Information Processing Device, Vehicle, Information Processing Method, and Computer-Readable Storage Medium

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a vehicle, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium that communicate with an external device via a communication network. The information processing apparatus includes: a communication state measurement unit that measures the state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus; a communication state prediction unit that predicts the future state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus based on the state of communication measured by the communication state measurement unit; an arrival situation estimation unit that estimates the future arrival situation of data transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the external device based on the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit; and an arrival situation notification unit that notifies the user of the information processing apparatus of the arrival situation estimated by the arrival situation estimation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a vehicle, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that "when a computer receives voice data from another computer, the one computer notifies the other computer of the received meaning, and the other computer that has received the notification performs a display corresponding to the notification" (Claim 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-48329. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus that communicates with an external device via a communication network. The information processing apparatus may include a communication state measurement unit that measures the state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus may include a communication state prediction unit that predicts the future state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus based on the state of communication measured by the communication state measurement unit. The information processing apparatus may include an arrival status estimation unit that estimates the future arrival status of data transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus based on the future state of communication predicted by the communication state prediction unit. The information processing apparatus may include an arrival status notification unit that notifies the user of the information processing apparatus of the arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit.

[0005] The state of communication may include either bandwidth or throughput.

[0006] The information processing apparatus may further include a communication state adjustment unit that adjusts the state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The communication state measurement unit may measure the state of communication adjusted by the communication state adjustment unit.

[0007] The information processing apparatus may perform one-way communication with an external display device. The arrival status notification unit may notify the user of the arrival status by causing the display device to display the arrival status.

[0008] The arrival status notification unit may notify the user of the arrival status by causing the display device to display an icon indicating the arrival status. The arrival status notification unit may cause the display device to display an icon whose display mode varies according to the state of communication.

[0009] The arrival status estimation unit can also estimate the current arrival status of the data based on the communication status measured by the communication status measurement unit. The arrival status notification unit can cause the display device to display the future arrival status and the current arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit, respectively.

[0010] The information processing apparatus may further include a sound detection unit that detects sound emitted by a user. The data may include sound data that is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to an external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The arrival status notification unit can cause the display device to display the current arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit detects sound, and cause the display device to display the future arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit does not detect sound.

[0011] The information processing apparatus may further include a sound detection unit that detects sound emitted by a user. The data may include sound data that is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to an external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The arrival status notification unit can cause the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit detects sound, and not cause the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit does not detect sound.

[0012] The information processing apparatus may further include a sound detection unit that detects sound emitted by a user. The information processing apparatus may further include an image data sharing unit that causes the display device and an external device to display image data in real time. The data may include sound data that is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to an external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The data may also include image data that is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to an external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The arrival status notification unit can cause the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data and the arrival status of the image data, respectively.

[0013] The information processing apparatus may further include a transmission amount acquisition unit that acquires the transmission amount of image data transmitted from the information processing apparatus to an external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus. The arrival status notification unit can estimate the time of the time lag of the image data displayed on the display device and the external device based on the future communication status predicted by the communication status prediction unit and the transmission amount acquired by the transmission amount acquisition unit. The arrival status notification unit can cause the display device to display the time of the time lag estimated by the arrival status estimation unit and the arrival status of the image data.

[0014] In a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include any one of the above-described information processing devices. The vehicle may include at least one display device among an instrument panel and a head-up display.

[0015] In a third aspect of the present invention, an information processing method is provided. The information processing method is executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device via a communication network. The information processing method may include a communication state measurement step of measuring, in real time, the state of communication between the external device and the information processing device. The information processing method may include a communication state prediction step of predicting the future communication state between the external device and the information processing device based on the communication state measured in the communication state measurement step. The information processing method may include an arrival status estimation step of estimating the future arrival status of data transmitted from the information processing device to the external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing device based on the future communication state predicted in the communication state prediction step. The information processing method may include an arrival status notification step of notifying the user of the information processing device of the arrival status estimated in the arrival status estimation step.

[0016] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium storing a program is provided. The program may cause a computer that communicates with an external device via a communication network to execute a communication state measurement process of measuring the state of communication between the external device and the computer. The program may cause the computer to execute a communication state prediction process of predicting the future communication state between the external device and the computer based on the communication state measured in the communication state measurement process. The program may cause the computer to execute an arrival status estimation process of estimating the future arrival status of data transmitted from the computer to the external device in the communication between the external device and the computer based on the future communication state predicted in the communication state prediction process. The program may cause the computer to execute an arrival status notification process of notifying the user of the computer of the arrival status estimated in the arrival status estimation process.

[0017] In addition, the above-described summary of the invention does not list all the essential features of the present invention. Furthermore, combinations of sub-features among the above-described multiple features can also form an invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 Schematically shows a usage mode of a vehicle 50 according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 Schematically shows the functional structure of the vehicle 50.

[0020] Figure 3 Shows a graphical example of time series data of the amount of voice data, which is the communication state.

[0021] Figure 4 Shows a display example in the screen 27 of the display device 26.

[0022] Figure 5 Shows another display example in the screen 27 of the display device 26.

[0023] Figure 6 Shows yet another display example in the screen 27 of the display device 26.

[0024] Figure 7 Schematically shows the data flow between the function blocks of a part of the information processing device 200.

[0025] Figure 8 Shows a flowchart related to the information processing method executed by the information processing device 200.

[0026] Figure 9 Shows an installation example of the control system 1000 in the vehicle 50.

[0027] Figure 10 Shows an example of the computer 2000. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0028] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention claimed in the claims. In addition, all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not essential for the solution of the invention.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematically shows the usage modes of the vehicles 50a and 50b in one embodiment. The vehicles 50a and 50b are, for example, automobiles. The vehicles 50a and 50b can be automobiles equipped with internal combustion engines, electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), etc. The vehicles 50a and 50b are an example of transportation equipment. In addition, in the present embodiment, sometimes one of the vehicles 50a and 50b is referred to as "vehicle 50", and the other is referred to as "external vehicle 50".

