JP2023094982A - Communication system, information processing device, information processing method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication system that can switch between transmission of video outside a vehicle and transmission of video inside the vehicle at appropriate timing in accordance with a situation.SOLUTION: There is provided a communication system that performs voice video communication of sequentially transmitting voice and video in a vehicle acquired by a first device moving with the vehicle to a second device, including: a video transmission unit that transmits, to the second device, one of front camera video which is video obtained by imaging, in the vehicle, the inside of the vehicle and rear camera video which is video obtained by imaging, in the vehicle, the outside of the vehicle; and a position information acquisition unit that acquires positional information on the vehicle. The video transmission unit transmits one of the front camera video and the rear camera video that is determined by the positional information to the second device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system, an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a recording medium, and for example, a communication system, an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a recording medium for providing an image from a mobile body to the outside. Regarding.

2. Description of the Related Art There is a communication system that performs communication between an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and an external terminal located outside the vehicle. For example, in Patent Document 1, a voice call is performed between a driver of a vehicle and an operator of a terminal outside the vehicle. A system for transmitting an image to a terminal outside the vehicle and displaying the image on the terminal outside the vehicle has been disclosed (for example, Patent Literature 1).

JP 2016-213791 A

In the communication system as described above, an in-vehicle image obtained by photographing the exterior of the vehicle or an in-vehicle image obtained by photographing the inside of the vehicle is transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device to the terminal outside the vehicle. Switching between the video outside the vehicle and the video inside the vehicle is normally performed by the driver operating an operation unit such as a touch panel provided on the vehicle-mounted device.

In the communication system as described above, there is a case where the driver wants to switch between the outside video and the inside video while driving the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle arrives near the driver's home, in order to protect privacy, it is conceivable to switch the video to be transmitted to the terminal outside the vehicle from the video outside the vehicle to the video inside the vehicle.

However, it is difficult to operate the operation unit of the on-vehicle device each time while driving, and depending on the driving situation, it may not be possible to operate until the timing of stopping the vehicle. In such a case, there is a problem that video switching cannot be performed at appropriate timing depending on the situation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and in a communication system for transmitting video from an in-vehicle device to a terminal outside the vehicle, it is possible to determine whether to transmit the video outside the vehicle or the video inside the vehicle at an appropriate timing according to the situation. One object is to provide a communication system capable of switching between

The invention according to claim 1 is a communication system for performing audio-visual communication in which audio and video in the vehicle acquired by a first device that moves with the vehicle are sequentially transmitted to a second device, wherein the vehicle a video transmission unit that transmits either one of an in-camera video that is a video of the inside of the vehicle and an out-camera video that is a video of the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle to the second device; and position information of the vehicle and a position information acquisition unit that acquires the position information, wherein the image transmission unit transmits one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined by the position information to the second device. .

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, information for performing audiovisual communication in which images captured in a vehicle and voices from passengers in the vehicle are received from a first device that moves with the vehicle and are sequentially transmitted to a second device. A processing device that transmits either one of an in-camera image that is an image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle and an out-camera image that is an image of the exterior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle to the second device. and a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vehicle, wherein the video transmission unit selects one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video determined by the position information as the It is characterized by transmitting to the second device.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the front seat portion of the vehicle according to the first embodiment; 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the terminal device 20 according to the first embodiment and a display mode when an out-camera image is displayed; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an in-vehicle device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a server according to Example 1; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the information stored in specific area DB. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display mode when an in-camera image is displayed on the terminal device 20 by image switching. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal device according to Example 1; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an audio/video transmission processing routine executed by an in-vehicle device; 4 is a flowchart showing an audio/video transmission processing routine executed by a server;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. In the following description of the embodiments and the attached drawings, substantially the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 is configured by connecting an in-vehicle device 10, a terminal device 20, and a server 30 mounted on a vehicle M as a mobile object via a network NW.

In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 and the server 30 are connected via the network NW, and the terminal device 20 and the server 30 are connected via the network NW. In other words, the in-vehicle device 10 and the terminal device 20 are configured to be able to transmit and receive information via the server 30 .

The network NW is, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation: 5th generation mobile communication system) via a mobile communication network that communicates via a connection to a base station. It is a network that

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a front seat portion of a vehicle M on which the in-vehicle device 10 according to the first embodiment is mounted. The in-vehicle device 10 is connected to each of an exterior camera 11, an in-vehicle camera 12, a GPS receiver 13, a microphone 14, a touch panel display 15, and a speaker 16 installed in the vehicle M, and a control unit for controlling these. including. The in-vehicle device 10 is arranged, for example, in the central portion of the dashboard DB in the front seats of the vehicle M. As shown in FIG.

