Information provision system, information provision device, information provision method, terminal device, and display method

• US 8,847,789 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sano, Akane, Asukai, Masamichi, Ito, Taiji, Sugino, Akinobu, Kamatani, Yoshiteru, Hayashi, Kazunori, Kon, Takayasu, Kamada, Yasunori, Takehara, Mitsuru, Sako, Yoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US12/248,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,182 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/995, 340/691.6, 340/907, 340/691.3, 340/686.1, 340/286.01, 340/995.1, 348/135, 348/153, 701/202, 701/200, 701/400, 701/434, 701/409, 701/414, 382/103, 382/115, 455/457, 455/456.41
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/53 Recognition of crowd images, e.g. recognition of crowd congestion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1961 Movement detection not involving frame subtraction, e.g. motion detection on the basis of luminance changes in the image
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19682 Graphic User Interface [GUI] presenting system data to the user, e.g. information on a screen helping a user interacting with an alarm system
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

An information provision system includes a terminal device, and an information provision device that can communicate with the terminal device. The information provision device includes a communicating section configured to communicate with the terminal device, a head count information managing section configured to manage current head count information for each position, and a crowd information generating section configured to determine a position for making a notification display based on the managed head count information, and generate crowd information containing information of the determined position, and a transmission control section configured to transmit the generated crowd information from the communicating section to the terminal device. The terminal device includes a communicating section configured to communicate with the information provision device, and a control section configured to execute display of a map image on a display section, and execute a display based on the transmitted crowd information on the map image.

Claims

1. An information provision system comprising:

a terminal device; and

an information provision device that can communicate with the terminal device,

wherein the information provision device is configured to;

communicate with the terminal device,

manage current head count information for a plurality of positions, the current head count information being determined based at least in part upon information received from the terminal device,

determine a first position of the plurality of positions for which a notification display is generated, based on the current head count information, and generate crowd information including information regarding the first position, and

cause the crowd information to be transmitted to the terminal device, and wherein the terminal device is configured to;

communicate with the information provision device, and

execute a display of a map image on an integrated or separate display section, and execute on the map image a display based on biometric information and crowd information, the biometric information being associated with the crowd information, the crowd information being transmitted from the information provision device and received by the terminal device, wherein the map image indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information, and wherein the biometric information is used to display on the integrated or separate display section a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.

2. An information provision device comprising:

a communicating section for communicating with an external terminal device;

a head count information managing section for managing current head count information for a plurality of positions, the current head count information being determined based at least in part upon information received from the external terminal device; and

a server control section for determining a first position of the plurality of positions for which a notification display is generated, based on biometric information and the current head count information managed by the head count information managing section, and generating crowd information including information regarding the first position, the server control section causing the crowd information and information that indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information to be transmitted from the communicating section to the external terminal device,

wherein the biometric information is used to display a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.

3. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining whether or not a current head count at each of the plurality of positions is equal to or more than a predetermined head count, from the head count information managed by the head count information managing section.

4. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining whether or not an amount of change in head count is equal to or more than a predetermined amount of change, from the head count information managed by the head count information managing section.

5. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein:

the communicating section receives current condition information transmitted from the external terminal device and including at least current position information of the terminal device; and

the head count information managing section manages the current head count information by using the received current condition information.

6. The information provision device according to claim 5, wherein:

the current condition information also includes identification information on the terminal device side; and

the head count information managing section manages information of a person present at one or more of the plurality of positions based on the identification information.

7. The information provision device according to claim 6, wherein:

the current condition information includes the biometric information; and

the head count information managing section manages the biometric information as the information of a person present, together with the identification information.

8. The information provision device according to claim 6, wherein the head count information managing section manages attribute registration information of a person who uses the terminal device, in association with the identification information.

9. The information provision device according to claim 6, wherein the head count information managing section manages stay time at a current position in association with the identification information, as the information of a person present.

10. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein when determining whether or not the current head count is equal to or more than a predetermined head count, the server control section makes the determination based on setting a different value of the predetermined head count for each of the plurality of positions, to determine the first position.

11. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining whether or not the current head count within a specific area range is equal to or more than a predetermined head count.

12. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining, as the current head count for each of the plurality of positions, a current head count of persons who match a predetermined extraction criterion, and determining whether or not the determined current head count is equal to or more than a predetermined head count.

13. The information provision device according to claim 12, wherein the extraction criterion includes at least one of person'"'"'s attribute registration information, biometric information, motion information, and stay time.

14. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein the server control section determines the first position where a current head count is equal to or more than a predetermined head count, and in accordance with distribution of attribute information of persons present.

15. The information provision device according to claim 4, wherein when determining whether or not the amount of change in current head count is equal to or more than a predetermined head count, the server control section sets a different value of the reference amount of change for each of the plurality of positions.

16. The information provision device according to claim 4, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining whether or not the amount of change in current head count within a specific area range is equal to or more than a reference amount of change.

17. The information provision device according to claim 4, wherein the server control section determines the first position by determining a current head count of persons who match a predetermined extraction criterion at each of the plurality of positions, and determining whether or not an amount of change in the determined current head count is equal to or more than a reference amount of change.

