Data providing system, data providing apparatus and method, data acquisition system and method, and program storage medium

• US 7,480,693 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamoto, Satoru, Kohno, Michinari, Nagano, Naoki, Shinoda, Mayumi, Fuse, Atsushi, Kaneko, Jun, Fujii, Katsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US11/252,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/220, 709/228, 709/201, 709/224, 709/226, 725/87, 715/716, 345/619
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

The present invention is intended to provide a data providing system including a data providing apparatus having provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a provision image which is reusable by inlaying a predetermined advertisement image into a predetermined template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon the predetermined advertisement image and providing-side transmitting means for transmitting the provision image data via a network. The data providing system also includes a data acquisition apparatus having acquiring-side receiving means for receiving the provision image data from the data providing apparatus via the network, transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for displaying the provision image based on the provision image data onto a predetermined display means, inlaying the predetermined user image as superimposed upon the predetermined advertisement image into the template image of the provision image, and displaying the predetermined user image together with the template image in preference to the predetermined advertisement image until the predetermined user image is detached from the template image, and acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting the transmission image data to a predetermined destination via the network.

Claims

1. A data providing system, comprising:

a data providing apparatus, including;

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a provision image that is reusable by inlaying a predetermined advertisement image into a predetermined template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image, and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data via a network; and

a data acquisition apparatus, including;

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving said provision image data from said data providing apparatus via said network,

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for displaying said provision image based on said provision image data onto predetermined display means, inlaying said predetermined user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image, and displaying said predetermined user image together with said template image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said predetermined user image is detached from said template image, and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network.

2. The data providing system according to claim 1, wherein said acquiring-side receiving means of said data acquisition apparatus receives said transmission image data from another device and said transmission image data generating means of said data acquisition apparatus generates new transmission image data of a new transmission image for displaying said transmission image based on said transmission image data onto said display means, displaying said provision image after detaching said user image from said transmission image, inlaying a new user image into said template image of said provision image as superimposed upon said advertisement image, and displaying said new user image along with said template image in preference to said advertisement image until said new user image is detatched from said template image.

3. A data acquisition apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving provision image data of a provision image in which a predetermined advertisement image is inlaid into a template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image, said provision image data being received from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for displaying said provision image based on said provision image data onto predetermined display means, inlaying said predetermined user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image, and displaying said predetermined user image together with said template image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said predetermined user image is detached from said template image; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network,

wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives said transmission image data from another device and said transmission image data generating means of said data acquisition apparatus generates new transmission image data of a new transmission image for displaying said transmission image based on said transmission image data onto said display means, detaches said predetermined user image from said transmission image to display said provision image, inlaying said new user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image, and displaying a new user image together with said template image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said new user image is detached from said template image.

4. The data acquisition apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives, from said data providing apparatus via said network, said provision image data in which attribute information for indicating said predetermined advertisement image is displayed inside said provision image.

5. A data acquisition method, comprising:

receiving provision image data of a provision image in which a predetermined advertisement image is inlaid into a template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image, said provision image data being received from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network;

generating transmission image data of a transmission image for displaying said provision image based on said provision image data onto predetermined display means, inlaying said predetermined user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image, and displaying said predetermined user image together with said template image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said predetermined user image is detached from said template image; and

transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network;

wherein said step of receiving provision image data receives said tranmission image data from another device, and said step of generating transmission image data generates new transmission image data of a new transmission image for displaying said transmission image based on said transmission image data onto said display means, detaches said predetermined user image from said transmission image to display said provision image, inlays said new user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image, and displays a new user image together with said template image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said new user image is detached from said template image.

6. A data providing system, comprising:

a data providing apparatus, including;

associating means for issuing an identifier to each of a template image in which a predetermined user image can be superimposed upon a predetermined inlay image and said inlay image to associate them with each other,

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a provision image that is reusable by inlaying said predetermined inlay image into said associated template image, and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data via a network; and

a data acquisition apparatus, including;

transmitting-side receiving means for receiving said provision image from said data providing apparatus via said network,

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for inlaying said predetermined user image as superimposed upon said predetermined inlay image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data, and displaying said predetermined user image in preference to said predetermined inlay image until said predetermined user image is detached from said template image, and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network.

7. The data providing system according to claim 6, wherein said associating means of said data providing apparatus issues said identifier to a predetermined advertisement image as said inlay image to associate said advertisement image with said template image, said provision image data generating means of said data providing apparatus generates said provision image data of said provision image which is reusable by inlaying said predetermined advertisement image into said template image, and said transmission image data generating means of said data acquisition apparatus generates said transmission image data while displaying said provision image based on said provision image data on predetermined display means.

