Information processing apparatus, system and method, and recording medium

• US 20020099763A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsujiro, Ohta, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for providing content data to terminal units includes a content data storage unit, a communication unit, an input information storage unit, an analysis unit, and a processing unit. The content data storage unit stores a plurality of pieces of content data. The communication unit transmits content data stored in the content data storage unit to a plurality of terminal units, and receives input information of each user with respect to the transmitted content data. The input information storage unit stores the input information received by the communication unit for each user. The analysis unit analyzes the preference of a target user on the basis of the input information of a similar user, which resembles the input information of the target user, stored in the input information storage unit. The processing unit processes content data to be transmitted to the terminal units in accordance with the analysis results by the analysis unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for providing content data to a terminal device, said information processing apparatus comprising:

content data storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content data;

communication means for transmitting the content data stored in said content data storage means to a plurality of terminal devices and for receiving input information of each user for the transmitted content data;

input information storage means for storing said input information received by said communication means for each user;

analysis means for analyzing a preference of a target user on the basis of the input information of a similar user, which resembles the input information of said target user stored in said input information storage means; and

processing means for processing content data to be transmitted to said terminal device according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means changes the contents of said content data according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said processing means changes the contents of electronic book data as said content data specified according to the analysis results by said analysis means, from electronic book data of only title information including at least a book title and an author name to electronic book data formed of the title information and a part of the contents of the main body of the book.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said processing means increases the size of a font of at least some text of the electronic book data as said content data specified according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said processing means adds image information to electronic book data as said content data specified according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said processing means adds a list of said title information to be recommended, to electronic book data as said content data specified according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said content data storage means stores a plurality of pieces of image data, and said communication means receives positional information within said image data indicated by each of said users.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said analysis means comprises extraction means for extracting said positional information of said similar user, which indicates that an image area in the vicinity of said positional information of said target user, stored in said input information storage means, is indicated.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said extraction means extracts said positional information of said similar user, which shows that an image area resembling features of an image in the vicinity of said positional information of the target user, stored in said input information storage means, is indicated.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said processing means improves the image quality of a part of the image data specified on the basis of said positional information of said similar user, extracted by said extraction means, more than the image quality of the other parts of the image data.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said processing means comprises:

classification means for classifying image data specified on the basis of said positional information of said similar user, extracted by said extraction means, in predetermined block units;

coefficient storage means for storing a coefficient set for each class in advance, for computing pixel data of a part of a high-quality image by a first-order linear combination of a plurality of pieces of image data within the block of a low-quality image classified in said predetermined block units; and

adaptive processing means for outputting image data having higher quality than that of said image data computed by the first-order linear combination between the image data within the block of said image data which is a target and a coefficient set within said coefficient storage means, corresponding to a class classified by said classification means.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said processing means decreases the image quality of the other parts of said image data on the basis of said positional information of said similar user, extracted by said extraction means.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said processing means comprises:

object image data extraction means for extracting object image data from said image data on the basis of the positional information of said similar user, extracted by said extraction means; and

extraction means for extracting background image data by deleting said object image data extracted by said object image data extraction means from said image data.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising conversion means for converting said content data into a broadcasting format, wherein said communication means distributes the content data converted by said conversion means to said plurality of terminals.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising conversion means for compressing said content data and outputting the compressed data, wherein said communication means distributes said compressed data converted by said conversion means to said terminals.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said communication means distributes said compressed data converted by said conversion means to said terminals in accordance with UDP/IP (User Datagram Protocol/Internet Protocol).

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said communication means receives an electronic book identification code which specifies one piece of electronic book data within electronic book data as said content data, and said identification information database stores said user ID and said electronic book identification code in such a manner as to correspond to each other.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said extraction means detects a match between said electronic book identification code corresponding to the target user ID stored in said identification information database and said electronic book identification code corresponding to another user ID stored in said identification information database, extracts a user ID in which a predetermined number or more of electronic book identification codes match, as a similar user ID having a preference resembling that of said target user, stores, in said integrated database, an identification code which is unique to said electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID within the electronic book identification codes of said electronic book corresponding to said extracted similar user ID, together with said electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to the target user ID, and stores, in said integrated database, each number of duplicates with said electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID, and

said preference information creation means creates preference information corresponding to said target user ID on the basis of an electronic book identification code having a large number of duplicates within said electronic book identification codes of said target user IDs stored in said integrated database.

20. An information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said communication means transmits moving image data composed of a plurality of frames to said user terminal and receives a user ID and positional information which specifies a position in time and space within the moving image data composed of the plurality of frames, and said identification information database stores said user ID and said positional information in such a manner as to correspond to each other.

