Device, system, and method

Abstract

Provided are a device, a system, and a method that allow a first user who desires to receive provision of desired content to easily receive the desired content from a second user different from the first user.　A device (1) comprises: a first reception unit (11) that receives, from a terminal of a first user, request information which is information pertaining to requested content; a second reception unit (12) that receives, from a terminal of a second user, providable information which is information pertaining to content that can be provided to the first user; and a search unit (13) that, on the basis of the request information and the providable information, searches for a terminal of a second user having eligibility to provide the content requested by the first user.

Description

Apparatus, system and method

[0001] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an apparatus, a system, and a method.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information providing device that provides information to an information terminal owned by a user online via a communication line. The information providing device described in Patent Document 1 can provide the user with the information desired by the user, in the amount required, at a timing appropriate for the user.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271633

[0004] The information providing device described in Patent Document 1 is a device used by a user who requests desired content from a specific administrator who manages the content. There is a demand for such information providing devices to receive content from a wide range of individuals who can provide the content. In this case, a first user who wants to receive content needs to find a second user who has the desired content and have the second user provide the desired content. Such a search for a first user can be realized, for example, by posting the content that the second user can handle in advance on a web page or the like, and the first user can check that content. However, this procedure places a heavy burden on the first user.

[0005] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an apparatus, system, and method that makes it easy for a first user who wants to receive desired content to receive the desired content from a second user who is different from the first user.

[0006] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first receiving unit that receives request information, which is information relating to requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a second receiving unit that receives provideable information, which is information relating to content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; and a search unit that searches for a terminal of a second user that is eligible to provide the content requested by the first user based on the request information and the provideable information.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it becomes easy for a first user who wants to receive desired content to receive the desired content from a second user who is different from the first user.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a terminal selection system including a terminal selection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal selection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting request information. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting provideable information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a search list. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing (terminal selection method) executed by the terminal selection device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image acquired by user B's terminal. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of an image acquired by user B's terminal. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer used in the terminal selection device according to an embodiment.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure in the following description are specific examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified to limit the present disclosure.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a terminal selection system 3 including a terminal selection device (device) 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the terminal selection system 3 is configured to include the terminal selection device 1 and at least two or more terminals 2 (2A, 2B). The terminal selection device 1 and each terminal 2 are communicatively connected to each other via a network such as a mobile communication network, and can transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0011] The terminal selection device 1 is a computer device that provides a user (hereinafter referred to as user A) (first user) who wishes to obtain desired content with information about a terminal 2B of a user (hereinafter referred to as user B) (second user) who can provide the content requested by user A via the Internet. More specifically, the terminal selection device 1 is a computer device that provides user A, who requests the provision of content, with information about a terminal 2 of user B that may be able to provide the content requested by user A (hereinafter referred to as candidate terminal information). Having obtained the candidate terminal information from the terminal selection device 1, user A can, for example, request user B, included in the candidate terminal information, to provide the desired content, or obtain the desired content using the functions of the terminal selection device 1, which will be described later.

[0012] The content referred to here refers to information generated by the terminal 2 owned by the user, such as images, videos, text, documents, audio, music, values ​​acquired by various sensors (temperature, humidity, illuminance, biometric information, location information, etc.), distance information from an object acquired by LiDAR or the like, remaining battery power, CPU load rate, memory usage rate, etc. Furthermore, content generated by the terminal 2 includes not only content that has already been generated in the terminal 2 and stored in a memory unit or the like, but also content that may be generated by the terminal 2 in the future. The content that may be generated in the future by the terminal 2 is determined by the types of sensors and applications included in the terminal 2. For example, if the terminal 2 is equipped with a sensor such as an image sensor (camera), it can acquire images or videos; if it is equipped with a sensor such as an acceleration sensor, it can acquire the movement, tilt, vibration, etc. of the terminal 2; and if it is equipped with an application such as a text editor, it can acquire text, documents, etc.

[0013] The terminal 2 is a computer device such as a mobile communication terminal or a notebook computer that performs mobile communication. In this embodiment, the terminal 2 is assumed to be a smartphone, but is not limited to this. The terminal 2 is owned and carried by the user of the terminal 2. The terminal 2 is equipped with various sensors. Examples of sensors include a GPS (Global Positioning System), an image sensor (camera), an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor (gyro sensor), a light sensor (illuminance sensor), a proximity sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a microphone, etc.

