Information processing device, mobile body, and program

Abstract

To improve certainty of content distribution or data collection using inter-device communication of a mobile body.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a controller configured to transmit, for each of one or more data blocks, a data block body and a deletion order to one or more first mobile bodies, so that the earlier the deletion order is, the more the first mobile entities of a transmission destination. The first mobile body transmits or receives one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks through device-to-device communication, transmits the received one or more first data blocks to other device, and deletes the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order depending on a storage remaining amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to content distribution and data collection using communication between devices.

Background Art

[0002] There is disclosed a technique in which a plurality of delivery vehicles are caused to download a plurality of fragmented data obtained by dividing data content to be delivered through cellular communication or the like, and when passing by a receiving vehicle that needs the content on the road, the content is delivered by vehicle-to-vehicle communication (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). The receiving vehicle collects the fragmented data received from one or more delivery vehicles and performs decoding processing to restore the original data content.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, a moving body, and a program capable of improving the certainty of content distribution or data collection using communication between devices of a moving body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is For each of one or more data blocks, transmit the data block body and the deletion order to one or more first mobile bodies such that the earlier the deletion order, the greater the number of the first mobile bodies at the destination. A control unit that executes and includes The first mobile body Transmits or receives one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks by inter-device communication, Transmits the received one or more first data blocks to another device, Deletes the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the remaining storage amount. It is an information processing device.

[0006] One of other aspects of the present disclosure is Transmitting or receiving one or more first data blocks by inter-device communication, Transmitting the one or more first data blocks received from the source device to another device, And includes a control unit that executes The control unit Receives, for each of the one or more first data blocks, a data block body and a deletion order, According to the remaining storage amount, the one or more first data blocks are Deleted accordingly, For the one or more first data blocks, the earlier the deletion order, the more the number of mobile bodies to which they are transmitted. It is a mobile body.

[0007] One of other aspects of the present disclosure is On a computer, For each of one or more data blocks, transmit the data block body and the deletion order to one or more first mobile bodies such that the earlier the deletion order, the greater the number of the first mobile bodies at the destination. A program for causing execution. The first moving body transmits or receives one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks through inter-device communication, transmits the received one or more first data blocks to other devices, and deletes the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the remaining storage amount, is a program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the certainty of content distribution or data collection using inter-device communication of a moving body can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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[0010] When a plurality of distribution vehicles download data content through cellular communication or the like and distribute it by vehicle-to-vehicle communication when passing by a receiving vehicle, the distribution vehicle stores the data content in a storage unit (storage). The data content is, for example, divided into fragment data according to the size. A distribution vehicle with insufficient free storage capacity may not be able to store an amount of fragment data sufficient to restore the original data content. As a result, it is highly likely that the receiving vehicle cannot complete acquiring an amount of fragment data sufficient to restore the original data content through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with a single distribution vehicle.

[0011] In addition, since the storage of the delivery vehicle is also used by other application programs, if the free capacity of the storage decreases, fragmented data may be deleted. Thus, when an insufficient amount of fragmented data cannot be acquired to restore the original data content from the delivery vehicle, the receiving vehicle may acquire the missing fragmented data from a server that holds the original data content, for example, through cellular communication. Hereinafter, the data content will simply be referred to as "content".

[0012] In view of the above problems, one aspect of the present disclosure is to transmit one or more data blocks to one or more delivery vehicles such that data blocks with shorter retention times in the delivery vehicles are held by more delivery vehicles. Thereby, regardless of the retention time in the delivery vehicle, the opportunity for distribution among data blocks becomes more equal, and the certainty of content delivery to the receiving vehicle can be enhanced.

[0013] More specifically, one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a control unit that executes, for each of one or more data blocks, transmitting the data block body and the deletion order to one or more first moving bodies such that the number of first moving bodies as transmission destinations increases as the deletion order is earlier. The first moving body transmits or receives one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks through inter-device communication, transmits the received one or more first data blocks to other devices, and deletes the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order in accordance with the remaining storage amount.

[0014] The information processing device is, for example, a server that controls a distribution vehicle and a receiving vehicle in a system that causes the distribution vehicle to distribute the content to the receiving vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or an in-vehicle device mounted on a source vehicle in a system that causes a sink vehicle to collect data generated by the source vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. However, the information processing device is not limited to these, and may be, for example, a computer mounted on a moving body other than a vehicle, and a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and a PC (Personal Computer). Control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit ), and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). However, the control unit is not limited to a processor, and may be, for example, a circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC: Integrated Circuit), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc.

[0015] The moving body includes, for example, vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, and railways, ships, and aircraft. Further, the moving body may include, for example, smartphones, tablet terminals, PCs, and portable game machines. The first moving body is a distribution vehicle that distributes content to the receiving vehicle, for example, a sink vehicle that collects data from the source vehicle.

[0016] The data block is, for example, the distribution content main body, fragment data of the distribution content, the data main body to be collected, or fragment data of the data to be collected. In the distribution content there is, for example, an update program for a predetermined program. In the data to be collected, there is, for example, sensor data including detection values of sensors. The sensor data includes, for example, position information, speed information, and captured images of cameras. However, the distribution content, the data to be collected, and the sensor data are not limited to these.

[0017] The deletion order is, for example, the order in which data is deleted from the storage of the first mobile body when the remaining storage amount in the first mobile body is insufficient. The deletion order may be represented by, for example, a number, a level, a priority, a precedence, or the predicted time for which a data block is to be held by the destination mobile body. The level representing the deletion order is, for example, information indicating any of the levels into which the data block is divided when there are two levels, i.e., an early deletion order and a late deletion order. Note that even when there is one data block, a deletion order is determined for the one data block.

[0018] Inter-device communication is a communication method capable of communication between terminals, such as vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication, DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications), 5G side-link communication, Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, and ad-hoc mode WiFi communication. However, inter-device communication is not limited to these.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, data blocks with an earlier deletion order are transmitted to more first mobile bodies. As a result, even if the time for which a data block with an earlier deletion order is held by a plurality of destination first mobile bodies is short, the chance that the first mobile body holding the data block with the earlier deletion order and the device receiving the data block pass by each other increases. For example, in a system in which a delivery vehicle distributes the content to a receiving vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, data blocks with an earlier deletion order are transmitted to more delivery vehicles, so the receiving vehicle has an increased chance of passing by a delivery vehicle holding a data block with an earlier deletion order. As a result, the possibility that the receiving vehicle can acquire a data block with an earlier deletion order before it is deleted increases, and the certainty of content delivery to the receiving vehicle can be enhanced. Also, thereby, the time required to acquire the data blocks necessary for content restoration can be shortened.

[0020] For example, in a system in which data generated by a source vehicle is collected by a sink vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a data block that is earlier in the deletion order is transmitted from the source vehicle to more sink vehicles. This increases the likelihood that the data block that is earlier in the deletion order has completed uploading to the data collection server before being deleted from the sink vehicle, thereby increasing the reliability of data collection.

[0021] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may transmit each of one or more data blocks to a number of first moving bodies such that the total value of the first time held in one or more first moving bodies at the transmission destination is approximately the same for data blocks with different deletion orders. In this case, the earlier the deletion order of the data block, the shorter the first time. For example, if the first time of data block A with an earlier deletion order is 30 minutes and the first time of data block B with a later deletion order is 5 hours, the control unit transmits data block A to 10×M first moving bodies when transmitting data block B to M first moving bodies. As a result, the total value of the first time held in the transmission destination first moving bodies for both data block A and data block B becomes 5×M hours.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to make the chances of receiving data from the first moving body that holds the data block almost equal for each data block, regardless of the deletion order. For example, in a system in which a distribution vehicle distributes content to a receiving vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the receiving vehicle may receive a data block that has been deleted late from the distribution vehicle. This increases the likelihood that the earliest data block has been completely received, thereby reducing the time it takes for the receiving vehicle to obtain the distribution content.

[0023] In one aspect of the present disclosure, for each of one or more data blocks, the control unit may estimate a first time in each of one or more first moving bodies based on the size and deletion order, and prediction information on the transition of the remaining storage amount of each of one or more first moving bodies. The prediction information on the transition of the remaining storage amount of the first moving body may be received from the first moving body. The transition of the remaining storage amount is different for each first moving body. In one aspect of the present disclosure, since the first time can be predicted more accurately, the number of first moving bodies to which the data block with an earlier deletion order is to be sent can be set to an appropriate value according to the actual situation where the data block is deleted.

[0024] As another aspect of the present disclosure, it can be specified as a moving body including a control unit that executes transmitting or receiving one or more first data blocks through inter-device communication, and transmitting the one or more first data blocks received from the transmitting source device to other devices. For each of the one or more first data blocks, the control unit receives the data block body and the deletion order, and may delete the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the remaining storage amount. The earlier the deletion order of the one or more first data blocks, the more they may be transmitted to other moving bodies. The moving body is, for example, a delivery vehicle in a system that causes a receiving vehicle to receive the content through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or an in-vehicle device mounted on a sink vehicle in a system that causes a sink vehicle to collect data generated by a source vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In another aspect of the present disclosure, since the moving body deletes data blocks according to the deletion order, it is possible to prevent the data blocks from occupying the storage capacity for a long time.

