U.S. patent application number 11/904185 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-28 for information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system, and storage medium.
Invention is credited to Tetsushi Kokubo, Kazuyuki Marukawa, Yasuhiro Yukawa.
Application Number | 20080049831 11/904185 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26596480 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080049831 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kokubo; Tetsushi ; et
al. |
February 28, 2008 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method,
information processing system, and storage medium
Abstract
An image and motion corresponding to the image are presented in
response to a request issued by an user. The user transmits image
data from a terminal to a motion data generating apparatus. The
motion data generating apparatus generates motion data from the
received image data. The motion data generating apparatus transmits
the generated motion data together with the image data, in a
mutually related fashion, to an image/motion control apparatus. The
motion data generating apparatus also transmits ID data assigned to
the image data and the motion data to the terminal. The
image/motion control apparatus stores the received data. When the
image/motion control apparatus receives ID data input by a user via
an image/motion presenting apparatus, the image/motion control
apparatus reads image data and motion data corresponding to the
received ID data and transmits the image data and the motion data
to the image/motion presenting apparatus. The image/motion
presenting apparatus presents an image in accordance with the
received image data and also presents motion in accordance with the
motion data.
Inventors: |
Kokubo; Tetsushi; (Chiba,
JP) ; Marukawa; Kazuyuki; (Kanagawa, JP) ;
Yukawa; Yasuhiro; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FROMMER LAWRENCE & HAUG
745 FIFTH AVENUE- 10TH FL.
NEW YORK
NY
10151
US
|
Family ID: |
26596480 |
Appl. No.: |
11/904185 |
Filed: |
September 26, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09910104 |
Jul 20, 2001 |
|
|
|
11904185 |
Sep 26, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
375/240.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 13/28 20140902;
A63F 13/71 20140902; A63F 2300/5513 20130101; A63F 13/10 20130101;
A63F 13/12 20130101; A63F 2300/401 20130101; A63F 2300/532
20130101; A63F 2300/302 20130101; A63F 2300/69 20130101; A63F
13/792 20140902; A63F 2300/64 20130101; A63F 13/803 20140902; A63F
2300/8017 20130101; A63F 13/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
375/240.01 |
International
Class: |
H04N 7/00 20060101
H04N007/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 21, 2000 |
JP |
2000-221459 |
Jul 21, 2000 |
JP |
2000-221460 |
Claims
1-53. (canceled)
54. A system comprising: a transmitting apparatus comprising first
transmitting means for transmitting image data; and an information
processing apparatus comprising: first receiving means for
receiving said image data from said transmitting apparatus via a
network; generating means for processing said image data to
generate motion data corresponding to said image data; and second
transmitting means for transmitting said motion data.
55. A system according to claim 54, further comprising: a
presenting apparatus for presenting motion to a user based on
motion data, wherein said second transmitting means of said
information processing apparatus transmits said motion data to said
transmitting apparatus; and said transmitting apparatus further
comprises: second receiving means for receiving, from said
information processing apparatus, said motion; and third
transmitting means for transmitting said motion data to said
presenting apparatus.
56. A system according to claim 55, wherein said transmitting
apparatus transmits said motion data to said presenting apparatus
via a network or a recording medium.
57. A system according to claim 56, wherein said information
processing apparatus further comprises: third receiving means for
receiving charging information of a user requests the generation of
said motion data; and charging means for charging a fee to said
user.
58. A system according to claim 55, wherein said transmitting
apparatus further comprises: fourth receiving means for receiving
said image data sent from a terminal not part of said transmitting
apparatus before said first transmitting means transmits the image
data received from said terminal; fourth transmitting means for
transmitting, to said terminal, an ID number corresponding to said
image data sent from said terminal; fifth receiving means for
receiving said motion data corresponding to said image data; and
control means responsive to an ID number received from said
presenting apparatus, causing said presenting apparatus to present
images corresponding to said ID number of said image data and
motion corresponding to said ID number from said presenting
apparatus.
59. A system according to claim 58, wherein said information
processing apparatus further comprises: third receiving means for
receiving charging information of a user who requests the
generation of said motion data; and charging means for charging a
fee to said user.
60. A system according to claim 58, wherein said presenting
apparatus further comprises: storing means for storing image data
and said motion data corresponding to said image data, wherein, if
a different user other than the user providing said image or said
motion data uses said stored image data and motion data, the
different user is given a special service.
61. A system according to claim 54, further comprising: a
presenting apparatus for presenting motion to a user based on
motion data; and a receiving apparatus different from said
transmitting apparatus and comprising: sixth receiving means for
receiving, from said information processing apparatus, said motion
data corresponding to the image data; and fifth transmitting means
for transmitting said motion data to said presenting apparatus.
62. A system according to claim 61, wherein said information
processing apparatus further comprises: sixth transmitting means
for transmitting, to said transmitting apparatus, an ID number
corresponding to said image data received from said transmitting
apparatus; and wherein said second transmitting means transmits to
said receiving apparatus said image data, said ID number and said
motion data corresponding to said image data.
63. A system according to claim 62, wherein said presenting
apparatus further comprises: inputting means for inputting an ID
number; seventh receiving means for receiving from said information
processing apparatus said motion data, said image data and ID
information corresponding to said image data; and presenting means
for presenting motion and image data corresponding to said ID
number inputted from inputting means.
64. A system according to claim 63, wherein said information
processing apparatus further comprises: third receiving means for
receiving charging information of a user who requests the
generation of said motion data; and charging means for charging a
fee to said user.
65. A system according to claim 63, wherein said presenting
apparatus further comprises: storing means for storing image data
and said motion data corresponding to said image data, wherein if a
different user other than the user providing said image or said
motion data uses said stored image data and motion data, the
different user is given a special service.
66. A motion data generating apparatus comprising: receiving means
for receiving image data via a network; generating means for
generating motion data corresponding to the received image data;
and outputting means for outputting the generated motion data.
67. A motion data generating apparatus according to claim 66,
wherein said generating means processes said received image data to
generate said motion data.
68. A motion data generating method comprising the steps of:
receiving image data via a network; generating motion data
corresponding to the received image data; and outputting the
generated motion data.
69. A motion data generating method according to claim 68, wherein
said motion data is generated by processing the image data.
70. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for
controlling data generating apparatus to receive image data via a
network; generate motion data corresponding to the image data; and
output the motion data.
71. A computer readable medium according to 70 wherein said motion
data is generated by processing the image data.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an information processing
apparatus, an information processing method, an information
processing system, and a storage medium, and more particularly, to
an information processing apparatus, an information processing
method, an information processing system, and a storage medium,
suitable for presenting to a user an image and motion corresponding
to the image or suitable for presenting motion corresponding to an
image selected by an user.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] An apparatus is known in which a chair on which an audience
sits is moved in synchronization with a displayed image the
audience is watching thereby presenting a realistic feeling to the
audience. The chair is moved in accordance with motion data
generated from data which was output from a sensor for detecting an
angle, such as an acceleration sensor, when the image was taken. In
some cases, the motion data is manually generated by a human
operator by guessing motion from a given image.
[0005] However, in this technique in which motion data is generated
from data acquired using a sensor when an image is taken,
complicated processing is needed to acquire the data. Furthermore,
because the image and the data from which the motion data is
generated should be synchronized with each other when motion is
presented to an audience, it is difficult to acquire a plurality of
sets of an image and corresponding motion data.
[0006] As a result, images and motions which can be practically
presented are limited. Even in the case where an image and motion
can be selected from a plurality of sets, the number of sets is
limited, and thus it is impossible to present an image and motion
which can sufficiently satisfy users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the above, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a technique of presenting an image and
corresponding motion in response to a request issued by an user, in
which an image supplied by an audience is transmitted to another
apparatus via a network, motion data is generated by that
apparatus, and the resultant motion data is presented to the user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a
technique of presenting an image and corresponding motion in
response to a request issued by an user, in which an image supplied
by an audience is transmitted to another apparatus via a network,
motion data is generated by that apparatus, and the resultant
motion data is presented not only to the user who has issued the
request for generation of the motion data but also to other
users.
[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a system comprising: inputting means for inputting image
data; motion data generating means for generating motion data for
controlling motion corresponding to the input image data; ID data
generating means for generating ID data corresponding to at least
one of the image data and the motion data; first storing means for
storing the image data and the motion data; second storing means
for storing the ID data corresponding to the at least one of the
image data and the motion data and also storing address data
indicating an address in the first storing means at which the at
least one of the image data and the motion data is stored, such
that the ID data and the address data are related to each other;
presenting means for presenting an image corresponding to the image
data and also presenting motion corresponding to the motion data;
and output means for reading, in response to receiving ID data from
the presenting means, address data related to the ID data from the
second storing means, and then reading image data and motion data
from the first storing means in accordance with the address data,
and finally transmitting a set of the image data and the motion
data to the presenting means.
[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: input
means for inputting image data via a network; motion data
generating means for generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data input
via the input means; ID generating means for generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data input via the input means
and the motion data generated by the motion data generating means;
and transmitting means for transmitting the image data, the motion
data, and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to another
apparatus via the network.
[0010] The information processing apparatus may further comprise
charging means for charging a total fee including a fee for use of
the information processing apparatus and a fee for use of another
apparatus; and data generating means for generating data indicating
the amount of fee for use of another apparatus, included in the
total fee charged by the charging means.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an information processing method comprising the steps
of: inputting image data via a network; generating motion data for
controlling motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the
image data input in the inputting step; generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data input in the inputting
step and the motion data generated in the motion data generating
step; and transmitting the image data, the motion data, and the ID
data, in a mutually related fashion, to another apparatus via the
network.
[0012] The information processing method may further comprise the
steps of: charging a total fee including a fee for use of the
information processing apparatus and a fee for use of another
apparatus; and generating data indicating the amount of fee for use
of another apparatus, included in the total fee charged in the
charging step.
[0013] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of:
generating motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an
image in accordance with the image data input in the inputting
step; generating an ID corresponding to a set of the image data
input in the inputting step and the motion data generated in the
motion data generating step; and transmitting the image data, the
motion data, and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to
another apparatus via the network.
[0014] In the storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the steps of:
charging a total fee including a fee for use of the information
processing apparatus and a fee for use of another apparatus; and
generating data indicating the amount of fee for use of another
apparatus, included in the total fee charged in the charging
step.
[0015] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising:
input means for inputting image data, motion data for controlling
motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data,
an ID assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data, and
charge data used for charging; first storing means for storing the
image data and the motion data input via the input means; second
storing means for storing the ID data input via the input means and
also storing address data indicating addresses in the first storing
means at which the image data and the motion data are stored, such
that the ID data and the address data are related to each other;
read operation commanding means for reading, when the ID is input
from another apparatus, the address data related to the ID data
from the second storing means and commanding the first storing
means to read the image data and the motion data in accordance with
the address data read from the second storing means; and charging
means for charging in accordance with the charge data input via the
input means.
[0016] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing method, comprising the
steps of: inputting image data, motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data, an ID
assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data, and charge
data used for charging; storing the image data and the motion data
input in the inputting step; storing the ID data input in the
inputting step and also storing address data indicating addresses
at which the image data and the motion data have been stored in the
step of storing the image data and the motion data, such that the
ID data and the address data are related to each other; reading,
when the ID is input from another apparatus, the address data
related to the ID data stored in the ID data storing step and
issuing a read command to read the image data and the motion data
in accordance with the address data; and charging in accordance
with the charge data input in the inputting step.
[0017] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of:
inputting image data, motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data, an ID
assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data, and charge
data used for charging; storing the image data and the motion data
input in the inputting step; storing the ID data input in the
inputting step and also storing address data indicating addresses
at which the image data and the motion data have been stored in the
step of storing the image data and the motion data, such that the
ID data and the address data are related to each other; reading,
when the ID is input from another apparatus, the address data
related to the ID data stored in the ID data storing step and
issuing a read command to read the image data and the motion data
in accordance with the address data; and charging in accordance
with the charge data input in the inputting step.
[0018] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system comprising a terminal, a first
information processing apparatus, a second information apparatus
and a presenting apparatus, which are connected to each other via a
network, in which the terminal comprises first transmitting means
for transmitting image data, the first information processing
apparatus comprises first receiving means for receiving image data
transmitted from the first transmitting means; motion data
generating means for generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data
received via the first receiving means; ID data generating means
for generating ID data corresponding to a set of the image data
received via the first receiving means and the motion data
generated by the motion data generating means; and second
transmitting means for transmitting the image data, the motion
data, and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to the second
information processing means, the second information processing
apparatus comprises second receiving means for receiving the image
data, the motion data, and the ID data transmitted from the second
transmitting means; first storing means for storing the image data
and the motion data received via the second receiving means; second
storing means for storing the ID data received via the second
receiving means and also storing address data indicating addresses
in the first storing means at which the image data and the motion
data are stored, such that the ID data and the address data are
related to each other; and third transmitting means for reading,
when ID data is received from the presenting apparatus, address
data related to the ID data from the second storing means, and then
reading image data and motion data from the first storing means in
accordance with the address data, and finally transmitting a set of
the image data and the motion data to the presenting apparatus, and
the presenting apparatus comprises: third receiving means for
receiving the image data and the motion data transmitted from the
third transmitting means; and presenting means for presenting an
image in accordance with the image data received via the third
receiving means and also presenting motion in accordance with the
motion data received via the third receiving means.
[0019] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising:
first storing means for storing image data input via a network; ID
data generating means for generating ID data corresponding to the
image data; second storing means for storing the ID data generated
by the ID generating means and also storing address data indicating
an address in the first storing means at which the image data is
stored, such that the ID data and the address data are related to
each other; reading means for reading, when ID data is input from
another apparatus, address data related to the ID data stored in
the second storing means and reading image data from the first
storing means in accordance with the address data read from the
second storing means; motion data generating means for generating
motion data for controlling motion corresponding to the image data
read by the reading means; and transmitting means for transmitting
the image data read by the reading means and the motion data
generated by the motion data generating means to another apparatus,
such that the image data and the motion data are related to each
other.
