Video distribution system and video distribution method

Abstract

To utilize a video shot by a drone effectively.SOLUTION: A video distribution system includes: a transfer device which transfers a video shot by a drone; a relay device which relays data of the video transferred by the transfer device; and a video distribution device which stores the video data relayed by the relay device and distributes the stored video data in response to a request from a web browser. The video distribution device comprises: a video storage unit which stores the video data shot by each drone in association with attribute information of the drone that shot the video; a selection unit which selects the video data to be output from the video data stored in the video storage unit on the basis of the attribute information specified by a viewer of the video; and a display control unit which displays the video data selected by the selection unit on a terminal of the viewer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a video distribution system and a video distribution method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a computer-implemented method for configuring a virtual camera, the method including: receiving, at an interface of an electronic device, a pointing operation identifying a position in a depiction of a scene displayed in a first display area; receiving, at the interface, a further operation in the first display area including a successive movement away from the position of the pointing operation; and configuring the virtual camera based on the position of the pointing operation and at least a direction of the further operation, wherein an image corresponding to the configured virtual camera is displayed in a second display area different from the first display area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-523668 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention aims to utilize footage captured by drones. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The video distribution system of the present invention includes a transfer device that transfers video captured by a drone, a relay device that relays the video data transferred by the transfer device, and a video distribution device that stores the video data relayed by the relay device and distributes the stored video data in response to a request from a web browser.

[0006] Preferably, the transfer device is a mobile terminal connected to the drone, and the image captured by the drone is transferred in real time to the relay device by mirroring the screen of the mobile terminal.

[0007] Preferably, the video distribution device includes a plurality of transfer devices and a plurality of relay devices respectively connected to a plurality of drones, and the video distribution device has a video storage unit that stores a plurality of video data relayed by the relay devices in association with attribute information of the drone that captured each video data, and a display control unit that displays the video data stored by the video storage unit in accordance with the associated attribute information.

[0008] In addition, the video distribution system of the present invention is a video distribution system including a plurality of drones and a video distribution device that distributes video data captured by these drones, and the video distribution device has a video storage unit that stores the video data captured by each of the drones in association with attribute information of the drone that captured the video, a selection unit that selects video data to be output from the video data stored in the video storage unit based on attribute information specified by a viewer of the video, and a display control unit that displays the video data selected by the selection unit on the viewer's terminal.

[0009] Preferably, the attribute information is location information indicating the location of each of the drones, and the selection unit selects the video data to be output based on the location information specified by the viewer.

[0010] Preferably, the attribute information is date and time information indicating the date and time when the video was captured by each of the drones, the selection unit selects the video data to be output based on the date and time specified by the viewer, and the display control unit displays a list of the video data selected by the selection unit on the viewer's terminal.

[0011] In addition, the video distribution method of the present invention includes a transfer step in which a computer transfers video captured by a drone, a relay step in which a computer relays the video data transferred by the transfer step, and a video distribution step in which a computer accumulates the video data relayed by the relay step and distributes the accumulated video data in response to a request from a web browser. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, images captured by a drone can be utilized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a video distribution system 1. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a video distribution device 2. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a video distribution device 2. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a video information DB 370. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a browsing process (S10) in the video distribution system 1. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an alert state process (S20) in the video distribution system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a video distribution system 1. 1, the video distribution system 1 includes a video distribution device 2, a relay device 6, a plurality of drones 8, a controller 70 for controlling each drone 8, and a transfer device 72 connected to each controller 70. The video distribution device 2 is connected to the relay device 6 via an LTE communication line, the Internet network, or the like. The relay device 6 is connected to the transfer device 72 by wireless communication such as WiFi. The controller 70 is connected to the drones 8 by wireless communication. The video distribution device 2 is a computer terminal that receives data of the video captured by the drone 8 via the transfer device 72 and the relay device 6, and distributes the received video data to the viewing terminal 9.

[0015] The relay device 6 is a computer terminal having a communication function, and transmits the video data transferred by the transfer device 72 to the video distribution device 2. The relay device 6 in this example is a video distribution device (e.g., Live Shell X) enclosed in a waterproof case, and is battery-powered to perform WiFi communication, LTE communication, and relay processing of video data.

[0016] The controller 70 is a controller for controlling the drone 8. The transfer device 72 is a mobile terminal connected to the controller 70, and transfers the video data received by the controller 70 to the relay device 6 by mirroring the video data. The transfer device 72 in this example is a smartphone on which the drone 8 app and the WiFi connection app are installed, and is physically connected to the controller 70 and functions as a part of the drone 8 controller. The drone 8 is a drone controlled by the controller 70, which captures video while hovering in the air and transmits the captured video data to the controller 70 and the transfer device 72.