[0025] As another aspect of the present disclosure, it can be specified as a method for a computer to execute the processing executed by the above information processing device, a program for causing the computer to execute the method, and a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0027] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a content distribution system 100 according to the first embodiment. The content distribution system 100 is a system that distributes predetermined content to some vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The content distribution system 100 includes a distribution server 1, a distribution vehicle 2 that receives content from the distribution server 1 and distributes it to other vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and a receiving vehicle 3 that receives content from the distribution vehicle 2 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Note that there are a plurality of distribution vehicles 2 and receiving vehicles 3 included in the content distribution system 100, and in FIG. 1, the distribution vehicle 2A, the distribution vehicle 2B, and the receiving vehicle 3 are representatively shown. When not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the distribution vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3. The distribution vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3 are equipped with in-vehicle devices having a communication function. Hereinafter, regarding the communication related to the distribution vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3, although the actual entity is the in-vehicle device, for convenience, it will be described with the distribution vehicle 2 or the receiving vehicle 3 as the main body.

[0028] The distribution server 1, the distribution vehicle 2, and the receiving vehicle 3 are connected to a network N1 and can communicate with each other via the network N1. The network N1 is a public network such as the Internet, for example. The distribution vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3 can be connected to the network N1 via a cellular network or a wireless LAN as an access network.

[0029] The distribution server 1 is a server that holds the original data of the content to be distributed to the vehicle, selects the distribution vehicle 2, and transmits the content to the distribution vehicle 2. The distribution server 1 divides the content into fragmentary data and transmits it to the distribution vehicle 2. The distribution vehicle 2 downloads the fragmentary data from the distribution server 1 and stores it in the storage of the in-vehicle device. When the distribution vehicle 2 passes by the receiving vehicle 3 on the road, it transmits the fragmentary data to the receiving vehicle 3 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Whether the distribution vehicle 2 itself is the destination of the content, that is, the receiving vehicle 3, or not is acceptable. The receiving vehicle 3 is the vehicle that is the destination of the content. By the receiving vehicle 3 acquiring the content from the distribution vehicle 2 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, it is possible to reduce the usage band of cellular communication and suppress communication costs. In the first embodiment, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication may be any of, for example, vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication, DSRC, or 5G sidelink communication, etc.

[0030] First, the flow of content distribution by vehicle-to-vehicle communication will be described. The distribution server 1 holds the content C to be distributed and divides the content C into one or more fragmentary data according to, for example, the data size. In FIG. 1, the content C is divided into fragmentary data P1, P2, and P3. The distribution vehicle 2 is a vehicle that distributes the fragmentary data to the receiving vehicle 3 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The distribution vehicle 2 is appointed by the distribution server 1. The distribution vehicle 2 acquires the fragmentary data by downloading it from the distribution server 1 through, for example, cellular communication or wireless LAN communication.

[0031] The receiving vehicle 3 is the vehicle that is the destination of the content C. The distribution server 1 transmits a content acquisition instruction to the receiving vehicle 3. Note that it is also possible to distribute different contents to a plurality of receiving vehicles 3 by a single content acquisition instruction.

[0032] When the receiving vehicle 3 passes by any of the distribution vehicles 2 on the road, it performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the distribution vehicle 2. When the distribution vehicle 2, which is the communication partner in vehicle-to-vehicle communication, holds the fragmented data specified in the content acquisition instruction, the receiving vehicle 3 requests and acquires the non-held fragmented data from the distribution vehicle 2 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In Fig. 1, the receiving vehicle 3 first receives the fragmented data P1 and P3 from the distribution vehicle 2A, and then receives the fragmented data P2 from the distribution vehicle 2B.

[0033] The receiving vehicle 3 stores the acquired fragmented data in the storage on the in-vehicle device. When the acquisition of the fragmented data P1, P2, and P3 is completed, the receiving vehicle 3 restores the content C using the fragmented data P1, P2, and P3 and the decoding information included in the content acquisition instruction from the distribution server 1. When the checksum is included in the decoding information, the receiving vehicle 3 may calculate the hash value of the decoding result and compare it with the checksum to confirm that the decoding result matches the original content C.

[0034] In the first embodiment, (1) the distribution server 1 determines the deletion order of the fragmented data when the storage remaining amount in the distribution vehicle 2 is insufficient. This is because the distributed content occupies the storage of the distribution vehicle 2 and does not prevent the use of the storage of other application programs.

[0035] (2) The distribution server 1 transmits more of the fragmented data with an earlier deletion order to more distribution vehicles 2. At this time, the distribution server 1 also transmits the deletion order to the distribution vehicle 2 together with the fragmented data. For example, in Fig. 1, since the deletion order of the fragmented data P3 is earlier than that of the fragmented data P1 and P2, it is transmitted (downloaded) to both the distribution vehicle 2A and the distribution vehicle 2B. As a result, the receiving vehicle 3 can acquire the fragmented data P3 from either the distribution vehicle 2A or the distribution vehicle 2B, so the acquisition opportunity of the fragmented data P3 increases. As a result, the fragmented Even if the deletion order of the data P3 is early, that is, even if the time during which the fragmented data P3 is held in the delivery vehicle 2 is short, it is possible to increase the likelihood that the receiving vehicle 3 will complete the acquisition of the fragmented data P3 before the fragmented data P3 is deleted. On the other hand, since the fragmented data P1 and P2 have a late deletion order and are held in the delivery vehicle 2 for a longer time than the fragmented data P3, it is quite possible for the receiving vehicle 3 to pass by the delivery vehicles 2A and 2B and acquire them through vehicle-to-vehicle communication before the fragmented data P1 and P2 are deleted.

[0036] (3) In the delivery vehicle 2, when the remaining storage amount is insufficient, deletion is performed starting from the fragmented data with an early deletion order. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the storage capacity of the delivery vehicle 2 from being pressured by the delivery content. On the other hand, the fragmented data with a late deletion order is held in the delivery vehicle 2 for a longer time. Therefore, even without securing a short-term cache that holds fragmented data for about 30 minutes to 1 hour and a long-term cache that holds fragmented data in units of several hours in the storage of the delivery vehicle 2, the storage of the delivery vehicle 2 can be dynamically used as a short-term cache and a long-term cache.

[0037] The fragmented data is an example of a "data block". The delivery vehicle 2 is an example of a "first moving body". The in-vehicle device mounted on the receiving vehicle 3 is an example of "another device". Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is an example of "device-to-device communication". The delivery server 1 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0038] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the delivery server 1 and the delivery vehicle 2. The delivery server 1 can be configured using an information processing device (computer) such as a server machine. The delivery server 1 may be an aggregate (cloud) of one or two or more computers. Note that the delivery server 1 may be a device provided with an electric circuit such as a dedicated FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that executes the corresponding processing.

[0039] As a hardware configuration, the distribution server 1 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, and a communication unit 104. The memory 102 and the auxiliary storage device 103 are computer-readable recording media. The processor 101, the auxiliary storage device 103, and the communication unit 104 are electrically connected by a bus.

[0040] The auxiliary storage device 103 stores various programs and data used by the processor 101 when executing each program. The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive, or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Programs held in the auxiliary storage device 103 include, for example , an operating system (OS), and a control program of the content distribution system 100, etc.

[0041] The memory 102 is a storage device that provides a storage area and a working area for the processor 101 to load programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103, or is used as a buffer. The memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0042] The processor 101 executes processing by loading and executing the OS held in the auxiliary storage device 103 and the control program of the content distribution system 100 into the memory 102. The processor 101 is, for example, a CPU, a GPU, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The processor 101 is not limited to one, and a plurality of processors 101 may be provided. The processor 101 is an example of a "control unit".

[0043] The communication unit 104 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), an optical line interface, etc. Note that the communication unit 104 may be a wireless communication circuit that connects to a wireless network such as a wireless LAN. Note that the hardware configuration of the distribution server 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2.

[0044] The distribution vehicle 2 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 is, for example, a Data Communication Module, a car navigation system, or a drive recorder etc. Note that the distribution vehicle 2 has a hardware configuration in addition to the in-vehicle device 20. However, in FIG. 2, among the hardware components of the distribution vehicle 2, the in-vehicle device 20, which is a hardware component related to the processing of the content distribution system 100, will be described as a representative. The in-vehicle device 20 includes, as a hardware configuration, a processor 201, a memory 202, an auxiliary storage device 203, and a wireless communication unit 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the auxiliary storage device 203 are the same as the processor 101, the memory 102, and the auxiliary storage device 103. However, in addition to the OS, etc., a control program for controlling the operation of the distribution vehicle 2 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 203. Also, the auxiliary storage device 203 is a "storage" and is also used as a cache for holding fragmented data.

[0045] The wireless communication unit 204 is a wireless communication circuit corresponding to a mobile communication system such as 5G, 4G, or 6G, or a wireless communication system such as WiFi. In the first embodiment, the delivery vehicle 2 is connected to the network N1 through the wireless communication unit 204 and acquires fragmented data from the delivery server 1. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 205 is a wireless communication circuit corresponding to a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system such as vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication, DSRC, or 5G sidelink communication. In the first embodiment, the delivery vehicle 2 transmits the fragmented data to the receiving vehicle 3 through the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 205. Note that the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 20 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2. Note that the in-vehicle device mounted on the receiving vehicle 3 also has the same hardware configuration as the in-vehicle device 20 shown in FIG. 2.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the delivery server 1. The delivery server 1 includes, as functional components, a data block generation unit 11, a delivery control unit 12, and a content DB 13. The data block generation unit 11, the delivery control unit 12, and the content DB 13 are functional components achieved, for example, when the processor 101 of the delivery server 1 executes the control program of the content delivery system 100. However, it is not limited thereto, and the data block generation unit 11, the delivery control unit 12, and the content DB 13 may each be realized by hardware components such as an FPGA.