The exterior photographing camera 11 as a first photographing unit is an imaging device that photographs the situation outside the vehicle M. As shown in FIG. The exterior photography camera 11 may be composed of one camera, or may be composed of a plurality of cameras. In this embodiment, the exterior camera 11 is a wide-angle camera that captures a wide area in front of the vehicle M through the windshield FG. In this embodiment, the vehicle exterior photographing camera 11 is arranged on the dashboard DB.

The in-vehicle photographing camera 12 as a first photographing unit is an imaging device that photographs the situation inside the vehicle M. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle photographing camera 12 is a camera that photographs the driver of the vehicle M. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 12 is provided on the upper end of the windshield FG or on the ceiling near the upper end.

In addition, the above-described exterior photographing camera 11 and interior photographing camera 12 may be multidirectional cameras capable of photographing an image of the exterior of the vehicle M and an image of the interior of the vehicle M with a single camera as a first photographing unit. .

The GPS receiver 13 is a receiver that receives signals (GPS signals) from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. In this embodiment, the GPS receiver 13 is arranged on the dashboard DB.

A microphone 14 as a first sound collecting unit receives sounds in the vehicle, for example, sounds emitted by the driver and fellow passengers of the vehicle M (hereinafter collectively referred to as passengers), and converts them into electrical signals for voice input. It is a device. In this embodiment, the microphone 14 is arranged on the dashboard DB.

The touch panel display 15 as the first display unit is a display device in which a display that performs screen display under the control of the in-vehicle device 10 and a touch panel that accepts input operations from passengers of the vehicle M are combined. In this embodiment, the touch panel display 15 is arranged in the center of the dashboard DB.

The touch panel display 15 displays, for example, a navigation image in which the current position of the vehicle M (hereinafter also referred to as the current position) and the planned travel route (hereinafter also referred to as the travel route) are superimposed on the map.

The speaker 16 as a first sound output unit is an audio output device that outputs audio based on an electrical signal transmitted from the outside. In this embodiment, the speaker 16 is provided on each of the two A-pillars AP.

In this embodiment, a passenger of the vehicle M can make a voice call with an operator (hereinafter also referred to as a user) of the terminal device 20 via the microphone 14 and speaker 16 connected to the in-vehicle device 10 .

The positions of the in-vehicle device 10, the camera outside the vehicle 11, the camera inside the vehicle 12, the GPS receiver 13, the microphone 14, the touch panel display 15, and the speaker 16 in the front seat portion of the vehicle M are merely examples, and these are not the same. position.

For example, the exterior photography camera 11 may be installed anywhere as long as it can photograph the surroundings of the vehicle M. An example is a forward photography camera that photographs the front of the vehicle M. It may be provided on the ceiling near the upper end. As another example, a side camera, a rear camera, or the like, which photographs the outside of the vehicle, may be used.

In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 includes an "out-camera image" that is an image of the exterior of the vehicle M captured by the camera 11 outside the vehicle and an "in-camera image" that is an image of the interior of the vehicle M captured by the camera 12 photographed inside the vehicle. ” is sequentially transmitted to the server 30 .

Note that the server 30 that has received the video information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 transmits (that is, transfers) one of the received “out-camera video” and “in-camera video” to the terminal device 20 . At that time, the server 30 notifies the in-vehicle device 10 of information about which image is currently being transmitted to the terminal device 20 , and the information is displayed on the touch panel display 15 of the in-vehicle device 10 . Thereby, the passenger of the vehicle M can perceive which of the in-camera image and the out-camera image is displayed on the terminal device 20 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the terminal device 20 and a display mode of images displayed on the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. Here, a case where an out-camera image is displayed is shown as an example.

The terminal device 20 is a communication device including a frame F and a microphone 21, a speaker 22, and a touch panel display 23 housed in the frame F. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the terminal device 20 is a smart phone capable of communicating with others through communication.

The microphone 21 as a second sound collector is a voice input device that receives voice uttered by the user of the terminal device 20 and converts it into an electrical signal. The microphone 21 is provided on one end side of the terminal device 20 .

The speaker 22 as a sound output section or a second sound output section is an audio output device that outputs audio based on an electrical signal transmitted from the outside. The speaker 22 is provided on the other end side of the terminal device 20 .

