JP7463120B2 - Information processing device, distribution system, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, a distribution system, and an information processing method.

Conventionally, there are in-vehicle devices that transmit images captured by a vehicle traveling through a congested section to other vehicles. Such in-vehicle devices identify congested sections based on traffic information received from an external source, such as a traffic information center (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2014-228434 A

However, conventional technology does not take into account cases where a short traffic jam occurs that is not observed by the traffic information center, such as when waiting at a traffic light, and there are cases where the camera image of the location desired by the driver cannot be provided.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, a distribution system, and an information processing method that can appropriately provide camera images of other locations desired by the driver.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the information processing device according to the embodiment includes an extraction unit, a first instruction unit, a selection unit, and a second instruction unit. The extraction unit extracts low-speed vehicles present on a planned driving route of a receiving vehicle that receives camera images as candidate vehicles to which the camera images are to be distributed. The first instruction unit instructs a pre-connection of the distribution of camera images from the candidate vehicles extracted by the extraction unit to the receiving vehicle. The selection unit selects a distribution vehicle that will display the camera images distributed from the candidate vehicles. The second instruction unit causes the receiving vehicle to display the camera images distributed from the distribution vehicle selected by the selection unit when a display condition is met in the receiving vehicle.

The present invention makes it possible to appropriately provide camera images of other locations that the driver desires.

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an overview of a distribution system. FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an overview of a distribution system. FIG. 1C is a diagram showing an overview of a distribution system. FIG. 1D is a diagram showing an overview of a distribution system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the management server. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the vehicle information database. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the extraction range. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a group of low-speed vehicles. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a selection process performed by the selection unit. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display image. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the management server. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of application to a leading car.

Below, a control device and a control method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

First, an overview of a distribution system and an information processing method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1A to 1D. Figs. 1A to 1D are diagrams showing an overview of a distribution system. The information processing method according to an embodiment is executed by transmitting and receiving data between a management server 100 shown in Fig. 1A and multiple in-vehicle devices 1. The following description will be given by taking as an example a case where the information processing device is the management server 100.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the distribution system S according to the embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 1 mounted in each vehicle, and a management server 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1A, the in-vehicle device 1 is a drive recorder equipped with a communication function. The in-vehicle device 1 transmits vehicle information to the management server 100 at a predetermined interval. For example, the vehicle information includes vehicle position information, information on the driving state, etc.

The management server 100 is a server device that manages the vehicle information transmitted from each in-vehicle device 1 in a vehicle information database. In the distribution system S according to the embodiment, camera images are distributed and received between the in-vehicle devices 1 based on instructions from the management server 100.

Note that, below, the in-vehicle device 1 that receives camera images and the vehicle equipped with such in-vehicle device 1 may be referred to as a "receiving vehicle," and the in-vehicle device 1 that distributes camera images to be actually displayed in the receiving vehicle and the vehicle equipped with such in-vehicle device 1 may be referred to as a "distributing vehicle." Each vehicle can be both a distributing vehicle and a receiving vehicle. There may also be multiple distributing vehicles for one receiving vehicle, and multiple receiving vehicles for one distributing vehicle.

Here, an example of a situation in which the driver of a receiving vehicle would like to check the current situation at another location is when the receiving vehicle is entering a traffic jam and wants to check the cause of the jam, i.e., the situation at the front of the jam.

Conventional distribution systems identified congestion based on traffic information distributed by traffic information centers, so if a congestion occurred that was too short to be observed by the traffic information center, it was not possible to identify the congestion.

Therefore, in the distribution system S according to the embodiment, short traffic jams like the above are detected based on the vehicle information database, and further, a candidate vehicle located at the head of the traffic jam that is capable of photographing the situation at the head of the traffic jam is selected as the distribution vehicle.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1B, first, the management server 100 extracts candidate vehicles that are candidates for the delivery vehicle based on the vehicle information database (step S1). Here, the management server 100 extracts low-speed vehicles that are present on the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle as candidate vehicles.

Here, low-speed vehicles include, for example, vehicles traveling slower than the legal speed limit, vehicles that are decelerating, and vehicles that are stopped. In other words, low-speed vehicles include not only low-speed vehicles traveling in a congested section, but also vehicles waiting at traffic lights and vehicles that are temporarily stopped.

