JP2013161394A - Event photograph ordering system and event photograph ordering method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly find out a photograph showing a specific person.SOLUTION: An extraction part 123 is configured to extract a specific person photograph as a photograph showing a specific person from among a plurality of photographs. A display order control part 125 is configured to, when the number of the extracted specific person photographs is plural, perform rearrangement processing of rearranging the plurality of specific person photographs in an order following designated priority items for presentation.

Description

  The present invention relates to an event photo ordering system and an event photo ordering method for processing a plurality of photos.

  As for the state of children at various events such as an educational facility, a person of a dedicated photo company with which the educational facility is contracted generally takes pictures. Here, educational facilities are a kindergarten, a nursery school, an elementary school, etc., for example. And when the guardian (parent) of the child wants to take a picture, each person can often order and purchase a picture from a photo company.

  The traditional method for ordering photos is to first select a photo that you wish to purchase from all the photo samples posted on the bulletin board, classroom, etc. when the guardian visits the educational facility on the day of the visit after the event. . Then, the guardian fills in an order application form distributed in advance from the educational facility with the desired photo number and the like, and submits the order application form to the educational facility. At a later date, it was common for parents to receive photos in exchange for payment at educational facilities.

  On the other hand, recently, a photo ordering system using the Internet has become widespread. For example, in the photo ordering system, even if a guardian does not go to an educational facility, he / she can use a personal computer at home (hereinafter also referred to as a PC) to view a sample photograph from the educational facility's website, etc. It is possible to order.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology (hereinafter also referred to as Conventional Technology A) that uses the Internet to classify and present photos for each class and event, and to limit the search range of desired photos. ing. With this technology, the orderer can efficiently order photos.

JP 2003-162645 A (paragraphs 0005 to 0027)

  However, the prior art A has the following problems.

  Specifically, in the prior art A, since the photos are classified for each class and each event, it is not necessary to select a photo from all the photos. However, for example, even if the photos are classified by class, the number of photos in the classified class may be large.

  Therefore, it takes a lot of time to check the contents of the classified photos in order to select a desired photo. As a result, there is a problem that a user (for example, a guardian of a child) cannot quickly find a photograph showing a specific person such as a child.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide an event photo ordering system and the like that can quickly find a photo showing a specific person.

  To achieve the above object, an event photo ordering system according to an aspect of the present invention accesses data of a plurality of photos taken at various events via a communication network and orders a desired photo. The event photo ordering system includes: a specific person registration unit that registers a specific person; an extraction unit that extracts a specific person photo that is a photo showing the specific person from the plurality of photos; When the number is plural, a display order control unit that performs a rearrangement process for rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photos in an order according to a designated priority item, and the plural presented by rearrangement An order receiving unit that receives an order of a desired photo from the specific person photo, and a registration unit that registers the contents of the order received by the order receiving unit.

  According to the present invention, the extraction unit extracts a specific person photo that is a photo showing a specific person. When there are a plurality of extracted specific person photos, the display order control unit performs a rearrangement process in which the plurality of specific person photos are rearranged in the order according to the designated priority item and presented.

  Thereby, the user can quickly find a photo showing a specific person.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an event photo order system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the characteristic function structure of a control part. It is a flowchart of a photo order process. It is a figure for demonstrating a display order control process. It is a figure for demonstrating a display order control process. It is a figure which shows an example of an order information database. It is a figure for demonstrating the position of the face in a photograph. It is a figure which shows an example of the parameter table for parameterizing face occupation size. It is a figure which shows an example of the parameter table for parameterizing the number of people.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof may be omitted.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an event photo ordering system 100 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the event photo ordering system 100 is connected to be able to communicate with the server 200 via the Internet 11 which is a communication network. The event photo ordering system 100 is a PC or the like installed in a photo shop or the like. The event photo ordering system 100 is not limited to a photo store, and may be set at home, for example.

  The event photo ordering system 100 processes a plurality of photos. In this specification, a photograph is a photograph (photo data) expressed as a digital image. In addition, photos in this specification are event photos that are photos taken at various events. In addition, the photograph in this specification is not limited to an event photograph, For example, the photograph taken irrespective of the event may be sufficient.

  The server 200 manages a plurality of photos. The server 200 is, for example, a PC.

  As will be described in detail later, the event photo ordering system 100 accesses data of a plurality of photos managed by the server 200 via the Internet 11 which is a communication network, and orders a desired photo.

  The event photo ordering system 100 includes a display unit 110, a control unit 120, a storage unit 130, a communication unit 140, and an operation unit 150. Each of display unit 110, control unit 120, storage unit 130, communication unit 140, and operation unit 150 is capable of data communication via bus 10.

  The display unit 110 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The control unit 120 controls each unit in the event photo ordering system 100. The control unit 120 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 130 is a memory for storing data and the like. The communication unit 140 communicates with the server 200 via the Internet 11.

  The operation unit 150 is an interface for the user to give an instruction to the event photo ordering system 100. The operation unit 150 includes, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. Hereinafter, an operation performed by the user using the operation unit 150 is referred to as an operation U.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a characteristic functional configuration of the control unit 120.