First sound information indicating the sound collected by the microphone 14 as the first sound collector of the in-vehicle device 10 is output from the speaker 22 as the sound output unit by the control unit of the terminal device 20 . In other words, the control unit of the terminal device 20 is a sound output control unit that controls the speaker 22 and outputs the sound collected in the vehicle M as the moving body sound.

The second sound information indicating the sound collected by the microphone 21 as the second sound collector is output from the speaker 16 as the first sound output section by the control section of the in-vehicle device 10 described above.

The touch panel display 23 as a display unit or a second display unit is a display device in which a display that displays a screen based on the control of the terminal device 20 and a touch panel that accepts an input operation from the user of the terminal device 20 are combined. be. A touch panel display 23 is provided in the center of the terminal device 20 .

In this embodiment, the operator of the terminal device 20 can make a voice call with the driver of the vehicle M in which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted via the microphone 21 and the speaker 22 described above.

In this embodiment, the terminal device 20 sequentially receives video information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 30 . Specifically, the terminal device 20 sequentially receives the video information of the in-camera video or the out-camera video captured in the vehicle M from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 30 .

As described above, in this embodiment, the communication system 100 is configured so that the driver of the vehicle M in which the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted and the operator of the terminal device 20 can communicate with each other by voice. In addition, in the present embodiment, the communication system 100 allows the image of the exterior or interior of the vehicle M captured by the exterior camera 11 and the map image including the current position and moving route of the vehicle M to be displayed on the terminal device 20. Real-time display on the touch panel display 23 is possible.

In other words, the communication system 100 is configured so that the in-vehicle device 10 can perform live streaming to the terminal device 20 .

In the present embodiment, a communication mode in which voice communication is established between the in-vehicle device 10 and the terminal device 20 and a video image of the exterior or interior of the vehicle M is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 to the terminal device 20 in real time. will be referred to as audiovisual communication. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 and the terminal device 20 perform audio-visual communication via the server 30 . Through this audio-visual communication, the user using the terminal device 20 can experience a virtual passenger (hereinafter referred to as "VP") riding in the vehicle M virtually.

The video and map image received by the terminal device 20 are displayed on the touch panel display 23 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3, an out-camera image, which is an image of the outside of the vehicle M, is displayed in the first display area A1. A map image showing the current position PL of the vehicle M and the moving route R of the vehicle M is displayed in the second display area A2.

An image is displayed on the first display area A1 in a manner larger than that on the second display area A2. In other words, in this embodiment, the out-camera image of the vehicle M is displayed in a manner larger than the map image.

Next, configurations of each of the in-vehicle device 10, the server 30 and the terminal device 20 that constitute the communication system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG. The control unit 17 is a processing device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The storage unit 18 is a storage device that stores and manages data required for processing by the control unit 17 . The storage unit 18 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk, flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like. The storage unit 18 stores map data.

The communication unit 19 is a communication device that transmits and receives data to and from an external device according to instructions from the control unit 17 . The communication unit 19 includes, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to the network NW. The communication unit 19 functions as a transmission unit that transmits, for example, audio acquired in the vehicle M, an image inside the vehicle M, an image outside the vehicle M, and the current position information of the vehicle M to the server 30 .

Here, the route generator 171, which is a functional block of the controller 17, will be described. Based on the map data stored in the storage unit 18, the current position of the vehicle M specified via the GPS receiver 13, and the destination input via the touch panel display 15, the route generation unit 171 A moving route from the current position to the destination is generated.

The control unit 17 sequentially transmits the travel route generated by the route generation unit 171 to the server 30 via the communication unit 19 .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 30. As shown in FIG. The control unit 31 is a processing device including a CPU and a RAM.

The communication unit 32 is a communication device that transmits and receives data to and from an external device according to instructions from the control unit 31 . The communication unit 32 includes, for example, a NIC for connecting to the network NW.

The communication unit 32 functions as a reception unit that receives, for example, images of the exterior and interior of the vehicle M, audio acquired inside the vehicle M, and information on the current position of the vehicle M from the in-vehicle device 10 . In addition, the communication unit 32 functions as a transmission unit that transmits images of the exterior and interior of the vehicle M and audio acquired inside the vehicle M to the terminal device 20, for example.

The storage unit 33 is a storage device that stores and manages data necessary for processing of the control unit 31 . The storage unit 33 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk, flash memory, SSD, or the like.

