Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To improve convenience in a monitoring system using a vehicle.SOLUTION: A first moving image that is a moving image corresponding to a first point and a first time designated by a user is acquired from an external device, a reproduction screen for reproducing the moving image is output, and a second moving image that is a moving image temporally continuous after the first moving image is acquired from the external device during reproduction of the first moving image. The playback screen includes a first interface for instructing transition of a playback target from the first movie image to the second movie image, and the control unit starts acquisition of the second movie image on condition that a transition operation by the first interface is enabled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to surveillance systems. [Background technology]

[0002] There are systems that provide auxiliary information to operators who receive emergency calls. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that, when multiple emergency calls are received at the same time, determines whether the emergency calls are simultaneous reports and notifies the operator of the result. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-016207 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to improve the convenience of a vehicle-based monitoring system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing device having a control unit that executes the following operations: acquiring a first video from an external device, which is a video corresponding to a first location and a first time specified by a user; outputting a playback screen for playing the video; and acquiring a second video from the external device, which is a video that temporally follows the first video while the first video is being played back; the playback screen includes a first interface that instructs the playback target to transition from the first video to the second video; and the control unit starts acquiring the second video on the condition that a transition operation via the first interface is possible.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is An information processing method executed by an information processing device includes: acquiring a first moving image from an external device, the first moving image being a moving image corresponding to a first location and a first time specified by a user; outputting a playback screen for playing the moving image; and acquiring a second moving image from the external device while the first moving image is being played back, the second moving image being a moving image that follows the first moving image in time; the playback screen includes a first interface that instructs the playback target to transition from the first moving image to the second moving image; and starting acquisition of the second moving image when the transition operation via the first interface becomes possible.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-transitoryly stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the convenience of a monitoring system using a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of each device included in the system. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B show examples of vehicle data, a vehicle data table, and a vehicle list. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of a screen displayed on a terminal device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram of a process in which the server device collects vehicle data and provides a vehicle list. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram of a process for playing back in-vehicle video. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In recent years, automobiles have become increasingly connected, with an increasing number of vehicles equipped with communication functions and in-vehicle cameras.

[0011] In relation to this, by making it possible for designated agencies to access footage captured by cameras (such as dashcams) mounted on vehicles, it can be useful in the initial response to incidents and accidents. For example, when a call is made to 110 or 119, relevant authorities can quickly confirm the situation at the scene by obtaining dashcam footage from a vehicle that was traveling near the relevant location around the time the incident occurred. As a system for this purpose, a system is known in which icons or the like representing the travel positions of a plurality of vehicles at a predetermined time in the past are mapped on a map and presented to an operator.

[0012] In this system, for example, an operator first specifies a target area and a time. The target area is, for example, an area that includes the location where the report was made. The system acquires location information for vehicles traveling in a specified area at a specified time, maps it on a map, and outputs it. When the operator selects a vehicle on the map, the system requests that vehicle to transmit dashcam footage taken at the corresponding time. This allows the operator to view dashcam footage that may have captured the scene of the call.

[0013] Generally, drive recorder video files (video files) are recorded in units of time, such as 1 minute, 3 minutes, etc. Therefore, when trying to play back drive recorder video remotely, the video can be played back file by file. However, in such a configuration, when trying to watch videos by switching between multiple video files, waiting time occurs due to the file transfer, which creates a problem in that the videos cannot be watched smoothly.

[0014] One way to solve this problem is to retrieve and cache consecutive video files in the background. However, the mobile communication lines used by vehicles are often not fast, and in such cases, requesting multiple video files at the same time can further increase waiting times. The information processing device according to the present disclosure solves such a problem.

[0015] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has a control unit that executes the following operations: acquiring a first video from an external device, the first video being a video corresponding to a first location and a first time specified by a user; outputting a playback screen for playing the video; and acquiring a second video from the external device, the second video being a video that temporally follows the first video while the first video is being played; the playback screen includes a first interface that instructs the playback target to transition from the first video to the second video; and the control unit starts acquiring the second video on the condition that a transition operation via the first interface is possible.

