Video acquisition device

Abstract

To provide a video acquisition device that can acquire appropriate images taking into account processing load.SOLUTION: A video acquisition device 100 disclosed herein includes an interval information acquisition unit 101 that acquires interval information indicating an interval for acquiring video on the basis of external information, and a transmission processing unit 105 that transmits video with an amount of information adjusted on the basis of the interval information to a server 200, which is an external device. The camera 103 acquires a video by shooting on the basis of a frame rate calculated by a frame rate calculation unit 102. This allows the transmission processing unit 105 to transmit video or still images with a small amount of information to the server 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image capture device that captures images by shooting with a camera or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a lens for acquiring video recordings while the vehicle is traveling, a microcontroller unit in which the video recordings are stored in a memory unit and uploaded to a storage server via a network connection, and a global satellite positioning module in which vehicle positioning data is acquired and stored in a memory unit and the positioning data is uploaded to a storage server via a network connection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-103257 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the captured video is uploaded as is, the processing load on the server side may increase. Also, the device on the capture side needs to reduce the processing load when capturing video. On the other hand, if the load is taken into consideration too much, it may not be possible to obtain the necessary video.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image capturing device capable of capturing appropriate images taking into consideration the processing load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The video acquisition device of the present invention comprises an interval information acquisition unit that acquires interval information indicating the interval at which video is acquired based on external information, and a transmission processing unit that transmits video to an external device with the amount of information adjusted based on the interval information. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to transmit an image with an amount of information appropriately adjusted based on interval information to an external device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an entire system including an image capture device 100 according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an image capture device 100 according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 11 is a diagram showing an image capture interval matrix used by interval information acquisition unit 101 to acquire an image capture interval. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a sequence diagram showing a processing sequence between the image capturing device 100 and the server 200 of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a process in which the camera 103 of the image capture device 100 captures images at a variable frame rate. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a frame rate calculation operation of the image capture device 100. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a speed-corresponding interval matrix. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for acquiring an interval according to the speed of the image capturing device 100. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image capturing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an entire system including a video capture device 100 according to the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the video capture device 100 is a device mounted on a vehicle 100a, for example, a drive recorder. The video capture device 100 captures video at a predetermined timing or constantly, and transmits the video to a server 200. For example, the video capture device 100 captures images of the road on which the vehicle 100a is traveling and other streetscapes. Note that the video capture device 100 may be a drive recorder or a mobile terminal with a camera function, such as a smartphone.

[0011] The server 200 stores the images acquired from the image acquisition device 100 in a storage (not shown). The administrator of the server 200 can inspect the images of roads, etc. by analyzing the stored images of roads, etc.

[0012] In this disclosure, the vehicle 100a is assumed to be an automobile, but is not limited to this, and may be any movable body such as a motorcycle, bicycle, train, airplane, helicopter, or drone.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the video capture device 100 of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the device includes an interval information capture unit 101, a frame rate calculation unit 102, a camera 103, a storage unit 104, a transmission processing unit 105, an environmental characteristic capture unit 106, a moving speed capture unit 107, and a change determination unit 108.

[0014] The interval information acquisition unit 101 is a part that acquires interval information indicating the interval at which images are acquired, based on external information indicating the moving speed of the vehicle 100a or the CPU operating status of the image acquisition device 100, or the like.

[0015] The frame rate calculation unit 102 is a part that calculates the frame rate at which the camera 103 captures an image based on the interval information. The frame rate calculation will be described later.

[0016] The camera 103 is a part that captures moving images, sets the frame rate calculated by the frame rate calculation unit 102, and captures moving images at that frame rate.

[0017] The storage unit 104 is a part that stores the images captured by the camera 103.

[0018] The transmission processing unit 105 is a part that transmits the video captured by the camera 103 to the server 200 by using a mobile communication network (or wirelessly). The transmission processing unit 105 may transmit the video captured by the camera 103 by streaming without storing it in the memory unit 104, or may transmit the video stored in the memory unit 104. Note that the transmission processing unit 105 may thin out a predetermined number of frames from the video and transmit the thinned video in accordance with the settings of the video acquisition device 100, a user operation, or an instruction signal from the server 200.

