Information processing device, method, and system

Abstract

To guide a user to a boarding point of a vehicle provided for a predetermined transportation service without the user losing his or her way.SOLUTION: An information processor performs: acquiring a first image obtained by capturing an image of a boarding point of a first vehicle to be provided for a predetermined transportation service; and transmitting the first image to a user terminal of a user scheduled to board the first vehicle from the boarding point. The first image is captured by a drone. If the drone is not capable of flying, the first image is acquired from a plurality of images captured by a plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras mounted on the plurality of vehicles at a predetermined cycle for each of the vehicle-mounted cameras.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a method, and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been disclosed that, in response to a request for an on-demand service, which is a transportation service by vehicle, information such as a departure position, a destination, a travel distance, and a pick-up time is provided (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-098650 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One aspect of the disclosure has an objective of providing an information processing device, method, and system capable of guiding a user to a boarding point of a vehicle provided for a specified transportation service without causing the user to get lost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is Acquiring a first image obtained by imaging a boarding point for a first vehicle provided for a predetermined transportation service; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who is to board the first vehicle; A control unit that executes The information processing device includes:

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is The computer Acquiring a first image obtained by imaging a boarding point for a first vehicle provided for a predetermined transportation service; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who is to board the first vehicle; This is a method for carrying out the above.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is Drones and An information processing device, The information processing device includes: Instructing the drone to move to a boarding point for a first vehicle used for a predetermined transportation service and to photograph the boarding point; acquiring a first image taken by the drone of the boarding point; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who is to board the first vehicle; A control unit that executes It is a system. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a user can be guided to a boarding point of a vehicle provided for a specified transportation service without getting lost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an on-demand bus system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows an example of a hardware configuration of a server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the server. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of information held in the reservation information database of the server. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of information stored in the vehicle-captured image database of the server. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of a flowchart of a captured image delivery process of the server at the boarding position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] On-demand buses that operate based on requests from users are known. Bus stops are not installed in on-demand buses, and boarding and disembarking points are dynamically set based on requests from multiple users. For this reason, even if a user has arrived at a boarding point, the user may be unsure whether the location is really the boarding point. In addition, map information, etc. may not be updated and may differ from the current situation.

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that transmits a boarding point image to a user terminal carried by a user. More specifically, the information processing device includes a control unit that executes acquiring a first image obtained by capturing an image of a boarding point for a first vehicle provided for a predetermined transportation service, and transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who is scheduled to board the first vehicle.

[0012] The information processing device is, for example, a server. However, the information processing device is not limited to a server. The user terminal is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a wearable terminal, etc. The control unit of the information processing device is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The transportation service is a transportation service for people in which the boarding point and the scheduled boarding time are determined at the time of reservation. Specifically, the transportation service includes, for example, an on-demand bus, a taxi, a ride-sharing service, and a dispatch service. The first vehicle may be, for example, a bus, a passenger car, and an autonomous vehicle. The first image is a captured image including the boarding point and its surroundings.

[0013] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a first image of a boarding point dynamically set in a given transportation service is transmitted to a user terminal, so that the user can check the state of the boarding point from the first image. This allows the user to be guided to the boarding point without getting lost.

[0014] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may instruct the drone to move to the boarding point and take a first image, and obtain the first image from the drone. By moving the drone to the boarding point and taking an image of the boarding point, a newer captured image of the boarding point can be obtained.

[0015] In addition, the control unit may instruct the drone to take an image of the boarding point when a predetermined condition for the drone to fly is satisfied. When the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the control unit may acquire, as the first image, the latest captured image including the boarding point from among the multiple captured images captured by the multiple on-board cameras mounted on the multiple vehicles. The processing device may include a storage unit. The images captured by the vehicle-mounted cameras at a predetermined cycle may be transmitted from the vehicle to the information processing device at a predetermined cycle and stored in the storage unit together with the image capture date and time and the image capture location. The predetermined conditions for allowing the drone to fly include, for example, not being at night and not being raining.