The storage unit 33 stores a specific area in which one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video is set in advance as the type of transmission video, and the type of video corresponding to the specific area (in-camera video or out-camera video). ) are stored in association with each other (hereinafter referred to as a specific area DB 331).

For example, when the vehicle M enters a specific area in which the type of image to be transmitted is set to the in-camera image, the type of image transmitted to the terminal device 20 before entering the specific area is the out-camera image. In this case, the type of video to be transmitted is switched from the out-camera video to the in-camera video. On the other hand, if the in-camera image has been transmitted to the terminal device 20 before entering the specific area, the in-camera image continues to be transmitted. After that, as long as the vehicle M continues to be located in the specific area, the type of video to be transmitted is fixed to the in-camera video, and switching to the out-camera video is disabled.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the specific area DB 331. As shown in FIG. The specific area DB 331 stores target points characterizing the specific areas, specific areas indicated by distances from the target points, and types of transmission video set for the specific areas in association with each other.

In the specific area DB 331, areas around individual homes such as "Mr. A" and "Mr. S" are set as specific areas for "in-camera video". For example, when the vehicle M enters within a range of 200 m from Mr. A's home, the image transmission unit 37 of the server 30 fixes the image to be transmitted to the in-camera image. That is, when the vehicle M has been transmitting the in-camera image before entering the range within 200 m from Mr. A's home, the image transmission unit 37 continues to transmit the in-camera image, and responds to the request from the terminal device 20. It is not possible to switch the video according to the On the other hand, if the out-camera image was transmitted before the vehicle M entered the range within 200 m from Mr. A's home, the image transmission unit 37 switches the image to be transmitted from the out-camera image to the in-camera image. As long as the vehicle M stays within a range of 200 m from Mr. A's home, the in-camera video is continuously transmitted to the terminal device 20 . As a result, only the in-camera video is transmitted to the terminal device 20 when the vehicle M is located near Mr. A's home. It is possible to prevent the specific location of Mr.'s home from being known. Therefore, Mr. A's privacy can be protected.

Further, in the specific area DB 331, areas around famous tourist spots such as "K Tower" and "G Temple" are set as specific areas for "out-camera video". For example, when the vehicle M enters within a range of 500 m from the K tower, the image transmission unit 37 of the server 30 fixes the image to be transmitted to the out-camera image. That is, when the vehicle M has been transmitting the out-camera image before entering the range within 500 m from the K tower, the image transmission unit 37 continues to transmit the out-camera image and responds to the request from the terminal device 20. Video switching is not allowed. On the other hand, when the in-camera image was transmitted before the vehicle M entered the range within 500 m from the K tower, the image transmission unit 37 switches the image to be transmitted from the in-camera image to the out-camera image, and thereafter the vehicle M continues to transmit the out-camera image to the terminal device 20 as long as remains within a range of 500 m from the K Tower. As a result, when the vehicle M is positioned around the K Tower, an image of the K Tower is transmitted to the terminal device 20 and displayed on the touch panel display 23 . Therefore, the caller of the other party performing the audio-visual communication using the terminal device 20 can enjoy the audio-visual communication without missing the tourist spot.

Next, functional blocks of the control unit 31 will be described. Each functional block is formed by the control unit 31 reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 33, for example.

The image information acquisition unit 34 is a functional block that acquires image information sequentially transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 32 . Specifically, the image information acquiring unit 34 acquires the in-vehicle image (in-camera image) and the outside image (out-camera image) of the vehicle M transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 as image information.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 35 is a functional block that sequentially acquires the current position information that is sequentially transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10, that is, the current position information of the vehicle M.

The map image generation unit 36 draws the current position and movement route of the vehicle M based on the current position information and the movement route information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 35 and the map data stored in the storage unit 33 . Generate a map image with The map image generation unit 36 transmits image data representing the generated map image to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 32 .

The video transmission unit 37 transmits (transfers) one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video acquired by the video information acquisition unit 34 to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 32 .

When the vehicle M is traveling outside the specific area, the video transmission unit 37 changes the video to be transmitted from the in-camera video to the out-camera video in response to a switching request from the in-vehicle device 10 or the terminal device 20, or It has a function to switch from the out-camera image to the in-camera image. For example, the video transmission unit 37 receives a switching request from the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 32 in response to the operation of a switching button displayed on the touch panel display of the terminal device 20, and based on the received switching request Switch images.

