Information processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides an information processing apparatus. The information processing device is provided with a processor that executes the following operations: in accordance with the occurrence of at least one of a weather-related event and a natural disaster event, specifies a vehicle located at the occurrence location of the event; determining a predetermined condition based on the event; the provision of a peripheral image, which is generated by imaging the periphery of the specified vehicle by an imaging unit mounted on the specified vehicle and which satisfies a predetermined condition, is requested for the specified vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. Background Art

[0002] A photographing unit is provided on the vehicle, and the photographing unit photographs the surroundings of the vehicle and generates a surrounding image. The surrounding environment of the vehicle at the time of photographing is captured in the surrounding image. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-83034, a technology is known as follows, that is, after collecting surrounding images generated by the photographing unit of the vehicle at a user's desired position and surrounding environment, the collected surrounding images are provided to the user.

[0003] However, when rare weather-related events such as tornadoes and meteorite falls or rare natural disaster events such as earthquakes and floods occur, users sometimes want to obtain surrounding images showing these events. On the other hand, due to the position of the vehicle, the specifications and settings of the camera unit, and the shooting direction, the surrounding images sometimes do not appropriately reflect these events. The technology disclosed in the above patent document is a technology for collecting surrounding images based on the position of the vehicle, but it is difficult to collect surrounding images that appropriately capture the event. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an information processing device is provided. The information processing device includes a processor, and the processor is configured to perform the following operations, namely: according to the occurrence of at least one of a weather-related event and a natural disaster event, a vehicle located at the occurrence location of the event is determined; a predetermined condition is determined based on the event; a surrounding image is provided to the determined vehicle, and the surrounding image is generated by a camera mounted on the determined vehicle to capture the surroundings of the determined vehicle and satisfies the predetermined condition; and the requested surrounding image is received from the determined vehicle via a communication network. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 A diagram for explaining an information processing system.

[0006] Figure 2 A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device and a control device.

[0007] Figure 3 A diagram showing an example of the content of the first predetermined condition information.

[0008] Figure 4 A diagram showing an example of the content of the second predetermined condition information.

[0009] Figure 5This is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the control device.

[0010] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the server device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] <Implementation Method>

[0012] The following, based on Figures 1 to 6 , an embodiment of an information processing device is described.

[0013] <Overall Configuration of Information Processing System 1>

[0014] like Figure 1 As shown, the information processing system 1 includes, for example, one or more vehicles 10 and one or more server devices 20. The server device 20 is an example of an information processing device. The vehicle 10 includes, for example, a photographing unit 11, a position information acquisition unit 12, and a control device 30. The control device 30 and the server device 20 are connected via a communication network 40 in a manner capable of receiving and sending information. The communication network 40 includes, for example, the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a service provider terminal, a wireless communication network, a wireless base station, a dedicated line, etc.

[0015] The photographing unit 11 is a digital camera that utilizes a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). An example of the photographing unit 11 is a digital camera that constitutes a driving recorder. The photographing unit 11 photographs the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10 on which it is mounted. Depending on the installation position of the photographing unit 11 on the vehicle 10, the photographing unit 11 can photograph the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle 10. The photographing unit 11 generates a surrounding image by photographing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10. In addition, the photographing unit 11 generates a surrounding video consisting of a plurality of surrounding images that are continuous in time series.

[0016] The position information acquisition unit 12 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver. The position information acquisition unit 12 identifies the position of the vehicle 10 based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite, and acquires position information indicating the position of the vehicle 10 .

[0017] The control device 30 is configured to send location information to the server device 20 at predetermined time intervals so that the server device 20 can determine the location of the vehicle 10. In addition, the control device 30 sends the surrounding image and the surrounding video to the server device 20 when a request is issued from the server device 20 and when the predetermined conditions prompted by the server device 20 are met. Specifically, when only the surrounding image can be provided according to the specifications of the shooting unit 11 and the specifications of the driving recorder, the control device 30 sends the surrounding image that meets the predetermined conditions to the server device 20. In addition, when only the surrounding video can be provided according to the specifications of the shooting unit 11 and the specifications of the driving recorder, the control device 30 sends the surrounding video that meets the predetermined conditions to the server device 20. On the other hand, when both the surrounding image and the surrounding video can be provided, the control device 30 is configured to provide only the surrounding video.

[0018] The server device 20 is a device that collects information provided from the vehicle 10, for example. The server device 20 collects, for example, surrounding images of weather-related events such as tornadoes and meteorite falls or natural disaster events such as earthquakes and floods that are appropriately captured from the vehicle 10. In the following description, weather-related events and natural disaster events are simply recorded as events without distinguishing between them.