[0019] The environmental characteristic acquisition unit 106 is a part that acquires environmental characteristics. In the present disclosure, the environmental characteristics may be, for example, the position of the vehicle 100a, the road type (general road or expressway), the load factor of the CPU of the image acquisition device 100, and heat generation of the image acquisition device 100. The environmental characteristics include at least one of these pieces of information, but may include other information or may only include characteristics other than those listed here. The CPU load factor may be information that can be obtained directly from the CPU, or may be information acquired by other methods. The heat generation status may be information acquired from a temperature sensor installed in the CPU, or may be information acquired by other methods.

[0020] The moving speed acquisition unit 107 is a part that acquires the moving speed of the vehicle 100a. The moving speed acquisition unit 107 may acquire the moving speed from the vehicle 100a, or may acquire the moving speed by calculating it from a change in GPS position information or from a gyro sensor or the like.

[0021] The change determination unit 108 is a part that determines whether there has been a change in the moving speed of the vehicle 100a per unit time. For example, the moving speed can be measured every minute and the change can be determined. For example, the change determination unit 108 calculates an average value of the moving speed in the last minute, and determines whether there has been a change in the moving speed based on whether the average value is larger or smaller than a predetermined value. Note that the change determination unit 108 is not limited to the average value, and may be based on a statistical value such as a median. Alternatively, the determination may be based on whether the highest speed or the lowest speed is larger than a predetermined value.

[0022] Here, a description will be given of the image acquisition interval (shooting interval) and frame rate of the camera 103. The image acquisition device 100 of the present disclosure can adjust the amount of data uploaded to the server 200 by varying the frame rate of the video according to the moving speed of the vehicle 100a.

[0023] In the image capturing device 100, if images at 1 m intervals are required, for example, at a speed of 36 km / h (10 m / s), at least 10 frames per second are required. Also, at a speed of 72 km / h (20 m / s), at least 20 frames per second are required. In other words, when the image capturing interval is A (m), the speed per second is v (m / s), and the frame rate is F (fps), the frame rate F is calculated so that F = v / A.

[0024] In the present disclosure, the image capturing device 100 takes into consideration the amount of data to be transmitted to the server 200 and acquires the image capturing interval A according to the moving speed v of the vehicle 100a.

[0025] For example, when the speed is 36 km / h (10 m / s), images are acquired at 1 m intervals, but when the speed is 72 km / h (20 m / s), it is assumed that the speed is at a certain level and the changes in the streetscape are small, so it is sufficient to acquire images at 10 m intervals. Conversely, it is also possible to increase the frame rate because it is assumed that the faster the speed, the more blurring the captured image will be. For this reason, it is possible to apply multiple functions such as A=xv, A=x / v, and A=v^x to the relationship between the image acquisition interval and the speed of the desired image. Furthermore, when combined with F=v / A, it is also possible to obtain, for example, F=v^2 / x. As mentioned above, F is the frame rate, A is the image acquisition interval, v is the speed, and x is a predetermined coefficient.

[0026] According to the above, depending on the function, the image acquisition interval A may disappear, but the feature of the present disclosure is to first calculate the image acquisition interval A, and this is not particularly contradictory from a technical standpoint.

[0027] In the present disclosure, the image acquisition interval A of the required image is obtained from the moving speed v, and the frame rate F is obtained based on the image acquisition interval A. A larger image acquisition interval A may be obtained depending on the speed, or a smaller image acquisition interval A may be obtained. Then, the frame rate is obtained based on the image acquisition interval A. By first obtaining the image acquisition interval A, the required image can be secured. Furthermore, by obtaining the frame rate F from the image acquisition interval A, an appropriate amount of data can be obtained while securing the image to be shot. For example, if the frame rate F is set to be smaller as the image acquisition interval A becomes longer, the amount of data can be reduced.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, if the image capture device 100 generates heat, in order to reduce the CPU load, in addition to the moving speed of the vehicle 100a, the image capture interval may be lengthened to take into account the heat generation, and the image capture interval A may be lengthened to take into account the environmental characteristics, and the frame rate may then be changed using this image capture interval A.

[0029] When acquiring the image acquisition interval, the interval information acquisition unit 101 may use a function as described above or a matrix. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an image acquisition interval matrix for the interval information acquisition unit 101 to acquire the image acquisition interval. As shown in the figure, this image acquisition interval matrix associates the image acquisition interval with the position of the vehicle 100a, the road type, the CPU load rate of the image acquisition device 100, and the heat generation of the image acquisition device 100. Here, the position is acquired by GPS, and the road type is acquired from information of ETC or car navigation. The CPU load rate and heat generation are acquired from the API of the device.