[0047] The content DB 13 stores the original data of the distributed content. The content DB 13 is created in the storage area of the auxiliary storage device 103. The data block generation unit 11 divides the content to generate fragment data. The data block generation unit 11 may, for example, divide the content so that the fragment data has a predetermined size to generate a plurality of fragment data, or may divide the content using an encoding technique such as an erasure correction code to generate a plurality of fragment data. When the fragment data is created using an erasure correction code, the receiving vehicle 3 can restore the original content by acquiring a predetermined number of fragment data without acquiring all the fragment data generated from the content. Note that, for example, when the size of the content is small, the content may not be divided. In this case, the process is performed with the number of fragment data = 1.

[0048] The distribution control unit 12 selects and appoints the distribution vehicle 2, transmits an instruction to acquire content to the receiving vehicle 3, determines the deletion order of the fragment data when the storage remaining amount of the distribution vehicle 2 is insufficient ((1) in FIG. 1), and selects the distribution vehicle 2 to which the fragment data is to be transmitted ((2) in FIG. 1).

[0049] The distribution control unit 12 selects the distribution vehicle 2 from among the vehicles managed by the content distribution system 100 according to a predetermined rule, for example. For example, based on a notification from an electric vehicle connected to a nearby WiFi access point during charging, the distribution control unit 12 may appoint the electric vehicle as the distribution vehicle 2. Alternatively, the distribution control unit 12 may actively select a part of the vehicles in motion as the distribution vehicle 2. The distribution control unit 12 may select the distribution vehicles 2 so that their density is geographically uniform to improve the efficiency of content distribution.

[0050] The distribution control unit 12 notifies the distribution vehicle 2 that it has been selected, for example, by transmitting a notice of appointment of the distribution vehicle or by push-transmitting fragmented data. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the distribution vehicle 2 is notified that it has been selected by transmitting a notice of appointment of the distribution vehicle. Note that the distribution vehicle 2 may be reselected for each content distribution, or may be reselected at a predetermined cycle such as once a day. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the distribution vehicle 2 is reselected for each content distribution.

[0051] In the first embodiment, when the distribution vehicle 2 receives a notice of appointment of the distribution vehicle, it transmits a storage capacity profile to the distribution server 1. The storage capacity profile is information regarding the transition of the remaining storage amount of the distribution vehicle 2. Details of the storage capacity profile will be described later.

[0052] For each fragmented data generated by the data block generation unit 11, the distribution control unit 12 determines the deletion order of the fragmented data when the remaining storage amount of the distribution vehicle 2 is insufficient ((1) in FIG. 1). The deletion order of the fragmented data may be, for example, in two levels of fast and slow, or may be divided into three or more levels. Alternatively, the deletion order of the fragmented data may follow the priority of each fragmented data. It may be shown that the higher the priority, the earlier the deletion order, or the lower the priority, the earlier the deletion order. The deletion order of the fragmented data is determined based on, for example, the type of content and the vehicle type of the destination vehicle. Also, among the plurality of fragmented data included in the same content, the deletion order may be the same or different. The deletion order may be indicated by information indicating the level at which the fragmented data is classified, a number indicating the deletion order, or the above-mentioned priority, etc. Hereinafter, the deletion order of the fragmented data when the remaining storage amount of the distribution vehicle 2 is insufficient will be simply referred to as the deletion order.

[0053] The distribution control unit 12 predicts the time for which each fragmented data is to be held in the storage of the distribution vehicle 2 based on the memory capacity profile from the distribution vehicle 2, the deletion order of each fragmented data, and the data size, and determines the distribution vehicle 2 to which each fragmented data is to be transmitted based on the predicted time ((2) in FIG. 1). At this time, the distribution control unit 12 determines the distribution vehicle 2 to which each fragmented data is to be transmitted such that the fragmented data with an earlier deletion order is transmitted to more distribution vehicles 2. Details of the determination process of the distribution vehicle 2 as the transmission destination of the fragmented data will be described later. The distribution control unit 12 transmits the identification information of the fragmented data, the main body of the fragmented data, and the deletion order of the fragmented data to one or more distribution vehicles 2 determined as the transmission destinations of each fragmented data.

[0054] Based on the content of the content to be distributed, the distribution control unit 12 identifies the receiving vehicle 3 and transmits a content acquisition instruction to the receiving vehicle 3. The content acquisition instruction includes, for example, the identification information and decoding information of each fragmented data to be acquired by the receiving vehicle 3. The decoding information is information used to restore the original content C from the fragmented data. The decoding information is, for example, a decoding parameter, a checksum for confirming the consistency with the original content, etc. For example, when the fragmented data is generated by an erasure correction code, the decoding parameter includes the number of fragmented data necessary for restoring the original content, etc. Upon receiving the content acquisition instruction, the receiving vehicle 3 starts the process of acquiring the fragmented data specified in the content acquisition instruction from the passing distribution vehicles 2 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Note that the distribution shown in FIG. 3 The functional configuration of the distribution server 1 is an example, and the functional configuration of the distribution server 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the delivery vehicle 2. The delivery vehicle 2 includes, as a functional configuration, a profile generation unit 21, a content acquisition unit 22, a content delivery unit 23, and a content management unit 24. The processes performed by these functional components are achieved, for example, by the processor 201 of the in-vehicle device 20 executing a predetermined program held in the auxiliary storage device 203. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the profile generation unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content delivery unit 23, and the content management unit 24 may each be realized by a hardware component such as an FPGA.

[0056] In the first embodiment, when the profile generation unit 21 receives a notification of the appointment of the delivery vehicle from the delivery server 1, it generates a storage capacity profile and transmits it to the delivery server 1. The storage capacity profile is transmitted, for example, by cellular communication or wireless LAN communication. When the notification of being selected as the delivery vehicle is by push transmission of fragmented data, the profile generation unit 21 may generate a storage capacity profile when receiving the fragmented data and transmit it to the delivery server 1. Details of the process of generating the storage capacity profile will be described later.

[0057] In the first embodiment, the content acquisition unit 22 receives fragmented data from the delivery server 1. Along with the fragmented data, the identification information and deletion order of the fragmented data are also received. The content acquisition unit 22 stores the acquired fragmented data in the auxiliary storage device 203. The fragmented data may be acquired by the content acquisition unit 22 sending a request to the delivery server 1 and downloading it from the delivery server 1. In this case, the delivery server 1 may notify the delivery vehicle 2 determined as the transmission destination of the fragmented data of the download instruction and the fragmented data to be acquired. When the notification of the appointment of the delivery vehicle is by push transmission of fragmented data, the content acquisition unit 22 receives the fragmented data together with the identification information and deletion order of the fragmented data and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 203.

[0058] The content distribution unit 23 distributes the fragment data to the receiving vehicle 3. More specifically, when the content distribution unit 23 receives a request for a list of fragment data held by the receiving vehicle 3 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, it creates a list of fragment data held in the auxiliary storage device 203 and transmits it to the receiving vehicle 3. When receiving a request for acquisition of fragment data from the receiving vehicle 3, the content distribution unit 23 reads out from the auxiliary storage device 203 the fragment data that matches the identification information of the fragment data to be acquired by the receiving vehicle 3, which was also received with the request, and transmits it to the receiving vehicle 3 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0059] The content management unit 24 manages the fragment data held in the auxiliary storage device 203. More specifically, when the remaining capacity of the auxiliary storage device 203 becomes less than the first threshold value, the content management unit 24 deletes from the auxiliary storage device 203 the fragment data with the earliest deletion order among the fragment data held in the auxiliary storage device 203. The remaining capacity of the auxiliary storage device 203 is hereinafter referred to as the storage remaining amount. The content management unit 24 may delete from the auxiliary storage device 203 the fragment data with the earliest deletion order until the storage remaining amount becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold value. The second threshold value is a value equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

[0060] Also, when there are a plurality of fragment data with the earliest deletion order among the fragment data held in the auxiliary storage device 203, for example, the content management unit 24 may delete all of the fragment data with the earliest deletion order from the auxiliary storage device 203, or may delete from the auxiliary storage device 203 the fragment data with the earliest deletion order until the storage remaining amount becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold value. Note that the functional configuration of the distribution vehicle 2 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 4.

[0061] (Generation process of memory capacity profile) In the first embodiment, when the profile generation unit 21 of the delivery vehicle 2 receives a notification of delivery vehicle appointment from the delivery server 1, it generates a storage capacity profile. The storage capacity profile is generated by the profile generation unit 21 analyzing the history of the remaining storage amount, predicting the transition of the remaining storage amount for a predetermined period ahead, and including the prediction result. The history of the remaining storage amount is time-series data of the remaining amount of storage. The prediction period of the remaining storage amount is arbitrarily set, for example, between 3 hours and 10 hours. When the delivery vehicle 2 is parked, the starting point of the prediction period of the remaining storage amount may be the timing when the delivery vehicle 2 next starts moving.

[0062] Generally, it is assumed that the transition of the remaining storage amount follows a pattern according to the application operating on the in-vehicle device 20. Taking a video collection application as an example, which stores measurement data of in-vehicle sensors such as video data of an in-vehicle camera in the storage during driving and uploads it to a remote server in a batch from a nearby WiFi access point while parked, the transition of the remaining storage amount will be described. In this case, it is assumed that the remaining storage amount of the in-vehicle device 20 continues to decrease at a predetermined rate from the time when the vehicle system is started. When the in-vehicle device 20 connects to a WiFi access point and the upload of the video data is completed, the uploaded video data is deleted from the storage and the remaining storage amount is restored.