  Functionally, the control unit 120 includes a mode selection unit 121, a specific person registration unit 122, an extraction unit 123, a priority condition setting unit 124, a display order control unit 125, an order reception unit 126, and order information. A registration unit 127.

  The mode selection unit 121 selects (sets) a photo ordering mode, details of which will be described later. Although the details will be described later, the specific person registration unit 122 registers a specific person (for example, facial features of the specific person). Although the details will be described later, the extraction unit 123 extracts (selects) a photograph showing a specific person from a plurality of photographs. Although the details will be described later, the priority condition setting unit 124 sets conditions for the arrangement order of a plurality of specific person photographs described later.

  Although the details will be described later, the display order control unit 125 performs control (rearrangement processing described later) for displaying the specific person photograph conspicuously. The order receiving unit 126 receives order information, details of which will be described later. The order information registration unit 127 registers order information, details of which will be described later.

  Note that all of the mode selection unit 121, the specific person registration unit 122, the extraction unit 123, the priority condition setting unit 124, the display order control unit 125, the order reception unit 126, and the order information registration unit 127 included in the event photo order system 100 are included. Or a part may be comprised by hardware, such as LSI (Large Scale Integration). The mode selection unit 121, the specific person registration unit 122, the extraction unit 123, the priority condition setting unit 124, the display order control unit 125, the order reception unit 126, and the order information registration unit 127 are all or part of a processor such as a CPU. It may be a module of a program executed by.

  Next, processing performed by the event photo ordering system 100 (hereinafter also referred to as photo order processing) will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the photo order process. Note that the event photo ordering system 100 receives a plurality of photos from the server 200 and stores the plurality of photos in the storage unit 130 in advance. Hereinafter, a photograph showing a person is also referred to as a person photograph.

  First, the user selects an order mode by an operation U with reference to a menu or the like displayed on the display unit 110. The mode selection unit 121 selects (sets) the selected order mode (S110).

  The order mode includes a normal mode, a quick mode, and an automatic mode. The normal mode is a mode suitable for a case where the user has time and wants to order photos slowly. The normal mode is a mode in which rearrangement processing described later is not performed.

  The quick mode is a mode for placing an order faster than the normal mode. Specifically, the quick mode is a mode suitable for a case where the user has no time and wants to quickly select a desired photograph.

  The entrust mode is a mode that uses the contents registered by the order information registration unit 127, as will be described in detail later. Specifically, the entrusted mode is a mode that can be selected at the time of the second and subsequent orders, and is a mode in which the tendency of the user's photo order is made into a database as order information, and photos are automatically selected and ordered based on the database.

  When the normal mode is selected by the mode selection unit 121, the process proceeds to step S120N. If the automatic mode is selected by the mode selection unit 121, the process proceeds to step S130A. The process when the normal mode or the automatic mode is selected will be described later.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the quick mode is selected.

  When the quick mode is selected by the mode selection unit 121, the process proceeds to step S120.

  In step S120, a specific person registration process for registering the characteristics of the specific person is performed. The specific person is a person that the user desires to register. The specific person is, for example, a user's child. In the following, a photo showing a specific person is also referred to as a specific person photo.

  In the specific person registration process, first, a specific person is recognized.

  Recognition of a specific person is performed as follows. First, the display unit 110 displays a plurality of photos stored in the storage unit 130. In this state, the user selects a specific person photo indicating a specific person from among a plurality of photos by operation U.

  The specific person registration unit 122 detects the face of the specific person indicated by the selected specific person photograph using a known face detection technique, and recognizes the specific person. The face detection technique is a technique using feature extraction, skin color detection, template matching, and the like disclosed in, for example, JP-T-2004-527863.

  The specification of the face area of the specific person may be performed by an operation U by the user.

  Then, the specific person registration unit 122 stores (registers) the facial features detected by the specific person in the storage unit 130. The facial features include, for example, the relative positions of eyes and nose, face size, face orientation, face position, smile level, and the like. As a result, the characteristics of the specific person are registered.

  The recognition of the specific person is not limited to the above process. For example, a specific person photo is recorded, and the specific person registration unit 122 reads the specific person photo from a recording medium prepared in advance by the user. Then, the specific person registration unit 122 detects the face of the specific person indicated by the selected specific person photo using the face detection technique described above, and recognizes the specific person. The face area detected by the face detection technique is a square having the same vertical and horizontal sizes. The face area to be detected is not limited to a square, but may be a rectangle. The designation of the face area of the specific person may be performed by an operation U by the user.

  In step S130, a specific person photo extraction process is performed. In the specific person photo extraction process, the extraction unit 123 extracts (selects) all the specific person photos among all the photos stored in the storage unit 130 based on the registered facial features of the specific person. In other words, the extraction unit 123 extracts a specific person photo from a plurality of photos stored in the storage unit 130.

  Specifically, the extraction unit 123 identifies, as all the photos stored in the storage unit 130, a photo that shows a face that has the same characteristics as those of the registered specific person as the specific person photo. Then, the specific person photograph is extracted (selected). The facial feature used to identify the specific person photograph is, for example, the relative position of the eyes and nose.

