Communication systems, information processing systems, video playback methods, programs

Abstract

To provide a technique for creating follow-up viewpoint information using viewpoint information from which a viewer displays recorded video.SOLUTION: The present invention is a communication system including an imaging device capable of capturing a wide-field image having a wide range of viewing angles and an information processing system that transmits video including the wide-field image captured by the imaging device to a communication terminal. The information processing system includes: a recording unit that stores recorded video of the wide-field image in association with the viewpoint information from which a viewer has displayed the wide-field image on the communication terminal; an extraction unit that extracts a follow-up object from the recorded video on the basis of the viewpoint information; a follow-up video creation unit that creates follow-up viewpoint information that follows the follow-up object extracted by the extraction unit; and a provision unit that provides the recorded video reproduced using the follow-up viewpoint information to the communication terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 32

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system, an information processing system, a video playback method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a communication system that transmits images and sounds in real time from one base point to one or more other base points and enables remote communication using images and sounds between users located at remote locations. As such an image, for example, a wide-angle image having a wide viewing angle captured in a wide imaging range including a 360-degree image (also referred to as an omnidirectional image, a panoramic image, or a full-surround image) in which a 360-degree entire circumference including portions that cannot be fully confirmed at a normal angle of view is captured is known. A user can operate a communication terminal to view a part of the wide-angle image displayed on the display screen of the communication terminal from an arbitrary virtual viewpoint or save the recorded video as a moving image.

[0003] Techniques for sharing wide-angle images at multiple base points are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a communication terminal that shares a display area at multiple base points and whose operation state has changed from the operating state to the standby state switches to a predetermined area image and performs follow-up display.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that the viewpoint information from which a viewer has displayed a recorded video is not used for creating a follow-up viewpoint that follows an object. Various objects are captured in a wide-angle image, and even if it is possible to create a video that follows each object, there is a risk that a video with low follow-up merit may be created.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system that creates follow-up viewpoint information using the viewpoint information from which a viewer has displayed a recorded video.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a communication system comprising an imaging device capable of capturing a wide-field image having a wide field of view, and an information processing system that transmits video including the wide-field image captured by the imaging device to a communication terminal, The information processing system includes a recording unit that stores a recorded video of the wide-field image in association with viewpoint information on which the wide-field image is displayed on the communication terminal; an extraction unit that extracts objects to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information; a tracking video creation unit that creates tracking viewpoint information for tracking the objects to be tracked extracted by the extraction unit; and a providing unit that provides the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This technology can provide a viewer-controlled viewpoint information that uses the viewpoint information displayed in the recorded video to create tracking viewpoint information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an example of remote communication using wide-field imaging. [Figure 2] This is an example of a schematic diagram of a communication system configuration. [Figure 3] This is an example of a hardware configuration diagram for an imaging device. [Figure 4] This is an example of a hardware configuration diagram for a communication terminal and an information processing system. [Figure 5] (a) is a left side view of the imaging device, (b) is a front view of the imaging device, and (c) is a top view of the imaging device. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the use of the imaging device. [Figure 7] (a) is a hemispherical image (front) captured by the imaging device, (b) is a hemispherical image (back) captured by the imaging device, and (c) is an image represented using equirectangular projection. [Figure 8](a) A conceptual diagram showing the state of covering the sphere with an equirectangular projection image, and (b) A diagram showing a full-sphere image. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the positions of a virtual camera and a predetermined region when a 360-degree image is treated as a three-dimensional sphere. [Figure 10] (a) is a stereoscopic perspective view of Figure 5, and (b) is a diagram showing the state in which an image of a predetermined area is displayed on the display. [Figure 11] This figure shows the relationship between information from a predetermined region and an image of a predetermined region T. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing a point in three-dimensional Euclidean space using spherical coordinates. [Figure 13] This is an example of a functional configuration diagram for a communication system. [Figure 14] This is a conceptual diagram showing the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit. [Figure 15] This is a conceptual diagram showing the virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit and the tenant information stored in the tenant information storage unit. [Figure 16] This is an example of a conceptual diagram showing the recorded video information stored in the recorded video memory unit. [Figure 17] This is an example of a conceptual diagram showing recorded video information with a tracking viewpoint. [Figure 18] This is an example of a conceptual diagram showing the items of a report stored in the report memory unit. [Figure 19] (a) is a diagram showing an example of the room entry screen. (b) is a diagram showing an example of the image viewing screen displayed by the communication terminal when a user enters a virtual room. [Figure 20] This is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating the process of a user (or communication terminal) entering a virtual room. [Figure 21] This figure shows an example of a device registration screen displayed by a communication terminal. [Figure 22] (a) is an example of a diagram showing the imaging device registration dialog. (b) is a diagram showing an example of a two-dimensional code screen. [Figure 23]This is a diagram showing an example of a VR goggles registration screen displayed when the VR goggles registration button is pressed. [Figure 24] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 1) for associating an imaging device with a virtual room. [Figure 25] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 2). [Figure 26] This is a diagram showing an example of a virtual room association screen (part 3). [Figure 27] This is a diagram showing an example of a wide - field image transmission start / stop dialog displayed on a communication terminal. [Figure 28] This is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure for a user to register an imaging device in a virtual room. [Figure 29] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the flow of sharing a wide - field image. [Figure 30] This is an example of a sequence diagram showing a communication terminal recording video during remote communication. [Figure 31] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which an information processing system creates a recorded video with a follow - up viewpoint using viewpoint movement information. [Figure 32] This is a diagram showing an example of a recorded video selection screen and a follow - up object selection screen displayed by a Web app on a communication terminal when creating a follow - up viewpoint. [Figure 33] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which a user creates a report using a recorded video. [Figure 34] This is a diagram showing an example of a report creation screen displayed on a communication terminal. [Figure 35] This is an example of a sequence diagram explaining the process by which a user views a report. [Figure 36] This is a diagram showing an example of a report screen displayed on a communication terminal. [Figure 37] This is a diagram explaining an example of remote communication in which a communication system is applied to telemedicine. [Figure 38]This figure shows an example of the recorded video selection screen and the object to be tracked selection screen displayed by the web application of the communication terminal when creating a tracking viewpoint for recorded video footage taken in a medical setting. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention: an information processing system and a video playback method performed by the information processing system.

[0010] <An example of remote communication> Figure 1 illustrates an example of remote communication using wide-field imaging. In Figure 1, three locations A to C communicate via an information processing system 50. The number of locations is just an example; there could be two locations, four or more locations, or any number of locations.

[0011] Location A is, for example, a construction site. Locations B and C can be anywhere, such as an office, as long as they are locations where wide-field images can be transmitted. Location A is equipped with an imaging device 10 capable of capturing wide-field images, such as a 360-degree spherical image, or wide-angle wide-field images of the surroundings, such as 180 to 360 degrees in the vertical or horizontal direction. Hereafter, such wide-angle images will simply be referred to as wide-field images. Locations A to C are equipped with various communication terminals 30A to 30C for viewing wide-field images. Hereafter, any of the communication terminals 30A to 30C will be referred to as "communication terminal 30".

[0012] At the construction site, various construction activities are being carried out by workers at each location. The entire site is captured using wide-field images, and users at each location A to C can arbitrarily change their virtual viewpoint to check any construction or work they wish to focus on. The viewpoint is the center position or range of a predetermined area displayed on a screen such as a display within the entire wide-field image.

[0013] The imaging device 10 can be mounted on a tripod 86 or on an arm 85 via a gimbal 87. A relay device (in Figure 1, the communication terminal 30A also serves as the relay device) is installed at the construction site, and the communication terminal 30A transmits the wide-field images received from the imaging device 10 via wired or wireless connection to the information processing system 50. The communication terminal 30A can also serve as a terminal for viewing the wide-field images. A camera 9 is connected to (or built into) the communication terminal 30A, and images of a normal field of view (or 360-degree images) captured by the camera 9 can also be transmitted to the information processing system 50. In addition, user A (for example, a worker) can wear smart glasses 88, and images of a normal field of view (or 360-degree images) captured by the smart glasses 88 may be transmitted to the information processing system 50. Smart glasses 88 are information terminals that display information acquired via the internet on a display while maintaining a field of view. Smart glasses 88 may be placed at any location.

[0014] At site B, a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone is provided as an example of a communication terminal 30B. Furthermore, any device capable of communicating with the information processing system 50 can be a communication terminal 30B; other devices such as tablet terminals, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), electronic whiteboards, or projectors are also acceptable. A camera may be built into or connected to the communication terminal 30B.

[0015] At base C, a PC, smartphone, VR goggles 89, etc., are placed as examples of communication terminals 30C. In Figure 1, a camera 8 is built into or connected to the communication terminal 30C. VR goggles 89 are information terminals that display an artificial world on a computer or a 360-degree image according to the direction of movement of the head or body. The camera 8 can be either wide-angle or standard-angle. Furthermore, the communication terminal 30C can be any device capable of communicating with the information processing system 50, such as a tablet terminal, PDA, electronic whiteboard, or projector. VR goggles 89 may be placed at any base.

[0016] In this embodiment, the imaging device 10 and the communication terminal 30 are managed in a communication group called a virtual room. The imaging device 10 is associated with the virtual room, and the communication terminal 30 (the user operating the communication terminal 30) can enter this virtual room to receive the wide-field image transmitted by the imaging device 10 and view the wide-field image. Smart glasses 88 and VR goggles 89 can also be associated with the virtual room. Cameras 8 and 9 enter the virtual room together with the communication terminal 30.

[0017] Users A to C at locations A to C can arbitrarily change the viewpoint of the wide-field image. Therefore, since each user A to C viewing the wide-field image in real time may be seeing a different viewpoint, there is a risk that communication may become difficult. To address this, in this embodiment, for example, the viewpoint of the communication terminal 30 at location B is transmitted to the communication terminals 30 at locations A and C, so that the information of the virtual viewpoint set at the communication terminal 30 of any location can be shared with the communication terminals 30 at other locations. The outline of the sharing will be explained below. In the following explanation, for the sake of explanation, we will assume that the viewpoint specified by the user at location B is shared with the users at locations A and C.

[0018] (1) Communication terminals 30A to 30C share a wide-field image (an example of a first wide-field image) captured by the imaging device 10. When user B requests the capture of a wide-field image while viewing from an arbitrary viewpoint on communication terminal 30B, communication terminal 30B (an example of a first communication terminal) transmits viewpoint information and the capture request to the information processing system 50.

[0019] (2) In response to an imaging request, the information processing system 50 specifies viewpoint information and requests the imaging device 10 to take an image (either a still image or a video).

[0020] (3) The imaging device 10 takes an image in response to an imaging request and stores the wide-field image (an example of a second wide-field image) and viewpoint information in association with a URL (an example of storage location information; in Figure 1, the storage location on the storage 90) notified by the information processing system 50. The wide-field image stored on the storage 90 can be downloaded and displayed by any communication terminal 30.

[0021] (4) The information processing system 50 sends a URL to the communication terminal 30B.

[0022] (5) The information processing system 50 also automatically or at the request of user B transmits the URL to the communication terminals 30A and 30C (an example of a second communication terminal) that are in the same virtual room.

[0023] (6) The communication terminals 30A and 30C connect to a URL to receive viewpoint information and a wide-field image, and set the viewpoint of the wide-field image identified by the viewpoint information to align with the center of the image field and display it. However, it is not necessary to align the viewpoint perfectly with the center; the viewpoint may be set to be included in the area near the center of the image field and displayed.

[0024] The same applies when sharing the perspective of users at location A with users at locations B and C, and when sharing the perspective of users at location C with users at locations A and B.

[0025] As described above, even when a wide-field image is distributed, the communication system 1 of this embodiment facilitates user communication because viewpoint information is shared without requiring instructions to move the viewpoint relative to the wide-field image captured so that a predetermined area of ​​focus at each location is displayed.

[0026] In (3), the imaging device 10 can transmit the wide-field image itself to the information processing system 50, and in (4), the information processing system 50 can transmit the wide-field image to the communication terminals 30A to 30C.

[0027] While Figure 1 illustrates an example where the imaging device 10 is deployed at a construction site, this embodiment can also be applied to VR (Virtual Reality) education, event distribution, remote customer service, telemedicine, and more. In VR education, the imaging device 10 is deployed at a site such as a laboratory, allowing students to remotely change their viewpoint and view blackboards, equipment, samples, experimental results, etc. In event distribution, the imaging device 10 is deployed at the event venue, allowing event participants, such as spectators, to remotely change their viewpoint and view the venue online. The venue view includes images of performers, contestants, presenters, products and exhibits explained at the event, images of materials explained at the event, and images of the venue's condition. The event venue can be indoors or outdoors and includes venues for sports, concerts, plays, etc. In remote customer service, for example, when applied to customer service at a travel agency, the imaging device 10 is deployed at the travel destination, allowing customers to remotely change their viewpoint and review their itinerary. In telemedicine, the imaging device 10 is placed in a medical setting such as an operating room, and doctors, students, medical equipment personnel, etc., can remotely change their viewpoint and view the actions of doctors and nurses performing medical procedures in the medical setting, the placement of equipment, the patient's condition, vital signs, etc.

[0028] The locations where images are captured are not limited to these; any space where users (viewers) at the viewing location have a need to understand the situation at a remote location, such as schools, factories, warehouses, construction sites, server rooms, or stores, is acceptable.

[0029] <About Terminology> A tenant refers to a group of users associated with a contract unit when contracting to receive an image distribution service from a service provider (in this embodiment, an information processing system). This includes contracting companies, organizations, individuals, etc. Therefore, a tenant can also be referred to as a user group. While a user may belong to a tenant as an example, an individual user may also subscribe to the service. In addition to users, imaging devices, virtual rooms, etc., are registered within a tenant (user group).

[0030] A base of operations refers to a place that serves as the foundation for activities. In this embodiment, a conference room is used as an example of a base of operations. A conference room is a room set up primarily for the purpose of holding meetings. Meetings are also called gatherings, meetings, discussions, assemblies, and other similar terms.

[0031] A device refers to an apparatus other than a general-purpose communication terminal 30 such as a PC or smartphone, and is an imaging device or a wide-field image viewing device. In this embodiment, examples include an imaging device 10, smart glasses 88, and VR goggles 89.

[0032] Viewpoint information refers to parameter information that specifies which predetermined region of a wide-field image to display on the display screen. In this embodiment, the radial, polar angle, and azimuth angle corresponding to the center of the wide-field image displayed on the display screen are described as examples of viewpoint information, but it may also be specified by other parameter information such as the coordinates of diagonal vertices.