The management server 100 can also determine the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle from, for example, the route set by the navigation device of the receiving vehicle, and can also estimate it based on the current driving direction of the receiving vehicle. Note that the example shown in FIG. 1B shows a case where vehicle C3 is the receiving vehicle, and vehicles C1 and C2 are candidate vehicles.

Then, the management server 100 notifies the receiving vehicle of the information about the candidate vehicle extracted in step S1, and instructs the receiving vehicle to pre-connect with the candidate vehicle (step S2). When the receiving vehicle receives the pre-connect instruction, it starts pre-connecting with the candidate vehicle (step S3).

During pre-connection, the candidate vehicles may distribute camera images to the receiving vehicle, or may simply wait with communication established. Also, among the candidate vehicles, only the distribution vehicle (described below) may distribute camera images to the receiving vehicle.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, the management server 100 selects a delivery vehicle from among the candidate vehicles (step S4). For example, the candidate vehicle located at the head of the traffic jam closest to the receiving vehicle is selected as the delivery vehicle. Note that although a traffic jam is a collection of multiple vehicles, it may also be made up of a single vehicle.

That is, in the process of step S4, the management server 100 selects as the delivery vehicle a candidate vehicle located at the head of the traffic jam where the receiving vehicle will merge earliest. For example, in the process of step S4, the management server 100 can select a delivery vehicle based on the vehicle-to-vehicle distance between each vehicle traveling on the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1D.

Specifically, the management server 100 calculates the distance between each vehicle from the position information of each vehicle based on the vehicle information database. At this time, for example, a vehicle traveling in a congested section is assumed to be a slow vehicle, and a vehicle that has left the congestion is assumed to be traveling at a faster speed than a slow vehicle.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 1D, the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the candidate vehicle at the front of the traffic jam and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the candidate vehicle is greater than the inter-vehicle distance d2 between the candidate vehicle and another following vehicle located behind the candidate vehicle. Therefore, the management server 100 determines that the candidate vehicle with a large inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is at the front of the traffic jam, and selects it as the distribution vehicle C1.

As shown in FIG. 1C, when a predetermined display condition is met in the receiving vehicle, the management server 100 notifies the receiving vehicle of a display instruction to display the camera image distributed from the distribution vehicle selected in step S4 in the receiving vehicle (step S5). Note that the example in FIG. 1C shows a case where vehicle C1 is selected as the distribution vehicle from vehicle C1 and vehicle C2, which are candidate vehicles.

The display conditions here include, for example, when the receiving vehicle joins a traffic jam, or when the vehicle stops before the traffic jam (for example, before a detour) after a pre-connection. Therefore, in this case, a camera image showing the current situation at the front of the traffic jam when the receiving vehicle joins the traffic jam or before it joins the traffic jam will be displayed on the receiving vehicle.

In this way, the distribution system S according to the embodiment predicts whether the display conditions will be met and connects the receiving vehicle and the distribution vehicle in advance. Then, in the distribution system S according to the embodiment, when the display conditions are met, the camera image of the distribution vehicle is displayed on the receiving vehicle.

Therefore, according to the embodiment of the distribution system S, it is possible to appropriately provide the camera images of other locations desired by the driver.

In addition, in the distribution system S according to the embodiment, by selecting a candidate vehicle located at the head of a traffic jam based on the vehicle-to-vehicle distance as the distribution vehicle, it becomes possible to appropriately detect a candidate vehicle located at the head of an extremely short traffic jam, such as a temporary stop or waiting at a traffic light, and it becomes possible to display a camera image of the candidate vehicle located at the head of the traffic jam on the receiving vehicle.

Next, an example of the configuration of the management server 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the management server 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 100 includes a communication unit 2, a storage unit 3, and a control unit 4.

The communication unit 2 is realized, for example, by a NIC. The communication unit 2 is wirelessly connected to a specific network and transmits and receives information to and from other in-vehicle devices 1 via the network.

The storage unit 3 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk, and in the example of FIG. 2, includes a vehicle information database 31.

The vehicle information database 31 is a database that stores vehicle information transmitted from each in-vehicle device 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle information database 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle information database 31 stores "vehicle ID," "IP address," "current location," "traveling speed," "planned travel route," and the like, in association with each other.

