Information Processing Apparatus and Information Processing Method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device which enhances convenience of a vehicle user, and an information processing method.SOLUTION: In a moving image sharing system, a first user photographs an on-vehicle moving image with a dashboard camera 100 installed on a vehicle, and uploads the on-vehicle moving image to a server device 300 by using a user terminal 200. A second user performs an action to give evaluation to the uploaded on-vehicle moving image. A third user receives a recommended route created by the server device 300 while using the result of evaluation performed by the second user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a video sharing service.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for sharing in-vehicle videos captured by a drive recorder among a plurality of users have been proposed. In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for sharing a video captured by a first vehicle with a user of a second vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the convenience of users of vehicles.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus having a control unit that executes: acquiring evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user; and generating a travel route of a predetermined vehicle based on the evaluation information.

[0006] Further, a second aspect of the present disclosure is to obtain evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user, and based on the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video, perform an evaluation on at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video. An information processing apparatus having a control unit that executes the above.

[0007] Further, a third aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user, and a step of generating a driving route of a predetermined vehicle based on the evaluation information. It is an information processing method.

[0008] Further, a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes a step of obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user, and a step of performing an evaluation on at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video based on the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video. It is an information processing method.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the above information processing method, or a computer-readable storage medium that stores the program non-temporarily.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the convenience of vehicle users can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Conventionally, in order to extract a video from a drive recorder, it was necessary to copy a file via a medium such as a memory card. On the other hand, in recent years, many drive recorders capable of wireless connection have been sold. As a result, it has become possible to more easily share the captured video with others (for example, upload it to a video posting site). In the following description, a video captured by an in-vehicle camera such as a drive recorder is referred to as an in-vehicle video.

[0013] When a plurality of in-vehicle videos are publicly available, for example, it becomes possible to preview a driving route in advance, improving the convenience for users who drive automobiles. The information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure further improves the convenience for users by using the evaluation given by a third party to the in-vehicle video.

[0014] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by acquiring evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user.

[0015] The evaluation information is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on the uploaded in-vehicle video. The evaluation action is an action for evaluating an in-vehicle video, and typically, it is an action of pressing a button (for example, a like button) for evaluation. The evaluation information may include, in addition to information for specifying the target in-vehicle video, the content of the evaluation (high evaluation, low evaluation, or score), etc.

[0016] Further, an information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is characterized by evaluating at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video based on the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video.

[0017] The evaluation information may include information (e.g., timestamp information) regarding the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video. According to such a form, it is possible to specify at which point (or road section) the evaluation was performed. Thereby, it becomes possible to perform pinpoint evaluation on the points and road sections included in the route. Also, by integrating the evaluations received from a plurality of users, it becomes possible to assign a comprehensive evaluation value to a specific point or road section.

[0018] Further, an information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that it generates a travel route of a predetermined vehicle based on the evaluation information. The generated travel route may be presented to a third user. By generating a travel route so as to pass through points and road sections with higher evaluation values, it becomes possible to present a route with a higher satisfaction level to the third user.

[0019] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure only to those, unless otherwise specified.

[0020] (First Embodiment) The outline of the video sharing system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The video sharing system according to the present embodiment is a system used by a first user, a second user, and a third user. The first user is a user who shoots an in-vehicle video and uploads it to the server device 300. The first user is associated with a drive recorder 100 and a user terminal 200, and the first user uploads the in-vehicle video using the user terminal 200. The second user is a user who views the in-vehicle video uploaded by the first user. The second user can perform an action of giving an evaluation (hereinafter, evaluation action) to the uploaded in-vehicle video (e.g., by pressing a high evaluation button). The third user is a user who receives the route generated by the server device 300 by using the result of the evaluation performed by the second user. At least a user terminal 200 is associated with the third user.

[0021] The drive recorder 100 is a device installed in a vehicle for shooting videos. The drive recorder 100 continuously shoots videos during the running of the vehicle and stores them in a storage device. The user terminal 200 is a mobile terminal used by a user associated with a vehicle. The user terminal 200 has a function of connecting to the drive recorder 100 to acquire in-vehicle videos. The user terminal 200 can connect to the drive recorder 100 by wireless connection and acquire in-vehicle videos. In addition, the user terminal 200 has a function of uploading the acquired in-vehicle videos to the server device 300. Furthermore, the user terminal 200 has a function of performing route search by accessing the server device 300. The first user can upload in-vehicle videos by using the user terminal 200, and the third user can perform route search by using the user terminal 200.