[0016] The control unit may, for example, record a video (e.g., For example, a drive recorder video) is acquired from an external device (for example, a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle that was traveling at a particular location at a particular time). The control unit outputs the video via the playback screen, and, during playback of the first video, acquires from the external device a second video, which is a video that temporally follows the first video. The second video is a video that follows the first video. For example, if the first video corresponds to a range from 0 to 59 seconds on the timeline, the second video corresponds to a range from 60 to 119 seconds. That is, the control unit plays back a moving image and acquires (reads ahead) the next moving image following the moving image in parallel.

[0017] On the other hand, the second video cannot be pre-fetched unconditionally. For example, there are cases where the transfer of the second video cannot start until the transfer of the first video is completed. For example, depending on the drive recorder installed in the vehicle, it may not be possible to request the transfer of a new video file while a video file is being transferred. Furthermore, requesting the transfer of a new video file while a video file is being transferred can significantly reduce the communication speed, and as a result, the streaming of the first video may also stop.

[0018] Therefore, the information processing device according to the present disclosure starts acquiring the second moving image on the condition that the interface (first interface) for instructing playback of temporally consecutive moving images becomes operable.

[0019] The first interface is typically an interface for instructing a transition of a playback target from a first moving image to a second moving image. For example, the interface may be inoperable while the first moving image is being transferred from an external device and may become operable when the transfer of the first moving image from the external device is completed. Alternatively, the interface may be operable when the external device is ready to transfer the second moving image.

[0020] With this configuration, it is possible to prevent pre-reading of the second video from starting at a timing when it is not desirable to pre-read the second video.

[0021] The first interface may be operable when a transfer status of the first video from the external device satisfies a predetermined condition. The specified condition may be, for example, a situation related to the communication load between the information processing device and the external device, such as "video images are not being transferred," "the transfer speed is below a specified value," or "the number of simultaneous connections is below a specified value."

[0022] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations.

[0023] (First embodiment) [System Overview] An overview of a monitoring system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The monitoring system according to this embodiment includes a plurality of vehicles 10, a server device 2, and a terminal device 3. The vehicles 10 are connected vehicles that can access a wireless communication network. The vehicles 10 can communicate with the server device 2 via the wireless communication network (for example, a cellular communication network).

[0024] The vehicle 10 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 1. The in-vehicle device 1 includes a drive recorder and a wireless The vehicle 10 functions as a wireless communication device. The vehicle-mounted device 1 has a function of acquiring and storing moving images (hereinafter referred to as "images" or "vehicle-mounted images") of the area in front of the vehicle using an on-board camera, and a function of providing the stored images to an external device (e.g., server device 2) in response to a request from the external device. The vehicle 10 also has a function of periodically transmitting location information to the server device 2.

[0025] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 1 has a wireless communication function, but the vehicle 10 may have a data communication module (hereinafter referred to as DCM) for connecting the components of the vehicle to a network. That is, the in-vehicle device and the wireless communication device may be separate devices.

[0026] The server device 2 is a device configured to be able to communicate with multiple vehicles 10 via a network. The server device 2 periodically acquires location information from the multiple vehicles 10 under its management and stores the information in a database. By referring to the database managed by the server device 2, it is possible to identify the locations and times at which the multiple vehicles 10 under the management of the system have traveled in the past.

[0027] Based on the information acquired from the server device 2, the terminal device 3 identifies a vehicle 10 that is presumed to have the desired vehicle-mounted video, and acquires the vehicle-mounted video from the vehicle 10. Specifically, the terminal device 3 queries the server device 2 and obtains a list of vehicles that were traveling within a specified area at a specified time. The terminal device 3 then maps the corresponding vehicles on a map and accepts a vehicle selection from an operator. The terminal device 3 then requests the selected vehicle 10 to transmit on-board video. This allows the operator of the terminal device 3 to check the video captured by the target vehicle.

[0028] The terminal device 3 is placed in an institution that uses the video captured by the vehicle 10. Examples of such institutions include a police agency and a fire department. For example, when a fire department uses the terminal device 3, an operator is triggered by a call to 119 to identify a vehicle 10 that was traveling near the scene of the call around the time of the call, and acquires on-board video from the vehicle 10.

[0029] Next, the hardware and software configurations of the devices that make up the system will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle device 1, a server device 2, and a terminal device 3 operated by an operator, all of which are installed in a vehicle 10. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The in-vehicle device 1 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that match predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs, FPGAs, etc.