[0030] The vehicles 50a and 50b each include an information processing device 200a and an information processing device 200b. In addition, in the present embodiment, sometimes one of the information processing devices 200a and 200b is referred to as "information processing device 200", and the other is referred to as "external device".

[0031] The information processing device 200a can perform data communication with a control device 200b of an external vehicle 50b, or external devices 30a, 30b, etc. In addition, in the present embodiment, the control device 200b of the external vehicle 50b, or the external devices 30a, 30b, etc. may sometimes be collectively referred to as the "external device 30".

[0032] The information processing device 200 communicates with the external device 30 via the communication network 90 and the wireless communication system 92. The information processing device 200 can perform unidirectional communication with the external device 30. The communication network 90 includes an IP network such as the Internet, a P2P network, a dedicated line including a VPN, and a virtual network, etc. In the present embodiment, the wireless communication system 92 is a mobile communication network connected to the communication network 90. For example, the wireless communication system 92 includes a radio access network and a core network.

[0033] The external device 30a includes, for example, a server that provides services to the passengers of the vehicle 50. For example, the external device 30a includes a server that stores content data such as videos, a server that provides SNS (Social Networking Service), etc. The information processing device 200 can receive video data from the external device 30a according to the instructions of the passengers of the vehicle 50. In addition, the information processing device 200 can receive text information, voice information, image information, video information, etc. as SNS messages from the external device 30a according to the instructions of the passengers of the vehicle 50. In addition, the information processing device 200 can send text information, voice information, image information, video information, etc. as SNS messages from the passengers of the vehicle 50 to the external device 30a according to the instructions of the passengers of the vehicle 50.

[0034] The external device 30b is, for example, a server that provides services related to the control system of the vehicle 50. The external device 30b may include, for example, a server that collects information related to the control system of the vehicle 50. Regarding the control-related information collected by the external device 30, examples that can be cited include lidar data used for autonomous driving of the vehicle 50, etc. The external device 30b may include, for example, a server that provides control system-related information to the vehicle 50. As the control system-related information provided by the external device 30b, it may include map data used for autonomous driving of the vehicle 50, etc. The information processing device 200 sends lidar data, etc. obtained for autonomous driving control to the external device 30b. The information processing device 200 receives map data from the external device 30b regardless of the instructions of the passengers of the vehicle 50.

[0035] The information processing device 200 can control the communication state with the external device 30 according to the priority of data communication. For example, the priority ranking of data communication such as SNS data is lower than that of data communication related to the control system of the vehicle 50. The information processing device 200 predicts the future communication state based on the time series data of the communication state. When the information processing device 200 predicts that the future communication state will become lower, it can delay the data communication with the external device 30a whose priority ranking is lower than the control-related information of the vehicle 50 to an extent that can maintain the minimum service quality. Thereby, the communication state of the data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50 can be maintained. In addition, when the information processing device 200 predicts that the communication state will become even lower and predicts that it is impossible to maintain the minimum service quality with the external device 30a, it can stop the data communication with the external device 30a to maintain the communication state of the data communication related to the control system of the vehicle 50. In this way, the information processing device 200 can increase the possibility of continuing the high-priority data communication by restricting the low-priority data communication. In addition, in the following description, the communication state is sometimes referred to as the "communication status".

[0036] Figure 2 Schematically shows the functional structure of the vehicle 50. The vehicle 50 includes an information processing device 200 and a display device 26. The vehicle 50 in the present embodiment further includes a control device 24a, a control device 24b, a device 25a, a device 25b, and an in-vehicle network 29. The information processing device 200 includes a communication state measurement unit 210, a communication state prediction unit 220, an arrival status estimation unit 224, and an arrival status notification unit 225. The information processing device 200 in the present embodiment further includes a communication unit 202, a bandwidth control unit 230, a control object determination unit 240, and a priority control unit 250. The information processing device 200 in the present embodiment further includes a sound detection unit 226, an image data sharing unit 227, and a transmission amount acquisition unit 228. In addition, in Figure 2 the functional blocks related to the present embodiment are shown. The vehicle 50 and the information processing device 200 may include Figure 2 functional blocks other than those shown.

[0037] The information processing device 200, the control device 24a, the control device 24b, and the display device 26 are connected to each other through the in-vehicle network 29. The information processing device 200 in the present embodiment communicates with the display device 26. The in-vehicle network 29 may include Ethernet (registered trademark) operation. The in-vehicle network 29 may include CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0038] The control device 24a and the control device 24b control the device 25a and the device 25b respectively. The control device 24a and the control device 24b can be ECUs (Electronic Control Units), respectively. The device 25a and the device 25b include, for example, driving system devices such as engines, information and communication system devices, and the like. Regarding an embodiment of the control device 24 and the device 25, a specific example will be described in association Figure 9 and the like. In addition, the control device 24a and the control device 24b are sometimes collectively referred to as the "control device 24". Further, the device 25a and the device 25b are sometimes collectively referred to as the "device 25".

[0039] The communication unit 202 communicates with the external device 30 via the mobile communication network. The communication state measurement unit 210 measures the communication state between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200. This communication state includes either the bandwidth or the throughput. In addition, the communication state measurement unit 210 can measure the unidirectional communication state in the upload direction from the communication unit 202 to the external device 30. The communication state measurement unit 210 can measure the unidirectional communication state measurement in the download direction from the external device 30 to the communication unit 202. The communication state prediction unit 220 predicts the future communication state between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200 based on the communication state measured by the communication state measurement unit 210. Here, the "future" can refer to, for example, a few seconds from the current time point. Specifically, it can refer to about 3 to 10 seconds from the current time point. In the following description, the same assumption is also made, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0040] The arrival situation estimation unit 224 estimates the arrival situation of the data sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200 based on the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit 220. An example of this data is voice data or image data. The arrival situation estimation unit 224 can estimate either the current arrival situation of the data sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 in this communication or the future arrival situation of this data.