[0020] The information processing apparatus may further comprise
charging means for charging in accordance with charge data from
another apparatus.
[0021] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing method comprising the
steps of: storing image data input via a network; generating ID
data corresponding to the image data; storing the ID data generated
in the ID data generating step and also storing address data
indicating an address at which the image data has been stored in
the image data storing step, such that the ID data and the address
data are related to each other; reading, when the ID is input from
another apparatus, the address data related to the ID data stored
in the ID data storing step, and further reading the image data
stored in the image data storing step, in accordance with the
address data; generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data read in
the image data reading step; and transmitting the image data read
in the image data reading step and the motion data generated in the
motion data generating step to another apparatus, such that the
image data and the motion data are related to each other.
[0022] The information processing method may further comprise the
step of charging in accordance with charge data from another
apparatus.
[0023] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of:
storing image data input via a network; generating ID data
corresponding to the image data; storing the ID data generated in
the ID data generating step and also storing address data
indicating an address at which the image data has been stored in
the image data storing step, such that the ID data and the address
data are related to each other; reading, when the ID is input from
another apparatus, the address data related to the ID data stored
in the ID data storing step, and further reading the image data
stored in the image data storing step, in accordance with the
address data; generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data read in
the image data reading step; and transmitting the image data read
in the image data reading step and the motion data generated in the
motion data generating step to another apparatus, such that the
image data and the motion data are related to each other.
[0024] In this storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the step of
charging in accordance with charge data from another apparatus.
[0025] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system comprising a terminal, an information
processing apparatus, and a presenting apparatus, which are
connected to each other via a network, in which the terminal
comprises first transmitting means for transmitting image data, the
information processing apparatus comprises first receiving means
for receiving the image data transmitted from the first
transmitting means; ID data generating means for generating ID data
corresponding to the image data; second storing means for storing
the ID data generated by the ID generating means and also storing
address data indicating an address in the first storing means at
which the image data is stored, such that the ID data and the
address data are related to each other; reading means for reading,
when ID data is received from the presenting apparatus, address
data related to the ID data stored in the second storing means and
reading image data from the first storing means in accordance with
the address data; motion data generating means for generating
motion data for controlling motion corresponding to the image data
read by the reading means; and second transmitting means for
transmitting the image data read by the reading means and the
motion data generated by the motion data generating means to the
presenting means in a mutually related fashion, the presenting
apparatus comprises receiving means for receiving the image data
and the motion data from the second transmitting means; and
presenting means for presenting an image corresponding to the image
data received via the receiving means and also presenting motion
corresponding to the motion data received via the receiving
means.
[0026] In this information processing system, the presenting
apparatus may further comprise first charging means for charging a
total fee including a fee for use of the presenting apparatus and a
fee for use of the information processing apparatus; and third
transmitting means for generating and then transmitting, to the
information processing apparatus, charge data to be used by the
information processing apparatus to receive the fee for use of the
information processing apparatus, included in the total fee charged
by the first charging means, and the information processing
apparatus may further comprise second charging means for receiving
the charge data and charging in accordance with the charge
data.
[0027] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system comprising a terminal, a first
information processing apparatus, a second information apparatus
and a presenting apparatus, which are connected to each other via a
network, wherein the terminal comprises first transmitting means
for transmitting image data, the first information processing
apparatus comprises motion data generating means for generating
motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an image in
accordance with the image data which is transmitted from the first
transmitting means and which includes an ID added thereto by the
second information processing apparatus; second transmitting means
for transmitting the image data, the motion data generated by the
motion data generating means, and the ID data, in a mutually
related fashion, to the second information processing apparatus;
the second information processing apparatus comprises ID data
generating means for, when the image data transmitted from the
first transmitting means is received, generating an ID
corresponding to the image data; third transmitting means for
transmitting the image data and the ID data, in a mutually related
fashion, to the second information processing apparatus; receiving
means for receiving the image data, the motion data, and the ID,
transmitted from the second transmitting means; first storing means
for storing the image data and the motion data received via the
receiving means; second storing means for storing the ID data
received via the receiving means and also storing address data
indicating an address in the first storing means at which the image
data is stored, such that the ID data and the address data are
related to each other; reading means for reading, when ID data is
received from the presenting apparatus, address data related to the
ID data stored in the second storing means and reading image data
from the first storing means in accordance with the address data;
motion data generating means for generating motion data for
controlling motion corresponding to the image data read by the
reading means; and second transmitting means for transmitting the
image data read by the reading means and the motion data generated
by the motion data generating means to the presenting means in a
mutually related fashion, and the presenting apparatus comprises
receiving means for receiving the image data and the motion data
from the second transmitting means; and presenting means for
presenting an image corresponding to the image data received via
the receiving means and also presenting motion corresponding to the
motion data received via the receiving means.
[0028] In this information processing system, the second
information processing apparatus may further comprise first
charging means for charging a total fee including a fee for use of
the second information processing apparatus and a fee for use of
the first information apparatus; and third transmitting means for
generating and then transmitting, to the first information
processing apparatus, charge data indicating the amount of fee for
use of the first information processing apparatus, the fee being
included the total fee charged by the first charging means, and the
first information processing apparatus may further comprise second
charging means for receiving the charge data transmitted from the
third transmitting means and charging in accordance with the charge
data.
[0029] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising:
input means for inputting image data via a network; motion data
generating means for generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data input
via the input means; ID generating means for generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data input via the input means
and the motion data generated by the motion data generating means;
charging means for charging; discounting means for discounting the
fee charged by the charging means in the case where the motion data
generated by the motion data generating means is permitted to be
shared with a large number of users; and transmitting means for
transmitting the image data, the motion data, and the ID data, in a
mutually related fashion, to another apparatus via the network.
[0030] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an image processing method comprising the steps
of: inputting image data via a network; generating motion data for
controlling motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the
image data input in the inputting step; generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data input in the inputting
step and the motion data generated in the motion data generating
step; performing charging; discounting the fee charged by the
charging means in the case where the motion data generated by the
motion data generating means is permitted to be shared with a large
number of users; and transmitting the image data, the motion data,
and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to another
apparatus via the network.
[0031] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of:
inputting image data via a network; generating motion data for
controlling motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the
image data input in the inputting step; generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data input in the inputting
step and the motion data generated in the motion data generating
step; performing charging; discounting the fee charged by the
charging means in the case where the motion data generated by the
motion data generating means is permitted to be shared with a large
number of users; and transmitting the image data, the motion data,
and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to another
apparatus via the network.
[0032] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: input
means for inputting image data, motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data, and an
ID assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data; first
storing means for storing the image data and the motion data input
via the input means; second storing means for storing the ID data
input via the input means and also storing address data indicating
addresses in the first storing means at which the image data and
the motion data are stored, such that the ID data and the address
data are related to each other; and read operation commanding means
for reading, when the ID is input from another apparatus, the
address data related to the ID data from the second storing means
and commanding the first storing means to read the image data and
the motion data in accordance with the address data read from the
second storing means.
[0033] The image processing apparatus may further comprise repaying
means for, when the image data and the motion data input via the
input means are permitted to be shared with a large number of
users, repaying a fee to a user who has supplied the image
data.
[0034] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an image processing method comprising the steps
of: inputting image data, motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data, and an
ID assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data; storing
the image data and the motion data input in the inputting step;
storing the ID data input in the inputting step and also storing
address data indicating addresses at which the image data and the
motion data have been stored in the step of storing the image data
and the motion data, such that the ID data and the address data are
related to each other; and reading, when the ID is input from
another apparatus, the address data related to the ID data stored
in the ID data storing step and issuing a read command to read the
image data and the motion data in accordance with the address
data.
[0035] The information processing method may further comprise the
step of, when the image data and the motion-data input via the
input means are permitted to be shared with a large number of
users, repaying a fee to a user who has supplied the image
data.
[0036] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of:
inputting image data, motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data, and an
ID assigned to a set of the image data and the motion data; storing
the image data and the motion data input in the inputting step;
storing the ID data input in the inputting step and also storing
address data indicating addresses at which the image data and the
motion data have been stored in the step of storing the image data
and the motion data, such that the ID data and the address data are
related to each other; and reading, when the ID is input from
another apparatus, the address data related to the ID data stored
in the ID data storing step and issuing a read command to read the
image data and the motion data in accordance with the address
data.
[0037] In this storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the step of, when
the image data and the motion data input via the input means are
permitted to be shared with a large number of users, repaying a fee
to a user who has supplied the image data.
[0038] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system comprising a terminal, a first
information processing apparatus, a second information apparatus
and a presenting apparatus, which are connected to each other via a
network, wherein the terminal comprises first transmitting means
for transmitting image data, the first information processing
apparatus comprises motion data generating means for generating
motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an image in
accordance with the image data received from the first transmitting
means; ID generating means for generating an ID corresponding to a
set of the image data and the motion data generated by the motion
data generating means; and second transmitting means for
transmitting the image data, the motion data, and the ID data, in a
mutually related fashion, to the second information processing
means, the second information processing apparatus comprises
receiving means for receiving the image data, the motion data, and
the ID, transmitted from the second transmitting means; first
storing means for storing the image data and the motion data
received via the receiving means; second storing means for storing
the ID data received via the receiving means and also storing
address data indicating addresses in the first storing means at
which the image data and the motion data are stored, such that the
ID data and the address-data are related to each other; and third
transmitting means for reading, when ID data is received from the
presenting apparatus, address data related to the ID data from the
second storing means, and then reading image data and motion data
from the first storing means in accordance with the address data,
and finally transmitting a set of the image data and the motion
data to the presenting apparatus, the presenting apparatus
comprises second receiving means for receiving the image data and
the motion data transmitted from the third transmitting means; and
presenting means for presenting an image in accordance with the
image data received via the second receiving means and also
presenting motion in accordance with the motion data received via
the second receiving means.
[0039] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising
input means for inputting image data and an ID assigned to the
image data, via a network; motion data generating means for
generating motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an
image in accordance with the image data input via the input means;
and transmitting means for transmitting the image data and the ID
input via the input means and also transmitting the motion data
generated by the motion data generating means to another apparatus,
such that the image data, the ID, and the motion data are related
to each other.
[0040] The information processing apparatus may further comprise
charging means for charging in accordance with the charge data
input via the input means.
[0041] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing method comprising the
steps of: inputting image data and an ID assigned to the image
data, via a network; generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data input
in the inputting step; and transmitting the image data and the ID
input in the inputting step and also transmitting the motion data
generated in the motion data generating step, to another apparatus
such that the image data, the ID, and the motion data are related
to each other.
[0042] The information processing method may further comprising the
step of charging in accordance with the charge data input in the
inputting step.
[0043] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of
inputting image data and an ID assigned to the image data, via a
network; generating motion data for controlling motion
corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data input
in the inputting step; and transmitting the image data and the ID
input in the inputting step and also transmitting the motion data
generated in the motion data generating step, to another apparatus
such that the image data, the ID, and the motion data are related
to each other.
[0044] In this storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the step of
charging in accordance with the charge data input in the inputting
step.
[0045] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising:
input means for inputting, from another apparatus via a network,
image data and motion data for controlling motion corresponding to
an image in accordance with the image data; first storing means for
storing the image data and the motion data input via the input
means; ID generating means for generating an ID corresponding to a
set of the image data and the motion data stored in the first
storing means; second storing means for storing the ID data
generated by the ID generating means and also storing address data
indicating addresses in the first storing means at which the image
data and the motion data are stored, such that the ID and the
address data are related to each other; and read operation
commanding means for reading, when the ID is input from another
apparatus, the address data related to the ID data from the second
storing means and commanding the first storing means to read the
image data and the motion data in accordance with the address data
read from the second storing means.
[0046] The information processing apparatus may further comprise
charging means for charging; and transmitting means for generating
and then transmitting, to another apparatus, data to be used by
another apparatus to perform charging.
[0047] The information processing apparatus may further comprise
repaying means for, when the image data and the motion data input
via the input means are permitted to be shared with a large number
of users, repaying a fee to a user who has supplied the image
data.
[0048] In the information processing apparatus, the repaying means
may perform the repayment by issuing a command to the charging
means to discount the amount of charge or by issuing a command to
the transmitting means to generate and transmit data indicating
that the amount of fee discounted by another apparatus should be
charged.
[0049] In the information processing apparatus, the repaying means
may determine the repayment amount in proportion to the number of
times reading is performed in response to a command issued by the
read operation commanding means.
[0050] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising
the steps of inputting, from another apparatus via a network, image
data and motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an
image in accordance with the image data; storing the image data and
the motion data input in the inputting step; generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data and the motion data stored
in the step of storing the image data and the motion data; storing
the ID data generated in the ID data generating step and also
storing address data indicating addresses at which the image data
and the motion data have been stored in the step of storing the
image data and the motion data, such that the ID data and the
address data are related to each other; and reading, when the ID is
input from another apparatus, the address data related to the ID
data stored in the ID data storing step and issuing a read command
to read the image data and the motion data in accordance with the
address data.
[0051] The information processing method may further comprise the
steps of performing charging; and generating data to be used by
another apparatus to perform charging, and transmitting the
generated data to another apparatus.
[0052] The information processing method may further comprising the
step of, when the image data and the motion data input via the
input means are permitted to be shared with a large number of
users, repaying a fee to a user who has supplied the image
data.
[0053] In the information processing method, the repaying step may
perform the repayment by issuing a command to discount the amount
of charge in the charging step or by issuing a command to generate
and transmit, in the transmitting step, data indicating that the
amount of fee discounted by another apparatus should be
charged.
[0054] In the information processing method, the repaying step may
determine the repayment amount in proportion to the number of times
reading is performed in response to a command issued in the read
operation commanding step.