[0016] Drones are subject to restrictions, such as being prohibited from flying at night and being unable to fly when it is raining due to the risk of malfunction. Therefore, there are cases where images of the boarding point cannot be taken by the drone. In cases where images of the boarding point cannot be taken by the drone, relatively new information about the area around the boarding point can be provided to the user by using images taken by the onboard camera.

[0017] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the information processing device may further include a storage unit that stores a plurality of captured images taken at a predetermined period by a plurality of on-board cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles, together with the date and time of capture and the location of capture. In this case, the control unit may acquire, as the first image, the most recent captured image including the boarding point among the plurality of captured images stored in the storage unit. This makes it possible to provide the user with relatively new information about the area around the boarding point even without using a drone.

[0018] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may acquire the first image and transmit the first image to the user terminal when a predetermined time has passed since the scheduled boarding time of the first vehicle. The predetermined time is set within a range of, for example, one hour to five minutes. This makes it possible to provide the user with an image including a boarding point immediately before the user boards the first vehicle.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure can be specified as a method in which a computer executes the processing of the information processing device. The method is a method in which a computer executes the following: acquiring a first image obtained by capturing an image of a boarding point for a first vehicle provided for a predetermined transportation service; and transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who plans to board the first vehicle. Another aspect of the present disclosure can also be specified as a program for causing a computer to execute the processing of the information processing device.

[0020] In addition, as another aspect of the present disclosure, a system including a drone and the above-mentioned information processing device can be specified. In another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable and non-transitory recording medium can be specified for each of the above-mentioned programs.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0022] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an on-demand bus system 100 according to a first embodiment. The on-demand bus system 100 is a system that controls on-demand buses operated in response to requests from users. The on-demand bus system 100 includes a server 1, a drone 2, and a user terminal 3. The on-demand bus system 100 includes multiple drones 2 and multiple user terminals 3, but FIG. 1 shows only one of each.

[0023] The server 1, the drone 2, and the user terminal 3 are each connected to a network N1 and can communicate with each other through the network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a public line network such as the Internet.

[0024] The user terminal 3 is a terminal in which a client application program for using the services of the on-demand bus system 100 is installed. For example, a user of the user terminal 3 can use the services of the on-demand bus system 100, i.e., the on-demand bus, by registering as a user in the on-demand bus system 100 through execution of the application program. Hereinafter, the term "user" will refer to the user who owns the user terminal 3. In addition, the term "bus" will refer to the on-demand bus.

[0025] When a user uses an on-demand bus, the user transmits a boarding request to the server 1 through the user terminal 3. Along with the boarding request, information such as the desired boarding date and time or the desired disembarking date and time, the desired boarding point, and the desired disembarking point is also transmitted to the server 1. The server 1 receives the boarding request from the user terminal 3 and determines the planned boarding date and time, the boarding point, and the disembarking point based on the desired boarding date and time or the desired disembarking date and time, the desired boarding point, and the desired disembarking point from the user terminal 3 and the boarding requests of other users, and completes a boarding reservation for the user. For example, a plurality of boarding points and disembarking points for an on-demand bus are determined in advance, and the user may select the desired boarding point and the desired disembarking point from among them, or the user may freely specify the desired boarding point and the desired disembarking point.

[0026] The user's desired boarding date and time, desired boarding point, and desired disembarking point may be used as the planned boarding date and time, boarding point, and disembarking point as is, but may be different depending on the relationship with other users' boarding reservations. However, the planned boarding date and time, boarding point, and disembarking point are set to positions or times close to the user's desired boarding date and time, desired boarding point, and desired disembarking point, respectively.

[0027] When the reservation is established, the server 1 transmits reservation information as a response to the boarding request to the user terminal 3. The reservation information includes, for example, a scheduled boarding date and time, a scheduled disembarking date and time, a boarding point, and a disembarking point.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the server 1 moves the drone 2 to the boarding point at a time a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time of the boarding reservation, and has the drone 2 take an image of the boarding point from the sky above the boarding point. The predetermined time is set arbitrarily within a range of, for example, 5 minutes to 1 hour. The server 1 receives the captured image of the boarding point from the drone 2 and transmits it to the user terminal 3.