On the other hand, when the vehicle M is traveling in a specific area, the video transmission unit 37 restricts this switching function and disables video switching in response to a switching request from the outside. That is, when the video transmission unit 37 determines that the vehicle M is located in the specific area based on the current position information of the vehicle M acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 35 and the information stored in the specific area DB 331. 2, the type of image to be transmitted to the terminal device 20 is fixed to the image corresponding to the specific area (either the in-camera image or the out-camera image).

Note that the control unit 31 notifies the in-vehicle device 10 of information specifying whether the video being transmitted to the terminal device 20 by the video transmission unit 37 is the in-camera video or the out-camera video. That is, the control unit 31 has a function as a notification control unit that causes the in-vehicle device 10 to notify the type of video being transmitted to the terminal device 20 .

Further, when the video transmission unit 37 switches the type of video to be transmitted based on the current position information of the vehicle M, the control unit 31 notifies the communication unit that the type of video displayed on the terminal device 20 has been switched. 32 to the in-vehicle device 10 . As described above, the touch panel display 15 of the in-vehicle device 10 displays information as to whether the image currently being displayed on the terminal device 20 is the in-camera image or the out-camera image. Based on this, the display of the information is also updated.

Further, when switching between the in-camera video and the out-camera video, the video transmission unit 37 performs control to change the display mode of the map image displayed on the touch panel display 23 of the terminal device 20 accordingly. For example, in this embodiment, the video transmission unit 37 transmits a signal requesting change of the display mode of the map image to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 32 when the vehicle M enters the specific area. For example, when the vehicle M has entered a range within a predetermined distance from the driver's home, the image transmission unit 37 transmits a signal requesting that the scale of the map image is changed to display a wide area through the communication unit 32. Send to the terminal device 20 .

FIG. 7 shows an example of an image and a map image displayed on the touch panel display 23 of the terminal device 20 when the vehicle M enters a specific area and the image is switched from the out-camera image to the in-camera image. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing;

An in-camera image, which is an image of the interior of the vehicle M, is displayed in the first display area A1. In addition, a map image showing the surroundings of the current position of the vehicle M is displayed in a wide area display in the second display area A2.

As shown in FIG. 7, in response to switching of the display from the out-camera image to the in-camera image in the first display area A1, the second display area A2 displays more images than the out-camera image shown in FIG. A map of the surrounding area is displayed at a small scale. For example, only large roads such as trunk roads are displayed, and other small roads are omitted. Also, the icon image representing the position of the vehicle M is displayed larger than when the out-camera image shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. As a result, the operator of the terminal device 20, which is the other party of the audio/video communication, cannot read the detailed current position of the vehicle M from the map image. It will be possible to protect

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. The control unit 24 is a processing device including a CPU and a RAM.

The communication unit 25 is a communication device that transmits and receives data to and from an external device according to instructions from the control unit 24 . The communication unit 25 includes, for example, a NIC for connecting to the network NW.

The communication unit 25 functions as a receiving unit that receives from the server 30 an out-camera image that is an image of the outside of the vehicle M and an in-camera image that is an image of the inside of the vehicle M, for example. The communication unit 25 also functions as a transmission unit that transmits information corresponding to an operation input using the touch panel display 23 to the server 30 .

Next, an example of specific operations of each of the in-vehicle device 10, the terminal device 20, and the server 30 in this embodiment will be described using flowcharts.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an audio/video transmission processing routine REX1 executed by the control unit 17 of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in FIG.

The control unit 17 determines whether or not an audio/video communication connection has been established between the in-vehicle device 10 and the terminal device 20 and audio/video communication has started (STEP 101). When the control unit 17 determines that the audio/video communication has not started (STEP101: NO), it ends the audio/video transmission processing routine REX1.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the audio-visual communication has started (STEP 101: YES), the control unit 17 detects the image of the exterior of the vehicle M captured by the exterior camera 11 and the image of the interior of the vehicle M captured by the in-vehicle camera 12. , and voice input via the microphone 14 are sequentially transmitted to the server 30 (STEP 102).

The control unit 17 determines whether or not the audio/video communication has ended (STEP 103). If it is determined that the audio/video communication has not ended (STEP 103: NO), the control unit 17 returns to STEP 102 and repeats transmission of video and audio. On the other hand, if it is determined that the audio/video communication has ended (STEP103: YES), the control section 17 stops transmitting the video and audio (STEP104), and ends the process.