[0055] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a storage medium including a computer-readable
program stored thereon, the program comprising the steps of
inputting, from another apparatus via a network, image data and
motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an image in
accordance with the image data; storing the image data and the
motion data input in the inputting step; generating an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data and the motion data stored
in the step of storing the image data and the motion data; storing
the ID data generated in the ID data generating step and also
storing address data indicating addresses at which the image data
and the motion data have been stored in the step of storing the
image data and the motion data, such that the ID data and the
address data are related to each other; and reading, when the ID is
input from another apparatus, the address data related to the ID
data stored in the ID data storing step and issuing a read command
to read the image data and the motion data in accordance with the
address data.
[0056] In this storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the steps of
performing charging; and generating data to be used by another
apparatus to perform charging, and transmitting the generated data
to another apparatus.
[0057] In this storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the program may further comprise the step of, when
the image data and the motion data input via the input means are
permitted to be shared with a large number of users, repaying a fee
to a user who has supplied the image data.
[0058] In the storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the repaying step may perform the repayment by
issuing a command to discount the amount of charge in the charging
step or by issuing a command to generate and transmit, in the
transmitting step, data indicating that the amount of fee
discounted by another apparatus should be charged.
[0059] In the storage medium including a computer-readable program
stored thereon, the repaying step may determine the repayment
amount in proportion to the number of times reading is performed in
response to a command issued in the read operation commanding
step.
[0060] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a system comprising a terminal, a first
information processing apparatus, a second information apparatus
and a presenting apparatus, which are connected to each other via a
network, wherein the terminal comprises first transmitting means
for transmitting image data, the first information processing
apparatus comprises first receiving means for receiving the image
data and an ID assigned to the image data, from the second
information processing apparatus; motion data generating means for
generating motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an
image in accordance with the image data received via the receiving
means; and second transmitting means for transmitting the motion
data generated by the motion data generating means together with
the image data and the ID received via the reading means in a
mutually related fashion to the second information processing
apparatus, the second information processing apparatus comprises
third transmitting means for receiving the image data transmitted
from the first transmitting means and transmitting the image data
together with an ID assigned to the image data in a mutually
related fashion to the first information processing apparatus;
second receiving means for receiving the image data, the motion
data, and the ID data transmitted from the second transmitting
means; first storing means for storing the image data and the
motion data received via the second receiving means; second storing
means for storing the ID data received via the second receiving
means and also storing address data indicating addresses in the
first storing means at which the image data and the motion data are
stored, such that the ID data and the address data are related to
each other; and fourth transmitting means for reading, when ID data
is received from the presenting apparatus, address data related to
the ID from the second storing means, and then reading image data
and motion data from the first storing means in accordance with the
address data, and finally transmitting a set of the image data and
the motion data to the presenting apparatus, and the presenting
apparatus comprises third receiving means for receiving the image
data and the motion data transmitted from the fourth transmitting
means; and presenting means for presenting an image in accordance
with the image data received via the third receiving means and also
presenting motion in accordance with the motion data received via
the third receiving means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0061] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information processing
system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0062] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of a terminal;
[0063] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal
construction of a motion data generating apparatus;
[0064] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of a motion data generator;
[0065] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the construction of a
feature information detector;
[0066] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrates an example of a pattern
stored in a memory;
[0067] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image to
be processed;
[0068] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a calculation of a
vector;
[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the construction of a
feature information processing unit;
[0070] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal
construction of an image/motion control apparatus;
[0071] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the
construction of an image/motion presenting apparatus;
[0072] FIG. 12 is a side view of a driving apparatus;
[0073] FIG. 13 is a top of the driving apparatus;
[0074] FIG. 14 is a table illustrating real motion excitations and
quasi motion excitations;
[0075] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system;
[0076] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen
displayed on a data acquisition apparatus;
[0077] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating another example of the
internal construction of the motion data generating apparatus;
[0078] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the motion data generating
apparatus;
[0079] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating another example of the
internal construction of the image/motion control apparatus;
[0080] FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system;
[0081] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating another example of a
screen displayed on the data acquisition apparatus;
[0082] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the motion data generating
apparatus;
[0083] FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus;
[0084] FIG. 24 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system;
[0085] FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the motion data generating
apparatus;
[0086] FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus;
[0087] FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system;
[0088] FIG. 28 illustrates an example of an image displayed on a
screen serving as an output device 17 of the terminal;
[0089] FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating still another example of a
screen displayed on the data acquisition apparatus;
[0090] FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating another example of the
internal construction of the motion data generating apparatus;
[0091] FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system;
[0092] FIG. 32 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the motion data generating
apparatus;
[0093] FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the motion data generating
apparatus;
[0094] FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus;
[0095] FIG. 35 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a
system; and
[0096] FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating still another example of
the internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0097] Embodiments of the present invention are described below
with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram
illustrating an information processing system according to an
embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, terminals 1-1 to
1-N (hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish terminals
1-1 to 1-N from each other, a simple expression "terminal 1", is
used to describe a typical terminal. Similar expressions are also
used for other apparatuses) are, for example, personal computers or
the like installed in homes. Each terminal 1 is connected to motion
data generating means 3 via a network 2. The network 2 may be a LAN
(Local Area Network), the Internet, or the like.
[0098] The motion data generating means 3 generates motion data
corresponding to (in synchronization with) an image transmitted
from a terminal 1 and transmits the resultant data to an
image/motion control apparatus 4 via the network 2. In accordance
with the motion data received from the motion data generating means
3, the image/motion control apparatus 4 controls an image/motion
presenting apparatuses 6-1 to 6-N connected thereto via the network
5. Each image/motion presenting apparatus 6 includes a display for
presenting an image and a chair-shaped apparatus for presenting
motion. Image/motion presenting apparatuses 6 may be installed in,
for example, game centers.
[0099] The respective apparatuses are described below individually.
FIG. 2 illustrates the internal construction of the terminal 1. The
terminal 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11. An
input/output interface 15 is connected to the CPU 11 via a bus 14.
The input/output interface 15 is connected to an input unit 16
including an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, an output
device 17 for outputting a processed result such as audio data, a
storage device 18 including a hard disk drive for storing a program
and various data, a communication device 19 including a modem for
transmitting/receiving data via the network 2, and drives 20 for
reading and writing data from and to a program storage medium such
as a magnetic disk 31 and a semiconductor memory 34.
[0100] A digital video camera or the like is connected to a USB
(Universal Serial Bus) interface 21 via a USB cable (not shown). A
ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 are
connected to the bus 14.
[0101] A user may transmit the image data stored in the storage
unit 18 of the terminal 1 and the image data supplied from the
digital cameral or the like connected to the USB interface 21 to
the motion data generating means 3 via the network 2. As will be
described later in detail, when image data is transmitted to the
motion data generating apparatus 3, personal data associated with a
user (terminal 1) is also transmitted thereto.
[0102] The motion data generating means 3 analyzes the image data
received from the terminal 1 and generates motion data in
accordance with the image data. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating
the internal structure of the motion data generating apparatus 3.
The image data transmitted from the terminal 1 is input to an input
unit 41 of the motion data generating apparatus 3. The image data
input to the input unit 41 is transferred to a motion data
generator 42. The motion data generator 42 generates motion data
corresponding to an image in accordance with the given image data
and supplies, to an output unit 43, the resultant motion data which
will be used by the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 to present
motion corresponding to the image.
[0103] Personal data transmitted from the terminal 1 is also input
to the input unit 41. The personal data is used when the fee for
use of the system is charged. A specific example of the personal
data is a credit card number. The personal data is supplied from
the input unit 41 to a fee receiving unit 44. The fee receiving
unit 44 performs a process needed to collect a predetermined charge
for generation of motion data.
[0104] If the input unit 41 detects that data has been input from a
terminal 1 via the network 2, the input unit 41 outputs a command
signal to an ID generator 45 to generate ID data. In response to
the command signal, the ID generator 45 generates ID data. In this
process of generating the ID data, the ID data is assigned to a set
of the image data and the motion data generated from the image data
such that any set of image data and motion data can be
distinguished from the other sets by the ID data assigned thereto.
The generated ID data is applied to an output unit 43.
[0105] A charge data generator 46 generates data which is used to
charge the fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4 and
the image/motion presenting apparatus 6. The generated data is
applied to the output unit 43. Upon receiving the motion data, the
image data, the ID data and the charge data, the output unit 43
transmits them, in a mutually related fashion, to the image/motion
control apparatus 4 via the network 2.
[0106] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of the motion data generator 42 in the motion data generating
apparatus 3. The motion data generator 42 includes a feature
information detector 51 and a feature information processing unit
52. The image data applied to the motion data generator 42 is
supplied to the feature information detector 51. The feature
information detector 51 detects feature information as will be
described later. The detected feature information is supplied to
the feature information processing unit 52. The feature information
processing unit 52 calculates motion data from the supplied feature
information.
[0107] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of
the feature information detector 51. The image data input to the
feature information detector 51 is first delayed by a delay unit 61
by an amount corresponding to one frame and then supplied to a
frame buffer 62-1 and also to a frame buffer 62-2. Reading units
63-1 and 63-2 read image data from corresponding frame buffers 62-1
and 62-2 in accordance with a predetermined pattern stored in a
memory 64 and supply them to a motion vector detector 65.
[0108] The motion vector detector 65 detects a motion vector from
the supplied image data and outputs the detected motion vector to a
feature information calculating unit 66. The feature information
calculating unit 66 calculates feature information from the
supplied motion vector.
[0109] The operation of the feature information detector 51 shown
in FIG. 5 is described below. At a time t, the image data input to
the feature information detector 51 is supplied to the delay unit
61 and the frame buffer 62-2. The frame buffer 62-2 stores the
received image data with a length of one frame. Because the delay
unit 61 delays the image data by an amount corresponding to one
frame, the immediately previous image data, which was input at a
time t-1 previous to time t, is retained in the frame buffer 62-1.
The image data of time t-1 stored in the frame memory 62-1 is read
by the reading unit 63-1, while the image data of time t stored in
the frame memory 62-2 is read by the reading unit 63-2.
[0110] Herein, of the image data stored in the frame buffers 62-1
and 62-2, image data corresponding to the pattern stored in the
memory are read by the respective reading units 63-1 and 63-2. The
pattern stored in the memory 64 is described below with reference
to FIG. 6.
[0111] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the pattern stored in the
memory 64. Of pixels included in one frame, those pixels in a part
having no motion are removed. For example, in the case of an image
taken by a video camera installed on a car, such as that shown in
FIG. 7, a part of the car such as a hood is regarded as a part
having no motion and is removed. After removing such a part, a
point P at the center of the remaining area is employed as a
convergence point P. Thereafter, for example, 25 points (including
the convergence point P) at symmetric locations about the
convergence point P, in upper, lower, left, and right areas around
the convergence point P, are selected as representative points Q. A
reference block B is then defined for each representative point Q
such that the representative point Q is located at the center of
the block and such that the block B includes a predetermined number
of pixels, for example, 33.times.33 pixels. The coordinates of the
respective representative points Q in the frame, the size of the
reference block B, and the size of a search block consisting of,
for example, 65.times.65 pixels (not shown in the figure) are
stored as the pattern in the memory 64.
[0112] Of the image data of time t-1 stored in the frame buffer
62-1, pixel data corresponding to the pattern stored in the memory
64, that is, the pixel data associated with the representative
points Q and the pixel data of pixels in the respective reference
blocks B are read out and output as reference block data to the
motion vector detector 66. Similarly, of the image data of time t
stored in the frame buffer 62-2, pixel data corresponding to the
pattern stored in the memory 64 is read out by the reading unit
63-2 and output as search block data to the motion vector detector
65.
[0113] Using the reference block data and the search block data,
the motion vector detector 65 detects a motion vector associated
with each representative point Q by means of block matching. Thus,
in this specific example, 25 motion vectors are detected.
[0114] Because the purpose herein in the present embodiment is to
generate motion data, detection of 25 motion vectors is sufficient
for the purpose. This allows a reduction in the circuit complexity
and an increase in the processing speed compared with the case in
which motion vectors are detected for all pixels.
[0115] The feature information calculating unit 66 calculates four
components of motion as a whole of the frame at time t, that is,
the horizontal component u, the vertical component v, the zooming
component v.sub.zoom, and the rotation component v.sub.rot, in
accordance with the formulas described below. horizontal component:
u=(1/n).SIGMA.u.sub.i (1) vertical component: v=(1/n).SIGMA.v.sub.i
(2) zooming component v.sub.zoom=(1/n).SIGMA.v.sub.zoomi/d.sub.i
(3) rotation component v.sub.rot=(1/n).SIGMA.v.sub.roti/d.sub.i
(4)
[0116] In the above formulas, subscript i denotes the
representative point number identifying each representative point
Q.sub.i, wherein the number can take a value in the range of, in
this specific example, 1 to 25. n denotes the number of
representative points, and n=25 in this specific example. From the
above formulas (1) to (4), means values of the respective
components u, v, v.sub.zoom and v.sub.rot of 25 motion vectors are
calculated.
[0117] The relationships among the respective components u, v,
v.sub.zoom, and v.sub.rot are described below with reference to
FIG. 8. Herein, the horizontal and vertical components of the
motion vector T of a representative point Q.sub.i of interest are
respectively denoted by u.sub.i and v.sub.i. d.sub.i is a scalar
value representing the distance from the convergence point P to the
representative point Q.sub.i. (Px, Py) represents the coordinates
of the convergence point P. The distance d.sub.i of the
representative point Q.sub.i with coordinates (Q.sub.ix, Q.sub.iy)
is calculated with respect to the coordinates (Px, Py) of the
convergence point P.
[0118] The components (u.sub.i, v.sub.i) of the motion vector T are
given by employing the representative point Q as the origin. The
component v.sub.zoomi is parallel to an imaginary line from the
convergence point P to the representative point Q.sub.i, and the
component v.sub.roti is perpendicular to the imaginary line from
the convergence point P to the representative point Q.sub.i. The
angle between the motion vector T and the imaginary line from the
convergence point P to the representative point Q.sub.i is denoted
by .theta.. v.sub.zoomi and v.sub.roti are determined in accordance
with the following formulas.
v.sub.zoomi=(u.sub.i.sup.2+v.sub.i.sup.2).sup.1/2 cos .theta. (5)
v.sub.roti=(u.sub.i.sup.2+v.sub.i.sup.2).sup.1/2 sin .theta.
