# US 2014/0208392 A1 · Information providing apparatus, information providing method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

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- Number: US 2014/0208392 A1
- Document ID: US20140208392A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/969,805
- Filed: 2013-08-19
- Published: 2014-07-24
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-23
- Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuichi ONEDA; Kenichiro FUKUDA; Shinpei NODA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140208392A1

## CPC

- G06F 21/62: Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- H04N 1/32117: {in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] (for mode signalling H04N1/333)}
- H04N 2201/3246: of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
- H04N 2201/3276: of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An information providing apparatus includes following components. A storing unit stores marker image identification information, an image feature of a marker placed area, related information, and disclosure limitation information indicating whether the related information is to be disclosed to specific users in an image information memory. A user information memory stores user identification information identifying a user and privilege information indicating a privilege of the user. An obtaining unit obtains, from an information terminal, user identification information and a target image. A search unit searches the image information memory for marker image identification information of a marker image having an image feature similar to that included in the target image. A providing unit provides, if the corresponding disclosure limitation information indicates limited disclosure and the corresponding privilege information indicates that access to the retrieved related information is permitted, the corresponding related information to the information terminal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information providing apparatus comprising:
a storing unit that stores, 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;
a user information memory that stores user identification information identifying a corresponding user and privilege information indicating a privilege assigned to the user, in association with each other;
an obtaining unit that obtains, from an information terminal, user identification information and a target image;
a search unit that searches 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
a providing unit that provides, 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 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 all users, the providing unit provides the corresponding related information to the information terminal without regard to the privilege information associated with the obtained user identification information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
a first updating unit that updates, on the basis of the marker image identification information of a marker image and specified information, the disclosure limitation information associated with the marker image identification information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a recording unit that records, for each piece of marker image identification information of a corresponding marker image, the number of times the related information associated with the piece of marker image identification information has been provided by the providing unit; and
a second updating unit that updates, in a case where the number of times the related information associated with a piece of marker image identification information among the pieces of marker image identification information of the marker images has been provided is greater than or equal to a threshold, the disclosure limitation information associated with the piece of marker image identification information to indicate that the corresponding related information is to be disclosed to all users.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
a generating unit that generates a plurality of test images on the basis of an image of an area of the target image where a marker image is placed,
wherein the search unit searches, for each of the plurality of test images, 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 test image.

### Claim 6

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.

### Claim 7

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.