Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To appropriately update a dynamic map.SOLUTION: An information processor that manages map information and commodity information to be stored in association with the map information, includes an acquisition part, a provision part, and an update part. The acquisition part acquires image data photographed by a terminal device. The provision part acquires commodity information on a commodity from a commodity information server on the basis of the image data acquired by the acquisition part, and provides the commodity information to the terminal device. The update part updates the commodity information to be stored in association with the map information on the basis of information on a position of the commodity and the commodity information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Development has been carried out on so-called dynamic maps that combine additional information such as traffic jam information and traffic regulation information with a highly accurate three-dimensional map. For example, as a technique related to dynamic maps, a technique has been proposed in which additional information such as image data actually taken at each location is superimposed and displayed on a map (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Regarding updating additional information in a dynamic map with new information, there is an insufficient examination of effective methods. If the information update is insufficient, for example, there is a risk that old information will be provided as it is, and appropriately updating the dynamic map becomes an issue.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method capable of appropriately updating a dynamic map.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device for managing map information and product information stored in relation to the map information, and comprises an acquisition unit, a provision unit, and an update unit. The acquisition unit acquires image data relating to a product taken by a terminal device. The provision unit obtains product information relating to the product from a product information server based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit and provides it to the terminal device. The update unit updates the product information stored in relation to the map information based on information relating to the location of the product and the product information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, dynamic maps can be updated appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the information processing method. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the information processing device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a user information storage unit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a store map storage unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a setting condition storage unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of an analysis information storage unit. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the information processing device. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail, with reference to the drawings, the embodiments for implementing the information processing apparatus and information processing method according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). However, these embodiments do not limit the information processing apparatus and information processing method according to the present application.

[0010] First, an overview of the information processing method according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the information processing method. This information processing method is executed, for example, by the information processing device 10 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the following description will focus on the case where the item information is product information relating to goods within a store, but the item information may also refer to buildings, equipment, tenants, etc.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, for example, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes an information processing device 10, a product information server 100, and a plurality of terminal devices 50.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 10 has a store map storage unit. The store map storage unit stores, for example, store maps, which are dynamic maps showing the product display situation in each store. For example, the store maps of each store stored in the store map storage unit are provided to the terminal device 50. This allows users to view the product display situation in each store, etc., via the terminal device 50.

[0013] Here, a dynamic map is map data that combines a high-precision 3D map with additional information such as traffic congestion information and traffic regulation information. In this embodiment, information on products sold in stores is used as additional information. Note that the additional information to be combined with the dynamic map is not limited to products sold inside stores, but may also include product information from vending machines installed within the map's range (including outdoors). Furthermore, the additional information to be combined with the dynamic map may also include information on buildings within the map (what companies or stores are located inside) and facilities (what facilities are installed in amusement facilities or parks).

[0014] Here, for all products in the in-store map, a unique ID (hereinafter referred to as product ID) is assigned, and in the in-store map, the display position, inventory status, etc. of each product can be managed by the product ID. That is, in the in-store map, the products handled in the actual store can be aggregated as big data and managed in the same form as the products handled in online shopping.

[0015] On the other hand, for example, in online shopping, it is easy to manage the inventory status of products, etc., while in the actual store, the inventory status of products and the display position of products change each time. Therefore, in the realization of such an in-store map, how to update the in-store map with the latest information, that is, how to maintain the latest state, becomes an important issue.

[0016] Therefore, in the information processing according to the embodiment, for example, by cooperating with the information providing service provided by the product information server 100, the efficiency of updating the in-store map is improved. Here, the product information server 100 has, for example, a product information storage unit that stores product information related to the products handled in each store. The product information here is additional information that cannot be seen from the appearance of the product, such as information related to the manufacturer (or producer), raw materials of the product, place of origin of the product, expiration date or shelf life of the product, nutrients, allergenic substances contained in the product, etc.

[0017] In addition, for example, in a commercial facility such as a shopping mall, if the facility manager manages the information processing device 10 and the product information server 100, and the manager of the store located in the facility registers the information related to the product in the product information server 100, etc., part or all of the functions of the product information server 100 may be provided in the information processing device 10. Also, for example, the product information server 100 does not need to be one, and may be distributed in multiple units for each field.

