Patent Description:
At present, along with increasing popularization of smart terminals, users usually take photos with smart terminals in activities such as parties. After the activities, the users participating in the activities would like to share data such as the photos and videos in the activities. <NPL> discloses an approach for mobile video sharing that uploads a small amount if metadata information generated on the smartphones to the server, instead of uploading the entire video by default.

<CIT> disclsoes an approach according to which terminals provide image metadata to a central search server that indexes the image metadata information. Once a terminal searches for an image, a request for a found image is relayed by the server to the terminal storing the image.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a solution in accordance with claims which follow.

In one preferred embodiment, the steps of the information acquisition method are determined by computer program instructions.

The invention is also directed to a computer-readable information medium containing instructions of a computer program as described above.

The information medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the support can include storage means such as a ROM, for example a CD ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or magnetic storage means, for example a diskette (floppy disk) or a hard disk.

Alternatively, the information medium can be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute the method in question or to be used in its execution.

It is to be understood that the above general descriptions and detailed descriptions below are only exemplary and explanatory and not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, will be described in detail herein. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations set forth in the following description of preferred embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the embodiments of the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects related to the embodiments of the present disclosure as recited in detail in the appended claims.

According to the technical solutions provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, event information, with the same event attribute, of multiple terminals is shared to improve information collection automation, increase an information collection speed and make users conveniently obtain wider information. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be adopted for a first terminal initiating a request for acquiring event information, or a second terminal receiving the request, or a network-side server, or another terminal instead of the first terminal and the second terminal.

The first terminal may be any device with an information processing function, such as a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a gaming console, a tablet, a medical device, exercise equipment and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The second terminal may be any device with the information processing function, such as a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a gaming console, a tablet, a medical device, exercise equipment and a PDA.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to an preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the information acquisition method is adopted for a terminal or a server, and includes the following steps:.

In the embodiment, the event information may include at least one of: event image information, event video information, event audio information and event text information, wherein the event text information includes at least one of: event website information and event webpage information.

In an example, an event is a dinner party, and after the dinner party, there may be stored information such as photos and videos of the dinner party in terminals of everyone participating in the dinner party. A second terminal participating in the dinner party may be determined according to a request initiated by a first terminal for acquiring the information of the dinner party, and the second terminal is controlled to automatically screen and send information such as images, videos, audios and texts of the dinner party to the first terminal.

In the embodiment, event information consistent with the request is collected automatically from each terminal according to the request, initiated by one terminal, for acquiring the event information, and the event information is shared, so that an information collection speed is increased, information collection efficiency is improved, user operation is reduced, information sharing among multiple users is facilitated, and good user experiences are achieved.

In another embodiment, the request includes event attribute information, and the event attribute information may include at least one of event occurrence time and an event occurrence location. In an example, the event is a dinner party, time for the dinner party is <NUM>:<NUM>-<NUM>:<NUM> on April <NUM>, <NUM>, and a location for the dinner party is the A restaurant (the address is Number xx, XXX Road, Haidian District, Beijing).

Time when an event indicated by the event information occurs is the event occurrence time, and a location where the event indicated by the event information occurs is the event occurrence location.

In another embodiment, the second terminal having stored thereon the event information may be determined in the following two manners.

Manner <NUM>: the second terminal is determined according to the event attribute information in the request.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to another preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the step that the second terminal having stored thereon the event information is determined includes:.

In an example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence time such as <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM>, and the second terminal having stored thereon the event information about the event occurring at the time may be determined according to the event occurrence time.

In another example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence location such as the Tian'anmen, and the second terminal having stored thereon the event information about the event occurring at the location may be determined according to the event occurrence location.

In another example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence time such as <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> and the event occurrence location such as the Tian'anmen, the second terminal having stored thereon the event information about the event occurring at the location at the time may be determined.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to the invention, and as shown in <FIG>, the step that the second terminal is determined according to the event attribute information includes:.

In an example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence time such as <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> and the event occurrence location such as the Tian'anmen. In Step S31, terminals which are located at the Tian'anmen at <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> are determined to obtain candidate terminals according to pre-acquired movement trajectory records of the respective terminals. In Step S32, an image or video stored on each candidate terminal is recognized to judge whether the stored image or video contains an image of the Tian'anmen or not by virtue of the image recognition technology, and if the stored image or video contains the image of the Tian'anmen, the terminal is determined as the second terminal.