[0063] In the actual in-vehicle device 20, since a plurality of applications share the storage, the variation pattern of the remaining storage amount is likely to become more complex. However, as long as the change in the remaining storage amount follows a reproducible pattern, it can be predicted. The profile generation unit 21 may perform prediction of the transition of the remaining storage amount using a regression model, a machine learning model, or the like. The method for predicting the transition of the remaining storage amount by the profile generation unit 21 is not limited to a specific method. The prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount may be a single predicted value, or may be expressed in the form of a confidence interval or a probability distribution. The profile generation unit 21 creates a storage capacity profile based on the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount and transmits it to the distribution server 1. The storage capacity profile may include, in addition to the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount, the prediction period, the maximum capacity of the storage, and the like.

[0064] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount of the distribution vehicle 2. The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 5 represents the elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the predicted value of the remaining storage amount. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the remaining storage amount is B0 at time 0. After that, when time T1 has elapsed, the remaining storage amount decreases to B1, and then, due to factors such as the end of the execution of some applications and the release of the storage area, it increases once. After that, it is predicted that the remaining storage amount will turn to decrease again. The profile generation unit 21 of the distribution vehicle 2 creates a storage capacity profile including the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount as shown in FIG. 5, for example, and transmits it to the distribution server 1. Note that the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount included in the storage capacity profile may be a function or a graph as shown in FIG. 5. The storage capacity profile is an example of the "prediction information on the transition of the remaining storage amount".

[0065] (Destination Determination Process for Fragmented Data) The distribution control unit 12 of the distribution server 1 determines the transmission destination of the fragmented data based on the deletion order of the fragmented data and the length of time the fragmented data is retained in the storage of the distribution vehicle 2. In the first embodiment, the distribution control unit 12 predicts the length of time the fragmented data is retained in the storage of the distribution vehicle 2 based on the storage capacity profile notified from the distribution vehicle 2, the size and deletion order of the fragmented data. Hereinafter, the predicted value of the length of time the fragmented data is retained in the storage of the distribution vehicle 2 is referred to as the "expected lifetime" of the fragmented data. Therefore, the distribution control unit 12 first obtains the expected lifetime of each fragmented data in each distribution vehicle 2, and then determines the transmission destination of the fragmented data based on the expected lifetime of each fragmented data in each distribution vehicle 2. Based on the expected lifetime of each fragmented data in each distribution vehicle 2, the distribution control unit 12 determines the transmission destination of the fragmented data.

[0066] The expected lifetime can also be said to be the period from when the fragmented data is retained in the distribution vehicle 2 until it is deleted from the storage. The distribution control unit 12 predicts that the fragmented data #X will be deleted from the storage at the timing when the predicted value of the remaining storage amount in a future predetermined period first falls below the total value of the sizes of the fragmented data #X and all fragmented data with a deletion order later than that of the fragmented data #X.

[0067] Taking the case where the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount of the distribution vehicle 2 is as shown in FIG. 5 as an example, it will be described. There are fragmented data P10, P20, and P30. The fragmented data P10 has a deletion order of 1 and a data size of K1. The fragmented data P20 has a deletion order of 2 and a data size of K2. The fragmented data P30 has a deletion order of 3 and a data size of K3. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the smaller the number of the deletion order, the earlier it is.

[0068] In the prediction result of the transition of the storage remaining amount shown in FIG. 5, the timing when the storage remaining amount of the delivery vehicle 2 first falls below the total value K1 + K2 + K3 of the sizes of the fragment data P10 and the fragment data P20 and P30 with a deletion order later than that of the fragment data P10 is the time T10. Therefore, the expected lifetime of the fragment data P10 is T10. In the prediction result of the transition of the storage remaining amount shown in FIG. 5, the timing when the storage remaining amount of the delivery vehicle 2 first falls below the total value K2 + K3 of the sizes of the fragment data P20 and the fragment data P30 with a deletion order later than that of the fragment data P20 is the time T20. Therefore, the expected lifetime of the fragment data P20 is T20. In the prediction result of the transition of the storage remaining amount shown in FIG. 5, the timing when the storage remaining amount of the delivery vehicle 2 first falls below the size K3 of the fragment data P30 is the time T30. Therefore, the expected lifetime of the fragment data P30 is T30. From the above, it can be seen that the earlier the deletion order of the fragment data, the shorter the expected lifetime.

[0069] Next, the destination determination process of the fragment data based on the expected lifetime will be described. The delivery control unit 12 determines the delivery vehicle 2 that is the destination of the fragment data #X so that the total value of the expected lifetimes in the delivery vehicle 2 of each destination of the fragment data #X is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. For example, when the delivery vehicles 2 that are the destinations of the fragment data #X are V1, V2, ···, Vm, the expected lifetimes of the fragment data #X in each delivery vehicle 2 are represented as E1, E2, ···, Em. The delivery control unit 12 selects m delivery vehicles 2 that are the destinations so that the total value E = E1 + E2 + ··· + Em of the expected lifetimes in the delivery vehicle 2 of each destination of the fragment data is equal to or greater than the threshold value Eth. When the total value of the expected lifetimes is less than the threshold value Eth, the delivery control unit 12 increases the number m of the delivery vehicles 2 that are the destinations. The m delivery vehicles 2 included may be randomly selected, or may be selected so that the density of the delivery vehicles 2 that are the destinations of the fragment data #X is uniform within the area.

[0070] From this, it can be seen that when the destination of the fragment data is determined based on the expected lifetime, the shorter the expected lifetime of the fragment data, the more delivery vehicles 2 are determined as the destination of the fragment data. The expected lifetime is shorter for fragment data with an earlier deletion order. Therefore, when determining the destination of the fragment data based on the expected lifetime, the fragment data with an earlier deletion order is sent to more delivery vehicles 2. Also, for any fragment data, the delivery vehicles 2 of the destination are determined such that the total value E of the expected lifetimes in the delivery vehicles 2 of each destination is equal to or greater than the threshold value Eth. As a result, the delivery opportunities for each fragment data within a predetermined period become almost the same regardless of the deletion order.

[0071] Note that the delivery server 1 may determine the destination of the fragment data without obtaining the expected lifetime, using a constant predetermined as the length of time the fragment data is retained in the delivery vehicle 2. The constant for the length of time the fragment data is retained in the delivery vehicle 2 may be a uniform value regardless of the fragment data and the delivery vehicle 2, or may be different values according to the type or data size of the fragment data, or the specifications of the delivery vehicle 2, etc.

[0072] ​In the process of determining the destination for fragment data based on the expected lifetime, the distribution control unit 12 may change the threshold value Eth of the total expected lifetime in the distribution vehicle 2 for each destination of the fragment data according to the priority of the content to be distributed. For example, assume that the vehicles of vehicle type A have a relatively higher market share compared to the vehicles of vehicle type B. At this time, set the priority of the software update data for the vehicles of vehicle type A higher than that of the software update data for the vehicles of vehicle type B, and for the fragment data of the software update data for the vehicles of vehicle type A, the threshold value Eth may be set higher than that of vehicle type B. As a result, the software update data for the vehicles of vehicle type A is transmitted to more distribution vehicles 2, so the distribution opportunity in vehicle-to-vehicle communication is more reliably guaranteed, and the distribution delay time is shortened. On the other hand, the vehicles of vehicle type B with relatively lower priority may not be able to obtain all the necessary fragment data for acquiring software update data through vehicle-to-vehicle communication within a certain period, and there may be a need to directly download the remaining fragment data from the distribution server 1 through cellular communication or the like. However, since the number of vehicles of vehicle type B is smaller than that of vehicle type A, the impact on communication costs is relatively minor.

[0073] (Flow of the process) FIG. 6 is an example of a flowchart of the process of the distribution server 1. The process shown in FIG. 6 starts when an event indicating the start of content distribution occurs. The event indicating the start of content distribution is, for example, that an operation instruction for content distribution is input from the administrator of the content distribution system 100, and that the reserved time for the start of content distribution arrives. However, the event indicating the start of content distribution is not limited to these. The execution entity of the process shown in FIG. 6 is the processor 101 of the distribution server 1, but for the sake of convenience, the description will be mainly based on the functional components. The same applies to the flowcharts below FIG. 6.

[0074] In OP101, the distribution control unit 12 selects a plurality of delivery vehicles 2 and transmits a notice of delivery vehicle appointment to the selected delivery vehicles 2. In OP102, the distribution control unit 12 receives a storage capacity profile from each delivery vehicle 2. In OP103, the distribution control unit 12 acquires fragmented data generated from the content to be distributed from the data block generation unit 11 and determines the deletion order of the fragmented data. In OP104, the distribution control unit 12 acquires the expected lifetime in each delivery vehicle 2 for each fragmented data (see FIG. 5). In OP105, the distribution control unit 12 determines the delivery vehicle 2 to be the transmission destination such that, for each fragmented data, the earlier the deletion order, the more delivery vehicles 2 it is transmitted to (see FIG. 5). In OP106, the distribution control unit 12 transmits each fragmented data to the delivery vehicle 2 of the transmission destination determined in OP105. In OP107, the distribution control unit 12 transmits a content acquisition instruction to the receiving vehicle 3. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 6 ends.