21. An information processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said extraction means detects features of image data within a block in which said positional information of the target user ID registered in said identification information database is nearly the center, extracts, as a similar user ID, another user ID in which the features resembling one or more of those features is detected, and stores, in said integrated database, the features differing from the features detected on the basis of said target user ID among the features of the image data within the block in which the positional information corresponding to the similar user ID is nearly the center, together with the features corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to said target user ID, and said preference information creation means retrieves said features corresponding to said target user ID from said integrated database and creates said preference information.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said extraction means detects said positional information of the target user ID registered in said identification information database, extracts, as a similar user ID, a user ID to which positional information indicating a frame in the vicinity of said detected positional information within the positional information of another user ID registered in said identification information database corresponds, and stores, in said integrated database, positional information differing from the positional information detected from said target user ID within the positional information corresponding to the similar user ID, together with the positional information corresponding to said target user ID in such a manner as to correspond to said target user ID, and said preference information creation means retrieves said positional information corresponding to said target user ID from said integrated database and creates said preference information.

27. An information processing apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said object image data extraction means comprises:

an image memory for temporarily storing said moving image data composed of a plurality of frames, supplied from said moving image database;

a positional information memory for temporarily storing a plurality of pieces of positional information corresponding to said target user ID retrieved by said retrieval means;

a still/motion determination section for reading positional information corresponding to said target user ID from said positional information memory, for determining that, when the difference value between image data within a block of a target frame in which the read positional information within said image memory is nearly the center and image data of a block at the same position as that of said block previous to the target frame is greater than a predetermined threshold value, said positional information is determined to be a motion, and when said difference value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, said positional information is determined to be a still, and for outputting the still/motion determination result; and

a continuity determination section for reading positional information corresponding to said target frame of said target user ID from said positional information memory, for reading positional information corresponding to said frame previous to the target frame, for detecting the difference value, with respect to time, of each piece of positional information, for determining that the positional information is noncontinuous positional information when the difference value with respect to time is greater than a predetermined threshold value and the positional information is continuous positional information when the difference value with respect to time is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, and for outputting the determination result.

28. An information processing apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

when said still/motion determination section outputs the determination result of said still and when said continuity determination section outputs the determination result of said continuous positional information,

a processing determination section for detecting a spatial distance between target frame positional information indicating a click position for said target frame of said target user ID and previous frame positional information indicating a click position for said previous frame;

an object number assignment section for assigning, to said target frame positional information, a new object number differing from the object number corresponding to said previous frame positional information by assuming that objects indicated by said target frame positional information and said previous frame positional information differ from each other when it is determined by said processing determination section that said spatial distance is greater than the predetermined threshold value; and

a still object combining processing section for assigning, to said target frame positional information, the same object number as the object number corresponding to said previous positional information by assuming that, when it is determined by said processing determination section that said spatial distance is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, the objects indicated by said target frame positional information and said previous frame positional information are the same.

29. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, when said still/motion determination section outputs the determination result of said still and said continuity determination section outputs the determination result of said continuous positional information, said processing determination section compares the features of image data within a block in which target frame positional information indicating a click position for said target frame of said target user ID is nearly the center with the features of an object which is assigned to said previous positional information indicating a click position for said previous frame,

said object number assignment section assigns, to said target frame positional information, a new object number differing from the object number corresponding to said previous frame positional information by assuming that, when it is determined by said processing determination section that said features differ, the objects indicated by said target frame positional information and said previous frame positional information differ from each other, and

there is further provided a motion object combining processing section for assigning, to said target frame positional information, the same object number as the object number corresponding to said previous positional information by assuming that, when it is determined by said processing determination section that said features resemble, the objects indicated by said target frame positional information and said previous frame positional information are the same.

30. An information processing apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising an object image extraction section for receiving positional information corresponding to a plurality of frames, output by said object number assignment section, said still object combining processing section, and said motion object combining processing section, and an object number corresponding to each piece of positional information, for loading a plurality of pieces of positional information which is determined to be still, of said plurality of frames into a memory having the same size as that of said frame and for computing the density of positional information for each predetermined block within said memory when it is determined by said still/motion determination section that said target frame positional information indicating a click position for said target frame of said target user ID is a still, for creating a still object shape on the basis of the distribution of positional information to which is assigned the object number with the maximum number within the object numbers which are assigned to a plurality of pieces of positional information within said block in which said density is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, and for outputting a still object image.