[0041] The arrival situation notification unit 225 notifies the user of the information processing device 200 of the arrival situation estimated by the arrival situation estimation unit 224. The arrival situation notification unit 225 can, for example, notify the user of the arrival situation by showing an image or sound indicating the arrival situation. As an example, the arrival situation notification unit 225 can notify the user of the arrival situation by causing the display device 26 to display the arrival situation of the data. In addition, in the vehicle 50, the display device 26 can be at least one of an instrument, a head-up display, a display audio, and a screen audio. However, from the perspective of distracting the driver's attention, it is preferably provided on the instrument and / or the head-up display.

[0042] The bandwidth control unit 230 adjusts the communication state between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200. In other words, the bandwidth control unit 230 performs bandwidth control, i.e., data volume control, on data (such as audio data) transmitted and received between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200. Additionally, in this case, the communication state measurement unit 210 can measure the communication state adjusted by the bandwidth control unit 230. Further, in this case, the communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the future communication state based on the adjusted communication state. In other words, the communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the future data volume based on the adjusted data volume. Moreover, in this case, the arrival status estimation unit 224 can estimate the future data arrival status based on the future communication state, i.e., the future data volume. Additionally, the bandwidth control unit 230 is an example of a communication state adjustment unit.

[0043] The bandwidth control unit 230 can control the data communication with the external device 30 based on the communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit 220. Specifically, the bandwidth control unit 230 can control the data communication with the external device 30 by controlling the communication unit 202. When audio data or image data is input, the bandwidth control unit 230 transmits the audio data or the like to the external device 30 via the communication unit 202.

[0044] The control object determination unit 240 can determine the type of data communication with the external device 30. The priority control unit 250 can set the communication priority for multiple data communications based on the type determined by the control object determination unit 240. When the future communication state is less than a predetermined threshold, the bandwidth control unit 230 can restrict communication for the data communication with a lower priority set by the priority control unit 250 compared to the data communication with a higher priority set by the priority control unit 250. Thereby, the possibility of continuously communicating data with a higher priority can be increased. In addition, when the future communication state is temporarily less than a predetermined threshold, the bandwidth control unit 230 can not restrict the communication state for the data communication with a lower priority. For example, when the time during which the future communication state is less than a predetermined threshold is equal to or less than a predetermined time, the bandwidth control unit 230 can not restrict the communication state for the data communication with a lower priority. When the time during which the future communication state is less than a predetermined threshold exceeds the predetermined time, the bandwidth control unit 230 can restrict the communication state for the data communication with a lower priority. The predetermined threshold can be a variable value. The bandwidth control unit 230 can determine the threshold based on the data communication status with the external device 30. For example, the bandwidth control unit 230 can determine the threshold based on the communication state required to provide a minimum quality of service in the data communication with the external device 30. The bandwidth control unit 230 can determine the value obtained by multiplying the communication state required to provide the minimum quality of service by a predetermined coefficient as the threshold. The predetermined coefficient can be any value greater than or equal to 1. The predetermined coefficient can be any value less than 1. In addition, the predetermined threshold can be a fixed value instead of a variable value.

[0045] Compared to the data communication with a higher priority set by the priority control unit 250, the bandwidth control unit 230 can delay the data communication for the data communication with a lower priority set by the priority control unit 250, thereby restricting the communication state. The bandwidth control unit 230 can delay the data communication by buffering the data communicated in the data communication with a lower priority. Since the data with a higher priority is not delayed, the possibility of continuously communicating data with a higher priority can be increased. In addition, the bandwidth control unit 230 can restrict the communication state by reducing the data volume of the data communication with a lower priority. The bandwidth control unit 230 can restrict the communication state by reducing the bit rate of the data communication with a lower priority. When the data transmitted through the data communication with a lower priority is image data, the bandwidth control unit 230 can restrict the communication state by reducing the image quality of the transmitted image.

[0046] The communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the future communication state prediction using the delay amount by which the bandwidth control unit 230 delays data communication with a lower priority. Since the communication state prediction unit 220 predicts the future communication state considering the delay information, the future prediction accuracy can be improved.

[0047] As the type of data communication, the control object discrimination unit 240 can discriminate whether it is data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50. The priority control unit 250 can set the priority of predetermined data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50 higher than the priority of other data communication. Thereby, data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50 can be continuously performed, and thus the traveling safety of the vehicle 50 can be improved. The bandwidth control unit 230 can stop predetermined other data communication when, as the communication state of data communication related to the control system of the vehicle 50, a predetermined value required to ensure the provision of services based on the data communication related to the control system of the vehicle 50 cannot be ensured. In addition, as the type of data communication, the control object discrimination unit 240 can discriminate whether it is data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50 or multimedia data communication. The priority control unit 250 can set the priority of data communication related to the control of the vehicle 50 higher than the priority of multimedia data communication.

[0048] The bandwidth control unit 230 can limit the communication state of data communication with a lower priority to a predetermined value required to continue the provision of services based on the data communication with a lower priority. Thereby, for data communication with a lower priority, the possibility of complete interruption of data communication can also be reduced.

[0049] The voice detection unit 226 includes, for example, a microphone and detects the voice emitted by the user. When the voice detection unit 226 detects a voice, it outputs the voice data of the detected voice to the bandwidth control unit 230 and notifies the arrival status notification unit 225 of this fact. This voice data is an example of data transmitted from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200. In addition, in this case, the arrival status notification unit 225 can determine whether a voice has been detected based on whether a notification has been input from the voice detection unit 226. Alternatively, the voice detection unit 226 can notify the arrival status notification unit 225 of the fact that no voice has been detected. In this case, the arrival status notification unit 225 can determine whether a voice has been detected based on the content of the notification from the voice detection unit 226.

[0050] The image data sharing unit 227 includes, for example, a memory that holds image data, and causes the display device 26 and the external device 30 to display the image data in real time. The image data is, for example, camera images such as those of a driving recorder or a driver monitoring camera. In addition, the image data is an example of data sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 during the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200.