  In step S140, a priority condition setting process is performed. In the priority condition setting process, the display unit 110 displays a list of priority conditions. The priority condition is, for example, a condition such as “in descending order of the face of a specific person” or “in order of decreasing number of persons”.

  For example, the display unit 110 displays a list of priority conditions such as “in descending order of the face of a specific person” and “in order of decreasing number of persons”. In this state, the user selects (specifies) the priority condition by the operation U.

  As a result, the priority condition setting unit 124 sets the selected (designated) priority condition as a condition for the arrangement order of a plurality of specific person photographs. In the following, the condition “the order of the face of a specific person in descending order” is also referred to as priority condition A. In the priority condition A, the priority item to be prioritized is, for example, the face size.

  In the following, the condition “in order of decreasing number of persons” is also referred to as priority condition B. In the priority condition B, the priority item to be prioritized is, for example, the number of persons indicated by the specific person photo.

  Note that the priority condition may not be selected from the list, but may be directly input by the user by an operation U using a keyboard or the like. Further, if the priority condition is stored (registered) in the storage unit 130 in advance, step S140 may not be performed.

  In step S141, display order control processing is performed. Although details will be described later in the display order control process, if the display order control unit 125 has a plurality of extracted specific person photos, the plurality of specific person photos are designated as specified priority conditions (priority items). ) Rearrangement processing is performed to rearrange and present in the order according to. The designated priority condition is a priority condition selected by the user.

  In other words, in the display order control process, the display unit 110 includes a plurality of specific persons so that the specific person photo is more conspicuous as the specific person photo shows the specific person more conspicuously. Display photos side by side. More specifically, in the display order control process, a plurality of specific person photographs are displayed in the arrangement order (order) according to the set priority condition.

  In the display order control process, when the number of extracted specific person photos is one, the display order control unit 125 performs a process of causing the display unit 110 to display the one specific person photo. In this case, the above-described rearrangement process is not performed, and the process proceeds to step S150.

  Here, it is assumed that the priority condition “in descending order of the face of a specific person” is selected in step S140. Further, it is assumed that the specific person photos P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, and P16 in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the priority of the specific person photos P11 to P16 is specified by the server 200 so as to decrease in the order of the specific person photos P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, and P16. That is, the specific person photo P11 has the highest priority, and the specific person photo P16 has the lowest priority.

  FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an image G10 in which each specific person photo is arranged according to the priority designated by the server 200. FIG. In the image G10, it is assumed that the specific person photograph closer to the left end and the upper end has a higher priority. That is, the specific person photograph arranged at the upper left of the image G10 has the highest priority, and the specific person photograph arranged at the lower right of the image G10 has the lowest priority. In the image G10, for example, six specific person photographs are arranged. That is, the specific person photographs having the first to sixth priorities are displayed in the image G10.

  If there are seven or more specific person photographs and the display unit 110 displays the image G10, the user can also display the specific person photographs having the seventh or higher priority in order on the display unit 110 by the operation U. It shall be displayed and confirmed.

  In FIG. 4A and other figures, in order to identify a specific person, there is a case where an alphabet is added to the specific person for convenience of explanation. Hereinafter, the specific person to which the alphabet “A” is additionally written is also referred to as a specific person A.

  The user confirms the content of the specific person photo from the image displayed on the display unit 110 and performs an operation U for selecting the desired specific person photo. Here, it is assumed that the feature of the specific person A is registered by the specific person registration process. In addition, it is assumed that six specific person photos indicating the specific person A are selected by the specific person photo extraction process. This condition will be described below.

  In this case, in the display order control process, the specific person photo that shows the face of the specific person larger among the plurality of specific person photos is displayed prominently. Specifically, the display order control unit 125 generates a layout image showing a plurality of specific person photos arranged in descending order of the face of the specific person A according to the priority condition “the order of the face of the specific person in descending order”. . The arrangement image is an image in which the specific person photo that shows the face of the specific person A is arranged in a conspicuous position.

  In the generated arrangement image, as an example, it is assumed that the specific person photograph closer to the left end and the upper end has a higher degree of conspicuousness. Here, the degree of conspicuity is the degree of conspicuity. That is, it is assumed that the specific person photograph arranged at the upper left in the arrangement image is most noticeable. The generated arrangement image is, for example, the arrangement image G10A shown in FIG.

  Then, the display order control unit 125 causes the display unit 110 to display the generated arrangement image. As described above, the display order control unit 125 performs the rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting a plurality of specific person photos in descending order of the face of the specific person A. That is, the display order control unit 125 performs a rearrangement process in which a plurality of specific person photos are rearranged and presented based on the priority item, which is the face size of the specific person A.

  In the arrangement image, the specific person photograph closer to the left end and the upper end is more conspicuous, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the arrangement image, the specific person photograph closer to the right end and the upper end may be more conspicuous. That is, in the arrangement image, the specific person photograph arranged at the upper right may be most noticeable.

  Next, the display order control process when the priority condition “in order of decreasing number of persons” is set (selected) in step S140 will be described.