In addition, generation time of the images or videos stored on the candidate terminals may also be recognized, and when a certain terminal includes an image or video generated at <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> and the image or video contains an image of the Tian'anmen, the terminal may be determined as a candidate terminal.

In manner <NUM>, the first terminal may automatically query the related second terminal according to the event attribute information and acquire the event information consistent with the event attribute information on the second terminal without specifying the second terminal with the event information to be acquired, so that a user may conveniently acquire related information without manual query, and information sharing among users within a larger range may be implemented.

Manner <NUM>: the second terminal is determined according to a terminal identifier contained in the request.

In manner <NUM>, the first terminal adds both the event attribute information and the terminal identifier of the second terminal into the request, so that the second terminal may be directly determined according to the request, the information may be rapidly collected and shared without manual user operation, convenience for use is ensured, and good user experiences are achieved.

In another embodiment, the step that the second terminal is controlled to send the event information to the first terminal includes that:
the event attribute information is sent to the second terminal to control the second terminal to send the event information to the first terminal.

In the embodiment, the event attribute information is sent to the second terminal, and the second terminal may screen a locally stored file according to the event attribute information to obtain the event information consistent with the event attribute information, and send the event information to the first terminal, so that a user of the second terminal may automatically implement information collection and sharing without manual file selection, convenience for use is ensured, and good user experiences are achieved.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to another preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the method further includes:.

In the present embodiment, the group may be created according to account information corresponding to the first terminal and the second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal have event information with the same event attribute, that is, the first terminal and the second terminal are associated, and the first terminal and the second terminal automatically form a group, so that interaction among associated users is facilitated, the group may be created without manual user operation, convenience for use of the users is ensured, and good user experiences are achieved.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to the invention, and as shown in <FIG>, the information acquisition method includes the following steps.

<FIG> is a flow chart showing an information acquisition method according to another preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the information acquisition method includes the following steps:.

If the implementation subject for the method is another terminal instead of the first terminal and the second terminal, the method flow is the same as the method flow implemented by the server.

In the embodiment, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by different equipment, so that an information collection speed is increased, information collection efficiency is improved, user operation is reduced, information sharing among multiple users is facilitated, and good user experiences are achieved.

An embodiment of a device of the present disclosure will be described below, and the device may be configured to execute the embodiment of the method of the present disclosure.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing an information acquisition device according to an preferred embodiment, and the device may be implemented into part or all of electronic equipment by virtue of software, hardware or a combination thereof. As shown in <FIG>, the information acquisition device includes:.

In the present embodiment, the event information sent by the second terminal includes at least one of: event image information, event video information, event audio information and event text information, wherein the event text information includes at least one of: event website information and event webpage information.

In an example, an event is a dinner party, and after the dinner party, there may be stored information such as photos and videos of the dinner party in terminals of everyone participating in the dinner party. A second terminal participating in the dinner party may be determined according to a request, initiated by a first terminal, for acquiring the information of the dinner party, and the second terminal is controlled to automatically screen and send information such as images, videos, audios and texts of the dinner party to the first terminal.

In the present embodiment, event information consistent with the request in each terminal is collected automatically according to the request, initiated by one terminal, for acquiring the event information, and the event information is shared, so that an information collection speed is increased, information collection efficiency is improved, user operation is reduced, information sharing among multiple users is facilitated, and good user experiences are achieved.

In another embodiment, the request includes event attribute information which may include at least one of event occurrence time and an event occurrence location. In an example, the event is a dinner party, time for the dinner party is <NUM>:<NUM>-<NUM>:<NUM> on April <NUM>, <NUM>, and a location for the dinner party is the A restaurant (the address is Number xx, XXX Road, Haidian District, Beijing).

In another embodiment, the determination module <NUM> may determine the second terminal having stored thereon the event information in the following two manners.

Manner <NUM>: the determination module <NUM> determines the second terminal according to the event attribute information in the request.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a determination module according to an preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the determination module <NUM> includes: a first acquisition sub-module <NUM> and a first determination sub-module <NUM>.