[0022] The server device 300 is a server device that provides a video sharing service and a route search service. The server device 300 can store and publish the in-vehicle videos uploaded by the user terminal 200 possessed by the first user. The server device 300 may be configured to be able to execute a web service for sharing in-vehicle videos. The second user can view the in-vehicle videos uploaded by a plurality of first users by accessing the web service. In addition, the server device 300 is configured to be able to acquire the evaluation of the in-vehicle video performed by the second user. When the second user performs an evaluation action on a predetermined in-vehicle video, the server device 300 acquires the content of the evaluation and stores it in association with the in-vehicle video. Further, the server device 300 assigns an evaluation value to a point (or road segment) on the route corresponding to the in-vehicle video based on the evaluation performed by the second user.

[0023] Furthermore, the server device 300 calculates a route to be provided to the third user based on the evaluation values assigned to a plurality of points (or road segments). For example, the server device 300 generates a route passing through a more popular (highly evaluated) road segment and provides it to the third user. Thereby, it becomes possible to provide a driving route that can enhance the user's satisfaction more.

[0024] Each of the drive recorder 100, the user terminal 200, and the server device 300 will be described in detail.

[0025] The drive recorder 100 is a device mounted on a vehicle for shooting in-vehicle videos. The drive recorder 100 is fixed with a camera facing the front of the vehicle, receives power supply from the vehicle, continuously shoots, and records the obtained video data in a storage device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the drive recorder 100. The drive recorder 100 is configured to include a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, an input / output unit 104, a camera 105, a position information acquisition unit 106, and an acceleration sensor 107.

[0026] The control unit 101 is an arithmetic device that controls the operations performed by the drive recorder 100. The control unit 101 can be realized by an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). This is possible. During operation, the control unit 101 executes a function of capturing a moving image via a camera 105 described later and storing the obtained data in the storage unit 102. Further, based on an instruction from the user terminal 200, the control unit 101 executes a function of transferring the stored data to the user terminal 200.

[0027] The storage unit 102 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. By loading the programs stored therein into the main storage device and executing them, various functions that meet predetermined purposes as described later can be realized. The main storage device may include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). Further, the auxiliary storage device may include an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) and a hard disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive). Furthermore, the auxiliary storage device

[0028] The data generated by the control unit 101 is stored in the storage unit 102. Here, the data stored in the storage unit 102 will be described. FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the structure of the data generated by the control unit 101 and stored in the storage unit 102. In the following description, the term "trip" is used as a term representing a unit of travel from when the vehicle's system power is turned on until the system power is turned off. When the vehicle's system power is turned on, the control unit 101 generates a storage area (e.g., a folder, a directory, etc.) corresponding to a new trip. Until the vehicle's system power is turned off, the generated data is stored in the storage area.

[0029] While the drive recorder 100 is powered on, the control unit 101 captures videos via the camera 105 and stores the obtained data (video data) in the storage unit 102. The video data is stored in file units. There is an upper limit (e.g., 1 minute, 5 minutes) on the length of the video corresponding to one file. When the upper limit is exceeded, a new file is generated. In addition, when the storage capacity is insufficient, the control unit 101 deletes the oldest file to secure free space and then continues shooting. Furthermore, the control unit 101 acquires the vehicle's position information at a predetermined cycle (e.g., every 1 second) via the position information acquisition unit 106 and stores it as position information data. As shown in FIG. 3, the video data and the position information data are stored for each trip. By storing both the video data and the position information data, it becomes possible to identify the driving position of the vehicle retrospectively.

[0030] The communication unit 103 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the drive recorder 100 to a network. The communication unit 103 is configured to be able to communicate with the user terminal 200 according to communication standards such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0031] The input / output unit 104 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the user and presents information to the user. The input / output unit 104 is configured to have, for example, a liquid crystal display, a touch panel display, and hardware switches.

[0032] The camera 105 is an optical unit including an image sensor for acquiring images. The position information acquisition unit 106 calculates position information based on positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites (also referred to as GNSS satellites). The position information acquisition unit 106 may include an antenna for receiving radio waves transmitted from GNSS satellites. The acceleration sensor 107 is a sensor that measures the acceleration applied to the device. The measurement result is supplied to the control unit 101, whereby the control unit 101 can determine that an impact has been applied to the vehicle.

