with the place; a photographing position acquisition unit that acquires a photographing position of an image photographed by the photographing device; a music information acquisition unit that acquires music information, the music information being information on music to be played in accordance with the display of the captured image, the music information including second affective information on an affect that a person who listens to the music may feel; a location information creating / updating unit that creates the first affective information about a place corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information of the music information, or updates the first affective information, and stores the first affective information in the location information storage unit; A location information management device comprising:

2. a photographing time information acquisition unit that acquires photographing time information including at least one of the date and time when the photographed image was taken, The location information creating / updating unit The second affective information is classified based on the shooting time information, and the first affective information for a place corresponding to the shooting position is created or updated based on the classified second affective information, and the first affective information is stored in the place information storage unit in association with a time based on the shooting time information.

2. The location information management device according to claim 1.

3. The location information creating / updating unit When the location corresponding to the shooting position is a predetermined location, the first affective information for the location corresponding to the shooting position is created or the first affective information is updated based on the second affective information of the music information, and the first affective information is stored in the location information storage unit.

3. The location information management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The predetermined location is a place where the place information is not stored in the place information storage unit; a place corresponding to the place information in which the amount of information of the first affective information is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a place corresponding to the place information in which the degree of certainty of the first affective information is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and Pre-designated locations depending on the changeability of the scenery, Contains at least one of 4. The location information management device according to claim 3.

5. a matching degree evaluation acquisition unit that acquires a matching degree evaluation, which is an evaluation of the degree to which the music played in accordance with the display of the photographed image is suitable for the photographed image; The location information creating / updating unit If the matching degree evaluation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first affective information about the location corresponding to the shooting location is created or updated based on the second affective information of the music information, and the first affective information is stored in the location information storage unit.

5. The location information management device according to claim 1, wherein the location information management device is a location information management device.

6. a music determination process determination unit that determines whether the music to be played in accordance with the display of the photographed image is music determined based on instructions from a user of the photographed image and music; The location information creating / updating unit If the music is music determined based on an instruction from the user, the first affective information about the location corresponding to the shooting position is created or the first affective information is updated based on second affective information of the music information, and the first affective information is stored in the location information storage unit.

6. The location information management device according to claim 1, wherein the location information management device is a location information management device.

7. The user's instruction is: The method includes at least one of the user's designation of the music and the user's consent to the automatically selected music.

7. The location information management device according to claim 6.

8. a subject determination unit for determining a subject of the captured image, The location information creating / updating unit When the main subject of the photographed image is not a person, the first affective information about a place corresponding to the photographing position is created or updated based on the second affective information of the music information, and the first affective information is stored in the place information storage unit.

8. The location information management device according to claim 1, wherein the location information management device is a location information management device.

9. A location information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a content output device that outputs content, the content output device, a content information storage unit that stores in advance content sensibility information about sensibilities that a person who comes into contact with the content may feel; a location acquisition unit that acquires the location of a device to which the content is output; a location information acquisition unit that acquires, from the location information management device, the first affective information about a location corresponding to a location of the output destination device; a content selection unit that selects the content corresponding to the content affective information according to the first affective information acquired by the location information acquisition unit; Equipped with outputting the content selected by the content selection unit A content distribution system characterized by:

10. A place information management method for a place information management device having a place information storage unit that stores, in association with a place, place information that is information about a place, the place information including first affective information about an affect that a person at the place may feel, the method comprising: The location information management device, acquiring a photographing position of an image photographed by an imaging device; acquiring music information that is information about music to be played in accordance with the display of the captured image, the music information including second affective information about an affect that a person who listens to the music may feel; creating the first affective information about a place corresponding to the shooting position based on the second affective information of the music information, or updating the first affective information, and storing the first affective information in the place information storage unit; A place information management method comprising:

Images