The first acquisition sub-module <NUM> is configured to acquire event attribute information from the request acquired by the first acquisition module <NUM>, the event attribute information including at least one of: event occurrence time and an event occurrence location.

The first determination sub-module <NUM> is configured to determine the second terminal according to the event attribute information acquired by the first acquisition sub-module <NUM>.

In another example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence time such as <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> and the event occurrence location such as the Tian'anmen, and the second terminal having stored thereon the event information about the event occurring at the location at the time may be determined.

Optionally, the first determination sub-module <NUM> is configured to determine candidate terminals which are located at the event occurrence location at the event occurrence time are determined, and determine at least one of the candidate terminals as the second terminal by virtue of an image recognition technology.

In an example, the event attribute information includes the event occurrence time such as <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> and the event occurrence location such as the Tian'anmen. The first acquisition sub-module <NUM> may determine terminals which are located at the Tian'anmen at <NUM>:<NUM> on December <NUM>, <NUM> to obtain candidate terminals according to pre-acquired movement trajectory records of the respective terminals. The first determination sub-module <NUM> recognizes an image or video stored on each candidate terminal to judge whether the stored image or video contains an image of the Tian'anmen or not by virtue of the image recognition technology, and if the stored image or video contains the image of the Tian'anmen, may determine the terminal as the second terminal.

Manner <NUM>: the determination module <NUM> determines the second terminal according to a terminal identifier contained in the request.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a determination module according to another preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the determination module <NUM> includes: a second acquisition sub-module <NUM> and a second determination sub-module <NUM>.

The second acquisition sub-module <NUM> is configured to acquire a terminal identifier from the request acquired by the first acquisition module <NUM>.

The second determination sub-module <NUM> is configured to determine a terminal corresponding to the terminal identifier acquired by the second acquisition sub-module <NUM> as the second terminal.

Optionally, the control module <NUM> is configured to control the second terminal to send the event information to the first terminal by sending the event attribute information to the second terminal.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing an information acquisition device according to another preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the device further includes: a second acquisition module <NUM> and a group creation module <NUM>.

The second acquisition module <NUM> is configured to acquire account information corresponding to the second terminal determined by the determination module <NUM>.

The group creation module <NUM> is configured to create a group according to the account information acquired by the second acquisition module <NUM>.

The embodiment of present disclosure further provides an information acquisition device, which includes:.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing an information acquisition system according to an preferred embodiment, and as shown in <FIG>, the system includes: a first terminal <NUM>, a server <NUM> and a second terminal <NUM>.

The first terminal <NUM> is configured to send a request for acquiring event information to the server <NUM>.

The server <NUM> is configured to acquire the request sent by the first terminal <NUM>, determine the second terminal <NUM> having stored thereon the event information and control the second terminal <NUM> to send the event information to the first terminal <NUM>.

The second terminal <NUM> is configured to send the event information to the first terminal <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a device configured for acquiring information according to an preferred embodiment, and the device is applicable to terminal device. In an example, the device <NUM> may be a video camera, voice recording equipment, a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast terminal, a messaging device, a gaming console, a tablet, a medical device, exercise equipment, a PDA and the like.

The device <NUM> may include one or more of the following components: a processing component <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, a power supply component <NUM>, a multimedia component <NUM>, an audio component <NUM>, an Input/Output (I/O) interface <NUM>, a sensor component <NUM>, and a communication component <NUM>.

The processing component <NUM> may include one or more processors <NUM> to execute instructions to perform all or part of the steps in the abovementioned method. Moreover, the processing component <NUM> may include one or more modules which facilitate interaction between the processing component <NUM> and the other components. For instance, the processing component <NUM> may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component <NUM> and the processing component <NUM>.

Examples of such data include instructions for any application programs or methods operated on the device <NUM>, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, video, etc. The memory <NUM> may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile memory devices, or a combination thereof, such as a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), a Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, and a magnetic or optical disk.

The power supply component <NUM> provides power for various components of the device <NUM>. The power supply component <NUM> may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with the generation, management and distribution of power for the device <NUM>.

The multimedia component <NUM> includes a screen providing an output interface between the device <NUM> and a user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a Touch Panel (TP). If the screen includes the TP, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive an input signal from the user. The TP includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes and gestures on the TP. The touch sensors may not only sense a boundary of a touch or swipe action, but also sense a duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe action. The front camera and/or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data when the device <NUM> is in an operation mode, such as a photographing mode or a video mode. Each of the front camera and the rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have capabilities of focusing and optical zooming.

