# US 2014/0156462 A1 · Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, terminal apparatus, and communication apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156462 A1 - Document ID: US20140156462A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/067,044 - Filed: 2013-10-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: YOSHIHISA TSUCHIDA; NOBUTATSU TAKAHASHI; SEIYA AMATATSU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156462A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract There is provided an information processing apparatus including a database configured to store position data indicating a current position of at least one search target person, the position data being received from a communication apparatus of the at least one search target person, an information providing unit configured to provide the position data of the at least one search target person to a terminal apparatus of a searcher in response to an information request from the terminal apparatus of the searcher, and a communication mediation unit configured to receive, from the terminal apparatus, a communication request for requesting communication with a search target person who is selected by the searcher based on the provided position data, and to transmit a communication message to a communication apparatus of the selected search target person. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: a database configured to store position data indicating a current position of at least one search target person, the position data being received from a communication apparatus of the at least one search target person; an information providing unit configured to provide the position data of the at least one search target person to a terminal apparatus of a searcher in response to an information request from the terminal apparatus of the searcher; and a communication mediation unit configured to receive, from the terminal apparatus, a communication request for requesting communication with a search target person who is selected by the searcher based on the provided position data, and to transmit a communication message to a communication apparatus of the selected search target person. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information request indicates a current position of the searcher, and wherein the information providing unit provides the terminal apparatus with the position data of the at least one search target person filtered based on the current position of the searcher indicated by the information request. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the database stores search target person data for each search target person, the search target person data assisting the searcher in selecting the search target person, and wherein the information providing unit provides the terminal apparatus with the search target person data of the at least one search target person along with the position data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the database stores search target person data for each search target person, the search target person data assisting the searcher in selecting the search target person, and wherein the information providing unit provides the terminal apparatus with the position data of the at least one search target person filtered by applying a search condition to the search target person data, the search condition being registered by the searcher in advance or indicated by the information request. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the searcher is a user who desires to take a photograph, and wherein the search target person is a candidate for a photographer who takes a photograph for the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the search target person data includes at least one of face image data, attribute data, model data, and achievement data of each search target person. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information providing unit provides the terminal apparatus with the position data by transmitting, to the terminal apparatus, a map on which an icon corresponding to the current position of each search target person is plotted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the database further stores data indicating a moving range of each search target person, and wherein the information providing unit uses the data indicating the moving range to superimpose an object on the map, the object representing the moving range including the current position of each search target person. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication mediation unit transmits the communication message to the communication apparatus, the communication message indicating an appointed place for the selected search target person to meet the searcher. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a content management unit configured to receive an image shot by the search target person from the communication apparatus to which the communication message has been transmitted, and to allow the searcher to access the received image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content management unit imposes a limitation on access of a user other than the searcher to the image. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content management unit allows the selected search target person to access the image when the searcher permits the selected search target person to access the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content management unit issues an instruction to the communication apparatus to delete original data of the image received from the communication apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content management unit causes the terminal apparatus of the searcher to display a window for allowing the searcher to purchase the image received from the communication apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the database stores the search target person data for each search target person, the search target person data including achievement data regarding a service provided by the search target person, and wherein, when the searcher purchases the image, the content management unit updates the search target person data regarding the search target person who has shot the purchased image. ### Claim 16 An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus, the information processing method comprising: receiving position data from a communication apparatus of at least one search target person, the position data indicating a current position of the at least one search target person; causing a database to store the received position data; providing a terminal apparatus of a searcher with the position data of the at least one search target person in response to an information request from the terminal apparatus of the searcher, the position data being stored by the database; receiving, from the terminal apparatus, a communication request for requesting communication with a search target person who is selected by the searcher based on the provided position data; and transmitting a communication message to a communication apparatus of the selected search target person. ### Claim 17 A program for causing a computer that controls an information processing apparatus accessible to a database storing position data which is received from a communication apparatus of at least one search target person and indicates a current position of the at least one search target person to function as: an information providing unit configured to provide a terminal apparatus of a searcher with the position data of the at least one search target person in response to an information request from the terminal apparatus of the searcher; and a communication mediation unit configured to receive, from the terminal apparatus, a communication request for requesting communication with a search target person who is selected by the searcher based on the provided position data, and to transmit a communication message to a communication apparatus of the selected search target person. ### Claim 18 A terminal apparatus comprising: a data acquisition unit configured to acquire position data from a server that includes a database regarding at least one search target person and collects the position data indicating a current position of each search target person; and a user interface unit configured to cause a screen to display the position data acquired by the data acquisition unit, and to allow a searcher to select a search target person based on the position data, wherein the user interface unit transmits, to the server, a communication request for requesting communication with the search target person who is selected by the searcher. ### Claim 19 A communication apparatus comprising: a position transmission unit configured to measure a current position of a photographer, and to transmit position data to a server, the position data indicating the current position; a notification unit configured to, when a communication message is received, notify the photographer that the communication message has been received, the communication message indicating that a user who desires to take a photograph has selected the photographer based on the position data provided by the server; and an image transmission unit configured to acquire, from a camera of the photographer, an image shot for the user, and to transit the acquired image and identification information of the user to an apparatus that provides the user with the image.