[0033] Next, the user terminal 200 will be described. The user terminal 200 is a computer used by a user associated with a vehicle. The user can download a video from the drive recorder 100 via the user terminal 200 and upload the video to a video sharing service provided by the server device 300. Also, the user can request route guidance from the server device 300 via the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal information terminal, or the like.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 203, and an input / output unit 204.

[0035] The control unit 201 is an arithmetic device that controls the operations performed by the user terminal 200. The control unit 201 can be realized by an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It can be realized. The control unit 201 accesses the server device 300 and executes a function of interacting with the server device 300. This function may be realized by a web browser operating on the user terminal 200 or dedicated application software. In the present embodiment, the control unit 201 is configured to be able to execute application software for interacting with the server device 300.

[0036] The control unit 201 is configured to have two functional modules: an upload unit 2011 and a route guidance unit 2012. Each functional module may be realized by executing a stored program by the CPU. It may be realized.

[0037] The upload section 2011 acquires video data from the drive recorder 100 and uploads it to the server device 300. Specifically, it provides (1) a function to perform cut editing of videos based on the data stored in the drive recorder 100, and (2) a function to upload the cut videos to the server device 300.

[0038] Each function will be explained in order. Based on the data stored in the drive recorder 100, the upload section 2011 presents the driving route to the user and accepts the specification of the range for cut editing. As explained with reference to Figure 3, in the drive recorder 100, video data and position information data are stored in association with each trip. Based on these data, the upload section 2011 can generate a user interface representing the driving route and perform cut editing of the video. Figure 5 is an example of the user interface screen output when performing cut editing.

[0039] When the user specifies the trip and the range of the video, the corresponding range is cut out, and data to be transmitted to the server device 300 is generated. Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the data generated by the upload section 2011. Here, a set of data to be transmitted to the server device 300 is referred to as drive record data. The drive record data includes the video data after cut editing and the position information data corresponding to the video data. The position information data includes the time stamp information after cut editing. By associating these two, the server device 300 can acquire the position information corresponding to any point (time stamp) on the time line of the in-vehicle video.

[0040] The route guidance section 2012 requests a route search from the server device 300. The route guidance section 2012 accepts the specification of the departure point and the destination from the user, requests the server device 300 to generate a route connecting the departure point and the destination, receives the generated route from the server device 300, and outputs it via the input / output section 204.

[0041] The memory unit 202 is configured to include a main memory device and an auxiliary memory device. The main memory device is a memory in which a program executed by the control unit 201 and data used by the program are expanded. The auxiliary memory device is a device in which a program executed in the control unit 201 and data used by the program are stored. The auxiliary memory device may store a program executed by the control unit 201 packaged as an application. Also, an operating system for executing these applications may be stored. The program stored in the auxiliary memory device is loaded into the main memory device and executed by the control unit 201, whereby the processing described hereinafter is performed.

[0042] The main memory device may include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). Also, the auxiliary memory device may include an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) and a hard disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive). Furthermore, the auxiliary memory device may include a removable medium, that is, a portable recording medium.

[0043] The communication unit 203 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the user terminal 200 to a network. The communication unit 203 is configured to be able to communicate with the drive recorder 100 and the server device 300 via, for example, a wireless LAN or mobile communication services such as 3G, LTE, 5G. Note that the communication unit 203 may have both a communication interface for communicating with the drive recorder 100 and a communication interface for communicating with the server device 300 and. The former may be a communication interface using short-range wireless communication or the like, and the latter may be a communication interface using mobile communication or the like.

[0044] The input / output unit 204 is a unit that receives input operations performed by the user and presents information to the user. In this embodiment, it consists of a single touch panel display. That is, it is composed of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

[0045] Next, the server device 300 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing in detail the components of the server device 300 included in the video sharing system according to this embodiment.

[0046] The server device 300 is a server device that provides a service (video sharing service) for sharing videos uploaded from the user terminal 200 among a plurality of users. In addition, the server device 300 has a function of performing route search based on the evaluation performed on the in-vehicle video on the video sharing service. Specific processing will be described later.

[0047] The server device 300 can be configured by a general-purpose computer. That is, the server device 300 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main storage device such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary storage device such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or a removable medium. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. The programs stored therein are loaded into the working area of the main storage device and executed, and each component etc. is controlled through the execution of the programs, whereby various functions that match a predetermined purpose as described later can be realized. However, part or all of the functions may be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0048] In this embodiment, the server device 300 may be configured to be able to execute a software server for interaction with the user terminal 200. In this case, for example, the user terminal 200 can perform input / output of information by accessing the service using a browser or dedicated application software.