[0031] The in-vehicle device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, a position information acquisition unit 14, and a camera 15.

[0032] The control unit 11 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the in-vehicle device 1. The control unit 11 is implemented by a hardware processor such as a CPU, for example. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include a RAM, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a cache memory, and the like.

[0033] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the in-car device 1 is configured to have three software modules: a photographing unit 111, a notification unit 112, and a provision unit 113. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 11 (CPU, etc.) executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. Note that the information processing executed by the software modules is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 11 (CPU, etc.).

[0034] While the device is in operation, the photographing unit 111 photographs moving images (in-vehicle images) using the camera 15 and stores the obtained data in the storage unit 12. The photographing unit 111 receives power supply from the vehicle and photographs continuously, and records the obtained moving image data in the storage unit 12.

[0035] Video data is made up of multiple video files. There is an upper limit to the length of a video corresponding to one file, and if the upper limit is exceeded, a new video file is generated. In this embodiment, a video file is generated every minute. If the storage capacity is insufficient, the shooting unit 111 deletes the oldest video file to secure free space and then continues shooting. In this embodiment, each video file is associated with an identifier (date and time ID) that identifies the date and time the video file was generated (i.e., the date and time when shooting started). The date and time ID may uniquely identify the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. When the image capturing unit 111 is activated, the in-vehicle device 1 functions as a drive recorder.

[0036] The notification unit 112 periodically generates data related to the traveling of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle data) and transmits it to the server device 2. In this embodiment, the vehicle data includes the position information of the vehicle 10, the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, and a date and time ID indicating the date and time when the position information was acquired. Fig. 3(A) shows an example of the vehicle data. In this embodiment, the vehicle data includes an identifier (vehicle ID) that uniquely identifies the vehicle 10, the date and time when the vehicle data was generated, an identifier (date and time ID) that uniquely identifies the date and time, location information, and information indicating the direction of travel. The location information and direction of travel can be acquired from the location information acquisition unit 14, which will be described later.

[0037] The vehicle data is generated and transmitted at a predetermined cycle. The predetermined cycle may be measured independently, or may be linked to the image capturing unit 111. For example, the notification unit 112 may generate vehicle data at the timing when the image capturing unit 111 generates a new video file (for example, at one-minute intervals). In this case, the date and time indicated by the vehicle data will be the same as the date and time when the new video file was generated.

[0038] The providing unit 113 provides the terminal device 3 with a video file that was shot at a specified time, based on a request (a request to provide a video file) sent from the terminal device 3. For example, when the providing unit 113 receives a provision request including a date and time ID from the terminal device 3, the providing unit 113 obtains the video file corresponding to the date and time ID from the storage unit 22 and transmits it to the terminal device 3.

[0039] The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, etc.

[0040] The communication unit 13 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the in-vehicle device 1 to an external network. The communication unit 13 is, for example, a wireless LAN or a cellular communication such as 3G, 4G, or 5G. It is configured to be able to communicate with the server device 2 via a network.

[0041] The position information acquisition unit 14 acquires position information of the vehicle 10. The position information acquisition unit 14 includes a GPS antenna and a positioning module for determining the position information. The GPS antenna is an antenna that receives positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites (also referred to as GNSS satellites). The positioning module is a module that calculates position information based on the signals received by the GPS antenna. The position information acquisition unit 14 may determine the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 based on the transition of the position information. The camera 15 is an optical unit including an image sensor for acquiring images, and is mounted, for example, facing forward of the vehicle 10.

[0042] Next, the server device 2 will be described. Like the in-vehicle device 1, the server device 2 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.).

[0043] The server device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit .

[0044] The control unit 21 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the server device 2. The control unit 21 can be realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 21 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the server device 2 is configured to have two software modules: a data update unit 211 and an information providing unit 212. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 11 (CPU, etc.) executing a program stored in the storage unit 22. Note that the information processing executed by the software module is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 21 (CPU, etc.).

[0046] The data update unit 211 receives vehicle data from a plurality of vehicles 10 (on-vehicle devices 1) and stores the vehicle data in the storage unit 22. For example, the data update unit 211 may store the vehicle data received from a plurality of vehicles 10 in a table (referred to as a vehicle data table) such as that shown in FIG. 3(B).