  Here, it is assumed that the specific person photos P21, P22, P23, P24, P25, and P26 in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the priority of the specific person photos P21 to P26 is designated by the server 200 so as to decrease in the order of the specific person photos P21, P22, P23, P24, P25, and P26. That is, the specific person photo P21 has the highest priority, and the specific person photo P26 has the lowest priority.

  FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an image G <b> 20 in which each specific person photo is arranged according to the priority designated by the server 200. In the image G20, as in the case of the image G10 described above, it is assumed that the specific person photo closer to the left end and the upper end has a higher priority. Further, it is assumed that the characteristics of the specific person A are registered by the specific person registration process. Further, it is assumed that six specific person photos P21 to P26 indicating the specific person A are selected by the specific person photo extraction process.

  In this case, in the display order control process, a plurality of specific person photos are displayed side by side such that the specific person photo that shows a smaller number of persons out of the plurality of specific person photos stands out. Specifically, the display order control unit 125 indicates a plurality of specific person photos in which the plurality of specific person photos are rearranged in the order of decreasing number of persons in accordance with the priority condition “in order of decreasing number of persons”. A layout image is generated. The arrangement image is an image in which a specific person photo showing a smaller number of people is arranged in a prominent position. The generated arrangement image is, for example, the arrangement image G20A in FIG.

  Then, the display order control unit 125 causes the display unit 110 to display the generated arrangement image G20A. As described above, the display order control unit 125 performs the rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photos in the order of decreasing number of persons indicated by the specific person photos. That is, the display order control unit 125 performs a rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting a plurality of specific person photos based on the number of persons indicated by the specific person photos, which is a priority item.

  As described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, in the display order control process, a plurality of specific person photographs are displayed side by side in the order of arrangement according to the priority condition selected by the user. In other words, in the display order control process, when there are a plurality of extracted specific person photos, a rearrangement process for rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photos in an order according to the designated priority item. Do. In other words, in the display order control process, among the plurality of specific person photos, the specific person photo that shows the specific person more prominently is displayed side by side so that the specific person photo stands out. Thereby, a user (for example, a parent of a child) can quickly find a specific person photo that shows a specific person conspicuously without checking all the photos. The specific person photograph that shows the specific person prominently is a specific person photograph desired by the user with a good reflection of the specific person (for example, a child).

  In the arrangement image G10A shown in FIG. 4B, the specific person photograph that shows a larger face, the expression of the specific person (for example, a child) is often captured, and there is a high possibility that the specific person is well reflected.

  In the arrangement image G20A in FIG. 5B, the specific person photograph showing a smaller number of persons is more likely to include a specific person (for example, a child) as the main subject.

  Referring to FIG. 3 again, in step S150, order acceptance processing is performed.

  In the order receiving process, the order receiving unit 126 receives an order for a desired photo from a plurality of specific person photos that are rearranged and presented. More specifically, when a user who refers to a plurality of specific person photos displayed on the display unit 110 performs an operation U for ordering specific person photos, the order receiving unit 126 receives the order.

  Here, for example, it is assumed that the display unit 110 displays the arrangement image G20A of FIG. In addition, it is assumed that the user selects the specific person photo P26 and performs an operation U for ordering three specific person photos P26.

  In this case, the order reception unit 126 orders the information indicating the selected specific person photo P26, the number of orders (three) of the specific person photo P26, the selected priority condition, and the personal information. Accept as information. In other words, the order information indicates the selected specific person photo, the number of orders for the specific person photo, the selected (set) priority condition, and the person information.

  The person information includes the number of persons including the specific person indicated by the selected specific person photograph, the characteristics of the specific person, and the like. The characteristics of the specific person include the size of the face of the specific person, the direction of the face of the specific person, the position of the face of the specific person, the degree of smile of the specific person, the relative position of eyes and nose, and the like.

  That is, the order information is information indicating the characteristics (trends) of the photos ordered by the user. Therefore, the order information is information that is used for reliably placing an order for a desired photograph without taking time and effort when the same user places an order again.

  In step S160, an order information registration process is performed. In the order information registration process, the order information registration unit 127 stores (registers) the order information (order contents) received by the order receiving unit 126 in the storage unit 130. The order information registration unit 127 is a registration unit that registers order information (order contents).

  Every time the user performs an operation U for ordering a specific person photo, an order information registration process is performed. In this case, the order information registration unit 127 registers the content of the order (order information) every time there is an order for a specific person photo by the user.

  When a specific person photo is ordered a plurality of times, the order information registration process is performed a plurality of times. As a result, an order information database composed of a plurality of order information is constructed. The order information database is stored in the storage unit 130.

  Thus, the photo order process is completed.

  If the normal mode is selected in step S110, the process proceeds to step S120N. In step S120N, the specific person registration process of step S120 described above is performed. In step S130N, the specific person photo extraction process in step S130 described above is performed.

  Then, by the normal display process (S141N), the display unit 110 displays the normal layout image in which a plurality of specific person photos are arranged in the order according to the priority specified from the server 200. The normal arrangement image is, for example, the image G10 in FIG. That is, in the normal mode, it takes more time for the user to find a specific person picture than in the quick mode.

