Print providing system, print providing method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

Provide are a system, a method, a program and a recording medium that enable user-desired printed matter that matches a user's tastes and has excellent freshness to be provided to the user. A print providing system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured by a content providing device, a user terminal, and a printing device, wherein: the content providing device provides first content to the printing device and provides second content matching the tastes of the user to the user terminal; the user terminal accepts from the user a selection of third content to be printed, from among the second content; and the printing device prints fourth content, from among the first content, corresponding to the third content.

Description

Print providing system, print providing method, program, and recording medium

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a print providing system, a print providing method, a program, and a recording medium that can provide a user-desired print that is excellent in response to user preferences and freshness in a timely manner.

[0002] A variety of digital content has been created and is now widely distributed. Such digital content has the advantage of being easily copied and traded without much time or place constraints. However, this advantage can also lead to a decrease in the scarcity of the digital content. On the other hand, photographic prints, which are photographs printed on real media (e.g., photographic paper), are not as easy to copy or trade as digital content, making it easier to ensure their scarcity. For this reason, they are often adopted as a form of content for subjects with good commercial value.

[0003] Specific examples of the above-mentioned photographic prints include bromides and trading cards of artists, athletes, characters, etc. Technologies for controlling the printing and sales of bromides are already known. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such technology. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for improving the added value of a printing system by playing audio of the artist or other person printed on a bromide using a mobile terminal in accordance with the printing and sales of the bromide.

[0004] This technology relates to a printing system in which a vending machine-type printing device, a terminal device, and a server are connected via a network, wherein the vending machine-type printing device has a sending means for sending bromide information of a designated specific person to the server, a receiving means for receiving print data of an image including the corresponding bromide image and additional information from the server, and a printing means for compositing the bromide image with an image including the additional information and printing the composite image, and the terminal device has an imaging means for photographing the printed composite image, an analysis means for analyzing the image including the additional information included in the imaging result, and an output means for outputting audio information of the specific person corresponding to the bromide image based on the analysis result.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for an event server device, an event server control method, and an event server control program that can prevent the leakage of personal information.

[0006] This technology relates to an event server device that provides one or more events that multiple participants can participate in via a network, and is characterized by comprising: a first video receiving unit that receives video of the event organizer transmitted from an organizer terminal used by the organizer; a second video receiving unit that receives video of participants participating in the event transmitted from participant terminals used by the participants; a first video sending unit that sends, to the organizer terminal, first display information for displaying, on a single screen, the organizer using the organizer terminal and all of the participants participating in the event; and a second video sending unit that sends, to the participant terminal, second display information for displaying, on a single screen, the organizer and the participants using the participant terminal.

[0007] JP 2005-74856 A JP 2023-40601 A

[0008] However, with conventional technology, it is difficult for fans of athletes or artists at sporting events or concerts to be satisfied with the desire to purchase a bromide of their favorite fan (the so-called "oshi") or the freshness of the image, such as a "seasonal snapshot of the subject right now." Therefore, for the subjects of such images and the businesses that produce them, the current situation makes it difficult to expand the sales channels and sales scale of bromides, etc.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a system, method, program, and recording medium that enables the provision of printed materials that meet the user's preferences and are fresh and meet the user's desired requirements.

[0010] The above object is achieved by a print providing system described in any one of [1] to

[12] below: [1] A print providing system including a content providing device that provides content to a print device and a user terminal, a terminal that receives preference designations from the user and notifies the content providing device of the designations, and a print device that acquires identification information related to the user and prints the content selected by the user to be printed, wherein the content providing device provides first content to the print device and provides second content that matches the preference to the user terminal, the terminal receives from the user a selection of third content to be printed from the second content, and the print device prints fourth content from the first content that corresponds to the third content.

[0011] [2] The print providing system according to [1], wherein the printing device acquires the identification information displayed on a medium held by the user.

[0012] [3] The print providing system according to [2], wherein the medium is the terminal.

[0013] [4] The terminal transmits the identification information and information regarding the third content to the content providing device, and the content providing device transmits the identification information and information regarding the third content to the printing device in association with each other. This is the printing system described in [1].

[0014] [5] The content providing device manages each piece of content it holds by linking it to attribute information analyzed from that content, and when providing the second content that matches the user's preferences, extracts content that matches the preferences and the attribute information. This is the print providing system described in [1].

[0015] [6] The print provision system described in [5], wherein when the content includes two or more people as subjects, the content provision device determines an evaluation value for each person as a subject in the content using a predetermined algorithm and includes the evaluation value in the attribute information.

[0016] [7] The print provision system described in [6], wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value based on the proportion of the area occupied by the person's face or entire body in the image that is the content.

[0017] [8] The print provision system described in [6], wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value based on the proximity of the central position of the image that is the content to the position where the person's face or entire body appears.

[0018] [9] The print provision system described in [6], wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value based on the proportion of the area occupied by the person's face or entire body in the image of the content, and the proximity of the central position of the image of the content to the position where the person's face or entire body appears.

[0019]

[10] When the content providing device receives multiple preferences from the user's terminal as the user's preferences, when determining the evaluation value, it statistically processes the evaluation values ​​obtained for each of the multiple preferences for a single piece of content that includes the preferences of the multiple people as subjects, and uses the result of the statistical processing as the evaluation value for the content. [6] The print providing system described in

[0020]

[11] The print providing system described in [1] is characterized in that the user's terminal transmits images owned by the user to the content providing device, and the content providing device receives the images owned and stores them in association with the user's preferences or the attributes of the images owned.

[0021]

[12] The print provision system described in

[11] is characterized in that the content provision device determines whether or not the stored images received from the user's terminal can be adopted as content related to the user's preferences using a predetermined algorithm.

[0022] The above object can also be achieved by a print providing method described in

[13] below.

[13] A print providing method including the steps of: a content providing device providing first content to a print device and providing second content that matches a user's preference to the user's terminal; the steps of the user's terminal accepting a preference designation from the user and notifying the providing device of the designation, accepting from the user a selection of third content to be printed from the second content provided by the providing device, and notifying the printing device of the selection result; and the steps of the printing device acquiring identification information related to the user's identification, and printing fourth content that corresponds to the third content from the first content provided by the providing device for the user corresponding to the identification information.