31. An information processing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein, when it is determined by said still/motion determination section that said target frame positional information indicating a click position for said target frame of said target user ID is a motion, said object image extraction section performs motion compensation on a plurality of pieces of positional information, which is determined to be a motion, of said plurality of frames by inter-frame pattern matching between images in the vicinity of a plurality of pieces of positional information to which is assigned the same object number as the object number which is assigned to said target frame positional information, loads the information to a memory having the same size as that of said frame, computes the density of positional information for each predetermined block within said memory, creates a motion object shape based on the distribution of positional information to which is assigned an object number with the maximum number within the object numbers which are assigned to a plurality of pieces of positional information within said block in which said density is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined value, and outputs a motion object image.

32. An information processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said object image extraction section outputs, as a background image, an image corresponding to said block in which said density is determined to be less than the predetermined value.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting content data to a user terminal and for receiving a user ID transmitted from the user terminal and identification information which specifies a part of the content data;

an identification information database for storing said user ID and said identification information in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

registration means for registering said user ID and said identification information received by said communication means in said identification information database;

an integrated database for integrating and storing said identification information of a plurality of user IDs, registered in said identification information database;

extraction means for extracting an ID of a similar user having a preference resembling that of a target user by comparing said identification information corresponding to a target user ID stored in said identification information database with said identification information corresponding to an ID of another user, stored in said identification information database, and for storing, in said integrated database, identification information which is unique to said identification information corresponding to said target user ID within said identification information corresponding to said extracted similar user ID, together with said identification information corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to the target user ID;

preference information creation means for creating preference information corresponding to said target user ID according to said identification information of said target user ID stored in said integrated database;

a content database for storing a plurality of pieces of content data; and

content data processing means for reading said content data stored in said content database at predetermined intervals from said content database, for processing the content data corresponding to said identification information contained in said preference information, and for outputting the processed content data to said communication means.

23. An information processing system comprising:

a terminal device; and

an information processing apparatus for providing content data to the terminal device,

wherein said terminal device comprises pointing means for pointing at a part of content data transmitted from said information processing apparatus; and

first communication means for receiving said content data and for transmitting the input information pointed at by said pointing means to said information processing apparatus, and

said information processing apparatus comprises;

content data storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of said content data;

second communication means for transmitting the content data stored in said content data storage means to a plurality of terminal devices and for receiving the input information of each user for the transmitted content data;

input information storage means for storing said input information received by said second communication means for each user;

analysis means for analyzing a preference of a target user on the basis of the input information of a similar user, which resembles the input information of said target user, stored in said input information storage means; and

processing means for processing content data to be transmitted to said terminal device according to the analysis results by said analysis means.

24. An information processing apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting a plurality of pieces of electronic book data to a user terminal and for receiving a user ID transmitted from the user terminal and an electronic book identification code which specifies one piece of electronic book data within the plurality of pieces of electronic book data;

a preference database for storing said user ID and said electronic book identification code in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

registration means for registering said user ID and said electronic book identification code, received by said communication means, to said preference database;

an integrated preference database for integrating and storing said electronic book identification codes of a plurality of user IDs, registered in said preference database;

extraction means for detecting a match between said electronic book identification code corresponding to the target user ID stored in said preference database and said electronic book identification code corresponding to another user ID stored in said preference database, for extracting a user ID in which a predetermined number or more of the electronic book identification codes matches as a similar user ID having a preference similar to that of said target user, for storing, in said integrated preference database, an identification code which is unique to said electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID among the electronic book identification codes of said electronic book corresponding to the extracted similar user ID, together with said electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to the target user ID, and for storing the number of duplicates with said electronic book identification code corresponding to said similar user ID in said integrated preference database for each electronic book identification code corresponding to said target user ID;

preference information creation means for creating preference information corresponding to said target user ID on the basis of the electronic book identification codes with a large number of duplicates among said electronic book identification codes of said target user ID stored in said integrated preference database;

an electronic book database for storing said plurality of pieces of electronic book data; and

electronic book data processing means for reading said electronic book data stored in said electronic book database at predetermined intervals from said electronic book database, for processing the electronic book data corresponding to said electronic book identification code contained in said preference information, and for outputting the processed electronic book data to said communication means.

25. An information processing apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting moving image data composed of a plurality of frames to a user terminal and for receiving a user ID and positional information which specifies a position in time and space within the moving image data composed of the plurality of frames, transmitted from the user terminal;

a click position database for storing said user ID and said positional information in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

registration means for registering said user ID and said positional information, received by said communication means, in said click position database;

an integrated feature database for integrating and storing the features of image data within a block in which said positional information of a plurality of user IDs registered in said click position database is nearly the center;

extraction means for detecting the features of image data within a block in which said positional information of a target user ID registered in said click position database is nearly the center, for extracting another user ID in which features resembling one or more of those features are detected as a similar user ID, and for storing, in said integrated feature database, features differing from the features detected on the basis of said target user ID among the features of the image data within the block in which the positional information corresponding to the similar user ID is nearly the center, together with the features corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to said target user ID;

retrieval means for retrieving said features corresponding to said target user ID from said integrated feature database;

a moving image database for storing moving image data composed of said plurality of frames;

feature detection means for reading said moving image data at predetermined intervals from said moving image database and for detecting the features within said moving image database at said block units;

resembling feature detection means for detecting a block in which features resembling said features retrieved by said retrieval means are detected by said feature detection means; and

conversion means for converting the image data within the block, detected by said resembling feature detection means, into a high quality.