[0033] • Wide-field image A wide-field-of-view image is an image with a wide field of view captured over a wide imaging range, including 360-degree images (also called omnidirectional images or all-around images) that capture the entire 360 ​​degrees surrounding the subject. A wide-field-of-view image is an image that has a wide field of view that is wider than the display range that can be displayed at once on the display screen (the area where the wide-field-of-view image is displayed) in a predetermined display method. A wide-field-of-view image has a display range of up to 360 degrees (or 180 degrees) vertically and 360 degrees horizontally, but an image with a wide field of view that is wider than the display range that can be displayed at once on a display is also included as a wide-field-of-view image, even if it is less than 360 degrees vertically or horizontally. For example, an image with a display range wider than the range that a human can see at once is also included as a wide-field-of-view image. In addition, an image with a display range of 160 degrees or more vertically and horizontally is also included as a wide-field-of-view image. Furthermore, even if an image can be displayed at once on the display screen depending on the display method, it can be included as a wide-field-of-view image if it has a wide field of view by switching to or changing to a predetermined display method. In this embodiment, an equirectangular spherical image is used as an example of a wide-field image, but omnidirectional images, hemispherical images, 3D panoramic images, 2D panoramic images, and VR (Virtual Reality) images are also included in the wide-field image category. The wide-field image may also be an image in the form of cube mapping, dome master, etc. Furthermore, the spherical image may be in a format other than equirectangular.

[0034] Images captured with a normal field of view are not wide-field images, but in this embodiment, they will be described as non-wide-field images (planar images).

[0035] A communication group is a collection of users from whom wide-field images are shared (distributed). In a normal space, a communication group is described as a virtual room, meaning that when each user enters the same room, each user can share the wide-field image. Here, "virtual" means that it is realized through information processing via a network.

[0036] Users at each location communicate remotely with each other. Remote communication refers to communicating with someone who is physically far away, using IT tools to convey information through images and audio. It does not necessarily have to be two-way communication. Therefore, a virtual room can also be called a virtual meeting room.

[0037] • VR education, remote customer service VR education refers to educational tools that utilize VR (Virtual Reality) to create an unrealistic space before the viewer's eyes, immersing them in a sense of realism, in order to capture children's interest and deepen their understanding. Remote customer service refers to customer service where staff in remote locations provide product information to users via video conferencing using tablets or displays.

[0038] Viewpoint information and tracking viewpoint information are pieces of information that associate the viewpoint used when displaying a wide-field image as a video with the video's recording time. Viewpoint information is the starting point manually changed by the viewer, while tracking viewpoint information is information that associates the viewpoint that automatically tracks the object being tracked with the video's recording time.

[0039] The object to be tracked can be tangible or intangible, and it only needs to have a shape that is at least temporarily visible in the wide-field image. The object to be tracked does not need to be constantly visible in a part of the wide-field image from the beginning to the end of the recorded video. The tracking video creation unit 64 can track it as long as it is continuously visible for a portion of the recorded video.

[0040] Playing back recorded video using tracking viewpoint information means displaying a predetermined area, which is part of a wide-field image, based on the correspondence between time and viewpoint in the tracking viewpoint information. Playback of recorded video using tracking viewpoint information may be performed on the server side or on any terminal device.

[0041] "Following" generally means following behind, but in this embodiment, it refers to automatically changing the viewpoint so that an object in a wide-field image can be displayed in a predetermined area. <Example of a communication system configuration> Figure 2 is an example of a schematic diagram of the configuration of communication system 1. Figure 1 is an example of applying communication system 1 from Figure 2 to remote communication with the field. Communication system 1 is a system that transmits and receives wide-field images and normal-angle images captured by the imaging device 10 bidirectionally between multiple locations. By displaying images distributed from one location at other locations, users at other locations can view the images. As an example of a wide-field image, a 360-degree spherical image captured by the imaging device 10 is distributed. Communication system 1 can, for example, allow a wide-field image captured at a predetermined location to be viewed at other locations in remote locations.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, in the communication system 1, the imaging device 10, communication terminal 30A, and information processing system 50 located at base A, and communication terminals 30B and 30C located at each of the multiple bases (bases B and C), are connected in a way that enables communication.

[0043] If the imaging device 10 has a communication function that allows it to connect directly to the communication network N, then a communication terminal 30A acting as a relay device (e.g., a router) is not necessary. In this case, the communication terminal 30A connects to the communication network N without the imaging device 10. However, if the communication terminal 30A is located at site A, the communication terminal 30A also functions as a relay device, allowing user A to view wide-field images in the same way as with communication terminals 30B and 30C. Furthermore, imaging devices 10 may be located at other sites besides site A, or multiple imaging devices 10 may be located at site A.

[0044] Each communication terminal 30 and information processing system 50 can communicate via the communication network N. The communication network N is constructed using the Internet, mobile communication networks, LANs (Local Area Networks), etc. The communication network N may include not only wired communication but also wireless communication networks such as 3G (3rd Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), or LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0045] The imaging device 10 is a digital camera capable of capturing a full-sphere image by capturing a subject, landscape, etc., to obtain two hemispherical images as the basis. The wide-field image obtained by the imaging device 10 may be a video, a still image, or both. Furthermore, the captured image may be video containing sound along with the image. The communication terminal 30 is a computer such as a PC used by users at each location. The communication terminal 30 displays images captured at its own location, wide-field images (still images or videos) distributed from other locations, and images with a normal field of view. For example, the communication terminal 30 acquires wide-field images captured by the imaging device 10 via the communication network N. The communication terminal 30 also has image processing software such as OpenGL ES installed, and can display images based on viewpoint information that identifies a portion of the wide-field image. Note that OpenGL ES is just one example of image processing software, and other software may be used. Furthermore, even if image processing software is not installed, image processing may be performed by software received from an external source, or image display may be performed by receiving the results of image processing performed by external software. In other words, the communication terminal 30 can display a predetermined portion of the wide-field image.

[0046] The communication terminal 30 can arbitrarily change the viewpoint relative to the display range of a wide-field image in response to user operation. The communication terminal 30 can change the field of view (predetermined area) based on viewpoint information corresponding to the changed viewpoint by moving the virtual viewpoint in response to user operation input (including key input, drag, scrolling, etc.) to a touch panel, directional buttons, mouse, keyboard, touchpad, etc. Furthermore, if the communication terminal 30 is a communication terminal worn by a user, such as VR goggles, the communication terminal 30 may detect the change in posture information of the communication terminal 30 in response to changes in the movements of the user wearing it, and change the field of view (predetermined area) based on viewpoint information corresponding to the changed viewpoint by moving the virtual viewpoint in response to the detected posture information.

[0047] The communication terminal 30A distributes wide-field images acquired from the imaging device 10 via a wired cable such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable to communication terminals 30 at other locations via the information processing system 50. The connection between the imaging device 10 and the communication terminal 30A may be a wireless connection using short-range wireless communication or the like, rather than a wired connection using a wired cable. Multiple communication terminals 30A may be located at location A.

[0048] In some cases, a user at location A may wear smart glasses 88, and the smart glasses 88 may connect to a communication network. In this case, the images captured by the smart glasses 88 are transmitted to the information processing system 50 via the communication network, and the information processing system 50 can distribute them to the communication terminals 30 at each location.

[0049] Communication terminal 30B is located at site B where user B is located, and communication terminal 30C is located at site C where user C is located. Multiple communication terminals 30B and 30C may be located at sites B and C. Furthermore, communication terminals 30B and 30C may be carried by user B and user C respectively.

[0050] Furthermore, the communication terminals 30A to 30C at locations A to C can have cameras 8 and 9 built-in or externally attached as imaging units, and the communication terminals 30A to 30C can distribute images of their own location captured by their own cameras 8 and 9 to other locations. In addition, any devices may be placed at locations A to C.

[0051] The arrangement of each terminal and device (communication terminal 30 and imaging device) and the user shown in Figure 2 is an example, and other examples may be used. Furthermore, the communication terminal 30 is not limited to a PC, but may be, for example, a tablet terminal, smartphone, PDA, wearable device (including smart glasses and VR goggles), projector, electronic blackboard (a whiteboard with electronic blackboard functionality that enables mutual communication), or autonomous robot. The communication terminal 30 can be any computer on which a dedicated application for a web browser or image distribution service runs.

[0052] Furthermore, if the imaging device 10 has a display, it may be configured to display images distributed from other locations.

[0053] The information processing system 50 has one or more information processing devices. The information processing system 50 manages and controls communication between the imaging devices 10 and communication terminals 30 at each location, and manages the wide-field images that are transmitted and received. The information processing system 50 provides a platform that allows users to utilize the functions necessary to provide an image distribution service that distributes wide-field images. This platform may be made available to service providers, such as individuals or companies that wish to provide image distribution services, by contract. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish them from tenants that receive image distribution services, service providers who provide image distribution services to users using the contracted platform will be referred to as platform subscribers.

[0054] Therefore, the information processing system 50 may, as a platform, expose an API (Application Programming Interface), allowing platform subscribers to use this API to provide various image distribution services. Platform subscribers only need to develop software such as applications that handle screens displayed by the communication terminal 30 and API calls, and do not need to develop functions provided by APIs such as image distribution from scratch.

[0055] The information processing system 50 may be constructed using a single computer, or it may be constructed using multiple computers, each part (function or means) of which is arbitrarily assigned. Furthermore, all or part of the functions of the information processing system 50 may be server computers located in a cloud environment, or server computers located in an on-premises environment.

[0056] Storage 90 is a memory device that stores data such as captured wide-field images. Storage 90 may be an external storage device separate from the information processing system 50 (it may be storage located on the cloud or storage located on-premises), or it may be storage included in the information processing system 50.

[0057] <Example Hardware Configuration> Next, the hardware configuration of each device or terminal in the image communication system according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 3 and 4. Note that the hardware configuration shown in Figures 3 and 4 may have components added or removed as needed.

[0058] <<Hardware configuration of the imaging device>> First, the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10. In the following, the imaging device 10 will be described as a 360-degree (omnidirectional) imaging device using two image sensors, but it may have one image sensor or two or more. Furthermore, it is not necessarily required to be a device dedicated to omnidirectional imaging; an omnidirectional imaging unit can be attached to a regular digital camera or smartphone, etc., to provide essentially the same functionality as the imaging device 10.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3, the imaging device 10 consists of an imaging unit 101, an image processing unit 104, an imaging control unit 105, a microphone 108, a sound processing unit 109, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) 113, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 114, an operation unit 115, an input / output interface 116, a short-range communication circuit 117, an antenna 117a for the short-range communication circuit 117, an electronic compass 118, a gyro sensor 119, an acceleration sensor 120, and a network interface 121.

[0060] Of these, the imaging unit 101 includes wide-angle lenses (so-called fisheye lenses) 102a and 102b (hereinafter referred to as lens 102 unless otherwise specified) each having a field of view of 180° or more for forming a hemispherical image, and two image sensors 103a and 103b provided corresponding to each lens. The image sensors 103a and 103b have an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that converts the optical image from the lenses 102a and 102b into electrical signal image data and outputs it, a timing generation circuit that generates horizontal or vertical synchronization signals and pixel clocks for the image sensors, and a group of registers for setting various commands or parameters necessary for the operation of the image sensors. Note that the configuration in which the imaging unit 101 has two wide-angle lenses is merely an example; it may have only one, or three or more.

[0061] The image sensors 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the image processing unit 104 via a parallel I / F bus. On the other hand, the image sensors 103a and 103b of the imaging unit 101 are each connected to the imaging control unit 105 via a serial I / F bus (such as an I2C bus). The image processing unit 104, the imaging control unit 105, and the sound processing unit 109 are connected to the CPU 111 via a bus 110. Furthermore, the bus 110 is also connected to the ROM 112, SRAM 113, DRAM 114, operation unit 115, input / output I / F 116, short-range communication circuit 117, electronic compass 118, gyro sensor 119, acceleration sensor 120, and network I / F 121, etc.

[0062] The image processing unit 104 receives image data output from image sensors 103a and 103b via a parallel I / F bus, performs predetermined processing on each image data, and then combines these image data to create data for an equirectangular projection image (an example of a wide-field image), which will be described later.

[0063] The imaging control unit 105 generally uses the I2C bus to set commands and other information in the registers of the image sensors 103a and 103b, with the imaging control unit 105 acting as the master device and the image sensors 103a and 103b as slave devices. It receives the necessary commands and other information from the CPU 111. The imaging control unit 105 also uses the I2C bus to acquire status data and other information from the registers of the image sensors 103a and 103b and send it to the CPU 111.

[0064] Furthermore, the imaging control unit 105 instructs the image sensors 103a and 103b to output image data when the shutter button on the operation unit 115 is pressed. Depending on the imaging device 10, there may also be functions to display a preview or video on a display (for example, the display of an external terminal such as a smartphone that communicates with the imaging device 10 via a short-range communication circuit 117). In this case, the image data output from the image sensors 103a and 103b is performed continuously at a predetermined frame rate (frames / minute).

[0065] Furthermore, as will be described later, the imaging control unit 105 also functions as a synchronization control means that works in cooperation with the CPU 111 to synchronize the output timing of image data from the image sensors 103a and 103b. In this embodiment, the imaging device 10 is not provided with a display unit, but a display unit may be provided. The microphone 108 converts sound into sound (signal) data. The sound processing unit 109 takes in the sound data output from the microphone 108 through the I / F bus and performs predetermined processing on the sound data.

[0066] The CPU 111 controls the overall operation of the imaging device 10 and executes necessary processing. The ROM 112 stores various programs for the CPU 111. The SRAM 113 and DRAM 114 are work memories that store programs executed by the CPU 111 and data in progress. In particular, the DRAM 114 stores image data in progress of processing by the image processing unit 104 and data of completed equirectangular projection images.

[0067] The control unit 115 is a collective term for various operation buttons, a power switch, a shutter button, and a touch panel that combines display and operation functions. The user inputs various imaging modes, imaging conditions, etc., by operating the control unit 115.

[0068] The input / output interface (I / F) 116 is a general term for interface circuits (such as USB I / F) to external media such as SD cards or personal computers. The I / F 116 can be wireless or wired. The data of the equirectangular projection image stored in the DRAM 114 is recorded to external media via the I / F 116, or transmitted to an external terminal (device) via the I / F 116 as needed.

[0069] The short-range communication circuit 117 communicates with an external terminal (device) via an antenna 117a provided on the imaging device 10 using a short-range wireless communication technology such as NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi. The short-range communication circuit 117 can transmit equirectangular projection image data to the external terminal (device).

[0070] The electronic compass 118 calculates the orientation of the imaging device 10 from the Earth's magnetic field and outputs orientation information. This orientation information is an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif and is used for image processing such as image correction of captured images. The related information also includes the date and time the image was captured and the data size of the image data. The gyro sensor 119 is a sensor that detects changes in angle (Roll angle, Pitch angle, Yaw angle) associated with the movement of the imaging device 10. The changes in angle are an example of related information (metadata) according to Exif and are used for image processing such as image correction of captured images. Furthermore, the acceleration sensor 120 is a sensor that detects acceleration in three axes. The imaging device 10 calculates its own orientation (angle relative to the direction of gravity) based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 120. By providing the acceleration sensor 120, the accuracy of image correction of the imaging device 10 is improved.

[0071] Network I / F121 is an interface for data communication using a communication network N, such as the Internet, via a router or similar device.

[0072] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the imaging device 10 is not limited to that shown herein; any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the imaging device 10 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on a network.

[0073] <<Hardware configuration of the communication terminal>> Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 and the information processing system 50. First, the communication terminal 30 will be described. The hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 is indicated by codes in the 300 series. The communication terminal 30 is built by a computer and, as shown in Figure 4, is equipped with a CPU 301, ROM 302, RAM 303, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 304, HDD controller 305, display 306, external device connection I / F 308, network I / F 309, bus line 310, keyboard 311, pointing device 312, DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 314, media I / F 316, sound input / output I / F 317, microphone 318, speaker 319, short-range communication circuit 320, and camera 321.