[0051] The transmission amount acquisition unit 228 acquires the transmission amount of image data that is sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 during the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200. The transmission amount acquisition unit 228 can acquire the transmission amount of other data (such as audio data) sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 during this communication. The transmission amount acquisition unit 228 notifies the arrival status estimation unit 224 of the acquired transmission amount.

[0052] Figure 3 A graphical example of time series data showing the amount of audio data, which is the communication state, is shown. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the amount of audio data, which is the communication state. In the graph, the time change of the communication state is shown by a thick line.

[0053] In addition, in the graph, the current time point is shown by a thin straight line, and similarly, the future after a time Δt from the current time point is shown by a thin straight line. In addition, in the graph, the threshold of the communication state is shown by a dashed straight line. In addition, in the graph, the time band in which the communication state is above the threshold is shown by a hatched area of a quadrilateral sloping downward to the left. In addition, in the graph, the time band in which the communication state is less than the threshold is shown by a vertically striped area of a quadrilateral. In addition, in the graph, the time band in which the communication state is 0 is shown by a hatched area of a quadrilateral sloping downward to the right.

[0054] The arrival status notification unit 225 can notify the user of the arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit 224 in different ways depending on which of the three regions shown in Figure 3 the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit 220 from the current time point after a time Δt is included. In other words, the arrival status notification unit 225 can notify the user of the arrival status in different ways depending on whether the predicted communication state is (1) above a predetermined threshold, (2) less than the threshold and greater than 0, or (3) 0.

[0055] In addition, in Figure 3 an example of the notification method of the arrival status has been described with respect to the amount of audio data, but with respect to the amount of image data, it can also be done in the same way as Figure 3Using the same notification method, the arrival status is notified to the user. In addition, the arrival status notification unit 225 can also use different thresholds for each of the voice data volume and the image data volume. In addition, the arrival status notification unit 225 can use two or more thresholds for one communication state, for example, for the voice data volume. In addition, this threshold can be set by the user or can be set by the information processing device 200.

[0056] Figure 4 Shows a display example on the screen 27 of the display device 26. In the screen 27, (1) is an icon indicating that the user of the information processing device 200 and the user of the external device 30 are in a call. In addition, (2) is an icon indicating the arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit 224.

[0057] The arrival status notification unit 225 can notify the user of the arrival status by causing the display device 26 to display an icon indicating the arrival status. The arrival status notification unit 225 can also cause the display device 26 to display an icon whose display mode varies according to the communication state.

[0058] As a specific example, when the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit 220 after a time Δt from the current time point is Figure 3 above the threshold described in, the icon (2) on the screen 27 can be displayed in green. Displaying the icon (2) in green can imply that in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200, data has reached the external device 30 currently or will reach the external device 30 in the future.

[0059] In addition, when the future communication state is less than the threshold and greater than 0, the icon (2) on the screen 27 can be displayed in yellow. Displaying the icon (2) in yellow can imply that in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200, it is difficult for data to reach the external device 30 currently or will be difficult to reach the external device 30 in the future.

[0060] In addition, when the future communication state is 0, the icon (2) on the screen 27 can be displayed with red flashing. Displaying the icon (2) with red flashing can imply that in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200, data cannot reach the external device 30 currently or will not be able to reach the external device 30 in the future.

[0061] In addition, Figure 4The display method is just an example. The arrival status notification unit 225 can notify the user of the arrival status in other display methods on the screen 27 of the display device 26. For example, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit 226 detects sound, and not cause the display device 26 to display the arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit 226 does not detect sound.

[0062] In addition, for example, when the arrival status notification unit 225 uses two or more thresholds for one communication state, it displays the icon (2) in four different display methods. In addition, this display method can be settable by the user.

[0063] In addition, for example, according to the communication state, the arrow length of the icon (2) can be made different for display. More specifically, the better the communication state, the relatively longer the arrow length of the icon (2) can be displayed.

[0064] Figure 5 Another display example in the screen 27 of the display device 26 is shown. In Figure 5 In the example shown, at the upper side of the screen 27, the current arrival status of the sound data is shown by the icon (1), and at the lower side of the screen 27, the future arrival status of the sound data is shown by the icon (2). The display methods of the icons (1) and (2) can be the same as or different from the Figure 4 display method in. In addition, the display methods of the icons (1) and (2) can be the same as or different from each other.

[0065] The arrival status estimation unit 224 can estimate the current arrival status of the data based on the communication status measured by the communication status measurement unit 210. As Figure 5 shown, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the future arrival status and the current arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit 224 respectively.

[0066] Figure 6 Another display example in the screen 27 of the display device 26 is shown. In Figure 6 In the example shown, at the upper side of the screen 27, the arrival status of the sound data is shown by the icon (1), and at the lower side of the screen 27, the arrival status of the image data is shown by the icon (2). In addition, at the lower right of the icon (2), a field (3) is shown, and this field (3) displays the time lag when the image data is displayed on the display device 26 and the external device 30. The display methods of the icons (1) and (2) can be the same as or different from the Figure 4 display method in. In addition, the display methods of the icons (1) and (2) can be the same as or different from each other.

[0067] AsFigure 6 As shown, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the arrival status of sound data and the arrival status of image data, respectively. In this case, the arrival status estimation unit 224 can estimate the time lag when the image data is displayed on the display device 26 and the external device 30 based on the future communication status predicted by the communication status prediction unit 220 and the transmission amount acquired by the transmission amount acquisition unit 228. In this case, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the time lag estimated by the arrival status estimation unit 224 and the arrival status of the image data. The arrival status notification unit 225 can display on the screen 27 of the display device 26 whether a time lag occurs when continuously transmitting images in real time, such as in a video call.

[0068] Figure 7 Schematically shows the data flow between functional blocks of a part of the information processing device 200.

