Abstract:
A comparison service provider receives, from each of plural object-related information management servers, image information items representing unique patterns included in surfaces of objects and identification information items of the objects, stores the image information items and the identification information items received, receives from a user device an image information item representing the unique pattern included in the surface of the object, identifies one of the identification information items stored based on the image information item received, and transmits to the user device the identification information item identified or a related information item of the object stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item identified.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an object image information management server, an object-related information management server, a program, a recording medium, and an object image information management method. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    PTL 1 described below discloses a technique for identifying, in a process of manufacturing objects such as tablets each having a unique (random) pattern on a surface thereof and storing the objects in containers, the individual objects stored in the respective containers. The technique photographs the unique patterns on the surfaces of the respective objects, acquires the times of the photographing, and stores the containers storing those objects and time ranges of storing the objects in the containers with the containers and the time ranges associated with each other, to thereby make it possible to know which one of the containers stores an individual one of the stored objects. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0003]    PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-065144 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to realize an object information management system in which a server that performs a process of comparing surface pattern information of objects is provided independently from a server that stores information related to the objects, to thereby provide a mechanism for collectively undertaking the comparison process for plural object manufacturers. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0005]    An invention described in claim  1  to solve the above-described problem is an object image information management server including: receiving means that receives, from each of plural object-related information management servers, image information items representing unique patterns included in surfaces of objects and identification information items of the objects; user image information receiving means that receives, from a user device, an image information item representing the unique pattern included in the surface of the object; identification information identifying means that identifies one of the identification information items received by the receiving means based on the image information item received by the user image information receiving means; and transmitting means that transmits to the user device the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means or a related information item of the object stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means. 
         [0006]    An invention described in claim  2  is the object image information management server according to claim  1 , wherein the transmitting means transmits to the user device a communication control information item for the user device to transmit the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means to the object-related information management server. 
         [0007]    An invention described in claim  3  is the object image information management server according to claim  1 , wherein the transmitting means transmits the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means to the object-related information management server, receives the related information item stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item, and transmits the received related information item to the user device. 
         [0008]    An invention described in claim  4  is an object-related information management server including: acquiring means that acquires, for each of objects having a unique pattern in a surface thereof, an image information item representing the unique pattern and a related information item of the object; associating means that associates the related information item acquired by the acquiring means with an identification information item of the object; transmitting means that transmits the image information item acquired by the acquiring means and the identification information item to an object image information management server; and returning means that, in a case where the identification information item is received, returns the related information item of the object associated with the identification information item by the associating means. 
         [0009]    An invention described in claim  5  is a program for causing a computer to function as: receiving means that receives, from each of plural object-related information management servers, image information items representing unique patterns included in surfaces of objects and identification information items of the objects; user image information receiving means that receives, from a user device, an image information item representing the unique pattern included in the surface of the object; identification information identifying means that identifies one of the identification information items received by the receiving means based on the image information item received by the user image information receiving means; and transmitting means that transmits to the user device the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means or a related information item of the object stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means. 
         [0010]    An invention described in claim  6  is a program for causing a computer to function as: acquiring means that acquires, for each of objects having a unique pattern in a surface thereof, an image information item representing the unique pattern and a related information item of the object; associating means that associates the related information item acquired by the acquiring means with an identification information item of the object; transmitting means that transmits the image information item acquired by the acquiring means and the identification information item to an object image information management server; and returning means that, in a case where the identification information item is received, returns the related information item of the object associated with the identification information item by the relating means. 
         [0011]    An invention described in claim  7  is a computer readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to function as: receiving means that receives, from each of plural object-related information management servers, image information items representing unique patterns included in surfaces of objects and identification information items of the objects; user image information receiving means that receives, from a user device, an image information item representing the unique pattern included in the surface of the object; identification information identifying means that identifies one of the identification information items received by the receiving means based on the image information item received by the user image information receiving means; and transmitting means that transmits to the user device the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means or a related information item of the object stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item identified by the identification information identifying means. 