[0018] For example, the terminal device 50 is a terminal owned by a user and has a position information detection unit that detects a camera and position information. For example, an app for calling the product information stored in the product information storage unit of the product information server 100 is installed in the terminal device 50. When the camera of the terminal device 50 takes a picture of a product displayed in a store, the product information 200 is superimposed and displayed on the captured image data. Note that the terminal device 50 is not limited to the product itself. For example, the product information 200 may be displayed by reading a QR code (registered trademark) attached to the product.

[0019] The information processing device 10 updates the in-store map by cooperating with the product information server 100 that provides such product information to the terminal device 50. Specifically, for example, the information processing device 10 acquires image data captured in the store from the terminal device 50 and position information indicating the imaging position (step S01).

[0020] The information processing device 10, for example, identifies the product included in the image data and then makes an inquiry about the product information regarding the identified product to the product information server 100 (step S02).

[0021] Also, when the information processing device 10 receives the product information queried from the product information server 100 (step S03), it provides the received product information to the terminal device 50 (step S04). As a result, on the screen of the terminal device 50, the product information 200 corresponding to the product is displayed together with the product reflected in the image data. Note that in the terminal device 50, the product information 200 may be superimposed and displayed on the actual product by means of a so-called AR (Augmented Reality) function.

[0022] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 updates the in-store map using the image data and location information acquired in step S01, in conjunction with these processes (step S05). For example, based on the location information, the information processing device 10 identifies the display location of products shown in the image data within the store, and if there is a change in the display location of a corresponding product, it moves the display location of the product on the in-store map.

[0023] The example shown in the figure illustrates the case where, for instance, the display position of a product is moved from the leftmost shelf to the shelf two positions away on the store map M1. In these processes, for example, the information processing device 10 assigns a product ID to the product, and if the number of products can be determined from the image data, it associates the inventory quantity with the product ID and stores it in the store map.

[0024] This allows users to easily understand the store's layout (the location of each product and the status of the displayed products) by referring to the in-store map, even without actually visiting the store.

[0025] In this manner, the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment works in conjunction with an information provision service that provides product information 200, and updates the in-store map using image data captured by the terminal device 50. This allows the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment to appropriately update the 3D map. For example, the information processing device 10 may also provide incentives to users who provide image data in order to collect image data from each store more efficiently, but details of this will be described later.

[0026] Furthermore, while the example in Figure 1 illustrates a case where the information processing device 10 mediates data communication between the terminal device 50 and the product information server 100, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the terminal device 50 may directly transmit image data (including information related to QR codes®) to the product information server 100. In this case, the product information server 100 provides product information to the terminal device 50 and transmits information to the information processing device 10 regarding the product indicated by the image data and the location where it was captured. The information processing device 10 may then update the in-store map according to the information received from the product information server 100.

[0027] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 can collect each user's browsing history of the in-store map, allowing for the understanding of trends in each user's product browsing history and product trends in physical stores. This makes it possible to develop new services that connect physical stores with users.

[0028] Next, an example of the configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the information processing device 10. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 has a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130.

[0029] The communication unit 110 is a communication module for performing data communication with terminal devices 50 and product information servers 100 via a predetermined network.

[0030] The memory unit 130 is implemented by semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and flash memory, and in the example shown in Figure 2, it includes a user information storage unit 131, a store map storage unit 132, a setting condition storage unit 133, and an analysis information storage unit 134.

[0031] The user information storage unit 131 is a storage unit that stores user information. Figure 3 shows an example of the user information storage unit 131. As shown in Figure 3, the user information storage unit 131 stores information such as "user ID," "browsed products," "favorites," "stores used," and "incentives" in an associated manner.

[0032] "User ID" is an identifier used to identify each user. "Viewed Products" shows the products the user has viewed on the in-store map. "Favorites" shows the products the user has added to their favorites on the in-store map.