(6)
[0119] Although the respective components are determined by simply
calculating the means values of 25 motion vectors, weighting on the
basis of the locations on the screen may be performed.
[0120] Thus, as described above, the feature information
calculating unit 66 determines feature information indicated by the
four components u, v, v.sub.zoom, and v.sub.rot calculated, using
formulas (1) to (4), from the motion vectors output from the motion
vector detector 65. The calculated four components u, v,
v.sub.zoom, and v.sub.rot are output to the feature information
processing unit 52 (FIG. 4).
[0121] Now, let us discuss how a force (motion) should be applied
to a chair on which an audience sits to present to the audience,
fore example, a virtual experience of riding in a car. When one
actually rides in a car, the force applied to a chair in the car
includes a component arising from the slope of a road in a running
direction, a vertical component which arises from irregularities of
the road and which can cause the car to vibrate in the vertical
direction, and a component arising from the lateral slope of the
road.
[0122] The above-described components of the force applied to the
video camera which is installed on the car to take the image can be
reproduced and can be applied to the chair on which a user sits.
Thus, the force having such components is referred to as a real
motion excitation. If the real motion excitation is integrated, the
result must be equal to zero.
[0123] On the other hand, there are components whose integral
cannot be equal to zero. Examples of such components include a
centrifugal force imposed when a car turns, an inertial force
imposed when the car is accelerated or decelerated, and a yawing
force imposed when the car turns. Because of the limitations in the
range and direction in which the chair can be moved, such a
component of the force applied to the car cannot be precisely
reproduced in the presentation of motion. Thus, herein, an exciting
force corresponding to such a force is referred to as a quasi
motion excitation.
[0124] The relationship among the forces associated with the real
motion excitations, the quasi motion excitations, components of the
force actually applied to the chair according to the motion data,
and the four components calculated by the feature information
calculating unit 66 is discussed below. Of the real motion
excitations, the force caused by the slope of a road in the running
direction is represented by a component, called pitch, of the
motion data. This component is given as a low-frequency component
of the vertical component of the motion vector, because the road
slope varies slowly.
[0125] In contrast to the low-frequency component representing the
force caused by the road slope, the component representing the
vibration imposed by the road can be given by a high-frequency
component of the vertical component of the motion vector. This
component is referred to as a z component of the motion data. The
force caused by the lateral slope of a road is one of roll
components of the motion data. As can be seen from FIG. 8, this
component can be represented by the value obtained by adding
together the rotation components v.sub.roti of all 25 motion
vectors. The centrifugal force imposed when a car turns is one of
the roll components of the motion data and can be represented by
the horizontal component u.
[0126] The inertial force imposed when the car is accelerated or
decelerated in the running direction is one of the pitch components
of the motion data and can be given as the low-frequency component
of the derivative of the zooming component v.sub.zoom. The reason
why the low-frequency component is employed is that a quick
response is not required in terms of the acceleration or
deceleration. The yawing force imposed when a car turns is the yaw
component of the motion data and can be represented by the
horizontal component u. In the table shown below, u has a negative
sign because this force is imposed in a direction opposite to the
centrifugal force imposed when a car turns. TABLE-US-00001 Real
Motion Excitations Component to be Component of Relationship with
four represented motion data components Slope of road pitch Low
frequency component of .SIGMA.v Vibration arising from z High
frequency irregularities of road component of -.SIGMA.v Lateral
slope of road roll -.SIGMA.v.sub.rot
[0127] TABLE-US-00002 Quasi Motion Excitations Component to be
Component of Relationship with four represented motion data
components Centrifugal force at a roll u curve Inertial force
caused pitch Low frequency component by acceleration or of
dv.sub.zoom/dt deceleration Yawing at a curve yaw -u
[0128] In accordance with the relationships described above, the
feature information processing unit 52 generates motion data to be
supplied to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6. FIG. 9 is a
block diagram illustrating the construction of the feature
information processing unit 52. Of the four components received
from the feature information detector 51, the rotation component
r.sub.rot is applied to an adder 71-1, the horizontal component u
to an adder 71-2 and a sign inverter 72-1, the vertical component v
to an adder 71-3 and the zooming component v.sub.zoom to an adder
71-5 and a delay device 73-3. The data output from the adder 71-1
is delayed by a delay device 73-1 by an amount corresponding to one
clock and the delayed data is fed back to the adder 71-1.
Similarly, the data output from the adder 71-3 is delayed by a
delay device 73-2 by an amount corresponding to one clock and the
delayed data is fed back to the adder 71-3.
[0129] The data output from the delay device 73-1 is applied to the
adder 71-2, and the data output from the delay device 73-2 is
applied to a HPF (High Pass Filter) 74 via a sign inverter 72-2 and
also applied to an adder 71-4 via a LPF (Low Pass Filter) 75-1. The
zooming component v.sub.zoom delayed by one clock through the delay
device 73-3 is subtracted from the zooming component v.sub.zoom
applied to the adder 71-5, and the resultant data is applied to an
adder 71-4 via the LPF 75-2.
[0130] The roll, yaw, z, and pitch components of the motion data
are calculated by the feature information processing unit 52 as
described below. The rotation component v.sub.rot input to the
feature information processing unit 52 is applied to the adder
71-1. The adder 71-1 calculates the sum of the rotation component
v.sub.rot input at a time t and the rotation component which was
input at a time t-1 and which is fed back at the time t from the
delay device 73-1. Thus, the rotation components v.sub.rot are
added cumulatively (that is, integrated) by the adder 71-1, and
thus the roll component (.SIGMA.v.sub.rot) of the motion data
representing the force caused by the lateral slope of the road is
obtained. Because the roll component of the motion data indicating
the force caused by the lateral slope of the road is given by
-.SIGMA.v.sub.rot, the adder 71-2 employs the data output from the
delay device 73-1 after inverting the sign thereof.
[0131] The roll component (horizontal component u) of the motion
data is also used to represent the centrifugal force imposed when
the car turns. To this end, the adder 71-2 adds the horizontal
component u and the inverted value of the data output from the
delay device 73-1 (that is, subtracts the value output from the
delay device 73-1 from the horizontal component u) thereby
determining the roll component of the motion data to be supplied to
a driving unit 3.
[0132] The yaw component of the motion data representing the yawing
force imposed when the car turns can be obtained by inverting the
sign of the horizontal component u. Thus, in the feature
information processing unit 52, the sign inverter 72-1 inverts the
sign of the horizontal component u and outputs the result as the
yaw component of the motion data.
[0133] The adder 71-3 calculates the sum of the vertical component
v input at the time t and the vertical component v which was input
at the immediately previous time t-1 and which is input again at
the time t to the adder 71-3 from the delay device 73-2. Thus, the
vertical components v are added cumulatively (that is, integrated)
by the adder 71-3. The cumulative sum determined by the adder 71-3
and the delay device 73-2 is applied to the sign inverter 72-2, and
the sign thereof is inverted. The high-frequency component thereof
is then extracted through the HPF 74. Thus, the z component of the
motion data representing the vibration caused by the irregularities
of the road is obtained.
[0134] The data output from the delay device 73-2 is also applied
to the LPF 75-1 to extract the low-frequency component thereof.
Thus, the pitch component of the motion data representing the force
caused by the slope of the road in the running direction is
obtained. The pitch component of the motion data is also used to
represent the inertial force imposed when the car is accelerated or
decelerated in the running direction. To this end, the pitch
component of the motion data output from the LPF 75-1 is added to
the pitch component of the motion data representing the inertial
force.
[0135] The pitch component of the motion data representing the
inertial force is calculated from the zooming component v.sub.zoom
input to the feature information processing unit 52. The zooming
component v.sub.zoom input to the feature information processing
unit 52 is applied to the adder 71-5 and also to the delay device
73-3. The zooming component v.sub.zoom which is input at the time t
and the zooming component v.sub.zoom which was input at the time
t-1 and which is output after being delayed by the delay device
73-3 by an amount corresponding to one frame are input to the adder
71-5. The adder 71-5 subtracts the zooming component
v.sub.zoom(t-1) of the time t-1 from the zooming component
v.sub.zoom(t) of the time t thereby determining the derivative of
the zooming component v.sub.zoom. The low-frequency component of
the output of the adder 71-5 is then extracted by the LPF 75-2, and
thus the pitch component of the motion data representing the
inertial force imposed when the car is accelerated or decelerated
is obtained.
[0136] The value output from the LPF 75-1 and the value output from
the LPF 75-2 are added together by the adder 71-4 to obtain the
pitch component of the motion data to be supplied to the driving
unit 3.
[0137] In the present invention, as described above, the motion
data is calculated from the motion of the image without requiring a
human operator to guess the motion from the image and manually
input motion data guessed. Another advantage of this method is in
that the motion data can be easily created from the image without
using a sensor or the like to detect the motion.
[0138] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of the image/motion control apparatus 4. Various data including the
above-described motion data transmitted from the motion data
generating apparatus 3 via the network 2 are input to a data input
unit 81. Of various kinds of data input to the data input unit 81,
the charge data is applied to a charging unit 82, the image data
and the motion data are applied to a data storage unit 83, and the
ID data is applied to an ID storage unit 84.
[0139] In accordance with the received charge data, the charging
unit 82 performs a process to receive a fee for use of the
image/motion control apparatus 4 and a fee for use of the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6. The data storage unit 83
stores the supplied image data and motion data and outputs, to an
ID data storage unit 84, ID data indicating addresses at which the
image data and the motion data are stored. The ID data storage unit
84 stores the received ID data and the address data in a mutually
related fashion.
[0140] An ID data input unit 85 inputs the ID data transmitted from
the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5. The ID
data input to the ID data input unit 85 is transferred to an ID
authentication unit 86. The ID authentication unit 86 determines
whether ID data consistent with the input ID data is stored in the
ID data storage unit 84. If such ID data is found, the ID
authentication unit 86 reads out the address data related to that
ID data and supplies an output command signal to the data storage
unit 83 to output data in accordance with the read-out address
data.
[0141] In accordance with the command received from the ID
authentication unit 86, the data storage unit 83 supplies the image
data and the motion data to a data output unit 87. The data output
unit 87 transmits the supplied image data and motion data to the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5.
[0142] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the construction of the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6. As shown in FIG. 11, the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 includes a display 91 for
displaying an image, a driving apparatus 92 for presenting motion,
and a data acquisition apparatus 93.
[0143] The display 91 displays an image in accordance with the
image data supplied from the image/motion control apparatus 4. The
driving apparatus 92 presents motion to an audience (user) in
accordance with the motion data supplied from the image/motion
control apparatus 4. The data acquisition apparatus 93 receives
various data from the image/motion control apparatus 4 via the
network 5 and supplies the received data to the display 91 and the
driving apparatus 92. The data acquisition apparatus 93 also
acquires data from a card (which will be described in detail later)
inserted in a slot 94 and transmits the acquired data to the
image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0144] An example of the driving apparatus 92 is described below
with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a side view of the
driving apparatus 92, and FIG. 13 is a top view of the driving
apparatus 92. The driving apparatus 92 includes six pistons 101-1
to 101-6 serving as actuators which support a pedestal 102. A chair
103 is fixed to the pedestal 102 so that a user 104 can sit
thereon.
[0145] The pistons 101-1 to 101-6 can expand and contract along
their center axis to move the pedestal 102 and thus to move the
chair 103 fixed to the pedestal 102. The pistons 101-1 to 101-6 are
controlled by a signal which is generated by the feature
information processing unit 52 and supplied via the network as
described above.
[0146] FIG. 14 shows a specific example of the operation of the
driving apparatus 92. In FIG. 14, upward arrows indicate that the
corresponding pistons expand, and downward arrows indicate that the
corresponding pistons contract.
[0147] The operation of the information processing system shown in
FIG. 1 is described below with reference to a flow chart shown in
FIG. 15. In step S1, a terminal 1 transmits image data to the
motion data generating apparatus 3 via the network 2. When the
image data is transmitted, personal data such as a credit card
number to be used in charging is also transmitted. Alternatively,
in the case where a bank account of a user is registered in
advance, the personal data may be a password which uniquely
identifies the user. Still alternatively, the fee may be
prepaid.
[0148] Thus, in step S1, personal data to be used in charging is
transmitted together with the image data. Upon receiving the image
data and the personal data, the motion data generating apparatus 3
performs a charging process in step S2. The charging process is
performed by the fee receiving unit 44 and the charge data
generator 46 in the motion data generating apparatus 3.
[0149] The fee receiving unit 44 charges the fee for generation of
the motion data. That is, the fee receiving unit 44 charges the fee
which is to be paid to a supplier who supplies the motion data
using the motion data generating apparatus 3. At this stage (in
step S2), the total fee is charged which includes not only the fee
for use of the motion data generating apparatus 3 but also a fee
for an image and motion which will be presented later by the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6. Therefore, a user does not
need to further pay the fee for use of the image/motion control
apparatus 4 and the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 when the
image and motion associated with the image are presented to the
user by the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 (hereinafter, the
fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4 and the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 will be referred to in a
generic manner as a fee for use of the image/motion control
apparatus 4).
[0150] Because the fee for use of the image/motion control
apparatus is charged in advance in step S2, the charge data
generator 46 generates data indicating the amount of the fee which
should be paid later to the image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0151] In step S3, the motion data generating apparatus 3 transmits
ID data to the terminal 1 from which the above-described image data
has been received. The ID data transmitted herein to the terminal 1
is generated by the ID generator 45 so as to uniquely identify
asset of the input image data, the motion data generated by the
motion data generator 42, and the charge data generated by the
charge data generator 46, such that the set of the data can be
distinguished from any other sets of data by the ID data.