[0075] FIG. 7 is an example of a flowchart of the storage capacity profile generation process of the delivery vehicle 2. The process shown in FIG. 7 starts when the delivery vehicle 2 receives a notice of delivery vehicle appointment from the distribution server 1 in the first embodiment. When the notice of being selected as the delivery vehicle is by push transmission of fragmented data, the process shown in FIG. 7 starts, for example, when the fragmented data is received.

[0076] In OP201, the profile generation unit 21 analyzes the history of the remaining storage amount and predicts the transition of the remaining storage amount. In OP202, the profile generation unit 21 creates a storage capacity profile including the prediction result of the transition of the remaining storage amount. In OP203, the profile generation unit 21 transmits the storage capacity profile to the distribution server 1. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 7 ends.

[0077] FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart of the content management process of the delivery vehicle 2. The process shown in FIG. 8 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle during the operation of the in-vehicle device 20. In OP301, the content management unit 24 determines whether write data has been generated from the application program installed in the in-vehicle device 20. If write data has been generated from the application program (OP301: YES), the process proceeds to OP302. If no write data has been generated from the application program (OP301: NO), the process shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0078] In OP302, the content management unit 24 determines whether the remaining storage amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. If the remaining storage amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (OP302: YES), the process shown in FIG. 8 ends. If the remaining storage amount is less than the first threshold value (OP302: NO), the process proceeds to OP303. In OP303, the content management unit 24 deletes the fragmented data with the earliest deletion order from the storage. The content management unit 24 may delete the fragmented data with the earliest deletion order from the storage until the remaining storage amount becomes equal to or greater than the second threshold value. Thereafter, the process shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0079] FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing an example of a sequence of content delivery processing in the content delivery system 100. In FIGS. 9A and 9B, the delivery vehicle 2A, the delivery vehicle 2B, and the receiving vehicle 3A are shown representing the delivery vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3, respectively.

[0080] In S11, the distribution server 1 selects the distribution vehicles 2A and 2B as the distribution vehicles from among the vehicles managed by the content distribution system 100. In S12, the distribution server 1 transmits a distribution vehicle appointment notice to the distribution vehicles 2A and 2B (FIG. 6, OP101). In S13, the distribution vehicles 2A and 2B receive the distribution vehicle appointment notice from the distribution server 1 and create a storage capacity profile (FIG. 7, OP201, OP202). In S14, the distribution vehicles 2A and 2B transmit the storage capacity profile to the distribution server 1 (FIG. 7, OP203).

[0081] In S21, the distribution server 1 generates fragment data from the content to be distributed, determines the deletion order (FIG. 6, OP103), obtains the expected lifetimes in the distribution vehicles 6A and 6B for each fragment data based on the deletion order and the data size (FIG. 6, OP104), and determines the transmission destination based on the expected lifetime (FIG. 6, OP105). In the example shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, it is assumed that the distributed content is divided into fragment data P5, P6, and P7. Also, it is assumed that the deletion order has two levels of "early" and "late". It is assumed that the deletion order of the fragment data P5 is determined to be "early". It is assumed that the deletion orders of the fragment data P20 and P30 are determined to be "late". It is assumed that the distribution server 1 determines the transmission destination of the fragment data P5 to the distribution vehicles 2A and 2B, the transmission destination of the fragment data P6 to the distribution vehicle 2A, and the transmission destination of the fragment data P7 to the distribution vehicle 2B.

[0082] In S22, the distribution server 1 transmits the fragment data P5 and P6 to the distribution vehicle 2A together with their respective deletion orders (FIG. 6, OP106). In S23, the distribution server 1 transmits the fragment data P5 and P7 to the distribution vehicle 2B together with their respective deletion orders (FIG. 6, OP106). The distribution vehicles 2A and 2B store the fragment data received from the distribution server 1 in the storage. In S24, the distribution server 1 transmits a content acquisition instruction to the receiving vehicle 3A (FIG. 6, OP107). The fragment data P5, P6, and P7 are specified as the fragment data to be acquired by the receiving vehicle 3A in the content acquisition instruction.

[0083] In S31 of FIG. 9B, the delivery vehicle 2A and the receiving vehicle 3A pass by each other on the road. In S32, the delivery vehicle 2A and the receiving vehicle 3A establish vehicle-to-vehicle communication. At this time, the receiving vehicle 3A requests and obtains the list of fragment data held by the delivery vehicle 2A, and for the fragment data that is specified by the content acquisition instruction received from the distribution server 1 in S24 and is not held among the list, the receiving vehicle 3A transmits an acquisition request to the delivery vehicle 2A. The list of fragment data held by the delivery vehicle 2A includes fragment data P5 and P6. Also, since the fragment data P5 and P6 are acquisition targets of the receiving vehicle 3A and the receiving vehicle 3A has not acquired them, the receiving vehicle 3A transmits an acquisition request for the fragment data P5 and P6 to the delivery vehicle 2A. In S33, the delivery vehicle 2A transmits the requested fragment data P5 and P6 to the receiving vehicle 3A through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The receiving vehicle 3A stores the received fragment data P5 and P6 in the auxiliary storage device 203.

[0084] In S41, as time passes, the storage remaining amount in the delivery vehicle 2A and the delivery vehicle 2B becomes less than the first threshold value, and the fragment data P5 with an earlier deletion order is deleted from the storage. In FIG. 9B, for simplicity, the deletion of the fragment data P5 in the delivery vehicle 2A and the delivery vehicle 2B is described together, but each occurs at an independent timing.

[0085] In S51, as time further passes, the delivery vehicle 2B and the receiving vehicle 3A pass by each other on the road. In S52, the delivery vehicle 2B and the receiving vehicle 3A establish vehicle-to-vehicle communication. At this time, the receiving vehicle 3A obtains the list of fragment data held by the delivery vehicle 2B that includes the fragment data P7, and for the fragment data P7 that is specified by the content acquisition instruction received from the distribution server 1 in S24 and is not held among the list, the receiving vehicle 3A transmits an acquisition request to the delivery vehicle 2B. In S53, the delivery vehicle 2B transmits the requested fragment data P7 to the receiving vehicle 3A through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The receiving vehicle 3A stores the received fragment data P7 in the auxiliary storage device 203.

[0086] In S61, since the receiving vehicle 3A has all the fragment data P5, P6, and P7 necessary to restore the content, it restores and obtains the original content from the fragment data P5, P6, and P7. Note that the sequence of processes shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is an example and can be appropriately changed according to the embodiment.

[0087] <Effects of the First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, in a content distribution system by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, fragment data with an earlier deletion order when the storage remaining amount is insufficient is transmitted to more delivery vehicles 2. As a result, the delivery opportunity of fragment data with an earlier deletion order increases, and the possibility of being completely delivered to the receiving vehicle 3 before being deleted increases. For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the fragment data P5 with an earlier deletion order is transmitted and held in both the delivery vehicle 2A and the delivery vehicle 2B. Thereby, the receiving vehicle 3A can acquire the fragment data P5 from the delivery vehicle 2A or the delivery vehicle 2B through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In FIG. 9B, although the receiving vehicle 3A acquires the fragment data P5 from the delivery vehicle 2A, it is also possible to acquire the fragment data P5 from the delivery vehicle 2B if it has passed by the delivery vehicle 2B earlier. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 9B, even if the fragment data P5 is deleted from both the delivery vehicle 2A and the delivery vehicle 2B due to insufficient storage remaining amount, the receiving vehicle 3A has acquired the fragment data P5 before that. Thereby, the receiving vehicle 3A can suppress missing the acquisition of the fragment data P5 from the delivery vehicle 2 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and can shorten the time required for content acquisition.

[0088] Also, in the delivery vehicle 2, when the storage remaining amount is insufficient, fragment data with an earlier deletion order can be deleted from the storage or overwritten by data of other applications. Thereby, the storage of the delivery vehicle 2 is occupied by the fragment data, and other applications It is possible to suppress the impact on the operation of the pre - application program. Also, when the remaining storage amount is insufficient, by deleting fragmented data according to the deletion order, the storage area storing fragmented data with an earlier deletion order can be used as a short - term cache, and the storage area storing fragmented data with a later deletion order can be used as a long - term cache, so that the storage can be dynamically used as a short - term cache or a long - term cache.

[0089] <Modification Example of the First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the distribution server 1 determines the delivery vehicle 2 that is the destination of the fragmented data so that the total value of the expected lifetimes in the delivery vehicle 2 at each destination of the fragmented data is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Instead of this, the distribution control unit 12 of the distribution server 1 may determine to add the fragmented data to the delivery vehicle 2 and also transmit it repeatedly to other delivery vehicles 2 according to whether the expected lifetime when the fragmented data is transmitted to a certain delivery vehicle 2 is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0090] More specifically, when the expected lifetime when the fragmented data is transmitted to a certain delivery vehicle 2 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the distribution control unit 12 determines to transmit the fragmented data to the delivery vehicle 2 and not transmit it repeatedly to other delivery vehicles 2. When the expected lifetime when the fragmented data is transmitted to a certain delivery vehicle 2 is less than the threshold, the distribution control unit 12 determines to transmit the fragmented data to the delivery vehicle 2 and also transmit it repeatedly to other delivery vehicles 2. As the expected lifetime of the fragmented data used for the above determination, the longest expected lifetime, the shortest expected lifetime, or the average value or median value of the expected lifetimes for each of the plurality of delivery vehicles 2 of the fragmented data may be used. Also, when transmitting the fragmented data repeatedly, a predetermined number of delivery vehicles 2 determined in advance may be determined as the destinations, or the number of delivery vehicles 2 that varies according to the value of the expected lifetime used for the above determination may be determined as the destinations.

