Information provision apparatus, information provision system and information provision method

• US 20070222797A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ota, Motoari, Misawa, Takeshi, Koshiba, Masaaki, Yamazaki, Akihisa, Mikami, Sumie
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

According to an aspect of the present invention, it is possible to visually show both of information which is originally visually recognizable and information which is originally not seen that have been provided from equipment on the same image, so that it is possible to grasp the content of information and the source of providing the information corresponding to or in association with each other. Furthermore, it is possible to view information difficult to visually recognize together with visually recognizable information, and it is possible to clearly grasp, in addition to information which can be visually obtained at the place where a user currently stays, information related to the visually obtained information, from an image visually indicating the association.

Claims

1. An information provision apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section which captures, as a subject, an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

a display setting section which sets the kind of a picture visually indicating association between the visually recognizable information and the picture information,

wherein the display control section controls the display device to display the picture visually indicating the association on the image according to the kind set by the display setting section.

2. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the picture visually indicating the association includes at least any one of a picture in which the picture information i s arranged near the visually recognizable information in the image, a picture in which a line positioned between the visually recognizable information in the image and the picture information is shown, a picture in which a words frame from the visually recognizable information in the image and the picture information arranged in the words frame are shown, a picture in which gradual appearance of the picture information from the visually recognizable information in the image is shown, and a picture in which the visually recognizable information in the image and the picture information are alternately displayed.

3. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recording section which records at least one of the image and the picture information in a condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information or in a condition that the picture information is not visually associated with the visually recognizable information.

4. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a recording section which records at least one of the image and the picture information in a condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information or in a condition that the picture information is not visually associated with the visually recognizable information.

5. The information provision apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a recording setting section which sets whether or not to record the image in the condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information, whether or not to separately record the information difficult to visually recognize or whether or not to separately record the image,

wherein the recording section records, according to the setting by the record setting section, the image in the condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information, separately records each of the image and the information difficult to visually recognize in the condition that the picture information is not visually associated with the visually recognizable information, separately records the information difficult to visually recognize or separately records the image.

6. The information provision apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a recording setting section which sets whether or not to record the image in the condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information, whether or not to separately record the information difficult to visually recognize or whether or not to separately record the image,

wherein the recording section records, according to the setting by the record setting section, the image in the condition that the picture information is visually associated with the visually recognizable information, separately records each of the image and the information difficult to visually recognize in the condition that the picture information is not visually associated with the visually recognizable information, separately records the information difficult to visually recognize or separately records the image.

7. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a movement setting section which sets a destination position to which the picture information is to be moved on the display section,

wherein the display section moves the picture information to the movement destination position set by the movement setting section and displays the information at the position.

8. The information provision apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a movement setting section which sets a destination position to which the picture information is to be moved on the display section,

wherein the display section moves the picture information to the movement destination position set by the movement setting section and displays the information at the position.

9. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display enable/disable setting section which sets whether or not to display the picture information,

wherein the display section displays or does not display the picture information according to the setting made by the display enable/disable setting section.

10. The information provision apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display enable/disable setting section which sets whether or not to display the picture information,

wherein the display section displays or does not display the picture information according to the setting made by the display enable/disable setting section.

11. An information provision system, comprising:

an information provision section which optically provides visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize;

an acquisition section which captures, as a subject, the information provision section to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

a display setting section which sets the kind of a picture visually indicating association between the visually recognizable information and the picture information, wherein the display control section controls the display device to display the picture visually indicating the association on the image according to the kind set by the display setting section.

12. An information provision method, comprising the steps of:

capturing an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

converting the acquired information difficult to visually recognize to visually recognizable picture information and displaying the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

setting the kind of a picture visually indicating association between the visually recognizable information and the picture information; and

displaying the picture visually indicating the association on the image according to the set kind.

13. An information provision apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section which captures an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize, and classification information classifying the information difficult to visually recognize, as a subject, to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the classification information by an imaging element;

a display classification setting section which sets the classification information about information to be displayed among the information difficult to visually recognize which has been acquired by the acquisition section; and

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize classified by the classification information set by the display classification setting section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image on the display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image.

14. An information provision apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section which captures an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize, and trigger information, which is information specifying a source of providing information related to the visually recognizable information, as a subject, to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the trigger information by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays at least one of the picture information and the trigger information on the image including the visually recognizable information in association with the image on the display device;

an information selection section which selects desired trigger information among the trigger information displayed on the display device; and

a related information provision section which acquires and provides the related information from a provision source specified by the trigger information selected by the information selection section.

15. The information provision apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the trigger information includes the address of a content data delivery source;

and

the related information provision section comprises a communication section which connects to the address of the content data delivery source included in the trigger information selected by the information selection section to acquire the related information.

16. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the content data includes at least one of a picture or voice related to a source of providing the visually recognizable information.

