Image sharing device, image sharing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique that enables a user to more accurately grasp a congestion condition.SOLUTION: Provided is an image sharing device comprising: a storage unit which stores congestion management information for managing a location of continuous congestion on a road and image information for managing a congestion image obtained by capturing the congestion; a receiving unit which receives, from a user device, position information indicating a current position of the user device and a congestion image captured by the user device; and a transmitting unit which transmits, to the user device, a congestion image in which another user device captures a congestion corresponding to the current position of the user device, based on the congestion management information and the image information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image sharing device, an image sharing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, a mechanism for providing traffic jam information to vehicles traveling on roads, called VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) (registered trademark), is provided. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for guiding the acquired VICS information by voice.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By referring to VICS information, a user driving a vehicle can grasp the length and congestion status of a traffic jam. However, it has been difficult for the user to grasp the actual traffic jam situation such as whether the traffic jam is flowing or completely stopped only with VICS information.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables a user to more accurately grasp a traffic jam situation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An image sharing device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores traffic management information for managing continuous traffic jam locations on a road and image information for managing traffic jam images obtained by photographing the traffic jams, a receiving unit that receives, from a user device, position information indicating the current position of the user device and a traffic jam image photographed by the user device, and a transmitting unit that transmits, based on the traffic management information and the image information, a traffic jam image photographed by another user device of a traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device to the user device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables a user to more accurately grasp a traffic jam situation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, those denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] <System Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of the image sharing system 1. The image sharing system 1 includes an image sharing device 10 and one or more in-vehicle devices 20. The image sharing device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 are connected via a communication network N and can communicate with each other.

[0011] The image sharing device 10 acquires traffic information provided by VICS or a third party, and manages locations where continuous traffic jams occur on the road based on the acquired traffic information. In addition, the image sharing device 10 enables traffic images captured by the in-vehicle device 20 of a certain user (driver) to be shared among a plurality of users. The image sharing device 10 may be composed of one or more physical servers or the like, may be configured using a virtual server operating on a hypervisor, or may be configured using a cloud server. The image sharing device 10 may be an example of an information processing device.

[0012] The in-vehicle device 20 transmits a traffic image captured by a camera mounted on or connected to the in-vehicle device 20 to the image sharing device 10. The in-vehicle device 20 is, for example, a drive recorder, a digital mirror, and a car navigation system mounted on a vehicle, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and a mobile phone used by a user (such as a driver) riding in the vehicle. In addition, the in-vehicle device 20 displays the traffic image received from the image sharing device 10 on a display provided in the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 or the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 20 may be an example of a user device.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how traffic jam images are shared among users. For example, assume that a traffic jam has occurred in a predetermined traffic jam section of road R. As shown in FIG. 2, in-vehicle device 20 of a vehicle traveling in the traffic jam uploads a traffic jam image captured by a camera to image sharing device 10. Also, a user who wishes to refer to a traffic jam image downloads a traffic jam image captured by an in-vehicle device 20 of another vehicle from image sharing device 10 and displays it on a display provided in the in-vehicle device 20 of their own vehicle. Thereby, for example, a user of a vehicle (for example, vehicle V7) traveling behind the traffic jam can refer to a traffic jam image captured by an in-vehicle device 20 of another vehicle (for example, vehicle V3) in the traffic jam, and can thereby know the degree of the traffic jam (whether it is flowing or completely stopped, etc.).

[0014] In the present embodiment, when a user wishes to refer to a traffic jam image, the user provides the traffic jam image captured by the in-vehicle device 20 of the user to image sharing device 10. Also, a user who has provided a traffic jam image can refer to traffic jam images captured by in-vehicle devices 20 of other users.

[0015] Also, in the present embodiment, when a user has the right to refer to a traffic jam image, it may be possible to refer to the traffic jam image without providing the traffic jam image. The right to refer to a traffic jam image may be granted to a user, for example, when the user provided a traffic jam image in order to refer to the traffic jam image but was unable to refer to the traffic jam image because the traffic jam image was not uploaded to image sharing device 10. Hereinafter, the right to refer to a traffic jam image is referred to as the "right of reference".

[0016] In addition, the viewing right is defined as the number of times (the number of viewing rights) that a traffic image can be viewed. For example, a user with 3 viewing rights can view the traffic image 3 times. Note that within the same traffic interval, no matter how many times the traffic image is viewed, it may be treated as if it has been viewed once. Also, when the user cannot view the traffic image because it has not been uploaded to the image sharing device 10, a predetermined number of viewing rights (for example, 1 or 2) may be granted to the user. Further, the viewing right may be purchasable by paying a predetermined amount of money (for example, 100 yen per viewing right).

[0017] In addition, in the present embodiment, the "traffic image" may include not only still images but also moving images. The moving image may be a moving image with a predetermined time length (for example, a moving image of about 10 seconds).

[0018] <Hardware Configuration> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the image sharing device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20. The image sharing device 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 include a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a memory, a storage device 12 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication IF (Interface) 13 for performing wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for receiving various inputs, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a camera (imaging device), a sensor, a mouse, and / or a microphone, etc. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and / or a speaker, etc.

[0019] <Functional Block Configuration> (Image Sharing Device) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a functional block configuration example of the image sharing apparatus 10. The image sharing apparatus 10 includes a storage unit 100, a receiving unit 101, a storage unit 102, a transmitting unit 103, and an authority management unit 104. The storage unit 100 can be realized by using a storage device 12 included in the image sharing apparatus 10. Further, the receiving unit 101, the storage unit 102, the transmitting unit 103, and the authority management unit 104 can be realized by a processor 11 of the image sharing apparatus 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. Further, the program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a storage medium such as a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0020] The storage unit 100 stores a user management DB 100a that manages users who perform image sharing. Further, the storage unit 100 stores traffic jam information 100b (traffic jam management information) that manages continuous traffic jam locations on the road, and a traffic jam image DB 100c (image information) that manages traffic jam images taken of traffic jams.