[0069] The bandwidth control unit 230 monitors the transmission data sent from the control device 24. The bandwidth control unit 230 determines whether data communication for a new service has started based on the combination of the IP address and the port number. In the case where new communication has started, the bandwidth control unit 230 notifies the control object discrimination unit 240 of the communication information including the IP address and the port number. The bandwidth control unit 230 sends information indicating the communication data volume between the communication unit 202 and the external device 30 to the communication status measurement unit 210 according to the request of the communication status measurement unit 210.

[0070] The control object discrimination unit 240 discriminates the type of data communication based on the communication information. For example, the control object discrimination unit 240 discriminates the type of data communication based on the IP address and the port number. The control object discrimination unit 240 discriminates the type of data communication based on the data communication information. The control object discrimination unit 240 notifies the communication status measurement unit 210 and the priority control unit 250 of the control object information including the type of data communication.

[0071] The communication status measurement unit 210 measures the communication status between the communication unit 202 and the external device 30. The communication status measurement unit 210 calculates the current communication status based on the communication data volume notified by the bandwidth control unit 230. The communication status measurement unit 210 can measure the communication status for each control object information. The communication status measurement unit 210 can measure the total communication status. The communication status measurement unit 210 can notify the priority control unit 250 and the communication status prediction unit 220 of the measured communication status of the control object.

[0072] The communication state prediction unit 220 predicts the future communication state based on the communication state measured by the communication state measurement unit 210. For example, the communication state prediction unit 220 determines a prediction model for the time series data based on the time series data of the communication state. Any model can be used as long as it can predict future time series data based on past time series data. For example, as the prediction model to be determined, time series models such as the AR model (AutoRegressive Model) and stochastic differential equation models such as the Vasicek model can be exemplified. As an example, in the case of using the Vasicek model, it can be a model that uses the general solution of the stochastic differential equation of the Vasicek model and the time series data, and uses methods such as the maximum likelihood estimation method to determine the model parameters of the general solution of the stochastic differential equation of the Vasicek model. The communication state prediction unit 220 calculates the probability distribution of the time series data of the future communication state based on the determined prediction model. The communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the future communication state prediction based on the probability distribution of the time series data of the future communication state. In addition, the communication state prediction unit 220 can use the methods described in the above Patent Document 1 and the above Patent Document 2 to calculate the probability distribution of the time series data of the future communication state. As described in Japanese Patent No. 6337881 and Japanese Patent No. 6390167, a correction rate calculated based on a communication model that models the transition characteristics after the start of communication of a communication protocol such as TCP communication can be used to correct the time series data to remove the influence of the transition characteristics, and a prediction model for the time series data can be determined based on the corrected time series data.

[0073] The communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the communication state based on the communication state fed back from the external device 30. The communication state prediction unit 220 can predict the future communication state prediction for each control object of the communication state. Examples of the communication state fed back from the external device 30 include the transfer delay and packet loss rate of the network. The communication state prediction unit 220 notifies the arrival status estimation unit 224 and the priority control unit 250 of the predicted future communication state. The communication state prediction unit 220 can calculate the future communication state based on the delay information set in the priority control unit 250 as described later.

[0074] The arrival status estimation unit 224 estimates the arrival status of the data sent from the information processing device 200 to the external device 30 in the communication between the external device 30 and the information processing device 200 based on the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit 220, and notifies the arrival status notification unit 225. [[ID=?]] [[ID=?]]

[0075] The priority control unit 250 sets the priority for each data communication and determines the communication state of each data communication. The priority control unit 250 sets the priority for each type of data communication based on the control object information of each data communication notified from the control object discrimination unit 240, the type of data communication of the control object notified from the control object discrimination unit 240, and the predicted communication state notified from the communication state prediction unit 220, and sets the communication state according to the priority. The priority control unit 250 can set the delay amount of the data communication that can obtain the set communication state. The priority control unit 250 can notify the communication state prediction unit 220 of the set delay amount of the data communication.

[0076] The priority control unit 250 notifies the bandwidth control unit 230 of the set communication state. The bandwidth control unit 230 delays the transmission data for each data communication according to the communication state of each data communication notified from the priority control unit 250. In addition, the priority control unit 250 notifies the control device 24 of the input communication data amount per unit time corresponding to the set communication state. The control device 24 restricts the transmission of the transmission data for each data communication according to the input communication data amount notified from the priority control unit 250. For example, the control device 24 restricts the data amount transmitted to the external device 30 for each service determined by the port number. Thereby, the communication state can be appropriately restricted according to the priority of the data communication.

[0077] Figure 8 A flowchart related to the information processing method executed by the information processing apparatus 200 is shown. Figure 8 The process starts when, for example, the information processing apparatus 200 and the external device 30 start communicating.

[0078] The information processing apparatus 200 predicts the future communication state (step S101), starts encoding the audio / video and transmits it to the external device 30 (step S103). The information processing apparatus 200 estimates the future arrival state of the audio data based on the future communication state, and causes the display device 26 to display an icon showing the estimated future arrival state (step S105).

[0079] When the information processing apparatus 200 detects the user's voice, i.e., when voice is generated (step S107: Yes), the display device 26 is not caused to display an icon showing the future arrival status of voice data, but the display device 26 is caused to display an icon showing the current arrival status of voice data estimated based on the current communication state (step S109), and the process returns to step S107. That is, when the information processing apparatus 200 detects the user's voice, the icon showing the future arrival status is switched to the icon showing the current arrival status, and while voice is being detected, the icon showing the future arrival status is not displayed and the icon showing the current arrival status is displayed.

[0080] When the information processing apparatus 200 does not detect the user's voice (step S107: No), it is determined whether communication continues between the information processing apparatus 200 and the external device 30 (step S111). If communication continues, the process returns to step S105. If communication does not continue, the process ends.