"Vehicle ID" is an identifier that identifies each vehicle, and "current location" is the current location of the corresponding vehicle. Furthermore, "driving speed" is the current driving speed of the corresponding vehicle, and "planned driving route" indicates the planned driving route of the corresponding vehicle. As mentioned above, the planned driving route is the route set by the navigation device of each vehicle, but if no route is set by the navigation device, it will be blank.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the control unit 4 will now be described. The control unit 4 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), input/output ports, and various other circuits.

The computer's CPU functions as the acquisition unit 41, setting unit 42, extraction unit 43, first instruction unit 44, selection unit 45, and second instruction unit 46 of the control unit 4, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

In addition, at least some or all of the acquisition unit 41, setting unit 42, extraction unit 43, first instruction unit 44, selection unit 45, and second instruction unit 46 of the control unit 4 can be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The acquisition unit 41 acquires vehicle information from each in-vehicle device 1 and updates the vehicle information database 31 based on the acquired vehicle information. The acquisition unit 41 may also acquire camera images from each in-vehicle device 1 and store them in the storage unit 3. For example, the camera images stored in the storage unit 3 are provided to the receiving vehicle when there is no corresponding distribution vehicle.

The setting unit 42 sets an extraction range for candidate vehicles to be extracted by the extraction unit 43 based on the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle. When the planned traveling route of the receiving vehicle has been determined, the setting unit 42 sets the extraction range on the planned traveling route based on the receiving vehicle.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an extraction range. The example shown in Figure 4 shows, for example, a case where the extraction range R is a semicircular range that exists in the traveling direction of the receiving vehicle Cr. The setting unit 42 refers to the vehicle information database 31 and sets the extraction range R based on the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle Cr. Specifically, the setting unit 42 makes the extraction range R1 larger when the receiving vehicle Cr is traveling at a fast speed than the extraction range R2 when the traveling speed is slow.

In other words, the setting unit 42 expands the extraction range R when the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle is fast, and reduces the extraction range R when the traveling speed is slow. In this case, the setting unit 42 multiplies the extraction range R by a coefficient proportional to the traveling speed, thereby setting the extraction range R according to the traveling speed.

Therefore, in this case, the range in which the receiving vehicle can travel within a specified time is set as the extraction range R. Note that the travel speed used to set the extraction range R may be an instantaneous value, but it is better to use a normalized value.

In this way, the setting unit 42 can set the extraction range R to an appropriate range by setting it based on the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle. Furthermore, if the planned traveling route of the receiving vehicle has been determined, the extraction range R can be appropriately limited by setting the extraction range R to only the planned traveling route. Note that, although the extraction range R has been described here as being a semicircular range, it is not limited to this and may be any shape.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the extraction unit 43 will be described. The extraction unit 43 extracts low-speed vehicles that are present on the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle that receives the camera images as candidate vehicles to which the camera images are to be distributed.

Specifically, the extraction unit 43 refers to the vehicle information database 31 and extracts low-speed vehicles traveling in the direction of travel of the receiving vehicle within the extraction range R set by the setting unit 42. At this time, if the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle has been determined, the extraction unit 43 extracts low-speed vehicles that exist within the extraction range set for the planned driving route. In addition, if the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle has not been determined, the extraction unit 43 extracts low-speed vehicles that exist within the extraction range R shown in FIG. 4. The extraction unit 43 then extracts the extracted low-speed vehicles as candidate vehicles.

The extraction unit 43 further extracts a low-speed vehicle group including the above-mentioned candidate vehicle and including a plurality of consecutive low-speed vehicles. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a low-speed vehicle group. As shown in FIG. 5, the extraction unit 43 extracts low-speed vehicles Cs located in the traveling direction of the receiving vehicle Cr.

Then, when the distance between the extracted low-speed vehicles Cs is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the extraction unit 43 extracts the low-speed vehicles Cs as a low-speed vehicle group G. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the low-speed vehicle Cs located at the front of the low-speed vehicle group G can be a vehicle capable of photographing the occurrence point f of the traffic jam. Note that the occurrence point f can be, for example, the site of an accident, a red light, or a stop sign.

The range indicated by the low-speed vehicle group G extracted by the extraction unit 43 is the congestion section. That is, the extraction unit 43 is able to detect the congestion section by extracting the low-speed vehicle group G. Note that the extraction unit 43 may extract only low-speed vehicle groups G that are equal to or larger than a predetermined size (e.g., 5 or more vehicles).