[0019] <Configuration of Server Device 20>

[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, the server device 20 includes, for example, a processing circuit 21, a communication unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The processing circuit 21 is composed of a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing circuit 21 can perform various processes by executing a program through the hardware processor. The program can be pre-stored in the storage unit 23. The storage unit 23 is implemented by a non-disposable storage medium such as an HDD or a flash memory. The communication unit 22 includes, for example, a communication circuit or a communication module, and receives and sends various data with the control device 30 and other devices based on the control of the processing circuit 21.

[0021] The storage unit 23 stores in advance predetermined condition information 231. The predetermined condition information 231 is information that associates an event with a predetermined condition suitable for photographing the event, for example. The predetermined condition information 231 includes first predetermined condition information 231-1 and second predetermined condition information 231-2.

[0022] like Figure 3As shown, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 includes information showing predetermined conditions of shooting position, shooting direction and video quality, for example, for weather-related events and natural disaster events. The predetermined condition of the shooting position is whether the position of the vehicle 10 is an ordinary road or a highway. The predetermined condition of the shooting direction is whether the field of view of the shooting unit 11 is downward or upward compared to the horizontal direction. The predetermined conditions of the video quality include the conditions of the resolution of the surrounding image generated by the shooting unit 11 and the conditions of the frame rate of the surrounding video. The predetermined condition of the resolution is whether the surrounding image is a low resolution lower than the predetermined resolution or a high resolution higher than the predetermined resolution. The predetermined condition of the frame rate is whether the surrounding video is a low frame rate lower than the predetermined frame rate or a high frame rate higher than the predetermined frame rate. The predetermined resolution is, for example, full HD. In addition, the predetermined frame rate is, for example, 60 [fps]. In addition, the predetermined resolution and the predetermined frame rate are an example and are not limited to this.

[0023] Specifically, in the first predetermined condition information 231 - 1 , the following predetermined conditions ( A1 ) to ( A5 ) are shown for weather-related events.

[0024] (A1) Regarding the shooting location, a highway is preferred over a normal road.

[0025] (A2) Regarding the shooting direction, the field of view is preferably only upward.

[0026] (A3) Regarding the provision method, it is better to provide only the surrounding video among the surrounding images and the surrounding video.

[0027] (A4) Regarding resolution, high resolution is better than low resolution.

[0028] (A5) Regarding frame rate, only high frame rate is good.

[0029] Furthermore, in the first predetermined condition information 231 - 1 , the following predetermined conditions ( B1 ) to ( B5 ) are shown for natural disaster events.

[0030] (B1) As for the shooting location, ordinary roads are preferred over expressways.

[0031] (B2) Regarding the shooting direction, the field of view is preferably only downward.

[0032] (B3) Regarding the provision method, between surrounding images and surrounding videos, providing surrounding images has a higher priority.

[0033] (B4) Regarding resolution, high resolution is preferred over low resolution.

[0034] (B5) Regarding frame rate, only low frame rate is good.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, in the second predetermined condition information 231-2, for example, conditions in particular regarding earthquakes in natural disaster events are shown. Specifically, in the second predetermined condition information 231-2, earthquakes with a high magnitude greater than a predetermined magnitude are matched to the predetermined condition (C1). In addition, in the second predetermined condition information 231-2, earthquakes with a low magnitude less than a predetermined magnitude are matched to the predetermined condition (C2).

[0036] (C1) The video includes the situation during the earthquake or after the shaking stops.

[0037] (C2) The video shows the situation during the earthquake.

[0038] In addition, the predetermined conditions included in the predetermined condition information 231 are just an example and are not limited thereto. Some of the predetermined conditions included in the predetermined condition information 231 may not be included, and other predetermined conditions may be included.

[0039] Back to Figure 2 For example, the user or manager of the server device 20 inputs information indicating that an event has occurred and the location where the event has occurred to the server device 20. The processing circuit 21 refers to the predetermined condition information 231 and determines the event that matches the event indicated by the input information. The processing circuit 21 determines the information indicating the predetermined condition corresponding to the determined event. That is, the server device 20 changes the predetermined condition according to the content of the event by selecting the predetermined condition from the predetermined condition information 231. That is, the server device 20 determines the predetermined condition based on the event. The processing circuit 21 determines the vehicle 10 that exists within a range from the location where the event has occurred to a predetermined distance based on the information indicating the location where the event has occurred and the position information received from the vehicle 10. The processing circuit 21 sends the information indicating the determined predetermined condition to the determined vehicle 10 using the communication unit 22, thereby requesting the surrounding image and the surrounding video from the vehicle 10. In response to the request, the server device 20 collects the surrounding image and the surrounding video sent by the vehicle 10.