[0017] In the above configuration, the transfer device 72 transfers the video captured by the drone 8 to the relay device 6 in association with attribute information of the drone 8 (location information of the drone and information on the date and time of capture), the relay device 6 transfers the video data and attribute information received from the transfer device 72 to the video distribution device 2, the video distribution device 2 accumulates the video data and attribute information received from the relay device 6, and distributes the accumulated video data to the viewing terminal 9 in response to a request from the web browser of the viewing terminal 9. The distribution of video data includes real-time distribution performed at approximately the same time as the image is captured by the drone 9, and archive distribution after a certain period of time has passed since the image is captured by the drone 9. In real-time distribution, the transfer process by the transfer device 72 and the relay process by the relay device 6 are executed immediately.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the video distribution device 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the video distribution device 2 includes a CPU 200, a memory 202, a HDD 204, a network interface 206 (network IF 206), a display device 208, and an input device 210, which are connected to one another via a bus 212. The CPU 200 is, for example, a central processing unit. The memory 202 is, for example, a volatile memory, and functions as a main storage device. The HDD 204 is, for example, a hard disk drive device, and serves as a non-volatile storage device for storing computer programs and other data files. The network IF 206 is an interface for wired or wireless communication. The display device 208 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The input device 210 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The transfer device 72 also has the same hardware configuration as the video distribution device 2 .

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the video distribution device 2. As shown in FIG. 3, in the video distribution device 2 of this embodiment, a server program 3 is installed, and a video information database 370 (video information DB 370) is configured. The server program 3 includes an image data acquisition unit 300 , an attribute information acquisition unit 310 , a search condition acquisition unit 320 , a camera selection unit 330 , and a display control unit 340 . A part or the whole of the server program 3 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC. The server program 3 is stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and is installed in the video distribution device 2 via the recording medium.

[0020] In the server program 3, the image data acquisition unit 300 acquires video data captured by the drone 8. The image data acquisition unit 300 in this example acquires video data of moving images captured by the drone 8 via the transfer device 72 and the relay device 6, and registers the video data in the video information DB 370. The attribute information acquisition unit 310 acquires attribute information of the drone 8 that captured the video data. The attribute information acquisition unit 310 in this example acquires identification information (drone ID) of the drone 8, location information of the drone 8, and date and time information when the video was captured by the drone 8 via the transfer device 72 and the relay device 6, and registers them in the video information DB 370. As a result, the video data and attribute information captured by the drone 8 are registered in the video information DB 370 in a mutually associated state, as exemplified in FIG. 4.

[0021] The search condition acquisition unit 320 acquires search conditions for searching for the drone 8 or the video. The search condition acquisition unit 320 in this example acquires search conditions for searching for the drone 8 or the video from the viewing terminal 9 via the Internet.

[0022] The camera selection unit 330 selects video data to be output from the video data stored in the video information DB 370 based on the attribute information specified by the viewer of the video. More specifically, the camera selection unit 330 selects a drone 8 or video data captured by the drone 8 based on the search conditions acquired by the search condition acquisition unit 320 and the attribute information registered in the video information DB 370. The camera selection unit 330 in this example selects video data captured by the drones 8 under its management by inputting the drone IDs of the drones 8 under its management at the viewing terminal 9. Furthermore, the camera selection unit 330 selects a drone 8 based on the location information or shooting date and time information transmitted from the viewing terminal 9, and distributes the video shot by the selected drone 8. The camera selection unit 330 is an example of a selection unit according to the present invention.

[0023] Display control section 340 causes viewing terminal 9 to display the video data selected by camera selection section 330 from the video data acquired by image data acquisition section 300. Display control section 340 in this example arranges the video data selected by camera selection section 330 on a web page, and causes the web browser of viewing terminal 9 to display the list.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in the video information DB 370. As shown in FIG. As illustrated in Figure 4, the video information DB370 stores, in association with a drone ID that identifies the drone 8, current location information indicating the current location of the drone 8, a video file of the video captured by the drone 8, shooting location information indicating the location where the video file was captured, and shooting date and time information indicating the date and time when the video file was captured.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the browsing process (S10) in the video distribution system 1. As shown in FIG. 5, in step 100 (S100), the camera selection unit 330 (FIG. 3) of the video distribution device 2 authenticates the user requesting viewing based on the user ID and password sent from the viewing terminal 9, and if authentication is successful, identifies the ID of the drone for which the user has been granted viewing authority and proceeds to processing of S105. If authentication fails a predetermined number of times, the viewing process (S10) is terminated.