[0074] Of these components, the CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the communication terminal 30. The ROM 302 stores programs used to drive the CPU 301, such as IPLs. The RAM 303 is used as the work area for the CPU 301. The HDD 304 stores various data, such as programs and data. The HDD controller 305 controls the reading or writing of various data to the HDD 304 according to the control of the CPU 301. The display 306 displays various information such as cursors, menus, windows, characters, or images. The display 306 is an example of a display unit. The display 306 may also be a touch panel display equipped with input means. The external device connection I / F 308 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, external devices include, for example, USB memory or printers. The network I / F 309 is an interface for data communication using the communication network N. The bus line 310 is an address bus or data bus, etc., for electrically connecting each component, such as the CPU 301 shown in Figure 4. Note that the HDD304 and HDD controller305 are examples of storage devices that store programs, data, etc., and may also be SSDs (Solid State Drives) and SSD controllers, respectively.

[0075] The keyboard 311 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 312 is a type of input means for selecting or executing various instructions, selecting processing targets, or moving a cursor, etc. Note that the input means may not be limited to the keyboard 311 and the pointing device 312, but may also be a touch panel or an audio input device, etc. The DVD-RW drive 314 controls the reading or writing of various data to the DVD-RW 313, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW 313 may be a DVD-R or a Blu-ray® Disc, etc. The media I / F 316 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to the recording medium 315, such as flash memory. The microphone 318 is a type of built-in sound collection means for inputting sound. The sound input / output I / F 317 is a circuit that processes the input and output of sound signals between the microphone 318 and the speaker 319 according to the control of the CPU 301. The short-range communication circuit 320 is a communication circuit for communicating with an external terminal (device) using short-range wireless communication technology such as NFC, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi. The camera 321 is a type of built-in imaging means that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data. Note that the microphone 318, speaker 319, and camera 321 may be external devices rather than being built into the communication terminal 30.

[0076] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 30 is not limited to those shown herein; any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the communication terminal 30 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on the network.

[0077] <<Hardware configuration of the information processing system>> As shown in Figure 4, each hardware component of the information processing system 50 is indicated by a 500-series code in parentheses. The information processing system 50 is built using a computer and has a configuration similar to that of the communication terminal 30, as shown in Figure 4; therefore, a description of each hardware component is omitted.

[0078] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the information processing system 50 is not limited to those shown herein; any configuration that can realize the functional configuration of the information processing system 50 is acceptable. In addition, at least a part of the above hardware configuration may reside on a network.

[0079] Furthermore, each of the above programs may be distributed as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of recording media include CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), SD card, USB memory, etc. The recording media can also be provided domestically or internationally as a program product. For example, the communication terminal 30 realizes the image display method according to the present invention when the program according to the present invention is executed.

[0080] <Regarding wide-field images and viewpoint information> The following section explains how to generate wide-field images (spherical images) using Figures 5 to 12.

[0081] First, the external appearance of the imaging device 10 will be described using Figure 5. The imaging device 10 is a digital camera for obtaining captured images that will form the basis of a 360° spherical image. Figure 5(a) is a left side view of the imaging device, Figure 5(b) is a front view of the imaging device, and Figure 5(c) is a top view of the imaging device. This external view is merely one example of the imaging device 10, and other external appearances are also possible.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5(a), the imaging device 10 is small enough to be held in one hand, but this shape is merely an example, and other shapes are also possible. Also, as shown in Figures 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c), the upper part of the imaging device 10 is equipped with an image sensor 103a on the front side and an image sensor 103b on the back side. These image sensors 103a and 103b are used in conjunction with optical components (for example, lenses 102a and 102b described later) capable of capturing hemispherical images (angle of view of 180° or more). Also, as shown in Figure 5(b), an operating section 115 such as a shutter button is provided on the side of the imaging device 10 opposite to the front side. As mentioned above, there may be only one image sensor, or there may be three or more.

[0083] Next, the usage of the imaging device 10 will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram of the imaging device in use. As shown in Figure 6, the imaging device 10 is used, for example, to image a subject around the imaging device 10. In this case, two hemispherical images can be obtained by imaging the subject around the imaging device 10 using the image sensors 103a and 103b shown in Figure 5, respectively.

[0084] Next, using Figures 7 and 8, we will outline the process from the image captured by the imaging device 10 to the creation of a full-sphere image. Figure 7(a) shows the hemispherical image (front side) captured by the imaging device, Figure 7(b) shows the hemispherical image (back side) captured by the imaging device, and Figure 7(c) shows the image represented by equirectangular projection (hereinafter referred to as "equistratic projection image"). Figure 8(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the state in which the sphere is covered by the equirectangular projection image, and Figure 8(b) shows the full-sphere image.

[0085] As shown in Figure 7(a), the image obtained by the image sensor 103a is a curved hemispherical image (front side) by the lens 102a described later. Similarly, as shown in Figure 7(b), the image obtained by the image sensor 103b is a curved hemispherical image (rear side) by the lens 102b described later. The imaging device 10 then combines the hemispherical image (front side) and the 180-degree inverted hemispherical image (rear side) to create an equirectangular projection image EC as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0086] The imaging device 10 then uses software such as OpenGL ES (Open Graphics Library for Embedded Systems) to overlay an equirectangular projection image EC so that it covers the sphere, as shown in Figure 8(a), and creates a full-sphere image (full-sphere panoramic image) CE as shown in Figure 8(b). In this way, the full-sphere image CE is represented as an image where the equirectangular projection image EC is facing the center of the sphere. OpenGL ES is a graphics library used to visualize 2D (2-Dimensional) and 3D (3-Dimensional) data. OpenGL ES is merely one example of software that performs image processing, and the full-sphere image CE may be created using other software. The full-sphere image CE may be a still image or a video. Here, the imaging device 10 has been described as generating a full-sphere image, but the information processing system 50 or the communication terminal 30 may perform similar image processing or some of the image processing steps.

[0087] As described above, the 360-degree spherical image CE is an image pasted to cover a sphere, which can cause discomfort to the human eye. Therefore, by displaying a predetermined area T (hereinafter referred to as the "predetermined area image") of the 360-degree spherical image CE as a flat image with less curvature in the imaging device 10 or the communication terminal 30, a display that does not cause discomfort to the human eye can be achieved. This will be explained with reference to Figures 9 to 10.

[0088] Figure 9 shows the positions of the virtual camera and a predetermined region when the 360-degree image is treated as a three-dimensional sphere. The virtual camera IC corresponds to the position of the virtual viewpoint of the user viewing the 360-degree image CE, which is displayed as a three-dimensional sphere. Figure 10(a) is a stereoscopic perspective view of Figure 9, and Figure 10(b) shows the predetermined region image as it appears on a display. Figure 10(a) represents the 360-degree image CE shown in Figure 9 as a three-dimensional sphere CS. If the 360-degree image CE generated in this way is a sphere CS, then, as shown in Figure 9, the virtual camera IC is located inside the 360-degree image CE. The predetermined region T in the 360-degree image CE is the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC and is identified by predetermined region information indicating the imaging direction and field of view of the virtual camera IC in the three-dimensional virtual space including the 360-degree image CE. Furthermore, zooming in on the predetermined region T can also be represented by moving the virtual camera IC closer to or further away from the 360-degree image CE. The predetermined region image Q is the image of the predetermined region T in the 360-degree spherical image CE. Therefore, the predetermined region T can be determined by the field of view α and the distance f from the virtual camera IC to the 360-degree spherical image CE (see Figure 11).

[0089] Then, the predetermined region image Q shown in Figure 10(a) is displayed on a predetermined display as an image of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC, as shown in Figure 10(b). The image shown in Figure 10(b) is a predetermined region image represented by the predetermined region information that has been initially set (default). The following explanation will use the imaging direction (ea, aa) and field of view (α) of the virtual camera IC. Note that the predetermined region T may be represented by the position coordinates (X, Y, Z) of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC, which is the predetermined region T, rather than by the field of view α and distance f.

[0090] Next, we will explain the relationship between the predetermined region information and the image of the predetermined region T using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the predetermined region information and the image of the predetermined region T. As shown in Figure 11, "ea" is the elevation angle, "aa" is the azimuth angle, and "α" is the field of view (Angle). That is, the orientation of the virtual camera IC is changed so that the point of fixation of the virtual camera IC, indicated by the imaging direction (ea,aa), becomes the center point CP(x,y) of the predetermined region T, which is the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC. As shown in Figure 11, the center point CP(x,y) when the diagonal field of view of the predetermined region T, represented by the field of view α of the virtual camera IC, is α becomes the parameter ((x,y)) of the predetermined region information. The predetermined region image Q is the image of the predetermined region T in the 360-degree spherical image CE. f is the distance from the virtual camera IC to the center point CP(x,y). L is the distance between any vertex of a given region T and the center point CP(x,y) (2L is the diagonal). In Figure 11, the following trigonometric function generally holds:

number

[0091] Figure 12 shows the relationship described in Figure 11 as a point in a three-dimensional Euclidean space using spherical coordinates. Here, the position coordinates of the center point CP shown in Figure 11, expressed in spherical polar coordinates, are (r, θ, φ). (r, θ, φ) are the radial, polar angle, and azimuth angle, respectively. The radial r is the distance from the origin of the three-dimensional virtual space containing the full-sphere image to the center point CP, and is therefore equal to the distance f shown in Figure 11. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating these relationships. Hereafter, the position coordinates (r, θ, φ) of the virtual camera IC will be used as an example of viewpoint information for explanation. The viewpoint information only needs to be parameter information that can identify a predetermined region T (predetermined region image Q) that is displayed as an image of the imaging area of ​​the virtual camera IC on the predetermined display shown in Figure 10, as described above, and includes the coordinates of the diagonal vertices of the predetermined region T. Alternatively, the information indicating the field of view α of the virtual camera IC and the information indicating the center point CP(x, y) described in Figure 11 may also be considered as viewpoint information. Furthermore, the information indicating the field of view α and azimuth angle aa of the virtual camera IC described in Figure 11 may also be considered viewpoint information. In addition, viewpoint information may include not only position coordinate information in spherical coordinates, but also position coordinate information in orthogonal coordinates and coordinate difference values ​​from the initially set (default) predetermined area information. Furthermore, viewpoint information may also include information other than coordinate information, such as angles and distances, as shown in Figure 11. In addition, although the center point of the predetermined area T is used as the reference in Figures 11 and 12, the predetermined area T may also be identified by parameter information based on any of the vertices of the predetermined area T. Note that in the above explanation of viewpoint information, the case where the wide-field image is a 360-degree spherical image was used as an example, but in the case of other wide-field images, the information that identifies the predetermined area T in that wide-field image will be the viewpoint information. Furthermore, viewpoint information may include parameter information such as the height and width of the predetermined area T, and parameter information such as the magnification ratio due to the zoom of the virtual camera IC. Furthermore, if the position of each pixel in the equirectangular projection image EC, as shown in Figure 7(c), is associated with the coordinates of the surface of the sphere (for example, coordinates with two axes: latitude and longitude), then parameter information such as the direction and field of view of the virtual camera IC may be used as viewpoint information, or information such as latitude and longitude may be included in the viewpoint information. Thus, viewpoint information is not necessarily limited to information that indicates a point.

[0092] <About the features> Next, the functional configuration of the communication system 1 according to this embodiment will be described using Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the communication system 1 according to this embodiment. In Figure 13, the terminals, devices, and servers shown in Figure 1 that are related to the processing or operation described later are shown.

[0093] <<Functional Configuration of Imaging Device>> First, the functional configuration of the imaging device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 13. The imaging device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a reception unit 12, an imaging processing unit 13, an analysis unit 14, a registration request unit 15, a connection unit 16, a storage processing unit 17, an image transmission control unit 18, and a storage / reading unit 19. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 3 operating according to instructions from the CPU 111 that follow a program deployed on the SRAM 113 or DRAM 114. The imaging device 10 also has a storage unit 1000 constructed from a ROM 112, etc., as shown in Figure 3.

[0094] The communication unit 11 has the function of connecting to a communication network N using wireless communication means such as Wi-Fi and sending and receiving various data or information with other devices. In this embodiment, the connection unit 16 mainly transmits the wide-field image acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 to the information processing system 50, but it is also possible for the communication unit 11 to transmit the wide-field image to the information processing system 50.

[0095] The reception unit 12 is a function that receives user input for the imaging device 10. The reception unit 12 receives user input such as power on / off, shutter button on / off (start or stop transmission of wide-field images), and input from the user via the touch panel or buttons.

[0096] The imaging processing unit 13 captures images of subjects, landscapes, etc., and acquires the captured images. The captured images acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 may be videos or still images (or both), and may include sound along with the images. The imaging processing unit 13 also captures, for example, a two-dimensional code (see Figure 22) displayed on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. Furthermore, the imaging processing unit 13 may generate a wide-field image by performing the image processing described in Figures 7 and 8 on the captured images.

[0097] The analysis unit 14 analyzes the two-dimensional code captured and acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 and extracts the information contained in the two-dimensional code (URL for registering the imaging device with the tenant, temporary ID and password).

[0098] The registration request unit 15 uses the information contained in the two-dimensional code read by the analysis unit 14 to send a request to the information processing system 50 to register the imaging device 10 as a tenant of the information processing system 50.

[0099] The connection section 16 is implemented, for example, by a short-range communication circuit 117, and has the function of receiving power supply from the communication terminal 30A and performing data communication.

[0100] The storage processing unit 17 processes the wide-field images captured in response to imaging requests from any location and saves them to a URL (e.g., storage 90) notified by the information processing system 50.

[0101] The image transmission control unit 18 controls the transmission of wide-field images to the information processing system 50. For example, the image transmission control unit 18 transmits captured images acquired by the imaging processing unit 13 to the information processing system 50 periodically or in response to user operation if they are still images, or at a predetermined FPS (Flame Per Second) if they are videos. The image transmission control unit 18 also switches between the communication unit 11 and the connection unit 16.

[0102] The storage / reading unit 19 has the function of storing various data in the storage unit 1000 or reading various data from the storage unit 1000. The storage unit 1000 also stores the image capture data acquired by the image processing unit 13, the image capture device ID, etc. The image capture data stored in the storage unit 1000 may be deleted after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was acquired by the image processing unit 13, or it may be deleted when data has been transmitted to the information processing system 50.

[0103] Furthermore, the imaging device 10 has an application (also called a plug-in) installed to support the communication system 1. This application is used when associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room and when receiving control from external sources. Some of the functions shown in Figure 13 (for example, the registration request unit 15) are provided by this application. Alternatively, the application for supporting the communication system 1 may be placed on a network, and the same functions may be achieved by accessing the application using a web browser or similar device on the imaging device 10.

[0104] <<Communication terminal function configuration>> Next, the functional configuration of the communication terminal 30 will be explained using Figure 13. The communication terminal 30 has a communication unit 31, a reception unit 32, a display control unit 33, an imaging unit 34, a storage / reading unit 35, and a connection unit 36. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 4 operating according to instructions from the CPU 301 following a program (which may be a web browser or a dedicated application) deployed on the RAM 303. The communication terminal 30 also has a storage unit 3000 constructed from the ROM 302 or recording medium 315 shown in Figure 4.

