Information processing system to obtain and manage images of a property

• US 10,643,089 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Inamoto, Hirohisa, Fukuoka, Yusuke, Nakatani, Tadayoshi, Kushimoto, Kei, Nomura, Takuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Beg, Samah A
• Application Number:
  US15/729,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20180107886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for processing an image includes circuitry unit and a communication interface. The circuitry acquires identification information to identify a set of one or more objects to be imaged by an imaging device according to a predetermined imaging sequence. The communication interface transmits at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device in association with the identification information, to a management device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for processing images of a plurality of physical locations, comprising:

circuitry to acquire identification information identifying a set of one or more objects to be imaged, including a property identifier and a floor plan of a real-estate property corresponding to the property identifier, by an imaging device according to an imaging-location sequence which includes an order to image rooms in the property specifying a plurality of locations of the imaging device;

circuitry to generate display information corresponding to the plurality of locations, the display information indicating where the imaging device is to be located when capturing;

circuitry to capture the set of one or more objects by the imaging device while the imaging device is at the plurality of locations; and

a communication interface to transmit, to a management device, at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device according to the predetermined imaging-location sequence, in association with the identification information.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the imaging-location sequence based on ranking information.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the imaging-location sequence for the set of one or more objects to be imaged, sequentially instruct physical placement of the imaging device to image the set of one or more objects in accordance with the determined imaging-location sequence, and receive at least one image captured by the imaging device of the set of one or more objects, from the imaging device.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the information corresponding to the plurality of locations is textual information.

5. An information processing apparatus for processing images of a plurality of physical locations, comprising:

circuitry to acquire identification information identifying a set of one or more objects to be imaged, including a property identifier and a floor plan of a real-estate property corresponding to the property identifier, by an imaging device according to imaging-location candidates which includes an order to image rooms in the property, each specifying a location of the imaging device;

circuitry to display display information corresponding to the plurality of imaging-location candidates, the display information indicating where the imaging device is to be located when capturing;

circuitry to capture the set of one or more objects by the imaging device while the imaging device is at the plurality of imaging-location candidates; and

a communication interface to transmit, to a management device, at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device according to the imaging-location candidates, in association with the identification information.

9. An image processing system, comprising:

the information processing apparatus according to claim 5; and

a management device, including management circuitry to;

receive the identification information and information on the information processing apparatus from an information provision system; and

transmit the set of one or more images associated with the identification information to the information processing apparatus based on the information of the information processing apparatus.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an imager to capture an image of a code embedded with at least the identification information,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to extract the identification information from the image of the code captured by the imager.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to request the identification information from an external device storing the identification information.

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

an input device to receive a request to change an imaging condition set in the imaging device,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the imaging device to change the imaging condition according to the received request.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a display to display an initial image as an image to be firstly displayed, the initial image being a first area of the at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device, the at least one image being an omnidirectional image captured in all directions,

wherein, when the input device receives a request to change the initial image from the first area to a second area of the at least one image, the circuitry is further configured to change the initial image from the first area to the second area, and control the communication interface to transmit the initial image changed to the second area to the management device to update the initial image managed at the management device.

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

a display to display a screen that allows a user to select between a first operation to discard an image of one of the one or more objects and capture another image of the one of the one or more objects and a second operation to capture an image of a next object; and

an input device to receive a selection that selects the first operation or the second operation.

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

an input device to receive an input of the identification information and an instruction to edit a set of one or more images associated with the identification information, managed by the management device,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to

transmit, to the management device, the identification information received by the input device;

obtain the set of one or more images associated with the transmitted identification information from the management device;

edit the set of one or more images associated with the identification information received from the management device according to the instruction to edit; and

issue an instruction for the management device to update the set of one or more images being managed at the management device to the set of one or more images that has been edited.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the information corresponding to the plurality of imaging-location candidates is textual information.

6. An information processing method for processing images of a plurality of physical locations, comprising:

acquiring identification information identifying a set of one or more objects to be imaged, including a property identifier and a floor plan of a real-estate property corresponding to the property identifier, by an imaging device according to an imaging-location sequence which includes an order to image rooms in the property specifying a plurality of locations of the imaging device;

displaying display information corresponding to the plurality of locations, the display information indicating where the imaging device is to be located when capturing;

capturing the set of one or more objects by the imaging device while the imaging device is at the plurality of locations; and

transmitting, to a management device, at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device according to the predetermined imaging-location sequence, in association with the identification information.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein:

the information corresponding to the plurality of locations is textual information.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that causes an information processing apparatus to perform the method according to claim 6.

17. An information processing method for processing images of a plurality of physical locations, comprising:

acquiring identification information identifying a set of one or more objects to be imaged, including a property identifier and a floor plan of a real-estate property corresponding to the property identifier, by an imaging device according to imaging-location candidates which include an order to image rooms in the property, each specifying a location of the imaging device;

displaying display information corresponding to the imaging-location candidates, the display information indicating where the imaging device is to be located when capturing;

capturing the set of one or more objects by the imaging device while the imaging device is at the plurality of imaging-location candidates; and

transmitting, to a management device, at least one image of the set of one or more objects that is captured by the imaging device according to the imaging-location candidates, in association with the identification information.

18. The information processing method according to claim 17, wherein:

the information corresponding to the plurality of imaging-location candidates is textual information.