Information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a medium

• US 6,501,854 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rekimoto, Junichi, Ihara, Keigo, Sueyoshi, Takahiko, Konishi, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mariam, Daniel G.
• Application Number:
  US09/364,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100-102, 382/137, 382/139, 382/181-183, 382/190, 382/205, 382/206, 382/209, 382/218, 382/305, 382/306, 382/312, 382/313, 235/375, 235/462.01, 235/462.05, 235/462.07, 235/462.09, 235/462.1, 235/462.11, 235/462.45, 358/403, 705/23, 705/26, 707/1, 707/2, 707/6, 707/10, 707/200, 709/200, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 709/208, 709/216
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus comprising: an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision means for deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing means for executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision means, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting means for requesting, if said identification information is decided as the global identification information by said decision means, a specific server to execute the global processing corresponding to said identification information; and a global processing result acquiring means for acquiring the result of said global processing by said specific server.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision means for deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or any one of a plurality of codes representing global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a local executing means for executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision means, the processing previously registered for each terminal;

a global processing requesting means for requesting, if said identification information is determined by said decision means to be any one of said codes representing the global identification information, a global code server that searches an associated global database having a plurality of stored codes and corresponding information to determine if the requested identification information corresponds to one of said stored corresponding information, to execute the global processing corresponding to said identification information;

wherein if said decision means determines that said recognized identification information is a code representing global identification information, said local executing means first searches a local database to determine if a global information corresponding to said recognized identification information is stored therein, and if so, executes said global processing without said global processing requesting means making a request to said global code server and;

a global processing result acquiring means for acquiring the result of said global processing by said global code server.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said identification information recognizing means extracts, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, a visual code provided on an object, and recognizes identification information corresponding to an image pattern of the visual code.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said identification information recognizing means extracts, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, a two-dimensional code provided on an object, and recognizes identification information corresponding to an image pattern of the two-dimensional code.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said corresponding information are corresponding programs.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said global information is a program.

6. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision means for deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a validity condition registering means for pre-registering a validity condition of said global identification information;

a validity condition decision means for deciding whether or not said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means satisfies the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering means;

a global processing executing means for executing, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision means and is decided to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision means, global processing corresponding to said identification information;

an update information requesting means for requesting, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision means and is decided not to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision means, update information associated with global processing corresponding to said identification information from a specific server; and

an updated global processing executing means for updating the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering means on the basis of the update information acquired by said specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of said update information.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said validity condition is a condition in which an expiration date has not yet been reached.

9. An information processing method according to claim 6 wherein said corresponding information are corresponding programs.

8. An information processing method comprising:

an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision step of deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or any one of a plurality of codes representing global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a local executing step of executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision step, the processing previously registered for each terminal;

a global processing requesting step for requesting, if said identification information is determined at said decision step to be any one of said codes representing the global identification information, a global code server that searches an associated global database having a plurality of stored codes and corresponding information to determine if the requested identification information corresponds to one of said stored corresponding information, to execute the global processing corresponding to said identification information;

wherein if it is determined at said decision step that said recognized identification information is a code representing global identification information, a local database is first searched to determine if a global information corresponding to said recognized identification information is stored therein, and if so, said global processing is executed without making a request to said global code server in said global processing requesting step and;

a global processing result acquiring step of acquiring the result of said global processing by said global code server.

10. A medium storing information which allows an information processing apparatus to execute instructions to carry out a method comprising:

an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision step of deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or any one of a plurality of codes representing global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a local executing step of executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision step, the processing previously registered for each terminal;

a global processing requesting step for requesting, if said identification information is determined at said decision step to be any one of said codes representing the global identification information, a global code server that searches an associated global database having a plurality of stored codes and corresponding programs to determine if the requested identification information corresponds to one of said stored programs, to execute the global processing corresponding to said identification information;

wherein if it is determined in said method at said decision step that said recognized identification information is a code representing global identification information, a local database is first searched to determine if a global information corresponding to said recognized identification information is stored therein, and if so, said global processing is executed without making a request to said global code server in said global processing requesting step and;

a global processing result acquiring step of acquiring the result of said global processing by said global code server.

11. A medium according to claim 10 wherein said information stored by said medium is a program.

13. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said validity condition is a condition in which an expiration date has not yet been reached.

12. An information processing method comprising:

an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision step of deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a validity condition registering step of pre-registering a validity condition of said global identification information;

a validity condition decision step of deciding whether or not said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step satisfies the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering step;

a global processing executing step for executing, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision step and is decided to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision step, global processing corresponding to said identification information;

an update information requesting step of requesting, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision step and is decided not to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision step, update information associated with global processing corresponding to said identification information from a specific server; and

an updated global processing executing step for updating the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering step on the basis of the update information acquired by said specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of said update information.

14. A medium storing information which allows an information processing apparatus to execute instructions to carry out a method comprising:

an image acquiring step of acquiring an objective image;

an identification information recognizing step of recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring step, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern;

a decision step of deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals;

a validity condition registering step of pre-registering a validity condition of said global identification information;

a validity condition decision step of deciding whether or not said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing step satisfies the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering step;

a global processing executing step for executing, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision step and is decided to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision step, global processing corresponding to said identification information;

an update information requesting step of requesting, if said identification information is decided as global identification information by said decision step and is decided not to satisfy said validity condition by said validity condition decision step, update information associated with global processing corresponding to said identification information from a specific server; and

an updated global processing executing step for updating the validity condition registered in said validity condition registering step on the basis of the update information acquired by said specific server and executing the updated global processing on the basis of said update information.

15. A medium according to claim 14, wherein said validity condition is a condition in which an expiration date has not yet been reached.

16. A medium according to claim 14 wherein said information stored by said medium is a program.