Information provision apparatus, information provision method, and non-transitory storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9712693-B2
Application number	US-201314420423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2013
Priority date	Aug 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an information provision apparatus ( 10 ) including: a feature quantity storage unit ( 11 ) in which a feature quantity of print content that is printed on a printed material is stored; a relevant information storage unit ( 12 ) in which relevant information that is associated with the print content is stored; a captured image obtainment unit ( 13 ) that obtains a captured image that is captured by an imaging unit; a specification unit ( 14 ) that specifies the print content that is included in the captured image by using the feature quantity of the print content that is stored in the feature quantity storage unit ( 11 ); and a relevant information output unit ( 15 ) that obtains from the relevant information storage unit ( 12 ) the relevant information that is associated with the print content that is specified by the specification unit ( 14 ) and outputs the obtained relevant information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information provision apparatus comprising:
a feature quantity storage unit, implemented at least by hardware including a CPU and memory, in which a feature quantity of each of a plurality of pieces of print content that is printed on a brochure is stored;
a relevant information storage unit, implemented at least by the hardware, in which each of a plurality of pieces of relevant information is stored in association with each of the plurality of pieces of print content;
a captured image obtainment unit, implemented at least by the hardware, that obtains a captured image that is captured by an imaging unit;
a specification unit, implemented at least by the hardware, that searches the captured image with the feature quantity of each of the plurality of pieces of print content as a key and extracts a piece of the print content from the captured image;
a relevant information output unit, implemented at least by the hardware, that obtains from the relevant information storage unit a piece of the relevant information that is associated with the piece of print content that is extracted by the specification unit and projects the obtained piece of relevant information onto the brochure,
wherein the print content includes a guide, and the relevant information includes another guide,
wherein identification information by which multiple brochures having the same print content are distinguishable from each other is printed on each one of the multiple brochures, and the specification unit reads the identification information that is included in the captured image,
wherein while the relevant information output unit is projecting the obtained piece of relevant information, the captured image obtainment unit obtains a second captured image of the brochure, and the specification unit determines that a user has touched the brochure where a specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected;
a transmission unit, implemented at least by the hardware, that, responsive to the specification unit determining that the user has touched the brochure where the specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected, transmits a transmission address associated with the brochure and indication that the user has touched the brochure where the specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected.

2. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the specification unit specifies a position of the brochure by using the captured image, and
wherein the relevant information output unit includes a projector and projects the relevant information onto the brochure.

3. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein projection positional information indicating a position on the brochure onto which the relevant information is projected is stored, for every piece of relevant information, in the relevant information storage unit, and
wherein the relevant information output unit projects the relevant information onto the position on the brochure that is specified with the projection positional information.

4. The information provision apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the specification unit further specifies an angle of the brochure by using the captured image, and
wherein based on the position and the angle of the brochure, the relevant information output unit adjusts at least one among a size, a shape, and a position of an image on which the relevant information is displayed, and thus outputs the image with at least the one among the size, the shape, and the position being adjusted.

5. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein multiple feature quantities of the print content that is printed on the brochure which includes multiple pages are stored in the feature quantity amount storage unit in a unit of one page or in a unit of two facing pages.

6. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an analysis unit, implemented at least by the hardware, that stores a result that is specified by the specification unit with the result being associated with a point in time at which the imaging unit images the print content, and analyzes a behavioral pattern of a user who reads the brochure by using the stored result of information.

7. The information provision apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the transmission unit transmits the result of the analysis by the analysis unit to an external apparatus.

8. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the print content includes a guide of a facility.

9. The information provision apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the print content includes a guide of a facility in which the brochure is disposed.

10. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executable by a computer to:
a store a feature quantity of each of a plurality of pieces of print content that is printed on a brochure;
store each of a plurality of pieces of relevant information that is associated with the print content in association with each of the plurality of pieces of print content;
obtain a captured image that is captured by an imaging unit;
search the captured image with the feature quantity of each of the plurality of pieces of print content as a key and extract a piece of the print content from the captured image;
obtain a piece of the relevant information that is associated with the piece of print content that is extracted and project the obtained piece of relevant information onto the brochure,
wherein the print content includes a guide, and the relevant information includes another guide,
wherein identification information by which multiple brochures having the same print content are distinguishable from each other is printed on each one of the multiple brochures, and the identification information that is read and that is included in the captured image,
wherein while the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected, a second captured image of the brochure is captured, and that a user has touched the brochure where a specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected is determined; and
transmit, responsive to determination that the user has touched the brochure where the specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected, a transmission address associated with the brochure and indication that the user has touched the brochure where the specific portion of the obtained piece of relevant information is being projected.

11. An information provision method comprising:
obtaining a captured image that is captured by an imaging unit, the captured image of a plurality of pieces of print content, each piece having a feature quantity and a piece of relevant information;
searching the captured image with the feature quantity of each of the plurality of pieces of the print content as a key and extracts a piece of the print content from the captured image;
obtaining the piece of the relevant information that is associated with the piece of print content that is extracted and projects the obtained information onto a brochure on which the print content is printed,
wherein the print content includes a guide, and the relevant information includes another guide,
wherein identification information by which multiple brochures having the same print content are distinguishable from each other is printed on each one of the multiple brochures, and the identification information that is read and that is included in the captured image,
wherein while the obtained piece of relevant information is bei

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Sato Yoshiaki

Classifications

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• G06F17/30879

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/2081

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04N1/00251 Primary

  with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera · CPC title

• G06K9/00671

  Physics · mapped topic