[0033] "Stores Used" refers to the stores the user actually used. "Incentives" refers to the incentives the user received in Information Processing System 1. Furthermore, information such as age, gender, family structure, residential area, and annual income may be linked to the user ID, or payment information (e.g., wallet information) may be linked to the user ID so that incentives are automatically applied when the user makes a payment at a store.

[0034] In the example shown in the diagram, the incentive is a "10% discount coupon," but the incentive could also be points usable at the time of payment. Furthermore, the incentive could be a gift such as a sample product.

[0035] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, let's describe the store map storage unit 132. The store map storage unit 132 stores the store map. Figure 4 shows an example of the store map storage unit 132.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the in-store map storage unit 132 stores information on items such as "Store ID" and "Product 1" in a manner that associates them with each other. "Store ID" is an identifier used to identify each store. "Product 1" indicates information about a specific product within the store, and for example, information on items such as "Product ID," "Price," "Location," "Stock Quantity," "Comments," "Last Updated Date," "Views," and "Favorites" are associated with each other for each product.

[0037] "Product ID" is an identifier used to identify a product. "Price" indicates, for example, the selling price of the product in a store. The selling price may be determined by extracting the price tag from the image data and recognizing it using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), or it may be entered by an employee or the user who took the image data.

[0038] "Location" indicates the display position of the corresponding product in the store. Note that the display location does not need to be precise; a general location is sufficient, and a certain degree of error may be tolerated.

[0039] "Comments" refer to comments about a product posted by users or store employees. For example, comments posted by users are word-of-mouth reviews of the product, but they can also be product ratings. Comments posted by store employees are used for product promotion.

[0040] "Last Updated" indicates the last updated date (or time) for the product on the in-store map. "Views" indicates the number of views for the product on the in-store map, and "Favorites" indicates the number of times the product has been added to favorites on the in-store map.

[0041] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, let's describe the setting condition storage unit 133. The setting condition storage unit 133 stores the setting conditions related to the display priority of products displayed on the in-store map. Figure 5 shows an example of the setting condition storage unit 133.

[0042] In the example shown in Figure 5, the setting condition storage unit 133 stores information such as "condition ID" and "condition" in a manner that associates them with each other. "Condition ID" is an identifier used to identify each setting condition. "Condition" indicates the content of the setting condition.

[0043] For example, in the example shown in Figure 5, the setting condition for condition ID "#1" is "increase the priority of new information," which means, for example, to relatively increase the display priority of information with a recent update date.

[0044] The setting condition for condition ID "#2" is "Increase the priority of information that attracts attention," which means, for example, giving a relatively higher display priority to products with a high number of views or favorites.

[0045] Furthermore, the setting condition for condition ID "#3" is "increase priority based on settings by store staff," which means, for example, displaying each product according to the display priority set by the store's employees.

[0046] Furthermore, the setting condition for condition ID "#4" is "increase the priority of products viewed by the user," which means, for example, relatively increasing the display priority of products (or similar products) viewed by the user.

[0047] Furthermore, the setting condition for condition ID "#5" is "to increase the priority of products that the user is interested in," which means, for example, relatively increasing the display priority of products (or similar products) that the user has favorited.

[0048] Additionally, items with approaching expiration dates, such as those on sale, may be given relatively higher priority. For example, prioritizing the display of items with approaching expiration dates can help reduce food waste, and prioritizing the display of items on sale or with approaching expiration dates can stimulate consumer purchasing intent.

[0049] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, let's describe the analysis information storage unit 134. The analysis information storage unit 134 stores the analysis results regarding product browsing history on the in-store map for each store. Figure 6 shows an example of the analysis information storage unit 134. Note that Figure 6 illustrates the analysis information for one store.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 6, the analysis information storage unit 134 stores information such as "product ID," "view count," "breakdown," "price difference," and "similar products" in a manner that associates them with each other. "Product ID" is an identifier used to identify the target product. "View count" indicates the number of times the corresponding product has been viewed by the user.

[0051] The breakdown shows, for example, a breakdown of the number of views. "Price difference" is, for example, the price difference from the previous period, but it could also be, for example, the price difference with surrounding stores. "Similar products" shows the increase or decrease in the number of views of products similar to the corresponding product.