[0091] When determining whether to transmit data fragments to multiple delivery vehicles 2 repeatedly according to whether the expected lifetime of the fragment data is equal to or greater than a threshold as described above, the process can be simplified and the processing load on the delivery server 1 can be reduced. Further, the number of destination delivery vehicles 2 may be determined according to which range among a plurality of ranges defined by a plurality of thresholds the expected lifetime of the fragment data belongs to. For example, if threshold A < threshold B, the number of destinations for fragment data in each range may be set so that it increases in the order of less than threshold A, greater than or equal to threshold A and less than threshold B, and greater than or equal to threshold B.

[0092] Alternatively, instead of transmitting the deletion order to the delivery vehicle 2 together with the fragment data, the delivery server 1 may transmit the expected lifetime of the fragment data in the delivery vehicle 2 together with the fragment data. This is because the expected lifetime becomes shorter as the deletion order is earlier.

[0093] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a data collection system 500 according to the second embodiment. The data collection system 500 is a system that collects data generated by a source vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication to a sink vehicle. As an example of the data generated by the source vehicle, there is sensor data. Hereinafter, the data to be collected by the data collection system 500 generated by the source vehicle 70 is referred to as upload data.

[0094] The data collection system 500 includes a source vehicle 70 that generates upload data, a sink vehicle 60 that acquires the upload data from the source vehicle 70 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and a data collection server 50 that collects the upload data generated by the source vehicle 70 from the sink vehicle 60. Note that there are a plurality of sink vehicles 60 and source vehicles 70 included in the data collection system 500. In FIG. 10, for representation, sink vehicle 60A, sink vehicle 60B, and A source vehicle 70 is shown. When not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as a sink vehicle 60 and a source vehicle 70. Hereinafter, regarding the communication between the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70, although the actual entity is the in-vehicle device, for convenience, the explanation will be made with the sink vehicle 60 or the source vehicle 70 as the subject.

[0095] The data collection server 50, the sink vehicle 60, and the source vehicle 70 are connected to the network N2 and can communicate with each other via the network N2. The network N2 is a public network such as the Internet, for example. The sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70 can be connected to the network N2 via a cellular network or a wireless LAN as an access network.

[0096] The data collection server 50 collects and analyzes the upload data generated by the source vehicle 70, and performs, for example, grasping of road traffic conditions, generation of digital maps, and learning of machine learning models. The source vehicle 70 temporarily stores the generated upload data in the storage of the in-vehicle device, and when passing by the sink vehicle 60, transmits the stored upload data by vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0097] The sink vehicle 60 temporarily stores the upload data received via vehicle-to-vehicle communication from one or more source vehicles 70 in the storage of the in-vehicle device, and at a predetermined timing, uploads the temporarily stored upload data to the data collection server 50 in a batch via WiFi communication or cellular communication. The timing at which the sink vehicle 60 uploads the upload data to the data collection server 50 is, for example, when the sink vehicle 60 connects to a WiFi access point while parked. Note that the sink vehicle 60 may also operate as a source vehicle 70. By the sink vehicle 60 collecting the upload data from the 70 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication and uploading the collected upload data to the data collection server 50 in a batch, the communication cost for data collection can be suppressed. When the sink vehicle 60 uploads the upload data via WiFi communication, the communication cost for data collection can be further suppressed. In the second embodiment, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication may be, for example, any of vehicle-to-vehicle wireless LAN communication, DSRC, or 5G sidelink communication.

[0098] First, the flow of data collection via vehicle-to-vehicle communication will be described. The data collection server 50 selects a plurality of sink vehicles 60 and source vehicles 70, respectively, from the vehicles managed by the data collection system 500, for example, based on a predetermined policy or the like. The data collection server 50 transmits a notification of sink vehicle appointment to the selected sink vehicle 60, for example, via WiFi communication or cellular communication. The data collection server 50 transmits a data collection instruction to the selected source vehicle 70. The data collection instruction includes, for example, the type of upload data generated by the source vehicle 70, the acquisition time, the acquisition frequency, a list of sink vehicles, and the like.

[0099] The source vehicle 70 generates and collects upload data according to a data collection instruction, and when passing by the designated sink vehicle 60, transmits the upload data to the sink vehicle 60 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The sink vehicle 60 temporarily stores the upload data received from the source vehicle 70 in the storage of the in-vehicle device, and for example, at the timing of connecting to the WiFi access point next, transmits the temporarily stored upload data to the data collection server 50 via WiFi communication on behalf of it.

[0100] When the remaining storage amount of the sink vehicle 60 is insufficient, even if the source vehicle 70 passes by on the road and receives upload data through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the received upload data will be overwritten by data from other application programs, and cannot continue to be held in the cache. In the second embodiment, it diverts the method in the first embodiment of transmitting more fragment data with an earlier deletion order to more delivery vehicles 2, and the source vehicle 70 transmits more upload data with an earlier deletion order to more sink vehicles 60.

[0101] More specifically, it is as follows. (A) The source vehicle 70 determines the deletion order of the upload data when the remaining storage amount in the sink vehicle 60 is insufficient. (B) The source vehicle 70 transmits more fragment data with an earlier deletion order to more source vehicles 70. At this time, the source vehicle 70 also transmits the deletion order to the sink vehicle 60 together with the fragment data. In the second embodiment, the source vehicle 70 acquires a storage capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60, predicts the transition of the remaining storage amount of the sink vehicle 60 based on the storage capacity profile of the sink vehicle 60, and based on the expected lifetime of the upload data in the sink vehicle 60, determines whether to continue transmitting the upload data to the sink vehicle 60.

[0102] For example, in FIG. 10, the source vehicle 70 holds the upload data H1 and H2. Since the deletion order of the upload data H2 is earlier than that of the upload data H1, it is transmitted to the sink vehicle 60A and the sink vehicle 60B. Even if the upload data H2 is deleted in either the sink vehicle 60A or the sink vehicle 60B before being transmitted to the data collection server 50, there is a possibility that it will be transmitted to the data collection server 50 by the other one. Therefore, the possibility of the upload data H2 being uploaded to the data collection server 50 can be increased. Also, even if the data collection server 50 receives the upload data H2 redundantly from both the sink vehicle 60A and the sink vehicle 60B, for example, redundant data can be deleted, and there is no particular impact on the processing of the data collection server 50.

[0103] (C) In the sink vehicle 60, when the remaining storage amount is insufficient, the upload data with an earlier deletion order is deleted. By this, it is possible to suppress the storage capacity of the sink vehicle 60 from being pressured by the upload data. On the other hand, the upload data with a later deletion order is held in the sink vehicle 60 for a longer time. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, even without securing a short-term cache and a long-term cache in the storage of the sink vehicle 60, the storage of the sink vehicle 60 can be dynamically used as a short-term cache and a long-term cache.

[0104] The upload data is an example of a "data block". The sink vehicle 60 is an example of a "first moving body". The data collection server 50 is an example of an "other device". Vehicle-to-vehicle communication is an example of "device-to-device communication". The in-vehicle device mounted on the source vehicle 70 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0105] The hardware configuration of the data collection server 50 is the same as that of the distribution server 1 in the first embodiment. That is, the data collection server 50 includes, for example, a processor, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and a communication unit, like the hardware configuration of the distribution server 1 shown in FIG. 2. The hardware configurations of the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70 are the same as those of the distribution vehicle 2 and the receiving vehicle 3 in the first embodiment. That is, the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70 are equipped with in-vehicle devices. The in-vehicle device includes, like the in-vehicle device 20 shown in FIG. 2, a processor, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, a wireless communication unit, and an inter-vehicle communication unit.

[0106] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the source vehicle 70. The source vehicle 70 includes, as a functional configuration, a data block generation unit 71, an upload control unit 72, and an upload data storage unit 73. The data block generation unit 71, the upload control unit 72, and the upload data storage unit 73 are, for example, functional components achieved by the processor of the source vehicle 70 executing a predetermined program. However, it is not limited thereto, and the data block generation unit 71, the upload control unit 72, and the upload data storage unit 73 may be respectively realized by hardware components such as an FPGA. The upload data storage unit 73 holds the upload data. The upload data storage unit 73 is created in the storage area of the auxiliary storage device of the source vehicle 70. When the data block generation unit 71 receives a data collection instruction from the data collection server 50, it starts generating the upload data. The data block generation unit 71, for example, acquires detection values from in-vehicle sensors, generates upload data, and stores it in the upload data storage unit 73. Note that the sensor data assumed as the upload data in the second embodiment has a small data size and is uploaded without being divided. When the size of the upload data is large, the data block generation unit 71 may divide the upload data to generate fragment data.

[0107]

[0108] The upload control unit 72 determines the deletion order of upload data when the storage remaining amount of the sink vehicle 60 is insufficient (Fig. 10(A)), and determines whether to continue or stop the transmission of the upload data to the sink vehicle 60 (Fig. 10(B)). The upload control unit 72 determines the deletion order of the upload data based on, for example, the type of sensor data. The deletion order may be, for example, in two levels of fast and slow, or may be divided into three or more levels, or may be indicated by the priority of the upload data, similar to the first embodiment.