[0105] The communication unit 31 (an example of a second communication unit) is implemented, for example, by a network I / F 309, connects to a communication network N, and has the function of sending and receiving various data or information with other devices.

[0106] The reception unit 32 has the function of receiving various selections or operation inputs to the communication terminal 30. The display control unit 33 has the function of displaying wide-field images, normal-angle images, and various screens on the display 306 of the communication terminal 30. The display control unit 33 displays, for example, a two-dimensional code transmitted from the information processing system 50 on the display 306. The two-dimensional code may be, for example, QR code (registered trademark), DataMatrix (DataCode), MaxiCode, or PDF417. The two-dimensional code may also be a barcode.

[0107] The connection section 36 is implemented, for example, by a short-range communication circuit 320, and has the function of supplying power to the imaging device 10 and performing data communication.

[0108] The storage / reading unit 35 is executed by instructions from the CPU 301 shown in Figure 4, and has the function of storing various data in the storage unit 3000 or reading various data from the storage unit 3000. The storage unit 3000 has an image management information storage unit 3001. The image management information storage unit 3001 will be explained in the description of the information processing system 50.

[0109] <<Functional Configuration of the Information Processing System>> Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system 50 will be described. The information processing system 50 includes a communication unit 51, a screen generation unit 52, an association processing unit 53, an image distribution unit 54, an authentication unit 55, a communication group management unit 56, a communication control unit 57, a connection management unit 58, a storage / reading unit 59, an API management unit 60, a recording unit 61, an extraction unit 62, a document creation unit 63, a tracking video creation unit 64, and a provision unit 65. Each of these units is a function or means of functioning, realized by any of the components shown in Figure 4 operating according to instructions from the CPU 501 in accordance with a program deployed on the RAM 503. The information processing system also has a storage unit 5000 constructed from a ROM 502, HDD 504, or recording media 515 as shown in Figure 4.

[0110] The communication unit 51 (an example of the first communication unit) has the function of sending and receiving various data or information with other devices via the communication network N.

[0111] The screen generation unit 52 generates screen information to be displayed by the communication terminal 30. When the communication terminal 30 runs a web application, the screen information is created using HTML, XML, CSS (Cascade Style Sheet), and JavaScript (registered trademark), etc. When the communication terminal 30 runs a native application, the screen information is held by the communication terminal 30, and the information to be displayed is transmitted in XML, etc. The screen generation unit 52 generates screen information on which wide-field images, etc., distributed by the image distribution unit 54 are placed.

[0112] The association processing unit 53 controls the association and sharing of viewpoint information for wide-field images. When the association processing unit 53 receives an imaging request along with viewpoint information from the communication terminal 30, it requests imaging from the imaging device 10 and processes the acquisition of a wide-field image and the association of the viewpoint information. Furthermore, the association processing unit 53 stores the associated wide-field image and viewpoint information in the image management information storage unit 5001. The association processing unit 53 also sends destination information (e.g., a URL) to the communication terminal 30 as information indicating the storage location where the associated wide-field image and viewpoint information are stored. Note that the information processing system 50 does not need to receive viewpoint information and imaging requests from the communication terminal 30 simultaneously; it may receive them separately and then perform the association process. Also, a URL is just one example of destination information indicating a storage location, and other formats such as URIs may be used.

[0113] The image distribution unit 54 distributes images such as wide-field images transmitted by the imaging device 10, which is associated with the same virtual room, to the communication terminal 30 operated by the user who is in the virtual room. Images of the normal field of view captured by the camera on the communication terminal 30 or connected cameras 8 and 9 are also distributed in the same manner. The distributed images include streaming video, video, still images, etc.

[0114] The authentication unit 55 is a function that authenticates the requester based on the authentication request received by the communication unit 51. For example, the authentication unit 55 authenticates the user by checking whether the authentication information (user ID and password) included in the authentication request received by the communication unit 51 matches the authentication information it has previously stored. The authentication information may be an IC card number, biometric authentication information such as face, fingerprint or voiceprint, device ID, passcode, access token, security key, ticket, etc. The authentication unit 55 may also authenticate using an external authentication system or an authentication method such as OAuth. Furthermore, the authentication unit 55 may authenticate not only the user but also devices such as an imaging device.

[0115] The communication group management unit 56 manages the entry of communication terminals 30 and users into the virtual room, as well as the mapping of devices. When authentication by the authentication unit 55 is successful, the communication group management unit 56 registers the user ID and the IP address of the communication terminal 30 in the virtual room information storage unit 5002, and maps the imaging device 10 to the virtual room.

[0116] The communication control unit 57 manages the start, establishment, and termination of communication with the imaging device 10 associated with each virtual room. The communication control unit 57 also manages the start, establishment, and termination of communication for distributing wide-field images and audio in response to the communication terminal 30 entering or leaving the virtual room.

[0117] The connection management unit manages the communications (connections) established between the communication terminal 30 and the imaging device 10 and the information processing system 50, associating them with virtual rooms.

[0118] The API management unit 60 manages the APIs used by platform subscribers when providing wide-field image distribution services. When using APIs, platform subscribers only need to develop software to call the APIs separately. The developed software may run on a server or on a client such as a communication terminal. Any function provided by the information processing system 50, such as the image distribution unit 54, association processing unit 53, and communication control unit 57, can be provided as an API. It is also possible to provide functions added to the information processing system 50 later as APIs. Whether or not to provide an API is determined by the communication terminal operated by the platform provider accessing the information processing system 50 and accepting the API disclosure setting, allowing the API management unit 60 to control the API based on the disclosure setting. The API management unit 60 may also perform authentication processing to verify whether the requesting software requesting the API call is software developed by a legitimate platform subscriber. Authentication processing can be performed by comparing information pre-registered and stored as platform subscriber information in the storage unit 5000 with information transmitted from the requesting software. As a specific example of the authentication process, the information processing system 50 receives an application ID, which has been pre-issued by the API management unit 60, from the requesting software developed by the platform contractor. If the API management unit 60 determines that the application ID is stored in the storage unit 5000, the API management unit 60 performs control to permit the provision of the API as legitimate software. On the other hand, if it cannot determine that the software is legitimate, the API management unit 60 performs control to deny the provision of the API. Note that the application ID is just one example of authentication information used to determine legitimacy, and the API management unit 60 may also verify the legitimacy of the requester using authentication information such as an access token, ticket, security key, password, or PIN code that has been pre-issued by the API management unit 60 of the information processing system or an external system.In this embodiment, the form in which the functions provided by the information processing system 50 are used as an API is not described, but the processing flow is the same except that the software such as an application developed by the platform subscriber uses the functions provided by the information processing system 50 via a decision made by the API management unit 60.

[0119] The memory / read unit 59 has the function of storing various data in the memory unit 5000 or reading various data from the memory unit 5000. The memory unit 5000 also includes an image management information memory unit 5001, a virtual room information memory unit 5002, a tenant information memory unit 5003, a recorded video memory unit 5004, and a report memory unit 5005.

[0120] The recording unit 61 records a video of the wide-field image viewed by the viewer while changing their viewpoint. The recording unit 61 attaches viewpoint shift information to the recorded video, indicating the viewer's viewpoint that was changed while viewing the recorded video.

[0121] The extraction unit 62 extracts candidate objects to be tracked from the recorded video using image processing such as object recognition. The objects to be tracked can be anything that can be tracked, such as a person or an object.

[0122] The tracking image creation unit 64 creates tracking images that track the object selected by the user. Since the recorded video is a wide-field video, the tracking image creation unit 64 creates tracking viewpoint information that records viewpoints that keep the object within a predetermined area in chronological order. The recorded video to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated is called "recorded video with tracking viewpoint."

[0123] The document creation unit 63 creates documents such as reports, which have embedded links to recorded video with a tracking viewpoint. The document can be any electronic data that can be processed by a computer (an example of document data).

[0124] The provisioning unit 65 provides the document created by the document creation unit 63 to the communication terminal 30 in response to a request from the user.

[0125] "Image Management Information Storage Unit 5001" Figure 14(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the image management information stored in the image management information storage unit 5001. The image management information storage unit 5001 stores the image management information as shown in Figure 14. The image management information is information for managing wide-field images captured in response to an imaging request, and when a user sends an imaging request from the communication terminal 30, one record of image management information is generated. Each item of the image management information will be explained below.

[0126] The data ID is identification information that identifies image data such as wide-field images. The data ID is assigned by the information processing system 50. ID is an abbreviation of Identification and means identifier or identification information. An ID is a name, code, string, number, or a combination of one or more of these used to uniquely distinguish a particular object from multiple objects. Note that the data ID may be associated not only with wide-field images but also with images captured at a normal field of view by the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room.

[0127] The data name is the name of the wide-field image set by the user of the communication terminal 30. The data name can be set by the user, but it may also be set automatically.

[0128] The imaging date and time information is information used to identify the imaging date and time of the wide-field image, etc., such as the date and time when the user entered an imaging request into the communication terminal 30, and the date and time when the imaging device 10 captured the wide-field image, etc. The imaging date and time information may be substituted with the timestamp information of the wide-field image, etc.

[0129] The imager information is the identification information (including user ID and username) of the user who entered the imaging request into the communication terminal 30. Since the user enters the imaging request into the communication terminal 30 while inside the virtual room, the user registered in the imager information is identified by authentication to the information processing system 50 or the virtual room. The imager information is transmitted to the information processing system 50 along with the imaging request. Note that the imaging request and the imager information do not necessarily have to be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at the same time; they may be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at different times.

[0130] The imaging device information is the identification information (imaging device ID) of the imaging device 10 that captured the wide-field image. The imaging device ID is assigned by the information processing system 50 and shared with the imaging device 10, but information unique to the imaging device 10, such as a MAC address or serial number, may also be used. The imaging device ID is transmitted to the information processing system 50 along with the wide-field image. Note that the imaging device ID and the wide-field image do not necessarily have to be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at the same time; they may be transmitted to the information processing system 50 at different times.

[0131] The viewpoint information of the imager is the viewpoint information specified in the imager's communication terminal 30. For example, the viewpoint information indicates the center coordinates of the wide-field image displayed by the communication terminal 30 and is parameter information used to identify a predetermined area of ​​the wide-field image displayed by the communication terminal 30. Here, radial radius, polar angle, and azimuth angle are shown as examples of parameter information, but other parameter information as described in Figures 10 to 12 may also be used. The viewpoint information is transmitted from the communication terminal 30 requesting imaging. The viewpoint information may also include information specifying the width and height of the display range of the predetermined area. Alternatively, the viewpoint information may only include the width and height of the display range. The virtual room ID used during imaging is the identification information of the virtual room to which the imaging device 10 is associated.

[0132] The data storage location information (storage location information) is information indicating where the wide-field image is stored, and may be a URL or file path. The storage location identified by the storage location information may also be information indicating a predetermined folder. The folder may be a folder associated with the virtual room used during imaging. Alternatively, it may be a folder associated with identification information (additional information such as a name) indicating one or more combinations of classifications such as the date and time of imaging, imaging device, imager, and virtual room used during imaging. Furthermore, the data storage location information may be combined with information such as the data ID and data name to identify the data storage location.

[0133] Figure 14(b) is also a conceptual diagram showing image management information. In Figure 14(b), wide-field images with the same virtual room ID at the time of acquisition are stored. In this way, image management information may be classified by virtual room.

[0134] "Virtual Room Information Storage Unit 5002" Figure 15(a) is a conceptual diagram showing the virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. The virtual room information storage unit 5002 stores virtual room information as shown in Figure 15(a). Virtual room information is information about a virtual room and is maintained for each virtual room. The items contained in the virtual room information will be explained below. Note that although virtual rooms are registered with tenants here, registration with tenants is not mandatory, and information on temporarily created virtual rooms and virtual rooms that can be used for sharing is also stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0135] The virtual room ID is identification information that identifies the virtual room. In this embodiment, virtual rooms can be created at the user's discretion.

[0136] The virtual room name is a name used by users to identify a virtual room and can be set by the user at will. The virtual room ID and virtual room name may be the same information.

[0137] The device information is the identification information (device ID) of the device, including the imaging device 10, which is associated with the virtual room. The user currently in the virtual room is the user ID of the user currently in the virtual room. This user is able to view images such as wide-field images distributed to the virtual room entrants. The method of entering the room will be described later. In addition, the user ID may be associated with the IP address of the communication terminal 30 operated by that user. In addition, the username may be associated with and stored as the user ID.

[0138] "Tenant Information Storage Unit 5003" Figure 15(b) is a conceptual diagram showing the tenant information stored in the tenant information storage unit 5003. The tenant information storage unit 5003 stores tenant information as shown in Figure 15(b). Tenant information is information about tenants (user groups) and is maintained for each tenant. The items contained in the tenant information will be explained below. Note that the tenant information includes various other information besides that shown in the diagram, such as user information, and Figure 15(b) is only a part of it. • The tenant ID is identification information that identifies the tenant. The tenant name is a name used by users to identify the tenant. Note that the tenant ID and tenant name may be the same information. The tenant registration virtual room ID is the identification information for the virtual room registered with the tenant. • Tenant registration devices are information about devices registered with the tenant. Furthermore, the tenant information storage unit, tenant ID, tenant name, tenant registration virtual room ID, and tenant registration device can be rephrased as the user group information storage unit, user group ID, user group name, user group registration virtual room ID, and user group registration device, respectively.

[0139] "Recording and Video Memory Unit 5004" Figure 16 is a conceptual diagram showing the recorded video information stored in the recorded video storage unit 5004. The recorded video storage unit 5004 stores recorded video information related to the recorded video, as shown in Figure 16(a). The recorded video information includes the following items: recorded video ID, virtual room ID, recorded video, viewpoint movement information, storage location information, and recording start date and time and end date and time. The recorded video ID is identification information that identifies the recorded video. The recorded video is a wide-field-of-view video. The recorded video is recorded while a viewer is watching it (although a viewer is not required), but because it is a wide-field-of-view image, the specific area that was viewed cannot be identified without a viewing viewpoint. The virtual room ID is the identification information of the virtual room to which the imaging device 10 used for recording the recorded video is associated. The recorded video section includes items such as the file name of the recorded video. In Figure 16, the file name is the recording start date and time, but it would be better if the user could set the file name arbitrarily. • The viewpoint movement information is a file in which the viewing viewpoint is associated with the time, as shown in Figure 16(b). • The storage location information refers to the location (URL, path, etc.) where the recorded video and viewpoint shift information are stored. The recording start and end times are the time when the recording of the video footage began (in the standard time of the country or region in question) and the time when the recording stopped.

[0140] Figure 16(b) shows an example of viewpoint shift information. The viewpoint shift information includes the elapsed time from the start of recording of the recorded video and the viewing viewpoint associated with the elapsed time. Since the recording start date and time are recorded, the elapsed time can be converted to standard time. The viewing viewpoint identifies a predetermined area viewed by the viewer. In Figure 16(b), the viewing viewpoint is recorded only when it changes, but the viewing viewpoint may be recorded periodically regardless of any changes.