[0081] As described in this process, the arrival status estimation unit 224 can also estimate the current arrival status of data based on the communication status measured by the communication status measurement unit 210. In addition, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the future arrival status and the current arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit 224, respectively. As a more specific example, the arrival status notification unit 225 can cause the display device 26 to display the current arrival status of voice data during the period when the voice detection unit 226 detects voice, and cause the display device 26 to display the future arrival status of voice data during the period when the voice detection unit 226 does not detect voice.

[0082] As a comparative example of the information processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment, consider an interactive communication tool in which a call partner sends a response signal when receiving voice, so that the user can confirm whether the voice can be heard without asking the call partner. In the comparative example, a time lag occurs between the user and the call partner. In addition, since a part of the communication bandwidth is used for the transmission and reception of the response signal, it has an adverse effect on the throughput of voice data.

[0083] In contrast, the information processing apparatus 200 according to the present embodiment can perform arrival confirmation with high usability by having the structure described above. More specifically, for example, if the communication state estimated by the information processing apparatus 200 is less than a predetermined threshold, it is estimated that the arrival status of the data transmitted to the external apparatus 30 is poor, and the user is prompted in real time to wait until the arrival status improves. In addition, if the information processing apparatus 200 does not perform a session during the period of sharing image data, it can not display the icon indicating the arrival status of the voice data. That is, the information processing apparatus 200 can cause the display apparatus 26 to display or not display the icon indicating the arrival status of the voice data in accordance with the user's voice. In addition, the information processing apparatus 200 causes the icon displayed on the display apparatus 26 to differ according to the arrival status of the data, whereby the user can smoothly perform a session.

[0084] Figure 9 An installation example of the control system 1000 of the vehicle 50 is shown. The control system 1000 includes a core ECU 1010, a TCU 1020, an AD / ADAS ECU 1021, an information system ECU 1022, a zone ECU 1023, a zone ECU 1024, a sensor device 1040, an information system device 1041, a driving system device 1030, a comfort system device 1031, an alarm system device 1032, a vision system device 1033, an advanced safety system device 1034, an anti-theft system device 1035, a lamp system device 1036, a door system device 1037, a driving position system device 1038, an opening / closing system device 1039, a communication network 1080, a communication network 1081, a communication network 1082, a communication network 1084, and a communication network 1085. The AD / ADAS ECU 1021 is an ECU that performs control related to autonomous driving (AD) and an advanced driving support system (ADAS).

[0085] The TCU 1020 is an in-vehicle information system control unit. The TCU 1020 is an installation example of the above-described information processing apparatus 200. Alternatively, the TCU 1020 and the core ECU 1010 may cooperate with each other to function as the above-described information processing apparatus 200. The AD / ADAS ECU 1021, the information system ECU 1022, the zone ECU 1023, and the zone ECU 1024 are each an installation example of the above-described control apparatus 24.

[0086] Communication networks 1080, 1081, 1082, 1084, and 1085 are an installation example of in-vehicle network 29. Communication networks 1080, 1081, 1082, 1084, and 1085 may include Ethernet. It is possible that TCU 1020, core ECU 1010, AD / ADAS ECU 1021, information system ECU 1022, zone ECU 1023, and zone ECU 1024 can perform IP communication via communication networks 1080, 1081, 1082, 1084, and 1085. Additionally, communication networks 1084 and 1085 may include CAN.

[0087] Sensor device 1040 includes sensors such as cameras, radars, and lidars. AD / ADAS ECU 1021 is connected to each sensor included in sensor device 1040 via a bus, controls each sensor included in sensor device 1040, and acquires information detected by each sensor.

[0088] Information system device 1041 includes devices such as an instrument device, a display device, a tuner, a player, a DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) system, a wireless charger, and a USB port. Information system ECU 1022 is connected to each device included in information system device 1041 via a bus and controls each device included in information system device 1041. Information system device 1041 includes information communication devices, multimedia-related devices, and user interface devices.

[0089] Driving system device 1030 includes devices such as an electric parking brake (EPB), an electric power steering system (EPS), a vehicle stability assist system (VSA), a shifter, a power driving unit (PDU), an intelligent power unit (IPU), and a fuel injection device (FI). Driving system device 1030 is connected to each device included in driving system device 1030 via a bus and controls each device included in driving system device 1030.

[0090] The regional ECU 1024 is connected to the comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp body system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039 via a bus, and controls the devices of the comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp body system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039. It is connected to the comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp body system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039. The comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp body system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039 mainly include the auxiliary devices of the vehicle 50.

[0091] The driving system device 1030, the sensor device 1040, the comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039 are the control system devices of the vehicle 50. The information system device 1041 is a non-control system device.

[0092] It can be that, compared with the data communication of the devices included in the relevant information system device 1041, the data communication of the devices included in the relevant sensor device 1040, the driving system device 1030, the comfort system device 1031, the alarm system device 1032, the vision system device 1033, the advanced safety system device 1034, the anti-theft system device 1035, the lamp system device 1036, the door system device 1037, the driving positioning system device 1038, and the opening and closing system device 1039 has a lower priority.

[0093] In addition, the vehicle 50 is an example of a moving body. As a moving body, it includes automobiles such as passenger cars and buses, saddle vehicles, airplanes, ships and other transportation equipment. The moving body is not limited to transportation equipment and can be any device capable of moving.

[0094] As described above, in one installation example of the information processing apparatus 200 and the information processing apparatus 200, it is possible to increase the possibility of continuing data communication with a higher priority by restricting data communication with a lower priority. Generally, when performing a plurality of data communications in a device mounted on a moving body, it is necessary to communicate at a communication speed (also referred to as communication bandwidth). However, an appropriate communication speed may not always be obtained in all of the plurality of data communications. For example, in the case where the communication speed decreases due to deterioration of the communication environment, there is a problem that data communication with a higher priority may sometimes be restricted. In response to this, the above-described information processing apparatus 200 can alleviate such a problem.