17. The information provision apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the trigger information includes the telephone number of the source of providing the visually recognizable information;

and

the related information provision section comprises a telephone conversation section which connects to the telephone number included in the trigger information selected by the information selection section to transmit and receive at least conversation voice.

18. The information provision apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the trigger information includes the telephone number of the source of providing the visually recognizable information;

and

the related information provision section comprises a telephone conversation section which connects to the telephone number included in the trigger information selected by the information selection section to transmit and receive at least conversation voice.

19. The information provision apparatus according to claim 16, wherein

the trigger information includes the telephone number of the source of providing the visually recognizable information;

and

the related information provision section comprises a telephone conversation section which connects to the telephone number included in the trigger information selected by the information selection section to transmit and receive at least conversation voice.

20. An information provision apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section which captures an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

a voice control section which converts information difficult to visually recognize acquired from a predetermined position in the effective pixel area of the imaging element to aurally recognizable voice information and reproduces the voice information from a voice reproduction device.

21. The information provision apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined position includes a position corresponding to the central part of the display device in the effective pixel area of the imaging element.

22. An information provision apparatus, comprising:

an acquisition section which captures an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

an area recognition section which recognizes an area for which the equipment provides visually recognizable information; and

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information on a display device in a condition that the picture information is superimposed on the area in the image including the visually recognizable information, which has been recognized by the area recognition section, in a manner that the picture information fits to the area.

23. An information provision system, comprising:

an information provision section which optically provides visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize and classification information classifying the information difficult to visually recognize;

an acquisition section which captures the information provision section as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the classification information by an imaging element;

a display classification setting section which sets the classification information about information to be displayed among the information difficult to visually recognize which has been acquired by the acquisition section; and

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize classified by the classification information set by the display classification setting section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image on the display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image.

24. An information provision system, comprising:

an information provision section which optically provides visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize and trigger information, which is information specifying a source of providing information related to the visually recognizable information;

an acquisition section which captures the information provision section as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the trigger information by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays at least one of the picture information and the trigger information on the image including the visually recognizable information in association with the image on the display device;

an information selection section which selects desired trigger information among the trigger information displayed on the display device; and

a related information provision section which acquires and provides the related information from a provision source specified by the trigger information selected by the information selection section.

25. An information provision system, comprising:

an information provision section which optically provides visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize;

an acquisition section which captures the information provision section as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

a voice control section which converts information difficult to visually recognize acquired from a predetermined position in the effective pixel area of the imaging element to aurally recognizable voice information and reproduces the voice information from a voice reproduction device.

26. An information provision system, comprising:

an information provision section which optically provides visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize;

an acquisition section which captures the information provision section as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

an area recognition section which recognizes an area for which the equipment provides visually recognizable information; and

a display control section which converts the information difficult to visually recognize acquired by the acquisition section to visually recognizable picture information and displays the picture information on a display device in a condition that the picture information is superimposed on the area in the image including the visually recognizable information, which has been recognized by the area recognition section, in a manner that the picture information fits to the area.

27. An information provision method, comprising the steps of:

capturing an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize, and classification information classifying the information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the classification information by an imaging element;

setting the classification information about information to be displayed among the acquired information difficult to visually recognize; and

converting the information difficult to visually recognize classified by the classification information set by the display classification setting section to visually recognizable picture information and displaying the picture information and the image on the display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image.

28. An information provision method, comprising the steps of:

capturing an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information, information difficult to visually recognize, and trigger information, which is information specifying a source of providing information related to the visually recognizable information, as a subject, to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information, the information difficult to visually recognize and the trigger information by an imaging element;

converting the acquired information difficult to visually recognize to visually recognizable picture information and displaying at least one of the picture information and the trigger information on the image including the visually recognizable information in association with the image on the display device;

selecting desired trigger information among the trigger information displayed on the display device; and

acquiring and providing the related information from a provision source specified by the selected trigger information.

29. An information provision method, comprising the steps of:

capturing an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

converting the acquired information difficult to visually recognize to visually recognizable picture information and displaying the picture information and the image including the visually recognizable information on a display device, the picture information being superimposed on the image including the visually recognizable information; and

converting information difficult to visually recognize acquired from a predetermined position in the effective pixel area of the imaging element to aurally recognizable voice information and reproducing the voice information from a voice reproduction device.

30. An information provision method, comprising the steps of:

capturing an equipment for optically providing visually recognizable information and information difficult to visually recognize as a subject to continuously acquire an image including the visually recognizable information and the information difficult to visually recognize by an imaging element;

recognizing an area for which the equipment provides visually recognizable information; and

converting the acquired information difficult to visually recognize to visually recognizable picture information and displaying the picture information on a display device in a condition that the picture information is superimposed on the area in the image including the visually recognizable information, which has been recognized by the area recognition section, in a manner that the picture information fits to the area.