[0141] Furthermore, the recorded video storage unit 5004 stores recorded video information with tracking viewpoints, as shown in Figure 17. Figure 17 is a conceptual diagram illustrating recorded video information with tracking viewpoints. Recorded video information with tracking viewpoints is information that associates the above-mentioned recorded video with a viewpoint that follows the object being tracked (tracking viewpoint). The tracking viewpoint is a time-series recording of viewpoints that follow the object being tracked, created by the tracking video creation unit 64. The recorded video ID associates the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint and is the same as the recorded video ID in Figure 16(a). The tracking viewpoint ID is identification information that identifies the tracking viewpoint. Multiple tracking viewpoints can be created for a single recorded video, allowing the recorded video to be played back with different tracking targets for the same video. • Tracking viewpoint information is a file that associates viewpoints used to track an object within the recorded video with the elapsed time since the start of recording. The format of the tracking viewpoint information can be the same as that of the viewpoint movement information. • The storage location information is the storage location (URL, file path, etc.) for the tracking viewpoint information. It may also be stored together with the video viewer used for playing back recorded video using the tracking viewpoint information.

[0142] "Report storage section 5005" Figure 18 is a conceptual diagram showing the items of a report stored in the report storage unit 5005. This report is just one example of a document created by the document creation unit 63. The report storage unit 5005 stores the items that a report has, as shown in Figure 18. When creating a report, the document creation unit 63 displays input fields for each item (subject, creation date, location name, report content) on the communication terminal 30. The user can create a report by entering the necessary information into the fields. Report templates like the one in Figure 18 are prepared in advance for each type of report the user creates. Therefore, the items in a report vary depending on the report.

[0143] The "Recorded Video" field includes the filename of the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint that the user has embedded in the report. Therefore, the "Recorded Video" field may be the same as the filename of the recorded video. The "Link" field, on the other hand, is the URL or file path indicating the location where the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint is saved. In other words, the "Link" field contains the location where both the recorded video and the tracking viewpoint information are saved.

[0144] <Entering a virtual room using a communication terminal> Next, referring to Figures 19 and 20, the process of user B entering the virtual room will be explained. It is assumed that the imaging device 10 has already been associated with the virtual room, and that the communication terminal 30A has transmitted wide-field images and normal-angle images to the information processing system 50 (the association of the imaging device 10 with the virtual room will be explained from Figure 21 onwards). Furthermore, in the following explanation, there will be no particular distinction made between user B entering the virtual room and the communication terminal 30B operated by user B entering the virtual room.

[0145] Figure 19 shows an example of the screen displayed by the communication terminal 30B when user B enters a virtual room. Figure 19(a) is an example of the entry screen 200. Prior to the display of the entry screen 200, user B is logged into the information processing system 50. Logging in identifies the tenant to which user B belongs. Virtual rooms are associated with tenants. User B displays a list of virtual rooms associated with the tenant on the communication terminal 30B (see Figure 24) and selects a virtual room to enter from the list. Figure 19(a) is the entry screen 200 for the virtual room selected by user B in this way. Note that temporarily created virtual rooms or shared virtual rooms not associated with a tenant may also be displayed on the screen in Figure 19(a).

[0146] Alternatively, the creator of the virtual room may request the information processing system 50 to issue a URL corresponding to the virtual room and send this URL to user B via email or other means. When user B clicks the URL displayed on the communication terminal 30B, the communication terminal 30B displays the room entry screen 200 shown in Figure 19(a).

[0147] The entry screen 200 has a virtual room name 201, a participant name input field 202, and an entry button 203. The virtual room name 201 is the same as the one stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. The participant name input field 202 is a field for entering the username to be displayed in the virtual room, which may be a nickname or other designation for user B. When user B logs in, the username associated with user B's user ID is identified, and this identified username may be displayed automatically. The entry button 203 is a button for user B to request entry into the virtual room.

[0148] Furthermore, authentication for entering the virtual room may be required separately from the tenant login process.

[0149] Figure 19(b) shows the image viewing screen 210 displayed by the communication terminal 30B when user B enters the virtual room. In the image viewing screen 210 of Figure 19(b), the imaging device 10 has already started distributing wide-field images via the information processing system 50, and the communication terminal 30A has already started distributing images with a normal field of view. Therefore, the image viewing screen 210 has a first image section 211 and a second image section 212. The first image section 211 displays the wide-field image, and the second image section 212 displays the image with a normal field of view. If there are three or more locations transmitting images, the image viewing screen 210 is divided according to the number of transmitting locations.

[0150] The first image field 211 displays a wide-field image mark 213. The wide-field image mark 213 is set by the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 when it determines that the image to be displayed in the first image field 211 is a wide-field image. The communication terminal 30B may also determine and display it. By seeing the wide-field image mark 213, user B can understand that a wide-field image that allows the viewpoint to be changed is being delivered. In addition, the first image field 211 displays the device name 214 (transmitted from the imaging device 10 along with the wide-field image). The device name 214 is information set by user A, etc., as will be described later (see Figure 22).

[0151] The second image field 212 displays the participant name 215. The participant name 215 is a username, and the participant name of a user who has already entered the room (in this case, user A has already entered, so "AAA" entered by user A in the participant name input field 202) is displayed in the participant name input field 202.

[0152] Figure 20 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process by which user B (or communication terminal 30B) enters a virtual room.

[0153] S1: First, user B at site B performs an operation to display the virtual room list screen. The communication terminal 30B has previously accessed the information processing system 50 in response to the operation by user B and has received virtual room information stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002 for displaying the virtual room list screen from the information processing system 50. At this time, the communication terminal 30B may be authenticated by the authentication unit 55 of the information processing system 50 by sending authentication information necessary for login, etc. to the information processing system 50. The authentication information may be authentication information associated with user B or authentication information associated with the communication terminal 30B. In such cases, the virtual rooms displayed on the list screen may be virtual rooms registered in the tenant associated with user B or virtual rooms registered in the tenant associated with the communication terminal 30B. When the reception unit 32 receives the operation to display the list screen, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B displays the selection screen on the display 306.

[0154] S2: When user B selects a virtual room selection button, the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30B accepts the selection of the virtual room. The display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B displays the room entry screen 200 shown in Figure 19(a) on the display 306.

[0155] S3: User B enters the required information and presses the enter button 203. Upon receiving the press from the reception unit 32, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B sends an entry request to the information processing system 50. This entry request includes information such as the virtual room ID indicating the virtual room selected in step S2, the user ID of user B authenticated by login, etc., and the IP address of the requesting terminal, the communication terminal 30B.

[0156] S4: As a result, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives an entry request. The communication group management unit 56 registers the user ID and IP address authenticated by login, etc., in the virtual room information identified by the virtual room ID in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0157] S5: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 then sends a response to the communication terminal 30B indicating that it has entered the room. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30B receives the response indicating that it has entered the room. Following S5, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30B receives the screen information generated by the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 and the image information distributed by the image distribution unit 54, and displays the image viewing screen 210 shown in Figure 19(b) based on the received information.

[0158] <Mapping of imaging equipment to rooms> Next, the mapping of the imaging device 10 to the virtual room will be explained with reference to Figures 21 to 28. Note that this explanation assumes that user A at site A performs the mapping of the imaging device 10 to the virtual room, but this can also be done by a system administrator, tenant administrator, etc.

[0159] Figure 21 shows an example of a device registration screen 220 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. User A is authenticated by logging into the information processing system 50. Logging in identifies the tenant to which User A belongs. User A requests the information processing system 50 to display the device registration screen 220, and the communication terminal 30A displays the device registration screen 220 received from the information processing system 50. The device is first registered with the tenant via the device registration screen 220.

[0160] The device registration screen 220 has buttons for registering an imaging device 221, a VR goggles 222, and smart glasses 223. Buttons are provided for each type of device because there are differences in the presence or absence of a camera, the information used for registration, etc. Furthermore, since devices are registered according to their type, the information processing system 50 can also determine the type of device.

[0161] The imaging device registration button 221 is for user A to register the imaging device 10, the VR goggles registration button 222 is for registering the VR goggles 89, and the smart glasses registration button 223 is for registering the smart glasses 88.

[0162] Figure 22 shows an example of a screen displayed when the imaging device registration button 221 is pressed. Figure 22(a) shows the imaging device registration dialog 230. The imaging device registration dialog 230 has a name field 231 for the imaging device 10, a description field 232, and a next button 233. User A sets an arbitrary name in the name field 231 for the imaging device 10 so that it is clear that it is the imaging device 10 to be registered, and sets a description in the description field 232.

[0163] When user A presses the next button 233, the communication terminal 30A requests a two-dimensional code from the information processing system 50, and the communication terminal 30A displays the two-dimensional code.

[0164] Figure 22(b) shows an example of a two-dimensional code screen 240 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. The two-dimensional code screen 240 contains a message 241 that reads, "Please scan the following two-dimensional code to register the device named XX (the name entered in the name field)," and a two-dimensional code 242. User A scans the two-dimensional code 242 with the imaging device 10 that they wish to register. The two-dimensional code 242 contains authentication information necessary for registration, such as the URL to which the imaging device 10 connects for its own registration, and a temporary ID and password.

[0165] When user A scans the two-dimensional code 242 with the imaging device 10, the imaging device 10 connects to a URL and is authenticated with a temporary ID and password. If authentication is successful, the official imaging device ID is exchanged, and the name, description, and imaging device ID of the imaging device 10 are registered with the tenant. The imaging device 10 also retains this imaging device ID, name, and description. The imaging device 10 registered with the tenant is associated with a virtual room according to the operations of user A described later. Note that the two-dimensional code 242 is just one example of code information; any code with similar authentication information embedded may be used, and other forms of codes such as barcodes may also be used.

[0166] Next, with reference to Figure 23, an example of how to register communication terminals such as VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88 to a tenant will be explained. Figure 23 is an example of the VR goggles registration screen 250 that is displayed when the VR goggles registration button 222 is pressed. The VR goggles registration screen 250 has a temporary code input field 251 and a secret input field 252.

[0167] If the VR goggles 89 do not have a camera, they cannot capture the QR code. For this reason, user A may have the VR goggles 89 output (display) a temporary code (temporary ID) and a secret (password), and enter them into the temporary code input field 251 and the secret input field 252. The communication terminal 30A registers the VR goggles 89 with the tenant by transmitting the temporary code and secret to the information processing system 50. The VR goggles 89 connects to the information processing system 50 and receives authentication by transmitting the temporary code and secret. If authentication is successful, a formal VR goggle ID is exchanged, and the VR goggle ID is registered with the tenant. The VR goggles 89 also holds this VR goggle ID. The VR goggles 89 registered with the tenant is associated with a virtual room according to the operation of user A described later. The smart glasses 88 will be explained in detail later, but user A can register them in the same way as the imaging device 10 or the VR goggles 89. Note that the temporary code and secret are just examples of authentication information, and other information may be used as authentication information. The imaging device ID, VR goggles ID, and smart glasses ID are examples of device IDs and can therefore be referred to simply as "device ID." Thus, when registering devices other than the imaging device 10, VR goggles, and smart glasses, the same procedure can be used to associate the device ID with virtual rooms and tenants. The device ID may also be identification information linked to the device owner.

[0168] Figure 24 shows an example of a virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 for associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room. The screen configuration can be the same for VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88. The virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 has a virtual room list 261. The virtual room list 261 displays individual virtual room fields 262 to 264 based on the virtual rooms created in the tenant. Each individual virtual room field 262 to 264 has a link issuance button 265, an entry button 266, a settings button 267, and a virtual room name 268. The link issuance button 265 is a button for issuing a link to the virtual room (URL for invitation) and a passcode. The entry button 266 is a button for user A to enter the virtual room. The settings button 267 is a button for associating the imaging device 10 with the virtual room. The virtual room name 268 is the same as that stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002. Therefore, user A presses the settings button 267. Pressing the settings button 267 causes the communication terminal 30A to display the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270.

[0169] Additionally, if a device is already associated with a virtual room, the device name 269 will be displayed in the individual virtual room section (individual virtual room section 264 in the diagram).

[0170] Figure 25 shows an example of the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270. Note that the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 is displayed as a pop-up on the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260. The screen transition from the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 to the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 does not go through the information processing system 50, but a screen transition that does go through the information processing system 50 is also possible.

[0171] The virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 has the name 271 of the imaging device 10 currently (already) mapped to the virtual room (not yet registered, so not shown in the diagram), a connection button 272, and a storage button 273. The connection button 272 is a button that displays a list of devices registered in the tenant as mapping candidates for mapping a device to a virtual room. The storage button 273 is a button that displays a list of storage 90s that store wide-field images and normal-angle images captured by the imaging device 10 mapped to the virtual room. The list of storage 90s may include not only a list of storage 90s mapped to the virtual room, but also a list of specific storage locations such as folders on the storage 90. By selecting a predetermined storage 90 or a specific storage location such as a folder on the storage 90, the storage 90 can be mapped to the virtual room. The information of the storage 90 mapped in this way (address information for accessing the storage 90 and storage locations such as folders on the storage 90) can be stored in the virtual room information storage unit 5002 in association with the virtual room ID. When the connect button 272 is pressed, the communication terminal 30A displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 3).

[0172] The communication terminal 30A transmits the virtual room ID to the information processing system 50 and obtains the name of the device registered in the tenant where the virtual room is created (including the device ID, etc.), and the name of the device associated with the virtual room (including the device ID, etc.).

[0173] Figure 26 shows an example of the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280. The virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 has the name 281 of the imaging device 10 currently (already) mapped to the virtual room, a list of additional devices 282, and a save button 283. User A selects a device that they want to add to the virtual room from the list of additional devices 282 and presses the save button 283. This maps the device to the virtual room (the device ID, such as the imaging device ID, is registered in the virtual room information storage unit 5002). Note that, as shown in Figure 26, the number of imaging devices that can be mapped to a virtual room may be limited. For example, if the upper limit is two devices, the number of remaining devices that can be added may be displayed on the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) by referring to the number of imaging device IDs already registered in the virtual room information storage unit 5002.

[0174] <Processing to initiate transmission of wide-field images to the imaging device> With the above steps, devices such as the imaging device 10 are now associated with the virtual room, but user A needs to initiate image transmission to the device.

[0175] For the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88, user A turns image transmission on and off by operating the device itself. This is because currently, there is no dedicated application running on the communication system 1 for the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88. If a dedicated application were running on the communication system 1 for the VR goggles 89 and smart glasses 88, user A would be able to remotely turn image transmission on and off.

[0176] In the case of the imaging device 10, if the application is enabled, user A can enter the virtual room and turn the transmission of wide-field images on or off from the menu.