The extraction unit 43 may extract all low-speed vehicle groups G that exist within the extraction range R, or may extract only the low-speed vehicle groups G that exist closest to the receiving vehicle. In other words, the extraction unit 43 may start extracting the low-speed vehicle groups G in order from those closest to the receiving vehicle, and end the extraction process for the low-speed vehicle groups G when the low-speed vehicle groups G have been extracted.

In addition, the extraction unit 43 does not have to extract all low-speed vehicles as candidate vehicles. For example, in the case of an in-vehicle device 1 of a user with a malfunction of the camera or a user who does not want to broadcast, the extraction unit 43 will not extract even low-speed vehicles as candidate vehicles.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the first instruction unit 44 will be described. The first instruction unit 44 instructs a pre-connection of the delivery of camera images from the candidate vehicle extracted by the extraction unit 43 to the receiving vehicle. For example, the first instruction unit 44 extracts information (e.g., IP address) related to the candidate vehicle extracted by the extraction unit 43 from the vehicle information database 31.

Then, the first instruction unit 44 transmits a pre-connection instruction to the receiving vehicle together with the extracted information. Based on the pre-connection instruction, the receiving vehicle starts a pre-connection with the candidate vehicle.

The first instruction unit 44 may instruct a pre-connection each time the extraction unit 43 extracts a candidate vehicle, or may instruct a pre-connection when, for example, a predetermined trigger based on the receiving vehicle is detected.

For example, the first instruction unit 44 may instruct a pre-connection when the distance from the receiving vehicle to the low-speed vehicle group G (see FIG. 5) becomes less than a threshold value (e.g., 1 km). In other words, the first instruction unit 44 may instruct a pre-connection when the distance from the receiving vehicle to the nearest traffic jam becomes less than a predetermined distance.

This allows the receiving vehicle to make a pre-connection with the low-speed vehicle group G before it merges into the traffic jam, and then when the display conditions are met, the receiving vehicle can quickly display the camera image of the distributing vehicle.

The threshold value may be changed depending on, for example, the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle and whether or not there is a detour on the planned travel route. For example, the faster the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle, the longer the threshold value may be, and if there is a detour, the threshold value may be set to a point just before the branch point to the detour.

The selection unit 45 selects a delivery vehicle from among the candidate vehicles extracted by the extraction unit 43, which will have the delivered camera images actually displayed on the receiving vehicle. In this embodiment, the candidate vehicle located at the head of a group of vehicles traveling slowly in a traffic jam is selected as the delivery vehicle. Specifically, the extraction unit 43 determines whether the candidate vehicle is located at the head of the traffic jam based on the inter-vehicle distance between the candidate vehicle and the vehicle ahead of the candidate vehicle, and selects the delivery vehicle.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the selection process by the selection unit 45. The vehicle distance on the vertical axis in Figure 6 indicates the vehicle distance between the candidate vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and the number from the receiving vehicle on the horizontal axis indicates the position of the candidate vehicle from the receiving vehicle.

The selection unit 45 selects the candidate vehicle whose inter-vehicle distance is greater than the threshold Thd and is closest to the receiving vehicle as the distribution vehicle. The example shown in Figure 6 shows a case where the inter-vehicle distances of the candidate vehicles "1" and "6" exceed the threshold.

Of the candidate vehicles "1" and "6," candidate vehicle "1" is closer to the receiving vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the selection unit 45 determines that candidate vehicle "1" is located at the front of the traffic jam and selects it as the distribution vehicle.

In other words, the selection unit 45 selects, as a distribution vehicle, a candidate vehicle that can capture an image of the occurrence point f (see FIG. 5) that the receiving vehicle is scheduled to pass first. Therefore, it is possible to display, on the receiving vehicle, a camera image of the occurrence point f that the receiving vehicle will pass next.

Note that, although the case where a leading vehicle is selected based on the distance from the preceding vehicle has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the selection unit 45 may select a candidate vehicle located at the front of the traffic jam based on the difference in driving speed from the preceding vehicle.

The above process may also be performed for each low-speed vehicle group G extracted by the extraction unit 43. Specifically, if there are multiple low-speed vehicle groups G extracted by the extraction unit 43, the selection unit 45 selects a distribution vehicle from the low-speed vehicle group G that is closest to the receiving vehicle.

