Information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods, and programs

• US 20060039586A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yoshihiro, Gotoh, Tomohiko, Takematsu, Katsuhiro, Kojima, Tamaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

The present invention provides an information-processing apparatus including detection means, recognition means, and meta-information generation means. The detection means detects conditions surrounding the user and generates sensing data revealing the conditions surrounding the user. The recognition means recognizes the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of the sensing data. The meta-information generation means generates meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in the conditions surrounding the user on the basis of one or more pieces of the sensing data and recognition information showing a recognition result produced by the condition recognition means.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting conditions surrounding the user and generating sensing data revealing said conditions surrounding said user;

recognition means for recognizing said conditions surrounding said user on the basis of said sensing data; and

meta-information generation means for generating meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in said conditions surrounding said user on the basis of one or more pieces of said sensing data and recognition information showing a recognition result produced by said condition recognition means.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

content-data storage means for temporarily storing content data as data corresponding to said sensing data and also as data representing said conditions surrounding said user;

determination means for producing a result of determination as to whether or not said conditions surrounding said user have changed on the basis of said recognition information; and

content-file generation means for generating a content file to be used for displaying or reproducing any ones of a still image, a moving image, and an audio signal, which each record said conditions surrounding said user, on the basis of said stored content data in the case of said determination result indicating a change in said conditions surrounding said user.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising content-file-recording means for recording said content file by associating said content file with said meta information.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said meta-information generation means generates meta information as structured information, which includes certainty-factor information showing the degree of certainty of said recognition information and is used for detecting a change in said conditions surrounding said user, on the basis of one or more pieces of sensing data and said recognition information showing a recognition result produced by said condition recognition means.

5. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

determination means for producing a result of determination as to whether or not said conditions surrounding said user have changed on the basis of said recognition information included in said meta information;

weight computation means for computing a weight representing the priority level of said recognition information on the basis of said certainty-factor information; and

search means for carrying out a weighted search operation to search for a content file, which is to be used for reproducing or displaying a still image, a moving image, or an audio signal for recording said conditions surrounding said user and used for recording past conditions surrounding said user as conditions similar to present conditions surrounding said user, on the basis of said recognition information and said weight of said recognition information in the case of said determination result indicating a change in said conditions surrounding said user.

6. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein:

said determination means produces a result of determination as to whether or not said conditions surrounding said user have changed by comparing recognition information included in first meta information with recognition information included in second meta information generated right before said first meta information and using a change of said recognition information included in said first meta information as a basis of said determination; and

said weight computation means computes a weight representing the priority level of recognition information on the basis of said certainty-factor information and the magnitude of said change in said recognition information.

7. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising display means for displaying a still or moving image for a detected content file on the basis of said content file, wherein, if said user selects said still or moving image displayed by said display means, said search means further searches for a content file having meta information, which is associated with the content file, similar to said detected content file for said selected still or moving image on the basis of said detected content file for said selected still or moving image.

8. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising display means for displaying still or moving images for a detected content file in an order predetermined on the basis of said weight of said content file, wherein said search means computes said weight representing the priority level of said detected content file on the basis of a search result.

9. An information-processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting conditions surrounding the user and controlling generation of sensing data revealing said detected conditions surrounding said user;

recognizing said detected conditions surrounding said user on the basis of said sensing data; and

generating meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in said conditions surrounding said user on the basis of one or more pieces of sensing data and recognition information obtained as a recognition result produced by condition recognition means.

10. A program to be executed by a computer, comprising the steps of:

detecting conditions surrounding the user and controlling generation of sensing data revealing said detected conditions surrounding said user;

recognizing said detected conditions surrounding said user on the basis of said sensing data; and

generating meta information in the form of structured information to be used for detecting a change in said conditions surrounding said user on the basis of one or more pieces of sensing data and recognition information obtained as a recognition result produced by condition recognition means.