[0030] According to this matrix, for example, when the CPU load rate is 81% or more, or when the temperature is 65 degrees or more, the image capture interval is set to a value equal to or greater than a predetermined value, for example, 00 m. In addition, when the CPU load rate and temperature are below a predetermined value and the vehicle is traveling on an ordinary road, the image capture interval is set to a value less than the predetermined value, for example, 10 m.

[0031] The image acquisition interval and the frame rate in the present disclosure are not uniquely determined. The faster the speed, the longer the image acquisition interval may be. Furthermore, the frame rate is calculated based on the image acquisition interval, but various functions may be applied to calculate an appropriate frame rate.

[0032] Next, a processing sequence between the image capturing device 100 and the server 200 of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram. The camera 103 starts capturing images at a frame rate set as an initial value (S101). After that, the camera 103 acquires and stores a frame rate calculation algorithm from the server 200 as necessary (S102). This processing is not essential, and is provided in consideration of the case where the algorithm is updated.

[0033] The camera 103 continues shooting based on the initial frame rate or the frame rate calculated based on the held frame rate calculation algorithm (S103). The video captured by the camera 103 is stored in the storage unit 102a.

[0034] The transmission processing unit 105 uploads (transmits) the video captured by the camera 103 to the server 200 (S104). In Fig. 4, when it is set to upload the video by streaming, the transmission processing unit 105 uploads the video.

[0035] In addition, if the transmission processing unit 105 is unable to upload by streaming because it is outside the range of a mobile communication network, the memory unit 102a may store the video, and when the video acquisition device 100 returns to the range of the network, the video may be acquired all at once from the memory unit 102a and uploaded (S105).

[0036] If the video is set to be held for a certain period of time and uploaded periodically, the storage unit 102a may store the video captured by the camera 103 for a certain period of time, and the transmission processing unit 105 may obtain the video from the storage unit 102a at the end of that period and upload the video all at once (S106). Instead of uploading the video, the transmission processing unit 105 may send only metadata related to the video (shooting location, shooting time, file size, etc.). The server 200 may store only that metadata, and the administrator may retrieve it from the video capture device 100 as necessary.

[0037] The processes from S104 to S106 are carried out according to the conditions.

[0038] Next, the detailed process of step S103 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the process in which the camera 103 of the image capturing device 100 captures images at a variable frame rate.

[0039] If there is no request to stop the image capturing by the camera 201 (S201: NO), the environmental characteristic acquisition unit 106 and the moving speed acquisition unit 107 acquire the environmental characteristics and the speed v of the vehicle 100a every x seconds (S202). Note that if there is a request to stop the image capturing, the camera 201 stops the image capturing.

[0040] The change determination unit 108 determines whether or not there has been a change in the environmental characteristics since the previous acquisition (S203).

[0041] If there is no change in the environmental characteristics (S203: YES), the interval information acquisition unit 101 calculates an interval A at which images are to be acquired based on an image acquisition interval matrix corresponding to the environmental characteristics (S204).

[0042] Then, the frame rate calculation unit 102 calculates the frame rate F based on the interval A and the moving speed v, and continues shooting based on the calculated frame rate F (S205). In the flowchart of Fig. 5, the frame rate F = v / A (v > 0) and F = B (constant) (v = 0), but as described above, the relationship between the frame rate F and the interval A and the moving speed v can be expressed by various functions.

[0043] If there is no change in the environmental characteristics and the speed v, the process returns to step S201, and the above process is repeated until a request to stop shooting is made. That is, until a request to stop shooting is made, changes in the environmental characteristics and the speed are checked every x seconds, an interval A according to the environmental characteristics and the speed at that time is calculated, and a frame rate F is obtained.

[0044] 5 can execute processing that takes into account environmental characteristics, but there are cases where the environmental characteristics cannot be acquired, such as when an inexpensive device that does not have the function of acquiring environmental characteristics is used as the image acquisition device 100.

[0045] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the frame rate calculation operation of the image capturing device 100.

[0046] The interval information acquisition unit 101 acquires the video acquisition interval A (S301). This video acquisition interval A is a preset value, and is a value stored in the memory.

[0047] If there is no request to stop the image capturing by the camera 201 (S302: NO), the moving speed acquisition unit 107 acquires the speed v of the vehicle 100a every x seconds (S303). Note that if there is a request to stop the image capturing, the camera 201 stops the image capturing.

[0048] The change determination unit 108 determines whether or not there has been a change in the velocity v since the previous acquisition (S304).