8. A data acquisition apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving provision image data of a reusable provision image generated by inlaying a predetermined inlay image into a predetermined template image associated with an issued identifier, said provision image data being received from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for inlaying a predetermined user image as superimposed upon said inlay image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data, and displaying said predetermined user image in preference to said predetermined inlay image until said predetermined user image is detached from said template image; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network;

wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives, from said data providing apparatus via said network, said provision image data of said provision image generated by inlaying a predetermined advertisement image into said template image as said inlay image and said transmission image data generating means generates said transmission image data while displaying said provision image based on said provision image data onto a predetermined display means.

9. A data providing system, comprising:

a data providing apparatus, including;

associating means for issuing an identifier to each of at least one template image in which a predetermined user image can be inlaid into a predetermined advertisement image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image and to said at least one predetermined advertisement image to associate said at least one template image with said one predetermined advertisement image,

storage means for storing into a predetermined recording medium said at least one template image and said at least one predetermined advertisement image along with said identifiers thereof,

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data added with said identifier corresponding to a reusable provision image in which said predetermined advertisement image is inlaid in said associated template image, and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data via a network; and

a data acquisition apparatus, including;

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving said provision image data from said data providing apparatus via said network,

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data by inlaying said predetermined user image as superimposed upon said predetermined advertisement image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data, and adding said identifier to said provision image that displays said predetermined user image in preference to said predetermined advertisement image until said predetermined user image is detached for reuse from said template image, and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination from said network via said data providing apparatus,

wherein said data providing apparatus extracts said identifier from said transmission image data to be transmitted from said data acquisition apparatus via said network though said provision image data generating means, retrieves a new associated advertisement image from said storage means on the basis of said extracted identifier, and updates said provision image used for generating said transmission image data based on said retrieved advertisement image.

10. A data providing apparatus, comprising:

associating means for issuing an identifier to each of at least one template image in which a predetermined user image can be inlaid into a predetermined advertisement image as superimposed on said predetermined advertisement image and to said at least one predetermined advertisement image to associate said at least one template image with said at least one predetermined advertisement image;

storage means for storing into a predetermined recording medium said at least one template image and said at least one predetermined advertisement image along with said respective identifiers thereof;

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data added with said at least one identifier corresponding to a reusable provision image in which said predetermined advertisement image is inlaid in said associated template image; and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data via a network; and

providing-side receiving means for receiving transmission image data generated by adding said received identifier to said provision image for inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image as superimposed upon said advertisement image based on said provision image data halfway in a transmission from a data acquiring apparatus to a predetermined destination via said network as a result of said transmission of said provision image data to said data acquiring apparatus and displaying said user image in preference to said advertisement image until said user image is detached from said template image for reuse,

wherein said provision image data generating means extracts said identifier from said transmission image data and reads a new associated advertisement image from said storage means based on said extracted identifier, by use of the retrieved new advertisement image updates said provision image used for generating said transmission image data, and said providing-side transmitting means transmits said transmission image data generated by updating said provision image to said predetermined destination via said network.

11. The data providing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said provision image data generating means reads said new associated advertisement image from said storage means on the basis of said identifier extracted from said transmission image data and a date of the transmission of said transmission image data and, by use of said retrieved advertisement image, updates said provision image used for generating said transmission image data.

12. A data acquiring apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving provision image data generated by adding an identifier corresponding to a reusable provision image generated by inlaying an advertisement image into a template image that are transmitted in a predetermined data providing apparatus in which said identifier is issued to each of said template image and said advertisement image to associate with said images;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data by adding said identifier to said provision image generated by inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data, and until said user image is detached from said template image for reuse displaying said user image in preference to said advertisement image; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data from said network to a predetermined destination though said data providing apparatus to update said advertisement image of said provision image used for generating said transmission image data based on said identifier.

13. A data providing system, comprising:

a data providing apparatus, including;

issuing means for issuing an identifier to a predetermined template image,

storage means for storing said template image along with said identifier into a predetermined recording medium, and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said template image and said corresponding identifier via a network;

a data acquiring apparatus, including;

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving said template image and said identifier from said data providing apparatus via said network,

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data composed of a predetermined user image that is inlaid into said template image and said identification information, and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network; and

a data relay apparatus, including;

relay-side receiving means for receiving in a relay manner said transmission image data transmitted from said data acquiring apparatus to said predetermined destination via said network,

capturing means for extracting said identification information from said transmission image data and based on said extracted identification information capturing said corresponding template image from said data providing apparatus, and

relay-side transmitting means for adding said template image to said transmission image data to transmit said transmission data to said predetermined destination via said network.