[0023] The above object can also be achieved by the program described in

[14] below:

[14] A program causing a computer to execute the steps of providing first content to a printing device, receiving a notification from a user terminal about a user's preferences, providing second content that matches the preferences to the user terminal, receiving from the user terminal information about third content selected by the user from the second content to be printed and identification information related to identifying the user, and transmitting the identification information and information about the third content in association with each other to the printing device.

[0024] The above object can also be achieved by the recording medium described in

[15] below:

[15] A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the steps of providing first content to a printing device, receiving a notification from a user terminal about the user's preferences, providing second content that matches the preferences to the user terminal, receiving from the terminal information about third content selected by the user from the second content to be printed and identification information related to the user, and transmitting the identification information and information about the third content in association with each other to the printing device.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method, program, and recording medium are provided that can provide a user-desired printed matter that is excellent in response to user preferences and freshness.

[0026] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a print providing system according to the present embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a content providing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content DB according to the present embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user DB according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a repair rule table according to the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating functional units of a content providing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating functional units of a printing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of a print providing method according to the present embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of a print providing method according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output screen according to the present embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of a print providing method according to the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a ticket reading form according to the present embodiment; FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a ticket reading form according to the present embodiment; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output screen according to the present embodiment; FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output screen according to the present embodiment;

[0027] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the following description may be given in terms of a GUI (Graphic User Interface). Furthermore, since the basic data processing technologies (communication / transmission technologies, data acquisition technologies, data recording technologies, data processing / analysis technologies, machine learning technologies, image processing technologies, visualization technologies, etc.) required to realize the present invention are well-known technologies, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] In addition, in this specification, the concept of "device" includes not only a single device that performs a specific function, but also a combination of multiple devices that exist independently and in a distributed manner but cooperate (link) to perform a specific function.

[0029] Furthermore, in this specification, a "user" refers to a user who uses the printing device of the present invention to obtain a bromide of a desired artist, etc., and more specifically, a person who uses the functions of the print providing system of the present invention to obtain a bromide of a favorite artist on the day, etc., which is output only at an event venue such as a concert. Note that in this embodiment, an example will be given in which bromide images are provided as content to a printing device installed at a concert venue by the agency of the artist performing at the concert, and an image that suits the user's preferences is printed from among the images, but the application of the invention is not limited to this example.

[0030] For example, events are not limited to concerts, but can also include various events such as handshake events, stage performances, fan meetings, sports competitions, comic markets, exhibitions, political rallies, etc. Furthermore, the people who are the targets of issuing bromides at such events can be artists such as singers and musicians, as well as actors, entertainers, athletes, writers, politicians, game, anime, and manga characters, etc. Furthermore, prints printed by the printing device can include not only individual bromides but also photo books edited from a collection of multiple photographs or bromides.

[0031] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "person" refers to an entity that performs a specific action, and includes individuals, groups, corporations such as companies, and organizations, as well as computers and devices that constitute artificial intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence (AI) realizes intelligent functions such as inference, prediction, and judgment using hardware and software resources. The algorithm of the artificial intelligence is arbitrary, and examples include expert systems, case-based reasoning (CBR), Bayesian networks, and subsumption architectures.

[0032] <<One Embodiment of the Present Invention>> [Configuration of Print Providing System] In one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as this embodiment), a print providing system 5 is assumed to be configured with a content providing device 10, a user terminal 30, and a printing device 40, all connected to a network 1 shown in Fig. 1. Of these, the content providing device 10 is a server device that distributes data of captured images to be printed to the printing device 40 installed at an event venue. As an example, this content providing device 10 is a content distribution system operated by an artist's agency.

[0033] The user terminal 30 is a terminal of a user who visits an event facility to enjoy a concert by the artist. The user terminal 30 is, for example, a reader that reads a code printed on the face of a concert ticket as the user's identification information. The user terminal 30 is also an information processing device that uploads favorite photographed images (owned images) taken by the user at the concert venue to the content providing device 10. The printing device 40 is a printing device installed at the concert venue, which is the event facility, and is a device that the user visits to print and obtain bromides of the artist. The printing device 40 receives and stores data of photographed images, which are content, distributed from the content providing device 10, and prints those that match the user's preferences as bromides.

[0034] In addition, the user may not use the user terminal 30, but may instead have a scanner, which is the UI (User Interface) of the printing device 40, read the ticket or the screen of their own user terminal 30 (which is displaying the code printed on the ticket face), or may directly input the identification information of the code using a keyboard or touch panel, which is the UI.

[0035] The content providing device 10 stores in a content DB (described later in Figures 2 and 3) the artist's photo images and images taken at the concert venue stored by the artist's agency staff or photographers, and also stores the user's preference information and images taken in a user DB (described later in Figures 2 and 4), and prepares for image distribution to a printing device 40 or a user terminal 30 at the concert venue.

[0036] In addition to the configuration in which the content providing device 10 and the printing device 40 are connected via the network 1, a configuration in which the internal bus wiring of the content providing device 10 is directly connected to the interface of the printing device 40 can also be adopted. Furthermore, the content DB 122 and the user DB 123 may be stored and managed in a database of a cloud service provided on the network 1 in a device separate from the content providing device 10, and may be used as desired by the content providing device 10.

[0037] In addition, various situations can be imagined, such as the user who performs various operations related to printing bromides on the printing device 40, the photographer who takes photos of the artist at the concert venue, the registrant who inputs the images obtained from the photo shoot into the content providing device 10 (which may include scanning operations or uploading from the user terminal 30), and the viewer who views the images distributed from the content providing device 10 on the user terminal 30 or the printing device 40 being different people or all being the same person.

[0038] [Configuration Example of Content Providing Device] Next, a configuration example of the content providing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. The content providing device 10 is composed of a computer operated by an artist's agency or the like, and specifically, is composed of a server device, a PC (Personal Computer), a laptop PC, or the like. Note that the content providing device 10 is not limited to computers operated by the agency or the like, and may also include computers operated by other businesses contracted by the agency or the like to manage and distribute content. Note that the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the content providing device 10 is composed of a computer operated by the artist's agency, specifically, a server computer.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the computer constituting the content providing device 10 includes a processor 11, an auxiliary storage device 12, a main storage device 13, an input device 14, an output device 15, and a communication device 16.