[0047] The information providing unit 212 provides information to the terminal device 3 based on the information stored in the storage unit 22. Specifically, the information providing unit 212 performs the following two types of processing.

[0048] (1) Providing information on vehicle location The vehicle data table stores location information of the vehicle 10 equipped with the in-vehicle device 1 that functions as a drive recorder, in association with date and time information. By referring to this, it is possible to extract vehicles that have traveled within a specified area within a specified time span. When a request is received from the terminal device 3, the information providing unit 212 extracts vehicles that have traveled within a specified area within a specified time period, and transmits pairs of location information and date and time information to the terminal device 3. This allows mapping onto a map on the terminal device 3 side. The location information may include information indicating the direction of travel.

[0049] (2) In-car video broadcasting When the target vehicle for which the in-vehicle video is requested is selected by the terminal device 3, the information providing unit 212 receives a video transmission request from the terminal device 3. The video transmission request includes the following: The information provided by the information providing unit 212 includes information identifying the target vehicle and the target date and time. Based on this information, the information providing unit 212 transfers a video transmission request to the target vehicle. The information providing unit 212 also transfers the video file of the in-vehicle video transmitted from the target vehicle to the terminal device 3.

[0050] The storage unit 22 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 22 stores programs executed by the control unit 21, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 22 also stores a table (vehicle data table) for storing data received from the in-vehicle device 1.

[0051] The communication unit 23 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 2 to a network. The communication unit 23 is configured to be able to communicate with the network via, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark), a wireless LAN, a cellular communication network, or the like.

[0052] Next, the terminal device 3 will be described. Like the in-vehicle device 1 and the server device 2, the terminal device 3 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.).

[0053] The terminal device 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, and an input / output unit .

[0054] The control unit 31 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the terminal device 3. The control unit 31 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 31 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control unit 31 of the terminal device 3 is configured to have two software modules: a display control unit 311 and a video acquisition unit 312. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 11 (CPU, etc.) executing a program stored in the storage unit 32. Note that the information processing executed by the software module is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 31 (CPU, etc.).

[0056] The display control unit 311 generates a user interface (GUI) for requesting acquisition of in-vehicle video and outputs it via the input / output unit 34, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the display control unit 311 generates and outputs a user interface including a road map image based on road map data stored or acquired in advance. The user interface includes a user interface component for specifying a target period.

[0057] In addition, based on the operation performed by the operator, the display control unit 311 requests the server device 2 for a "list of vehicles that were traveling within the display area of ​​the map during the target period," and based on the response, maps an icon representing the vehicle's location on the map. For example, if the operator specifies a period of "from 17:00 to 17:03 today," the display control unit 311 requests "a list of vehicles that have been traveling within the display range of the map from 17:00 to 17:03 today" from the server device 2. The display control unit 311 also maps icons based on the received list of vehicles.

[0058] When one of the mapped icons is selected by the operator, the video acquisition unit 312 requests the corresponding vehicle 10 to transmit the in-vehicle video. Also, the video acquisition unit 312 plays the video file of the in-vehicle video transmitted from the vehicle 10. In the following description, it is assumed that the transmission request is transmitted to the vehicle 10 via the server device 2. It is also assumed that the video file is received via the server device 2.

[0059] The video acquisition unit 312 can request multiple video files captured consecutively from the vehicle 10 (in-vehicle device 1). For example, consider a case where a first video and a second video that is temporally consecutive to the first video are stored in the in-vehicle device 1. The video acquisition unit 312 outputs a user interface (referred to as the "first interface" in this disclosure) for transitioning the playback target from the first video to the second video on the playback screen of the first video. In this embodiment, the operator can operate the user interface to advance the playback target from the first video to the second video without returning to the screen displaying the map. Furthermore, while the first video is being played back, the video acquisition unit 312 executes a process (pre-reading) of acquiring the second video in the background from the in-car device 1, thereby reducing the waiting time. Details will be described later.

[0060] The storage unit 32 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 32 stores programs executed by the control unit 31, data used by the programs, etc.

[0061] The communication unit 33 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the terminal device 3 to an external network. The communication unit 33 is configured to be able to communicate with the server device 2 via, for example, a wireless LAN or a cellular communication network such as 3G, 4G, or 5G.

