Photography control method, photography control system, and photography control server

Abstract

A photography control method includes temporarily saving one or more sets of photography data, taken by a photographing camera, in a temporary photography data storage unit, acquiring identification information identifying a subject, extracting, from the one or more sets of photography data temporary saved in the temporary photography data storage unit, at least one set of photography data corresponding to the identification information acquired in the acquiring of identification information; and saving the extracted at least one set of photography data in a photography data storage unit in a manner associated with the identification information of the subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A photography control method of a photography control system, the method comprising:
 i) acquiring first subject entrance information indicating an entrance time at which a subject has entered an area including a photography spot with a first device at a pavilion entrance;   ii) acquiring first subject exit information indicating an exit time at which the subject has exited the area including the photography spot with a second device at a pavilion exit located at a location different from the first device;   iii) photographing, using a photographing camera installed facing the photography spot, the photography spot to obtain a plurality of sets of photography data by
 automatically starting photographing of the subject at the photography spot in response to detection by the first device of the first subject entrance information at the pavilion entrance, and 
 automatically stopping photographing in response to
 detecting by the second device of the first subject exit information at the pavilion exit, and 
 elapsing of a predetermined time; 
 
   iv) saving the plurality of sets of photography data, taken by the photographing camera, in a first photography data storage unit in association with identification information of the subject acquired by the first device;   v) acquiring the identification information identifying the subject with the first and second devices;   vi) determining the time period between the time the first device detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second device detects exiting of the subject from the area;   vii) extracting, from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the first photography data storage unit, the at least one set of photography data taken during the determined time period between the time the first device detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second device detects exiting of the subject from the area, in response to reading an optically readable code with a third device different from the first and second devices, and matching the optically readable code with the identification information of the subject in the first photography data storage unit; and   viii) saving the extracted at least one set of photography data in a second photography data storage unit in a manner associated with the identification information of the subject.   
     
     
         2 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the acquiring of the first subject entrance information, information that is the same information that the identification information indicates is acquired as the subject information,   wherein, the first subject entrance information is acquired when the subject enters the area.   
     
     
         3 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the acquiring of the first subject entrance information, moving body detection information indicating that a moving body in the area has been detected is acquired as the subject information.   
     
     
         4 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the acquiring of the first subject entrance information, the identification information acquired in the acquiring of the identification information is acquired as the first subject entrance information.   
     
     
         5 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the photographing, the photographing of the photography spot is taken by the photographing camera repeatedly at a predetermined time interval, and   wherein the photographing is ended when a certain amount of time has elapsed from starting of photography.   
     
     
         6 . The photography control method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 saving first time information in the first photography data storage unit, the first time information being the entrance time and indicating a first time at which the first subject entrance information was acquired;   wherein, in the photographing, the photographing of the photography spot is taken by the photographing camera repeatedly at a predetermined time interval,   wherein, the one or more sets of photography data, to be obtained in the photographing, are a plurality of sets of photography data whose photography times taken by the photographing camera are different from each other.   
     
     
         7 . The photography control method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 saving the first subject entrance information and first time information in the first photography data storage unit, the first time information being the entrance time and indicating a first time at which the first subject entrance information was acquired;   acquiring second subject exit information which is the same information as the first subject entrance information but is determined at the exit time when the subject exits from the area; and   saving second time information in the first photography data storage unit, the second time information being the exit time and indicating a second time at which the second subject information was acquired,   wherein, in the photographing, the photographing of the photography spot is taken by the photographing camera repeatedly at a predetermined time interval,   wherein, the one or more sets of photography data, to be obtained in the photographing, are a plurality of sets of photography data whose photography times taken by the photographing camera are different from each other,   wherein, in the acquiring of the identification information, third time information is acquired in addition to the identification information, the third time information indicating a third time which is instructed by a user, the third time being a time between the first time and the second time, and   wherein, in the extracting, one set of photography data, whose a photography time matches the third time, is extracted, as the at least one set of photography data, from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the first photography data storage unit.   
     
     
         8 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the photographing, the photographing of the photography spot is taken by the photographing camera repeatedly at a predetermined time interval,   wherein, the one or more sets of photography data, to be obtained in the photographing, are a plurality of sets of photography data whose photography times taken by the photographing camera are different from each other, and   wherein, in the extracting, one set of photography data whose photography time is instructed by a user, is extracted, as the at least one set of photography data, from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the first photography data storage unit.   
     
     
         9 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the photographing, the photographing of the photography spot is taken by the photographing camera repeatedly at a predetermined time interval,   wherein, the one or more sets of photography data, to be obtained in the photographing, are a plurality of sets of photography data whose photography times taken by the photographing camera are different from each other,   wherein, in the acquiring of the identification information, the identification information is acquired from at least one set of photography data which includes information corresponding to the identification information and which is one of the plurality of sets of photography data stored in the first photography data storage unit, and   wherein, in the extracting, the at least one set of photography data, from which the identification information was acquired, is extracted from the first photography data storage unit.   
     
     
         10 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the acquiring of the identification information, the identification information is acquired by detecting the information corresponding to the identification information from the at least one set of photography data.   
     
     
         11 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification information is expressed using a barcode.   
     
     
         12 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification information is features information indicating features of a facial image of the subject.   
     