[0152] In step S4, the terminal 1 receives the ID data transmitted
from the motion data generating apparatus 3 and stores it. The user
stores the received ID data on a magnetic disk 31 or the like
mounted on the drive 20 (FIG. 2). Alternatively, the user may store
the ID data on a card-type storage medium or the user may write the
ID data on a paper medium. The medium for storing the ID data may
be selected depending upon the type of medium used by the data
acquisition apparatus 93 (FIG. 11) of the image/motion presenting
apparatus 6 (or depending upon the manner in which the data is
input).
[0153] In step S5, after transmitting the ID data to the terminal
1, the motion data generating apparatus 3 generates motion data.
More specifically, the motion data is generated by the motion data
generator 42, as described above. Upon completion of the generation
of the motion data, the motion data generating apparatus 3
transmits the image data, the motion data, the charge data, and the
ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to the image/motion control
apparatus 4, in step S6.
[0154] In step S7, the image/motion control apparatus 4 receives
the data transmitted from the motion data generating apparatus 3
via the network 2. The image data and the motion data are stored in
the data storage unit 83, and the ID data is stored in the ID data
storage unit 84. When the ID data is stored in the ID data storage
unit 84, the address data indicating the addresses at which the
image data and the motion data are stored is output from the data
storage unit 83, and the ID data is stored in the ID data storage
unit 84 such that the ID data is related to the received address
data.
[0155] In step S8, the charging unit 82 performs a charging process
in accordance with the received charge data. Because the fee for
use of the image/motion control apparatus 4 has already been
charged in step S2 by the motion data generating apparatus 3 as
described above, the charging process in this step S8 is performed
so as to receive the fee for use of the image/motion control
apparatus 4 from the motion data generating apparatus 3.
[0156] In step S9, the ID data is input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6. In the case where the storage of the ID
data in the terminal 1 in step S4 is performed using a card-type
storage medium, the card-type storage medium is inserted into the
slot 94 (FIG. 11) of the data acquisition apparatus 93, and the ID
data is read from the storage medium inserted in the slot 94.
[0157] In another embodiment of the present invention, the data
acquisition apparatus 93 includes a display (not shown in the
figure) for displaying an image. FIG. 16 shows an example of an
image displayed on the display of the data acquisition apparatus
93. The display is of the touch sensor panel type, and a user can
input a command by touching the screen of the display.
[0158] For example, the image displayed on the screen includes an
image display area 111 in which an advertising image or an image to
be presented to the user is displayed, and an ID displaying area
113 in which the ID data read out from the storage medium inserted
in the slot 94 (FIG. 11) or ID data input by a user via a ten-key
pad 112 is displayed. A box 114 displayed below the ID displaying
area 113 is used to input a command to request presentation of
motion. A set of arrow keys 115 for moving the location of a cursor
is also displayed.
[0159] In the case where the data acquisition apparatus 93 has such
a display, ID data may be read from a storage medium as described
above or may be directly input by a user using the ten-key pad
113.
[0160] If, in step S9, the ID data is input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6, the ID data is transferred to the
image/motion control apparatus 4. In step S10, if the image/motion
control apparatus 4 receives, via the ID data input unit 85, the ID
data transmitted from the image/motion presenting apparatus 6, the
ID authentication unit 86 performs authentication.
[0161] The ID authentication unit 86 determines whether ID data
consistent with the received ID data is stored in the ID data
storage unit 84. If ID data consistent with the received ID data is
found in the ID data storage unit 84, the process goes to step S11.
However, if such ID data is not found, the following steps are not
performed.
[0162] In step S11, in accordance with the address data related to
the authenticated ID data, the image data and the motion data are
read from the data storage unit 83 and transmitted from the data
output unit 87 to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the
network 5. In step S12, the image/motion presenting apparatus 6
presents the image and the motion in accordance with the image data
and the motion data received from the image/motion control
apparatus 4.
[0163] Thus, motion corresponding to the image selected by the user
is presented to the user. In the embodiment described above, the
user pays all the fee when the user transmits the image, and thus
the user does not need to make payments separately for the fees of
use of the individual apparatuses. This ensures that the system can
gain the fee for use of the apparatuses in a highly reliable
fashion.
[0164] Although in the embodiment described above, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 charges all fees, the respective apparatuses
may individually charge for the fee thereof. However, in the
following description, it is assumed that, as in the above
embodiment, the fees for use of the image/motion control apparatus
4 and the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 are charged
together.
[0165] Another embodiment of the present invention is described
below.
[0166] In this embodiment, the system is configured in a similar
manner to that shown in FIG. 1. The internal construction of the
terminals 1 is also similar to that shown in FIG. 2. In the case
where the fee is charged when the image/motion control apparatus 4
and the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 are used, that is, in
the case where the fees for use of these apparatuses are not
charged by the motion data generating apparatus 3, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 may be constructed as shown in FIG. 17.
[0167] In this case, personal data (data indicating the manner in
which the fees for use the apparatuses are paid) is supplied to the
fee receiving unit 44 and also to the output unit 43. The output
unit 43 transmits the image data, the motion data, the personal
data, and the ID data, in a mutually related fashion, to the
image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0168] The internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus 4 is similar to that shown in FIG. 10. However, the
charging unit 82 charges the fees for use of the image/motion
control apparatus 4 and the image/motion presenting apparatus 6,
and the purpose of the charging process performed herein is not to
receive the fees which have already been charged.
[0169] When the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed such that
fees are charged separately for the respective apparatuses, the
operation of the system is basically similar to that described
above with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 15 except that
the charging process in steps S2 and S8 is performed separately for
each apparatus. The other steps are exactly the same as those in
the flow chart shown in FIG. 15, and thus they are not described
again herein in a duplicated fashion.
[0170] Herein, there is a possibility that although a user has
generated motion data via the motion data generating apparatus 3,
the user does not request the image/motion presenting apparatus 6
to present motion in accordance with the motion data. In such a
case, it is unreasonable that the fee for use of the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 be charged in advance. To avoid such a
problem, the fee may be charged when the motion data is actually
used.
[0171] In the case where the fee is charged when the motion data is
actually used, the system may be constructed in a similar manner to
that shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 1 may be constructed in a
similar manner to that shown in FIG. 2, the image/motion control
apparatus 4 may be constructed in a similar manner to that shown in
FIG. 10, and the motion data generating apparatus 3 may be
constructed in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 17. The
operation of the system may be performed in a similar manner as
described above with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 15
except that step 8 is performed between steps S10 and S11.
[0172] That is, the image/motion control apparatus 4 performs the
charging process when ID data is input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 and transferred to the image/motion control
apparatus 4, if the authentication of the ID data is successfully
completed. This allows the user to pay the charge when motion is
actually presented by the image/motion presenting apparatus 6.
[0173] In this case, when personal data is transmitted from the
terminal 1 to the motion data generating apparatus 3 and further to
the image/motion control apparatus 4, the image/motion control
apparatus 4 may store the received personal data and may read out
the personal data to perform the charging process when the ID data
is received from the image/motion presenting apparatus 6.
[0174] Alternatively, the personal data may be transmitted from the
terminal 1 only to the motion data generating apparatus 3 but not
further to the image/motion control apparatus 4. In this case, when
the ID data is input to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6,
the personal data may also be input so that the charging may be
performed in accordance with the input personal data. In this case,
the personal data transmitted to the motion data generating
apparatus 3 and the personal data input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 may be different from each other. For
example, the charge for use of the motion data generating apparatus
3 may be paid by a credit card and the charge for use of the
image/motion control apparatus may be paid by cash. That is,
charges may be paid in different manners.
[0175] In the embodiments described above, all fees are charged
together by the motion data generating apparatus 3 or individually
by the motion data generating apparatus 3 and the image/motion
control apparatus 4. Alternatively, all fees may be charged by the
image/motion control apparatus 4 as is described below.
[0176] When the system configuration shown in FIG. 1 is employed,
in order for the image/motion control apparatus 4 to charge all
fees together, the motion data generating apparatus 3 may be
constructed as shown in FIG. 18. If image data transmitted from the
terminal 1 is received via the network 2, the image data is applied
to an input unit 121. The image data is then transferred to an
image data storage unit 122 and stored therein.
[0177] When the image data is input to the input unit 121, an ID
data generation command is issued to an ID generator 123. The ID
generator 123 generates ID data and supplies the generated ID data
to an output unit 124 and also to an ID data storage unit 125. The
output unit 124 transmits the received ID data to the terminal 1.
On the other hand, the ID data applied to the ID data storage unit
125 is stored therein. When the ID data is stored in the ID data
storage unit 125, address data indicating the address in the image
data storage unit 122 at which the image data is stored is also
stored in the ID data storage unit 125 such that the ID data and
the address data are related to each other.
[0178] The data input unit 126 receives the charge data and the ID
data transmitted from the image/motion control apparatus 4 via the
network 5, and supplies the charge data to a charging unit 127 and
supplies the ID data to an ID authentication unit 128. In
accordance with the received charge data, the charging unit 127
charges the fee for use of the motion data generating apparatus 3.
To perform authentication, the ID authentication unit 128
determines whether ID data consistent with the input ID data is
stored in the ID data storage unit 125. If such ID data is found in
the ID data storage unit 125, the address data related to that ID
data is read out, and a command is issued to the image data storage
unit 122 to read out the image data in accordance with the address
data.
[0179] The image data output from the image data storage unit 122
is supplied to an image data generator 129 and the output unit 124.
The motion data generator 129 generates motion data from the
received image data. The generated motion data is supplied to the
output unit 124. The construction and the operation of the motion
data generator 129 are similar to those described above with
reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.
[0180] The output unit 124 transmits the supplied image data and
motion data, in a mutually related fashion, to the image/motion
control apparatus 4 via the network 2. FIG. 19 is a diagram
illustrating the internal construction of the image/motion control
apparatus 4. An input unit 141 receives the image data and the
motion data transmitted from the motion data generating apparatus 3
via the network 2. Upon receiving the image data and the motion
data, the input unit 141 issues a command to a charge data
generator 142 to generate charge data, and the input unit 141 also
supplies the image data and the motion data to an output unit
143.
[0181] The charge data generator 142 generates charge data in a
similar manner to the charge data generator 46 of the motion data
generating apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 3. That is, the charge data
generator 142 generates data which is used to transfer the fee for
use of the motion data generating apparatus 3 from the total fee
which has already been charged by the image/motion control
apparatus 4.
[0182] An ID data input unit 144 receives the ID data and the
charge data acquired by the data acquisition apparatus 93 (in FIG.
11) of the image/motion presenting apparatus 6. The ID data input
to the ID data input unit 144 is supplied to the output unit 143,
and the charge data is supplied to a charging unit 145. The
charging unit 145 charges the fee for use of the image/motion
control apparatus 4 in accordance with the input charge data.
[0183] The output unit 143 transmits the charge data and the ID
data to the motion data generating apparatus 3 via the network 2
and also transmits the image data and the motion data to the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via he network 5.
[0184] When the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed using the
apparatuses having the above-described internal constructions, the
system operates as is described below with reference to a flow
chart shown in FIG. 20. In step S21, a terminal 1 transmits image
data to the motion data generating apparatus 3. Herein, it is not
necessary to transmit the personal data, because the motion data
generating apparatus 3 does not perform a charging process at the
stage where the image data is received.
[0185] In step S22, if the motion data generating apparatus 3
receives via the input unit 121 (FIG. 18) the image data
transmitted from the terminal 1, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 stores the received image data in the image data
storage unit 122 and issues a command to the ID generator 123 to
generate ID data. In response to the command, the ID generator 123
generates ID data and stores the generated ID data in the ID data
storage unit 125. The ID generator 123 also transmits the generated
ID data to the terminal 1 via the output unit 124. When the ID data
is stored in the ID data storage unit 125, data indicating an
address at which the image data is stored is supplied to the ID
data storage unit 125 from the image data storage unit 122, and the
ID data and the address data are stored in the ID data storage unit
125 in a mutually related fashion.
[0186] In step S23, the terminal receives the ID data transmitted
from the motion data generating apparatus 3 and stores the received
ID data. In this step S23, a card-type storage medium or the like
may be employed as a medium for storing therein the ID data, as
described above with reference to step S4 in the flow chart shown
in FIG. 15.
[0187] After acquiring the ID data, if a user inputs the acquired
ID data to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6, then, in step
S24, the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 transmits the input ID
data to the image/motion control apparatus 4. When the user inputs
the ID data, the user also inputs data (charge data) specifying the
manner in which the fee is to be paid. The payment of the fee may
be made, for example, by a credit card, debit from an user's bank
account, or cash. For example, when a screen such as that shown in
FIG. 21 is displayed on a display of the data acquisition apparatus
93, if a credit card number is input via a charge information
inputting box 151, the input credit card number is employed as the
charge data.
[0188] In step S24, the image/motion presenting apparatus 6
transmits the input ID data and charge data to the image/motion
control apparatus 4. In step S25, upon receiving the ID data and
the charge data, the image/motion control apparatus 4 performs a
charging process. More specifically, the charge data is supplied to
the charging unit 145 via the ID data input unit 144 (FIG. 19), and
the charging unit 145 performs a process to charge the total fee
including the fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4
and the fee for use of the motion data generating apparatus 3.
Meanwhile, in step S26, the input ID data is transmitted to the
motion data generating apparatus 3 via the output unit 143.
[0189] The transmitted ID data is input to the data input unit 126
(FIG. 18) of the motion data generating apparatus 3. The data input
unit 126 transfers the received ID data to the ID authentication
unit 128. In step S27, the ID authentication unit 128 performs
authentication by checking whether ID data consistent with the
received ID data is stored in the ID data storage unit 125. If it
is determined in the authentication process that consistent ID data
is stored in the ID data storage unit 125, the address data related
to that ID data is read out, and a command is issued to the image
data storage unit 122 to output the image data in accordance with
the address data.
[0190] The image data storage unit 122 reads out the image data
stored at the specified address and supplies the read-out image
data to the motion data generator 129 and the output unit 124. In
step S28, the motion data generator 129 generates motion data. In
step S29, the generated motion data and the image data are related
to each other and transmitted to the image/motion control apparatus
4. In step S30, the image/motion control apparatus 4 directly
transfers the received image data and motion data to the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6. In step S31, the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 presents an image and motion to the user in
accordance with the received image data and motion data.