[0040] Of these, the processor 11 is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0041] The auxiliary storage device 12 may be configured, for example, by a flash memory, a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disc (FD), a magneto-optical disc (MO disc), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a secure digital card (SD card), or a universal serial bus memory (USB memory).

[0042] Such an auxiliary storage device 12 may be built into the computer main body constituting the content providing device 10, or may be attached to the computer main body in an external format. Alternatively, the auxiliary storage device 12 may be configured as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or the like. Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device 12 may be an external device, such as an online storage or a database server, that can communicate with one of the computers constituting the content providing device 10 via a communication network.

[0043] The auxiliary storage device 12 also stores programs 121, such as an operating system (OS) and a content management application. When the program 121 is read and executed by the processor 11, the computer constituting the content providing device 10 performs the functions of the reception unit 21, the determination unit 22, and the distribution unit 23 shown in Fig. 6, and specifically, executes a series of processes related to the distribution management of photographed images, which are content, to the user terminal 30 and the printing device 40, the storage management of photographed images uploaded by the user from the user terminal 30, and the like.

[0044] In addition to the program 121, the auxiliary storage device 12 also stores a content DB 122, a user DB 123, and a rule table 124. Of these, the content DB 122 has a configuration, for example, as shown in Fig. 3. The content DB 122 is a collection of records that use a content ID that uniquely identifies a piece of content as a key, and that include values ​​such as the subject of the photographed image that is the content, the date and time of shooting, the location / event of shooting, a thumbnail, this data, and the photographer.

[0045] Among these, "location / event" is a value indicating the event venue where the photographed image was taken and the identification information of the event. Furthermore, "thumbnail" is a reduced-size image (second content) of the photographed image indicated by this data, which is delivered to the user terminal 30 and is the subject of a selection instruction by the user. This data is data (first content) of the photographed image delivered to the printing device 40, and is printing data for the bromide to be printed. Furthermore, "photographer" is the photographer of the photographed image that is the content, and when the content is registered, the identification information of the registrant's agency or user is a value input from the input device 14 or the user terminal 30.

[0046] The user DB 123 has a configuration shown in FIG. 4 , for example. The user DB 123 is a collection of records containing values ​​such as the user's contact information (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.), events attended, preferences, and photographed images, with a user ID that uniquely identifies the user as a key. The value of the events attended is, for example, information extracted from each user's ticket purchase history linked to a ticket sales management system for events such as concerts (e.g., a system operated by the user's agency or ticket sales company), or information about events attended that the user registered by operating the user terminal 30. This registration operation may include an operation of accessing a predetermined registration site using the user terminal 30 and inputting the event name, etc., as well as an operation of reading the face of a concert ticket using the user terminal 30 to obtain identification information for the concert, etc. Furthermore, the preference value is, for example, information on subjects or situations that the user likes, and values ​​stored include the identification information and name of a specific artist, events associated with a concert (e.g., before the show, encore, after-party), and shooting conditions (e.g., solo shot, group shot, face only). Of course, the user DB 123 may manage not only preferences related to people and events, but also preferences related to various things, such as natural objects such as mountains, animals, and weather phenomena, and man-made objects such as buildings, facilities, machinery, food, clothing, and crafts.

[0047] The captured image is data relating to an image taken by the user using an appropriate photographing device such as the user terminal 30, and includes the date, time, location, and data values ​​of the image. The date, time, and location of the captured image data are extracted and stored as meta-information when the user terminal 30 uploads the captured image data to the content providing device 10.

[0048] The rule table 124 is a table that defines rules for evaluating subjects included in captured images, which are content, and has a configuration such as that shown in FIG. 5. The rule table 124 is a collection of records that use a rule ID that uniquely identifies a rule as a key and include values ​​such as the type of the rule, an algorithm, and a judgment criterion. Among these, the type is a value that indicates the type of evaluation result, and two types are exemplified: "evaluation value" and "acceptance / rejection of the user-captured image." The algorithm indicates the content of the evaluation calculation, and may include, for example, the ratio of the area of ​​the subject to the area of ​​the entire image, the distance between the position of the subject in the image and the center of the image, or a combination thereof.

[0049] Rule "R004" shows an example in which an "acceptance / rejection determination model" is defined as an algorithm for the type "acceptance / rejection of user-captured images." In this case, the acceptance / rejection determination model is obtained by performing machine learning using a set of captured images uploaded by a user and their correct judgment results on their acceptance / rejection (whether or not the captured images can be printed as bromides by the printing device 40) as training data. The content providing device 10 can input captured images uploaded from the user terminal 30 into this acceptance / rejection determination model, thereby automatically determining whether or not the images are accepted. The content providing device 10 may learn and use such an acceptance / rejection determination model by itself using a machine learning engine, or it may use a machine learning service provided on the network 1 by calling it up as needed.

[0050] The main storage device 13 is configured by semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The processor 11 loads the program 121 onto the main storage device 13 and executes it there.

[0051] The input device 14 is a device that accepts user input operations and is configured, for example, by a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The input device 14 may also include a scanning device implemented in a digital camera. The output device 15 is configured, for example, by a display, a speaker, etc.

[0052] The communication device 16 may be configured by, for example, a network interface card, a communication interface board, etc. The computer configuring the content providing device 10 can communicate with other devices connected to the network 1, such as the Internet and a mobile communication line, via the communication device 16.

[0053] 6, the content providing device 10 also has a receiving unit 21, a determining unit 22, and a distributing unit 23. These functional units are realized when the processor 11 of the content providing device 10 executes the above-mentioned program 121 and cooperates with other hardware devices of the content providing device 10.

[0054] In the present invention, an "image" is composed of a plurality of pixels, is represented by the gradation values ​​of each of the plurality of pixels, and includes an image of at least one or more subjects. Digital image data (hereinafter referred to as "image data") that defines an image at a set resolution is generated by compressing data in which the gradation values ​​of each pixel are recorded using a predetermined compression method. Examples of types of image data include lossy compressed image data such as JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format, and lossless compressed image data such as GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) or PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format.

[0055] (Reception Unit) The reception unit 21 is a functional unit that receives photographed images of each artist from the input device 14 or from the user terminal 30 via the communication device 16, and stores and holds these images in, for example, the auxiliary storage device 12. The reception unit 21 stores the photographed images received as described above in the content DB 122, linking them to their meta information.