     
         13 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the identification information has usage conditions restricting a date and time at which the photographing camera can be used.   
     
     
         14 . The photography control method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 notifying a terminal operated by a user regarding a photography spot where the subject can be photographed, in a case where the first subject entrance information acquired in the acquiring of the first subject entrance information and the identification information acquired in the acquiring of the identification information match.   
     
     
         15 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the photographing camera is a plurality of photographing cameras,   wherein the first photography data storage unit is a plurality of first photography data storage units,   wherein, in the saving in the first photography data storage unit, a plurality of sets of photography data taken by the plurality of photographing cameras are saved in the plurality of first photography data storage units, and   wherein, in the extracting, at least one set of photography data, corresponding to the identification information acquired in the acquiring of identification information, is extracted from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the plurality of first photography data storage units.   
     
     
         16 . The photography control method according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein, in the extracting, the at least one set of photography data is extracted from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the plurality of first photography data storage units, and   wherein, in the saving, the at least one set of photography data is saved in the second photography data storage unit in a manner associated with the identification information.   
     
     
         17 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the photographing camera is a plurality of photographing cameras, and   wherein, in the saving, the plurality of sets of photography data taken by the plurality of photographing cameras are saved in the first photography data storage unit.   
     
     
         18 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the photographing camera includes a plurality of photographing cameras that photograph the photography spot in photography states different from each other, and   wherein in the photographing, a photography instruction is given to the plurality of photographing cameras at the same time.   
     
     
         19 . A photography control system comprising:
 a photographing camera installed facing a photography spot at a pavilion-entrance terminal;   a first barcode reader at the pavilion-entrance terminal that acquires subject entrance information indicating the entrance time at which a subject has entered an area including the photography spot by reading a barcode on the subject representing a subject ID of the subject;   a second barcode reader that acquires subject exit information indicating the exit time at which the subject has exited the area including the photography spot located at a location different from the first barcode reader at a pavilion-exit terminal by reading the barcode of the subject;   a processor that controls the photographing camera and determines the time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader detects exiting of the subject from the area;   a first memory that saves one or more sets of photography data taken by the photographing camera in association with identification information of the subject acquired by the first barcode reader;   a keyboard or touch panel that inputs the identification information identifying the subject;   wherein the processor also extracts at least one set of photography data from the first memory; and   a second memory that saves the at least one set of photography data extracted by the processor, wherein,   the photographing camera photographs the photography spot to obtain a plurality of sets of photography data by
 automatically starting photographing of the subject at the photography spot in response to detection by the first barcode reader of the barcode displayed on the subject at the pavilion entrance, and 
 automatically stopping photographing in response to
 detecting by the second barcode reader of the barcode displayed on the subject at the pavilion exit, and 
 elapsing of a predetermined time; 
 
   the first barcode reader acquires the identification information identifying the subject at the pavilion-entrance terminal;   the second barcode reader acquires the identification information identifying the subject at the pavilion-exit terminal;   the processor determines the time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader detects exiting of the subject from the area; and   the processor extracts, from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the first memory, the at least one set of photography data taken during the determined time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader device detects exiting of the subject from the area, in response to
 inputting the identification information identifying the subject with the keyboard or touch panel, and 
 reading the barcode with a device different from the first and second barcode readers and different from the keyboard and touch panel, and matching the barcode with the identification information of the subject in the first memory. 
   
     
     
         20 . A photography control server comprising:
 a first barcode reader that acquires subject entrance information indicating the entrance time at which a subject has entered an area including a photography spot by reading a barcode on the subject representing a subject ID of the subject;   a second barcode reader that acquires subject exit information indicating the exit time at which the subject has exited the area including the photography spot, located at a location different from the first barcode reader;   a processor that controls a photographing camera installed facing the photography spot and determines the time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader detects exiting of the subject from the area;   a first memory that saves one or more sets of photography data taken by the photographing camera in association with identification information of the subject acquired by the first barcode reader;   a keyboard or a touch panel that inputs the identification information identifying the subject;   wherein the processor also extracts at least one set of photography data from the first memory; and   a second memory that saves the at least one set of photography data extracted by the processor, wherein,   the photographing camera photographs the photography spot to obtain a plurality of sets of photography data by
 automatically starting photographing of the subject at the photography spot in response to detection by the first barcode reader of the barcode displayed on the subject at a pavilion entrance, and 
 automatically stopping photographing in response to
 detecting by the second barcode reader of the barcode displayed on the subject at a pavilion exit, and 
 elapsing of a predetermined time; 
 
   the first barcode reader acquires the identification information identifying the subject at a pavilion-entrance terminal at the pavilion entrance;   the second barcode reader acquires the identification information identifying the subject at a pavilion-exit terminal at the pavilion exit;   the processor determines the time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader detects exiting of the subject from the area; and   the processor extracts, from the plurality of sets of photography data saved in the first memory, the at least one set of photography data taken during the determined time period between the time the first barcode reader detects entry of the subject into the area and the time the second barcode reader device detects exiting of the subject from the area, in response to inputting the identification information identifying the subject with the keyboard or touch panel, and   reading the barcode with a device different from the first and second barcode readers and different from the keyboard and touch panel, and matching the barcode with the identification information of the subject in the first memory.   
     
     
         21 . The photography control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a barcode reader.