[0062] The input / output unit 34 is a unit that receives input from an operator of the device and presents information to the operator. Specifically, the input / output unit 34 is composed of a touch panel and its control means, and a liquid crystal display and its control means. In this embodiment, the touch panel and the liquid crystal display are composed of a single touch panel display.

[0063] 2 is an example, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be performed using a dedicated circuit. Also, programs may be stored or executed using a combination of a main memory and an auxiliary memory other than those illustrated.

[0064] [Processing details] Next, the operations performed by the operator via the terminal device 3 and the processes executed as a result will be described using specific examples.

[0065] FIG. 4(A) is an example of a screen provided to the operator of the terminal device 3. The display control unit 311 of the terminal device 3 generates a user interface including a road map centered on a predetermined point, and outputs the generated user interface to the input / output unit 34. The user interface includes a component (reference number 401) for specifying a reference time (reference time), a component (reference number 402) for specifying a time range going back from the reference time, and a button (reference number 403) for executing a search.

[0066] Reference numeral 401 denotes a user interface component for specifying a reference time. The operator uses this user interface component to specify the reference time. The reference time can be, for example, the time when the emergency call was made to 119. Reference numeral 402 denotes a user interface component for specifying a time span going back from the reference time. The time span can be selected from a number of options. For example, multiple options such as "1 minute ago," "3 minutes ago," and "5 minutes ago" are available, and the operator selects or specifies the desired time span. For example, if the operator specifies "3 minutes ago," the "reference time" is displayed. The search period is from 3 minutes before the current time to the reference time.

[0067] When the operator presses the search button (reference numeral 403), data requesting a list of vehicles that have traveled within a specified area during a set period (for example, from 16:57 to 17:00) is transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the server device 2. The data includes, for example, information for identifying the specified area, information indicating the target period, etc. The predetermined area may be the entire area corresponding to the map being displayed, or may be a partial area set on the map.

[0068] In response to the request, the server device 2 (information provider 212) generates a list of applicable vehicles (vehicle list) and returns it to the terminal device 3. FIG. 3(C) is an example of the returned vehicle list. Note that although it is referred to as a "vehicle list" here, the records included in the list may include the same vehicle. For example, the same vehicle may transmit vehicle data multiple times within a set period within the displayed map area. In this case, multiple records with the same vehicle ID will be included in the vehicle list.

[0069] The terminal device 3 (display control unit 311) that has received the vehicle list maps icons representing the vehicles at corresponding positions on the map. The icons may be arranged taking into consideration the traveling direction of the vehicles. An icon is generated for each record in the vehicle list. That is, the same vehicle may be displayed by more than one icon. However, since the difference between vehicles is not important to the operator, in this embodiment, information for identifying the vehicle is not displayed on the screen.

[0070] When the operator selects (for example, clicks) one of the icons, an operation for acquiring and playing back in-vehicle video from the vehicle corresponding to the icon is initiated.

[0071] When an icon is selected, the acquisition of video from the target vehicle may begin immediately, or the date and time corresponding to the selected icon (i.e., the date and time when the corresponding vehicle was traveling at the target location) may be displayed, and the operator may confirm this and instruct the acquisition of video again.

[0072] For example, when an icon is clicked by an operator, the date and time corresponding to the icon may be overlaid near the icon. The date and time corresponding to the selected icon can be obtained from the vehicle list received from the server device 2. This allows the operator to understand the time sequence even when there are multiple icons near a desired location (for example, a reporting location). In this case, when the operator checks the date and time corresponding to the icon and clicks on the icon again, video playback may be started.

[0073] When an operator performs an operation to request playback of a video, a request for transmission of the in-vehicle video (hereinafter referred to as a transmission request) is transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the server device 2. The transmission request includes a vehicle ID for specifying the vehicle and a date and time ID for specifying the date and time. Upon receiving the transmission request, the server device 2 identifies the target vehicle and transfers the transmission request to the corresponding in-vehicle device 1.

[0074] Upon receiving the transmission request, the in-car device 1 extracts the video file corresponding to the specified date and time ID and transmits it to the server device 2. The video file may be transmitted as a stream. The transmitted video file is relayed by the server device 2 to the terminal device 3, where the video is played back. FIG. 4(B) shows the playback screen of the terminal device 3. Here is an example.