[0109] When vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the sink vehicle 60 is established, the upload control unit 72 receives a storage capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60. The storage capacity profile is the same as that in the first embodiment. Based on the storage capacity profile of the sink vehicle 60, the deletion order of the upload data, and the data size, the upload control unit 72 acquires the expected lifetime in the sink vehicle 60 for each upload data held in the upload data storage unit 73 for which transmission completion has not been determined. The method for acquiring the expected lifetime is the same as that in the first embodiment.

[0110] For each upload data, the upload control unit 72 determines whether to continue transmitting the upload data to the sink vehicle 60 according to whether the total value of the expected lifetimes in the sink vehicle 60 of the transmission destinations including the transmission destinations transmitted so far is equal to or greater than the threshold value Eth, similar to the first embodiment. More specifically, when the total value of the expected lifetimes is less than the threshold value Eth, the upload control unit 72 determines to continue transmitting the upload data to the sink vehicle 60. When the total value of the expected lifetimes is equal to or greater than the threshold value Eth, the upload control unit 72 determines to stop transmitting the upload data to the sink vehicle 60. Since the expected lifetime is shorter as the deletion order is earlier, more upload data with an earlier deletion order will be transmitted to more sink vehicles 60.

[0111] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the sink vehicle 60. The sink vehicle 60 includes, as functional components, a profile generation unit 61, an upload data reception unit 62, an upload unit 63, and an upload data management unit 64. The profile generation unit 61, the upload data reception unit 62, the upload unit 63, and the upload data management unit 64 are functional components achieved, for example, when a processor of the sink vehicle 60 executes a predetermined program. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the profile generation unit 61, the upload data reception unit 62, the upload unit 63, and the upload data management unit 64 may be realized by hardware components such as an FPGA, respectively.

[0112] The profile generation unit 61, the upload data reception unit 62, the upload unit 63, and the upload data management unit 64 are activated when receiving a notification of the sink vehicle appointment from the data collection server 50. When the profile generation unit 61 establishes vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the source vehicle 70, it generates a storage capacity profile and transmits it to the source vehicle 70 through the vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The method for creating the storage capacity profile is the same as that in the first embodiment. The processing of the profile generation unit 61 is, for example, the same as the profile generation processing shown in FIG. 7.

[0113] The upload data reception unit 62 receives upload data from the source vehicle 70 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 65. When a predetermined event occurs, the upload unit 63 transmits the upload data to the distribution server 1 through, for example, WiFi communication or cellular communication. The predetermined event is, for example, the sink vehicle 60 connecting to a WiFi access point in a parked state, reaching a predetermined time, or the total size of the upload data in the auxiliary storage device 65 becoming equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The upload unit 63 may delete the upload data uploaded to the distribution server 1 from the auxiliary storage device 65.

[0114] The upload data management unit 64 manages the upload data held in the auxiliary storage device 65. More specifically, when the remaining storage amount becomes less than the third threshold, the upload data management unit 64 deletes from the auxiliary storage device 65 the upload data with the earliest deletion order among the upload data held in the auxiliary storage device 65. The upload data management unit 64 may delete from the auxiliary storage device 65 the upload data with the earliest deletion order until the remaining storage amount becomes equal to or more than the fourth threshold. The fourth threshold is a value equal to or more than the third threshold. The deletion of the upload data from the auxiliary storage device 65 by the upload data management unit 64 is the same as the deletion of the fragment data from the auxiliary storage device 203 by the content management unit 24 in the first embodiment (for example, FIG. 8). Note that the functional configuration of the sink vehicle 60 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 12.

[0115] FIG. 13 is an example of a flowchart of the transmission process of the upload data of the source vehicle 70. The process shown in FIG. 13 starts, for example, when a data collection instruction is received from the distribution server 1 and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle.

[0116] In OP401, the upload control unit 72 determines whether vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the sink vehicle 60 has been established. If vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the sink vehicle 60 has been established (OP401: YES), the process proceeds to OP402. If vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the sink vehicle 60 has not been established (OP401: NO), the process shown in FIG. 13 ends.

[0117] In OP402, the upload control unit 72 receives a memory capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60 through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In OP403, the upload control unit 72 determines the deletion order of the upload data in the upload data storage unit 73. In OP404, the upload control unit 72 transmits, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, the upload data in the upload data storage unit 73 that has not been transmitted yet to the sink vehicle 60. In OP405, the upload control unit 72 acquires the expected lifetime in the sink vehicle 60 for each upload data in the upload data storage unit 73.

[0118] The processes of OP406 and OP407 are performed for each upload data (upload data for which transmission completion has not been determined) transmitted in OP404. In OP406, the upload control unit 72 determines whether or not the total value of the expected lifetimes in the sink vehicle 60 of the destination of the target upload data, to which the target upload data has been transmitted so far, is equal to or greater than the threshold value Eth. If the total value of the expected lifetimes is equal to or greater than the threshold value E th or more (OP406: YES), the process proceeds to OP407. In OP407, the upload control unit 72 determines the completion of transmission of the target upload data. If the total value of the expected lifetimes is less than the threshold value Eth (OP406: NO), the process of OP406 is executed for the next upload data, or when the processes of OP406 and OP407 are completed for all the upload data transmitted in OP405, the process shown in FIG. 13 ends.

[0119] In the processes of OP406 and OP407, it is determined whether to continue or end the transmission of the target upload data to the sink vehicle 60. As a result, the upload data with a shorter expected lifetime, that is, the upload data with an earlier deletion order, is transmitted to more sink vehicles 60.

[0120] Note that the processing of the source vehicle 70 shown in FIG. 13 is an example and can be appropriately changed according to the implementation mode. For example, the deletion order of the upload data may be determined when the upload data is acquired and stored in the upload data storage unit 73 before the vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the sink vehicle 60 is established.

[0121] Also, in the example shown in FIG. 13, after the upload data is transmitted to the sink vehicle 60 by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, it is determined whether to continue or stop the transmission of each upload data to the sink vehicle 60 (OP406, OP407). However, it is not limited to this. The upload control unit 72 may determine whether to transmit the upload data to the sink vehicle 60 with which the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is currently established, in the same manner as OP406, based on the total value of the expected lifetimes in the sink vehicle 60 of the transmission destinations that have been transmitted so far.

[0122] FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams showing an example of the sequence of the collection process of the upload data in the data collection system 500. Note that in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the sink vehicle 60A, the sink vehicle 60B, and the source vehicle 70A are shown representing the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70, respectively.

[0123] In S101, the data collection server 50 selects the sink vehicles 60A and 60B as sink vehicles from among the vehicles managed by the data collection system 500. For example, the data collection server 50 may acquire the connection history with the WiFi access point from each vehicle, and select, as sink vehicles, vehicles that can communicate stably with the WiFi access point repeatedly. Examples of vehicles that can communicate stably with the WiFi access point repeatedly include vehicles that have a WiFi access point installed around the home garage and can perform WiFi communication while parked. Note that the sink vehicle may be selected from vehicles with a large storage remaining amount in the in-vehicle device, or vehicles with less concern about battery consumption while parked, such as battery EVs or plug-in hybrid vehicles. In S102, the data collection server 50 sends a notification of sink vehicle appointment to the sink vehicles 60A and 60B.

[0124] In S111, the data collection server 50 selects the source vehicle 70A as a source vehicle from among the vehicles managed by the data collection system 500. The data collection server 50 selects the source vehicle according to a predetermined policy. The source vehicle is selected, for example, based on the vehicle's position, vehicle type, sensor specifications, storage remaining amount, and past movement history, etc., so that the density of the source vehicles is uniform within the area. In S112, the data collection server 50 sends a data collection instruction to the source vehicle 70A. When the source vehicle 70A receives the data collection instruction from the data collection server 50, it starts the process of uploading data.

[0125] After that, as time passes, in S121, the source vehicle 70A and the sink vehicle 60A are on the road They pass by each other. In S122, the source vehicle 70A and the sink vehicle 60A establish vehicle-to-vehicle communication (FIG. 13, OP401). At this time, the source vehicle 70A and the sink vehicle 60A recognize each other as the source vehicle and the sink vehicle, and determine to transfer upload data. In S123, the sink vehicle 60A creates a memory capacity profile. In S124, the sink vehicle 60A transmits the memory capacity profile to the source vehicle 70A through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The source vehicle 70A receives the memory capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60A (FIG. 13, OP402).

[0126] In S125, the source vehicle 70A determines the deletion order of the upload data (FIG. 13, OP403). In the processes shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the source vehicle 70A holds the upload data H5 and H6. Also, assume that the deletion order has two levels: "early" and "late". Assume that the deletion order of the upload data H5 is "early". Assume that the deletion order of the upload data H6 is "late". In S126, the source vehicle 70A transmits the upload data H5 and H6 to the sink vehicle 60A through vehicle-to-vehicle communication (FIG. 13, OP404). The sink vehicle 60A stores the received upload data H5 and H6 in the auxiliary storage device 65.

[0127] In S127, for each upload data, the source vehicle 70A obtains the expected lifetime in the sink vehicle 60A based on the memory capacity profile, deletion order, and data size of the sink vehicle 60A (FIG. 13, OP405), and determines whether to continue or end the transmission to the sink vehicle 60 based on the expected lifetime (FIG. 13, OP406). In S127, the source vehicle 70A determines to end the transmission of the upload data H6 with a late deletion order. This is because the expected lifetime of the upload data H6 in the sink vehicle 60A is longer than the expected lifetime of the upload data H5.