[0029] For example, the drone 2 is often prohibited from flying at night, and flying during rain is also not recommended. Therefore, there are cases where the drone 2 cannot capture an image of the boarding point. In the first embodiment, the server 1 stores images captured by multiple on-board cameras mounted on multiple vehicles in a storage unit during a recent predetermined period. When the drone 2 cannot fly, the server 1 transmits the latest image of the boarding point from among the images captured by the on-board cameras to the user terminal 3. The image of the boarding point refers to, for example, an image that includes the boarding point, and an image that does not include the boarding point but captures the surrounding area of ​​the boarding point.

[0030] In the first embodiment, when it is a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time of the boarding reservation, the latest captured image of the boarding point among the captured images that the server 1 can acquire is transmitted to the user terminal 3. This allows the user of the user terminal 3 to recognize the surroundings of the boarding point from the relatively new captured image, and to arrive at the boarding point without getting lost.

[0031] 2 is an example of a hardware configuration of the server 1. The server 1 includes, as a hardware configuration, a CPU 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, and a communication unit 104. The memory 102 and the auxiliary storage device 103 are each an example of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium. The server 1 is an example of an "information processing device."

[0032] The auxiliary storage device 103 stores various programs and data used by the CPU 101 when executing each program. The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD). The programs held in the auxiliary storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS) and a control program for the on-demand bus system 100. The control program for the on-demand bus system 100 is, for example, a program for control processing related to the acceptance of reservations and operation of on-demand buses. The auxiliary storage device 103 is an example of a "storage unit."

[0033] The memory 102 is a storage device that provides the CPU 101 with a storage area for loading programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 and a working area, and is used as a buffer. The memory 102 may be, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like. This includes semiconductor memory such as IEEE 802.11b / g / n (IEEE 802.11b / g / n) and IEEE 802.11b / g / n (IEEE 802.11b / g / n) memory.

[0034] The CPU 101 executes various processes by loading the OS and various other programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 into the memory 102 and executing them. The number of CPUs 101 is not limited to one, and may be multiple. The CPU 101 is an example of a "control unit."

[0035] The communication unit 104 is, for example, a module that is connected to a network cable such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card and an optical module and includes a signal processing circuit. The communication unit 104 is not limited to a circuit that can be connected to a wired network, and may be a wireless signal processing circuit that can process wireless signals of a wireless communication network such as WiFi. The hardware configuration of the server 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2.

[0036] The drone 2 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, a wireless communication unit, a camera, a position acquisition unit, a propeller, and a flight control unit. The CPU, the memory, and the auxiliary storage device are the same as the CPU 101, the memory 102, and the auxiliary storage device 103, respectively. The wireless communication unit is, for example, a wireless communication device according to a mobile communication method such as 5G (5th Generation), 6G, 4G, and LTE (Long Term Evolution), or a wireless communication method such as WiMAX and WiFi. The position acquisition unit is a communication circuit. The position acquisition unit acquires the current position of the drone 2. The position acquisition unit is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The flight control unit is It controls the rotation, etc., and controls the flight of the drone 2. Note that the hardware configuration of the drone 2 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration.

[0037] The user terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, and a wearable terminal. The user terminal 3 includes, as a hardware configuration, a CPU, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, a wireless communication unit, and a touch panel display. The CPU, the memory, and the auxiliary storage device are the same as the CPU 101, the memory 102, and the auxiliary storage device 103, respectively. However, the auxiliary storage device of the user terminal 3 holds, in addition to the OS, for example, a client application program of the on-demand bus system 100. The wireless communication unit of the user terminal 3 is, like the wireless communication unit of the drone 2, a wireless communication circuit conforming to a mobile communication method such as 5G, 6G, 4G, and LTE, and a wireless communication method such as WiMAX and WiFi. Note that the hardware configuration of the user terminal 3 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0038] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 1. The server 1 includes, as its functional configuration, a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a user information DB 13, a reservation information DB 14, a vehicle-captured image DB The server 1 includes a server information DB 15, and a drone information DB 16. The processing by these functional components is achieved by the CPU 101 of the server 1 executing a control program for the on-demand bus system 100 stored in the auxiliary storage device 103.