The audio component <NUM> is configured to output and/or input an audio signal. In an example, the audio component <NUM> includes a Microphone (MIC) which is configured to receive an external audio signal when the device <NUM> is in the operation mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signal may be further stored in the memory <NUM> or sent through the communication component <NUM>. In some embodiments, the audio component <NUM> further includes a speaker configured to output the audio signal.

For instance, the sensor component <NUM> may detect an on/off status of the device <NUM> and relative positioning of components, such as a display and keypad of the device <NUM>, and the sensor component <NUM> may further detect a change in a position of the device <NUM> or a component of the device <NUM>, presence or absence of contact between the user and the device <NUM>, orientation or acceleration/deceleration of the device <NUM> and a change in temperature of the device <NUM>.

The communication component <NUM> is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device <NUM> and another device. The device <NUM> may access a communication-standard-based wireless network, such as a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network, a 2nd-Generation (<NUM>) or 3rd-Generation (<NUM>) network or a combination thereof. In an preferred embodiment, the communication component <NUM> receives a broadcast signal or broadcast associated information from an external broadcast management system through a broadcast channel. In an preferred embodiment, the communication component <NUM> further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. In an example, the NFC module may be implemented on the basis of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) technology, a BlueTooth (BT) technology and another technology.

In an preferred embodiment, the device <NUM> may be implemented by one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors or other electronic components, and is configured to execute the abovementioned method.

In an preferred embodiment, there is also provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, such as the memory <NUM> containing instructions, and the instruction may be executed by the processor <NUM> of the device <NUM> to implement the abovementioned method. In an example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, an optical data storage device and the like.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a device configured for acquiring information according to an preferred embodiment. In an example, the device <NUM> may be provided as a server. The device <NUM> includes a processing component <NUM>, which further includes one or more processors, and a memory resource represented by a memory <NUM> configured to store instructions such as application programs which may be executable by the processing component <NUM>. The application programs stored in the memory <NUM> may include one or more modules of which each corresponds to a set of instructions. In addition, the processing component <NUM> is configured to execute the instructions to execute the abovementioned method.

The device <NUM> may further include a power supply component <NUM> configured to execute power mangement of the device <NUM>, a wired or wireless network interface <NUM> configured to connect the device <NUM> to a network, and an I/O interface <NUM>. The device <NUM> may be operated on the basis of an operating system stored in the memory <NUM>, such as Windows ServerTM, Mac OS XTM, UnixTM, LinuxTM, FreeBSDTM or the like.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which instructions are executed by the processor of the device <NUM> or the device <NUM> to enable the device <NUM> or the device <NUM> to execute the abovementioned information acquisition method, the method including that:.

Optionally, the step that the second terminal having stored thereon the event information is determined includes that:.

Optionally, time when an event indicated by the event information occurs is the event occurrence time, and a location where the event indicated by the event information occurs is the event occurrence location.

Optionally, the step that the second terminal is determined according to the event attribute information includes that:.

Optionally, the step that the second terminal is controlled to send the event information to the first terminal includes that:
the event attribute information is sent to the second terminal to control the second terminal to send the event information to the first terminal.

Optionally, the method further includes that:.

Optionally, the event information includes at least one of: event image information, event video information, event audio information and event text information, wherein the event text information includes at least one of: event website information and event webpage information.

Claim 1:
An information acquisition method, comprising:
acquiring, by a server, a request for acquiring event information for a first terminal (S11);
acquiring, by the server, event attribute information from the request (S21), wherein the event attribute information comprises event occurrence time and an event occurrence location, characterized by further comprising:
determining, by the server, candidate terminals which are located at the event occurrence location at the event occurrence time according to pre-acquired movement trajectory records of the respective terminals (S31);
determining, by the server, one of the candidate terminals as a second terminal by virtue of an image recognition technology, wherein an image or video stored on each candidate terminal is recognized to judge whether the stored image or video contains an image of the event location (S32); and
controlling, by the server, the second terminal to send the event information consistent with the event attribute information to the first terminal by sending the event attribute information acquired from the request to the second terminal (S13).