  Thereafter, in the process of step S150 described above, the user selects a desired specific person photograph, sets the order quantity, and places an order. Thereafter, in step S160, the order information is registered as described above.

  Next, processing when the automatic mode is selected in step S110 will be described. As described above, the automatic mode is a mode that can be selected at the time of the second and subsequent orders.

  The entrusted mode is a mode for ordering a photo based on the actual order tendency of the user. More specifically, in the auto mode, the event photo ordering system 100 automatically selects a photo to order based on the user's past order information indicated by the order information database, sets the order quantity, and automatically orders. It is a mode to perform.

  Here, it is assumed that an order information database including a plurality of order information is stored in the storage unit 130 by performing the above-described order information registration processing a plurality of times. The order information database is, for example, the order information database D10 in FIG. Each order information corresponds to information in each row of the order information database D10.

  In FIG. 6, “photo number” is a number for identifying a specific person photo indicating a registered specific person. In FIG. 6, “photo number” indicates a plurality of non-overlapping numbers, but actually there are a plurality of the same photo numbers. The “face occupation size” is a ratio of the size of the face of the specific person indicated by the specific person photo to the size of the specific person photo.

The face occupation size (Size) is calculated by, for example, the following Expression 1.
Size = F / P × 100 (%) (Formula 1)
In Formula 1, F is the number of pixels in the size along the long side of the specific person photo in the face area detected by the face detection technique performed in the specific person registration process. P is the number of pixels on the long side of the specific person photograph. The face area detected by the face detection technique is a square having the same vertical and horizontal sizes. The face area to be detected is not limited to a square, but may be a rectangle.

  Note that the face occupation size is not limited to the value calculated by the above formula 1, and may be, for example, the face size itself detected by the face detection performed in the specific person registration process.

  In FIG. 6, “number of people” is the number of persons including the specific person indicated by the specific person photo. The “face orientation” is the face orientation of the specific person indicated by the specific person photo. The face orientation is calculated by the face detection technique described above. For example, it indicates how many times the face of a specific person is tilted left and right, with the front as 0 degree. The “face position” is the position of the face of the specific person in the specific person photograph.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the specific person photograph is divided into 10 areas in the horizontal direction. The ten divided areas are areas 23a, 23b, 24a, 24b, 25a, 25b, 26a, 26b, 27a, and 27b.

  The divided areas are expressed as areas 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 in order from the area close to the arrow 22 indicating the center of the specific person photograph. That is, the regions 23a and 23b are expressed as region 0. Regions 24a and 24b are referred to as region 1. Regions 25a and 25b are referred to as region 2. Regions 26a and 26b are referred to as region 3. Regions 27a and 27b are referred to as region 4.

  In this case, the “face position” in FIG. 6 indicates a region including the center position of the face of the specific person. For example, in the case of FIG. 7, if the specific person is a person indicating “A”, the center of the face of the specific person is included in the area 2 (area 25b). Therefore, the “face position” is “2”.

  Referring to FIG. 6 again, “smile level” is the level of smile of a specific person. The smile level is determined using, for example, a known face authentication technique. For example, the smile level when the smile level is the highest is 100. The degree of smile is indicated by a value from 0 to 100.

  The “scene number” in FIG. 6 is a number for identifying a scene in an event related to a specific person photograph. For example, when the event related to the specific person photograph is an athletic meet, the scene number 1 indicates the opening ceremony, the scene number 2 indicates the ball insertion, and the scene number 3 indicates the tug of war. In this case, the scene number is a number for identifying a scene for each competition.

  The “order number” in FIG. 6 is the number of each specific person photograph actually ordered by the user.

  In addition, each order information which comprises the order information database D10 of FIG. 6 also shows the relative position of eyes and nose, priority conditions, etc. which are not shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 3 again, when the automatic mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S130A.

  And the process of step S130A, S140A, S141A, S150A is automatically performed in order, without requiring a user's operation.

  In step S130A, a specific person photo extraction process A is performed. In the specific person photo extraction process A, the extraction unit 123 selects all specific person photos from among all the photos stored in the storage unit 130 based on the facial features of the specific person indicated by the order information database. Note that the method for specifying a specific person photo in the specific person photo extraction process A is the same as the specific person photo extraction process in step S130, and thus detailed description will not be repeated.

  In step S140A, priority condition setting processing A is performed. In the priority condition setting process A, the priority condition setting unit 124 sets the priority condition as a condition for arranging the plurality of specific person photographs. Note that the priority conditions set in the priority condition setting process A are, for example, the highest priority conditions in the order information database.

  In step S141A, display order control processing is performed. Since the display order control process is the same as the display order control process in step S141, detailed description will not be repeated. By the processing of steps S130A to S141A, the display order control unit 125 performs a rearrangement process for rearranging and presenting a plurality of specific person photos in accordance with registered past order information (order contents).