[0039] The communication unit 11 is an interface with the network N1. The communication unit 11 outputs data received via the network N1 to the control unit 12. The communication unit 11 also transmits data input from the control unit 12 to a predetermined device via the network N1.

[0040] When the control unit 12 receives a boarding request from the user terminal 3 through the communication unit 11, the control unit 12 performs a boarding reservation acceptance process. Along with the boarding request, information such as the desired boarding date and time or the desired disembarking date and time, the desired boarding point, and the desired disembarking point is also received. In the boarding reservation acceptance process, the control unit 12 determines, for example, the planned boarding date and time, the planned disembarking date and time, the boarding point, and the disembarking point based on the determination of the bus to be dispatched, the desired boarding date and time or the desired disembarking date and time, the desired boarding point, and the desired disembarking point. Note that the method of determining the bus to be dispatched, and the boarding point, the planned boarding date and time, the disembarking point, and the planned disembarking date and time may be any existing method, and is not limited to a specific method.

[0041] When the boarding point, the planned boarding date and time, the disembarking point, and the planned disembarking date and time are determined, a boarding reservation is established. When the boarding reservation is established, the control unit 12 transmits reservation information to the user terminal 3 as a response to the boarding request.

[0042] The control unit 12 performs a process of delivering an image of the boarding point to the user terminal 3 for each boarding reservation. The process of delivering an image of the boarding point to the user terminal 3 is hereinafter referred to as a boarding point image delivery process. In the boarding point image delivery process, first, when a time arrives a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time, the control unit 12 determines whether or not flight conditions, which are conditions under which the drone can fly, are satisfied. The predetermined time at which the time at which the boarding point image delivery process is started is determined may be, for example, set as a fixed value in advance, or may be determined each time based on the relationship between the boarding point and the position of the drone 2. For example, the position of the drone 2 that is closest to the boarding point may be used, or the position of the drone 2 base may be used.

[0043] The flight conditions of the drone are, for example, a time period other than nighttime and no rainfall. Whether or not it is a nighttime time period may be determined, for example, based on whether or not it is a preset nighttime time period, whether or not the current time is included in the time period from the sunset time of the day to the sunrise time of the next day, or whether or not the brightness of the outdoors around the boarding point is less than a predetermined value. Also, whether or not it is raining may be determined, for example, from information on raincloud radar, information on rainfall in big data such as SNS (Social Network Service), etc. Information such as the sunset time, sunrise time, outdoor brightness, and raincloud radar may be obtained, for example, from a service that distributes weather information. Big data such as SNS may be obtained, for example, from a big data analysis service. However, the flight conditions of the drone are not limited to this, and may include, for example, that the wind speed is less than a predetermined value.

[0044] If the drone flight conditions are met, the control unit 12 selects the drone 2 to be dispatched, for example, by referring to the drone information DB 16 described below. The drone 2 to be dispatched may be, for example, the drone 2 closest to the boarding point, or may be a drone 2 randomly selected from the drones 2 at the base. The control unit 12 transmits instructions to the selected drone 2 via the communication unit 11 to move to the boarding point and take an image of the boarding point from above the boarding point. After that, when the control unit 12 receives an image captured from the dispatched drone 2 via the communication unit 11, it transmits the image to the user terminal 3. After that, the control unit 12 instructs the dispatched drone 2 to move to a predetermined position via the communication unit 11. The predetermined position may be, for example, the base of the drone 2 or another photography location. (boarding location for other reservations).

[0045] If the drone flight conditions are not met, the control unit 12 obtains the most recent captured image from the vehicle-captured image DB 15 described below that includes the boarding point, and transmits the captured image to the user terminal 3 via the communication unit 11.

[0046] The user information DB 13, the reservation information DB 14, the vehicle-captured image DB 15, and the drone information DB 16 are created in the storage area of ​​the auxiliary storage device 103. The user information DB 13 holds information about the user. The information about the user includes, for example, the user's identification information and the user's contact information. The reservation information DB 14 holds information about the ride reservation. The vehicle-captured image DB 15 stores captured images and information related to the captured images captured by the vehicle-mounted cameras of multiple vehicles. The drone information DB 16 stores information about the drone. The information about the drone includes, for example, the drone's identification information, the current position of the drone, and information indicating whether the drone is waiting or executing an instruction. The functional configuration of the server 1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3.