[0075] In this example, since video files are generated in one-minute increments, playback is also in one-minute increments. When the operator wants to play back the previous or next video file, he or she presses buttons (reference numerals 404 and 405) that instruct moving forward or backward. When the button is pressed, a transmission request for acquiring the corresponding video file is generated and transmitted to the target in-vehicle device 1 in the same manner as described above. Here, the button that instructs moving to a later time is referred to as the "next video button," and the button that instructs moving to an earlier time is referred to as the "previous video button."

[0076] For example, when the operator presses the next video button 404 or the previous video button 405, the terminal device 3 requests the in-vehicle device 1 to transmit a video (video file) that is temporally consecutive to the video currently being played. The in-vehicle device 1 identifies the corresponding video file and transmits it to the terminal device 3. This allows the operator of the terminal device 3 to continuously view a series of scenes recorded in multiple video files without returning to the screen displaying the map.

[0077] Note that the next video button 404 and previous video button 405 are grayed out and cannot be operated (pressed) at a time when acquisition of the corresponding video images cannot be requested. For example, if a predetermined requirement related to file transfer is not met in the target in-car device 1, the next video button 404 and previous video button 405 become inoperable. For example, if a requirement such as "only one video file can be transferred at the same time" is set, the next video button 404 and previous video button 405 become inoperable while one or more video files are being transferred, and become operable once the transfer is completed. The server device 2 or the in-vehicle device 1 may determine whether or not the predetermined requirements for file transfer are satisfied.

[0078] [Processing Sequence] Next, the steps executed by each device and the flow of data exchanged between the devices will be described.

[0079] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram of the process of transmitting vehicle data from the in-vehicle device 1 to the server device 2, and the process of transmitting information for mapping the vehicle's location information from the server device 2 to the terminal device 3, and the process of the terminal device 3 drawing a map. First, the process of transmitting vehicle data from the in-vehicle device 1 to the server device 2 (steps S11 to S13) will be described. This process is executed at a predetermined cycle. The predetermined cycle may be determined by the notification unit 112, or may be determined by the notification unit 112 in response to a notification from the image capture unit 111. For example, every time a video file is switched (for example, every minute), the image capture unit 111 may transmit a notification to the notification unit 112, and in response to this, the notification unit 112 may start the process shown in the figure.

[0080] First, in step S11, the in-vehicle device 1 (notification unit 112) acquires vehicle data. In this embodiment, the notification unit 112 acquires the position information and traveling direction of the vehicle from the position information acquisition unit 14, and generates vehicle data by combining the identifier of the vehicle with date and time information. The generated vehicle data is transmitted to the server device 2 (step S12).

[0081] In step S13, the server device 2 (data update unit 211) receives the vehicle data and stores the vehicle data in the vehicle data table in the storage unit 22.

[0082] By executing the above-described process for a plurality of vehicles 10, the server device 2 can collect and manage past position information of a plurality of vehicles under its management. Furthermore, it becomes possible to search for vehicles that were traveling at a specific location on a specific date and time by referring to the vehicle data table stored in the server device 2. Because each vehicle is traveling while taking on-board video, it becomes possible to search for vehicles that are highly likely to have captured a specific event (for example, an event related to a report, such as a traffic accident) on video.

[0083] Next, a description will be given of a process (steps S21 to S23) in which the terminal device 3 outputs a road map onto which vehicle position information is mapped. This process is started, for example, when a road map is displayed on the terminal device 3 (display control unit 311).

[0084] First, in step S21, the terminal device 3 (display control unit 311) determines whether or not it is necessary to redraw the icon. For example, if a road map is displayed for the first time, or if an operation to change the display range of the road map or an operation to change the target period has been performed, this step will result in a positive determination. For example, if an operation to display a road map is performed by the operator of the terminal device 3 and a target period is specified, it will be necessary to redraw the icon. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the terminal device 3 generates a vehicle list generation request and transmits it to the server device 2. The vehicle list generation request includes information indicating the map display range and information indicating the target period specified by the operator.

[0085] In step S22, the server device 2 (information provider 212) generates a vehicle list based on the received request. Specifically, records of vehicles that have traveled within the display area of ​​the map during the specified period are extracted from the vehicle data table stored in the storage unit 22, and a vehicle list made up of the extracted records is generated. The generated vehicle list is transmitted to the terminal device 3.