[0049] The server device 300 is configured to include a control unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a communication unit 303. The control unit 301 is an arithmetic unit that controls the operations performed by the server device 300. The control unit 301 can be implemented by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 301 is configured to include two functional modules: a video management unit 3011 and a route generation unit 3012. Each functional module may be implemented by executing a stored program using a CPU.

[0050] The video management unit 3011 provides a video sharing service. Specifically, the video management unit 3011 executes a process of receiving an upload of an in-vehicle video from the user terminal 200 used by the first user, and a process of publishing the uploaded in-vehicle video. FIG. 8 is an example of a screen provided in the video sharing service. As shown in the figure, on the screen, there are arranged parts for searching for in-vehicle videos (reference numeral 801), parts for evaluating in-vehicle videos (reference numeral 802), a playback controller, an area for outputting related videos, and the like.

[0051] The video management unit 3011 acquires the drive recorder data generated by the user terminal 200. As described with reference to FIG. 6, the drive recorder data includes video data after cut editing and position information data corresponding to the video data. Thereby, it is possible to associate the elapsed time (time stamp) on the timeline with the position information. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a driving route associated with a certain in-vehicle video. In the illustrated example, S means the start point of the in-vehicle video, and G means the end point of the in-vehicle video. By associating the elapsed time on the timeline with the position information, it becomes possible for the server device 300 side to grasp the driving route corresponding to the in-vehicle video. Note that map information as shown in the figure may be output on the playback screen of the in-vehicle video.

[0052] In addition, the video management unit 3011 acquires the evaluation made by the second user on the in-vehicle video, and based on the evaluation, assigns an evaluation to the points (or road segments) on the route. As described above, since the timeline of the in-vehicle video is associated with location information, the point (road segment) corresponding to the timing when the evaluation action was performed can be specified based on "where on the timeline the evaluation action was performed". In the example of FIG. 9, the black circles represent the points where high evaluations were given. By performing such processing, the video management unit 3011 can accumulate information such as which points (road segments) on the route received high evaluations.

[0053] Based on a request from the user terminal 200, the route generation unit 3012 searches for a route connecting the departure point and the destination, and provides the generated route to the user terminal 200. The route search can be performed by known methods. In addition, the route generation unit 3012 refers to the evaluations given by the video management unit 3011 and generates a route that passes through more popular points (road segments).

[0054] Returning to FIG. 7, the description will continue. The storage unit 302 includes a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is a memory in which programs executed by the control unit 301 and data used by the control programs are expanded. The auxiliary storage device is a device in which programs executed by the control unit 301 and data used by the control programs are stored.

[0055] In addition, the storage unit 302 includes a video database 302A, an evaluation database 302B, and a map database 302C. The video database 302A is a database that stores the in-vehicle videos uploaded from the user terminal 200. In addition to the drive record data described with reference to FIG. 6, the video database 302A includes additional data related to the in-vehicle videos. Figure 10 shows an example of the data stored in the video database 302A. The video database 302A stores the ID of the user who uploaded the in-vehicle video, the ID of the video assigned by the server device 300, the upload date of the in-vehicle video, the title and summary text of the in-vehicle video input by the first user, and the like. In addition, the video database 302A stores drive record data, that is, video data and position information data (illustrated by a dotted line).

[0056] The evaluation database 302B is a database that stores the content of the evaluation performed by the second user on the in-vehicle video. Figure 11 shows an example of the evaluation database 302B. The evaluation database 302B includes fields for recording the ID of the user who evaluated the in-vehicle video, information regarding the date and time when the evaluation was performed, the ID of the target in-vehicle video, the evaluation content, the time stamp, and the like. Examples of the evaluation content include, but are not limited to, "high evaluation" and "low evaluation". For example, when the evaluation can be performed by a score or the number of stars, a numerical value may be stored in the evaluation content field. The time stamp records the timing when the second user performed the evaluation (for example, pressed the evaluation button). In this example, the number of seconds from the start of playback on the time line of the in-vehicle video is recorded. For example, when the second user presses the evaluation button 30 seconds after the start of playback of the in-vehicle video, "0:00:30" is recorded in the time stamp.