[0047] 4 is an example of information stored in the reservation information DB 14 of the server 1. Information regarding ride reservations is stored in the reservation information DB 14. One record stored in the reservation information DB 14 is information regarding a reservation for one ride by one user. A record in the reservation information DB 14 is created by the control unit 12 when a ride reservation is made. The records held in 14 include fields for a reservation ID, a user ID, a bus ID, a scheduled boarding date and time, a boarding point, a scheduled disembarking date and time, and a disembarking point.

[0048] The reservation ID field stores identification information of the boarding reservation. The user ID field stores identification information of the user who will board. The bus ID stores identification information of the bus to be dispatched for the boarding reservation. The planned boarding date and time, boarding point, planned disembarking date and time, and disembarking point fields store information of the planned boarding date and time, boarding point, planned disembarking date and time, and disembarking point, respectively, which were confirmed when the reservation was made. Information on the boarding point and disembarking point may be, for example, latitude and longitude, address, or landmark name. Note that the information held in the reservation information DB 14 is not limited to the information shown in FIG. 4.

[0049] Fig. 5 shows an example of information held in the vehicle-captured image DB 15 of the server 1. Images captured by on-board cameras of a plurality of vehicles and related information of the captured images are stored in the vehicle-captured image DB 15. Fig. 5 shows an example of related information of the imaging camera. The related information of the imaging camera includes an image ID, the image capture date and time, the image capture position, the image capture direction, and the storage address of the corresponding captured image in the auxiliary storage device 103. The image capture position is indicated by, for example, latitude and longitude, or an address.

[0050] From the multiple vehicles, images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera are transmitted to the server 1 at, for example, a predetermined cycle. For example, the cycle for transmitting the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera is set arbitrarily within a range of 1 to 10 seconds. For example, the vehicle is equipped with a data communication device capable of wireless communication, and the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera are transmitted from the data communication device. Together with the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera, information such as the shooting date and time, the shooting position, and the shooting direction is also transmitted. When the control unit 12 receives an image captured by the vehicle-mounted camera from a vehicle, it generates related information for the image and stores it in the vehicle-captured image DB 15 together with the related information.

[0051] For example, images captured in a recent predetermined period are stored in the vehicle-captured image DB 15, and images captured earlier than that are deleted. The predetermined period during which the images stored in the vehicle-captured image DB 15 were captured is set arbitrarily within a range of, for example, one day to one month.

[0052] When acquiring a captured image to be transmitted from the vehicle captured image DB 15 to the user terminal 3, the control unit 12 selects the latest captured image from among the captured images including the boarding point. As the captured image including the boarding point, the control unit 12 extracts, for example, an image whose shooting position is included within a predetermined range from the boarding point of the boarding reservation and whose shooting direction from the shooting position includes the boarding point. However, the method of extracting the captured image including the boarding point is not limited to this, and may be, for example, any known method.

[0053] The vehicle-captured image DB 15 may be generated by receiving and storing images captured by vehicle-mounted cameras from a plurality of vehicles at a predetermined period by a device other than the server 1. The related information of captured images stored in the vehicle-captured image DB 15 is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

[0054] Fig. 6 is an example of a flowchart of a process for delivering captured images of a boarding position of the server 1. The process shown in Fig. 6 is executed for one unexecuted ride reservation, i.e., for each unexecuted record in the reservation information DB 14. The process shown in Fig. 6 is started, for example, when a ride reservation is established. The process shown in Fig. 6 is executed mainly by a hardware component such as the CPU 101 of the server 1, but for convenience, the process will be described mainly by functional components.

[0055] In OP101, the control unit 12 determines whether the remaining time until the scheduled boarding date and time is equal to or less than a threshold. The scheduled boarding date and time is acquired from the reservation information DB 14. If the remaining time until the scheduled boarding date and time is equal to or less than the threshold (OP101: YES), the process proceeds to OP102. If the remaining time until the scheduled boarding date and time is longer than the threshold (OP101: NO), the process of OP101 is repeated.