         [0012]    An invention described in claim  8  is an object image information management method including: a receiving step of receiving, from each of plural object-related information management servers, image information items representing unique patterns included in surfaces of objects and identification information items of the objects; a user image information receiving step of receiving, from a user device, an image information item representing the unique pattern included in the surface of the object; an identification information identifying step of identifying one of the identification information items received in the receiving step based on the image information item received in the user image information receiving step; and a transmitting step of transmitting to the user device the identification information item identified in the identification information identifying step or a related information item of the object stored in the object-related information management server as related to the identification information item identified in the identification information identifying step. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0013]    According to the inventions described in claims  1 ,  7 , and  8 , an object image information management server is provided which exists independently from object-related information management servers but collectively performs a process of comparing the same image information as image information of objects in the plural object-related information management servers with image information of an object transmitted by a user device. 
         [0014]    According to the invention described in claim  2 , the object image information management server transmits, to the user device having requested the comparison process, communication control information for causing related information of the object identified in the comparison process to be transmitted to the object-related information management server. 
         [0015]    According to the invention described in claim  3 , the object image information management server acquires the related information concerning the object identified in the comparison process from the object-related information management server, and transmits the related information to the user device having requested the comparison process. 
         [0016]    According to the invention described in claim  4 , an object-related information management server is provided which stores image information and related information of an object as linked to identification information unique to the object, and returns the related information of the object upon receipt of the identification information of a specific object from a user device. 
         [0017]    According to the invention described in claim  5 , a program is provided which causes a computer to function as an object image information management server that exists independently from object-related information management servers but collectively performs a process of comparing the same image information as image information of objects in the plural object-related information management servers with image information of an object transmitted by a user device. 
         [0018]    According to the invention of claim  6 , a program is provided which causes a computer to function as an object-related information management server that stores image information and related information of an object as linked to identification information unique to the object, and returns the related information of the object upon receipt of the identification information of a specific object from a user device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an object information management system according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a system configuration diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the object information management system according to the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a functional block diagram of the object information management system according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an example of an object-related information table according to the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating an example of an object image information table according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a process of registering an object image and so forth in the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a process of comparing an object image and so forth in the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    A first embodiment formed of minimum configurations for implementing the present invention will first be described in accordance with a drawing.  FIG. 1  is a system configuration diagram illustrating an object information management system  1  according to the first embodiment. Firstly, the object information management system  1  includes an object photographing device  102 , a server A  110 , a database A  120 , and so forth (illustrated on the left side in the drawing) managed by a manufacturer of objects. In addition thereto, the object information management system  1  includes a server B  410 , a database B  420 , and so forth (illustrated on the right side in the drawing) managed by an object comparison service provider (comparison service provider). The server A  110  and the server B  410  transmit and receive information via the Internet  600  drawn at the center in the drawing. 
         [0027]    The object photographing device  102 , which is disposed in a specific location, such as a production line, for example, in a manufacturing site of the objects, takes electronic photographs or the like of surfaces of respective objects  101  manufactured there during the manufacture, to thereby acquire surface pattern information of each of the objects  101 . Specific examples of the objects  101  described herein include objects each having a unique surface pattern, such as tablets, cards, electronic components, and automobile components, for example. 
         [0028]    The thus-acquired surface pattern information is input to the server A  110  from the object photographing device  102 . In this process, a variety of related information concerning the manufacture of each of the objects  101 , that is, the manufacturing date and time, manufacturing conditions such as the temperature and humidity at the time of manufacturing, IDs of the factory and the production line manufacturing the objects, and so forth is input to the server A  110  from a manufacturing apparatus or the like in the production line. The surface pattern information and the related information of the same object are both input to the database A  120 , and are provided with an object ID, which is an ID unique to each of the objects. The object ID, the surface pattern information, and the related information concerning one object are stored in the database A  120  as linked to one another. 
         [0029]    After the information of the objects is stored in the database A  120 , the surface pattern information and the object IDs linked to the surface pattern information therein are transmitted from the server A  110  to the server B  410  of the comparison service provider on the right side in the drawing through the Internet  600 . This transmission may be a sequential process or a batch process. The server B  410  inputs the thus-transmitted surface pattern information and object IDs to the database B  420 , and the database B  420  stores these as linked to each another. 
         [0030]    If a user, the manufacturer, a distributor, or the like of an object  101  desires comparison for the purpose of authenticity determination or tracking, a photographed image of the object acquired by the party is transmitted, together with a comparison request, to the server B  410  of the comparison service provider through the Internet  600  with the use of a user device  500 , which is formed of an information terminal or the like such as a mobile phone or a smartphone. 