26. An information processing apparatus comprising:

communication means for transmitting moving image data composed of a plurality of frames to a user terminal and for receiving a user ID and positional information which specifies a position in time and space within the moving image data composed of the plurality of frames, transmitted from the user terminal;

a click position database for storing said user ID and said positional information in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

registration means for registering said user ID and said positional information, received by said communication means, in said click position database;

an integrated click position database for integrating and storing said identification information of a plurality of user IDs, registered in said click position database;

extraction means for detecting said positional information of the target user ID registered in said click position database, for extracting, as a similar user ID, a user ID, to which positional information indicating a frame in the vicinity of said detected positional information corresponds, within the positional information of another user ID registered in said click position database, and for storing, in said integrated click position database, positional information differing from the positional information detected on the basis of said target user ID within the positional information corresponding to the similar user ID, together with the positional information corresponding to said target user ID, in such a manner as to correspond to said target user ID;

retrieval means for retrieving said positional information corresponding to said target user ID from said integrated click position database;

a moving image database for storing moving image data composed of said plurality of frames;

object image data extraction means for reading said moving image data at predetermined intervals from said moving image database, for extracting object image data from said moving image database on the basis of said positional information retrieved by said retrieval means, and for outputting the object image data to said communication means;

background image data extraction means for extracting background image data by subtracting the object image data extracted by said object image data extraction means from said moving image data and for outputting the background image data to said communication means; and

motion vector detection means for detecting an object motion vector and a background motion vector on the basis of said object image data and said background image data and for outputting the object motion vector and said background motion vector to said communication means.

33. An information processing method for providing content data to a terminal device, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to a plurality of terminal devices, content data stored in content data storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content data;

receiving input information of each user for said transmitted content data;

storing said received input information for each user;

analyzing a preference of a target user on the basis of input information of a similar user, which resembles said stored input information of the target user; and

processing content data to be transmitted to said terminal device according to said analysis results.

34. A recording medium having stored therein a program for executing an information processing method for providing content data to a terminal device, said program comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to a plurality of terminal devices, content data stored in content data storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content data;

receiving input information of each user for said transmitted content data;

storing said received input information for each user;

analyzing a preference of a target user on the basis of input information of a similar user, which resembles said stored input information of the target user; and

processing content data to be transmitted to said terminal device according to said analysis results.

35. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

transmitting content data to a user terminal;

receiving a user ID transmitted from said user terminal, and identification information which specifies a part of the content data;

registering said received user ID and said received identification information in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

integrating and storing said identification information of said plurality of registered user IDs;

extracting a similar user ID having a preference resembling that of said target user by comparing said identification information corresponding to said stored target user ID with said identification information corresponding to said stored another user ID;

storing, together with said identification information corresponding to said target user ID, identification information which is unique to said identification information corresponding to said target user ID within said identification information corresponding to said extracted similar user ID;

creating preference information corresponding to said target user ID according to said identification information of said stored target user ID;

reading said content data stored in a content database at predetermined intervals from said content database for storing said plurality of pieces of content data;

processing content data corresponding to said identification information contained in said preference information; and

outputting the processed content data.

36. A recording medium having stored therein a program for executing an information processing method, said program comprising the steps of:

transmitting content data to a user terminal;

receiving a user ID transmitted from said user terminal, and identification information which specifies a part of the content data;

registering said received user ID and said received identification information in such a manner as to correspond to each other;

integrating and storing said identification information of said plurality of registered user IDs;

extracting a similar user ID having a preference resembling that of said target user by comparing said identification information corresponding to said stored target user ID with said identification information corresponding to said stored another user ID;

storing, together with said identification information corresponding to said target user ID, identification information which is unique to said identification information corresponding to said target user ID within said identification information corresponding to said extracted similar user ID;

creating preference information corresponding to said target user ID according to said identification information of said stored target user ID;

reading said content data stored in a content database at predetermined intervals from said content database for storing said plurality of pieces of content data;

processing content data corresponding to said identification information contained in said preference information; and

outputting the processed content data.