[0056] In addition, the reception unit 21 may download data of the captured image via the network 1 from an external device or web server, for example, in accordance with specifications from a person in charge of the agency, or based on specifications of the subject received from the user terminal 30.

[0057] The reception unit 21 is also a functional unit that acquires identification information of the concert ticket presented by the user from the input device 14 or from the user terminal 30 or the printing device 40 via the communication device 16, and passes this information to the determination unit 22. The reception unit 21 is also a functional unit that accepts information related to the user's preferences from the input device 14 or from the user terminal 30 via the communication device 16, and stores this information in the user DB 123.

[0058] The method of receiving the captured image, concert ticket identification information, and preference information in the reception unit 21 is not particularly limited, but may include a method of reading the screen display of the user terminal 30 using a camera unit (equipped with the input device 14 or the printing device 40), acquiring the image displayed on the screen, and obtaining the captured image, concert ticket identification information, and preference information shown in the image.

[0059] For example, when receiving information about preferences, it is possible to identify the subject included in the image obtained as described above by image recognition processing, and recognize the subject as a preference of the user. The image recognition processing can employ a method of comparing feature amounts determined in advance for each artist belonging to the agency with feature amounts of the person in the image obtained from the screen display of the user terminal 30, and identifying which artist is the subject.

[0060] (Determination Unit) The determination unit 22 is a functional unit that determines, from among the content held in the content DB 122, content related to a concert attended by the user and the artists participating therein, or among such artists, content that matches the user's preferences, to be distributed, for example in thumbnail format, to the user terminal 30. Note that the user's preferences are information managed in the user DB 123 already described, and are identification information that specifies the user's favorite artists and various phenomena (e.g., natural objects, etc.).

[0061] The determination unit 22 uses the concert identification information acquired by the reception unit 21 (e.g., the concert name or identification number printed on the face of the concert ticket presented by the user) as a key to identify a record in the content DB 122 whose "Photo Location / Event" field value matches the key, and determines that the thumbnail data indicated by the record is to be distributed to the user. In this case, records related to other events may also be identified using the value in the "Subject" field of the record, and the thumbnails indicated by those records may also be to be distributed to the user. Note that, in order to identify a user to whom the thumbnail data is to be distributed, the determination unit 22 searches for records in the user DB 123 whose "Event Attended" field value is the identification information for the concert, and determines the user ID and contact information indicated by the record as distribution destination information.

[0062] Furthermore, the determination unit 22 identifies, among the records held in the content DB 122, a record in which the subject identification information indicated by the value in the “Subject” column matches the value in the “Preference” column of a record in the user DB 123 as a content record that matches the user's preference, and determines the thumbnail data indicated by the record as a content record to be distributed to the user. When determining content that matches such preferences, if the preference is “solo shot,” records in the content DB 122 with only one value in the “Subject” column are identified, whereas if the preference is “group shot,” records in the content DB 122 with two or more values ​​in the “Subject” column are identified. Furthermore, if the preference is related to a concert situation, such as “before the concert begins,” records in the content DB 122 with a value in the “Photo Location / Event” column indicating the concert and a value in the “Photo Date / Time” column indicating a time before the concert begins are identified. It is assumed that the determination unit 22 can refer to information related to the time, such as the start and end times of the concert, and information related to the progress of the event, for example, from an event management system or the like.

[0063] Furthermore, when a captured image of an artist that matches the user's preferences includes multiple artists as subjects, the determination unit 22 determines an evaluation value for each subject in the captured image (content) based on, for example, the rule table 124, in order to identify the main subject or the suitability of the subjects in the captured image. Alternatively, the determination unit 22 may determine the evaluation value even when there is only one subject in the captured image. In this case, if the evaluation value is below a predetermined standard, the thumbnail of the subject will not be distributed to the user terminal 30, even if the subject matches the user's preferences.

[0064] When determining the evaluation value, the determination unit 22 calculates, for example, the proportion R of the area that the face or whole body of the subject person occupies in the captured image that is the content in accordance with rule "R001" in the rule table 124, and determines the evaluation value by comparing the result with the judgment criterion. The area of ​​the face or whole body of the subject person can be calculated by calculating the area of ​​the face or whole body part in the person image that can be identified by image recognition processing. Furthermore, the total area of ​​the captured image can be calculated by multiplying the vertical and horizontal sizes of the captured image.

[0065] Furthermore, when determining the evaluation value, the determination unit 22 calculates the distance D between the center position of the captured image, which is the content, and the position where the face or whole body of the subject person appears, for example, according to rule "R002" in the rule table 124, and compares the result with the judgment criteria to determine the evaluation value. The center position of the captured image can be calculated as a position equidistant from the coordinate values ​​of each vertex of the captured image. Furthermore, the position where the face or whole body of the subject person appears can be calculated by taking the center position of the face or whole body as the center of gravity of the face or whole body (a general method for calculating the center of gravity of a predetermined shape can be used).

[0066] The determination unit 22 compares the values ​​of the area ratio R and the distance D calculated as described above with the ranges indicated by the respective criteria, and determines the evaluation value of the applicable range as the evaluation value of the subject. For example, if the area ratio R is "50% or more," the evaluation value of the subject is "60p." Similarly, if the distance D is "less than 10 pixels," the evaluation value of the subject is "60p." Based on the evaluation values ​​of each subject determined in this manner, the determination unit 22 identifies the subject with the highest evaluation value as the subject of the captured image, and sets thumbnails for users whose preferences match the subject as targets for distribution.

[0067] The determination unit 22 may determine the evaluation value of the subject by checking the values ​​of the area ratio R and the distance D against the criteria, as shown in rule "R003," which is a rule that combines the rules "R001" and "R002." In this case, for example, if the area ratio R is "50% or more" and the distance D is "less than 10 pixels," the evaluation value of the subject will be "120p."

[0068] Furthermore, when a user's preferences relate to multiple people, the determination unit 22 searches the content DB 122 for a captured image that includes each of the multiple people as a subject when determining the evaluation value. For the captured image obtained through this search, the determination unit 22 identifies an evaluation value for each subject based on the rule table 124. The determination unit 22 calculates, for example, the average or maximum value of the evaluation value for each subject, and sets the value obtained through this calculation as the evaluation value of the content, i.e., the captured image. If the evaluation value determined in this way satisfies a predetermined criterion, the determination unit 22 identifies a thumbnail of the captured image as a target for distribution to the user.