[0014] The GPS acquires GPS data, which is the current location information (date, time, latitude, longitude, etc.) of the terminal 2. The location information of the terminal 2 can also be said to be location information of the user (assuming user B) carrying the terminal 2. Note that the terminal 2 may acquire its current location information based on base station information without using the GPS. In this embodiment, for convenience, the location information is referred to as GPS data. The terminal 2 may acquire GPS data as appropriate and transmit the acquired GPS data to the terminal selection device 1 periodically or at appropriate times. When transmitting the GPS data to the terminal selection device 1, the terminal 2 may transmit the GPS data together with identification information that identifies the terminal itself.

[0015] An image sensor converts light into an electrical signal to generate a digital image. Types of sensors include CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensors and CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensors. Image sensor performance includes resolution, pixel size, etc. The image sensor captures images and videos according to settings (aperture value, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation, file format, etc.) set by the terminal 2.

[0016] The acceleration sensor detects the device's movement, tilt, vibration, etc. The angular velocity sensor (gyro sensor) detects the device's rotational movement. The light sensor detects the intensity of light around the device. The proximity sensor detects the presence or absence of an object approaching the device's screen. The fingerprint sensor detects the user's fingerprint, etc. The geomagnetic sensor detects the direction the device is facing. The microphone detects sound around the device.

[0017] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the terminal selection device 1 according to the embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the terminal selection device 1 includes a first reception unit 11, a second reception unit 12, a search unit 13, a first provision unit 14, a content acquisition unit 15, a second provision unit 16, and a storage unit 17.

[0018] Each functional block of the terminal selection device 1 is assumed to function within the terminal selection device 1, but is not limited to this. For example, some of the functional blocks of the terminal selection device 1 may function in a computer device different from the terminal selection device 1, and connected to the terminal selection device 1 through a network, while appropriately transmitting and receiving information to and from the terminal selection device 1. Furthermore, the functional blocks in the terminal selection device 1 do not have to be configured as shown in Fig. 2; some functional blocks of the terminal selection device 1 may be omitted, multiple functional blocks may be integrated into one functional block, or one functional block may be broken down into multiple functional blocks.

[0019] Hereinafter, each function of the terminal selection device 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0020] The first accepting unit 11 accepts information related to requested content as request information from the terminal 2A of user A. The first accepting unit 11 may accept information related to the type of content as request information. The type of content includes images, videos, text, documents, audio, music, values ​​acquired by various sensors (temperature, humidity, illuminance, biometric information, location information, etc.), distance information from an object acquired by LiDAR or the like, remaining battery level, CPU load rate, memory usage rate, etc.

[0021] Furthermore, the first receiving unit 11 may receive, as one piece of request information, information regarding at least one of the time and location of content generation. A request for the time of content generation includes not only a request for the time when the content was generated, but also a request for the time when the content may be generated. The time of content generation includes information regarding the time and date. Furthermore, the time of content generation may be not only a specific date and time, but also a time range (period).

[0022] Similarly, a request for a content generation location includes not only a request for a location where the content has been generated, but also a request for a location where the content may be generated. The content generation location includes information about the location (such as prefecture, address, facility name, latitude and longitude). Furthermore, the content generation location may not only be a specific location, but also a location range (area). The content generation location may be visually selected from map information.

[0023] Furthermore, when the type of content is an image (video), the first reception unit 11 may receive, as one of the requested information, information regarding the performance of the image sensor mentioned above, such as the resolution, file format, file size, etc. of the image, or information regarding the setting values ​​when the image sensor acquired the image, such as the aperture value, shutter speed, or file format.

[0024] The first accepting unit 11 accepts the various request information described above based on information input via a request information input screen SC1 having an area A11 where various request information can be input or selected, as shown in FIG. 3 . Note that the request information input screen SC1 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the screen configuration is not limited to this. The first accepting unit 11 displays the request information input screen SC1 on the display screen of the terminal 2A of user A, who accesses the terminal selection device 1 to obtain desired content. The first accepting unit 11 accepts the various request information by acquiring information input or selected on the request information input screen SC1. In this manner, the various request information accepted by the first accepting unit 11 is stored in the storage unit 17.

[0025] The method by which the first accepting unit 11 accepts the various request information is not limited to the above-described method of inputting or selecting each of the various request information. For example, the first accepting unit 11 may acquire the various request information based on text information (natural language) freely entered by user A regarding the requested content. Such text information is entered into area A13 or the like of the request information input screen SC1 via an input device 1005 (see FIG. 9 ) such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a microphone. The first accepting unit 11 can generate the various request information from the text information entered into area A13 or the like based on analysis using pattern matching, AI (artificial intelligence), machine learning, or the like.

[0026] Furthermore, for example, the first accepting unit 11 may accept content from user A and acquire request information from metadata included in the accepted content. Such content is input into area A12 or the like of the request information input screen SC1 via an input device 1005 (see FIG. 9 ) such as a keyboard or a touch panel. The first accepting unit 11 can generate various types of request information from the metadata included in the acquired content based on analysis using pattern matching, AI (Artificial Intelligence), or the like.