[0049] Then, when there is a change in the speed v, the frame rate calculation unit 102 calculates the frame rate F based on the interval A and the moving speed v, and continues shooting based on the calculated frame rate F (S305). In the flowchart of Fig. 6, the frame rate F = v / A (v > 0) and F = B (constant) (v = 0), but as described above, the relationship between the frame rate F and the interval A and the moving speed v can be expressed by various functions.

[0050] If there is no change in the speed v, the process returns to step S201, and the above process is repeated until a request to stop shooting is made. In other words, until a request to stop shooting is made, the change in speed is checked every x seconds, and the frame rate F corresponding to the speed at that time is calculated.

[0051] Next, another modified example will be described. In this modified example, it is assumed that the faster the speed of the vehicle 100a, the less the scenery changes in an area such as a highway or a country road, and an interval at which images are to be captured is defined for each speed. In this modified example, the interval information acquisition unit 101 of the image capture device 100 can acquire an image capture interval corresponding to the speed by referring to a speed-corresponding interval matrix.

[0052] 7 is a diagram showing a speed-corresponding interval matrix. As shown in the figure, the image capture interval A is associated with the speed v of the vehicle 100a. In this speed-corresponding interval matrix, the higher the speed, the larger the interval A is set.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for acquiring an interval according to the speed of the image capturing device 100. As shown in FIG.

[0054] If there is no request to stop the image capturing by the camera 201 (S401: NO), the moving speed acquisition unit 107 acquires the speed v of the vehicle 100a every x seconds (S402). Note that if there is a request to stop the image capturing, the camera 201 stops the image capturing.

[0055] The change determination unit 108 determines whether or not there has been a change in the velocity v since the previous acquisition (S403).

[0056] If there is no change in the environmental characteristics (S203: YES), the interval information acquisition unit 101 calculates an interval A at which images are to be acquired based on the image acquisition interval matrix according to the speed (S404).

[0057] Then, the frame rate calculation unit 102 calculates the frame rate F based on the interval A and the moving speed v, and continues shooting based on the calculated frame rate F (S405). In the flowchart of Fig. 8, the frame rate F = v / A (v>0) and F = B (constant) (v = 0), but as described above, the relationship between the frame rate F and the interval A and the moving speed v can be expressed by various functions.

[0058] If there is no change in the speed v, the process returns to step S401, and the above process is repeated until a request to stop shooting is made. In other words, until a request to stop shooting is made, the change in speed is checked every x seconds, the interval A according to the speed at that time is calculated, and the frame rate F is obtained.

[0059] In the present disclosure, instead of the velocity corresponding interval matrix shown in FIG. 6, it may be obtained by defining it as a linear function, a quadratic function, an exponential function, an inverse proportional function, or the like.

[0060] Next, a description will be given of the effects of the video capture device 100 of the present disclosure. The video capture device 100 of the present disclosure includes an interval information acquisition unit 101 that acquires interval information indicating an interval at which video is captured based on external information, and a transmission processing unit 105 that transmits video with an amount of information adjusted based on the interval information to a server 200 that is an external device.

[0061] The camera 103 captures video images based on the frame rate calculated by the frame rate calculation unit 102 .

[0062] Note that instead of setting a frame rate that adjusts the amount of information and shooting, camera 103 may be provided with a frame acquisition unit that shoots at a predetermined frame rate, acquires video, stores the video in storage unit 104, and acquires frames determined based on interval information from the stored video. That is, the frame acquisition unit performs a process of thinning out a predetermined number of frames from the video.

[0063] This allows the transmission processing unit 105 to transmit to the server 200 an appropriate amount of video or still images according to the video acquisition interval. That is, the video acquisition device 100 acquires interval information based on external information (CPU load rate, speed, etc.) and calculates a frame rate based on the interval information, thereby acquiring the required video at an appropriate frame rate considering the processing load. In addition to the processing load, there is also an effect of reducing the usage cost (fees) of the server. Furthermore, the video acquisition device 100 also has an effect of reducing the power supply load of the vehicle 100a. That is, the vehicle 100a includes a gasoline engine vehicle, an EV, and other vehicle types, and the power supply to the video acquisition device 100 may be affected depending on the vehicle type (or the battery capacity of the vehicle 100a at that time). By using the battery information or vehicle type information of the vehicle 100a as the external information, the interval information at that time may be acquired and the frame rate may be adjusted (lowered). This allows the power supply load of the vehicle 100a to be reduced.