The selection unit 45 calculates the distance between each of the low-speed vehicle groups G extracted by the extraction unit 43 and the receiving vehicle. The distance is the distance between the receiving vehicle and the last vehicle in each low-speed vehicle group G. In this case, it is preferable to calculate the distance as a path along the travel route. Here, the low-speed vehicle group G with the shortest calculated distance is set as the selection target vehicle group. The selection unit 45 performs the above process on the selection target vehicle group, and selects the candidate vehicle located at the head of the selection target vehicle group, i.e., the low-speed vehicle group G closest to the receiving vehicle, as the distribution vehicle.

In addition, at this time, there is a possibility that the leading vehicle of the low-speed vehicle group G is not a candidate vehicle. In this case, the process may be terminated since it is not possible to select a distribution vehicle, or a candidate vehicle located behind the leading vehicle may be selected as the distribution vehicle in the hope of getting out of the congestion, as described below.

In addition, as vehicles leave the congestion, the candidate vehicle at the head of the congestion changes in real time. Therefore, the selection unit 45 reselects candidate vehicles at a predetermined cycle and updates the delivery vehicle. This makes it possible to always select the candidate vehicle at the head of the latest congestion as the delivery vehicle. Note that, for example, communication between the receiving vehicle and the delivery vehicle may be terminated at the point in time when a new delivery vehicle is selected by the selection unit 45.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 2, the second instruction unit 46 will be described. When the display condition is met in the receiving vehicle, the second instruction unit 46 causes the camera video distributed from the distribution vehicle selected by the selection unit 45 to be displayed in the receiving vehicle.

The display conditions here include when the receiving vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, etc., when the receiving vehicle is stopped (or traveling at a low speed) behind the distributing vehicle, when the distance from the receiving vehicle to the distributing vehicle is less than a predetermined value, when an occupant performs a predetermined operation (display operation for camera images) on the in-vehicle device 1 of the receiving vehicle, etc.

The second indicator 46 refers to the vehicle information database 31, monitors the location and driving status of the receiving vehicle, and receives an operation signal sent from the receiving vehicle to determine whether the display conditions are met.

Then, when the second instruction unit 46 determines that the display condition is met, it notifies the receiving vehicle of a display instruction to display the camera image of the distributing vehicle. As a result, the camera image taken by the distributing vehicle is displayed in real time in the receiving vehicle.

As mentioned above, the distribution vehicle changes from time to time. Therefore, after the display condition is met, the second instruction unit 46 notifies the receiving vehicle of the latest distribution vehicle information at any time. This allows the receiving vehicle to receive and display camera images capturing the latest situation at the occurrence point f, even after the display condition is met.

In this case, it is therefore possible for the occupants of the receiving vehicle to properly understand the current situation at the source point f.

The second instruction unit 46 may, for example, transmit the display conditions to the receiving vehicle when the first instruction unit 44 issues an instruction to connect in advance. In this case, the receiving vehicle may determine whether or not the display conditions are satisfied.

In this case, the in-vehicle device 1 needs to know the current location of each vehicle. Therefore, the management server 100 may transmit information such as the current location of each distribution vehicle and other vehicles around each distribution vehicle to the receiving vehicle at any time, or may notify the receiving vehicle of the IP address of the related vehicle, so that the in-vehicle devices 1 can notify each other of their current locations.

Next, an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device 1. As shown in FIG. 7, a camera 101, an in-vehicle sensor 102, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device 103, and a navigation device 104 are connected to the in-vehicle device 1 according to the embodiment.

Camera 101 is a camera that captures images of the surroundings of vehicle C and generates camera images at a predetermined frame rate. Note that camera 101 may also include a camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle.

The on-board sensors 102 are various sensors that detect the driving conditions of the vehicle C, and include, for example, a speed sensor, a brake sensor, a steering angle sensor, a G sensor, etc.

The GPS device 103 determines the current location of the vehicle based on positioning signals transmitted from GPS satellites (not shown). The navigation device 104 is a device that sets a driving route to a destination of the vehicle C set by the occupant.

As shown in FIG. 7, the in-vehicle device 1 is connected to a display device 50 that displays images such as camera images output by the in-vehicle device 1. The display device 50 includes a display unit 51 and an operation unit 52.

The display unit 51 is, for example, a touch panel display configured with an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) or liquid crystal display, and displays the video signal output from the in-vehicle device 1. The operation unit 52 is configured with the touch panel that configures the display unit 51 and buttons arranged in various locations, and receives predetermined operations from the occupant based on the image displayed on the display unit 51.