[0128] Thereafter, as more time elapses, at S131 in FIG. 14B, the source vehicle 70A and the sink vehicle 60B pass by each other on the road. At S132, the source vehicle 70A and the sink vehicle 60B establish vehicle-to-vehicle communication (FIG. 13, OP401). At S133, the sink vehicle 60B generates a memory capacity profile. At S134, the sink vehicle 60B transmits the memory capacity profile to the source vehicle 70A via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The source vehicle 70A receives the memory capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60B (FIG. 13, OP402).

[0129] At S135, the source vehicle 70A determines the deletion order of the upload data (FIG. 13, OP403). At S136, the source vehicle 70A transmits the upload data H5 to the sink vehicle 60B via vehicle-to-vehicle communication (FIG. 13, OP404). Since the transmission of the upload data H6 to the sink vehicle 60 was determined to be completed at S127, the upload data H6 is not transmitted to the sink vehicle 60B. The sink vehicle 60B stores the received upload data H5 in the auxiliary storage device 65. Thereafter, the source vehicle 70A obtains the expected lifetime in the sink vehicle 60B for the upload data H5 based on the memory capacity profile, deletion order, and data size of the sink vehicle 60B (FIG. 13, OP405), and determines whether to continue or end the transmission to the sink vehicle 60 based on the expected lifetime (FIG. 13, OP406).

[0130] Still later, at S151, the sink vehicle 60A uploads the upload data H5 and H6 to the data collection server 50, for example, via WiFi communication. As more time elapses, at S161, the storage remaining amount in the sink vehicle 60A and the sink vehicle 60B becomes less than the third threshold value, and the upload data H5 with an earlier deletion order is deleted from the storage. Note that in FIG. 14B, for simplicity, the deletion of the upload data H5 in the sink vehicle 60A and the sink vehicle 60B is described together, but each occurs at an independent timing.

[0131] In the second embodiment, in the data collection system using vehicle-to-vehicle communication, upload data with an earlier deletion order when the storage remaining amount is insufficient is transmitted to more sink vehicles 60. As a result, the possibility that the upload data with an earlier deletion order is uploaded to the data collection server 50 can be increased. For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the upload data H5 with an earlier deletion order is transmitted and held in both the sink vehicle 60A and the sink vehicle 60B. In FIG. 14B, the sink vehicle 60B deletes the upload data H5 before uploading it to the data collection server 50. However, since the sink vehicle 60A uploads the upload data H5 to the data collection server 50 before deleting it, the data collection server 50 can acquire the upload data H5.

[0132] Also, in the sink vehicle 60, when the storage remaining amount is insufficient, the upload data with an earlier deletion order can be deleted from the storage or overwritten with data of other applications. As a result, it is possible to suppress the storage of the sink vehicle 60 being occupied by the upload data and affecting the operation of other application programs. Also, similar to the delivery vehicle 2 of the first embodiment, the sink vehicle 60 can also dynamically use the storage as a short-term cache or a long-term cache.

[0133] <Modification Example of the Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the source vehicle 70 receives the storage capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60 and determines whether to repeatedly transmit the upload data to a plurality of sink vehicles 60 based on the storage capacity profile. Instead of this, the data collection server 50 periodically receives the location information from the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70, the storage capacity profile from the sink vehicle 60, predicts a pair of the sink vehicle 60 and the source vehicle 70 that will pass by based on the location information, determines the sink vehicle 60 that is the transmission destination of the upload data of the source vehicle 70 and the number thereof based on the storage capacity profile, and may instruct the source vehicle 70 via a cellular network or the like.

[0134] <Other embodiments> The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate modifications without departing from the gist thereof.

[0135] In the first embodiment, the delivery vehicle 2 generates the storage capacity profile, but the storage capacity profile may be generated by the distribution server 1. When the distribution server 1 generates the storage capacity profile, for example, the delivery vehicle 2 periodically notifies the distribution server 1 of the remaining storage amount, and the distribution server 1 may generate the storage capacity profile in the same manner as in the first embodiment based on the history information of the remaining storage amount. Also in the modification of the second embodiment, the data collection server 50 may generate the storage capacity profile instead of the sink vehicle 60.

[0136] The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0137] Also, the processes described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change how each function is realized by a hardware configuration (server configuration).

[0138] The present disclosure supplies a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and one or more processors included in the computer read the program It can also be realized by being executed. Such a computer program may be provided to a computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Explanation of Signs

[0139] 1 ·· Distribution server 2 ·· Distribution vehicle 3 ·· Receiving vehicle 20 ·· In-vehicle device 50 ·· Data collection server 60 ·· Sink vehicle 70 ·· Source vehicle 100 ·· Content distribution system 101, 201 ·· Processor 102, 202 ·· Memory 103, 203 ·· Auxiliary storage device 104 ·· Communication unit 204 ·· Wireless communication unit 205 ·· Vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 500 ·· Data collection system

Claims

1. For each of one or more data blocks, transmitting the data block body and the deletion order to one or more first moving bodies so that the earlier the deletion order, the more first moving bodies at the destination; A control unit that executes; Comprising; The first moving body is Transmitting or receiving one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks through device - to - device communication; Transmitting the received one or more first data blocks to another device; Deleting the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the remaining storage amount; An information processing apparatus.

2. The control unit transmits each of the one or more data blocks to a number of first moving bodies such that the total value of the first time held in one or more first moving bodies at the destination is substantially the same among data blocks with different deletion orders. The first time is shorter the earlier the deletion order of the data block. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The control unit For each of the one or more data blocks, estimates the first time in each of the one or more first moving bodies based on the size and the deletion order, and the predicted information on the transition of the remaining storage amount of each of the one or more first moving bodies. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 2.

4. The control unit Receives the predicted information from the first moving body. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 3.

5. The control unit Further executes determining the deletion order for each of the one or more data blocks. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

6. The information processing apparatus is a server, The first moving body transmits the one or more first data blocks received from the server to another moving body as the other device through the device - to - device communication. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

7. The information processing apparatus is a device mounted on a moving body, The first moving body Receives the one or more first data blocks from the information processing apparatus through the device - to - device communication, Transmits the received one or more first data blocks to a predetermined server as the other device. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

8. The control unit For each of the one or more data blocks, based on the deletion order, size, and prediction information on the transition of the storage remaining amount of one first moving body, estimate the first time held in the one first moving body. Continue transmitting data blocks for which the total value of the first times for one or more first moving bodies as the destination is less than a predetermined threshold, and stop transmitting data blocks for which the total value of the first times is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7.

9. Transmitting or receiving one or more first data blocks through device - to - device communication. Transmitting the one or more first data blocks received from the source device to other devices. Comprising a control unit that executes the above. The control unit is as follows. For each of the one or more first data blocks, receive a data block body and a deletion order. Delete the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the storage remaining amount. Among the one or more first data blocks, the earlier the deletion order, the more the data blocks are transmitted to more moving bodies. Moving body.

10. The control unit is as follows. Predict the transition of the storage remaining amount based on the history information of the storage remaining amount. Transmit prediction information including the prediction result of the storage remaining amount to the source device. And further execute the above. Among the one or more first data blocks, at least the transmission to the moving body is determined by the source device based on the size, the deletion order, and the prediction information. The moving body according to claim 9.

11. The source device is a server. The moving body transmits the one or more first data blocks received from the server to other moving bodies as the other devices through the device - to - device communication. The moving body according to claim 9 or 10.

12. The source device is a device mounted on a predetermined moving body. The moving body is as follows. Receive the one or more first data blocks from the source device through the device - to - device communication. Transmit the received one or more first data blocks to a predetermined server as the other device. The moving body according to claim 9 or 10.

13. On a computer For each of one or more data blocks, transmit the data block body and the deletion order to one or more first mobile bodies such that the earlier the deletion order, the greater the number of the first mobile bodies at the destination. A program for causing the execution of: The first mobile body Transmits or receives one or more first data blocks among the one or more data blocks through inter-device communication. Transmits the received one or more first data blocks to other devices. Deletes the one or more first data blocks according to the deletion order according to the remaining storage amount. Program.

14. Cause the computer to transmit each of the one or more data blocks to a number of first mobile bodies such that the total value of the first time held in the one or more first mobile bodies at the destination is substantially the same among data blocks with different deletion orders. The first time is shorter the earlier the deletion order of the data block. The program according to claim 13.

15. The computer Further includes causing the computer to estimate the first time in each of the one or more first mobile bodies based on the size and the deletion order of each of the one or more data blocks and the prediction information on the transition of the remaining storage amount of each of the one or more first mobile bodies. The program according to claim 14.

16. The computer Further includes causing the computer to receive the prediction information from the first mobile body. The program according to claim 15.

17. The computer Further includes causing the computer to determine the deletion order for each of the one or more data blocks. The program according to claim 13.

18. The computer is a server. The first mobile body transmits the one or more first data blocks received from the server to other mobile bodies as the other devices through the inter-device communication. The program according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

19. The computer is a device mounted on a mobile body. The first mobile body Receives the one or more first data blocks from the computer through the inter-device communication. Transmits the received one or more first data blocks to a predetermined server as the other device. The program according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

20. In the computer, for each of the one or more data blocks, estimating a first time held in the first moving body based on the deletion order, size, and prediction information of the transition of the remaining storage amount of one first moving body, stopping the transmission of data blocks for which the total value of the first times for one or more first moving bodies as the transmission destination is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The program according to claim 19.

Images