[0069] Furthermore, the determination unit 22 determines whether or not to adopt an image captured by a user, which has been uploaded from the user terminal 30 and accepted by the acceptance unit 21, as a target for printing by the printing device 40. In this case, the determination unit 22 inputs the accepted captured image into an acceptance / rejection determination model defined by rule "R004" in the rule table 124, for example, and determines whether or not to accept the image. The generation and use of this acceptance / rejection determination model have been described above.

[0070] (Distribution Unit) The distribution unit 23 is a functional unit that distributes the original data (first content) of the captured images, which are content stored in the content DB 122, to the printing device 40 via the network 1. The distribution unit 23 is also a functional unit that distributes and displays thumbnails (second content) of the captured images determined by the determination unit 22 based on the events (concerts) that each user will attend and their preferences to the user terminal 30. For this reason, the distribution unit 23 appropriately reads out the data (original data and thumbnails) of the captured images to be distributed from the content DB 122 and distributes them.

[0071] (Printing Device) Next, the printing device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . The printing device 40 acquires the original data of the captured images from the content providing device 10 and prints, in the form of bromides, those related to a concert attended by a visiting user or those that match the user's preferences. The printing device 40 includes a control unit 41, an input unit 42, a display unit 43, a printing unit 44, and a communication unit 45. The control unit 41 controls the printing device 40 based on an operating system (OS) and is a functional unit that implements the functions required for the printing device 40. The input unit 42 is a functional unit that includes a scanner or digital camera unit that reads the face of a concert ticket presented by a visiting user, or a keyboard or touch panel that accepts direct input from the user. The display unit 43 is a functional unit that includes a display and speaker that display various information related to the bromide printing procedure. The print unit 44 is a functional unit that stores data of photographed images distributed from the content providing device 10 in a content DB 441 (having the same data structure as the content DB 122), prints the photographed data on photographic paper, and outputs bromides. The print unit 44 acquires information on photographed images (third content) selected by the user from thumbnails on the user terminal 30 as the image to be printed by the user, from the user terminal 30 or from the user terminal 30 via the content providing device 10, and extracts and prints the photographed images (fourth content) from the content DB 441. The communication unit 45 is a functional unit that enables the print device 40 to communicate with the user terminal 30 and the content providing device 10.

[0072] [Example of a Print Providing Method Flow: Content Distribution] Next, as an example of the operation of the content providing device 10 in this embodiment, a flow of distributing content (captured images) using this device will be described. The flow described below uses the print providing method of the present invention. In other words, each step in the flow described below corresponds to a component of the print providing method of the present invention. Note that the flow below is merely an example, and some steps in the flow may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of execution of two steps in the flow may be reversed, as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of this embodiment.

[0073] The steps in the flow according to this embodiment are performed by the processor 11 included in the content providing device 10 in the order shown in Fig. 8. That is, in each process in the image processing flow, the processor 11 executes processing corresponding to each step in Fig. 8 among the data processing defined in the program 121.

[0074] Specifically, in the flow according to this embodiment, the distribution unit 23 first classifies the content stored in the content DB 122 by event, for example, by the value in the "Shooting Location / Event" column (S1). Next, the distribution unit 23 distributes the content classified in S1 to the printing devices 40 installed at the corresponding event locations (S2). Therefore, the content providing device 10 requests and acquires information about the installation locations of each printing device 40 from each printing device 40, for example, via the network 1, and manages this information. The control unit 41 of the printing device 40 receives the content via the communication unit 45 and stores it in the content DB 441 (S3) for future printing.

[0075] [Example of Print Providing Method Flow: Acquiring Preference Information] Next, the flow in which the content providing device 10 acquires user preferences from the user terminal 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. First, the accepting unit 21 of the content providing device 10 delivers a screen for accepting preference designations to the user terminal 30 (S5). An example of this screen G1 is shown in FIG. 10. Screen G1 asks about the user's "favorite" artist as a preference and accepts input from the user. Input fields for preference information include, for example, an input field G11 for accepting the name T1 of the group to which the artist belongs and an input field G12 for accepting the name T2 of the artist.

[0076] Meanwhile, the user terminal 30 receives the screen G1 and displays it on its display, accepting input from the user in input fields G11 and G12. The user terminal 30 then responds to the content providing device 10 with at least one of the received preference information T1 and T2 (S6). The accepting unit 21 of the content providing device 10 receives the response from the user terminal 30 and acquires the preference information of the user (S7). The accepting unit 21 of the content providing device 10 then associates the preference information with the user and stores it in the user DB 123 (S8), and the flow ends.

[0077] [Example of a Print Providing Method Flow: Accepting User Selections and Delivering Content] Next, we will explain the processes associated with a situation in which the user enjoys an artist's concert and acquires bromides using a printing device 40 installed at the venue. Such a situation is illustrated in FIG. 12 . The user who attended the concert visits a printing device 40 installed at the venue and checks the artist video displayed on the device's display 43. For example, if each printing device 40 is configured to print bromides from a specific artist, the user selects the printing device 40 using the artist video as a guide. Alternatively, as the user approaches, the display 43 may transition to display all artists, indicating that prints of all artists who performed at the event are available.

[0078] The printing device 40 is equipped with a printing unit 44 that prints and ejects bromides, and the user obtains the bromides ejected from this printing unit 44. In the example of FIG. 12 , the printing unit 44 is located at the bottom front of the housing of the printing device 40, but it may also be located on the rear of the housing, for example. By providing the printing unit 44 on the rear of the housing, the user can scan the concert ticket and receive the printed bromide in a natural flow from the front to the rear of the housing of the printing device 40. This makes it easier to provide a smooth bromide provision service even when there are a large number of users using the printing device 40.

[0079] Furthermore, the user scans the face of the concert ticket TK using the input unit 42 of the printing device 40 or the camera unit of the user terminal 30 (see FIG. 13 ), causing the printing device 40 or the user terminal 30 to acquire the ticket's identification code CD, which also serves as the user's identification information. In the example shown in FIG. 13 , a two-dimensional code CD is printed on the face of the concert ticket TK as the identification code, and this code is photographed by the user terminal 30 and displayed on screen G1. The user holds the user terminal 30 in this state over the camera unit, which is the input unit 42 of the printing device 40, to read it. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14 , the two-dimensional code CD of the concert ticket TK may be held over this input unit 42 to read it.