The operation unit 52 can also accept various operations such as playing, stopping, and rewinding camera images. In addition, the user can also request the delivery of camera images captured in the past via the operation unit 52.

That is, in the distribution system S according to the embodiment, in addition to real-time distribution of camera images, it is also possible to distribute recorded camera images captured in the past. Note that the operation unit 52 may be provided separately from the display device 50, for example.

As shown in FIG. 7, the in-vehicle device 1 includes a communication unit 5, a storage unit 6, and a control unit 7. The communication unit 5 is realized, for example, by a NIC. The communication unit 5 is wirelessly connected to a predetermined network, and transmits and receives information between other in-vehicle devices 1 and the management server 100 via the network.

The storage unit 6 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk, and in the example of FIG. 7, it stores camera image information 61.

Camera image information 61 is information about the camera image captured by camera 101, and includes the camera image data itself, the date and time of capture, the capture location, etc. Camera image information 61 also includes camera images captured by other vehicles.

Next, the control unit 7 will be described. The control unit 7 includes, for example, a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, input/output ports, and various circuits.

The computer's CPU functions as the transmission unit 71, reception unit 72, playback unit 73, generation unit 74, and display control unit 75 of the control unit 7, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

In addition, at least some or all of the transmission unit 71, reception unit 72, reproduction unit 73, generation unit 74, and display control unit 75 of the control unit 7 can be configured with hardware such as an ASIC or FPGA.

The transmission unit 71 transmits vehicle information related to the vehicle to the management server 100 at a predetermined interval. Specifically, the transmission unit 71 generates vehicle information including information related to the driving state detected by the on-board sensor 102 and location information detected by the GPS device 103, and transmits the vehicle information to the management server 100.

In this case, the transmitting unit 71 does not need to generate vehicle information regarding all driving conditions, and may generate transmission data by selecting data. For example, the transmitting unit 71 may transmit information regarding the driving conditions only when sudden braking or a sudden steering angle is detected. In addition, when the transmitting unit 71 is selected as a distribution vehicle, it transmits a camera image to the receiving vehicle after performing a pre-connection.

The receiving unit 72 receives camera images from the delivery vehicle and the candidate vehicle. Specifically, when the receiving unit 72 receives a pre-connection instruction from the management server 100, it instructs the transmitting unit 71 to make a connection request for communication connection with the candidate vehicle based on the pre-connection instruction.

Then, when the receiving unit 72 starts receiving camera images from the candidate vehicle, it launches a viewer application (corresponding to the playback unit 73 described below) that plays back the camera images. Then, the playback unit 73 starts background playback.

Note that camera images played during background playback are not generally displayed on the display device 50. Therefore, the receiving unit 72 may receive low-capacity images as camera images during background playback.

Note that a low-capacity image is a camera image that includes one of the following, compared to the camera image actually displayed on the display device 50: a camera image with a lower frame rate, a camera image with a lower resolution, or a camera image with a lower bit rate. This makes it possible to receive camera images while reducing the communication load.

The generation unit 74 processes the navigation image notified by the navigation device 104 to generate a display image to be displayed on the display device 50. FIG. 8 shows an example of the display image.

As shown in FIG. 8, the camera image display screen displays the camera image Lc together with a map image Lm indicating the capture position of the camera image Lc. On the map image Lm, a host vehicle icon A1 indicating the position of the host vehicle and a different vehicle icon A2 indicating the capture position of the camera image Lc by the distributing vehicle are superimposed.

The other vehicle icon A2 also displays a "LIVE" speech bubble indicating that the broadcast is being distributed in real time. By displaying the other vehicle icon A2 together with the map image Lm in this way, it becomes possible to easily identify the capture position of the camera image Lc. The icon may also be made to blink to indicate that the broadcast is being distributed in real time.

Returning to the explanation of FIG. 7, the display control unit 75 will be described. When a predetermined display condition is met, the display control unit 75 displays the camera image received from the leading vehicle by the receiving unit 72.

Specifically, the display control unit 75 displays the camera image received from the delivery vehicle when the receiving unit 72 receives a display instruction transmitted from the management server 100. Here, displaying the camera image refers to bringing the screen hierarchy of the camera image being played back in the background by the playback unit 73 to the foreground.