[0040] <Configuration of Control Device 30>

[0041] like Figure 2As shown, the control device 30 includes, for example, a processing circuit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33. The processing circuit 31 is composed of a hardware processor such as a CPU. The processing circuit 31 can perform various processes by executing the program through the hardware processor. The program can be pre-stored in the storage unit 33. The storage unit 33 is implemented by a non-disposable storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The communication unit 32 includes, for example, a communication circuit or a communication module, and receives and sends various data with the server device 20 and other devices based on the control of the processing circuit 31.

[0042] When the processing circuit 31 receives information indicating a predetermined condition from the server device 20 via the communication unit 32, it determines whether the surrounding image of the determination object or the surrounding video of the determination object satisfies the predetermined condition. The surrounding image of the determination object is, for example, a surrounding image generated by the imaging unit 11 at the time when the information indicating the predetermined condition is received. In addition, the surrounding video of the determination object is, for example, a video recorded from the time when the information indicating the predetermined condition is received to the time before the predetermined time.

[0043] The processing circuit 31 determines the shooting direction, resolution, and frame rate based on the specifications of the shooting unit 11 or the parameter settings of the shooting unit 11. In addition, the processing circuit 31 determines the field of view based on the position of the vanishing point of the peripheral image of the judgment object or each peripheral image constituting the peripheral video of the judgment object. In addition, the processing circuit 31 determines whether the road captured in the peripheral image is an ordinary road or a highway by performing ordinary image processing on the peripheral image of the judgment object or each peripheral image constituting the peripheral video of the judgment object.

[0044] The processing circuit 31 determines whether the surrounding image of the determination object or the surrounding video of the determination object satisfies the predetermined condition based on the determined information. If the processing circuit 31 determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the processing circuit 31 does not provide the surrounding image or the surrounding video to the server device 20. If the processing circuit 31 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the processing circuit 31 provides the surrounding image or the surrounding video to the server device 20.

[0045]

[0046] Reference Figure 5 , the processing executed in the control device 30 is described. Figure 5 In addition to the above-described processing, the processing circuit 31 further executes processing for transmitting position information indicating the position of the vehicle 10 to the server device 20 via the communication unit 32 at predetermined time intervals.

[0047] like Figure 5As shown, first, the processing circuit 31 determines whether information indicating a predetermined condition is received from the server device 20 through the communication unit 32 (step S100). The processing circuit 31 stands by until the information indicating the predetermined condition is received from the server device 20 (step S100: No). When the processing circuit 31 receives the information indicating the predetermined condition, it determines whether the surrounding image of the judgment object or the surrounding video of the judgment object satisfies the predetermined condition (step S102). When the received predetermined condition is the predetermined condition (A1) to (A5) related to the weather-related event and the predetermined condition (C1) to (C2) related to the earthquake, the processing circuit 31 determines whether the surrounding video of the judgment object satisfies the predetermined condition. In addition, when the received predetermined condition is the predetermined condition (B1) to (B5) related to the natural disaster event other than the earthquake, the processing circuit 31 determines whether the surrounding image or the surrounding video of the judgment object satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0048] When the processing circuit 31 determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied (step S102: No), it terminates a series of processing as there is no surrounding image or surrounding video to be provided to the server device 20. When the processing circuit 31 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied (step S102: Yes), the surrounding image or surrounding video of the determination target is transmitted to the server device 20 via the communication unit 32 (step S104). Then, the processing circuit 31 terminates a series of processing.

[0049]

[0050] Reference Figure 6 , the processing executed in the server device 20 is described. Figure 6 In addition to the processing shown, the processing circuit 21 also executes processing for receiving position information indicating the position of the vehicle 10 from the control device 30 via the communication unit 22 at predetermined time intervals.

[0051] like Figure 6As shown, first, the processing circuit 21 determines whether an event has occurred (step S200). The processing circuit 21 stands by before the event occurs (step S200: No). When the processing circuit 21 is input with information indicating that an event has occurred and the location where the event occurred, it determines that an event has occurred. When the processing circuit 21 determines that an event has occurred (step S200: Yes), it refers to the predetermined condition information 231 and determines the predetermined condition corresponding to the event (step S202). The processing circuit 21 enables the communication unit 22 to send information indicating the determined predetermined condition to the vehicle 10 within the range from the location where the event occurred to the predetermined distance (step S204). The processing circuit 21 receives the surrounding images or surrounding videos sent by the vehicle 10 and the surrounding images or surrounding videos that meet the predetermined conditions through the communication unit 22 (step S206). Then, the processing circuit 21 ends a series of processing.