[0191] While the image/motion control apparatus 4 transmits the
image data and the motion data to the image/motion presenting
apparatus 6, the charge data generator 142 in the image/motion
control apparatus 4 generates, in step S32, charge data needed to
charge the fee for generation of the motion data performed by the
motion data generating apparatus 3.
[0192] In the motion data generating apparatus 3, the data input
unit 126 receives the charge data and transfers it to the charging
unit 127. In step S33, the charging unit 127 performs a charging
process in accordance with the received charge data.
[0193] In the case where the image/motion control apparatus 4
charges the total fee for use of the system as described above, if
a private line or the like is employed as the network 5 so as to
prevent external access to the system, it is ensured that the
charge data transmitted from the image/motion presenting apparatus
6 to the image/motion control apparatus 4 is not leaked, and thus
high security is achieved.
[0194] Charging the total fee in the above-described manner allows
the user to pay all fees by performing a simple operation once, and
ensures that the system can receive all fees in a highly reliable
fashion.
[0195] Although in the embodiment described above, the terminal 1
communicates with the motion data generating apparatus 3 to
transmit/receive data, the terminal 1 may communicate with the
image/motion control apparatus 4, as is described below.
[0196] FIG. 22 shows the internal construction of the motion data
generating apparatus 3 used in such a manner in the system shown in
FIG. 1. An input unit 161 receives ID data and image data
transmitted from the image/motion control unit 4 via the network 2.
Upon receiving the ID data and the image data, the input unit 161
supplies them to an output unit 162. The image data is also
supplied to a motion data generator 163. The motion data generator
163 generates motion data on the base of the supplied image data
and outputs the resultant motion data to the output unit 162. The
output unit 162 transmits the ID data, the image data, and the
motion data, in a mutually related fashion, to the image/motion
control apparatus 4 via the network 2.
[0197] The input unit 161 also receives charge data transmitted
from the image/motion control apparatus 4. The charge data received
via the input unit 161 is supplied to a charging unit 164. The
charging unit 164 performs a process to charge the fee for
generation of the motion data in accordance with the charge
data.
[0198] FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of the image/motion control apparatus 4. The personal data and the
image data received from the terminal 1 via the network 2 are input
to an input unit 171. The personal data transmitted from the
terminal 1 is supplied to fee receiving unit 172 for use in the
charging process. The image data input to the input unit 171 is
supplied to an output unit 173.
[0199] When the input unit 171 receives the image data or the
personal data from the terminal 1, the input unit 171 issues a
command to an ID generator 174 to generate ID data. In response to
the command, the ID generator 174 generates ID data and supplies
the generated ID data to the output unit 173 and an ID data storage
unit 175.
[0200] The output unit 173 transmits the supplied image data and ID
data, in a mutually related fashion, to the motion data generating
apparatus 3.
[0201] The motion data generating apparatus 3 generates motion data
from the received image data in the above-described manner and
transmits the image data, the motion data, and the ID data, in a
mutually related fashion, to the image/motion control apparatus 4.
The image/motion control apparatus 4 receives the image data, the
motion data, and the ID data transmitted from the motion data
generating apparatus 4. The received image data and motion data are
stored in a data storage unit 176.
[0202] When the image data and the motion data are stored in the
data storage unit 176, the data storage unit 176 generates address
data indicating addresses at which the image data and the motion
data are stored. The generated address data is supplied to an ID
data storage unit 175. The ID data storage unit 175 retrieves
existing ID data consistent with the ID data which was input
together with the image data and the motion data in the mutually
related fashion, and the ID data storage unit 175 stores the
supplied address data such that the address data is related to the
retrieved existing ID data.
[0203] When the input unit 171 receives, from the motion data
generating apparatus 3, image data, motion data, and ID data, which
are related to one another, the input unit 171 issues a command to
a charge data generator 177 to generate charge data. The charge
data generator 177 generates charge data so that, in accordance
with the charge data generated herein, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 can receive the fee for use of the data generating
apparatus 3 by transferring the corresponding amount of fee from
the total fee charged in advance by the image/motion control
apparatus 4.
[0204] A data input unit 178 receives ID data from the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5. The received ID data is
supplied to an ID authentication unit 179. The ID authentication
unit 179 determines whether ID data consistent with the received ID
data is stored in the ID data storage unit 175. If consistent ID
data is found, the ID authentication unit 179 reads out the address
data related to that ID data and issues a command to the data
storage unit 176 to output the image data and the motion data in
accordance with the read-out address data.
[0205] In response to the command issued by the ID authentication
unit 179, the data storage unit 176 outputs the image data and the
motion data to the output unit 173. The output unit 173 transmits
the supplied image data and motion data to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5.
[0206] When the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed using the
apparatuses descried above, the system operates as is described
below with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG. 24. In step S41,
the terminal 1 transmits image data and personal data to the
image/motion control apparatus 4 via the network 2. As in the
previous embodiments described above, the personal data specifies
the manner in which the fee is paid. A specific example of the
personal data is a credit card number.
[0207] The image data and the personal data transmitted from the
terminal 1 are received by the input unit 171 (FIG. 23) of the
image/motion control apparatus 4. The personal data received via
the input unit 171 is supplied to the fee receiving unit 172. In
step S42, the fee receiving unit 172 performs a charging process to
charge the fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0208] When the input unit 171 receives the image data and the
personal data from the terminal 1, the input unit 171 issues a
command to the ID generator 174 to generate ID data. In step S43,
in response to the command, the ID generator 174 generates ID data
and transmits the generated ID data to the terminal 1. The
generated ID data is also stored in the ID data storage unit 175.
As described earlier, the ID data is assigned such that any set of
image data and motion data can be distinguished by the assigned ID
data from the other sets of image data and motion data.
[0209] In step S44, the terminal 1 receives the ID data transmitted
from the image/motion control apparatus 4 and stores it. The
storing of the ID data is performed in a similar manner as in the
previous embodiments.
[0210] While the image/motion control apparatus 4 transmits the ID
data to the terminal 1, the image/motion control apparatus 4 also
transmits, in step S45, the image data received from the terminal 1
and the generated ID data in a mutually related fashion to the
motion data generating apparatus 3. In step S46, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 supplies the image data, received via the
input unit 161 (FIG. 22), to the motion data generator 163 to
generate motion data. In step S47, the generated motion data is
related to the image data and the ID data and transmitted from the
output unit 162 to the image/motion control apparatus 4 via the
network 2.
[0211] The image/motion control apparatus 4 receives the image
data, the motion data, and the ID data, which are related to one
another. In step S48, the received image data and motion are stored
in the data storage unit 176. When the data storage unit 176 stores
the image data and the motion data, the data storage unit 176
supplies, to the ID data storage unit 175, address data indicating
the addresses at which the image data and the motion data are
stored. The ID data storage unit 175 stores the received address
data such that the address data is related to the corresponding ID
data.
[0212] While the image/motion control apparatus 4 stores the image
data and the motion data, the image/motion control apparatus 4
generates, in step S49, charge data, which is to be used by the
motion data generating apparatus 3 to receive the fee for
generation of the motion data, by using the charge data generator
177. The generated charge data is transmitted to the motion data
generating apparatus 3. In step S50, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 supplies the charge data, received via the input unit
161, to the charging unit 164 to perform the charging process.
[0213] In step S51, if ID data is input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 from a user by any proper method, the ID
data is transmitted to the image/motion control apparatus 4. In
step S52, the image/motion control apparatus 4 supplies the ID
data, received via the data input unit 178, to the ID
authentication unit 179 to perform authentication. The ID
authentication unit 179 determines whether ID data consistent with
the received ID data is stored in the ID data storage unit 175. If
consistent ID data is found, the ID authentication unit 179 reads
out the address data related to that ID data and issues a command
to the data storage unit 176 to output data in accordance with the
read-out address data.
[0214] In response to the command issued by the ID authentication
unit 179, the data storage unit 176 outputs the image data and the
motion data to the output unit 173. The output unit 173 transmits
the supplied image data and motion data to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5. In step S54, the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 presents an image and motion in
accordance with the image data and the motion data, respectively,
received from the image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0215] As described above, the terminal 1 may communicate with the
image/motion control apparatus 4, and the image/motion control
apparatus 4 may charge the total fee for use of the system to an
user. Also in this case, the user can pay all fees by performing a
simple operation once, and the system can receive the fee in a
highly reliable fashion.
[0216] A still another embodiment of the present invention is
described below. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the internal
construction of the motion data generating apparatus 3. Image data
transmitted from the terminal 1 is input to an input unit 201 of
the image data generating apparatus 3. The image data input to the
input unit 201 is supplied to a motion data generator 202. The
motion data generator 202 generates motion data to be used by the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 to present motion corresponding
to the image data. The generated motion data is supplied to an
output unit 203.
[0217] In accordance with the input personal data, a fee receiving
unit 204 performs a process needed to charge the fee for use of the
motion data generating apparatus 3, that is, the fee for generation
of the motion data. Herein, the personal data is necessary to
charge the fee, and specific examples of the personal data are a
credit card number and a bank account number. In the case where the
motion data generating apparatus 3 is permitted to be used by only
users having registered membership, the fee for use of the motion
data generating apparatus 3 may be included in a membership fee.
Still alternatively, the fee may be prepaid.
[0218] When the input unit 201 receives the image data from the
terminal 1, the input unit 201 issues a command to an ID generator
205 to generate ID data. In response to the command, the ID
generator generates ID data and supplies the generated ID data to
an output unit 203. The output unit 203 transmits the image data,
the motion data, and the ID data, which are related to one another,
to the terminal 1.
[0219] FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of the image/motion control apparatus 4 corresponding to the motion
data generating apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 25. Various data
including the motion data transmitted from the terminal 1 via the
network 2 are input to a data input unit 221. Of various data input
to the data input unit 221, repayment data is supplied to a
repaying unit 222, and image data and motion data are supplied to a
data storage unit 223. Herein, the repayment data is used to repay
a user a part of the paid fee for use of the motion data generating
apparatus 3, when the user, who has transmitted image data and
motion data, permits another user to use the image data and the
motion data.
[0220] When repayment is required, the repaying unit 222 performs a
repayment process in accordance with the supplied repayment data.
The data storage unit 223 stores the supplied image data and motion
data and outputs, to an ID data storage unit 224, address data
indicating the addresses at which the image data and the motion
data are stored. The ID data storage unit 224 stores the ID data
supplied from the data input unit 221 and the address data supplied
from the data storage unit 223 such that the ID data and the
address data are related to each other.
[0221] The data input unit 225 receives the ID data transmitted
from the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5 and
supplies the received ID data to an output controller 226. The
output controller 226 searches the ID data storage unit 224 for ID
data consistent with the received ID data and reads address data
related to the retrieved ID data. The output controller 226 then
issues a command to the data storage unit 223 to output the image
data and the motion data in accordance with the address data. In
response to the command issued by the output controller 226, the
data storage unit 223 outputs the image data and the motion data to
a data output unit 227. The data output unit 227 transmits the
received image data and motion data to the image/motion presenting
apparatus 6 via the network 5.
[0222] When the information processing system shown in FIG. 1 is
constructed using the above-described apparatus, the information
processing system operates as described below with reference to the
flow chart shown in FIG. 27. In step S61, the terminal 1 transmits
image data to the motion data generating apparatus 3 via the
network 2. When the image data is transmitted, personal data
necessary in the charging process is also transmitted. A specific
example of the personal data is a credit card number.
Alternatively, in the case where a bank account of a user is
registered in advance, the personal data may be a password which
uniquely identifies the user. Still alternatively, the fee may be
prepaid.
[0223] In any case, in step S61, the personal data to be used in
the charging process is transmitted together with the image data.
When the motion data generating apparatus 3 receives the image data
and the personal data, the motion data generating apparatus 3
performs the charging process in step S62. More specifically, the
charging process is performed by the fee receiving unit 204 of the
motion data generating apparatus 3.
[0224] The fee receiving unit 204 charges the fee for, generation
of the motion data. In other words, the fee receiving unit 204
charges the fee which is to be paid to the owner of the motion data
generating apparatus 3. In step S63, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 generates motion data. More specifically, as described
above, the motion data is generated by the motion data generator
202. While the motion data is generated, ID data is generated by
the ID generator 205. After generating the motion data and the ID
data, the motion data generating apparatus 3 transmits, in step
S64, the image data, the motion data, and the ID data in a mutually
related fashion to the terminal 1.
[0225] In step S65, the terminal 1 receives the respective data
transmitted from the motion data generating apparatus 3 and
temporarily stores them in, for example, a RAM 13 (FIG. 2). The
received ID data is stored, for example, on a magnetic disk 31
mounted on the drive 20 (FIG. 2). Alternatively, the ID data may be
stored on a card-type storage medium or a user may write the ID
data on a paper medium. The medium for storing the ID data may be
selected depending upon the type of medium used by the data
acquisition apparatus 93 (FIG. 11) of the image/motion presenting
apparatus 6 (or depending upon the manner in which the data is
input).
[0226] When the image data and the motion data is received, a
message such as that shown in FIG. 28 is displayed on the display
serving as the output device 17 of the terminal 1. A specific
example of the message is "Do you permit another user to use the
data?" which is displayed to ask the user whether the user permits
the image data and the motion data to be shared by other users.
Below the message, check boxes are displayed so that the user can
select either "YES" or NO". After confirming that the checking is
correct, the user presses an OK button displayed below the check
boxes.
[0227] In the case where the check box of "YES" is checked,
repayment will be performed in a later process step as will be
described below. However, in the case where the check box of "NO"
is checked, repayment is not performed. Herein, data indicating
which check box is checked is referred to as repayment data.
[0228] If the OK button is pressed, the image data, the motion data
and the ID data which are stored and also the generated repayment
data are transmitted, in step S66, to the image/motion control
apparatus 4.
[0229] In step S67, the image/motion control apparatus 4 receives
the respective data from the terminal 1 via the network 2. The
image data and the motion data are stored in the data storage unit
223, and the ID data is stored in the ID data storage unit 224.
