Information providing apparatus, information providing method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

An information providing method comprising:

• storing, for each piece of marker image identification information identifying a corresponding marker image placed on a corresponding image, an image feature included in an area where the corresponding marker image is placed, related information associated with the piece of marker image identification information, and disclosure limitation information indicating whether the related information is to be disclosed to all users or specific users, in an image information memory in association with one another;
• storing user identification information identifying a corresponding user and privilege information indicating a privilege assigned to the user, in a user information memory in association with each other;
• obtaining, from an information terminal, user identification information and a target image;
• searching the image information memory for one or more pieces of marker image identification information of one or more marker images having an image feature similar to an image feature included in the target image;
• and
• providing, in a case where the disclosure limitation information associated with a piece of marker image identification information among the one or more retrieved pieces of marker image identification information indicates that the corresponding related information is to be disclosed to specific users and the privilege information associated with the obtained user identification information indicates that access to the related information that is to be disclosed to specific users is permitted, the corresponding related information to the information terminal.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:

• storing, for each piece of marker image identification information identifying a corresponding marker image placed on a corresponding image, an image feature included in an area where the corresponding marker image is placed, related information associated with the piece of marker image identification information, and disclosure limitation information indicating whether the related information is to be disclosed to all users or specific users, in an image information memory in association with one another;
• storing user identification information identifying a corresponding user and privilege information indicating a privilege assigned to the user, in a user information memory in association with each other;
• obtaining, from an information terminal, user identification information and a target image;
• searching the image information memory for one or more pieces of marker image identification information of one or more marker images having an image feature similar to an image feature included in the target image;
• and
• providing, in a case where the disclosure limitation information associated with a piece of marker image identification information among the one or more retrieved pieces of marker image identification information indicates that the corresponding related information is to be disclosed to specific users and the privilege information associated with the obtained user identification information indicates that access to the related information that is to be disclosed to specific users is permitted, the corresponding related information to the information terminal.