[0052] In the example in Figure 6, for instance, the number of views for product ID "G01" decreased by 10% compared to the previous cycle, with the breakdown showing a decrease in views by housewives. Furthermore, the price difference increased by 10% compared to the previous cycle, indicating a 10% increase in views for similar products.

[0053] In this case, possible reasons for the decrease in views of product ID "G01" include, for example, a price increase, which may have shifted users' interest from product ID "G01" to similar products.

[0054] The above analysis information is just one example; for instance, it may include analysis results regarding the correlation between display location and the number of views (or sales), or it may suggest display locations for each product to maximize sales based on such analysis results.

[0055] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, let's describe the control unit 120. The control unit 120 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs (not shown) stored in the memory unit 130 using RAM as the working area. The control unit 120 can also be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 2, the control unit 120 includes an acquisition unit 121, a provision unit 122, an update unit 123, an assignment unit 124, a reception unit 125, a setting unit 126, and a transmission unit 127.

[0057] The acquisition unit 121 acquires image data captured inside the store by the terminal device 50. For example, the acquisition unit 121 acquires location information indicating the imaging location along with the image data from the terminal device 50 and passes it to the provision unit 122 and the update unit 123. The location information may include the value of the terminal device 50's G sensor. In other words, the acquisition unit 121 acquires data that can identify the imaging location and field of view of the image data as location information along with the image data.

[0058] The providing unit 122 provides product information of the products visible in the image data acquired by the acquisition unit 121 to the terminal device 50 that captured the image data. For example, the providing unit 122 identifies the products visible in the image data through a predetermined image analysis process and queries the product information server 100 for product information related to the identified products. The process of identifying products from image data may be performed by the terminal device 50 or by the product information server 100.

[0059] The provisioning unit 122 then provides the terminal device 50 with the product information received from the product information server 100 as a result of the query. For example, the provisioning unit 122 also passes information about the product identified from the image data to the updating unit 123.

[0060] Furthermore, if the supply unit 122 can determine the quantity of each product from the image data, for example, it will pass the quantity of each product to the update unit 123. Note that the quantity here does not need to be an exact number; an approximate number is acceptable. This is because, from the user's perspective, it is sufficient to be able to predict whether the product is available in the store or whether they are likely to be able to purchase it based on the quantity.

[0061] The update unit 123 updates the in-store map showing the arrangement of products within the store, according to the products included in the image data acquired by the acquisition unit 121. For example, the update unit 123 updates the in-store map based on the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 121 and the products shown in the image data identified by the provision unit 122.

[0062] For example, the update unit 123 identifies the display location of each product within the store based on the product shown in the image data identified by the provision unit 122 and the location information acquired by the acquisition unit 121. Then, it compares this with the in-store map stored in the in-store map storage unit 132, and if the display location of the corresponding product has moved, it updates the display location of the corresponding product on the in-store map.

[0063] In addition, if the number of items is identified by the supply unit 122, the update unit 123 also updates the inventory count on the in-store map. Furthermore, if the item shown in the image data identified by the supply unit 122 is a new item, the update unit 123 assigns a new item ID to that item and adds it to the in-store map.

[0064] The granting unit 124 provides incentives to users who have captured image data used to update the in-store map. For example, the granting unit 124 provides incentives to users who meet predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions can be set arbitrarily, but for example, "captured a predetermined number of image data at a specific store" or "captured image data at multiple stores in one day" could be used. In other words, it is good to set a rule where the more image data captured a user is, the greater the incentive. This encourages users to capture image data.

[0065] Furthermore, incentives could be limited to use only at stores where the user has taken photos. This would encourage users who have actually visited a store to make purchases there.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, if a store map has an outdated last update date, measures may be taken to encourage users to take image data, such as by offering specific incentives.

[0067] The reception unit 125 receives user reviews about products or advertising information about stores. For example, users using the in-store map can post reviews and user reviews about each product using the terminal device 50, and the reception unit 125 receives such reviews and user reviews.

[0068] Furthermore, store employees can also post advertising information for each product, for example, using an employee app, and the reception unit 125 receives such advertising information. For example, the advertising conditions may be configured to allow individual targeting conditions to be set, or the display period to be set. That is, the information processing device 10 may be configured to display advertising information only to specific users on the in-store map, or to display advertising information only during a specified display period.