[0177] Figure 27 shows an example of a wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 displayed by the communication terminal 30A. The wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 is displayed as a pop-up on the image viewing screen 210. Assume that user A has entered a virtual room associated with the imaging device 10 by operating the communication terminal 30A. The wide-field image transmission control dialog 290 displays the name 292 of the imaging device 10 associated with this virtual room. A toggle button 291 is displayed near the name 292, and user A can operate the toggle button 291 to turn on (start transmission) or off (stop transmission) the transmission of wide-field images by the imaging device 10. Note that the method of setting on or off using the toggle button is just one example, and it is sufficient if it can be set according to user input. For example, the user may set it by selecting radio buttons or predetermined icons, or by operating a menu. Alternatively, the transmission of wide-field images may start automatically after the imaging device 10 enters the room, without requiring user operation. Alternatively, certain conditions such as the date and time, the number of users who entered the room, or whether a specific user participated may be predetermined, and the transmission of wide-field images may begin when it is determined that these conditions have been met.

[0178] The communication terminal 30A transmits transmission control setting information to the information processing system 50 by operating the toggle button 291. The information processing system 50 transmits a transmission start request or a transmission stop request to the imaging device 10 according to the transmission control setting information.

[0179] Figure 27(a) shows the state where the toggle button 291 is set to OFF. Therefore, the wide-field image is not displayed in Figure 27(a). On the other hand, in Figure 27(a), when the communication terminal 30A enters the room, the image of the normal field of view captured by the camera 9 of the communication terminal 30A has already been shared and is displayed on the image viewing screen 210.

[0180] Figure 27(b) shows the state where the toggle button 291 is set to ON. When the toggle button 291 is turned ON, the information processing system 50 sends a transmission start request to the imaging device 10, and the imaging device 10 starts transmitting the wide-field image. As a result, two images are shared in one virtual room, and the image viewing screen 210 is divided into two. Also, when the setting is changed from ON to OFF, the communication terminal 30A sends OFF setting information, and the information processing system 50, upon receiving the OFF setting information, sends a transmission stop request to the imaging device 10, and the imaging device 10 stops transmitting the wide-field image.

[0181] As explained in Figure 28, even if a user is on-site, the imaging device 10 can be associated with a virtual room through a simple operation such as capturing code information with the imaging device 10. Since on-site users may not have a PC, the ability to perform the association process on the spot, using only pre-issued code information and the imaging device 10, is particularly useful for on-site users. Furthermore, by performing the association process in advance, the user can connect the imaging device 10 to a designated virtual room without having to select a virtual room, and the start or stop of transmission can be instructed from a remote location, thus reducing the burden on users who want to concentrate on their work on-site. Therefore, a system can be provided that enables efficient communication between the on-site and remote locations even during the preparation process.

[0182] <<Procedure for registering the imaging device in the virtual room>> Next, referring to Figure 28, the procedure for registering the imaging device 10 to the virtual room, as described in the series of screen transitions in Figures 21 to 27, will be explained. Figure 28 is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure for user A to register the imaging device 10 to the virtual room.

[0183] S11: First, user A connects the communication terminal 30A to the information processing system 50, enters authentication information (user ID, password, etc.), and requests login. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A accepts the operation.

[0184] S12: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a login request to the information processing system 50, specifying authentication information. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the login request, and the authentication unit 55 performs authentication based on the specified authentication information. Here, we assume that the authentication was successful. At this time, the information processing system 50 can also identify the tenant ID associated with the authenticated user ID by referring to the tenant information storage unit 5003.

[0185] S13: In response to user operation, the screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates a device registration screen 220, and the communication unit 51 transmits the screen information of the device registration screen 220 to the communication terminal 30A.

[0186] S14: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives screen information from the device registration screen 220, and the display control unit 33 displays the device registration screen 220 shown in Figure 21. User A selects the type of device (here, the imaging device 10 (for example, a 360-degree camera) is selected), and then enters the name and description of the imaging device 10 as shown in Figure 22. The reception unit 32 accepts the input.

[0187] S15: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a request for code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) to the information processing system 50, specifying the name and description entered by user A.

[0188] S16: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code). The communication group management unit 56 generates a URL (a connection destination for registration) associated with the name and description, and generates code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) including the URL, a temporary ID, and a password. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) to the communication terminal 30A. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code), and the display control unit 33 displays the code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code) as shown in Figure 22.

[0189] S17: Next, user A operates the imaging device 10 that they want to associate with the virtual room to capture code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code). The reception unit 12 of the imaging device 10 receives the operation.

[0190] S18: The imaging processing unit 13 of the imaging device 10 generates image data by performing imaging processing on the target to be imaged, which includes code information (e.g., a two-dimensional code), and the analysis unit 14 analyzes the image data to extract a URL, a temporary ID, and a password. As a result, the registration request unit 15 connects to the URL via the connection unit 16 and sends a registration request from the imaging device 10 to the information processing system 50, specifying the temporary ID and password. Note that if the registration method using the registration screen described in Figure 23 is implemented, the code information is not imaged, so the imaging device 10 is replaced by a communication terminal such as VR goggles 89 or smart glasses 88, and steps S15 to S17 can be omitted.

[0191] S19: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a temporary ID and password, and the authentication unit 55 determines whether they match the temporary ID and password associated with the connected URL. Here, it is assumed that the temporary ID and password match.

[0192] S20: The communication group management unit 56 of the information processing system 50 receives a request to register the imaging device 10. As an example of a device ID, it generates an imaging device ID and registers it in the tenant corresponding to the tenant ID identified when user A logged in. The imaging device ID is associated with a name and description. Specifically, the communication group management unit 56 refers to the tenant information storage unit 5003 and adds the imaging device ID to the tenant registration devices associated with the identified tenant ID and registers it. Although the communication group management unit 56 generates and registers the imaging device ID here, it may also register the imaging device ID received from the imaging device 10. If a communication terminal such as VR goggles 89 or smart glasses 88 is to be registered in the tenant instead of the imaging device 10, the corresponding device ID can be registered in the tenant information storage unit 5003 using the same procedure.

[0193] S21: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the imaging device ID to the imaging device 10. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the imaging device ID and stores it in the storage unit 1000.

[0194] S22: The communication terminal 30A is notified of the completion of registration from the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50, which allows user A to start associating the imaging device 10 with a virtual room. User A displays the virtual room association screen (part 1) 260 on the communication terminal 30A and selects the virtual room to which the imaging device 10 registered with the tenant should be associated. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the operation input indicating the selection. Specifically, when the reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the operation input from user A, the display control unit 33 displays the virtual room association screen (part 1) 260. At this time, the communication unit 31 may send a screen update request to the communication control unit 57 of the information processing system 50. When the information processing system 50 receives the update request, it refers to the tenant information storage unit 5003 and identifies the virtual room ID registered with the tenant associated with the authenticated user ID. The information processing system 50 then refers to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and obtains the virtual room name associated with the identified virtual room ID. The information processing system 50's communication unit 51 transmits the identified virtual room ID and corresponding virtual room name information (which may also be information from a screen generated by the screen generation unit 52 based on this information) to the communication terminal 30A. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives the virtual room ID and virtual room name information, and the display control unit 33 can update and display the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 based on the received information. Note that such information can be identified based on the user ID, so it may also be received in S13 after authentication. The reception unit 32 receives an operation input from user A indicating a selection on the virtual room mapping screen (part 1) 260 displayed in this way, allowing the communication terminal 30A to identify the selected virtual room ID.

[0195] S23: Next, user A displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 on the communication terminal 30A and presses the connect button 272 to map an additional device to a virtual room. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the operation input indicating the press. Specifically, the display control unit 33 of the communication terminal 30A displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 2) 270 corresponding to the selected virtual room ID identified in S22. Furthermore, the reception unit 32 receives the instruction from user A to map an additional device to a virtual room (press of connect button 272).

[0196] S24: In response to the operation input in S23, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A requests information from the information processing system 50 regarding devices registered with tenants that are candidates for devices to be associated with the virtual room, and devices that have already been associated with the virtual room ID selected in step S22.

[0197] S25: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for information on devices registered with the tenant and devices associated with the selected virtual room ID, and the screen generation unit 52 generates a virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 that includes the device IDs of the devices registered with the tenant and devices associated with the selected virtual room ID. The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the screen information of the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280 to the communication terminal 30A.

[0198] S26: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives screen information from the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280, and the display control unit 33 displays the virtual room mapping screen (part 3) 280. User A selects a device to associate with the virtual room (here, the imaging device 10 is used as an example). The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A accepts the selection, and the imaging device ID is identified as the device ID of the selected device.

[0199] S27: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends an association request to the information processing system 50, specifying the virtual room ID selected in step S22 and the device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) selected in S26.

[0200] S28: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives the mapping request, and the communication group management unit 56 registers the device (e.g., imaging device 10) in the virtual room. That is, the communication group management unit 56 refers to the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and registers the device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) associated with the virtual room ID specified in the request of S27.

[0201] S29: Since a device ID (e.g., imaging device ID) has been associated with a virtual room, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits the virtual room ID, name, and description to the imaging device 10. The information processing system 50 may use push notifications or transmit the information by utilizing polling by the imaging device 10. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the virtual room ID, name, and description and stores them in the storage unit 1000. This allows the imaging device 10 to add the imaging device ID, virtual room ID, name, description, etc. when transmitting wide-field images. Other devices besides the imaging device 10 can also be associated with virtual rooms using the same procedure. Furthermore, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 may send a notification to the communication terminal 30A indicating that the association is complete. From this step onward, devices registered with a virtual room (imaging device 10) can connect to the associated virtual room. Here, we will continue the explanation assuming that the imaging device 10 has connected to the virtual room by sending a connection request to the information processing system 50, specifying the virtual room ID received in S29. However, the timing of the imaging device 10 connecting to the virtual room can be changed by user operation.

[0202] S30: The communication terminal 30A and the information processing system 50 perform the entry process described in Figure 20, thereby allowing the communication terminal 30A to enter the virtual room associated with the device (imaging device 10).

[0203] S31: After entering the room, user A turns on the toggle button 291 of the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room on the image viewing screen 210. The reception unit 32 of the communication terminal 30A receives the ON signal.

[0204] S32: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A sends a request to the information processing system 50 to start transmitting wide-field images, specifying the device ID (imaging device ID). Alternatively, user A may directly start transmitting wide-field images by operating a button on the imaging device 10. In addition, user A may also cause the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A to send a request to stop transmission to the information processing system 50.

[0205] S33: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a transmission start request and requests the imaging device 10, identified by its device ID (imaging device ID), to start transmission. The information processing system 50 may use push notifications or the imaging device 10 may use polling. The connection unit 16 of the imaging device 10 receives the transmission start request and the imaging processing unit 13 starts imaging. The image transmission control unit 18 repeatedly transmits wide-field images via the connection unit 16 at a fixed FPS or an FPS corresponding to the bandwidth. Therefore, the communication terminal 30 that has entered the virtual room can display the status of site A on the image viewing screen 210 in real time.

[0206] <Distribution of wide-field images, etc.> Referring to Figure 29, the process for sharing wide-field images and normal-angle images will be explained. Figure 29 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating the process for sharing wide-field images. In Figure 29, communication terminals 30A and 30B have completed the entry process described in Figure 20 and have entered the virtual room. Communication terminal 30A also has a normal-angle camera 9, which is shared with communication terminal 30B. Instead of the camera 9 of communication terminal 30A, images captured by smart glasses 88 associated with the virtual room may also be shared. Also in Figure 29, the imaging device 10 has already been connected to the same virtual room through the registration procedure described in Figure 28.

[0207] S41: The imaging unit 34 of the communication terminal 30A captures an image, and the communication unit 31 specifies the virtual room ID in which the user is present and transmits the video and audio, including the captured image, to the information processing system 50.

[0208] S42, S43: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio including images, the image distribution unit 54 obtains the IP addresses of the communication terminals 30A and 30B that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and transmits the video and audio including images via the communication unit 51. In Figure 29, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30A receives and displays an image with a normal field of view from the information processing system 50, but it may also display an image with a normal field of view captured by the imaging unit 34 without receiving it.

[0209] S44: Next, in response to a transmission start request based on the transmission start setting, the imaging device 10 captures a wide-field image, and the image transmission control unit 18 transmits the video and audio, including the wide-field image, to the information processing system 50 via the connection unit 16, specifying the virtual room ID, imaging device ID, name, and description to which the device is registered.

[0210] S45, S46: When the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio including wide-field images, the image distribution unit 54 obtains the IP addresses of communication terminals 30A and 30B that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002 and transmits video and audio including wide-field images via the communication unit 51.

[0211] S47: Next, the communication terminal 30C equipped with camera 9 entered the new virtual room by performing the entry process described in Figure 20.

[0212] S48: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30C transmits video and audio, including images with a normal field of view, to the information processing system 50.

[0213] S49~S51: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives video and audio, including images with a normal field of view, from the communication terminal 30C, obtains the IP addresses of the communication terminals 30A~30C that are in the same virtual room from the virtual room information storage unit 5002, and the image distribution unit 54 transmits video and audio, including images with a normal field of view.

[0214] S52: In addition, the communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits video, including wide-field images, and audio to the communication terminal 30C that has entered the same virtual room.

[0215] In this way, users A and B who have entered the same virtual room can share video, including wide-field images, captured by the imaging device 10 associated with the virtual room, in real time. Note that the transmission order of each image shown in Figure 29 is just an example; the wide-field images may be shared first, or the images with a normal field of view may be shared first.

[0216] Let's add some details about the smart glasses 88 and VR goggles 89. The smart glasses 88 have a camera and display function with a normal field of view. Images with a normal field of view captured by the camera held by the smart glasses 88 are distributed in the same way as cameras 8 and 9. The display function held by the smart glasses 88 is flat, like a normal display, so a portion of the wide-field image is displayed at the viewpoint indicated by the user. The VR goggles 89 have a display function (they may also have a camera with a normal field of view). The display function held by the smart glasses 88 projects a wide-field image at a viewpoint determined by the orientation of the user's head, so a portion of the wide-field image is displayed at a viewpoint corresponding to the orientation of the user's head. While viewing a wide-field image with the smart glasses 88 or VR goggles 89, the user can send an imaging request specifying the viewpoint information being viewed to the information processing system 50.

[0217] <Follow-up display of the object> Next, we will explain how to create recorded video that tracks an object. When a user views a wide-field image, even if they want to view a specific object while keeping it in the frame, if the object moves, they have to manually change their viewpoint. It was not possible to view recorded video that automatically tracks the object while changing the viewpoint.

[0218] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the user identifies an object they wish to focus on within the wide-field image, the communication terminal 30 changes its viewpoint to follow the movement of the object.

[0219] This ensures that even if the object of interest moves, it will not go out of frame from the angle of view extracted from the wide-field image, preventing the user from losing sight of the object. When conducting remote communication, the viewpoints of each location are likely to remain visible regardless of whether the object of interest is moving or not. By utilizing the viewpoints of viewers at each location, it is possible to suggest the subject of interest as a trackable object, regardless of whether it is moving or not.

[0220] <Recording of documentary footage> First, with reference to Figure 30, the process by which the viewer records the video along with their viewing viewpoint will be explained. Figure 30 is a sequence diagram showing how the communication terminal 30 records the video viewed by the viewer during remote communication. The communication terminal 30 has already viewed the real-time wide-field image captured by the imaging device 10. Real-time means that the maximum delay time is guaranteed.

[0221] S101: The imaging device 10 registered in the virtual room entered by the viewer repeatedly transmits wide-field images and audio to the information processing system 50.