  In step S150A, order acceptance processing A is performed. In the order reception process A, the order reception unit 126 selects a specific person photo to be ordered. As the specific person photo, for example, the specific person photo having the largest number of orders is selected in the order information database. Further, the order receiving unit 126 sets the order number of the selected specific person photo. The order quantity is, for example, a value of an integer part of an average value of a plurality of order quantities indicated by the order information database.

  And the order reception part 126 receives the information which shows the selected specific person photograph, the order number of the said specific person photograph, the set priority condition, and person information as order information. Since the person information has been described in the process of step S150, detailed description will not be repeated. Then, the order information registration process in step S160 described above is performed. Thereby, the order information database is updated.

  As described above, in the automatic mode, the event photo ordering system 100 analyzes the order contents using the order information database. Thereby, the tendency of the user's order can be patterned, and an appropriate photo can be selected and presented to the user, or a photo that suits the user's preference can be ordered automatically.

  Note that the processing in the automatic mode is not limited to the above processing. For example, all photographs showing a specific person may be ordered. Further, for example, all the photographs having a face occupation size of a predetermined value or more may be ordered. Further, for example, all the photos of a specific person appearing in the center of the photos may be ordered. For example, you may order one photograph of the same scene one by one. The same scene is, for example, a scene for each competition such as athletic meet ballast, tug of war, and the like.

  In addition, the detection of the photograph of the same scene is performed using a similar image detection technique. Similar to the face detection technique described above, the similar image detection technique is a technique using various known methods such as feature extraction and template matching disclosed in Japanese translations of PCT publication No. 2004-527863. In addition, when the time when the said photograph was image | photographed is added to the photograph, you may use the image | photographed time in the detection of the photograph of the same scene.

  It should be noted that the event photo ordering system 100 in the entrusted mode may display the selected photo and the order contents such as the number of orders on the display unit 110 when the order is accepted. As a result, the user can confirm the order details such as the selected photo and the number of orders. In addition, when the user wants to change the order contents, the user can change the contents by the operation U.

  As described above, when the event photo ordering system 100 according to the first embodiment uses the event photo ordering system 100 for the first time, it is necessary to register features such as a face of a specific person. However, once the feature is registered, the order can be accepted next time and thereafter using the registered order information.

  Also, since the tendency of the photos ordered by the user and the number of orders are registered, it is possible to automatically present an appropriate number of photos to be ordered from the next time.

  As described above, the event photo ordering system 100 according to the first embodiment registers the facial features of a specific person such as a child and extracts a specific person photo indicating the specific person. Then, the event photo ordering system 100 rearranges and presents the plurality of extracted specific person photos in the arrangement order according to the priority condition desired by the user.

  Thereby, the user does not need to confirm the contents of all the photos, and can quickly find a specific person photo showing a specific person such as a child. As a result, the user can quickly select a photograph with a good image of a specific person such as a child and order the photograph.

  Conventionally, there are the following problems. For example, in the prior art A, a photograph is ordered using the Internet. For this reason, a long-time connection requires a communication fee, and the possibility of communication failure on the way increases. If a communication failure occurs, it will be necessary to redo the order from the beginning, making it difficult to place an order. That is, the prior art A has a problem that a quick order cannot be made.

  Conventionally, it has been necessary to set a photo purchase period for each event when the capacity of a server for storing photo data is limited, or in order to improve work efficiency. Here, it is assumed that there is no time for the user to place an order within the set period. In this case, the user ends without being able to purchase even one photo of the event. As a result, there is a problem that the side that provides a photo ordering service via the Internet, such as a photo shop, misses an opportunity to receive an order even when there are customers who want to order photos.

  The event photo ordering system 100 according to Embodiment 1 can solve the above-described conventional problems by the above configuration.

  Also, once an order from the user is received and order information is registered, the order can be received using the registered order information in the second and subsequent orders. This eliminates the need to register a specific person.

  In addition, since priority conditions for ordering specific person photos and the number of orders are registered, it is possible to automatically present an appropriate number of photos to be ordered to the user according to the user's ordering tendency. . As a result, the user can quickly select a photograph with a good image of a specific person and place an order for the photograph without further trouble.

  Furthermore, in the automatic mode, it is possible to automatically place an order according to the tendency of the user's order. Thereby, even when the user does not have time to place an order, the user can reliably order a photo of each event without losing the order.

<Modification of Embodiment 1>
In the first embodiment, the processing when the priority condition is the priority condition A or the priority condition B has been described. The priority condition A is a condition of “in descending order of the face of a specific person”. The priority condition B is a condition of “in order of decreasing number of persons”. However, the priority condition to be used is not limited to one type, and may be a condition in which a plurality of types of priority conditions are combined.

  Moreover, the arrangement order condition (priority condition) of the plurality of specific person photographs may be determined using a plurality of items indicating the characteristics of the specific person photographs. Hereinafter, among a plurality of items indicating the characteristics of the specific person photograph, a priority item is also referred to as a priority item.

  In the modification of the present embodiment, a plurality of priority items are parameterized, a score is calculated, and a priority condition based on the score is set as a condition for the arrangement order of the plurality of specific person photographs. The said score is for determining the priority of the arrangement order of a specific person photograph.