18. The information provision device according to claim 17, wherein the extraction criterion includes at least one of a person'"'"'s attribute, registration information, biometric information, motion information, and stay time.

19. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein the server control section determines the first position where an amount of change in head count is equal to or more than a reference amount of change, and in accordance with distribution of attribute information of persons present.

20. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section generates crowd information including information of the first position, and information of a current head count or an amount of change in head count at the first position.

21. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section generates crowd information including information of the first position, and information of an extraction criterion used when determining the first position.

22. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section generates crowd information including information of the first position, and additional information for the first position.

23. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section causes the crowd information to be transmitted from the communicating section to the external terminal device, in response to reception of request information from the external terminal device.

24. The information provision device according to claim 2, wherein the server control section causes the crowd information to be transmitted from the communicating section to the terminal device, at a transmission timing according to a change in head count condition.

25. An information provision method comprising steps of:

managing current head count information for a plurality of positions, the current head count information being determined based at least in part upon information received from external terminal devices;

determining a first position of the plurality of positions for which a notification display is generated, based on biometric information and the current head count information, and generating crowd information including information of the first position, wherein the biometric information is used to display a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person; and

transmitting the crowd information and information that indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information to at least one of the external terminal devices.

26. A terminal device comprising:

a communicating section for communicating with an external information provision device, wherein the communicating section is configured to send information regarding a position of the terminal device to the external information provision device; and

a controller for executing a display of a map image on an integrated or separate display section, and executing on the map image a display based on biometric information and crowd information, the biometric information being associated with the crowd information, the crowd information being transmitted from the external information provision device and received by the communicating section and includes position information of a position determined based on head count information, wherein the map image indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information, and wherein the biometric information is used to display a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.

27. The terminal device according to claim 26, wherein:

the crowd information includes the position information of the first position, and information of a current head count or an amount of change in head count at the first position; and

the controller executes, as the display based on the crowd information, a display that varies in accordance with the current head count or the amount of change in head count, at a location on the map image corresponding to the position information.

28. The terminal device according to claim 26, wherein:

the crowd information includes the position information of the first position, and information of an extraction criterion used when determining the first position; and

the controller executes, as the display based on the crowd information, a display that varies in accordance with the extraction criterion, at a location on the map image corresponding to the position information.

29. The terminal device according to claim 26, wherein:

the crowd information includes the position information of the first position, and additional information with respect to the first position; and

the controller executes a display based on the additional information as the display based on the crowd information, at a location on the map image corresponding to the position information.

30. A display method for a terminal device that can communicate with an external information provision device, comprising steps of:

receiving crowd information including position information of a first position, from the external information provision device, the crowd information being determined based at least in part upon information received from a plurality of terminal devices; and

executing a display of a map image on an integrated or separate display section based on biometric information and the crowd information, wherein the map image indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information, and wherein the biometric information is used to display on the integrated or separate display section a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.

31. An information provision system comprising:

a terminal device; and

an information provision device that can communicate with the terminal device,

wherein the information provision device includes

a communicating section configured to communicate with the terminal device;

a head count information managing section configured to manage current head count information for a plurality of positions, the current head count information being determined based at least in part upon information received from the terminal device;

a crowd information generating section configured to determine a first position for which a notification display is generated, based on the current head count information managed by the head count managing section, and generate crowd information including information of the first position, and

a transmission control section configured to cause the crowd information generated by the crowd information generating section to be transmitted from the communicating section to the terminal device, and

wherein the terminal device includes

a communicating section configured to communicate with the information provision device, and

a control section configured to execute a display of a map image on an integrated or separate display section, and execute on the map image a display based on biometric information and crowd information, the biometric information being associated with the crowd information, the crowd information being transmitted from the information provision device and received by the communicating section, wherein the map image indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information, and wherein the biometric information is used to display on the integrated or separate display section a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.

32. An information provision device comprising:

a communicating section configured to communicate with an external terminal device;

a head count information managing section configured to manage current head count information for a plurality of positions, the current head count information being determined based at least in part upon information received from the external terminal device;

a crowd information generating section configured to determine a first position of the plurality of positions for which a notification display is generated, based on biometric information and the current head count information managed by the head count managing section, and generate crowd information including information of the first position, wherein the biometric information is used to display a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person; and

a transmission control section configured to cause the crowd information generated by the crowd information generating section and information that indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information to be transmitted from the communicating section to the external terminal device.

33. A terminal device comprising:

a communicating section configured to communicate with an external information provision device, wherein the communicating section is configured to send information regarding a position of the terminal device to the external information provision device; and

a control section configured to execute a display of a map image on an integrated or separate display section, and execute on the map image a display based on crowd information that is transmitted from the external information provision device and received by the communicating section, the crowd information including position information of a position for which a notification display is generated, the position for which a notification display is generated being determined based on head count information and biometric information, wherein the map image indicates a type of event associated with the crowd information, and wherein the biometric information is used to display on the integrated or separate display section a psychological state of a crowd comprising at least one person.