[0027] For example, an image as content includes, in addition to information about the image itself, various data related to the image, such as the shooting conditions of the image, information about the photographer, and the editing history of the image, as metadata. Examples of metadata include EXIF ​​(Exchangeable Image File Format), such as the shooting date and time, camera manufacturer and model, lens information, focal length, shutter speed, aperture value, ISO sensitivity, white balance, and GPS coordinates (location information). The first receiving unit 11 may acquire various request information from this data.

[0028] For example, if user A has an image taken at a certain date and time and at a certain location, and user A requests an image of that date and time and at that location, user A can upload the image via area A12 of the requested information input screen SC1. The first accepting unit 11 can accept the image of that date and time and at that location as various requested information. Furthermore, the first accepting unit 11 can display data obtained from the image uploaded via area A12 of the requested information input screen SC1 in area A11 or the like of the requested information input screen SC1, allowing user A to select whether or not to set the data as various requested information. This makes it easy for user A to input requested information such as information about the area around the date and time, or the vicinity of the location, for example.

[0029] The second reception unit 12 receives, from the terminal 2B of user B, provideable information, which is information related to content that is generated on the terminal 2B of user B and can be provided to user A. The second reception unit 12 may receive, as one piece of the provideable information, information related to the type of content that can be provided to user A.

[0030] The second accepting unit 12 accepts the various types of provideable information described above based on information input via a provideable information input screen SC2 having an area A21 where various types of provideable information can be input or selected, as shown in FIG. 4 . Note that the provideable information input screen SC2 shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the screen configuration is not limited to this. The second accepting unit 12 displays the provideable information input screen SC2 on the display screen of terminal 2B of user B, who accesses the terminal selection device 1 to provide desired content. The second accepting unit 12 accepts the various types of provideable information by acquiring information input or selected on the provideable information input screen SC2. In this manner, the various types of provideable information accepted by the second accepting unit 12 are stored in the storage unit 17.

[0031] Furthermore, the second accepting unit 12 may accept information regarding the specifications or performance of user B's terminal 2B as one piece of provideable information. The information regarding the specifications or performance of terminal 2B includes information regarding sensors mounted on user B's terminal 2B, information regarding applications installed on user B's terminal 2B, etc. The second accepting unit 12 may accept the information regarding the sensors and applications via a provideable information input screen SC2 as shown in FIG.

[0032] Furthermore, the second accepting unit 12 may acquire information about the specifications or performance of user B's terminal 2B by accepting the model name or model number of user B's terminal 2B, rather than accepting the information about the sensors and the information about the applications individually via area A22 of the provideable information input screen SC2. If the model name (or model number) of terminal 2 is known, the sensors and applications installed on that terminal 2 can be known. Thus, by accepting the model name or model number of user B's terminal 2B, the second accepting unit 12 can acquire information about the specifications or performance of user B's terminal 2B.

[0033] Furthermore, the second accepting unit 12 may accept information relating to the location of user B's terminal 2B at each time as one piece of provideable information. Information relating to the location of user B's terminal 2B at each time can be acquired from information transmitted from a GPS installed in user B's terminal 2B. Furthermore, the second accepting unit 12 acquires the provideable information periodically or irregularly. As a result, even for the same user B, the information that can be provided, i.e., the provideable information, may change over time.

[0034] For example, when acquiring information about the location of user B, the second accepting unit 12 may acquire the information once (for example, by setting a flag indicating that user B is staying) when user B remains in the same place for a predetermined period of time or more. Also, the second accepting unit 12 may acquire the information once (by setting a flag indicating that user B is moving) when user B leaves the place where user B stayed for a predetermined period of time or more. By acquiring the provideable information in this manner, the second accepting unit 12 can reduce the amount of communication traffic.

[0035] If the location transmitted from terminal 2B belongs to an area defined on the map (such as an apartment building, park, building, or parking lot), the area in question is defined as the same location. If the location transmitted from terminal 2B belongs to a location not defined as an area on the map (such as a road or wilderness), the area within a specified radius from the location in question is defined as the same location.

[0036] The search unit 13 searches for a terminal 2B of user B that is eligible to provide the content requested by user A, based on the request information acquired by the first accepting unit 11 and the available information acquired by the second accepting unit 12. Eligibility here means that there is a high probability that the content requested by user A has already been generated and stored, or that there is a high probability that the content requested by user A will be generated. The search unit 13 can determine the eligibility based on, for example, the degree of agreement between the content included in the request information and the content included in the available information. Furthermore, the search unit 13 may determine the eligibility using a learning model that uses as training data data related to the combination of the request information input by user A and the terminal 2B selected by user A from the search list SC3.