[0056] In OP102, the control unit 12 determines whether or not it is currently a nighttime period. If it is currently a nighttime period (OP102: YES), the drone 2 cannot fly, and the process proceeds to OP107. If it is currently a period other than a nighttime period (OP102: NO), the process proceeds to OP103.

[0057] In OP103, the control unit 12 determines whether or not it is currently raining. If it is currently raining, the drone 2 cannot fly, and the process proceeds to OP107. If it is currently not raining, the process proceeds to OP104.

[0058] In OP104, the control unit 12 selects the drone 2 to be dispatched with reference to the drone information DB 16. In OP105, the control unit 12 instructs the drone 2 to be dispatched to move to the boarding point and capture an image of the boarding point. As a result, the selected drone 2 flies and moves to the boarding point, captures an image of the boarding point from above the boarding point, and transmits the captured image to the server 1.

[0059] In OP106, the control unit 12 determines whether or not a captured image has been received from the server 1. If a captured image has been received from the server 1 (OP106: YES), the process proceeds to OP108. If a captured image has not been received from the server 1 (OP106: NO), the control unit 12 enters a standby state until a captured image is received from the server 1.

[0060] In OP107, since the drone 2 cannot be flown, the control unit 12 acquires the latest captured image from the vehicle captured image DB 15 among the captured images including the boarding point.

[0061] In OP108, the drone 2 transmits the captured image of the boarding point to the user terminal 3. After that, the process shown in FIG. 6 ends. Note that the delivery process of the captured image of the boarding point is The process is not limited to that shown in Fig. 6. For example, if no captured image is received from the server 1 even at a time that is a predetermined time (e.g., one minute) before the scheduled boarding date and time, the control unit 12 may determine an error and select an image of the boarding point to be transmitted to the user terminal 3 from the vehicle-captured image DB 15.

[0062] <Effects of the First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, at a time a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time of the on-demand bus boarding reservation, an image of the boarding point is transmitted to the user terminal 3. By referring to the image of the boarding point, the user of the user terminal 3 can reach the boarding point without getting lost.

[0063] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when it is a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time of the on-demand bus boarding reservation, the drone 2 photographs the boarding point, and the acquired photographed image is transmitted to the user terminal 3. This allows the user of the user terminal 3 to know the state of the boarding point immediately before boarding, such as how many people are waiting, and allows the user to reach the boarding point more reliably.

[0064] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the drone 2 is not able to fly, an image of the most recent boarding point is transmitted from among the images captured by the on-board camera to the user terminal 3. This allows the image of a relatively recent boarding point to be transmitted to the user terminal 3 even when the drone 2 is not able to fly, and the user of the user terminal 3 can know the state of the relatively recent boarding point.

[0065] <Other Modifications> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0066] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the delivery process of captured images of a boarding point is applied to the on-demand bus system 100. However, the delivery process of captured images of a boarding point is not limited to application to on-demand buses, and can be applied to transportation services in which the boarding point is dynamically set at the time of reservation, such as ride-sharing services, taxis, and vehicle dispatch services.

[0067] In the first embodiment, both the image captured by the drone 2 and the image captured by the on-board camera are used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the system may use only one of them. For example, in a system that uses only the image captured by the drone 2, the server 1 does not need to include the vehicle-captured image DB 15, and if the drone 2 is not able to fly, the captured image of the boarding point does not need to be transmitted to the user terminal 3. For example, in a system that uses only the image captured by the on-board camera, a determination is not made as to whether the drone 2 is able to fly, and the captured image transmitted from the vehicle-captured image DB 15 to the user terminal 3 is always selected.

[0068] Furthermore, the captured image of the boarding point may be, for example, an image taken by a user of an SNS and published on the SNS. Of the captured images published on an SNS, for example, an image accompanied by location information and a date and time of shooting may be used. Such captured images are, for example, treated as big data, and may be obtained from an organization that manages big data.

[0069] The images captured by drone 2 are not limited to those taken from the sky above the boarding point, but may also be images taken by drone 2 descending to a height near human eye level.

[0070] In the first embodiment, when it is a predetermined time before the scheduled boarding date and time, the captured image of the boarding point is However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the delivery process of the captured image of the boarding point may be executed, for example, when the boarding reservation is established. The execution timing of the delivery process of the captured image of the boarding point is not limited to a predetermined timing.