[0057] The map database 302C is a database that stores a road map. The road map includes the definition of road segments. A road segment is a unit interval obtained by dividing a road into a predetermined length. Figure 12 is a diagram for explaining a road segment. The dotted line in the figure represents a road segment. An evaluation value (described later) calculated by the server device is associated with each of a plurality of road segments. The evaluation database 302B records the timing at which evaluation was performed on the timeline of the in-vehicle video, whereas the map database 302C records, for each road segment, an evaluation value calculated by integrating evaluations made by a plurality of users. The evaluation value corresponding to each road segment is periodically updated in a form that reflects the content of the evaluation database 302B.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 7, the description will be continued. The communication unit 303 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 300 to the network. The communication unit 303 includes, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication interface for wireless communication.

[0059] Note that the configurations shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 7 are examples, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be executed using a dedicatedly designed circuit. Also, storage or execution of a program may be performed by a combination of a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device other than those shown.

[0060] Next, details of the processing executed by each device included in the video sharing system will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the processing executed by the drive recorder 100. The illustrated processing is repeatedly executed by the control unit 101 while power is supplied to the drive recorder 100.

[0061] In step S11, the control unit 101 captures a video using the camera 105. In this step, the control unit 101 records the video signal output from the camera 105 as video data in a file. As described with reference to FIG. 3, the file is divided at predetermined lengths. Note that when the storage area of the storage unit 102 is insufficient, files are overwritten in order from the oldest file. Also, in this step, the control unit 101 periodically acquires position information via the position information acquisition unit 106 and records the acquired position information in the position information data (see FIG. 3).

[0062] In step S12, the control unit 101 determines whether a protection trigger has occurred. For example, when an impact is detected by the acceleration sensor 107 or when the user presses a save button provided on the drive recorder main body, the protection trigger occurs. In this case, the process transitions to step S13, and the control unit 101 moves the file currently being recorded to the protection area. The protection area is an area where automatic overwriting of the file is not performed. Thereby, the file recording an important scene can be protected. If the protection trigger has not occurred, the process returns to step S11 and the shooting continues.

[0063] Next, the process of uploading the in-vehicle video captured by the drive recorder 100 to the server device 300 will be described. FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram of the processes executed by the drive recorder 100, the user terminal 200, and the server device 300 in this process.

[0064] First, the user terminal 200 establishes a connection with the drive recorder 100. The connection can be made, for example, by ad-hoc wireless. When the connection is established, the drive recorder 100 acquires the recorded video information for each trip (step S21). Examples of the video information include the shooting date and time, a set of position information, and the like. The acquired video information is transmitted to the user terminal 200.

[0065] In step S22, the user terminal 200 outputs a user interface for performing cut editing of the in-vehicle video based on the video information. In this step, a user interface screen as shown in FIG. 5 is output, and the user performs cut editing of the in-vehicle video using the user interface screen. For example, the user designates a trip, and then designates a start point and an end point from the route corresponding to the designated trip. Thereby, the user can cut the in-vehicle video of the desired section. Note that, on the user terminal 200, when the user designates a point on the route, the drive recorder 100 may provide a preview screen of the video corresponding to the point.

[0066] The instruction for cut editing is transmitted to the drive recorder 100, and the drive recorder 100 cuts the video data according to the instruction (step S23). The control unit 101 adds a time stamp corresponding to the cut video data to the position information data to generate drive record data. The generated drive record data is transmitted to the user terminal 200. Next, in step S24, the user terminal 200 acquires additional information. The additional information is additional information for explaining the in-vehicle video. The additional information includes, for example, the title of the in-vehicle video, a text describing the outline, tags for search, and the like. These pieces of information may be input by the user. The drive record data and the additional information are transmitted to the server device 300. In step S25, the server device 300 (video management unit 3011) stores the uploaded drive record data and additional information in the video database 302A and publishes the video. Thereby, the second user can search for and view the in-vehicle video.

[0067] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the second user accesses the video sharing service using a web browser operating on a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0068] Next, the process when the second user evaluates the in-vehicle video will be described. FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram of processes performed between a computer used by a second user and the server device 300. When the second user accesses the video sharing service provided by the server device 300 using a computer, the server device 300 provides a user interface screen for searching in-vehicle videos. Thereby, the second user can search for a desired in-vehicle video. The search may be performed by a keyword or may be performed by specifying a route, a passing point, or the like. When the second user selects a desired in-vehicle video, the server device 300 generates a user interface screen including a video player and starts playing the in-vehicle video.