[0064] In the present disclosure, the image capture device 100 may include an environmental characteristic acquisition unit 106 that acquires environmental characteristics. Then, the interval information acquisition unit 101 may acquire interval information based on the environmental characteristics. For example, the environmental characteristic acquisition unit 106 acquires interval information based on at least one of a movement status or an operation status of the image capture device 100 as the environmental characteristics. The movement status indicates the position of the image capture device 100 or the type of road (general road or expressway) corresponding to the position. The operation status indicates the CPU load rate or heat generation status of the image capture device 100.

[0065] This enables image capture with reduced burden on the image capture device 100. For example, when traveling on a highway, the image capture interval may be lengthened, in which case the operational load of the image capture device 100 can be reduced. Also, when the image capture device 100 is operated by a battery, the burden on the battery can be reduced, and the decrease in the amount of stored power due to use can be reduced. Also, when it is determined based on the operating conditions that the operational load of the image capture device 100 is high, the image capture interval is lengthened, that is, the frame rate is lowered for image capture, thereby reducing the load on the image capture device 100.

[0066] Furthermore, the image capturing device 100 of the present disclosure may include a moving speed acquiring unit 107 that acquires, as external information, the moving speed of the image capturing device 100. Then, the interval information acquiring unit 101 may acquire interval information based on the moving speed.

[0067] This allows the amount of information required for the video to be reduced by setting the interval according to the moving speed. For example, when the moving speed is fast, the video acquisition interval can be lengthened to ensure the necessary amount of information even for a video with a lower frame rate, and the processing load on the server 200 can be reduced.

[0068] In addition, in the present disclosure, a change determination unit 108 that determines a change in the moving speed of the image capturing device 100 may be further provided, and the interval information acquisition unit 101 may acquire interval information based on the change in the moving speed.

[0069] By periodically determining the image capture interval in accordance with changes in the moving speed, it is possible to capture images having the necessary information at that time. When the speed increases, the image capture interval is lengthened to capture images with a lower frame rate, thereby reducing the processing load on the image capture device 100 and the server 200. On the other hand, when the speed decreases, the necessary information can be secured by capturing images with a higher frame rate.

[0070] This change determination unit 108 calculates a statistical value (average, median, etc.) of the moving speed per unit time, and acquires interval information based on the relationship between the statistical value and a predetermined value. This makes it possible to determine an image acquisition interval according to an appropriate speed even if the moving speed acquisition unit 107 momentarily speeds up or slows down.

[0071] The image capturing device 100 of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0072] [1] an interval information acquisition unit that acquires interval information indicating an interval for acquiring images based on external information; a transmission processing unit that transmits the video, the amount of which has been adjusted based on the interval information, to an external device; An image acquisition device comprising:

[0073] [2] a video acquisition unit that sets a frame rate based on the interval information and acquires video by shooting at the frame rate; The transmission processing unit transmits the video. [1] An image acquisition device according to the present invention.

[0074] [3] an image acquisition unit that captures images at a predetermined frame rate; a frame acquisition unit that acquires, from the video, a frame determined based on the interval information as the video, The transmission processing unit transmits the frames acquired as the video by the frame acquisition unit. [1] An image acquisition device according to the present invention.

[0075] [4] An environmental characteristic acquisition unit that acquires environmental characteristics as the external information, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on the environmental characteristics. An image acquisition device according to any one of [1] to [3].

[0076] [5] The environmental characteristic acquisition unit acquiring interval information based on at least one of a moving state and an operating state of the image acquisition device as the environmental characteristic; The image acquisition device according to any one of [1] to [4].

[0077] [6] A change determination unit that determines a change in the environmental characteristic, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on a change in the environmental characteristic. [5] An image acquisition device according to the present invention.

[0078] [7] a moving speed acquisition unit that acquires a moving speed of the image acquisition device as the external information, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on the moving speed. An image acquisition device according to any one of [1] to [6].

[0079] [8] A change determination unit that determines a change in the moving speed, the interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on a change in the moving speed. [7] An image acquisition device according to the present invention.

[0080] [9] the change determination unit calculates a statistical value of a moving speed per unit time, and acquires interval information based on a relationship between the statistical value and a predetermined value; [8] An image acquisition device according to the present invention.

[0081] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. The method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by using one device that is physically or logically combined, or may be realized by using two or more devices that are physically or logically separated and directly or indirectly connected (for example, by wire, wireless, etc.). The functional block may be realized by combining the one device or the multiple devices with software.