[0086] In step S23, the terminal device 3 (display control unit 311) draws a map based on the acquired vehicle list, and maps icons to corresponding points on the map.

[0087] When the process of step S23 is completed, as shown in Fig. 4(A), a plurality of icons are mapped on the map on the terminal device 3. The icons represent the positions of vehicles that have been traveling within the target area during the specified period.

[0088] 6 is a sequence diagram of a process in which the in-vehicle device 1 provides video to the terminal device 3 based on a request from the terminal device 3. The illustrated process is started when an operator requests in-vehicle video (for example, when an icon on a map is clicked). It is assumed that before the process is started, the terminal device 3 (video acquisition unit 312) has generated a screen for playing in-vehicle video, such as the one shown in FIG. 4(B). In addition, the in-vehicle video that the operator requests first is referred to as a first moving image, and the in-vehicle video that is temporally consecutive to the first moving image is referred to as a second moving image.

[0089] First, the terminal device 3 (video acquisition unit 312) identifies a video to be played (step S31). If the operator has selected an icon on the map, the terminal device 3 identifies the video to be played by a combination of the identifier (vehicle ID) of the in-vehicle device 1 (vehicle 10) and the identifier (date and time ID) of the date and time when the in-vehicle video was captured. There may also be cases where the operator presses the next video button 404 or the previous video button 405 on the playback screen. In this case, the terminal device 3 specifies the video to be played back by shifting the target date and time.

[0090] Next, in step S32, it is determined whether or not a video file corresponding to the identified video image has already been received. If the target video file has been received in the past, the determination in this step is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S35. If the target video file has not been received in the past, In this case, the determination in this step is negative, and the process proceeds to step S33.

[0091] In step S33, the terminal device 3 generates a transmission request for the target video file. The transmission request is data for requesting the in-vehicle device 1 to provide in-vehicle video, and includes a vehicle ID and a date and time ID.

[0092] The transmission request is transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the server device 2, and is relayed from the server device 2 to the target in-vehicle device 1. At this time, the server device 2 may read the vehicle ID included in the transmission request and identify the in-vehicle device 1 to which the transmission request is to be relayed. For this reason, it is preferable that the server device 2 stores data associating the vehicle ID with the connection destination (e.g., network address, etc.) of the corresponding in-vehicle device 1. The transmission request relayed by the server device 2 is received by the corresponding in-vehicle device 1.

[0093] Upon receiving the transmission request, the in-car device 1 (providing unit 113) extracts the video file corresponding to the video image specified by the date and time ID from the video data stored therein (step S34). The extracted video file is transmitted to the terminal device 3 via the server device 2. The terminal device 3 (video acquisition unit 312) starts playing the received video file on the user interface (FIG. 4(B)) (step S35). When the video file is transmitted as a stream, the terminal device 3 can play back the video file within the range of the received data.

[0094] In this embodiment, while the terminal device 3 is receiving the video file requested by the operator, the video acquisition unit 312 makes it impossible to press the next video button 404. That is, in this embodiment, a requirement is set that "the in-car device 1 can transmit only one video file at a time," and if a video file is already being transferred, it is not possible to request the transmission of another video file. This is because if a request to transmit a new video file is made while a video file is being transferred, problems such as a decrease in communication speed and the occurrence of a communication error may occur.

[0095] Next, in step S36, the terminal device 3 determines whether or not reception of the video file has been completed. If the video file is transmitted as a stream, the terminal device 3 determines whether or not the stream has been received to the end. If the determination in this step is positive, the process proceeds to step S37. If the determination in this step is negative, the terminal device 3 continues receiving the video file.

[0096] In step S37, the terminal device 3 (video acquisition unit 312) makes it possible to press the next video button 404. This is because once reception of the video file has finished, there is no problem in requesting another video file.

[0097] Once this step is completed, the operator can press the next video button 404 to request playback of the second video following the first video. At this timing, the first video may still be being played. When the operator presses the next video button 404, the processing of steps S31 to S35 is executed again, and processing to play the second video is performed. The content of the processing is the same except that the target to be acquired changes from the first video to the second video.