  The photo ordering process in the modification of the present embodiment is a process in which each of steps S140 and S140A in FIG. 3 is replaced with step S140B. 3 other than step S140B is the same as the process described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description will not be repeated.

  In step S140B, priority condition setting processing B is performed. Although the details will be described later in the priority condition setting process B, the priority condition setting unit 124 calculates, as a numerical value (score), the feature indicated by each specific person photograph using the plurality of priority items. That is, the priority condition setting unit 124 is a calculation unit that calculates a numerical value (score). Then, the priority condition setting unit 124 uses the calculated numerical values (scores) to set priority conditions for displaying a plurality of selected specific person photographs side by side.

  Here, as an example, the priority items used for calculating the score for the priority condition are, for example, the above-described face occupation size and the number of persons (number of persons) indicated by the specific person photo. In this case, for example, the face occupation size and the number of people corresponding to the specific person photograph are parameterized, and the score is calculated according to a certain arithmetic expression.

  Next, an example of calculating a score will be described. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the order information database D10 of FIG. 6 is used.

  FIG. 8 is a parameter table T11 for parameterizing the face occupation size. In FIG. 8, “face occupation size” is the face occupation size of FIG. 6 described above. Since the method for calculating the face occupation size has been described above, detailed description will not be repeated.

  PSize is a score obtained by parameterizing the face occupation size. The score PSize is expressed as a real number from 0 to 1. The score PSize is set for each face occupation size value. Specifically, the score PSize is set to a smaller value as the face occupation size value becomes smaller.

  FIG. 9 is a parameter table T12 for parameterizing the number of people. In FIG. 9, “Number of persons” is the number of persons (number of persons) indicated by the specific person photograph.

  PNNumber is a score obtained by parameterizing the number of people. The score PNNumber is expressed as a real number from 0 to 1. The score PNNumber is set for each person. Specifically, the score PNNumber is set to a smaller value as the number of people increases.

  By adding the scores PSize and PNNumber of the parameter tables T11 and T12, the score SC of each specific person photograph is calculated by the following equation 2. The value of the score SC is calculated as a real number.

SC = Psize + PNnumber (Formula 2)
In the priority condition setting process B, first, the priority condition setting unit 124 calculates a score SC for each of a plurality of selected specific person photographs. Next, the priority condition setting unit 124 sets the priority condition “make the specific person photo with a higher score SC value more conspicuous” as the condition of the arrangement order of the plurality of specific person photos.

  For example, it is assumed that the face occupation size is 50 in a specific person photo, and the number of people indicated by the specific person photo is three. In this case, PSize is 0.8 from the parameter table T11. Also, PNNumber is 0.8 from the parameter table T12. Therefore, from Equation 2, the score SC is calculated as 0.8 + 0.8 = 1.6.

  Note that the formula used to calculate the score SC is not limited to the formula 2. For example, in Equation 2, each of Psize and PNNumber may be multiplied by a weighting factor that takes into account the importance of each priority item.

  After the priority condition setting process B, the display order control process of step S141 described in the first embodiment is performed. With this process, the display order control unit 125 performs the above-described rearrangement process according to each calculated numerical value (score SC). For example, the display order control unit 125 uses each calculated numerical value (score SC) to rearrange a plurality of selected specific person photos so that the specific person photos having a higher score SC value stand out. Process.

  That is, the display unit 110 displays a plurality of specific person photographs side by side such that the specific person photograph is more prominent among the plurality of selected specific person photographs.

  As described above, according to the modification of the present embodiment, the feature of each specific person photograph is calculated as a score using a plurality of priority items. Then, a plurality of specific person photos are displayed side by side so that the specific person photo having a larger score SC value stands out.

  As a result, it is possible to display a plurality of specific person photographs side by side, more reflecting the characteristics of the specific person. Thereby, the user can find a specific person photograph more quickly.

  In the modification of the present embodiment, the same process as in the first embodiment is performed except for the priority condition setting process B, so that the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In addition, although the modification of this Embodiment demonstrated the case where the priority item used for calculation of the score SC was 2 items, it is not limited to this, Even if the number of priority items is 3 or more Good.

  In the above description, the priority item used for calculating the score SC may be, for example, the position where the specific person is shown, the face orientation and the smile level described with reference to FIG.

  For example, when the priority item to be used is the position where the specific person is shown, the priority is set higher as the position of the specific person is closer to the center of the photograph. Further, when the priority item to be used is the face orientation, the priority is set higher as the face is facing the front. When the priority item to be used is a smile level, the higher the smile level, the higher the priority is set. In this way, the photos are presented in the order of the photos of the specific person.

(Other variations)
The event photo ordering system according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention also includes modifications made to the present embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, within the scope of the invention, the present invention can be freely combined with the embodiments and the modified examples of the embodiments, or can be appropriately modified and omitted with the modified examples of the embodiments and the embodiments. is there.

  For example, photos (images) with eyes closed or red eyes may be excluded, and the photos displayed on the display unit 110 may be narrowed down to photos with good image quality. In this case, it is not necessary to check the contents of the extra photo, and the order can be placed more quickly.