[0037] When comparing the request information with the available information, the degree of match between the content included in the request information and the content included in the available information can be determined by the number of items that perfectly match for categorical variable items (for example, a match is determined when the number of matching items is a predetermined number or more), and by the smallness of the quantitative deviation (such as the absolute value of the difference) between the request information and the available information for quantitative variable items (a match is determined when the deviation is a predetermined value or less). More specifically, partial match treatment may also be considered, taking into account the closeness of association within the categorical variable.

[0038] More specifically, for example, the degree of match of a combination of information such as location information, specification information of the terminal 2, or temperature information may be quantified, and the higher-ranking information may be judged to be more suitable. In the case of location information, if the location from which the requested content is obtained is close to the provider's current location (for example, within a 1 km radius), the degree of match may be determined based on whether the terminal 2 owned by the provider meets the specifications for obtaining the requested content, or in the case of temperature information, whether there is a small difference between the temperature specified in the requested content and the temperature obtained by the terminal 2 owned by the provider.

[0039] When a plurality of terminals 2B of user B that are eligible are found, the search unit 13 may rank the terminals 2B based on the degree of match between the requested information and the available information. The search unit 13 generates the result of such ranking as a search list SC3 as shown in FIG.

[0040] The ranking (sorting) by the search unit 13 can be processed, for example, by the following method. The search unit 13 may sort, for example, according to a priority predetermined by user A. Furthermore, the search unit 13 may evaluate the degree of suitability of the available information for each request item and rank the above-mentioned suitability by summarizing the results (average or maximum, etc.).

[0041] In addition, when the search unit 13 requests an image as the desired content and the priority has not been predetermined by user A, sorting is performed based on, for example, the date and time of content creation and the location of content creation (or user B's location) included in the request information.

[0042] The search unit 13 may also sort based on request information that significantly affects image quality, such as resolution and file size. Furthermore, the search unit 13 may also sort based on request information that is expected to have a small impact on image quality, such as the characteristics of user B (i.e., the content creator) (e.g., male or female) and the name of the terminal (e.g., avoiding duplicate model numbers if the resolution is the same). It is desirable to prioritize request information that significantly affects image quality compared to request information that is expected to have a small impact on image quality. Furthermore, when performing the above search process, the search unit 13 may narrow the search to terminals 2B of user B that have provided available information and that have the "staying" flag.

[0043] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a search list. As shown in FIG. 5, the search unit 13 displays a search list SC3 having a column displaying the terminal name of the terminal 2B of user B that is eligible to provide the content requested by user A, a column displaying an outline of the content, and a column displaying the content. The column displaying the terminal name displays the model name, model number, etc. of the terminal. Information about user B who owns the terminal 2B may be displayed in association with the model name, model number, etc. of the terminal.

[0044] For example, if an image is searched for as the type of content, the content summary field may display information such as image size and file size. The content field may display the content itself that is likely to be the content requested by user A, or may display a thumbnail image of the content. Note that, although the search list SC3 shown in FIG. 5 has been used as an example of the search list SC3 provided by the search unit 13, this configuration is not limited to the above-mentioned display items.

[0045] The first providing unit 14 provides the information about the terminal 2B of the user B searched by the searching unit 13 to the terminal 2A of the user A. Specifically, the first providing unit 14 causes the above-mentioned search list SC3 to be displayed on the terminal 2A of the user A.

[0046] The content acquisition unit 15 requests the provision of content from the terminal of user B found by the search unit 13, and acquires the requested content from the terminal 2B of user B. Specifically, the content acquisition unit 15 attempts to provide the content to all of the terminals 2B found by the search unit 13, some of the terminals 2B found by the search unit 13 (for example, up to a predetermined priority level), or a terminal 2B specified by user A among the terminals 2B found by the search unit 13.

[0047] The content acquisition unit 15 notifies user B's terminal 2B that there has been a request for providing content from the terminal selection device 1. For example, the content acquisition unit 15 may display a request permission screen for the target content on the display unit of user B's terminal 2B. When user B has given permission to provide the target content to the terminal selection device 1, the content acquisition unit 15 acquires the target content from terminal 2B.

[0048] The content acquisition unit 15 can switch the acquisition mode of the target content based on information input by user B in area A23 of the available information input screen SC2 as shown in Fig. 4. For example, if "Automatically upload available content" is not selected in area A23 and "Display request permission screen" is selected, the content acquisition unit 15 notifies user B's terminal 2B that the terminal selection device 1 has requested the provision of content, and acquires the target content from terminal 2B when permission to provide the target content is obtained from user B.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, if "Automatically upload available content" and "Display request permission screen" are selected in area A23, the content acquisition unit 15 notifies user B's terminal 2B that it has received a content provision request from the terminal selection device 1, and acquires the target content from terminal 2B without obtaining permission to provide the target content from user B. Furthermore, for example, if "Automatically upload available content" is selected in area A23, but "Display request permission screen" is not selected, the content acquisition unit 15 acquires the target content from user B's terminal 2B without notifying user B's terminal 2B that it has received a content provision request from the terminal selection device 1.