[0026] In step 105 (S105), the search condition acquisition section 320 acquires the area condition (search condition related to the shooting position) input via the web browser of the viewing terminal 9. In step 110 (S110), the search condition acquisition section 320 acquires the date and time condition (search condition related to the shooting date and time) input via the web browser of the viewing terminal 9.

[0027] In step 115 (S 115 ), the camera selection unit 330 refers to the video information DB 370 and selects the photographic data that matches the area condition and the date and time condition acquired by the search condition acquisition unit 320 . In step 120 (S120), the display control unit 340 arranges the data files of the images selected by the camera selection unit 330 on a web page and causes the web browser of the viewing terminal 9 to display the same.

[0028] In step 125 (S125), if an operation to change the search conditions is performed on the viewing terminal 9, the server program 3 returns to the processing of S105, obtains and displays the video data for the changed area or date and time, and if an operation to end viewing is performed on the viewing terminal 9, ends the viewing process (S10).

[0029] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the alert state process (S20) in the video distribution system 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in step 200 (S200), the search condition acquisition unit 320 periodically acquires alert information on crimes, disasters, and the like that is published on websites via the Internet or the like. In step 205 (S205), if the server program 3 has acquired crime or disaster alert information, it proceeds to the process of S210, and if the server program 3 has not acquired alert information, it returns to the process of S200 and waits.

[0030] In step 210 (S210), the camera selection unit 330 uses the location information of the area to be alerted as the area condition based on the alert information acquired by the search condition acquisition unit 320, and selects a drone 8 present in the area where the alert was issued, or video data shot in the area where the alert was issued, based on the current position and shooting position of the drone 8 stored in the video information DB 370. In step 215 (S215), the display control unit 340 arranges the video data captured by the drone 8 selected by the camera selection unit 330, or the video data (taken in the past) selected by the camera selection unit 330, and displays them in a series on the viewing terminal 9. This makes it possible, for example, to efficiently collect and display video footage from areas where crimes or natural disasters have occurred, allowing users to check the situation at the scene.

[0031] As described above, according to the video distribution system 1 in this embodiment, the video captured by the drone 8 can be easily viewed on a web basis. Furthermore, according to the video distribution system 1, the numerous drones 8 or videos can be narrowed down using search conditions and displayed in a list. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Video distribution system 2. Video distribution device 3. Server program 6. Relay device 70…Controller 72...Transportation device 8. Drone

Claims

1. A transfer device for transferring images taken by the drone; a relay device that relays the video data transferred by the transfer device; a video distribution device that stores the video data relayed by the relay device and distributes the stored video data in response to a request from a web browser; A video distribution system including:

2. The transfer device is a mobile terminal connected to the drone, and the image captured by the drone is transferred to the relay device in real time by mirroring the screen of the mobile terminal. The video distribution system according to claim 1 .

3. A plurality of the transfer devices and a plurality of the relay devices are connected to a plurality of drones, The video distribution device includes: A video storage unit that stores a plurality of video data relayed by the relay device in association with attribute information of a drone that captured each of the video data; a display control unit that displays the video data stored by the video storage unit in accordance with associated attribute information; have The video distribution system according to claim 2 .

4. A video distribution system including a plurality of drones and a video distribution device that distributes video data captured by the drones, The video distribution device includes: A video storage unit that stores the video data captured by each of the drones in association with attribute information of the drone that captured the video; a selection unit that selects video data to be output from among the video data stored in the video storage unit based on attribute information designated by a viewer of the video; a display control unit that displays the video data selected by the selection unit on a terminal of a viewer; have Video distribution system.

5. The attribute information is location information indicating the location of each of the drones, The selection unit selects video data to be output based on position information designated by a viewer. The video distribution system according to claim 4.

6. The attribute information is date and time information indicating the date and time when the video was captured by each of the drones, The selection unit selects video data to be output based on a date and time specified by a viewer, The display control unit displays a list of the video data selected by the selection unit on a terminal of a viewer.

6. A video distribution system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. A transfer step in which a computer transfers the video captured by the drone; a relay step in which a computer relays the video data transferred by the transfer step; a video distribution step in which the computer stores the video data relayed by the relay step, and distributes the stored video data in response to a request from a web browser; A video distribution method comprising:

Images