When the ID data is stored in the ID data storage unit 224, address
data indicating the addresses at which the image data and the
motion data are stored is supplied to the ID data storage unit 224
from the data storage unit 223. The ID data storage unit 224 stores
the supplied address data together with the ID data in a mutually
related fashion.
[0230] In step S68, the repaying unit 222 performs a repayment
process in accordance with the received repayment data. In the case
where the repayment data indicates that sharing of the data with
other users is permitted, a predetermined amount of money is repaid
to the user who has given the permission. On the other hand, when
the repayment data indicates that sharing of the data with other
users is not permitted, repayment is not performed.
[0231] Repayment of the predetermined amount of fee may be
performed in any way, for example, by issuing a ticket and sending
it by mail, or transmitting data to the terminal 1 by electronic
mail so that the user can receive a discount in accordance with the
data when motion data is generated or when the user uses the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6.
[0232] In step S69, if ID data is input to the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6, the ID data is transmitted to the
image/motion control apparatus 4. The data acquisition apparatus 93
of the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 has a display (not
shown) on which a screen such as that shown in FIG. 29 is
displayed. The display is of the touch sensor panel type through
which a user can input a command by touching the screen.
[0233] The screen includes an image display area 231 in which a
plurality of images are displayed and an ID displaying area 233 in
which the ID data read out from the storage medium inserted in the
slot 94 (FIG. 11) or ID data input by a user via a ten-key pad 232
is displayed. A box 234 for inputting a command to request
presentation of motion is displayed below the ID displaying area
233. A set of arrow keys 235 for moving the location of a cursor is
also displayed. In the case where a credit card can be used for
payment of the fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4
and the image/motion presenting apparatus 6, a charge information
input box 236 is also displayed.
[0234] The plurality of images in the image display area 231 are
displayed in the form of thumbnails in accordance with the image
data stored in the data storage unit 223 of the image/motion
control apparatus 4. Although the data used to display the
thumbnail images in the image display area 231 may be supplied from
the image/motion control apparatus 4 each time the images are
displayed, it is desirable that the data be supplied in advance to
the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 from the image/motion
control apparatus 4 and the supplied data be stored in a memory
(not shown) in the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 so that the
thumbnail images are displayed in the image display area 231 in
accordance with the data stored in the memory.
[0235] A user can specify desired data of an image and
corresponding motion by touching a thumbnail image of those
displayed in the image display area 231. The thumbnail images
displayed in the image display area 231 include only images of
image data which have been transmitted, together with data
indicating permission of sharing thereof, from users to the motion
data generating apparatus 3.
[0236] In order to request presentation of data which is set to be
prohibited from being shared with other users, that is, in order to
request presentation of image data which is not displayed in the
image display area 231 and which is set such that presentation of
the image data and the corresponding motion data are presented to
only a user who has acquired the motion data corresponding to the
image data, the user inputs an ID, which was given together with
the motion data when the motion data was acquired, into the ID
display area 233 using the ten-key pad 232, or the user inserts a
storage medium, on which the ID obtained when the motion data was
acquired is stored, into the slop 94.
[0237] If, in step S69, the ID data is input by one of the methods
described above, the ID data is transmitted, in step S70, to the
image/motion control apparatus 4. In step S69, the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 also charges the fee for use of the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 and the image/motion control
apparatus 4 by using a charging unit (not shown). The payment of
the fee may be made, for example, by a credit card, debit from an
user's bank account, or cash. Alternatively, the fee may be
prepaid. In the case where repayment is made by sending a ticket or
the like to an user, the ticket may be used for payment.
[0238] In step S71, the image/motion control apparatus 4 receives
the ID data from the image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the ID
data input unit 225. The received ID data is supplied to the output
controller 226. The output controller 226 retrieves ID data
consistent with the received ID data from the data storage unit 224
and reads out the address data related to the retrieved ID data.
The output controller 226 issues the data storage unit 223 to read
the image data and the motion data in accordance with the address
data.
[0239] In step S72, the data storage unit 223 transmits the image
data and the motion data to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6
via the data output unit 227. In step S73, the image/motion
presenting-apparatus 6 presents an image in accordance with the
image data received from the image/motion control apparatus 4 and
also presents motion in accordance with the received motion
data.
[0240] Thus, motion corresponding to the image selected by the user
is presented to the user. Furthermore, when motion data which is
generated in response to a request from one user is shared by a
large number of users, a greater number of images and motions
become available, and thus users can select a desired image and
motion from the greater number of images and motions.
[0241] In the embodiment described above, the terminal 1 transmits
image data to the motion data generating apparatus 3, and data
including motion data is returned to the terminal 1 from the motion
data generating apparatus 3. After receiving the data from the
motion data generating apparatus 3, the terminal 1 transmits the
received data to the image/motion control apparatus 4. Thus, the
terminal 1 is required to perform transmission twice. In another
embodiment, the terminal 1 needs to perform transmission only once,
and thus a user needs to perform a simpler operation, as described
below.
[0242] The construction of the total system is similar to that
shown in FIG. 1. The terminal 1 may be constructed in a similar
manner to that shown in FIG. 2. In the case where transmission from
the terminal 1 is performed only once, the terminal transmits image
data and repayment data at the same time. To this end, the motion
data generating apparatus 3 is constructed as shown in FIG. 30. The
construction of the motion data generating apparatus 3 shown in
FIG. 30 is basically similar to that shown in FIG. 25, except that
when the image data and the repayment data are received from the
terminal 1, the received repayment data is directly supplied to an
output unit 203 from an input unit 201.
[0243] The image/motion control apparatus 4 may be constructed in a
similar manner to that shown in FIG. 26, and the image/motion
presenting apparatus 6 may be constructed in a similar manner to
that shown in FIG. 11.
[0244] When the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed using such
apparatuses described above, the system operates as described below
with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG. 31. In step S81, the
terminal 1 transmits image data, personal data, and repayment data
to the motion data generating apparatus 3. In this step S81, in
order to allow repayment data to be transmitted, the screen such as
that shown in FIG. 28 is displayed on the display serving as the
output device 17 (FIG. 2) before transmitting the image data. If
the OK button is pressed, the image data, the ID data, and the
repayment data are transmitted.
[0245] In step S82, the motion data generating apparatus 3 charges
the fee in accordance with the received personal data, by using the
charging unit 204 (FIG. 30). In step S83, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 generates motion data in accordance with the
received image data, by using the motion data generator 202.
Furthermore, in step S84, the motion data generating apparatus 3
generates ID data using the ID data generator 205. The generated ID
data is transmitted to the terminal 1 from the output unit 203.
[0246] In step S85, the terminal 1 stores the received ID data. The
storing of the ID data is performed in a similar manner as in step
S65 described above with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.
27, and thus this step is not described in further detail
herein.
[0247] While the motion data generating apparatus 3 transmits the
ID data to the terminal 1, the motion data generating apparatus 3
also transmits, in step S86, the image data, the motion data, the
ID data, and the repayment data in a mutually related fashion to
the image/motion control apparatus 4. In step S87, the image/motion
control apparatus 4 receives the respective data transmitted from
the motion data generating apparatus 3 and stores them. Steps
performed by the respective apparatuses after step S87 are
basically similar to the steps following step S67 described earlier
with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 27, and thus these
steps are not described herein in a duplicated fashion.
[0248] As described above, by transmitting the repayment data
together with the image data, it becomes possible for a user to
simply perform transmission by a single operation.
[0249] In the embodiment described above, when repayment data is
input to the motion data generating apparatus 3, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 directly transfers the repayment data to the
image/motion control apparatus 4, and the repayment is performed
(in step S88) by the repaying unit 222 (FIG. 26) in the
image/motion control apparatus 4. Alternatively, the repaying unit
222 may be provided in the motion data generating apparatus 3 as
shown in FIG. 32.
[0250] In the case where the motion data generating apparatus 3 is
constructed as shown in FIG. 32, the repaying unit 222 performs
repayment in accordance with input repayment data. The repayment is
performed by issuing a command to the fee receiving unit 204 to
charge a discounted amount of fee. This makes it possible to
immediately repay the discounted amount of fee to the user without
needing to issue a ticket or the like.
[0251] Although in the embodiment described above, the terminal 1
communicate with the motion data generating apparatus 3, the
terminal 1 may communicate with the image/motion control apparatus
4, as is described below.
[0252] In the case where the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed
so as to achieve the above purpose, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 may be constructed as shown in FIG. 33. An input unit
251 receives image data, charge data, and ID data from the
image/motion control apparatus 4 via the network 2. The image data
input to the input unit 251 is supplied to a motion data generator
252 and an output unit 253, the charge data to a fee receiving unit
254, and the ID data to the output unit 253.
[0253] The motion data generator 252 generates motion data in
accordance with the supplied image data and supplies the generated
motion data to the output unit 253. The fee receiving unit 254
charges the fee for use of the motion data generating apparatus 3
in accordance with the received charge data. The output unit 253
transmits the ID data, the image data, and the motion data in a
mutually related fashion to the image/motion control apparatus 4
via the network 2.
[0254] FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating the internal construction
of the image/motion control apparatus 4. Image data, personal data,
and repayment data transmitted from the terminal 1 via the network
2 are input to an input unit 261. The image data input to the input
unit 261 is supplied to an output unit 262. The repayment data
received from the terminal 1 is supplied to a repaying unit 264 for
use in a repayment process. The personal data received from the
terminal 1 is supplied to a fee receiving unit 265 for use in a
charging process.
[0255] Upon receiving the respective data from the terminal 1, the
input unit 261 issues a command to an ID generator 267 to generate
ID data. In response to the command, the ID generator 267 generates
ID data and outputs the generated ID data to the output unit 262
and an ID data storage unit 268. The output unit 262 transmits the
supplied image data and the ID data in a mutually related fashion
to the motion data generating apparatus 3.
[0256] As described above, the motion data generating apparatus 3
generates motion data from the received image data and transmits
the image data, the motion data, and the ID data in a mutually
related fashion to the image/motion control apparatus 4. When the
image/motion control apparatus 4 receives the image data, the
motion data, and the ID data transmitted from the motion data
generating apparatus 3, the image/motion control apparatus 4 stores
the image data and the motion data in a data storage unit 266.
[0257] When the data storage unit 266 stores the image data and the
motion data, the data storage unit 266 outputs, to an ID data
storage unit 268, address data indicating addresses at which the
image data and the motion data are stored. The data storage unit
268 retrieves existing ID data which is consistent with the
received ID data related to the received image data and motion
data, and the data storage unit 268 stores the address data such
that the address data and the retrieved ID data are related to each
other.
[0258] When the input unit 261 receives image data, motion data,
and ID data, which are related to one another, from the motion data
generating apparatus 3, the input unit 261 issues a command to a
charge data generator 263 to generate charge data. The charge data
generated by the charge data generator 263 is used to transfer, to
the motion data generating apparatus 3, the charge for use of the
motion data generating apparatus from the total fee charged by the
image/motion control apparatus 4.
[0259] An ID data input unit 270 receives ID data from the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5. The received
ID data is supplied to an output controller 269. The output
controller 269 retrieves from the ID data storage unit 268 ID data
consistent with the received ID data and reads the address data
related to the retrieved ID data. The output controller 269 then
issues a command to the data storage unit 266 to output the image
data and the motion data in accordance with the address data.
[0260] In response to the command received from the output command
generator 269, the data storage unit 266 outputs the image data and
the motion data to the output unit 262. The output unit 262
transmits the supplied image data and motion data to the
image/motion presenting apparatus 6 via the network 5.
[0261] When the system shown in FIG. 1 is constructed using the
above-described apparatus, the system operates as described below
with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 35. In step S101,
the terminal 1 transmits image data, personal data, and repayment
data to the image/motion control apparatus 4 via the network 2. As
in the previous embodiments described above, the personal data is
used in payment of the fee. A specific example of the personal data
is a credit card number.
[0262] The respective data transmitted from the terminal 1 are
input to the input unit 261 (FIG. 34) of the image/motion control
apparatus 4. The personal data input to the input unit 261 is
supplied to the fee receiving unit 265. In step S102, the fee
receiving unit 265 performs the charging process and the repaying
process. In the charging process performed by the fee receiving
unit 265, the fee for use of the image/motion control apparatus 4
is charged.
[0263] When repayment is needed, the repaying unit 264 issues a
command to the fee receiving unit 265 to charge the amount equal to
the difference between the normal fee and the amount to be repaid,
or the repaying unit 264 issues a command to the charge data
generator 263 to charge the amount equal to the difference between
the normal fee and the amount to be repaid. Alternatively, as
described above, repayment may be made by issuing a discount ticket
or the like.
[0264] When the input unit 135 receives the image data and the
personal data from the terminal 1, the input unit 135 issues a
command to the ID generator 267 to generate ID data. In step S103,
in response to the command, the ID generator 267 generates ID data
and transmits the generated ID data to the terminal 1 via the
output unit 262. The ID generator 267 also stores the generated ID
data in the ID data storage unit 268. As described earlier, the ID
data is assigned such that any set of image data and motion data
can be distinguished by the assigned ID data from the other sets of
image data and motion data.
[0265] In step S104, when the terminal 1 receives the ID data
transmitted from the image/motion control apparatus 4, the terminal
1 stores the received ID data. The storing of the ID data is
performed in the manner described above.
[0266] While the image/motion control apparatus 4 transmits the ID
data to the terminal 1, the image/motion control apparatus 4 also
transmits, in step S105, the image data received from the terminal
1 and the generated ID data in a mutually related fashion to the
motion data generating apparatus 3. In step S106, the motion data
generating apparatus 3 supplies to the motion data generator 252
the image data received via the input unit 251 (FIG. 33) to
generate motion data. In step S107, the generated motion data is
related to the image data and the ID data, and transmitted together
from the output unit 253 to the image/motion control apparatus 4
via the network 2.