[0050] The second providing unit 16 provides the content acquired by the content acquiring unit 15 to the terminal 2A of the user A. The second providing unit 16 transmits the content acquired by the content acquiring unit 15 to the terminal 2A.

[0051] The storage unit 17 stores (preserves) the request information received by the first reception unit 11 and the available information received by the second reception unit 12. The storage unit 17 may store the available information transmitted from the second reception unit 12 periodically or irregularly in a chronological order.

[0052] Next, an example of processing executed by the above-mentioned terminal selection device 1 will be described, mainly with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a terminal selection method (method) executed by the terminal selection device 1. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image acquired by user B's terminal. Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of an image acquired by user B's terminal. For example, an example will be described in which user A plans to go to a stadium to watch a baseball game and would like to know information about available parking spaces around the stadium, and uses the above-mentioned terminal selection device 1.

[0053] User B, who wishes to provide content to User A, who desires to receive the content, inputs provideable information via provideable information input screen SC2 as shown in Figure 4 (Step S1: provideable information receiving step). User B inputs the manufacturer and model number on provideable information input screen SC2. The second receiving unit 12 receives the specifications of terminal 2B linked to the model number as the provideable information.

[0054] In the following explanation, it is assumed that, for example, user B1, who has an image (content) taken in a parking lot near the stadium as shown in Figure 7, and user B2, who has an image (content) taken in a parking lot different from the one in Figure 7 as shown in Figure 8, have input available request information in advance, i.e., the available information of user B1 and user B2 has been stored in storage unit 17.

[0055] User A thinks that if he can obtain an image of the current parking lots around the stadium, he will be able to find out information about available parking lots around the stadium. User A inputs request information via a request information input screen SC1 as shown in FIG. 3 (step S2: request information receiving step). User A inputs a time (e.g., the current time), an address (e.g., the facility name), and information about the requested image (content type, resolution, file format, file size, etc.) on the request information input screen SC1. The first receiving unit 11 receives the input current time, facility name, content type, resolution, file format, file size, etc. as request information.

[0056] When request information is input from user A, the search unit 13 searches for a terminal of user B that is eligible to provide the image requested by user A, based on the request information and the available information (step S3: search step). The search unit 13 generates a search list SC3 as the search results, as shown in Fig. 5. The search list SC3 is displayed in order from the most eligible terminal 2B.

[0057] When the search unit 13 generates the search list SC3, the first providing unit 14 displays the search list SC3 as shown in Fig. 5 on user A's terminal 2A (step S4: first providing step). After viewing the search list SC3 displayed on user A's terminal 2A, user A selects a terminal 2B from the search list SC3 that has the image that the user A wants to receive. The content acquiring unit 15 acquires information about the selected terminal 2B from the search list SC3 (step S5).

[0058] Here, it is assumed that user A selected terminal 2B with priority 1, which has the image shown in Fig. 7, and terminal 2B with priority 10, which has the image shown in Fig. 8. User A did not select the image held by terminal 2B with priority 2 because it has low resolution. Furthermore, terminal 2B with priority 3 does not currently have the image requested by user A, but is presented in search list SC3 as terminal 2B with high probability of being able to acquire the image requested by user A based on user B's location and the specifications of terminal 2B owned by user B.

[0059] Terminal 2B with priority 1 and terminal 2B with priority 10 are notified that they have received a request to provide an image. User B1, the owner of terminal 2B with priority 1, and user B2, the owner of terminal 2B with priority 10, transmit information via terminal 2B permitting the provision of the target image. Having received the information permitting the provision, content acquisition unit 15 acquires the target image from terminal 2B with priority 1 and terminal 2B with priority 10 (step S6: content acquisition step).

[0060] The second providing unit 16 transmits the images acquired from the terminal 2B with priority 1 and the terminal 2B with priority 10 to user A. This allows user A to acquire the images entered in the request information. That is, user A can acquire the image shown in FIG. 7 from user B1, who is the owner of terminal 2B with priority 1, and the image shown in FIG. 8 from user B2, who is the owner of terminal 2B with priority 10. User A can determine a parking lot where he or she will park his or her car based on the acquired images.