14. The data providing system according to claim 13, wherein said data providing apparatus further includes:

associating means for associating an advertisement image to which an identifier has been issued by said issuing means with said identifier of said template image, and

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a provision image with said advertisement image inlaid into said associated template image;

said storage means of said data providing apparatus stores said advertisement image and said identifier corresponding thereto and said template image and said identifiers corresponding thereto into said recording medium;

said providing-side transmitting means of said data providing apparatus transmits said provision image data and at least one of said corresponding identifiers via said network;

said transmission image data generating means of said data acquiring apparatus generates manipulation information obtained by manipulating said provision image data by inlaying, as superimposed upon said advertisement image, said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data received at said acquiring-side receiving means;

said acquiring-side transmitting means of said data acquiring apparatus transmits said transmission image data added with said manipulation information to said predetermined destination;

said relay-side receiving means of said data relay apparatus receives in a relaying manner said transmission image data added with said manipulation information from said data acquiring apparatus via said network;

said capturing means of said data relay apparatus extracts said identification information from said transmission image data added with said manipulation information and, on the basis of the extracted identification information, captures said corresponding template image and said corresponding advertisement image from said data providing apparatus;

and said relay-side transmitting means of said data relay apparatus adds said template image and said advertisement image to said transmission image data added with said manipulation information and transmits the resultant transmission image data to said predetermined destination via said network.

15. A data providing apparatus, comprising:

issuing means for issuing an identifier to a predetermined template image;

storage means for storing said predetermined template image along with said identifier into a predetermined recording medium;

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said template image and said corresponding identifier via said network and, when transmission image data composed of a predetermined user image that is to be inlaid into said template image at a predetermined acquiring side and said identifier are relayed by a predetermined relay apparatus for transmission to a predetermined destination transmitting said corresponding template image requested by said data relay apparatus based on said identifier to said data relay apparatus;

associating means for associating an advertisement image to which an identifier has been issued by said issuing means with said identifier of said template image; and

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a provision image with said advertisement image inlaid into said associated template image;

wherein said storage means stores said advertisement image and said identifier corresponding thereto and said template image and said identifier corresponding thereto into said recording medium, and said providing-side transmitting means transmits said provision image data and at least one of said corresponding identifiers via said network and, when said transmission image data added with manipulation information obtained by manipulating said provision image data so that said user image is inlaid, as superimposed upon said advertisement image, into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data to display said user image in preference to said advertisement image are relayed by said data relay apparatus to a predetermined destination, transmit said corresponding template image and said corresponding advertisement image requested by said data relay apparatus on the basis of said identifier to said data relay apparatus.

16. A data acquiring apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving, from a predetermined data providing apparatus for storing a predetermined template image and an identifier issued to said template image said template image and said identifier via a network;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data composed of a predetermined user image to be inlaid into said template image and said identification information; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data by relaying from said network to a predetermined destination though a predetermined data relay apparatus that captures said corresponding template image from said data providing apparatus based on said identifier to add said captured template image to said transmission image data;

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving from a predetermined data providing apparatus for storing a predetermined template image and an identifier issued to said template image said template image and said identifier via a network;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data composed of a predetermined user image to be inlaid into said template image and said identification information; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data by relaying from said network to a predetermined destination though a predetermined data relay apparatus that captures said corresponding template image from said data providing apparatus based on said identifier to add said captured template image to said transmission image data.

17. The data acquiring apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives provision image data of a provision image with said advertisement image inlaid into said template image associated with each other by their identifiers and at least one of said corresponding identifiers from said data providing apparatus via said network;

said transmission image data generating means generates manipulation information obtained by inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data as superimposed upon said advertisement image and manipulating said provision image data so that said user image is displayed in preference to said advertisement image; and

said acquiring-side transmitting means adds said manipulation information to said transmission image data and transmits from said network to said predetermined destination though said data relay apparatus which captures said template image and said advertisement image corresponding to each other from said data providing apparatus on the basis of said identifier to add the captured images to said transmission image data.

18. A data acquiring apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving provision image data of a provision image with an advertisement image inlaid into a predetermined template image and an identifier previously issued to said template image from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data by manipulating said provision image data by presenting said provision image based on said provision image data displayed on predetermined display means and then inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image as superimposed upon said advertisement image so that said user image is displayed in preference to said advertisement image; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for adding said identifier of said template image to said transmission image data in order to count a number of times said template image has been used for product advertisement though said advertisement image and transmitting said resultant transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network;

wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives said provision image data and an identifier issued beforehand to said advertisement image of said provision image data from said data providing apparatus via said network and said acquiring-side transmitting means adds said identifier to said transmission image data in order to count the number of times said advertisement image has been used for product advertisement and transmits the resultant transmission image data to said predetermined destination via said network.