More specifically, by switching the screen hierarchy of the display image generated by the generation unit 74 to the foreground, the camera image delivered from the delivery vehicle is displayed on the display device 50.

In this way, the display control unit 75 only needs to switch the screen hierarchy, so that after the display conditions are met, it is possible to quickly provide the occupant with a camera image taken by the candidate vehicle located at the front of the traffic jam.

Next, the processing procedure executed by the management server 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the management server 100. Note that the processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed for each vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 9, the management server 100 first sets an extraction range R for each vehicle (step S101), and then extracts low-speed vehicles that are present within the extraction range R as candidate vehicles (step S102).

Next, the management server 100 determines whether there is a candidate vehicle within the extraction range R (step S103), and if there is a candidate vehicle (step S103, Yes), it issues a first instruction to the receiving vehicle to instruct it to connect in advance (step S104).

Next, the management server 100 selects a delivery vehicle from the candidate vehicles (step S105) and determines whether the display conditions are met in the receiving vehicle (step S106).

If the management server 100 determines in step S106 that the display condition is met (step S106, Yes), it issues a second instruction to the receiving vehicle to display the image of the distributing vehicle (step S107), and ends the process.

If the management server 100 determines in step S103 that there are no candidate vehicles (step S103, No), the management server 100 ends the process. If the management server 100 determines in step S106 that the display condition is not met (step S106, No), the management server 100 proceeds to the process of step S105.

Next, the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device 1 of the receiving vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device 1. Note that the processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed each time the first instruction is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 10, the in-vehicle device 1 of the receiving vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as the receiving vehicle) determines whether or not the first instruction has been received (step S201), and if the first instruction has been received (step S201, Yes), makes a connection request to the candidate vehicle based on the first instruction (step S202).

Next, the receiving vehicle starts the viewer (playback unit 73) (step S203) and starts background playback of the camera images transmitted from the candidate vehicles (step S204). Next, the receiving vehicle determines whether or not a second instruction has been received (step S205, No), and if a second instruction has been received (step S205, Yes), displays the camera images of the distributing vehicle (step S206) and ends the process.

If the receiving vehicle determines in step S201 that it has not received the first instruction (step S201, No), it ends the process, and if the receiving vehicle determines in step S205 that it has not received the second instruction (step S205, No), it continues the process of step S205.

As described above, the management server 100 (an example of an information processing device) according to the embodiment includes an extraction unit 43, a first instruction unit 44, a selection unit 45, and a second instruction unit 46. The extraction unit 43 extracts low-speed vehicles present on the planned driving route of the receiving vehicle that receives the camera images as candidate vehicles to which the camera images are to be distributed. The first instruction unit 44 instructs a pre-connection for the distribution of camera images from the candidate vehicles extracted by the extraction unit 43 to the receiving vehicle.

The selection unit 45 selects a distribution vehicle that displays the camera images distributed from the candidate vehicles. When the display conditions are met in the receiving vehicle, the second instruction unit 46 displays the camera images distributed from the distribution vehicle selected by the selection unit 45 in the receiving vehicle. Therefore, according to the information processing device of the embodiment, it is possible to appropriately provide the camera images of other locations desired by the driver.

In the above embodiment, the candidate vehicle located at the front of the traffic jam is selected as the distribution vehicle, but this is not limited to this. In other words, by applying the present invention, the vehicle ahead of the receiving vehicle can also be selected as the distribution vehicle.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an application example in which a vehicle ahead is selected as a distribution vehicle. Note that Figure 11 shows a case in which vehicle C1 is the receiving vehicle, and vehicle C2 traveling ahead of the receiving vehicle is, for example, a low-speed vehicle.

In the distribution system S, vehicle C2 is extracted as a candidate vehicle, and a pre-connection between vehicle C1 and vehicle C2 is initiated. Then, when vehicle C2 stops at a traffic light or temporarily stops, and the distance between vehicle C2 and the vehicle ahead of vehicle C2 exceeds a threshold, vehicle C2 is determined to be at the front of the traffic jam and selected as the distribution vehicle. After that, the camera image taken by vehicle C2 is displayed on vehicle C1.

In this way, the distribution system S selects the candidate vehicle closest to the receiving vehicle as the distribution vehicle from among the candidate vehicles whose inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle exceeds a threshold. This makes it possible to display the camera image of a vehicle traveling in front of the receiving vehicle in the event that the vehicle is stopped.