[0061] The above-described operations are performed when "Automatically upload available content" and "Display request permission screen" are selected in area A23 of the available information input screen SC2 by user B. If such selections are not made in area A23, some of the above-described steps (operations) are omitted as appropriate.

[0062] Next, the effects of the terminal selection device 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0063] According to the terminal selection device 1 and terminal selection method of the above embodiment, information about terminal 2B of user B that is likely to be able to provide content requested by user A is provided to user A. As a result, user A can, for example, inquire about the availability of desired content from user B, the owner of terminal 2B, via the terminal selection device 1, or can receive desired content via the terminal selection device 1. In other words, it becomes easy for user A to receive requested content from user B, who is different from user A, via the Internet.

[0064] The second accepting unit 12 may accept, as one of the provideable information, information on the specifications or performance of the terminal 2B of user B. This configuration can reduce the burden on user B of inputting the provideable information.

[0065] The second accepting unit 12 may accept the model name or model number of the terminal 2B of the user B, and may acquire information on the specifications or performance of the terminal 2B of the user B based on the accepted model name or model number. This configuration can reduce the burden on the user B of inputting the available information.

[0066] The second accepting unit 12 may accept information about the time-dependent location of user B's terminal 2B as one of the provideable information. The information about the location here includes information about the current location and past locations. With this configuration, it is possible to provide information about user B's terminal 2B that can provide appropriate content in accordance with the content requested by user A.

[0067] The second receiving unit 12 may acquire the available information periodically or irregularly. In this configuration, the available information of user B, which changes depending on the situation of user B, can be provided to user A.

[0068] The first accepting unit 11 may accept, as one piece of request information, information relating to at least one of the time and location of content creation. In this configuration, the user A can specify the content he or she requests in detail.

[0069] The first accepting unit 11 may accept content from user A and acquire request information from metadata included in the accepted content. This configuration can reduce the burden on user A of inputting request information.

[0070] The system may include a content acquisition unit 15 that requests the provision of content from terminal 2B of user B found by search unit 13 and acquires the requested content from terminal 2B of user B, and the second provision unit 16 may provide the content acquired from content acquisition unit 15 to user A. In this configuration, user A can obtain the desired content without inquiring about user B, who is the owner of terminal 2B found by search unit 13.

[0071] When a plurality of terminals 2B of user B that are eligible are found, the search unit 13 may rank the searched plurality of terminals 2B of user B based on the degree of match between the requested information and the provideable information. In this configuration, it is possible to provide user A with information about terminals 2B that have the content requested by user A, among terminals 2B that are likely to have the requested content.

[0072] The device of the present disclosure may have the following configuration.

[0073] [1] A device comprising: a first receiving unit that receives request information, which is information regarding requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a second receiving unit that receives provideable information, which is information regarding the content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; and a search unit that searches for a terminal of the second user that is eligible to provide the content requested by the first user based on the request information and the provideable information.

[0074] [2] The device according to [1], further comprising: a first providing unit that provides information about the terminal of the second user searched for by the searching unit to the terminal of the first user.

[0075] [3] The device according to [1] or [2], wherein the second reception unit receives information about specifications or performance of the terminal of the second user as one of the provideable information.

[0076] [4] The device described in [3], wherein the second reception unit receives the model name or model number of the second user's terminal and acquires information regarding the specifications or performance of the second user's terminal based on the received model name or model number.

[0077] [5] The device according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the second reception unit receives information relating to the location of the second user's terminal at each time as one of the provideable information.

[0078] [6] The device according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the first reception unit receives the content from the first user and acquires the request information from metadata included in the received content.

[0079] [7] The device described in any one of [1] to [6], comprising: a content acquisition unit that requests the provision of the content to the terminal of the second user searched by the search unit, and acquires the requested content from the terminal of the second user; and a second provision unit that provides the content acquired from the content acquisition unit to the terminal of the first user.

[0080] [8] The device described in any one of [1] to [7], wherein when multiple terminals of the second user that are eligible are searched for, the search unit ranks the searched multiple terminals of the second user based on the degree of conformity between the request information and the provideable information.

[0081] [9] A system comprising: a first terminal that transmits request information to a device, which is information about requested content; a second terminal that transmits provision availability information to the device, which is information about the content that can be provided; and the device having a search unit that searches for the second terminal that is eligible to provide the requested content based on the request information and the provision availability information.

[0082]

[10] A method comprising: a request receiving step in which a computer receives request information, which is information regarding requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a provision receiving step in which the computer receives provideable information, which is information regarding the content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; and a search step in which the computer searches for a terminal of the second user that is eligible to provide the content requested by the first user, based on the request information and the provideable information.