[0222] S102: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system transmits wide-field images and audio to the communication terminals 30 that are in the virtual room. There may be two or more communication terminals 30. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminals 30 receives the wide-field images and audio, and the display control unit 33 displays them as a video.

[0223] S103: The viewer initiates recording by pressing the record button on the web application running on the communication terminal 30. The record button is used to save the recorded video, which is a wide-field image, along with the viewing viewpoint. The reception unit 32 receives the press of the record button.

[0224] S104: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 requests the information processing system 50 to start recording.

[0225] S105: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives a request to start recording, and the recording unit 61 starts recording (moving) wide-field images.

[0226] S106: Viewers can view wide-field images displayed by the web application while arbitrarily changing the viewpoint.

[0227] S107: The reception unit 32 receives the viewpoint changes made by the viewer as needed, and the display control unit 33 displays a predetermined area of ​​the wide-view image on the display in response to the operation. Therefore, the predetermined area moves in response to the viewer's operation.

[0228] S108: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 transmits viewpoint change information, including the viewing viewpoint operated by the viewer, to the information processing system each time a change occurs. As described above, in the viewpoint change information, the viewing viewpoint is associated with the elapsed time of recording based on the recording start time. The viewpoint change information may also be transmitted when recording stops.

[0229] S109: The viewer presses the stop recording button on the web application running on the communication terminal 30 as an operation to end the recording. The reception unit 32 receives the press of the stop recording button.

[0230] S110: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 requests the information processing system 50 to stop recording.

[0231] S111: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives a request to stop recording, and the recording unit 61 stops recording the video.

[0232] S112: The recording unit 61 stores the recorded video and viewpoint movement information from the start of recording until the stop of recording in the recorded video storage unit 5004, associating them with the recorded video ID.

[0233] <Creating recorded video with a tracking viewpoint using a tracked object> Next, with reference to Figure 31, the creation of recorded video with a tracking viewpoint using viewpoint movement information will be explained. Figure 31 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating the process by which an information processing system creates recorded video with a tracking viewpoint using viewpoint movement information. Note that the following communication terminal 30 is not limited to the communication terminal 30 used for viewing wide-field images; any terminal device may be used.

[0234] S201: The user operates the communication terminal 30 and requests, for example, a list of recorded videos registered in the tenant from the information processing system 50. The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates the recorded video selection screen 400 shown in Figure 32 using the list of recorded videos stored in the recorded video storage unit 5004 and transmits it to the communication terminal 30. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives the list of recorded videos, and the display control unit 33 displays the list of recorded videos on the recorded video selection screen 400.

[0235] S202: The user selects the recording video for which they want to set the object to be tracked on the recording video selection screen 400.

[0236] S203: The reception unit 32 receives the selection, and the communication unit 31 specifies the selected recorded video ID and transmits the extraction of the object to be tracked to the information processing system 50.

[0237] S204: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request to extract the object to be tracked, and the storage / reading unit 59 obtains the recorded video identified by the recorded video ID and viewpoint movement information from the recorded video storage unit 5004.

[0238] S205: The tracking video creation unit 64 of the information processing system 50 requests the extraction unit 62 to extract the object to be tracked, along with the recorded video and viewpoint movement information.

[0239] S206: The extraction unit 62 extracts objects to be tracked based on viewpoint movement information. First, the extraction unit 62 performs image recognition on the wide-field image and extracts multiple candidates for objects to be tracked that have been recognized. From these, the extraction unit 62 selects the top-ranking objects that have been displayed for a predetermined time or longer based on viewpoint movement information as candidates for objects to be tracked. The extraction unit 62 has pre-learned the objects that should be detected as objects to be tracked. The objects to be detected are what the user wants to see in the wide-field image, so they may differ depending on the site where the imaging device 10 is installed, such as a construction site or a medical site. For example, objects to be detected at a construction site may be construction vehicles, tools, buildings, etc., and at a medical site may be surgical instruments, surgical fields, doctors, instruments, etc. On the other hand, people, general vehicles, signs, stairs, etc. can be said to be general objects that are not limited to any particular site. The extraction unit 62 has already built an identification model for detecting these objects using machine learning. In addition, the extraction unit 62 can extract objects to be tracked by methods such as pattern matching or edge detection without using machine learning. Furthermore, the extraction unit 62 may detect moving objects using optical flow or other methods.

[0240] The extraction unit 62 then assigns priority to the detected follow-target candidates based on the viewpoint movement information. For example, suppose the extraction unit 62 extracts construction vehicles, tools, buildings, people, and signs as follow-target candidates. By referring to the viewpoint movement information, the extraction unit 62 determines which follow-target candidates are in a predetermined area during the time between viewpoint changes, and measures the viewing duration for each follow-target candidate. Objects whose viewing duration is less than the predetermined time may be discarded. For example, suppose that according to the viewpoint movement information, the viewing durations for each follow-target candidate are as follows.

[0241] Tools: 10 minutes Building: 5 minutes Construction vehicles: 4 minutes Human: 3 minutes Sign: 1 minute In this case, the extraction unit 62 assigns priority in the following order: tools, buildings, construction vehicles, people, and gates.

[0242] In this embodiment, a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint is created after the user selects the object to be tracked. However, a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint may be created without user selection. In this case, the tracking video creation unit 64 creates a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint using the top N priority candidates for the objects to be tracked.

[0243] S207: The extraction unit 62 transmits the prioritized list of target objects to the tracking video creation unit 64. These target object candidates may be representative still images of each object.

[0244] S208: The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system generates a tracking target selection screen 410 in which candidate tracking targets are arranged according to priority. The communication unit 51 transmits the screen information of the tracking target selection screen 410, including the candidate tracking targets arranged according to priority, to the communication terminal 30.

[0245] S209: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives screen information from the tracking target selection screen 410. The display control unit 33 displays the tracking target selection screen 410, in which candidates for tracking targets are arranged according to priority. The user selects the object they want to track from the tracking target selection screen 410. The reception unit 32 accepts the selection.

[0246] S210: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 transmits the selected tracking target ID (identification information of a candidate tracking target) to the information processing system.

[0247] S211: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives the tracking target ID, and the tracking video creation unit 64 creates a tracking viewpoint that tracks the selected tracking target. Since the recorded video is a wide-field image, the communication terminal 30 can play back the recorded video by including the tracking target in a predetermined area if a viewpoint exists. The tracking video creation unit 64 acquires the feature quantities (SIFT feature quantities, edge shape and color histogram, etc.) of the tracking target specified by the tracking target ID. The tracking video creation unit 64 detects the tracking target with these feature quantities for each frame of the recorded video and identifies the viewpoint (radius, polar angle, azimuth angle) of the tracking target in that frame. The tracking viewpoint is a list of (radius, polar angle, azimuth angle) arranged chronologically for each frame. Note that the identification of the viewpoint (radius, polar angle, azimuth angle) of the tracking target may be performed periodically, such as every few seconds, rather than frame by frame. Furthermore, the tracking video creation unit 64 may create a video of a planar image by cutting out a predetermined area including the object being tracked from the wide-field image, rather than simply associating the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint while keeping it as a wide-field image.

[0248] If the object to be tracked is continuously visible in the wide-field image from the start to the end of the recorded video, the information processing system 50 can create recorded video that constantly tracks the important object. However, there are cases where the object to be tracked is not continuously visible in the wide-field image from the start to the end of the recorded video, in which case a tracking viewpoint may be created only for the time when the object to be tracked is visible. The recorded video may be saved as a cropped portion only for the time when the object to be tracked is visible, or the entire video may be saved. Saving only a portion of the recorded video can reduce the video size and thus reduce the communication load.

[0249] S212: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system transmits a web application that plays back recorded video from a tracking viewpoint to the communication terminal 30. This web application is the video viewer 450, which will be described later in Figure 36. The video viewer 450 is a program that displays a predetermined area of ​​the recorded video, which is a video, while changing the viewpoint based on the tracking viewpoint.

[0250] S213: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives a Web app that plays the recorded video from a follow-up perspective. The display control unit 33 plays the recorded video from a follow-up perspective (see FIG. 36). Thus, the user can confirm whether the follow-up perspective is appropriately set. The user who can confirm inputs a request to save the follow-up perspective information to the Web app.

[0251] S214: The reception unit 32 receives an input to save the follow-up perspective information, and the communication unit 31 transmits a request to save the follow-up perspective to the information processing system 50.

[0252] S215: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives the request to save the follow-up perspective, and the recording / reading unit 59 saves the follow-up perspective information in the recorded video storage unit 5004 in association with the recorded video.

[0253] S216: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 transmits storage location information such as the URL of the follow-up perspective to the communication terminal 30. The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives the storage location information and the display control unit 33 displays it. The storage location information is displayed for the user to attach the recorded video to a report or the like. By doing so, the user can embed the recorded video in a self-made app with a link, an iframe, or the like, and provide the video by URL. However, in this embodiment, the storage location information can be set in a report on the Web app as described later.

[0254] FIG. 32 shows the screen displayed by the Web app of the communication terminal 30 when creating a follow-up perspective. FIG. 32(a) shows the recorded video selection screen 400, and FIG. 32(b) shows the follow-up object selection screen 410.

[0255] On the recorded video selection screen 400, a list of recorded videos for which the user can create a follow-up perspective is displayed. The recorded videos for which the user can create a follow-up perspective are, for example, recorded videos associated with the same tenant as the user.

[0256] The user selects a recording from the recording selection screen 400 to automatically extract the tracking target object, and then presses the tracking target extraction button 401. The tracking target extraction button 401 is a button that extracts candidate tracking targets from the recording.

[0257] When the user presses the track object extraction button 401, the extraction unit 62 extracts candidate track objects from the recorded video as described above, and the communication terminal 30 displays the track object selection screen 410 shown in Figure 32(b). The track object selection screen 410 displays candidate track objects 412 extracted from the recorded video in order of viewing duration (according to priority). Since the viewer views the wide-field image while arbitrarily changing their viewpoint, objects that the viewer considers important are included in the predetermined area. Since the track object selection screen 410 displays candidate objects 412 that the viewer considers important in order of viewing duration, the user can easily create recorded video that tracks important objects. If the viewer is an expert, the user can create a tracking viewpoint that tracks objects that the expert has focused on.

[0258] The user selects the object they want to track using the radio button 411 and presses the tracking viewpoint generation button 413. This causes the tracking video creation unit 64 to create a tracking viewpoint that follows the object.

[0259] <Creating reports using recorded video footage> Next, referring to Figures 33 and 34, we will explain how to create and view reports using recorded video with a tracking viewpoint.

[0260] Figure 33 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process by which a user creates a report using recorded video footage.

[0261] S301: The user operates the communication terminal 30 and requests, for example, the type of report registered in the tenant from the information processing system 50. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives the report type, and the display control unit 33 displays the report type.

[0262] S302: The user selects the type of report they want to create from the displayed report types.

[0263] S303: The reception unit 32 receives the selection, and the communication unit 31 requests the selected report template from the information processing system 50.

[0264] S304: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for a report template, and the storage / reading unit 59 retrieves the report template from the report storage unit 5005. The report consists of items registered in the database and values ​​for each item. In the case of a template, the items are either empty or have initial values ​​set.

[0265] S305: The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates a report creation screen 420 (see Figure 34) using a report template. The document creation unit 63 transmits the screen information of this report creation screen 420 to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 51. The report may be created as an HTML document (displayed as a web page), or as a file from word processing software, etc. (the file itself is transmitted).

[0266] S306: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives screen information of the report creation screen 420 using a report template. The display control unit 33 displays the report creation screen 420. The user enters the necessary information into the report and presses the add button 425 to display a list of recorded video with tracking viewpoints.

[0267] S307: The reception unit 32 receives confirmation that the add button 425 has been pressed, and the communication unit 31 requests the information processing system 50 to provide a list of recorded video footage with tracking viewpoints.

[0268] S308: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives a request for a list of recorded video footage with tracking viewpoints, and the recording / reading unit 59 obtains a list of recorded video footage with tracking viewpoints from the recorded video storage unit 5004.

[0269] S309: The screen generation unit 52 of the information processing system 50 generates a follow-up viewpoint recording video selection screen 430 (see FIG. 34) using a list of recording videos with a follow-up viewpoint. The document creation unit 63 transmits the screen information of the follow-up viewpoint recording video selection screen 430 to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 51.

[0270] S310: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives the screen information of the follow-up viewpoint recording video selection screen 430 using a list of recording videos with a follow-up viewpoint. The display control unit 33 displays the follow-up viewpoint recording video selection screen 430. The user selects a recording video with a follow-up viewpoint for which the user wants to embed a link indicating the storage destination in the report.

[0271] S311: The reception unit 32 receives the selection of the recording video with a follow-up viewpoint, and the communication unit 31 transmits the follow-up viewpoint ID to the information processing system 50. Note that the communication unit 31 also transmits the content of the report to the information processing system 50.

[0272] S312: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives the follow-up viewpoint ID and the content of the report, and the document creation unit 63 creates a report. That is, the document creation unit 63 embeds a link to the recording video with a follow-up viewpoint in the report. Embedding a link means describing, storing, or associating storage destination information (for example, a URL) in the report. Alternatively, when the document creation unit 63 uses the iframe tag in HTML, it means describing the iframe tag in the report. The iframe tag is a tag for embedding another HTML file inside an HTML document. The format is as follows. <iframe src="iframe.html" width="200″ height=" 100″>< / iframe> The src attribute specifies the storage destination information of the recording video and the follow-up viewpoint information. The width attribute specifies the width of the recording video. The height attribute specifies the height of the recording video. [[ID=I8]]

[0273] S313: The document creation unit 63 of the information processing system ५० stores the report with a link to the recording video with a follow-up viewpoint embedded therein in the report storage unit 5005.

[0274] In Figure 33, the user has embedded a link to a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint in the report, but the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint can be displayed even without a report. In this case, the user connects the communication terminal 30 to the information processing system 50 and can select and display a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint from a list 431 of recorded videos with a tracking viewpoint, similar to the recorded video selection screen 430 in Figure 34.

[0275] Figure 34 shows the report creation screen 420 displayed by the communication terminal 30. Figure 34(a) shows the report creation screen 420, and Figure 34(b) shows the recording video selection screen 430 with tracking viewpoint. The report creation screen 420 may be a web application created as an HTML file, or it may display a file from any word processing software. In Figure 34, the report creation screen 420 is a web application created as an HTML file.

[0276] The report creation screen 420 has fields for the subject 421, creation date 422, location name 423, and report content 424, which are to be included in the report. The user enters an arbitrary subject in the subject 421. The user enters the date the report was updated in the creation date 422. The creation date 422 may be automatically populated with the current date. The user enters the location where the video was captured in the location name 423. The user enters any report content in the report content 424.

[0277] If a user wants to embed a link to recorded video with a tracking viewpoint, they press the Add button 425 on the report creation screen 420. The Add button 425 is used to embed a link to recorded video with a tracking viewpoint into the report. Pressing the Add button 425 will, for example, display the Recorded Video with Tracking Viewpoint Selection Screen 430 as a pop-up. Note that recorded videos without a tracking viewpoint may also be included.