19. A data acquiring method, comprising:

receiving provision image data of a provision image with an advertisement image inlaid into a predetermined template image and an identifier previously issued to said template image from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network;

generating transmission image data by manipulating said provision image data by presenting said provision image based on said provision image data displayed on predetermined display means and then inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image as superimposed upon said advertisement image so that said user image is displayed in preference to said advertisement image; and

adding said identifier of said template image to said transmission image data to count a number of times said template image has been used for product advertisement through said advertisement image and transmitting said resultant transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network;

wherein said step of receiving provision image data receives said provision image data and an identifier issued beforehand to said advertisement image of said provision image data from said data providing apparatus via said network, and said adding step adds said identifier to said transmission image data in order to count the number of times said advertisement image has been used for product advertisement and transmits the resultant transmission image data to said predetermined destination via said network.

20. A data providing system, comprising:

a data providing apparatus, including;

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a reusable provision image embedded with a program for executing predetermined processing in accordance with contents of a template image and an inlay image by following a predetermined instruction given on said template image and said inlay image, said inlay image being inlaid into said template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon said inlay image, and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data via a network; and

a data acquiring apparatus, including;

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving said provision image data from said data providing apparatus via said network,

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission-image for inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data as superimposed upon said inlay image and until said user image is detached for reuse from said template image displaying said user image in preference to said inlay image and activating said program by following said instruction given on said user image, and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network.

21. The data providing system according to claim 20, wherein said provision image data generating means generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and transmitting a result of said instruction to a predetermined device which holds another associated provision image or transmission image by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image.

22. The data providing system according to claim 20, wherein said provision data generating means of said data providing apparatus generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and manipulating said template image and/or said inlay image by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image.

23. The data providing system according to claim 20, wherein said provision image data generating means generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying an advertisement image as said inlay image into said template image and executing said predetermined processing by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said advertisement image.

24. A data providing apparatus, comprising:

provision image data generating means for generating provision image data of a reusable provision image embedded with a program for executing predetermined processing in accordance with contents of a template image and an inlay image by following an instruction given on said template image and said inlay image which is inlaid into said template image into which a predetermined user image can be inlaid as superimposed upon said inlay image, said provision image data providing transmission image for activating said program in accordance with said instruction given on said user image that is displayed in preference to said inlay image until said user image is detached from said template image, said user image being inlaid into said template image by a predetermined data acquiring apparatus as superimposed upon said inlay image; and

providing-side transmitting means for transmitting said provision image data to said data acquiring apparatus via said network;

wherein said provision image data generating means generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and, by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image, transmitting a result of said instruction to a predetermined device holding another associated provision image or transmission image.

25. The data providing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said provision image data generating means of said data providing apparatus generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and, by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image, manipulating said template image and/or said inlay image.

26. The data providing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said provision image data generating means of said data providing apparatus generates said provision image data of said reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying an advertisement image as said inlay image into said template image and executing said predetermined processing by following said instruction given on said template image and/or said advertisement image.

27. A data acquiring apparatus, comprising:

acquiring-side receiving means for receiving, from a predetermined data providing apparatus via a network, provision image data of a reusable provision image embedded with a program for inlaying an inlay image into a predetermined template image and, in accordance with an instruction given on said template image and said inlay image executing predetermined processing in accordance with contents of said template image and said inlay image;

transmission image data generating means for generating transmission image data of a transmission image for inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data as superimposed upon said inlay image and until said user image is detached for reuse from said template image displaying said user image in preference to said inlay image and activating said program by following said instruction given on said user image; and

acquiring-side transmitting means for transmitting said transmission image data to a predetermined destination via said network;

wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives, from said data providing apparatus via said network, provision image data of reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and, by following an instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image, transmitting a result of said instruction to a predetermined device holding another associated provision image or transmission image; and

said transmission image data generating means generates said transmission image data of said transmission image by writing an address of a destination of said result of said instruction to said program so that said user image is inlaid into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data as superimposed upon said inlay image and then, until said user image is detached for reuse from said template image, said user image is displayed in preference to said inlay image, and said result of said instruction is transmitted by activating said program by following said instruction given on said user image.

28. The data acquiring apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives said result of said instruction given on said user image of said transmission image from another predetermined device via said network;

and said transmission image data generating means manipulates said template image, said inlay image, and/or said user image of said corresponding transmission image on the basis of said result of said instruction.

29. The data acquiring apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said acquiring-side receiving means receives, from said data providing apparatus via said network, provision image data of reusable provision image embedded with said program for inlaying said inlay image into said template image and manipulating said template image and/or said inlay image by following an instruction given on said template image and/or said inlay image;

and said transmission image data generating means generates said transmission image data of said transmission image for manipulating said user image by inlaying said user image into said template image of said provision image based on said provision image data as superimposed upon said inlay image and then, until said user image is detached from said template image, displaying said user image in preference to said inlay image, and activating said program by following said instruction given on said user image.