The control unit 17 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 continues to transmit video and audio to the server 30 as long as the audio-visual communication between the vehicle-mounted device 10 and the terminal device 20 continues according to the audio/video transmission processing routine REX1.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an audio/video transmission processing routine REX2 executed by the control unit 31 of the server 30. As shown in FIG.

The control unit 31 determines whether or not the audio/video communication connection between the in-vehicle device 10 and the terminal device 20 has been established and the audio/video communication has started (STEP 201). When the control unit 31 determines that the audio/video communication has not started (STEP201: NO), it ends the audio/video transmission processing routine REX2.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the audio/video communication has started (STEP201: YES), the video information acquisition unit 34 of the control unit 31 starts sequentially receiving the video and audio transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 (STEP202).

The video transmission unit 37 transfers the video and audio received in STEP 202 to the terminal device 20 (STEP 203).

The control unit 31 determines whether the vehicle M has reached the specific area based on the current position information of the vehicle M acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 35 and the map information stored in the storage unit 33. (STEP 204).

If it is determined that the vehicle M has not reached the specific area (STEP 204 : NO), the process returns to STEP 202 to continue sequentially receiving the video and audio transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 and transferring them to the terminal device 20 .

On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle M has reached the specific area (STEP204: YES), the control section 31 determines whether or not it is necessary to switch the video transmitted by the video transmission section 37 (STEP205).

For example, when an out-camera image is being transmitted to the terminal device 20 and the vehicle M enters a specific area corresponding to transmission of an "in-camera image", it is determined that switching of the image is necessary. Similarly, when the vehicle M enters a specific area corresponding to the transmission of the "out-camera image" while the in-camera image is being transmitted to the terminal device 20, it is determined that it is necessary to switch the image. . On the other hand, if you enter a specific area that supports transmission of "in-camera video" while in-camera video is being transmitted, or if you are transmitting "out-camera video" while transmitting out-camera video, When entering the specific area, it is determined that there is no need to switch the video.

If it is determined that it is necessary to switch the video (STEP 205: YES), the video transmission unit 37 switches the video to be transmitted to the terminal device 20 (STEP 206). For example, when an in-camera image is being transmitted to the terminal device 20, the image to be transmitted is switched to an out-camera image. Further, when the out-camera image is being transmitted to the terminal device 20, the image to be transmitted is switched to the in-camera image.

On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no need to switch the video (STEP 205: NO), the process proceeds to STEP 207 without switching the video.

The video transmission unit 37 fixes the type of video (in-camera video or out-camera video) to be transmitted to the terminal device 20 (STEP 207). That is, the video transmission unit 37 continuously transmits the same type of video to the terminal device 20 until the vehicle M leaves the specific area, and disables video switching.

For example, as long as the vehicle M is located within 200 m from Mr. A's home, the video transmitted by the video transmission unit 37 is fixed to the in-camera video. Therefore, even if the terminal device 20 issues a video switching request, switching to the out-camera video in response to the switching request is disabled.

The control unit 31 determines whether or not the audio/video communication has ended (STEP 208). If it is determined that the audio/video communication has not ended (STEP208: NO), the control unit 31 returns to STEP202 and continues receiving and transferring video and audio.

On the other hand, when determining that the audio/video communication has ended (STEP208: YES), the control unit 31 stops receiving and transferring video and audio (STEP209), and ends the process.

As described above, in the communication system 100 of the present embodiment, when the vehicle M enters a specific area, one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video predetermined for the specific area is transmitted to the terminal device 20. . In particular, if a type of video different from the type of video defined for the specific area is transmitted before entering the specific area, the video is switched according to the entry into the specific area. As a result, it is possible to switch between transmission of the video outside the vehicle and transmission of the video inside the vehicle at an appropriate timing depending on the situation.

Further, in the communication system 100 of this embodiment, while the vehicle M is located in a specific area, only the video corresponding to the specific area is transmitted, and switching to a different type of video is prohibited. According to such a configuration, for example, in the vicinity of the driver's home, only the in-camera image is transmitted, and switching to the out-camera image is prohibited, thereby avoiding the risk of the address being identified from the image and protecting the privacy. It is possible to plan

Further, in the communication system 100 of the present embodiment, in response to switching from the out-camera image to the in-camera image, a map of the surrounding area is displayed in a smaller scale than when the out-camera image is displayed. Also, the icon image representing the position of the vehicle M is displayed larger than when the out-camera image is displayed. As a result, it is possible to avoid the risk that the address is specified from the map image and to protect the privacy.