[0052] <Functions and effects of implementation>

[0053] According to the above-described embodiment, the following operations and effects can be obtained.

[0054] (1) The imaging unit 11 generates a peripheral image by imaging the periphery of the vehicle 10 . The position information acquisition unit 12 acquires the position information of the vehicle 10 , and transmits the acquired position information to the server device 20 .

[0055] The processing circuit 21 determines information indicating a predetermined condition corresponding to the event that occurred. The processing circuit 21 causes the communication unit 22 to send the determined information indicating the predetermined condition of the surrounding image to the vehicle 10, thereby requesting the surrounding image from the vehicle 10. In addition, the processing circuit 21 causes the communication unit 22 to send the determined information indicating the predetermined condition of the surrounding video to the vehicle 10, thereby requesting the surrounding video from the vehicle 10. Then, in the control device 30 of the vehicle 10, the surrounding image generated at the time when the above-mentioned event occurred is searched. Then, it is determined whether the surrounding image satisfies the predetermined condition. In the case where it is determined that the surrounding image satisfies the predetermined condition, the surrounding image is sent to the server device 20. On the other hand, in the case where it is determined that the surrounding image does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the surrounding image is not sent to the server device 20.

[0056] In response to the request, the server device 20 collects the surrounding images and surrounding videos sent by the vehicle 10. According to this structure, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding images and surrounding videos that properly capture the event. Specifically, the server device 20 may not collect images that do not meet the predetermined conditions.

[0057] (2) The predetermined condition includes at least one of the position of the vehicle 10 and the shooting direction of the peripheral image.

[0058] Here, in order to appropriately capture weather-related events such as tornadoes and meteorite falls in the surrounding video, it may be more preferable that the vehicle 10 is located on a highway with a better view than on ordinary roads. According to this structure, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 of weather-related events includes the above-mentioned predetermined condition (A1). Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding video with a good view generated when the vehicle 10 is on the highway.

[0059] In addition, in order to properly capture the weather-related event in the surrounding image, it may be more preferable that the field of view of the surrounding image is upward. According to this structure, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 of the weather-related event includes the above-mentioned predetermined condition (A2). Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding images and surrounding videos whose field of view is upward and which properly capture the sky.

[0060] In addition, in order to appropriately capture natural disaster events such as earthquakes and floods in the surrounding images or surrounding videos, it may be more preferable to be able to confirm ground cracks, water flows, etc. Therefore, it may be more preferable that the vehicle 10 is located on an ordinary road that is closer to the ground surface than a highway. According to this structure, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 of the natural disaster event includes the above-mentioned predetermined condition (B1). Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding images or surrounding videos with clearer conditions of the ground surface generated when the vehicle 10 is on an ordinary road.

[0061] In addition, in order to properly capture the natural disaster event in the surrounding image, it may be more preferable that the field of view of the surrounding image is downward. According to this structure, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 of the natural disaster event includes the above-mentioned predetermined condition (B2). Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding images or surrounding videos whose field of view is downward and the ground surface is properly captured.

[0062] (3) The frame rate related to the surrounding video is included in the predetermined condition. Here, in order to appropriately capture weather-related events such as tornadoes and meteorite falls that occur in a short period of time in the surrounding video, it may be more preferable for the shooting unit 11 to shoot at a high frame rate. According to this structure, the first predetermined condition information 231-1 of the weather-related event includes the above-mentioned predetermined condition (A5). Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding video captured at a frame rate corresponding to the event.

[0063] (4) As shown in the second predetermined condition information 231-2, the predetermined condition when the magnitude of the earthquake is greater than the predetermined magnitude includes the following condition, that is, the surrounding video includes both the surrounding images generated during the earthquake and the surrounding images generated after the shaking caused by the earthquake stops. In addition, when the magnitude of the earthquake is less than the predetermined magnitude, the predetermined condition includes the following condition, that is, the surrounding video includes only the surrounding images generated during the earthquake, of the surrounding images generated during the earthquake and the surrounding images generated after the shaking caused by the earthquake stops.

[0064] Here, when the magnitude of the earthquake is above the predetermined magnitude, it may be more preferable to capture the situation of the ongoing earthquake in the surrounding video, and what the situation of the surrounding of the vehicle 10 becomes after the shaking caused by the earthquake stops. This is because, when the magnitude is large, the possibility of disasters caused by the earthquake is high. On the other hand, when the magnitude of the earthquake is less than the predetermined magnitude, it may be more preferable to capture the degree of shaking during the earthquake in the surrounding video. This is because, when the magnitude is small, the possibility of disasters caused by the earthquake is low. According to this structure, the predetermined condition can be changed according to whether the magnitude is above the predetermined magnitude. Therefore, the server device 20 can collect the surrounding videos that appropriately capture the earthquake according to the magnitude of the earthquake.