[0069] When the second user performs an action (evaluation action) for evaluating the in-vehicle video during the playback of the in-vehicle video (step S31), data representing the content of the evaluation is transmitted to the server device 300. As the action, for example, an action of pressing an icon (high evaluation icon or low evaluation icon) indicated by reference numeral 802 in FIG. 8 can be exemplified. The data includes the content of the evaluation (for example, "high evaluation", "low evaluation", etc.) and information regarding the timing of the evaluation (for example, timestamp information). In step S32, the server device 300 (video management unit 3011) updates the evaluation database 302B based on the received data. Specifically, the video management unit 3011 records in the evaluation database 302B the ID of the second user who performed the evaluation, the date and time when the evaluation was performed, the ID of the target in-vehicle video, the content of the evaluation, and the timestamp.

[0070] When a predetermined amount of data is accumulated in the evaluation database 302B, the video management unit 3011 of the server device 300 calculates an evaluation value corresponding to each of a plurality of road segments based on the accumulated data and updates the map database 302C. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the process. The process is executed at a predetermined cycle.

[0071] First, in step S41, among the records recorded in the evaluation database 302B, unprocessed ones are extracted. Here, each of the records recorded in the evaluation database 302B is referred to as evaluation data. The processes of steps S42 to S43 are repeatedly executed for each of the plurality of extracted evaluation data. In step S42, the road segment to be evaluated is specified. In this step, first, the video database 302A is searched using the ID and time stamp of the video included in the evaluation data as keys. As a result, the position information (for example, latitude, longitude) of the point corresponding to the timing of the evaluation is obtained. Next, the road segment is specified based on the obtained position information. The association between the position information and the road segment may be performed using the map database 302C. Note that in this embodiment, an evaluation value is given to the road segment, but the evaluation target may be a mesh or the like.

[0072] In step S43, the evaluation included in the evaluation data is quantified and replaced with an evaluation value. For example, when the evaluation is represented by the number of stars or the like, this may be replaced with a value. Also, when the evaluation is represented by "high evaluation (positive evaluation)", "low evaluation (negative evaluation)", etc., these may be quantified. The combination of the road segment and the evaluation value calculated for the road segment is temporarily stored. When the processing is performed for all the evaluation data to be processed, the process transitions to step S44.

[0073] In step S44, based on the evaluation value obtained in step S43, the map database 302C is updated. Specifically, using the evaluation value obtained in step S43, the evaluation values already recorded for a plurality of road segments are corrected. The evaluation value for each road segment may be, for example, a weighted average of the evaluation values corresponding to the evaluations made by a plurality of users. The weights for taking the weighted average may be determined based on the activity level of the users. For example, the more evaluations a user has made, the larger the weight may be given. Also, the weights may be determined based on the date of the evaluation. For example, the smaller the number of days elapsed since the date of the evaluation, the larger the weight may be given. Conversely, the older the evaluation period, the smaller the weight may be made.

[0074] Through the processes described above, evaluation values are assigned to a plurality of road segments included in the map data. Since the assigned evaluation value increases as the number of positive evaluations increases, it can be said that the value represents the popularity of each road segment.

[0075] Next, a process in which the route generation unit 3012 included in the server device 300 generates a route based on the evaluation value stored in the map database 302C will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the process. First, in step S51, the user terminal 200 (route guidance unit 2012) receives a designation of a departure point and a destination from the user (third user). In this step, the route guidance unit 2012 may generate a user interface screen using the stored map data and provide it to the user. The designated departure point and destination are transmitted to the server device 300 (route generation unit 3012).

[0076] Next, in step S52, the route generation unit 3012 generates a plurality of route candidates (hereinafter, route candidates) connecting the departure point and the destination. The route candidates can be generated by a known method. Next, in step S53, the route with the highest evaluation is selected from the plurality of route candidates. The selection of the route can be performed, for example, by the following method. (1) Identify a plurality of road segments included in the generated plurality of route candidates (2) Sum the evaluation values assigned to the plurality of road segments and obtain the average (3) Select the route candidate with the highest average evaluation value Note that the above method is just an example, and other methods can also be adopted. For example, route candidates may be selected based on the maximum value of the evaluation values assigned to the plurality of road segments, or route candidates may be selected based on the total value of the evaluation values assigned to the plurality of road segments. In this case, a route passing through road segments with higher evaluation values may be selected. The determined route is transmitted to the user terminal 200 and presented to the user. Note that in this step, a plurality of route candidates may be transmitted to the user terminal 200 so that they can be selected by the user. In this case, the evaluation values associated with the route candidates and information about the passing points may be output simultaneously.