Further, in the communication system 100 of the present embodiment, while the vehicle M is located in a specific area, it may be controlled to display a specific still image (not transmit the video of the in-camera/out-camera). As a result, it is possible to avoid the risk that the address is specified from the video and to protect the privacy.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 transmits both the in-camera video and the out-camera video to the server 30, and the server 30 transfers either one to the terminal device 20 as an example. However, a configuration may be adopted in which only one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video is transmitted to the server 30 when the in-vehicle device 10 transmits the video to the server 30 . In this case, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 determines whether or not the vehicle M is located in a specific area based on its own position information, and only one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video corresponding to the specific area is sent to the server. 30. Also in this configuration, it is possible to switch between transmission of the video outside the vehicle and transmission of the video inside the vehicle at an appropriate timing according to the situation, as in the above-described embodiment, so that privacy and the like can be protected.

100 Communication system 10 In-vehicle device 11 Vehicle exterior camera 12 Vehicle interior camera 13 GPS receiver 14 Microphone 15 Touch panel display 16 Speaker 17 Control unit 171 Route generation unit 18 Storage unit 19 Communication unit 20 Terminal device 21 Microphone 22 Speaker 23 Touch panel display 24 Control Unit 25 Communication unit 30 Server 31 Control unit 32 Communication unit 33 Storage unit 331 Specific area DB
34 video information acquisition unit 35 vehicle information acquisition unit 36 map image generation unit 37 video transmission unit

Claims (8)

A communication system for performing audiovisual communication in which audio and video in the vehicle acquired by a first device moving with the vehicle are sequentially transmitted to a second device,
a video transmission unit that transmits either one of an in-camera video that is a video of the inside of the vehicle taken in the vehicle and an out-camera video that is a video of the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle to the second device;
a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the vehicle;
has
The communication system, wherein the image transmission unit transmits one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined by the position information to the second device. The video transmission unit determines whether the vehicle is located in a specific area based on the position information,
characterized in that, when it is determined that the vehicle is located in the specific area, one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined for the specific area is transmitted to the second device. The communication system according to claim 1. The image transmission unit transmits to the second device a type of image different from a type of image defined for the specific area before the vehicle enters the specific area, the vehicle 3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the type of video to be transmitted to said second device is switched according to entry into said specific area. a storage unit that associates and stores a plurality of specific areas and video types corresponding to each of the plurality of specific areas;
The image transmission unit transmits either one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image to the second device based on the position information and the information stored in the storage unit. Item 4. The communication system according to item 3. An information processing device that performs audio-visual communication for receiving video captured in a vehicle and audio from a passenger in the vehicle from a first device that moves with the vehicle and sequentially transmitting the video to a second device,
a video transmission unit that transmits either one of an in-camera video that is a video of the inside of the vehicle taken in the vehicle and an out-camera video that is a video of the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle to the second device;
a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of the vehicle;
has
The information processing device, wherein the video transmission unit transmits one of the in-camera video and the out-camera video determined by the position information to the second device. An information processing method executed in an information processing apparatus that performs audiovisual communication in which images captured in a vehicle and voices from passengers in the vehicle are received from a first apparatus moving with the vehicle and sequentially transmitted to a second apparatus. and
an image acquisition step of acquiring an in-camera image that is an image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle and an out-camera image that is an image of the exterior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle;
a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information of the vehicle;
a transmission step of transmitting one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined by the position information to the second device;
An information processing method characterized by having An information processing device that performs audio-visual communication for receiving video captured in a vehicle and audio from a passenger in the vehicle from a first device that moves with the vehicle and sequentially transmitting the video to a second device,
an image acquisition step of acquiring an in-camera image that is an image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle and an out-camera image that is an image of the exterior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle;
a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information of the vehicle;
a transmission step of transmitting one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined by the position information to the second device;
program to run the An information processing device that performs audio-visual communication for receiving video captured in a vehicle and audio from a passenger in the vehicle from a first device that moves with the vehicle and sequentially transmitting the video to a second device,
an image acquisition step of acquiring an in-camera image that is an image of the interior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle and an out-camera image that is an image of the exterior of the vehicle captured by the vehicle;
a location information acquisition step of acquiring location information of the vehicle;
a transmission step of transmitting one of the in-camera image and the out-camera image determined by the position information to the second device;
A recording medium that records a program for executing

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