         [0031]    In response to the comparison request from the user device, the server B  410  compares the surface pattern information stored in the database B  420  with the photographed image of the object transmitted from the user device  500 . If surface pattern information corresponding to the photographed image is found, the server B  410  notifies the user device of the fact, and transmits to the user device  500  connection information (URL or the like) to the server A  110  including the object ID linked to the surface pattern information. If access is made to the server A  110  with this connection information, the related information linked to the object ID is transmitted to the user device  500  through the Internet  600 . 
         [0032]    Meanwhile, if the server B  410  has failed to find the corresponding surface pattern information, the server B  410  notifies the user device  500  having requested the compassion of the fact as a comparison result. 
         [0033]    As described above, according to the present embodiment, the server that is managed by the manufacturer and stores the related information concerning the manufacture of the individual objects and the server that performs the comparison process are provided separately. Accordingly, an embodiment is realized in which the manufacturer outsources the process of comparing goods manufactured by the manufacturer. 
         [0034]    A second embodiment as an example of application of the present invention will now be described in accordance with drawings.  FIG. 2  is a system configuration diagram of an object information management system  2  according to the present embodiment. It is assumed in the present embodiment that a server that performs a service of comparing goods provides the comparison service to plural manufacturers. 
         [0035]    A basic configuration of the present embodiment is similar to the configuration of the first embodiment. However, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a single comparison service provider  400  provides the comparison service to plural object manufacturers (factories  100 ,  200 , and  300 ). Although the factories are basically of different manufacturers, an embodiment is of course possible in which the comparison service is provided to each of separate factories of the same manufacturer by the single comparison service provider  400 . 
         [0036]    Each of these factories includes configurations such as the object photographing device, the server A, and the database A, which have been described as under the control of the manufacturer in the first embodiment  1 . Herein, it suffices if the server A, the database A, and so forth are practically under the control of each factory (or each manufacturer), and are not necessarily required to be installed in the side of the factory. 
         [0037]    The comparison service provider  400  stores and manages the surface pattern information and the IDS thereof acquired at the respective factories. That is, the comparison service provider  400  on the right side in the drawing manages the images and IDs of the objects manufactured at the respective factories  100 ,  200 , and  300  on the left side in the drawing, and the service of comparing the objects manufactured at these factories is uniformly provided from outside these factories. 
         [0038]    As described above, according to the present embodiment, the comparison service provider collectively manages the surface pattern information of the objects manufactured by the plural manufacturers. Accordingly, an embodiment is realized in which the process of comparing the objects manufactured by the plural manufacturers is collectively undertaken by an external party. 
         [0039]    Details of the object information management system  2  according to the second embodiment will be described below with a functional block diagram in  FIG. 3 . Since the factories  200  and  300  have a configuration basically similar to the configuration of the factory  100  in terms of minimum necessary elements for the operation of the present embodiment, such as the object photographing device, the server A, and the database A (the objects manufactured by these factories are not necessarily similar), description thereof will be omitted here. The object information management system  2  is roughly divided into the factory  100 , the comparison service provider  400 , the user device  500 , and the Internet  600  that connects these to one another. These are all illustrated in the basic configuration diagram in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0040]    Functional blocks of the factory  100  will first be described. The object photographing device  102 , a production management system  103 , the server A  110 , and the database A  120  are installed in the factory  100  as component elements of the object information management system  2 . The object photographing device  102 , which is a digital camera, for example, acquires the surface pattern information (electronic photographs or the like) of the objects during a production line process, and transmits the surface pattern information to an object information acquiring unit  111  of the server A  110 . The production management system  103 , which is a computer or the like connected to an apparatus that actually manufactures the objects, for example, transmits necessary related information concerning the manufacture of the objects  101 , such as the manufacturing date and time, the temperature and humidity at the time of manufacturing, the IDs of the factory and the production line, and the IDs of containers storing the respective objects  101 , to the object information acquiring unit  111  of the server A  110 . It suffices if the production management system  103  has a function of transmitting the above-described necessary related information to the server A  110 . Thus, the production management system  103  is not limited to any specific embodiment. 
         [0041]    The server A  110  includes the object information acquiring unit  111 , a transmitting and receiving unit  112 , and a related information transmission request receiving unit  113 . The functions of the above-described units included in the server A  110  may be realized as a computer including control means such as a CPU, storage means such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, input and output means that transmits and receives data to and from an external device, and so forth reads and executes a program stored in a computer readable information storage medium. The program may be supplied to the server A  110  formed of a computer by an information storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, or may be provided via a data communication network such as the Internet. 
