Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system for determining a subject as being imaged by a plurality of imaging devices

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• an image pickup unit photographing a subject;
• a movement detecting unit detecting changes in movement of the subject photographed by the image pickup unit;
• a data generating unit generating first timing data relating to change timing at which the movement detecting unit detected the changes in the movement;
• a receiving unit receiving second timing data, which relates to change timing when movement of a subject photographed by another apparatus was detected, from the other apparatus during photographing by the image pickup unit;
• and
• a determining unit determining, based on the first timing data generated by the data generating unit and the second timing data received by the receiving unit, whether the subject photographed by the image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the other apparatus are the same or a similar subject,
• wherein the receiving unit receives the second timing data as a PIN code during pairing for establishing a communication connection with the other apparatus.

An information processing method comprising:

• detecting a change in movement of a subject photographed by an image pickup unit of an apparatus;
• generating first timing data relating to change timing at which the change in movement was detected;
• receiving second timing data, which relates to change timing when movement of a subject photographed by another apparatus was detected, from the other apparatus during photographing by the image pickup unit;
• and
• determining, based on the generated first timing data and the received second timing data, whether the subject photographed by the image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the other apparatus are the same or a similar subject,
• wherein when a difference between the change timing in the first timing data and the change timing in the second timing data is smaller than a specified value, the subject photographed by the image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the other apparatus are determined to be the same or a similar subject,
• wherein the first timing data and the second timing data respectively include a plurality of change timings detected at different timings within a certain period, and
• corresponding change timings included in the first timing data and the second timing data are compared with one another, and the photographed subjects are determined to be the same or a similar subject if a proportion of incidences where a difference between the compared change timings is smaller than the specified value is larger than a specified proportion.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method, the method comprising the steps of:

• to detect a change in movement of a subject photographed by an image pickup unit of an apparatus,
• to generate first timing data relating to change timing at which the change in movement was detected,
• to receive second timing data, which relates to change timing when movement of a subject photographed by another apparatus was detected, from the other apparatus during photographing by the image pickup unit, and
• to determine, based on the generated first timing data and the received second timing data, whether the subject photographed by the image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the other apparatus are the same or a similar subject,
• wherein when a difference between the change timing in the first timing data and the change timing in the second timing data is smaller than a specified value, the subject photographed by the image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the other apparatus are determined to be the same or a similar subject,
• wherein the first timing data and the second timing data respectively include a plurality of change timings detected at different timings within a certain period, and
• corresponding change timings included in the first timing data and the second timing data are compared with one another, and the photographed subjects are determined to be the same or a similar subject if a proportion of incidences where a difference between the compared change timings is smaller than the specified value is larger than a specified proportion.

An information processing system comprising:

• an information processing apparatus including a first image pickup unit photographing a subject, a first movement detecting unit detecting changes in movement of a subject photographed by the first image pickup unit, and a first data generating unit generating first timing data relating to change timing at which the first movement detecting unit detected a change in the movement;
• and
• a communication apparatus including a second image pickup unit photographing a subject, a second movement detecting unit detecting changes in movement of a subject photographed by the second image pickup unit, a second data generating unit generating second timing data relating to change timing at which the second movement detecting unit detected a change in the movement, and a transmission unit transmitting the second timing data generated by the second data generating unit to the information processing apparatus,
• wherein the information processing apparatus further includes a receiving unit receiving the second timing data via the transmission unit from the communication apparatus during photographing by the first image pickup unit, and a determining unit determining, based on the first timing data and the second timing data, whether the subject photographed by the first image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the second image pickup unit are the same or a similar subject,
• wherein the determining unit is operable when a difference between the change timing in the first timing data and the change timing in the second timing data is smaller than a specified value, to determine that the subject photographed by the first image pickup unit and the subject photographed by the second image pickup unit are the same or a similar subject,
• wherein the first timing data and the second timing data respectively include a plurality of change timings detected at different timings within a certain period, and
• the determining unit compares corresponding change timings included in the first timing data and the second timing data with one another, and determines that the photographed subjects are the same or a similar subject if a proportion of incidences where a difference between the compared change timings is smaller than the specified value is larger than a specified proportion.