[0080] 15 may be displayed on the display unit 43 of the printing device 40 to prompt the user to input a ticket number. In this case, the display unit 43 displays a ticket number input field G21 and a numeric keypad G22 to accept the ticket number input operation from the user.

[0081] The flow of the print providing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . The input unit 42 of the printing device 40 acquires the ticket number of the concert ticket TK through the user's actions described above (S10). The input unit 42 of the printing device 40 then recognizes that the user is attending the concert indicated by the acquired ticket number, searches the content DB 441 for a record related to the concert, and identifies the thumbnail indicated by that record as the target for distribution to the user (S11). Alternatively, the input unit 42 may request the content providing device 10 to identify a thumbnail including the ticket number and distribute it to the user terminal 30, thereby replacing step S11.

[0082] The communication unit 45 of the printing device 40 delivers the identified thumbnails to the user terminal 30 and accepts the user's selection of images to be printed (S12). Meanwhile, the user terminal 30 displays the thumbnails on its display and accepts the user's selection of desired images. Examples of thumbnail display formats on the user terminal 30 are shown in screens G3 and G4 in FIGS. 16 and 17. As shown in screen G3 in FIGS. 17 and 18, thumbnails G31 for each artist are displayed in a tiled format, and each thumbnail G31 contains information on how many bromides of the subject artist have been printed. The user browses these thumbnails and selects and taps the artist they desire (their "favorite" artist). Then, as shown in screen G4, the corresponding number of photographed images G41 of the target artist are displayed in a tiled format, and the user's selection of images to be printed is accepted.

[0083] Upon receiving the user's designation on screen G4, the user terminal 30 transmits the identification information of the designated thumbnail to the printing device 40 (S13). The printing device 40 performs a search in the content DB 441 using the thumbnail's identification information as a key to identify photographic images of the corresponding artist (S14). The printing unit 44 of the printing device 40 outputs the data of the identified photographic image onto a predetermined photographic paper, generates and outputs a bromide (S15), and this flow ends.

[0084] [Modifications of the Present Embodiment] The present embodiment is not limited to the above embodiment, and for example, the following modifications are possible. These modifications will be described below. Note that the following description will focus on the differences between the modifications and the above embodiment.

[0085] (Regarding the First Modified Example) In the above-described embodiment, the content providing device 10 has been described on the assumption that photographed images and their thumbnails are already stored in the content DB 122. Under this assumption, the content DB 122 mainly manages high-quality photographed images taken by photographers commissioned by the agency, and the user acquires bromides based on these high-quality photographed images using the printing device 40. However, in this modified example, the photographed images stored in the content DB 122 and used to output bromides are not limited to the above-described form, and may also include those taken by the user.

[0086] In this case, the user takes a photo of the artist during a concert or outside the venue using their own photographing equipment or the user terminal 30, specifies the captured image on screen G5 (see FIG. 19) of the user terminal 30, and uploads it to the content providing device 10. Screen G5 shown in FIG. 19 includes an input field G51 for receiving the name of the subject of the captured image that the user wants to upload, i.e., the name of their "favorite," and an input field G52 for searching for and specifying the target file of the captured image.

[0087] The user terminal 30 receives various operations on the screen G5 and transmits the captured image to the content providing device 10 via the network 1 (S25). When the reception unit 21 of the content providing device 10 receives the captured image of the user, it refers to the rule table 124 and identifies an "acceptance / rejection determination model" as the algorithm for "acceptance / rejection of user captured image" of the rule "R004" (S26).

[0088] The decision unit 22 of the content providing device 10 inputs the photographed image received from the user terminal 30 into the acceptance / rejection determination model identified in S26 above, and determines whether or not to adopt the photographed image as a target for generating a bromide (S27). As already explained, this acceptance / rejection determination model is a determination model that has undergone machine learning on the photographed image and its acceptance / rejection, and it is possible to use the acceptance / rejection determination model not only by storing it in the content providing device 10 itself but also by using an external service via the network 1.

[0089] If the result of the above determination is that the captured image is not acceptable (N in S28), the decision unit 22 of the content providing device 10 responds to the user terminal 30 by displaying a screen G6 (see FIG. 20) to that effect (S29), and ends this flow. On the other hand, if the result of the above determination is that the captured image is acceptable (Y in S28), the decision unit 22 of the content providing device 10 responds to the user terminal 30 with a screen G7 (see FIG. 21) containing information G71 indicating this, stores the image in the content DB 122 (S30), and ends this flow. At this time, the user's identification information is stored in the "photographer" field of the record stored in the content DB 122.

[0090] (Regarding the Second Variation) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a bromide of an artist appearing at a concert was output based on the identification information of a concert ticket submitted by a user. However, there are cases in which a concert features not a single artist but a group of several dozen artists, or in cases such as a music festival where multiple artists appear consecutively, even if each artist is solo. In such cases, simply presenting thumbnails of the performing artists to the user and having them select an image to print as a bromide would result in an unnecessarily large number of thumbnails, which could be a burden for the user. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the user may have difficulty finding a photographed image of the desired artist. Therefore, in this variation, as shown in step (S11A) of the flow in FIG. 22 , the determination unit 22 of the content providing device 10 searches the content DB 122 for thumbnails of photographed images containing subjects related to the concert and whose subjects match the user's preferences. As explained with respect to the user DB 123 in Fig. 4, the user's preferences refer to so-called "favorite" artists, and their identification information and names can be obtained from the user DB 123. The determination unit 22 then performs a search in the content DB 122 using the identification information and names as keys, and identifies content that has a value set in the "subject" field of the record among records related to the target concert as matching the user's preferences, and delivers thumbnails of those content to the user terminal 30 (S12). The subsequent steps are the same as those explained with respect to Fig. 11.