[0071] The processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0072] 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 one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0073] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors of the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the 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. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (floppy 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 symbols]

[0074] 1. Server 2. Drone 3. User terminal 11. Communications Department 12 Control section 13. User information DB 14. Reservation information DB 15 Vehicle image database 16 Drone Information Database 100··On-Demand Bus System 101··CPU 102 Memory 103...Auxiliary storage device 104 Communications Department

Claims

1. Instructing a drone to move to a boarding point for a first vehicle to be used for a predetermined transportation service and to photograph the boarding point; acquiring a first image taken by the drone of the boarding point; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who plans to board the first vehicle; A control unit that executes An information processing device comprising:

2. The control unit is When a predetermined condition for allowing the drone to fly is satisfied, the instruction is given to the drone. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. A storage unit is further provided for storing a plurality of captured images taken at a predetermined period by a plurality of on-board cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles, together with a date and time of the image and a position where the image was taken, and When the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the control unit acquires, as the first image, a latest captured image including the boarding point among the plurality of captured images stored in the storage unit. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The predetermined condition is that it is not nighttime and that it is not raining. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

5. A storage unit is further provided for storing a plurality of captured images taken at a predetermined interval by a plurality of vehicle-mounted cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles together with the date and time of the image capture and the location of the image capture, The control unit acquires, as the first image, a latest captured image including the boarding point from among the plurality of captured images stored in the storage unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The control unit is When a predetermined time has passed since the scheduled boarding time of the first vehicle, acquiring the first image and transmitting the first image to the user terminal. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The boarding point and the scheduled boarding time are determined at the time of booking the use of the transportation service. The information processing device according to claim 6.

8. The computer Instructing the drone to move to a boarding point for a first vehicle used for a predetermined transportation service and to photograph the boarding point; acquiring a first image taken by the drone of the boarding point; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who plans to board the first vehicle; How to do it.

9. The computer, When a predetermined condition for allowing the drone to fly is satisfied, the instruction is given to the drone. The method according to claim 8.

10. The computer, When the predetermined condition is not satisfied, a latest captured image including the boarding point is acquired as the first image from among a plurality of captured images stored in a storage unit that stores, for each of a plurality of captured images taken at a predetermined period by a plurality of on-board cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles, the plurality of captured images together with the capture date and time and the capture location.

10. The method of claim 9.

11. The predetermined condition is that it is not nighttime and that it is not raining.

10. The method of claim 9.

12. The computer, A latest captured image including the boarding point is acquired as the first image from among a plurality of captured images stored in a storage unit that stores the captured images together with the capture date and time and the capture location, the captured images being captured at a predetermined cycle by a plurality of on-board cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles, the latest captured image including the boarding point being acquired as the first image; The method according to claim 8.

13. The computer, When a predetermined time has passed since the scheduled boarding time of the first vehicle, acquiring the first image and transmitting the first image to the user terminal. The method according to claim 8.

14. The boarding point and the scheduled boarding time are determined at the time of booking the use of the transportation service. The method of claim 13.

15. Drones and An information processing device, The information processing device includes: Instructing the drone to move to a boarding point for a first vehicle used for a predetermined transportation service and to photograph the boarding point; acquiring a first image taken by the drone of the boarding point; Transmitting the first image from the boarding point to a user terminal of a user who plans to board the first vehicle; A control unit that executes system.

16. The control unit is When a predetermined condition for allowing the drone to fly is satisfied, the instruction is given to the drone. The system of claim 15.

17. A storage unit is further provided for storing a plurality of captured images taken at a predetermined period by a plurality of on-board cameras mounted on a plurality of vehicles, together with a date and time of the image and a position where the image was taken, and When the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the control unit acquires, as the first image, a latest captured image including the boarding point among the plurality of captured images stored in the storage unit.

17. The system of claim 16.

18. The control unit is When a predetermined time has passed since the scheduled boarding time of the first vehicle, acquiring the first image and transmitting the first image to the user terminal.

18. A system according to any one of claims 15 to 17.

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