         [0042]    The object information acquiring unit  111  receives an input of the surface pattern information of the objects  101  from the object photographing device  102  and an input of the related information of the objects  101  from the production management system  103 . These items of information are thereafter input to the database A  120  from the sever A  110 . 
         [0043]    The database A  120  includes a storage unit  121 . The storage unit  121  stores data and programs. When the database A  120  receives an input of the surface pattern information and the related information of the objects  101  from the server A  110 , the database A  120  provides these with object IDs, each of which is an ID unique to each of the objects  101 , and stores these in the storage unit  121  as linked to each other.  FIG. 4  illustrates an example of the information stored in the storage unit  121  of the database A  120 . 
         [0044]    The functions of the database A  120  may be realized as a computer including control means such as a CPU, storage means such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, input and output means that transmits and receives data to and from an external device, and so forth reads and executes a program stored in a computer readable information storage medium. The program may be supplied to the database A  120  formed of a computer by an information storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, or may be provided via a data communication network such as the Internet. 
         [0045]    The transmitting and receiving unit  112  of the server A  110  transmits and receives information to and from the comparison service provider  400  and the user device  500  located outside the factory  100  via the Internet  600 . The related information transmission request receiving unit  113  of the server A receives from the user device  500  a request for transmission of the related information of an object specified by an object ID, and requests the related information linked to the object ID from the database A. The related information is returned to the server A  110  and transmitted to the user device  500  from the transmitting and receiving unit  112  via the Internet  600 . 
         [0046]    Functional blocks of the comparison service provider  400  will now be described. The comparison service provider  400  includes the server B  410  and the database B  420 . 
         [0047]    The server B  410  includes a transmitting and receiving unit  411 , a comparing unit  412 , and a comparison request receiving unit  413 . The functions of the above-described units included in the server B  410  may be realized as a computer including control means such as a CPU, storage means such as a memory, input and output means that transmits and receives data to and from an external device, and so forth reads and executes a program stored in a computer readable information storage medium. The program may be supplied to the server B  410  formed of a computer by an information storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, or may be provided via a data communication network such as the Internet. 
         [0048]    The transmitting and receiving unit  411  of the server B  410  transmits and receives information to and from the factory  100  and the user device  500  located outside the comparison service provider  400  via the Internet  600 . When the transmitting and receiving unit  411  receives the surface pattern information and the object ID of an object from the server A  110  via the Internet, the transmitting and receiving unit  411  inputs these items to the database B to be stored as linked to each other. 
         [0049]    The database B  420  includes a storage unit  421 . The storage unit  421  stores data and programs. Previously stored data, data such as the surface pattern information and the related information of the objects input from the server B  410 , and so forth are stored in the storage unit  421 .  FIG. 5  illustrates an example of the information stored in the storage unit  121  of the database B  420 . 
         [0050]    The functions of the database B  420  may be realized as a computer including control means such as a CPU, storage means such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, input and output means that transmits and receives data to and from an external device, and so forth reads and executes a program stored in a computer readable information storage medium. The program may be supplied to the database B  420  formed of a computer by an information storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory, or may be provided via a data communication network such as the Internet. 
         [0051]    The comparison request receiving unit  413  of the server B  410  receives, together with the comparison request, the photographed image of an object transmitted to the server B  410  from the user device  500  via the Internet, and transmits the photographed image to the comparing unit  412 . Upon receipt of this, the comparing unit  412  requests the surface pattern information of the object to be subjected to the comparison from the database B  420 . The comparing unit  412  compares the surface pattern information received from the database B  420  with the photographed image received from the user device  500 , and determines whether or not surface pattern information corresponding thereto (acquired from the same object) exists. If the corresponding surface pattern information is found, the connection information (URL or the like) to the server A  110  including the object ID linked to the surface pattern information is transmitted to the user device  500 . 
         [0052]    Order of processes performed in the object information management system  2  will now be described with reference to flowcharts in  FIGS. 6 to 7 . Firstly,  FIG. 6  illustrates a flow of a storage process. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the object photographing device  102  photographs the surface of an object manufactured at the factory  100  to obtain the surface pattern information of the object (S 1001 ). Then, the server A  110  acquires the surface pattern information and the related information concerning the manufacture of the object (S 1002 ). 