[0098] After the process of step S37 is completed, if the operator does not press the next video button 404 within a predetermined time, the terminal device 3 starts a process of acquiring the second video in the background. Specifically, the video acquisition unit 312 identifies the video that follows the video being played (i.e., the second video), as in step S31, and generates a transmission request for acquiring the second video and transmits it to the in-car device 1, as in step S33. The in-car device 1 extracts the video file corresponding to the second video and transmits it to the terminal device 3, as in step S34. Send. When the terminal device 3 receives the video file, instead of executing step S35, it temporarily stores the video file in a cache memory and ends the process.

[0099] Thereafter, when the next video button 404 is pressed, processing starts from step S31. In this case, the determination in step S32 is affirmative, making it possible to play the second video without a time lag. Playback of the second video starts in step S35, just like the first video. Because the video file for the second video has already been received, once playback of the second video starts, the next video button 404 becomes pressable in step S37. Also, at this timing, acquisition (pre-reading) of the video following the second video (hereinafter referred to as the third video) starts.

[0100] As described above, in the monitoring system according to this embodiment, the operator of the terminal device 3 can acquire video files from a vehicle by specifying the vehicle on the displayed map. Furthermore, if there are multiple chronologically consecutive video files, pre-reading of the next chronologically consecutive video begins when the next video becomes available for acquisition. This configuration makes it possible to minimize the playback time lag while satisfying certain requirements related to file transfer.

[0101] (Variation) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0102] Furthermore, in the embodiment, a vehicle equipped with an on-board device is exemplified, but any moving object other than a vehicle may be used as long as it is capable of capturing video.

[0103] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the terminal device 3 generates and outputs a user interface including a road map based on information received from the server device 2. However, the user interface including the road map may be generated by the server device 2. In this case, instead of the server device 2 generating a vehicle list and transmitting it to the terminal device 3, the server device 2 may draw the road map and map icons. In this case, the user interface screen including the road map generated by the server device 2 may be transmitted to the terminal device 3, and the terminal device 3 may output it. That is, the functions of the terminal device 3 (display control unit 311 and video acquisition unit 312) described in the embodiment may be provided in the server device 2 (information providing unit 212). The information processing device according to the present disclosure may be realized as the server device 2 or as the terminal device 3.

[0104] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, the next video button 404 cannot be operated while a video file requested by an operator is being transferred, but whether the next video button 404 can be operated or not may be determined based on other conditions. For example, when the communication load between the server device 2 and the in-car device 1 is high, the next video button 404 may be made inoperable. Examples of such cases include when "the transfer speed exceeds a predetermined value" or "the number of simultaneous connections exceeds a predetermined value."

[0105] Note that videos located temporally earlier than the first video may not be subject to pre-reading.

[0106] In the embodiment, vehicles are extracted from within the area where the map is displayed. The area to be detected may be set separately. For example, a figure may be drawn on a map, and vehicles may be extracted from within the figure. The figure may be drawn automatically by the system, or may be drawn based on an operation performed by an operator of the device.

[0107] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0108] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1...In-vehicle device 2. Server device 3. Terminal device 11, 21, 31... Control unit 12,22,32...Storage section 13, 23, 33... Communications Department 14...Location information acquisition unit 15. Camera 34...Input / output section

Claims

1. acquiring, from an external device, a first moving image that is a moving image corresponding to a first location and a first time specified by a user; outputting a playback screen for playing back the moving image; acquiring, from the external device, a second moving image that is a moving image that temporally follows the first moving image while the first moving image is being played back; a control unit that executes the following: the playback screen includes a first interface for instructing a transition of a playback target from the first moving image to the second moving image; the control unit starts acquiring the second moving image on condition that a transition operation via the first interface is enabled. Information processing device.

2. The first interface is The operation is disabled during the transfer of the first moving image from the external device, and becomes operable at the timing when the transfer of the first moving image from the external device is completed. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the first interface becomes operable when a transfer status of the first moving image from the external device satisfies a predetermined condition; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, acquiring, from an external device, a first moving image that is a moving image corresponding to a first location and a first time specified by a user; outputting a playback screen for playing back the moving image; acquiring, from the external device, a second moving image that is a moving image that temporally follows the first moving image while the first moving image is being played back; Including, the playback screen includes a first interface for instructing a transition of a playback target from the first moving image to the second moving image; starting acquisition of the second moving image on the condition that a transition operation via the first interface is enabled; Information processing methods.

5. A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 4.

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