[0095] Figure 10 An example of a computer 2000 that can embody the entire or a part of a plurality of embodiments of the present invention is shown. A program installed in the computer 2000 can cause the computer 2000 to function as an apparatus such as the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment or each part of the apparatus, can cause the computer 2000 to execute operations related to the apparatus or each part of the apparatus, and / or can cause the computer 2000 to execute a process according to the embodiment or steps of the process. It may be that the above-described program is executed by the CPU 2012 for the purpose of causing the computer 2000 to execute determination operations related to some or all of the processing operation procedures and the items in the blocks of the block diagram described in this specification.

[0096] The computer 2000 of the present embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and a RAM 2014, and these components are interconnected by a main controller 2010. The computer 2000 further includes a ROM 2026, a flash memory 2024, a communication interface 2022, and an input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, the flash memory 2024, the communication interface 2022, and the input / output chip 2040 are connected to the main controller 2010 via an input / output controller 2020.

[0097] The CPU 2012 operates in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 2026 and the RAM 2014, thereby controlling each unit.

[0098] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data that can be used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores a boot program and the like executed by the computer 2000 at activation and / or a program depending on the hardware of the computer 2000. The input / output chip 2040 can also connect various input / output units such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a display to the input / output controller 2020 via input / output ports such as a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, a display port, a USB port, and an HDMI (registered trademark) port.

[0099] The program is provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or memory card, or via a network. RAM 2014, ROM 2026, or flash memory 2024 are examples of computer-readable storage media. The program is installed in flash memory 2024, RAM 2014, or ROM 2026 and executed by CPU 2012. The information processing described in these programs is read into computer 2000, providing a link between the provided program and the various types of hardware resources. The apparatus or method may be configured by a process of operating or processing information as computer 2000 is used.

[0100] For example, in the case of performing communication between computer 2000 and an external device, it may be that CPU 2012 executes a communication program loaded in RAM 2014 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instructs communication processing for communication interface 2022. Under the control of CPU 2012, communication interface 2022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 2014 and flash memory 2024, transmits the read transmission data to the network, and writes the received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area provided on the recording medium, etc.

[0101] Moreover, it may be that CPU 2012 performs various processes on the data in RAM 2014 in such a manner that all or a required part of the contents of a file or database stored in a recording medium such as flash memory 2024, etc. is read into RAM 2014. CPU 2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0102] It may be that various types of information such as various types of programs, data, data tables, and databases are stored in the recording medium and information processing is performed. CPU 2012 may perform various operations on the data read from RAM 2014, including various processes such as information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branch, unconditional branch, information retrieval / replacement, etc. specified by the instruction sequence of the program described in this specification, and write the result back to RAM 2014. Moreover, CPU 2012 may retrieve information in files, databases, etc. in the recording medium. For example, in the case where a plurality of entries are stored in the recording medium and each of the plurality of entries has an attribute value of a first attribute related to an attribute value of a second attribute, it may be that CPU 2012 retrieves an entry that matches the condition specified by the attribute value of the first attribute from the plurality of entries and reads the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, thereby obtaining the attribute value of the second attribute related to the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0103] The programs or software modules described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 2000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as the computer-readable storage medium. The programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium can be provided to the computer 2000 via a network.

[0104] It can be that a program installed on the computer 2000 and causing the computer 2000 to function as the information processing device 200 runs in the CPU 2012 or the like, causing the computer 2000 to function as each part of the information processing device 200 respectively. The information processing described in these programs functions as each part of the information processing device 200, which is a specific means for software to cooperate with the above various hardware resources by being read into the computer 2000. Moreover, by adopting these specific means to perform the operation or processing of information corresponding to the usage purpose of the computer 2000 in the present embodiment, a unique information processing device 200 corresponding to the usage purpose can be constructed.

[0105] Various embodiments have been described with reference to block diagrams and the like. In a block diagram, each block can represent (1) a step of a process in which an operation is performed or (2) each part of a device having the function of performing the operation. Specific steps and each part can be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit can include a digital circuit and / or an analog hardware circuit, and can include an integrated circuit (IC) and / or a discrete circuit. The programmable circuit can include reconfigurable hardware circuits such as logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, and memory elements such as flip-flops, registers, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), programmable logic arrays (PLA), etc.

[0106] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device that can store instructions executable by a suitable device. As a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein constitutes at least a part of a product containing instructions that can be executed for the purpose of providing means for performing operations specified by a processing operation process or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include Floppy (registered trademark) disks, optical discs, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memories), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROM), static random access memories (SRAM), compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROM), digital versatile discs (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) discs, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, etc.

[0107] Computer-readable instructions may include assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, or any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk, JAVA (registered trademark), C++, etc., and existing procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or the like, in either source code or object code.

[0108] It may be that computer-readable instructions are provided to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device via a local network or a local area network (LAN), such as a wide area network (WAN) like the Internet, and are executed for the purpose of providing means for performing operations specified by the described processing operation process or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0109] The present invention has been described using embodiments above, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, it is understood that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. According to the description of the claims, embodiments made by applying the above-mentioned changes or improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0110] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the information processing apparatus 200 is described as being installed in the vehicle 50. The information processing apparatus 200 is preferably installed in a moving body such as the vehicle 50 where the communication environment varies greatly. Instead of this, the information processing apparatus 200 may also be installed in a personal computer or a portable terminal.

[0111] It should be noted that, with respect to the execution order of each process such as actions, operation steps, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings, as long as words such as "before...", "prior to", etc. are not specifically indicated, and it is not stated that the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process, it can be implemented in any order. Regarding the action flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings, for convenience, descriptions such as "First," and "Second," are used, but even so, it does not necessarily mean that it must be implemented in that order.