         [0053]    When the server A  110  inputs these surface pattern information and related information to the database A  120 , the database A  120  provides these with an object ID unique to each object and stores these as linked to each another (S 1003 ). The database A  120  returns the mutually linked object ID and surface pattern information in these information items to the server A  110 , and the server A  110  transmits these to the server B  410  of the comparison service provider  400  via the Internet (S 1004 ). The server B  410  inputs the object ID and the surface pattern information to the database B  420 , and the database B  420  stores these as linked to each other (S 1005 ). 
         [0054]      FIG. 7  illustrates a flow of the comparison process. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the server B  410  receives the photographed image of an object to be subjected to the comparison and the comparison request from the user device  500  (S 2001 ). The server B  410  acquires the surface pattern information and the object IDs stored in the database B  420 , and executes a process of comparing the photographed image transmitted from the user device  500  with the surface pattern information (S 2002 ). If surface pattern information corresponding to the photographed image is found, the server B  410  transmits to the user device  500  the connection information to the server A  110  including the object ID linked to the surface pattern information (S 2003 ). Then, the user device  500  access the server A  110  with the connection information (S 2004 ). The server A  110  acquires from the database A  120  the related information linked to the ID included in the connection information, and transmits the related information to the user device  500  (S 2005 ). 
         [0055]    The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. Although the foregoing embodiments are configured such that the comparison service provider  400  only manages the surface pattern information and the object IDs of the objects, an embodiment may be configured in which the comparison service provider  400  also manages other information. The name of the manufacturer manufacturing the objects, the ID of the factory manufacturing the objects, the manufacturing time of the objects, the name (trade name or the like) of the objects, or the like are conceivable as “other information.” In this case, the factory transmits these additional information items to the server B  410  in addition to the surface pattern information of the objects when the objects are manufactured. Then, the database B  420  links the object IDs to the surface pattern information and these additional information items, and stores both the surface pattern information and the additional information items. 
         [0056]    The above-described additional information serves as a limiting condition for limiting the object pattern information to be subjected to the comparison process. In this case, if a person who desires the comparison knows information corresponding to the above-described limiting condition concerning an object to be subjected to the comparison, an embodiment is possible in which the corresponding information is transmitted from the user device  500  together with the comparison request. For example, if the purpose of the comparison is the authenticity determination of commercially available pharmaceutical tablets, the trade name of the medicine or the name of the manufacturer may be transmitted together with the comparison request. The transmission of the ID of the factory is also conceivable, depending on the situation. If such a limiting condition is a part of the related information stored in the database B  420 , the server B  410  that performs the comparison process is capable of narrowing down the surface pattern information to be subjected to the comparison process in accordance with the limiting condition. Accordingly, a processing load placed on the server B  410  in the comparison process and the time taken for the process are reduced. 
         [0057]    Further, although the foregoing embodiments are configured such that, if the surface pattern information corresponding to the photographed image is found in the comparison process by the server B  410 , only the connection information including the object ID is transmitted to the user device  500 , the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. A configuration may be provided in which, if the surface pattern information corresponding to the photographed image is found in the comparison process, the server B  410  causes the server A  110  to transmit the related information linked to the surface pattern information stored in the database A  120  via the Internet  600 , to thereby transmit to the user device  500  the related information in place of the connection information linked to the surface pattern information together with the comparison result. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0058]      1  object information management system 
         [0059]      2  object information management system 
         [0060]      100  factory 
         [0061]      101  object 
         [0062]      102  object photographing device 
         [0063]      103  production management system 
         [0064]      110  server A 
         [0065]      111  object information acquiring unit 
         [0066]      112  transmitting and receiving unit 
         [0067]      113  related information transmission request receiving unit 
         [0068]      120  database A 
         [0069]      121  storage unit 
         [0070]      200  factory 
         [0071]      210  server A 
         [0072]      220  database A 
         [0073]      300  factory 
         [0074]      310  server A 
         [0075]      320  database A 
         [0076]      400  comparison service provider 
         [0077]      410  server B 
         [0078]      411  transmitting and receiving unit 
         [0079]      412  comparing unit 
         [0080]      413  comparison request receiving unit 
         [0081]      420  database B 
         [0082]      500  user device 
         [0083]      600  Internet