In the above embodiment, the information processing device is the management server 100, but this is not limited to the above. In other words, the functional configuration of the information processing device may be provided in the in-vehicle device 1.

In this case, the in-vehicle device 1 acquires vehicle information from the management server 100, for example, regarding vehicles that are present within a predetermined range based on the vehicle itself, and performs processes such as determining whether a vehicle is a slow-moving vehicle and extracting candidate vehicles based on the acquired vehicle information.

In this case, the management server 100 acquires vehicle information from each vehicle and distributes vehicle information extracted from each vehicle as needed. The functional configurations of the management server 100 and the in-vehicle device 1 may be appropriately distributed depending on the processing load, etc. In other words, some of the functions of the management server 100 may be provided in the in-vehicle device 1, and some of the functions of the in-vehicle device 1 may be provided in the management server 100.

In the above embodiment, the case where camera images are transmitted and received between the in-vehicle devices 1 has been described, but this is not limited to this. In other words, camera images may be transmitted and received via the management server 100.

In the above embodiment, a case where a camera image taken from a vehicle is distributed to another vehicle is described, but this is not limited to this. In other words, a camera image taken by a fixed camera may be distributed.

In this case, for example, camera images from distribution vehicles may be distributed preferentially over fixed cameras, and if there is no corresponding distribution vehicle, camera images from the fixed cameras may be distributed.

Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 In-vehicle device 41 Acquisition unit 42 Setting unit 43 Extraction unit 44 First instruction unit 45 Selection unit 46 Second instruction unit 71 Transmission unit 72 Reception unit 73 Playback unit 74 Generation unit 100 Management server S Distribution system

Claims (8)

extracting, as candidate vehicles to which the camera images are to be distributed , vehicles that are present in a congestion section on a planned driving route of a receiving vehicle that receives the camera images distributed from the distribution vehicle, the congestion section being a range indicated by a group of multiple low-speed vehicles in which the distance between the multiple low-speed vehicles is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
A low-capacity image, which is an image with a lower capacity than the camera image, is transmitted from the candidate vehicle to the receiving vehicle and played back in the background in the receiving vehicle.
When the display condition is satisfied in the receiving vehicle, the distribution vehicle is selected from the candidate vehicles, and the camera image is distributed from the distribution vehicle to the receiving vehicle and displayed in the receiving vehicle.
Information processing device. selecting the candidate vehicle whose inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is greater than a predetermined value as the distribution vehicle;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . When a plurality of the congestion sections exist, a group of vehicles existing in the congestion section closest to the receiving vehicle is extracted as the candidate vehicle;
selecting the candidate vehicle that is a leading vehicle of the group of vehicles as the distribution vehicle;
3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. When the distance from the receiving vehicle to the vehicle group becomes less than a threshold, an instruction is given to establish a pre-connection with the candidate vehicle included in the vehicle group , and transmission and reception of the low-capacity image is started .
The information processing device according to claim 3 . setting an extraction range for the candidate vehicles based on the traveling speed of the receiving vehicle;
extracting vehicles present in the congestion section within the extraction range as the candidate vehicles;
5. The information processing device according to claim 1. Selecting the delivery vehicle at a predetermined interval;
After the display condition is satisfied, the latest camera image distributed from the distribution vehicle is displayed in the receiving vehicle.
6. The information processing device according to claim 1. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
an in-vehicle device mounted in each of the receiving vehicle and the distribution vehicle, the in-vehicle device transmitting and receiving the camera image. extracting, as candidate vehicles to which the camera images are to be distributed , vehicles that are present in a congestion section on a planned driving route of a receiving vehicle that receives the camera images distributed from the distribution vehicle, the congestion section being a range indicated by a group of multiple low-speed vehicles in which the distance between the multiple low-speed vehicles is equal to or less than a predetermined value;
A low-capacity image, which is an image with a lower capacity than the camera image, is transmitted from the candidate vehicle to the receiving vehicle and played back in the background in the receiving vehicle.
When the display condition is satisfied in the receiving vehicle, the distribution vehicle is selected from the candidate vehicles, and the camera image is distributed from the distribution vehicle to the receiving vehicle and displayed in the receiving vehicle.
An information processing method performed by an information processing device.