[0267] The image/motion control apparatus 4 receives the image
data, the motion data, and the ID data, which are related to one
another. In step S108, the received image data and motion data are
stored in the data storage unit 266. When the data storage unit 266
stores the image data and the motion data, the data storage unit
266 outputs to the ID data storage unit 268 address data indicating
the addresses at which the image data and the motion data are
stored. The ID data storage unit 268 stores the supplied address
data together with the ID data such that the address data and the
ID data are related to each other.
[0268] While the image/motion control apparatus 4 stores the image
data and the motion data, the image/motion control apparatus 4 also
generates, in step S109, charge data, which is to be used by the
motion data generating apparatus 3 to receive the fee for
generation of the motion data, by using the charge data generator
263. The generated charge data is transmitted to the motion data
generating apparatus 3. In step S110, the motion data generating
apparatus 3 supplies the charge data received via the input unit
251 to the charging unit 124 to perform a charging process.
[0269] On the other hand, in step S111, a user inputs ID data and
personal data to the image/motion presenting apparatus 6. Steps
performed by the respective apparatuses after step S111 are similar
to the steps after S89 in the flow chart of FIG. 31 described
earlier, and thus these steps are not described herein again in a
duplicated fashion.
[0270] In the repayment according to the embodiment described
above, a predetermined fixed amount of money is paid back to an
user. Alternatively, the amount of money to be repaid may be varied
depending upon the number of users to whom motion is presented.
[0271] In the case where the repayment amount is varied, the
image/motion control apparatus 4 may be constructed as shown in
FIG. 36. In this case, ID data generated by the ID generator 267
and the ID data input to the ID data input unit 270 are both
supplied to the repaying unit 264. In the image/motion control
apparatus 4 constructed in the above-described manner, image data
and motion data are retained in the data storage unit 266 for a
predetermined period of time, for example one month, and the
repayment amount is determined in proportion to the number of users
to whom motion is presented during the above predetermined
period.
[0272] The repaying unit 264 has a memory (not shown) provided
therein whereby when repayment data is input via the input unit
261, the repayment data is stored in the memory in such a manner as
to be related to the ID data generated by the ID generator 267. The
repaying unit 264 retrieves, from the memory, ID data (ID data A)
consistent with the ID data input via the ID data input unit 270
and counts the number of times that the ID data A is input. At the
end of the predetermined period of time (for example, one month),
the amount equal to a predetermined amount times the count number
of the ID data is repaid.
[0273] After determining the amount to be repaid, the repayment is
performed by issuing a ticket to the particular user to whom the
charge should be repaid, or, in the case where it is determined
that the charging performed by the charge data generator 263 or by
the fee receiving unit 265 is a user to which a charge should be
repaid, the fee is charged after reducing the repayment amount.
[0274] Personal data may be used to identify a user to whom a
charge should be repaid. In this case, the personal data may also
be stored together with the ID data in the memory provided in the
replaying unit 264 such that the personal data and the ID data are
related to each other. As described above, an example of personal
data is a credit card number which is used when charging is
performed. When a credit card number is employed as the personal
data, repayment may be performed into an account specified by the
credit card number. Alternatively, the fee receiving unit 265 may
have a capability of determining whether a user of interest is a
particular user to whom a charge should be repaid on the basis of
the credit card number, and the fee receiving unit 265 may reduce
the amount of charge to that user depending upon the
determination.
[0275] In the case where the image/motion control apparatus 4 is
constructed as shown in FIG. 36, the system operates in a basically
similar manner to that shown in the flow chart of FIG. 35 except
that, in the image/motion control apparatus 4, the repayment in
step S102 is performed between steps S113 and S114 or after step
S114.
[0276] In the case where the repaying unit 264 counts the number of
times the ID data A is input to the ID data input unit 270, it is
possible to present, to users, statistical data indicating the
popularity of image data and motion data, determined by sorting the
numbers of times the ID data are input. To a user who has generated
most popular motion, the whole of the fee may be repaid.
[0277] As described above, the present invention makes it possible
to present to a user an image requested by the user and also motion
corresponding to that image. In the case where motion data
generated in response to a request from a certain user is shared by
other users, a great number of motion data becomes available, and
thus users can select desired motion from them. Because users who
give permission to share the motion data with other users can
receive the benefit of repayment, many users are willing to give
permission to share the motion data generated by paying a fee
without having a feeling of loss. This allows the system to easily
collect a large number of motion data.
[0278] Although in the embodiments described above, data is
transmitted among the apparatuses via the network 2 or the network
5, data may also be transferred via storage medium such as a floppy
disk transported by mail. In the embodiments described above, the
image/motion control apparatus 4 and the image/motion presenting
apparatus 6 are provided in a separate fashion. Alternatively, they
may be combined into a single apparatus.
[0279] As described above, the present invention can present an
image and motion corresponding to the image in response to a
request issued by an user. Because the total fee is charged at a
time, a user can easily request an image and motion, and the system
can charge a fee in a highly reliable fashion.
[0280] The processing sequence described above may be executed by
hardware or software. When the processing sequence is executed by
software, a program forming the software may be installed from a
storage medium onto a computer which is provided as dedicated
hardware or may be installed onto a general-purpose computer
capable of performing various processes in accordance with various
programs installed thereon.
[0281] Specific examples of storage media usable for the above
purpose include, as shown in FIG. 2, a magnetic disk 31 (such as a
floppy disk), an optical disk 32 (such as a CD-ROM (Compact
Disk-Read Only Memory) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)), a
magnetooptical disk 33 (such as a MD (Mini-Disk, trademark)), and a
semiconductor memory 34, in the form of a package medium on which a
program is stored and which is supplied to a user separately from a
computer. A program may also be supplied to a user by preinstalling
it on a built-in ROM 12 or a storage unit 18 such as a hard disk
disposed in a computer.
[0282] In the present invention, the steps descried in the program
stored in the program storage medium may be performed either in
time sequence in accordance with the order described in the program
or in a parallel or separate fashion.
[0283] In the present description, the term "system" is used to
represent an entire set of apparatuses.
[0284] As described above, the present invention provides great
advantages. That is, in an aspect of the present invention, motion
data is generated for controlling motion corresponding to an image
in accordance with image data input via a network; an ID
corresponding to a set of the image data and the generated motion
data is generated; charging is performed; and the image data, the
motion data, and the ID data are transmitted in a mutually related
fashion to another apparatus, thereby making it possible to present
motion to a user in response to a request from the user.
[0285] In another aspect of the present invention, input image data
and motion data are stored; an input ID is stored in such a manner
as to be related to address data indicating addresses at which the
image data and the motion data are stored; when the ID is received
from another apparatus, the address data related to the stored ID
is read out; the stored image data and motion data are read out in
accordance with the address data; and charging is performed in
accordance with in charge data, thereby making it possible to
present motion to a user in response to a request from the
user.
[0286] In another aspect of the present invention, a terminal
transmits image data; a first information processing apparatus
generates motion data for controlling motion corresponding to an
image in accordance with the image data transmitted from the
terminal; and the image data and the motion data are transmitted
together with an ID related thereto to a second information
apparatus. In the second information processing apparatus, when the
image data, the motion data, and the ID transmitted from the first
information processing apparatus are received, the received image
data and motion data are stored; the received ID is stored together
with address data indicating addresses at which the image data and
the motion data are stored such that the ID and the address data
are related to each other; when the ID is input from a presenting
apparatus, the address data related to the stored ID is read out;
the image data and the motion data are read out in accordance with
the address data; and the image data and the motion data are
transmitted to the presenting apparatus. When the presenting
apparatus receives the image data and the motion data transmitted
from the second information apparatus, the presenting apparatus
presents an image in accordance with the received image data and
also presents motion in accordance with the received motion data.
Thus, it becomes possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
[0287] In still another aspect of the present invention, image data
input via a network is stored; an ID corresponding to the image
data is generated; the generated ID is stored together with address
data indicating an address at which the image data is stored such
that the ID and the address data are related to each other; when
the ID is received from another apparatus, the address data related
to the stored ID is read out; the stored image data is read out in
accordance with the address data; motion data is generated for
controlling motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the
image data; and the image data and the generated motion data are
transmitted in a mutually related fashion to another apparatus
thereby making it possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
[0288] In still another aspect of the present invention, a terminal
transmits image data; and an information processing apparatus
receives the image data transmitted from the terminal. In the
information processing apparatus, the received image data is
stored; an ID corresponding to the image data is generated; the
generated ID is stored together with address data indicating an
address at which the image data is stored such that the ID and the
address data are related to each other; when the ID is received
from a presenting apparatus, the address data related to the stored
ID is read out; the stored image data is read out in accordance
with the address data; motion data is generated for controlling
motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the image data;
and the image data and the motion data are transmitted in a
mutually related fashion to the presenting apparatus. When the
presenting apparatus receives the image data and the motion data
transmitted from the information apparatus, the presenting
apparatus presents an image in accordance with the received image
data and also presents motion in accordance with the received
motion data. Thus, it becomes possible to present motion to a user
in response to a request from the user.
[0289] In an information processing system, an information
processing method, and a storage medium, according to still another
aspect of the present invention, a terminal transmits image data,
and a first information processing apparatus receives the image
data added with an ID generated by a second information processing
apparatus. In the first information processing apparatus, motion
data is generated for controlling motion corresponding to an image
in accordance with the image data, and the generated motion data,
the image data, and the ID are transmitted in a mutually related
fashion to the second information processing apparatus. In the
second information processing apparatus, when the image data is
received from the terminal, an ID corresponding to the image data
is generated; the generated ID and the image data are transmitted
in a mutually related fashion to the first information processing
apparatus; the image data, the motion data, and the ID transmitted
from the first information processing apparatus are received; the
received image data and motion data are stored; the received ID is
stored together with address data indicating an address at which
the image data is stored such that the ID and the address data are
related to each other; when the ID is received from a presenting
apparatus, the address data related to the stored ID is read out;
the stored image data is read out in accordance with the address
data; motion data is generated for controlling motion corresponding
to an image in accordance with the image data; and the image data
and the motion data are transmitted in a mutually related fashion
to the presenting apparatus. When the presenting apparatus receives
the image data and the motion data transmitted from the second
information apparatus, the presenting apparatus presents an image
in accordance with the received image data and also presents motion
in accordance with the received motion data. Thus, it becomes
possible to present motion to a user in response to a request from
the user.
[0290] In still another aspect of the present invention, motion
data is generated for controlling motion corresponding to an image
in accordance with input image data; an ID corresponding to a set
of the image data and the motion data is generated; a charging
process is performed; in the case where the generated motion data
is permitted to be shared with a large number of users, the amount
of charge is discounted; and the image data, the motion data, and
the ID data are transmitted in a mutually related fashion to
another apparatus, thereby making it possible to present motion to
a user in response to a request from the user.
[0291] In still another aspect of the present invention, input
image data and motion data are stored; an input ID is stored
together with address data indicating addresses at which the image
data and the motion data are stored such that the ID and the
address data are related to each other; when the ID is received
from another apparatus, the address data related to the stored ID
is read out; the stored image data and motion data are read out in
accordance with the address data, thereby making it possible to
present motion to a user in response to a request from the
user.
[0292] In still another aspect of the present invention, a terminal
transmits image data, and a first information processing apparatus
receives the image data transmitted from the terminal. In the first
information processing apparatus, motion data is generated for
controlling motion corresponding to an image in accordance with the
image data transmitted from the terminal; an ID corresponding to a
set of the image data and the motion data is generated; and the
image data, the motion data, and the ID are transmitted in a
mutually related fashion to a second information apparatus. When
the second information processing apparatus receives the image
data, the motion data, and the ID transmitted from the first
information processing apparatus, the received image data and
motion data are stored; the received ID is stored together with
address data indicating addresses at which the image data and the
motion data are stored such that the ID and the address data are
related to each other; when the ID is received from a presenting
apparatus, the address data related to the stored ID is read out;
the image data and the motion data are read out in accordance with
the address data; and the image data and the motion data are
transmitted to the presenting apparatus. When the presenting
apparatus receives the image data and the motion data transmitted
from the second information apparatus, the presenting apparatus
presents an image in accordance with the received image data and
also presents motion in accordance with the received motion data.
Thus, it becomes possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
[0293] In still another aspect of the present invention, motion
data is generated for controlling motion corresponding to an image
in accordance with image data input via a network; and the
generated motion data is transmitted together with input image data
and an ID in a mutually related fashion to another apparatus,
thereby making it possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
[0294] In still another aspect of the present invention, image data
and motion data input via a network are stored; an ID corresponding
to a set of the image data and the motion data is generated; the
generated ID is stored together with address data indicating
addresses at which the image data and the motion data are stored
such that the ID and the address data are related to each other;
when the ID is received from another apparatus, the address data
related to the stored ID is read out; the stored image data and
motion data are read out in accordance with the address data,
thereby making it possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
[0295] In still another aspect of the present invention, a terminal
transmits image data, and a first information processing apparatus
receives the image data and an ID assigned to the image data from a
second information processing apparatus. When the second
information processing apparatus receives the image data and the
ID, motion data is generated for controlling motion corresponding
to an image in accordance with the image data received from the
second information processing apparatus, and the generated motion
data is transmitted together with the image data and the ID in a
mutually related fashion to the second information apparatus. In
the second information processing apparatus, when the image data
transmitted from the terminal is received, the image data and the
ID are transmitted in a mutually related fashion to the first
information processing apparatus; the image data, the motion data,
and the ID transmitted from the first information processing
apparatus are received; the received image data and motion data are
stored; the received ID is stored together with address data
indicating addresses at which the image data and the motion data
are stored such that the ID and the address data are related to
each other; when the ID is received from a presenting apparatus,
the address data related to the stored ID is read out; the image
data and the motion data are read out in accordance with the
address data; and the image data and the motion data are
transmitted to the presenting apparatus. When the presenting
apparatus receives the image data and the motion data transmitted
from the second information apparatus, the presenting apparatus
presents an image in accordance with the received image data and
also presents motion in accordance with the received motion data.
thereby making it possible to present motion to a user in response
to a request from the user.
* * * * *