  In the above description, the types of photos are described without particular distinction, but the types of photos may be considered. For example, an order information database may be set for each type of photo such as a group photo in addition to a normal snapshot. Then, the condition of the order information may be a condition suitable for each.

  In the conventional photo ordering system, the photo selection menu is often distinguished according to the type of photo. Therefore, in the present invention, conditions may be set for each type of photograph. For example, the database is individually set so as to set the size of the face of a specific person, the number of people in the photograph, and the like in each of a normal small number of snapshots and group photos. As a result, it is possible to more appropriately present a photo and perform an automatic order.

  The event photo ordering system 100 processes a plurality of photos received from the server 200, but is not limited to this. A plurality of photos processed by the event photo ordering system 100 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 130, for example.

  Further, the event photo ordering system 100 and the control unit 120 may not include all the components shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. That is, the event photo ordering system 100 may include only the minimum components that can realize the effects of the present invention. For example, the control unit 120 may include only the extraction unit 123. The event photo ordering system 100 may be configured to include only the display unit 110 and the extraction unit 123.

  In addition, the present invention may be realized as an event photo ordering method in which the operation of the characteristic components included in the event photo ordering system 100 is a step. The present invention may also be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute each step included in such an event photo ordering method. Further, the present invention may be realized as a computer-readable recording medium that stores such a program. The program may be distributed via a transmission medium such as the Internet.

  All the numerical values used in the above-mentioned embodiment are examples of numerical values for specifically explaining the present invention. That is, the present invention is not limited to the numerical values used in the above embodiments.

  The event photo ordering method according to the present invention corresponds to a part or all of the photo order processing of FIG. The event photo ordering method according to the present invention does not necessarily include all corresponding steps in FIG. In other words, the event photo ordering method according to the present invention needs to include only the minimum steps that can realize the effects of the present invention. For example, the event photo ordering method according to the present invention may include only steps S130, S140, and S141 in FIG.

  The order in which the steps in the event photo ordering method are executed is an example for specifically explaining the present invention, and may be in an order other than the above. Also, some steps in the event photo ordering method and other steps may be executed in parallel independently of each other.

  It should be noted that within the scope of the invention, the present invention can be freely combined with the embodiments and modifications of the embodiments, or can be appropriately modified and omitted with reference to the embodiments and modifications of the embodiments. is there.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as an event photo ordering system that can quickly find a photo showing a specific person.

  100 event photo order system, 110 display unit, 120 control unit, 121 mode selection unit, 122 specific person registration unit, 123 extraction unit, 124 priority condition setting unit, 125 display order control unit, 126 order reception unit, 127 order information registration Part, 130 storage part.

Claims (9)

An event photo ordering system that accesses data of a plurality of photos taken at various events via a communication network and orders a desired photo,
A specific person registration unit for registering a specific person;
An extracting unit that extracts a specific person photo that is a photo showing the specific person among the plurality of photos;
When the number of the extracted specific person photos is plural, a display order control unit that performs a rearrangement process for arranging and presenting the plural specific person photos in an order according to a designated priority item;
An order receiving unit for receiving an order of a desired photo from the plurality of specific person photos presented by rearrangement;
An event photo ordering system comprising: a registration unit that registers the details of an order received by the order reception unit. The event photo ordering system further includes:
It has a mode selection part that selects the order mode of photos,
The order mode selected by the mode selection unit includes a normal mode in which the rearrangement process is not performed, a quick mode for placing an order more quickly than the normal mode, and automatic registration using the contents registered by the registration unit. The event photo ordering system according to claim 1, which is one of modes. The said display order control part performs the said rearrangement process which rearranges and presents these several specific person photos based on the size of the said specific person's face which is the said priority item. Event photo ordering system. The event photo ordering system according to claim 3, wherein the display order control unit performs the rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photos in descending order of the face of the specific person. The display order control unit performs the rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photos based on the number of persons indicated by the specific person photos, which is the priority item. Event photo ordering system described. The event photo ordering system according to claim 5, wherein the display order control unit performs the rearrangement process of rearranging and presenting the plurality of specific person photographs in an order from the smallest number of persons. The registration unit registers the content of the order every time the user places an order for the specific person photo,
The said display order control part performs the said rearrangement process which rearranges and presents these several specific person photos according to the content of the said past order registered. Event photo ordering system. The number of the priority items is plural,
The event photo ordering system further includes:
Using a plurality of the priority items, comprising a calculation unit that calculates the characteristic indicated by each specific person photograph as a numerical value,
The event photo ordering system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display order control unit performs the rearrangement process according to each calculated numerical value. An event photo ordering method for accessing data of a plurality of photos taken at various events via a communication network and ordering a desired photo,
Registering a specific person,
Extracting a specific person photo that is a photo showing the specific person from the plurality of photographs;
When the number of the extracted specific person photos is plural, performing a rearrangement process of presenting the plural specific person photos in an order according to a designated priority item;
Receiving an order of a desired photo from the plurality of specific person photos presented rearranged;
Registering the contents of the received order, and an event photo ordering method.

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