[0091] The content to be printed by the printing device 40 may be identified as follows: Here, the user scans the face of the concert ticket TK using the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 acquires information about the two-dimensional code CD printed on the face of the ticket through this scanning operation and notifies the content providing device 10 of this information. Meanwhile, the content providing device 10 performs a search in the content DB 122 based on the concert-related information contained in this notification and the user's preferences, and identifies the photographed images to be distributed to the user, as described in S12 above. The content providing device 10 distributes the original data of the identified photographed images to the printing device 40 installed at the concert venue (as described above, information about the installation locations of each printing device 40 is managed). The printing device 40 stores the original data of the photographed images in its own content DB 441. The content providing device 10 also retrieves thumbnail data of the identified photographed images from the content DB 122 and responds to the user terminal 30.

[0092] The user terminal 30 receives the thumbnail data, displays it on its display, and accepts the user's selection of images to be printed. The user terminal 30 inputs the selection, i.e., identification information of the images to be printed, into, for example, a code generation engine to generate a two-dimensional code. The identification information may include all text information, such as the file names of the images to be printed. Alternatively, the identification information may be an order ID consisting of a certain string of characters, and the file names of the images to be printed may be associated with the order ID and sent to the printing device 40 via the content providing device 10. The code generation engine may be provided in the user terminal 30 itself, or may be accessed and used from another device via the network 1. The user then displays the two-dimensional code on the display of the user terminal 30 and has the input unit 42 of the printing device 40 at the concert venue read it. The input unit 42 of the printing device 40 reads the two-dimensional code and obtains identification information of the images to be printed. Furthermore, the printing device 40 extracts the original data of the photographed image of interest from the content DB 441 based on this identification information, and prints this data in the printing section 44 to output a bromide.

[0093] Alternatively, the printing device 40 may receive the selection of the print target. In this case, the user scans the face of the concert ticket TK or inputs the ticket number or other information printed on the face of the ticket using the input unit 42 of the printing device 40. The printing device 40 acquires the concert ticket's identification information through the scanning or inputting operation and notifies the content providing device 10 of this information. The content providing device 10 then searches the content DB 122 based on the concert-related information contained in the notification and the user's preferences, and identifies the captured image and its thumbnail to be distributed to the user, as described in S12 above. The content providing device 10 distributes the original data and thumbnail data of the identified captured image to the printing device 40. The printing device 40 stores the original data and thumbnail data of the captured image in its own content DB 441.

[0094] The printing device 40 displays the thumbnail data on the display unit 43 and accepts the user's selection of the image to be printed. The printing device 40 acquires the content of this selection, i.e., the identification information of the photographed image to be printed. The printing device 40 also extracts the original data of the target photographed image from the content DB 441 based on this identification information, and prints it using the printing unit 44 to output a photo.

[0095] (Regarding the Third Modification) As shown in the second modification above, when a photographed image featuring a user's favorite artist is to be used as a photo print, the photographed image may contain multiple subjects. In such cases, the determination unit 22 of the content providing device 10 determines an evaluation value for each subject and identifies the main subject in the photographed image, which is preferable because it enables the identification of a photographed image and the output of a photo print that appropriately reflects the user's preferences. Therefore, the determination unit 22 of the content providing device 10 in this modification determines an evaluation value for each subject in the photographed image (content) based on the rule table 124.

[0096] When determining the evaluation value, the determination unit 22 calculates, for example, the proportion R of the area occupied by the faces or entire bodies of the people in subjects G83 and G84 in the captured image G82, which is the content, according to rule "R001" in the rule table 124. An example in which multiple subjects G83 and G84 exist in the captured image G82 is shown in screen G8 of FIG. 23. The determination unit 22 identifies the pixels depicting the faces or entire bodies of the people in G83 and G84 by image recognition processing, and multiplies the number of pixels by the area per unit pixel to calculate the area of ​​the faces or entire bodies of each subject. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 calculates the area of ​​the captured image G82 by multiplying the vertical and horizontal lengths of the rectangular area that constitutes the captured image G82.

[0097] The determination unit 22 calculates the ratio R for each subject from each area calculated as described above. The determination unit 22 also compares this ratio R with the "criteria" in the rule table 124 to identify an evaluation value. In the example of FIG. 23 , the evaluation value of subject G83 ("●● Rina") is 30p, and the evaluation value of subject G84 ("●● Rei") is 10p, and the main subject in the actual photographed image G82 is identified as G83 ("●● Rina"). In other words, this photographed image G82 is treated as an image of subject G83 ("●● Rina").

[0098] The evaluation value may be determined even when there is only one subject in the captured image. In this case, the determination unit 22 may adopt an operation in which, if the evaluation value is equal to or less than a predetermined standard, the thumbnail of the subject does not become a target for distribution to the user terminal 30 even if the subject matches the user's preferences.

[0099] Furthermore, when determining the evaluation value, the determination unit 22 may calculate the distance D between the center position of the captured image, which is the content, and the position where the face or entire body of the person in the subject appears, for example, according to rule "R002" in the rule table 124, and compare the result with the judgment criterion to determine the evaluation value. In this case, the determination unit 22 can calculate the center position of the captured image as a position equidistant from the coordinate values ​​of each vertex of the captured image G82. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 can calculate the center position of the face or entire body of the person in the subjects G83 and G84 as the position where the face or entire body appears, and the center position of the face or entire body as the position of the center of gravity of the face or entire body (a general method for calculating the center of gravity of a predetermined shape may be used).

[0100] The determination unit 22 compares the value of the distance D calculated as described above with the value ranges indicated by the "criterion" of rule "R002" in the rule table 124, and determines the evaluation value of the applicable value range as the evaluation value of the subject. For example, if the distance D obtained for a certain subject is "less than 10 pixels," the evaluation value of the subject will be "60p." Based on the evaluation values ​​of each subject G83, G84 determined in this manner, the determination unit 22 identifies the subject with the highest evaluation value as the subject of the captured image, and sets a thumbnail for distribution to users whose preferences match the subject.

[0101] The determination unit 22 may determine the evaluation value of each of the subjects G83 and G84 by checking the values ​​of the area ratio R and the distance D against the criteria, as shown in the rule "R003" that combines the rules "R001" and "R002". In that case, for example, if the area ratio R is "50% or more" and the distance D is "less than 10 pixels", the evaluation value of the subject will be "120p".