[0083]

[11] A program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: a first step of receiving request information, which is information about requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a second step of receiving provideable information, which is information about the content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; a third step of searching for a terminal of the second user that is eligible to provide the content requested by the first user based on the request information and the provideable information; and a fourth step of providing information about the terminal of the second user found by the search unit to the terminal of the first user.

[0084]

[12] A terminal comprising: a first receiving unit that receives request information, which is information regarding requested content; a second receiving unit that receives provideable information, which is information regarding the content that can be provided; and a transmitting unit that transmits the request information received by the first receiving unit and the provideable information received by the second receiving unit to a device that has a search unit that searches for a terminal of a second user that is eligible to provide the content requested by a first user, based on the request information and the provideable information.

[0085] Although one embodiment has been described above, one aspect of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0086] In the above embodiment, one feature is that content is exchanged between users. Therefore, in consideration of privacy, instead of displaying the terminal name or user name as is, an alternative character string with identification such as a universally unique identifier (UUID) may be displayed.

[0087] In the above embodiment, when the content acquisition unit 15 notifies user B's terminal 2B that there has been a request for content provision from the terminal selection device 1, or when the content acquisition unit 15 displays a request permission screen on the display unit of user B's terminal 2B, the notification may be turned off during PUSH distribution or the terminal may be excluded from the request targets if user B's terminal 2B is in any of the following states: - When the time zone of user B's terminal 2B is in the middle of the night - When user B's terminal 2B is outside of normal usage hours - When the location information of user B's terminal 2B indicates a specific location such as an office - When there has been no change in terminal operation or acceleration sensor change in user B's terminal 2B for some time recently - When user B's terminal 2B is set to Do Not Disturb mode

[0088] The terminal selection device 1 may include an evaluation unit that evaluates user B according to the extent to which requests previously answered by user B satisfied the requests of user A. The evaluation unit may exclude terminals 2B of user B that have an evaluation below a certain level from search targets. Furthermore, the search unit 13 may also display the above evaluations when generating a search list SC3 such as that shown in FIG. 5 .

[0089] The terminal selection device 1 may provide a function for ensuring the authenticity of content to terminal 2A of user A, which is the content requester, and terminal 2B of user B, which is the content provider. For example, the terminal selection device 1 may provide a content encryption module to terminal 2B of user B. The encryption module can be provided, for example, via a secure element. The terminal selection device 1 may also provide a content decryption module to terminal 2A of user A. Like the encryption module, the decryption module can be provided, for example, via a secure element. This allows the authenticity to be guaranteed when user B generates content, thereby preventing the distribution of content that has been tampered with on the Internet.

[0090] Furthermore, the terminal selection device 1 may use a device search module with an authenticity guarantee function or a content trading module using blockchain as a distribution path from when the content acquisition unit 15 acquires the content to when the content is provided to user A's terminal 2A. Examples of device search modules include a distributed device ledger and a search algorithm. Examples of content trading modules include blockchain, NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and distributed content storage. This allows, for example, when user A requests real-world information from a stranger, the content can be reliably requested from a highly qualified terminal 2B and the content can be reliably received from the requested terminal 2B.

[0091] In the above embodiment and modified example, an example has been described in which the terminal selection device 1 is used to receive images for the purpose of checking the availability of parking spaces, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the terminal selection device 1 may be used to receive content (images, videos, text, documents, audio, music, values ​​obtained by various sensors) for the purpose of understanding the situation in an area where war is taking place, checking the weather at a tourist destination, understanding the status of an accident or incident, etc.

[0092] In the above embodiment and modified example, an example has been described in which the terminal selection device 1 includes the first providing unit 14 that provides information about the terminal 2B of user B searched for by the search unit 13 to the terminal 2A of user A, but the terminal selection device 1 may not include the first providing unit 14. For example, the terminal selection device 1 may be configured such that, after searching and finding content, the second user creates the content without notifying the first user of the content.

[0093] In the above embodiment and modified example, an example has been described in which user A's terminal 2A accesses the terminal selection device 1 to provide request information, which is information about requested content, to the terminal selection device 1, and user B's terminal 2B accesses the terminal selection device 1 to provide available information, which is information about available content, to the terminal selection device 1. However, this is not limiting. For example, user A's terminal (first terminal) 2A may be equipped with an application that transmits request information to the terminal selection device 1. More specifically, user A's terminal 2A may be equipped with an application that displays a request information input screen SC1 as shown in FIG. 3 on the display screen of user A's terminal 2A and transmits information entered on the request information input screen SC1 to the terminal selection device 1. Furthermore, user B's terminal (second terminal) 2B may be equipped with an application that transmits available information to the terminal selection device 1. More specifically, user B's terminal 2B may be equipped with an application that displays a request information input screen SC1 as shown in FIG. 4 on the display screen of user B's terminal 2B and transmits information entered on the request information input screen SC1 to the terminal selection device 1. Even when configured as a terminal selection system 3 including such a terminal 2A of user A, a terminal 2B of user B, and a terminal selection device 1, it becomes easy for a first user who wants to receive desired content to receive the desired content from a second user who is different from the first user.