[0077] As described above, the server device 300 according to the first embodiment obtains the evaluation made by the second user for the in-vehicle video uploaded by the first user, and assigns evaluation values to the plurality of road segments based on the timing when the evaluation was made. Thereby, a route passing through more popular road segments can be generated and proposed to the third user.

[0078] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, evaluation values are assigned to the plurality of road segments based on the evaluation actions made by the second user for the in-vehicle video. However, in such a configuration, inappropriate evaluation values may be assigned. For example, if a certain in-vehicle video includes traffic accidents or traffic troubles, etc., the location where such an event occurred may be evaluated. Since such an evaluation is irrelevant to the driving environment of the vehicle, it is preferably not used in the calculation of the evaluation value.

[0079] Generally, in-vehicle videos containing positive elements such as nice scenery receive high evaluations. On the other hand, in-vehicle videos containing negative elements such as traffic accidents may receive not only high evaluations but also low evaluations. Therefore, in this embodiment, when there is a video that has received a predetermined number or more of negative evaluations, the server device 300 excludes at least a part of the evaluations made for the video and assigns an evaluation value to the road segment.

[0080] FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a process in which the video management unit 3011 calculates evaluation values for each of a plurality of road segments and updates the map database 302C in the second embodiment. The processes in steps S41 to S43 are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0081] In the second embodiment, when the processing for a plurality of pieces of evaluation data extracted from the evaluation database is completed, in step S45, the video management unit 3011 executes the following processing. (1) Group the evaluation data processed in steps S42 to S43 for each in-vehicle video. (2) Group the evaluations made in the same in-vehicle video for each road segment. (3) Calculate the variance of the evaluations for each road segment. For example, replace a high evaluation with 1 point and a low evaluation with -1 point, and calculate the variance. When the evaluation is made by points, calculate the variance of the points. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the result of the processing performed in step S45.

[0082] If the variance of the evaluations obtained here is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 1.0), it means that the evaluation within the video is divided for the corresponding road segment. In the illustrated example, road segment A corresponds to this. In this case, the process proceeds to step S46, and the evaluation of the corresponding in-vehicle video for the corresponding road segment is excluded, and the map database 302C is updated. If the variance of the evaluations is less than the predetermined value, the map database 302C is updated by the same method as in the first embodiment (step S44).

[0083] In addition, in this embodiment, the variance of the evaluation is calculated for each road segment, but the calculation does not necessarily have to be performed for each road segment. Also, it may be determined that the evaluation is divided within the same in-vehicle video based on an index other than the variance. For example, it may be determined whether or not the ratio of the number of low evaluations to the number of high evaluations for a certain video is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0084] According to such a configuration, when there is a road segment for which both high and low evaluations have been made, the evaluation made for the road segment can be excluded. That is, even when a negative scene is included in a specific in-vehicle video, this influence can be minimized.

[0085] (Third Embodiment) In the first and second embodiments, evaluation values were simply assigned to a plurality of road segments. However, the evaluation of a road segment can vary depending on the driving environment (time zone, season, weather, etc.). For example, a road segment with a high evaluation in sunny weather may not necessarily have a high evaluation in snowy weather. In the third embodiment, in order to address this, evaluation values are assigned for each of a plurality of preset driving environments, and route search is performed taking the driving environment into consideration.

[0086] Examples of the driving environment include, for example, time zone (morning, noon, evening, night, late night), season (spring, summer, autumn, winter), weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, foggy, etc.). In this embodiment, data representing these driving environments (environment data) is added to the drive record data and stored in the server device 300. The driving environment may be specified by the user at the time of uploading the video, or may be generated by the server device 300 based on information obtained from an external device (for example, a server device that provides weather information). For example, based on the date and time information and location information included in the dash cam data, data regarding the weather on the day of shooting may be acquired from an external device, and the acquired information may be stored in the video database 302A. FIG. 20 is an example of the data stored in the video database 302A in the third embodiment.