[0102] Furthermore, when a user's preferences relate to multiple people, the determination unit 22 searches the content DB 122 for a captured image that includes each of the multiple people as a subject when determining the evaluation value. For the captured image obtained through this search, the determination unit 22 identifies an evaluation value for each subject based on the rule table 124. The determination unit 22 calculates, for example, the average or maximum value of the evaluation value for each subject, and sets the value obtained through this calculation as the evaluation value of the content, i.e., the captured image. If the evaluation value determined in this way satisfies a predetermined criterion, the determination unit 22 identifies a thumbnail of the captured image as a target for distribution to the user.

[0103] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples given to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. That is, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiments described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present invention also includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may include a combination of the above embodiments with one or more of the following modifications.

[0104] (Regarding the Computer Constituting the Content Providing Device) In the above embodiment, the content providing device of the present invention is constituted by a computer directly used by a user, such as a user-owned PC (Personal Computer). However, this is not limited thereto, and the content providing device of the present invention may also be constituted by a computer indirectly available to the user, such as a server computer 50. Here, the server computer 50 may be, for example, a server computer for a cloud service, specifically, a server computer for an ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, when necessary information is input into a user terminal 30 owned by the user, the server computer performs various processes (calculations) based on the input information, including content extraction and distribution, and the calculation results are output on the user terminal 30. In other words, the functions of the server computer constituting the content providing device of the present invention can be used on the user terminal 30. Alternatively, the content providing device may be configured by a printing device 40 or a smartphone (a type of user terminal 30) used by a user, in addition to the above-mentioned PC or server computer.

[0105] (Regarding Processor Configuration) The processor included in the content providing device of the present invention includes various types of processors. The various types of processors include, for example, a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as various processing units. The various types of processors also include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Furthermore, the various types of processors include dedicated electrical circuits, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for performing specific processing.

[0106] Furthermore, one functional unit of the content providing device of the present invention may be configured by one of the various processors described above. Alternatively, one functional unit of the content providing device of the present invention may be configured by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types, for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, or a combination of an FPGA and a CPU. Furthermore, multiple functional units of the content providing device of the present invention may be configured by one of the various processors, or two or more of the multiple functional units may be combined into one processor. Furthermore, as in the above embodiment, one processor may be configured by a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor may function as multiple functional units.

[0107] Furthermore, a processor may be used that realizes the functions of the entire system including the multiple functional units in the content providing device of the present invention on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by, for example, an SoC (System on Chip), etc. Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the various processors described above may be an electric circuit (Circuitry) that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0108] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Network 5 Print providing system 10 Content providing device 11 Processor 12 Auxiliary storage device 121 Program 122 Content DB 123 User DB 124 Rule table 13 Main storage device 14 Input device 15 Output device 16 Communication device 21 Reception unit 22 Determination unit 23 Distribution unit 30 User terminal 40 Printing device 41 Control unit 42 Input unit 43 Display unit 44 Print unit 441 Content DB 45 Communication unit

Claims

1. A print provision system comprising: a content providing device that provides content to a print device and a user terminal; a terminal that receives preference designations from the user and notifies the content providing device of the designations; and a print device that obtains identification information related to the user and prints the content selected by the user to be printed, wherein the content providing device provides first content to the print device and provides second content that matches the preference to the user terminal, the terminal receives from the user a selection of third content to be printed from the second content, and the print device prints fourth content from the first content that corresponds to the third content.

2. The print providing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing device acquires the identification information displayed on a medium owned by the user.

3. The print providing system according to claim 2, wherein the medium is the terminal.

4. The print providing system of claim 1, wherein the terminal transmits the identification information and information relating to the third content to the content providing device, and the content providing device transmits the identification information and information relating to the third content in association with each other to the printing device.

5. The print provision system described in claim 1, wherein the content provision device manages each content held by linking it with attribute information analyzed from that content, and when providing the second content that matches the user's preferences, extracts content that matches the preferences and the attribute information.

6. The print provision system of claim 5, wherein, when the content includes two or more people as subjects, the content provision device identifies an evaluation value for each person as a subject in the content using a predetermined algorithm and includes the evaluation value in the attribute information.

7. The print provision system according to claim 6, wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value according to the proportion of the area that the face or entire body of the person occupies in the image that is the content.

8. The print provision system of claim 6, wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value based on the proximity of the center position of the image that is the content to the position where the person's face or entire body appears.

9. The print provision system of claim 6, wherein the content provision device, when specifying the evaluation value, determines the evaluation value based on the proportion of the area that the person's face or entire body occupies in the image that is the content, and the proximity of the central position of the image that is the content to the position where the person's face or entire body appears.

10. The print provision system of claim 6, wherein when the content provision device receives preferences of multiple people as the user's preferences from the user's terminal, when specifying the evaluation value, the content provision device statistically processes the evaluation values ​​obtained for each of the preferences of the multiple people for a piece of content that includes the preferences of the multiple people as subjects, and uses the result of the statistical processing as the evaluation value of the content.

11. The print providing system described in claim 1, characterized in that the user's terminal transmits images owned by the user to the content providing device, and the content providing device receives the images owned and stores them in association with the user's preferences or the attributes of the images owned.

12. The print providing system described in claim 11, characterized in that the content providing device uses a predetermined algorithm to determine whether or not the stored images received from the user's terminal can be adopted as content related to the user's preferences.

13. A print providing method comprising the steps of: a content providing device providing first content to a printing device and providing second content that matches the user's preferences to the user's terminal; the user's terminal accepting preference designations from the user, notifying the providing device of the designations, accepting from the user a selection of third content to be printed from the second content provided by the providing device, and notifying the printing device of the selection results; and the printing device obtaining identification information related to the identification of the user, and printing fourth content that corresponds to the third content from the first content provided by the providing device for the user corresponding to the identification information.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute the steps of: providing first content to a printing device; receiving notification from the user's terminal about the user's preferences; providing second content that matches the preferences to the user's terminal; receiving from the terminal information about third content selected by the user from the second content to be printed and identification information related to the user; and transmitting the identification information and information about the third content in association with each other to the printing device.

15. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the following steps: providing first content to a printing device; receiving notification from a user's terminal about the user's preferences; providing second content that matches the preferences to the user's terminal; receiving from the terminal information about a third content selected by the user from the second content to be printed and identification information related to the user; and transmitting the identification information and information about the third content in association with each other to the printing device.

Images