[0065] <Modification>

[0066] The above-mentioned embodiment can also be modified as follows. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment and the following individual examples can be combined within the range of no technical contradiction.

[0067] The predetermined condition information 231 may include conditions related to the duration of the surrounding video. For example, the predetermined condition information 231 may include a condition that the surrounding video is longer than a predetermined duration. With this configuration, the server device 20 can obtain surrounding videos of a sufficient duration to confirm the event.

[0068] In the above, although a unified predetermined condition is set for the frame rate of the weather-related event in the first predetermined condition information 231-1, it is not limited to this. Here, between a tornado and a meteorite fall, a meteorite fall occurs in a shorter time. Along with this, it can also be set that, with respect to the weather-related event, a predetermined condition that is expressed as a lower frame rate than a meteorite fall is associated with the tornado event. On the other hand, it can also be set that, with respect to the weather-related event, a predetermined condition that is expressed as a higher frame rate than a tornado is associated with the meteorite fall event.

[0069] In the above, the control device 30 is described as providing only the surrounding video when both the surrounding image and the surrounding video can be provided, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When both the surrounding image and the surrounding video can be provided, the control device 30 may be configured to send both the surrounding image and the surrounding video to the server device 20 as long as a predetermined condition is met. In addition, the control device 30 may send an appropriate one of the surrounding image and the surrounding video to the server device 20 based on a predetermined condition and according to an event.

[0070] In the above, although it is described that the surrounding image of the judgment object is, for example, a surrounding image generated by the shooting unit 11 at the time when the information indicating the predetermined condition is received, it is not limited to this. The server device 20 may also send information indicating the date and time of the event occurrence to the control device 30 together with the information indicating the predetermined condition. In this case, the processing circuit 31 uses the surrounding image captured and generated by the shooting unit 11 at the date and time of the event occurrence shown in the received information as the surrounding image of the judgment object for subsequent processing. In addition, the processing circuit 31 uses the surrounding video including the surrounding image captured and generated by the shooting unit 11 at the date and time of the event occurrence shown in the received information as the surrounding video of the judgment object for subsequent processing.

[0071] Part or all of the structural elements of the processing circuit 21 and the processing circuit 31 may be implemented by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., or may be implemented by the collaboration of software and hardware.

Claims

1. An information processing device, The information processing device includes a processor. The processor is configured to perform the following actions, namely: According to the occurrence of at least one of a weather-related event and a natural disaster event, a vehicle located at a location where the event occurs is determined; determining a predetermined condition based on the event; requesting the determined vehicle to provide a surrounding image, wherein the surrounding image is generated by photographing the surroundings of the determined vehicle by a photographing unit mounted on the determined vehicle and satisfies the predetermined condition; The requested surrounding image is received from the determined vehicle via a communication network.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The surrounding image is one of a plurality of surrounding images that are continuous in time series. The processor is further configured to, when the event occurs, request the vehicle located at the location where the event occurs to provide a surrounding video, wherein the surrounding video satisfies the predetermined condition and is composed of the plurality of surrounding images. The predetermined condition includes at least one of a duration of the surrounding video, a position of the vehicle, and a shooting direction of the surrounding image.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The surrounding image is one of a plurality of surrounding images that are continuous in time series. The processor is further configured to, when the event occurs, request the vehicle located at the location where the event occurs to provide a surrounding video, wherein the surrounding video satisfies the predetermined condition and is composed of the plurality of surrounding images. The predetermined condition includes a frame rate related to the surrounding video.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein: The weather-related events include tornadoes and meteorite falls. In the case of the tornado, the frame rate is lower than that in the case of the meteorite fall.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The surrounding image is one of a plurality of surrounding images that are continuous in time series. The processor is further configured to, when the event occurs, request the vehicle located at the location where the event occurs to provide a surrounding video, wherein the surrounding video satisfies the predetermined condition and is composed of the plurality of surrounding images. The natural disaster event includes an earthquake. The predetermined conditions when the magnitude of the earthquake is greater than a predetermined magnitude include the following condition, namely, the surrounding video includes both the surrounding image generated during the period when the earthquake occurs and the surrounding image generated after the shaking caused by the earthquake stops, The predetermined conditions when the magnitude of the earthquake is less than the predetermined magnitude include the following condition, namely, the surrounding images generated during the period when the earthquake occurs are included in the surrounding video, but the surrounding images generated after the shaking caused by the earthquake stops are not included in the surrounding video.

Images