[0094] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0095] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regard, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0096] For example, the terminal selection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the terminal selection method of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal selection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The above-described terminal selection device 1 may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0097] In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the terminal selection device 1 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

[0098] Each function in the terminal selection device 1 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001, memory 1002, etc., so that the processor 1001 performs calculations, controls communication by the communication device 1004, and controls at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0099] The processor 1001, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned first reception unit 11, second reception unit 12, search unit 13, first provision unit 14, content acquisition unit 15, second provision unit 16, etc. may be realized by including the processor 1001.

[0100] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with the programs. The programs used may be programs that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the first reception unit 11, the second reception unit 12, the search unit 13, the first provision unit 14, the content acquisition unit 15, and the second provision unit 16 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be used for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by a single processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0101] The program executed by the processor 1001 may be a program including: a request information receiving step of receiving request information, which is information regarding the requested content, from user A's terminal 2A; an available information receiving step of receiving available information, which is information regarding the content that is generated in user B's terminal 2B and can be provided to user A, from user B's terminal 2B; a search step of searching for user B's terminal 2B that is eligible to provide the content requested by user A based on the request information and the available information; and a first provision step of providing information regarding user B's terminal 2B found by the search step to user A's terminal 2A.

[0102] The program may also include a step of causing a computer to execute a content acquisition step of requesting the provision of content from user B's terminal 2B found in the search step and acquiring the requested content from user B's terminal 2B, and a second provision step of providing the content acquired in the content step to user A's terminal 2A.

[0103] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured, for example, by at least one of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a terminal selection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003. For example, the above-mentioned storage unit 17 may be realized by including storage 1003.

[0105] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned first reception unit 11, second reception unit 12, search unit 13, first provision unit 14, content acquisition unit 15, second provision unit 16, etc. may be realized by including the communication device 1004.

[0106] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0107] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0108] Furthermore, the terminal selection device 1 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0109] Notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure, and may be performed using other methods.

[0110] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of systems using LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (New Radio), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable systems, and next-generation systems enhanced based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G, etc.) may also be applied.

[0111] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0112] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0113] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0114] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0115] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0116] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0117] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0118] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0119] In addition, terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0120] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0121] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like, all of which are considered to be "determining." "Determining" and "determining" may also include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, and the like, all of which are considered to be "determining." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Also, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0122] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0123] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0124] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0125] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0126] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0127] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0128] 1...terminal selection device (device), 2, 2A, 2B...terminal, 3...terminal selection system, 11...first reception unit, 12...second reception unit, 13...search unit, 14...first provision unit, 15...content acquisition unit, 16...second provision unit, 17...storage unit, 1001...processor, 1002...memory, 1003...storage, 1004...communication device, 1005...input device, 1006...output device, 1007...bus.

Claims

1. A first reception unit that receives request information, which is information regarding requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a second reception unit that receives available information, which is information regarding the content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; and a search unit that searches for a terminal of the second user having eligibility to provide the content requested by the first user based on the request information and the available information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first provision unit that provides information regarding the terminal of the second user searched by the search unit to the terminal of the first user.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reception unit receives information regarding the specifications or performance of the terminal of the second user as one of the available information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second reception unit receives a model name or model number of the terminal of the second user and acquires information regarding the specifications or performance of the terminal of the second user based on the received model name or model number.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second reception unit receives information regarding the position of the terminal of the second user at each time as one of the available information.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first reception unit receives the content from the first user and acquires the request information from metadata included in the received content.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a content acquisition unit that requests provision of the content to the terminal of the second user searched by the search unit and acquires the content requested from the terminal of the second user; and a second provision unit that provides the content acquired by the content acquisition unit to the terminal of the first user.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of terminals of the second user having the eligibility are searched, the search unit ranks the plurality of terminals of the second user searched based on the degree of match between the request information and the available information.

9. A system comprising: a first terminal that transmits request information, which is information about requested content, to a device; a second terminal that transmits available information, which is information about the content that can be provided, to the device; and the device having a search unit that searches for the second terminal having eligibility to provide the requested content based on the request information and the available information.

10. A method including: a request reception step in which a computer receives request information, which is information about requested content, from a terminal of a first user; a provision reception step in which the computer receives available information, which is information about the content that can be provided to the first user, from a terminal of a second user; and a search step in which the computer searches for the terminal of the second user having eligibility to provide the content requested by the first user based on the request information and the available information.

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