[0112] Description of Reference Numerals

[0113] 24 Control device

[0114] 25 Equipment

[0115] 26 Display device

[0116] 27 Screen

[0117] 29 In-vehicle network

[0118] 30 External device

[0119] 50 Vehicle

[0120] 90 Communication network

[0121] 92 Wireless communication system

[0122] 200 Information processing apparatus

[0123] [[ID=·39]]202 Communication unit

[0124] 210 Communication status measurement unit

[0125] 220 Communication status prediction unit

[0126] 224 Arrival status estimation unit

[0127] 225 Arrival status notification unit

[0128] 226 Sound detection unit

[0129] 227 Image data sharing unit

[0130] 228 Transmission amount acquisition unit

[0131] 230 Bandwidth Control Unit

[0132] 240 Control Object Discrimination Unit

[0133] 250 Priority Control Unit

[0134] 1000 Control System

[0135] 1010 Core ECU

[0136] 1020 TCU

[0137] 1021 AD / ADAS ECU

[0138] 1022 Information System ECU

[0139] 1023 Area ECU

[0140] 1024 Area ECU

[0141] 1030 Driving System Equipment

[0142] 1031 Comfort System Equipment

[0143] 1032 Alarm System Equipment

[0144] 1033 Vision System Equipment

[0145] 1034 Advanced Safety System Equipment

[0146] 1035 Anti-theft System Equipment

[0147] 1036 Lamp Body System Equipment

[0148] 1037 Door System Equipment

[0149] 1038 Driving Positioning System Equipment

[0150] 1039 Opening and Closing System Equipment

[0151] 1040 Sensor Equipment

[0152] 1041 Information System Equipment

[0153] 1080 Communication Network

[0154] 1081 Communication Network

[0155] 1082 Communication Network

[0156] 1084 Communication Network

[0157] 1085 Communication Network

[0158] 2000 Computer

[0159] 2010 Main Controller

[0160] 2012 CPU

[0161] 2014 RAM

[0162] 2020 Input / Output Controller

[0163] 2022 Communication Interface

[0164] 2024 Flash Memory

[0165] 2026 ROM

[0166] 2040 Input / Output Chip.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus that communicates with an external apparatus via a communication network, wherein, The information processing apparatus includes: a communication state measurement unit that measures the state of communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus; a priority control unit that sets the communication priority based on the type of data transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the external device; a communication state prediction unit that predicts the future communication state between the external device and the information processing apparatus based on the amount of data transmitted to the external device after adjustment according to the priority set by the priority control unit; an arrival status estimation unit that estimates the future arrival status of data transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus based on the future communication state predicted by the communication state prediction unit; and an arrival status notification unit that notifies the user of the information processing apparatus of the future arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The state of the communication includes either bandwidth or throughput.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein it further includes a communication state adjustment unit that adjusts the state of the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus, and the communication state measurement unit measures the state of the communication adjusted by the communication state adjustment unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus communicates with an external display device, and the arrival status notification unit notifies the user of the arrival status by causing the display device to display the arrival status.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the arrival status notification unit notifies the user of the arrival status by causing the display device to display an icon indicating the arrival status, and the arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the icon with different display modes according to the state of the communication.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the arrival status estimation unit further estimates the current arrival status of the data based on the state of the communication measured by the communication state measurement unit, and the arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the future arrival status and the current arrival status estimated by the arrival status estimation unit, respectively.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein it further includes a sound detection unit that detects the sound emitted by the user, the data includes sound data that is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the external device in the communication between the external device and the information processing apparatus, and the arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the current arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit detects the sound, and causes the display device to display the future arrival status of the sound data during the period when the sound detection unit does not detect the sound.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein It also includes a sound detection unit that detects the sound emitted by the user. The data includes sound data, which is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is sent by the information processing device to the external device during the communication between the external device and the information processing device. During the period when the sound detection unit detects the sound, the arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data, and during the period when the sound detection unit does not detect the sound, the arrival status notification unit does not cause the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, It also includes: A sound detection unit that detects the sound emitted by the user; And An image data sharing unit for causing the display device and the external device to display image data in real time. The data includes: Sound data, which is the sound data of the sound detected by the sound detection unit and is sent by the information processing device to the external device during the communication between the external device and the information processing device; and The image data, which is sent by the information processing device to the external device during the communication between the external device and the information processing device. The arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the arrival status of the sound data and the arrival status of the image data respectively.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein It further includes a transmission amount acquisition unit that acquires the transmission amount of the image data sent by the information processing device to the external device during the communication between the external device and the information processing device. Based on the state of the future communication predicted by the communication state prediction unit and the transmission amount acquired by the transmission amount acquisition unit, the arrival status estimation unit estimates the time lag when the image data is displayed on the display device and the external device. The arrival status notification unit causes the display device to display the time lag estimated by the arrival status estimation unit and the arrival status of the image data.

11. A vehicle, wherein, It includes: The information processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 10; and At least one of the display devices such as an instrument and a head-up display.

12. An information processing method, which is executed by an information processing device that communicates with an external device via a communication network, wherein The information processing method includes: A communication state measurement step of measuring the state of the communication between the external device and the information processing device; A priority control step of setting the communication priority based on the type of data sent from the information processing device to the external device; A communication state prediction step of predicting the state of the future communication between the external device and the information processing device based on the data amount adjusted according to the priority set by the priority control step and sent to the external device; An arrival status estimation step of estimating the future arrival status of the data sent from the information processing device to the external device during the communication between the external device and the information processing device based on the state of the future communication predicted in the communication state prediction step; And An arrival status notification step for notifying a user of the information processing apparatus of the arrival status estimated in the arrival status estimation step.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program causing a computer that communicates with an external device via a communication network to execute: A communication status measurement process for measuring the status of communication between the external device and the computer; A priority control process for setting the priority of communication based on the type of data sent from the computer to the external device; A communication status prediction process for predicting the status of future communication between the external device and the computer based on the amount of data sent to the external device after adjustment according to the priority set by the priority control process; An arrival status estimation process for estimating the future arrival status of data sent from the computer to the external device in the communication between the external device and the computer based on the status of the future communication predicted in the communication status prediction process; and An arrival status notification process for notifying a user of the computer of the arrival status estimated in the arrival status estimation process.

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