[0069] Furthermore, the reception unit 125 writes the received reviews or advertising information into the corresponding item field of the in-store map memory unit 132.

[0070] The setting unit 126 sets the display priority for products in the in-store map displayed on the terminal device 50 based on predetermined conditions. For example, the setting unit 126 sets the display priority for each product or for each user by referring to each setting condition stored in the setting condition storage unit 133.

[0071] As a result, the in-store map displayed on the terminal device 50 will prioritize the display of information with high display priority, thereby improving user convenience or increasing sales at the store. The display priority can be set on the terminal device 50, for example, or the terminal device 50 can select which information to display according to the display priority.

[0072] The transmitting unit 127 transmits information about the updated in-store map from the updating unit 123 to each terminal device 50 based on a request from each terminal device 50. For example, when the transmitting unit 127 receives a request from each terminal device 50, it extracts the in-store map corresponding to the request from the in-store map storage unit 132.

[0073] For example, when the transmission unit 127 passes the extracted information about the in-store map to the setting unit 126, the setting unit 126 sets the display priority for each product to be displayed on the in-store map for each request.

[0074] The transmitting unit 127 sends the in-store map with the set display priority to the requesting terminal device 50. As a result, for example, in the in-store map displayed on the terminal device 50, products with a relatively high display priority will be displayed preferentially. In this case, for example, the terminal device 50 may select several products with high display priority and display them as the default when displaying the in-store map.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, the transmission unit 127 may also link user reviews and employee PR comments to each product and then transmit a store map.

[0076] This allows users to view reviews and promotional comments for each product via a store map. For example, this can help increase users' desire to purchase products.

[0077] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 127 may, for example, acquire the search word searched by the terminal device 50, perform a search on the in-store map storage unit 132 based on the search word, and transmit the search results to the terminal device 50. In this case, for example, the transmitting unit 127 may perform a search across multiple stores, or it may perform a search targeting only one store or stores within a predetermined area.

[0078] Furthermore, the transmission unit 127 may, for example, transmit advertisements requested by stores to user terminal devices 50 that meet the conditions requested by the stores. In other words, store advertisements may be transmitted to each terminal device 50 separately from the advertisement information displayed on the in-store map.

[0079] Furthermore, the transmission unit 127 may, for example, generate reports on the viewing status of each product on the in-store map at predetermined intervals. For example, the transmission unit 127 extracts analysis information from the analysis information storage unit 134 and transmits the extracted analysis information to the store as a report.

[0080] This allows the information processing device 10 to improve not only user convenience but also convenience for stores. Regarding the generation of analytical information, it may be generated appropriately within the control unit 120 using an arbitrary algorithm, or it may be generated by the administrator of the information processing device 10.

[0081] Next, the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using Figures 7 and 8. Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 10.

[0082] First, the process of updating the in-store map will be explained using Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, first, the information processing device 10 acquires image data and location information from the terminal device 50 (step S101).

[0083] Next, the information processing device 10 identifies the product from the image data (step S102) and provides the terminal device 50 with product information about the identified product (step S103). Subsequently, the information processing device 10 updates the in-store map according to the identified product and location information (step S104).

[0084] Subsequently, the information processing device 10 provides an incentive to the user who took the image data (step S105) and then terminates the process.

[0085] Next, we will explain the series of processing steps related to the transmission of the in-store map using Figure 8. As shown in Figure 8, the information processing device 10 receives a request for the in-store map from the terminal device 50 (step S111).

[0086] Next, the information processing device 10 sets the display priority for each product in accordance with the received request (step S112). Then, the information processing device 10 transmits the in-store map with the set display priority to the terminal device 50 (step S113) and terminates the process.

[0087] As described above, the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 121, a provision unit 122, and an update unit 123. The acquisition unit 121 acquires image data of the store interior taken by the terminal device 50. The provision unit 122 provides the terminal device 50 with product information relating to the products shown in the image data acquired by the acquisition unit 121.