[0087] Also, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, a map database is provided for each predefined driving environment, and the server device 300 calculates an evaluation value for each driving environment. For example, the server device 300 executes the process shown in FIG. 16 for each of a plurality of predefined driving environments, and updates the corresponding map database. Also, when performing route search, identify the driving environment to be used (in other words, the environment when the third user drives the vehicle), and perform the process shown in FIG. 17 using the corresponding map database. Thereby, it becomes possible to generate an appropriate route in consideration of the driving environment.

[0088] (Modification example) The above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0089] Also, in the description of the embodiment, the first user, the second user, and the third user are described separately, but each user does not necessarily have to be a different person.

[0090] Also, in the description of the embodiment, the road segment to be evaluated is determined based on the timing when the second user performs the evaluation action, but the evaluation target may be the entire route corresponding to the in-vehicle video. Also, the evaluation target may be all the road segments included in the corresponding route. In this case, in step S43 of FIG. 16, evaluation values corresponding to all the road segments may be uniformly determined. Also, in this case, it is not necessary to specify the timing when the second user performs the evaluation action.

[0091] In the description of the embodiment, the server device 300 searches for a route connecting the departure point and the destination specified by the third user. However, if a route to be provided to the third user can be generated, it is not always necessary to search for a route connecting two points. For example, the server device 300 may execute a service of extracting points (or road segments) with high evaluations within the specified area and providing a recommended drive route passing through the extracted points or the like to the third user.

[0092] Also, the processing described as being performed by one device may be executed in a distributed manner by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change how each function is realized by a hardware configuration (server configuration).

[0093] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiment to a computer and causing one or more processors included in the computer to 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. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a 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.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0094] 100... Drive recorder 101, 201, 301... Control unit 102, 202, 302 ··· Memory unit 103, 203, 303 ··· Communication unit 104, 204 ··· Input / output unit 105 ··· Camera 106 ··· Position information acquisition unit 107 ··· Acceleration sensor 200 ··· User terminal 300 ··· Server device

Claims

1. Obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user on a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user; Generating a driving route of a predetermined vehicle based on the evaluation information; having a control unit that executes the above; The evaluation information includes information regarding the timing at which the second user performed an evaluation action on the timeline of the video. An information processing apparatus.

2. The control unit further generates an interface screen for allowing the second user to view the video. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. A driving route is associated with the video, and the control unit performs an evaluation on at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video based on the timing at which the second user performed an evaluation action. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Driving locations for each time stamp are associated with the video. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The control unit assigns an evaluation value to a first road section corresponding to the timing at which the second user performed an evaluation action. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The evaluation action is either an action of performing a positive evaluation or an action of performing a negative evaluation, and the control unit determines the evaluation value based on the content of the evaluation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. When there is a video with a certain number or more of negative evaluations, the control unit excludes at least a part of the evaluations made for the video and assigns the evaluation value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The control unit generates a driving route to be proposed to a third user based on the assigned evaluation value. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The control unit acquires a departure point and a destination from the third user, and generates a route including a road section with a higher evaluation value among a plurality of routes connecting the departure point and the destination. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. Obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user, for a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user; evaluating at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video based on the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video; An information processing apparatus having a control unit that executes the above.

11. Further including the step of generating an interface screen for allowing the second user to view the video, The information processing apparatus according to claim 10.

12. The driving location for each time stamp is associated with the video. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11.

13. The control unit assigns an evaluation value to a first road section corresponding to the timing at which the second user performed an evaluation action. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. The evaluation action is either an action of performing a positive evaluation or an action of performing a negative evaluation, The control unit determines the evaluation value based on the content of the evaluation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13.

15. When there is a video for which a predetermined number or more of negative evaluations have been made, the control unit excludes at least a part of the evaluations made for the video and assigns the evaluation value. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14.

16. The control unit generates a driving route to be proposed to a third user based on the assigned evaluation value. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. The control unit acquires a departure place and a destination from the third user, Among a plurality of routes connecting the departure place and the destination, a route including a road section with a higher evaluation value is generated. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16.

18. Obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user, for a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user and generating a driving route of a predetermined vehicle based on the evaluation information; including: The evaluation information includes information regarding the timing at which the second user performed an evaluation action on the timeline of the video. An information processing method.

19. Obtaining evaluation information, which is information regarding an evaluation action performed by a second user, for a video captured by an in-vehicle camera and uploaded to a video sharing service by a first user Based on the timing at which the evaluation action was performed on the timeline of the video, a step of evaluating at least a part of the driving route corresponding to the video; An information processing method including the above.

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