[0082] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocation, mapping, assignment, etc. For example, a functional block (component) that performs the function of transmission is called a transmitting unit or a transmitter. In either case, as described above, there is no particular limitation on the method of realization.

[0083] For example, the image capturing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the image capturing method according to the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the image capturing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The image capturing device 100 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0084] In the following description, the term "apparatus" may be replaced with a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the image capturing apparatus 100 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

[0085] Each function in the video capture device 100 is realized by loading a specific software (program) onto hardware such as a processor 1001 and a memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via the communication device 1004, and control at least one of the reading and writing of data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003.

[0086] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured with a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned frame rate calculation unit 102, change determination unit 108, etc. may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0087] Moreover, the processor 1001 reads out a program (program code), a software module, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to the programs. As the programs, programs that cause a computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above-mentioned embodiments are used. For example, the frame rate calculation unit 102 and the change determination unit 108 may be realized by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and operating in the processor 1001, and other functional blocks may be similarly realized. Although the above-mentioned various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may be transmitted from a network via an electric communication line.

[0088] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a read only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store a program (program code), software modules, etc. that are executable to implement an image acquisition method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of, for example, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, and the like. Storage 1003 may be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other suitable medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0090] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for performing communication between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to realize at least one of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned transmission processing unit 105, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0091] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that accepts input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that performs output to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0092] In addition, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0093] Furthermore, the image capturing device 100 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0094] The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. In addition, the RRC signaling may be called an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0095] The order of the steps, sequences, flow charts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless inconsistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0096] The input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0097] The determination may be based on a value represented by a single bit (0 or 1), a Boolean (true or false) value, or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0098] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched according to execution. In addition, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is the case") is not limited to being done explicitly, but may be done implicitly (e.g., not notifying the specific information).

[0099] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0100] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0101] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave, etc.), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0102] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0103] In addition, the terms described in this disclosure and the terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and the symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, the signal may be a message. Also, the component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0104] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information.

[0105] The names used for the above parameters are not limiting in any way, and furthermore, the formulas etc. using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure.

[0106] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)", "user terminal", "User Equipment (UE)", "terminal", etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0107] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0108] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, search, inquiry (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), and the like. In addition, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc., to be a "judgment" or "decision." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering some action to be a "judgment" or "decision." In addition, "judgment" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0109] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0110] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0111] Any reference to an element using a designation such as "first", "second" etc. used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0112] When "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Further, when used in this disclosure, the term "or" is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0113] In this disclosure, where articles have been added due to translation, such as, for example, a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0114] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different." [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 100...video acquisition device, 100a...vehicle, 200...server, 101...interval information acquisition unit, 102...frame rate calculation unit, 103...camera, 104...memory unit, 105...transmission processing unit, 106...environmental characteristic acquisition unit, 107...travel speed acquisition unit, 108...change determination unit.

Claims

1. an interval information acquisition unit that acquires interval information indicating an interval for acquiring images based on external information; a transmission processing unit that transmits the video, the amount of which has been adjusted based on the interval information, to an external device; An image acquisition device comprising:

2. a video acquisition unit that sets a frame rate based on the interval information and acquires video by shooting at the frame rate; The transmission processing unit transmits the video. The image capture device according to claim 1 .

3. an image acquisition unit that captures images at a predetermined frame rate; a frame acquisition unit that acquires, from the video, a frame determined based on the interval information as the video, The transmission processing unit transmits the frames acquired as the video by the frame acquisition unit. The image capture device according to claim 1 .

4. An environmental characteristic acquisition unit that acquires environmental characteristics as the external information, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on the environmental characteristics. The image capture device according to claim 1 .

5. The environmental characteristic acquisition unit acquiring interval information based on at least one of a moving state and an operating state of the image acquisition device as the environmental characteristic; The image acquisition device according to claim 4.

6. A change determination unit that determines a change in the environmental characteristic, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on a change in the environmental characteristic. The image acquisition device according to claim 5 .

7. a moving speed acquisition unit that acquires a moving speed of the image acquisition device as the external information, The interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on the moving speed. The image capture device according to claim 1 .

8. A change determination unit that determines a change in the moving speed, the interval information acquisition unit acquires interval information based on a change in the moving speed.

8. An image acquisition device according to claim 7.

9. the change determination unit calculates a statistical value of a moving speed per unit time, and acquires interval information based on a relationship between the statistical value and a predetermined value; 9. An image acquisition device according to claim 8.

Images