[0278] The tracking viewpoint selection screen 430 displays a list 431 of tracking viewpoint recording videos. The tracking viewpoint ID is displayed in the list 431 of tracking viewpoint recording videos. The tracking viewpoint ID allows the same recording video to be played back with different tracking viewpoints. In Figure 34, the tracking viewpoint ID is a number, but it may be accompanied by letters or symbols that are easy for the user to understand.

[0279] When the user selects a recorded video with a tracking viewpoint and presses the registration button 432, the document creation unit 63 embeds a link to the save location information of the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint into the report. The add button 425 in the report is replaced with the file name of the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint. Therefore, the add button 425 also serves as the setting field for the link to the recorded video with the tracking viewpoint.

[0280] <Viewing the report> Next, we will explain the flow of how a user views a report, referring to Figures 35 and 36. Figure 35 is a sequence diagram illustrating the process of a user viewing a report.

[0281] S401: The user operates the communication terminal 30 and, for example, requests the information processing system 50 for a list of reports registered with the tenant. As a result, the communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives the list of reports, and the display control unit 33 displays the type of report.

[0282] S402: The user selects the type of report they want to view from the displayed list of reports.

[0283] S403: The reception unit 32 receives the selection, and the communication unit 31 requests the selected report from the information processing system.

[0284] S404: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system 50 receives a request for a report, and the storage / reading unit 59 retrieves the specified report from the report storage unit 5005.

[0285] S405: The information processing system 50's provision unit 65 generates a report screen 440 (see Figure 36) using the report. The provision unit 65 transmits the screen information of this report screen 440 to the communication terminal 30 via the communication unit 51. The report may be created as an HTML document (displayed as a web page), or as a file from word processing software, etc. (the file itself is transmitted).

[0286] S406: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives screen information of the report screen 440 using the report. The display control unit 33 displays the report screen 440. The user views the report and clicks a link if they wish to view the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint. The link is embedded, for example, in the file name of the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint.

[0287] S407: The reception unit 32 receives the click of the link, and the communication unit 31 requests the information processing system 50 to provide the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint identified by the link.

[0288] S408: The communication unit 51 of the information processing system receives a request for recorded video with a tracking viewpoint, and the recording / reading unit 59 acquires the recorded video with a tracking viewpoint from the recorded video storage unit 5004, with the link (item labeled "Link" in Figure 18) as the storage destination.

[0289] S409: The information processing system 50's provisioning unit 65 transmits recorded video with a tracking viewpoint to the communication terminal 30. The provisioning unit 65 may also transmit to the communication terminal 30 only the video of a predetermined area where the tracking viewpoint is included in the display, similar to streaming playback.

[0290] S410: The communication unit 31 of the communication terminal 30 receives recorded video with tracking viewpoint. The display control unit 33 plays back the recorded video with tracking viewpoint. The display control unit 33 displays a predetermined area of ​​the recorded video on the display based on the tracking viewpoint. Therefore, the object being tracked is (preferably always) displayed on the display. The object being tracked may not be displayed during times when it is not visible in the video.

[0291] There are two playback patterns for recording video with a tracking viewpoint:

[0292] If the link is simply a URL, the display control unit 33 opens a video viewer in a separate window and plays the recorded video.

[0293] If a link is contained within an iframe tag, the display control unit 33 plays the recorded video within the report.

[0294] Figure 36 shows an example of the report screen 440 and recorded video displayed by the communication terminal 30. Figure 36(a) shows the report screen 440, and Figure 36(b) shows the recorded video with tracking viewpoint displayed by the video viewer 450. The report contains the file name 441 of the recorded video with tracking viewpoint set by the user. This file name 441 has a link to the recorded video with tracking viewpoint embedded in it. When the user clicks on file name 441, the video viewer 450 is displayed.

[0295] The video viewer 450 plays back recorded video that automatically tracks the object being tracked. The video viewer 450 displays a predetermined area of ​​the recorded video, changing the viewpoint based on the tracked viewpoint. Users can view a specific object while keeping it in view without manually changing the viewpoint. In other words, even if the object of interest moves, the object will not go out of frame within the field of view extracted from the wide-angle image, preventing the user from losing sight of the object. Furthermore, by utilizing the viewpoints of viewers at each location, important subjects can be viewed while remaining in view. Users can also manually change the viewpoint.

[0296] <Examples of communication system applications in telemedicine> Figure 37 illustrates an example of remote communication where communication system 1 is applied to telemedicine. Note that the explanation of Figure 37 primarily focuses on the differences from Figure 1. In Figure 37, base A is an operating room, but the processing flow (1) to (6) is the same as in Figure 1. In Figure 37, the patient is placed on an operating table 355 and undergoes surgery performed by a medical professional such as a doctor. The medical professional (corresponding to the user) uses various surgical instruments 354, such as forceps and scalpels, to operate on the patient. The medical professional can also wear smart glasses 88 and transmit images of the surgical field to the communication network N. Furthermore, various cameras, such as an operating room camera 351, a surgical field camera 352, and an endoscope 353, are arranged in the operating room as imaging devices similar to the imaging device 10. These imaging devices may also have imaging functions to capture images for generating wide-field images. All imaging devices and smart glasses 88 in the operating room can be associated with a virtual room.

[0297] A main unit 356 is located in the operating room to monitor the patient's vital signs and the operating status of medical equipment. The main unit 356 corresponds to the communication terminal 30 in this embodiment. In addition to the functions shown in Figure 1, the communication terminal 30 (main unit 356) in the operating room may also have the function of receiving images from the endoscope 353 and the surgical field camera 352. The communication terminal 30 can display the received images, including wide-field images, on the display 306 and can transmit them to the information processing system 50 as images from the communication terminal 30's location. The operation panel 357 is an input interface that accepts various operations, and may allow medical personnel to operate equipment in the operating room via the operation panel 357. Furthermore, the endoscope 353, surgical field camera 351, and surgical field camera 352 may communicate directly with the information processing system 50 without going through the communication terminal 30. In this way, multiple imaging devices 10 can be associated with the same virtual room, so users at remote locations can request the acquisition of wide-field images capturing various scenes from the site at location A. For example, if you want to image the inside of a patient's body, you can send an imaging request to the imaging device corresponding to the endoscope 353, and if you want to image the entire operating room, you can send an imaging request to the imaging device corresponding to the operating room camera 351.

[0298] Furthermore, the communication terminal 30 may have the functionality of an electronic medical record system, or it may have the functionality to communicate with an electronic medical record system. The communication terminal 30 may display information from the electronic medical record along with the wide-field image on the display 306. Also, the storage 90 may be an electronic medical record system. In such a case, the wide-field image (and associated viewpoint information) acquired in response to the imaging request may be associated with the patient's electronic medical record and saved by the association processing unit 53. Also, the folders indicated by the storage location of the storage 90 may be classified by patient or surgery. Also, the virtual room information storage unit 5002 may store associated information indicating the patient and the details of the surgery. In this way, information related to the patient and surgery can always be displayed on the viewing screen of the communication terminal.

[0299] Referring to Figure 38, the objects to be tracked that are captured in recorded video in a medical setting will be explained. Figure 38 shows the screen displayed by the web application of the communication terminal 30 when creating a tracking viewpoint for recorded video captured in a medical setting. Figure 38(a) shows the recorded video selection screen 400, and Figure 38(b) shows the object to be tracked selection screen 410. The configuration of the recorded video selection screen 400 is the same as in Figure 32(a), but the recorded video is different.

[0300] As shown in Figure 38(b), the tracking target selection screen 410 displays candidate tracking targets related to medical care from the recorded video images captured by the imaging device 10 of the medical site. Candidate tracking targets include doctors, main units, surgical fields, and medical instruments. In order for the extraction unit 62 to extract such tracking targets, one method is to pre-configure these objects for identification using machine learning or other means.

[0301] <Main effects> As described above, the communication system 1 of this embodiment creates tracking viewpoint information using viewpoint movement information when recording video, so it is possible to easily create tracking viewpoint information that follows objects that the viewer deems important.

[0302] Furthermore, when users view wide-field images, even if they want to view a specific object continuously, they must manually change their viewpoint if the object moves. It was not possible to view wide-field images while automatically tracking the object and changing the viewpoint.

[0303] The communication system of this embodiment can identify an object to be focused on within a wide-field image, and by doing so, can change the viewpoint to follow the object's movement. As a result, even if the object of interest moves, it will not go out of frame and will not be lost.

[0304] <Other application examples> Although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these examples, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0305] For example, although the description mentioned a configuration where the communication terminal 30 and the information processing system 50 are running a web application, the communication terminal 30 may also be running a native application. In this case, the native application has the screen configuration, and the information processing system 50 sends the information displayed by the native application to the communication terminal 30.

[0306] For example, the configuration example shown in Figure 13 is divided according to its main function in order to facilitate understanding of the processing performed by the information processing system 50, the imaging device 10, and the communication terminal 30. The present invention is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of those units. The processing of the information processing system 50, the imaging device 10, and the communication terminal 30 can be further divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, each processing unit can be divided to include even more processing.

[0307] Each of the functions of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0308] Furthermore, the apparatus described in the examples represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the information processing system 50 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including networks and shared memory, and perform the processing disclosed herein.

[0309] Furthermore, the information processing system 50 can be configured to share the disclosed processing steps, such as those shown in Figures 30, 31, 33, and 35, in various combinations. For example, a process executed by a predetermined unit can be executed by multiple information processing devices of the information processing system 50. Also, the information processing system 50 may be consolidated into a single server device or divided into multiple devices. <Additional notes regarding claims> [Claim 1] A communication system comprising an imaging device capable of capturing wide-field images with a wide field of view, and an information processing system that transmits video including the wide-field images captured by the imaging device to a communication terminal, The aforementioned information processing system is A recording unit that stores recorded video of the wide-field image in association with viewpoint information displayed by the viewer on the aforementioned communication terminal, An extraction unit that extracts the object to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information, A tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked extracted by the extraction unit, A providing unit that provides the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal, A communication system having [Claim 2] The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit determines an object whose display time based on the viewpoint information is longer than a predetermined time as the object to be tracked. [Claim 3] The extraction unit detects multiple objects from the recorded video by image recognition, and measures the display time for each of the multiple objects using the viewpoint information. The system has a first communication unit that transmits candidates for the target object whose displayed time is longer than a predetermined time to the communication terminal, and receives the designation of the target object to be tracked from the communication terminal. The communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked, which is specified by the communication terminal. [Claim 4] It has a communication terminal capable of communicating with the aforementioned information processing system, The aforementioned communication terminal is A display control unit that displays the candidate objects extracted by the extraction unit in order of the longest display time, A reception unit that accepts the selection of candidates for the aforementioned object, A second communication unit transmits the candidate object received by the reception unit to the information processing system, A communication system according to claim 3, having the following features. [Claim 5] The first communication unit transmits to the communication terminal a template of document data having a field for setting a link to the recorded video to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated. The first communication unit, in response to a request from the communication terminal for a list of recorded videos to be set in the setting field, transmits to the communication terminal the list of recorded videos to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated. The communication system according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a document creation unit that sets a link to the recorded video to which the tracking viewpoint information specified by the communication terminal is associated in the setting field. [Claim 6] The providing unit provides the communication terminal with the document data to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated is set in the setting field, and a link to the recorded video is associated with the document data. The communication system according to claim 5, in which, when the first communication unit receives from the communication terminal that the link has been pressed, the providing unit provides the communication terminal with the recorded video which is reproduced using the tracking viewpoint information identified by the link. [Claim 7] The aforementioned communication terminal is A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which plays back the recorded video using the tracking viewpoint information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0310] 10 Imaging device 30 Communication terminals 50 Information Processing Systems [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0311] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-022788

Claims

1. A communication system comprising an imaging device capable of capturing wide-field images with a wide field of view, and an information processing system that transmits video including the wide-field images captured by the imaging device to a communication terminal, The aforementioned information processing system is A recording unit that stores recorded video of the wide-field image in association with viewpoint information displayed by the viewer on the aforementioned communication terminal, An extraction unit that extracts the object to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information, A tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked extracted by the extraction unit, A providing unit that provides the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal, A communication system having

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit determines an object whose display time is longer than a predetermined time based on the viewpoint information as the object to be tracked.

3. The extraction unit detects multiple objects from the recorded video by image recognition, and measures the display time for each of the multiple objects using the viewpoint information. The system has a first communication unit that transmits candidates for the target object whose displayed time is longer than a predetermined time to the communication terminal, and receives the designation of the target object to be tracked from the communication terminal. The communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked, which is specified by the communication terminal.

4. It has a communication terminal capable of communicating with the aforementioned information processing system, The aforementioned communication terminal is A display control unit that displays the candidate objects extracted by the extraction unit in order of the longest display time, A reception unit that accepts the selection of candidates for the aforementioned object, A second communication unit transmits the candidate object received by the reception unit to the information processing system, A communication system according to claim 3, having the following features.

5. The first communication unit transmits to the communication terminal a template of document data having a field for setting a link to the recorded video to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated. The first communication unit, in response to a request from the communication terminal for a list of recorded videos to be set in the setting field, transmits to the communication terminal the list of recorded videos to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated. The communication system according to claim 3, further comprising a document creation unit that sets in the setting field a link to the recorded video to which the tracking viewpoint information specified by the communication terminal is associated.

6. The providing unit provides the communication terminal with the document data to which the tracking viewpoint information is associated is set in the setting field, and a link to the recorded video is associated with the document data. The communication system according to claim 5, in which, when the first communication unit receives from the communication terminal that the link has been pressed, the providing unit provides the communication terminal with the recorded video which is reproduced using the tracking viewpoint information identified by the link.

7. The aforementioned communication terminal is The communication system according to claim 1, which plays back the recorded video using the tracking viewpoint information.

8. An information processing system that transmits video, including a wide-field image captured by an imaging device capable of capturing a wide-field image with a wide field of view, to a communication terminal, A recording unit that stores recorded video of the wide-field image in association with viewpoint information displayed on the communication terminal, An extraction unit that extracts the object to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information, A tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked extracted by the extraction unit, A providing unit that provides the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal, An information processing system having [a certain feature].

9. A video playback method performed by a communication system comprising an imaging device capable of capturing wide-field images with a wide field of view, and an information processing system that transmits video including the wide-field images captured by the imaging device to a communication terminal, The aforementioned information processing system is The steps include saving a recorded video of the wide-field image in association with the viewpoint information of the viewer who displayed the wide-field image on the communication terminal, A step of extracting the object to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information, A step of creating tracking viewpoint information that tracks the extracted object to be tracked, The steps include providing the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal, A video playback method having the following characteristics.

10. An information processing system that transmits video, including wide-field images captured by an imaging device capable of capturing wide-field images with a wide field of view, to a communication terminal. A recording unit that stores recorded video of the wide-field image in association with viewpoint information displayed by the viewer on the aforementioned communication terminal, An extraction unit that extracts the object to be tracked from the recorded video based on the viewpoint information, A tracking video creation unit creates tracking viewpoint information that tracks the object to be tracked extracted by the extraction unit, A providing unit that provides the recorded video, which is played back using the tracking viewpoint information, to the communication terminal. A program designed to function as such.

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