[0088] The update unit 123 updates the in-store map showing the product display situation within the store according to the products shown in the image data. Therefore, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can appropriately update the dynamic map.

[0089] By the way, the above-described embodiment explains, for example, the case in which the product information server 100 is linked to a service, but it is not limited to this. That is, the information processing device 10 may be linked to a delivery service or a reservation service that delivers products from physical stores to users, or it may be linked to a recipe website, for example.

[0090] In this case, the information processing device 10 obtains information about the ingredients of the dish viewed by the user on the recipe website and searches for stores that have those ingredients in stock. Then, for example, the information processing device 10 may order the ingredients from the store and arrange for delivery services.

[0091] Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may be linked with an ordering service that manages the ordering status of stores. For example, in this case, the information processing device 10 may automatically place orders for products at each store according to sales figures, etc.

[0092] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described the case of updating a store map, the present invention may also be applied to various types of inventory management. For example, when the present invention is applied to warehouse inventory management, the storage location, inventory quantity, etc., can be managed for each part.

[0093] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment explained the case in which the in-store map is updated using image data captured by the terminal device 50, it is not limited to this. That is, for example, a commercial facility containing multiple stores, such as a shopping mall, may be considered as a single store, and the entire commercial facility may be treated as one in-store map.

[0094] Furthermore, it is also possible to consider shopping streets or even entire municipalities as a single store and create a single in-store map, rather than limiting it to commercial facilities. In this case, the in-store map may be updated to include not only the inventory status of each store that makes up the complex, but also other equipment, facilities, etc.

[0095] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment explained a case in which product information is provided to the terminal device 50 as additional information to improve the efficiency of updating the in-store map, it is not limited to this. In other words, instead of product information, information on any item may be provided as additional information.

[0096] The term "items" here includes any object, such as buildings, shops, playground equipment in parks, and vending machines. Furthermore, the system may provide item information in conjunction with a search service that utilizes image data captured by the terminal device 50 via the internet. In this case, it becomes possible to provide item information for all items registered in the search service, enabling efficient updates of the dynamic map.

[0097] Further effects and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. Therefore, broader aspects of the present invention are not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments expressed and described above. Accordingly, various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the overall concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0098] 1. Information Processing System 10 Information Processing Devices 50 Terminal devices 100 Product Information Server 110 Communications Department 120 Control Unit 121 Acquisition Department 122 Providing Department 123 Update Department 124 Assignment section 125 Reception Department 126 Setting Section 127 Transmitter 130 Storage section 131 User Information Storage Unit 132 Store map memory unit 133 Setting Condition Storage Unit 134 Analysis information storage unit 200 Product information

Claims

1. An information processing device for managing map information and product information stored in relation to said map information, The terminal device receives image data and location information indicating the location where the image was taken, relating to the product captured by the terminal device. Based on the aforementioned image data, the product is identified, product information relating to the product is received from the product information server and transmitted to the terminal device. Based on the location information indicating the imaging location and the product information, the product information stored in relation to the map information is updated. Information processing device.

2. Identify the number of the product from the image data and update the product information stored in relation to the map information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. An incentive is provided to the user of the terminal device that has captured an image of the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The product information to be stored in relation to the updated map information is transmitted to the terminal device. The display priority for displaying the product information stored in relation to the map information displayed on the terminal device is set based on predetermined conditions. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. User reviews or advertising information related to the said product are stored in relation to the said map information and transmitted in association with the said product information. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An information processing device for managing map information and item information stored in relation to said map information, The terminal device receives image data and location information indicating the location where an item was photographed, Based on the aforementioned image data, the item is identified, and item information relating to the item is received from the item information server. Based on the location information indicating the imaging location and the item information, the item information stored in relation to the map information is updated. Information processing device.

7. An information processing method performed by an information processing device that manages map information and product information stored in relation to said map information, The terminal device receives image data and location information indicating the location where the image was taken, relating to the product captured by the terminal device. Based on the aforementioned image data, the product is identified, product information relating to the product is received from the product information server and transmitted to the terminal device. Based on the location information indicating the imaging location and the product information, the product information stored in relation to the map information is updated. Information processing methods.

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