[0021] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the user management DB 100a. The "user ID" is an identifier that uniquely identifies a user who uses the image sharing apparatus 10. The "current position" is information indicating the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 used by the user. The current position of the in-vehicle device 20 may be expressed, for example, in terms of latitude and longitude or in terms of a road link. The "number of reference rights" indicates the number of reference rights that the user holds and can refer to traffic jam images. Further, when expressed in terms of a road link, in order to more accurately represent the position of the in-vehicle device 20, information indicating the distance from the link end may be added in addition to the identifier of the road link.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of traffic jam information 100b. The "traffic jam ID" is an identifier that uniquely identifies a continuous traffic jam on a road. Note that the continuous traffic jam on a road means one aggregated traffic jam section on the road (for example, the traffic jam section in FIG. 2). Even for the same road, if the traffic jam is interrupted, it does not correspond to the "continuous traffic jam on the road". The criterion for determining that the traffic jam is interrupted is arbitrary, but when a section where there is no traffic jam continues for a predetermined distance (for example, 5 km, etc.) on the same road, it may be determined that the traffic jam is interrupted. For example, assume that there are two traffic jams on road X, one between the 10 km point and the 15 km point and the other between the 30 km point and the 40 km point. In this case, one traffic jam ID (for example, ID = A) is assigned to the traffic jam between the 10 km point and the 15 km point, and one traffic jam ID (for example, ID = B) is assigned to the traffic jam between the 30 km point and the 40 km point. The "traffic jam road information" is information indicating the location of a continuous traffic jam on a road. The traffic jam road information may be expressed, for example, by the ID of a road link used in map data, the VICS ID used in VICS, or the like.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a traffic jam image DB 100c. The "traffic jam image ID" is information for uniquely identifying a traffic jam image in the traffic jam image DB 100c. A different ID is assigned each time a traffic jam image is uploaded. The "traffic jam ID" is the same as the traffic jam ID in the traffic jam information 100b. The "providing user ID" indicates the user ID of the user who provided the traffic jam image. The "traffic jam image data" stores the image data provided from the in-vehicle device 20. The "shooting position" stores data indicating the position (for example, latitude and longitude, etc.) where the traffic jam image was shot. The "receiving date and time" indicates the date and time when the image sharing device 10 received the traffic jam image data from the in-vehicle device 20.

[0024] The receiving unit 101 receives, from the in-vehicle device 20, position information indicating the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 and a traffic jam image shot by the in-vehicle device 20.

[0025] The storage unit 102 stores the traffic jam image captured by the in-vehicle device 20 received by the receiving unit 101 in the traffic jam image DB 100c in association with the traffic jam at the current position of the in-vehicle device 20. More specifically, the storage unit 102 refers to the "traffic jam road information" in the traffic jam information 100b and checks whether the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 (i.e., the current position where the user is driving) is included in the continuous traffic jam. If it is included, the storage unit 102 acquires the traffic jam ID of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 from the "traffic jam road information" in the traffic jam information 100b, and stores the traffic jam ID and the traffic jam image in association with each other in the traffic jam image DB 100c.

[0026] Based on the traffic jam information 100b and the traffic jam image DB 100c, the transmitting unit 103 transmits to the in-vehicle device 20 a traffic jam image captured by another in-vehicle device 20 mounted on another vehicle for the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the in-vehicle device 20. Further, when the receiving unit 101 receives a traffic jam image captured by another in-vehicle device 20, or when the user using the in-vehicle device 20 has the right to view, the transmitting unit 103 may transmit to the in-vehicle device 20 a traffic jam image captured for the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0027] The authority management unit 104 manages the "viewing right" of the user using the in-vehicle device 20 by referring to and updating the user management DB 100a. Further, when the receiving unit 101 receives a traffic jam image captured by the in-vehicle device 20 and there is no traffic jam image available for the in-vehicle device 20, the authority management unit 104 may increase the viewing right of the user using the in-vehicle device 20 by a predetermined number (for example, increase the number of viewing rights by 1).

[0028] Also, when the user using the in-vehicle device 20 has the viewing right and the receiving unit 101 does not receive a traffic jam image captured by the in-vehicle device 20, but a traffic jam image captured for the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 is transmitted, the authority management unit 104 may decrease the viewing right of the user using the in-vehicle device 20 by a predetermined number (for example, subtract 1 from the number of viewing rights).

[0029] (In-vehicle device) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a functional block configuration example of the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 includes a storage unit 200, a position reporting unit 201, a photographing unit 202, a transmission unit 203, a reception unit 204, a display control unit 205, and an operation reception unit 206. The storage unit 200 can be realized using the storage device 12 provided in the in-vehicle device 20. Also, the position reporting unit 201, the photographing unit 202, the transmission unit 203, the reception unit 204, the display control unit 205, and the operation reception unit 206 can be realized by the processor 11 of the in-vehicle device 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. Further, the program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and for example, it may be a storage medium such as a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0030] The storage unit 200 stores the image data downloaded from the image sharing device 10 and the image data photographed by the photographing unit 202.

[0031] The position reporting unit 201 transmits information indicating the current position of the in-vehicle device 20, which is measured using the GPS, vehicle speed sensor, gyro sensor, etc. provided in the in-vehicle device 20, to the image sharing device 10. The photographing unit 202 uses a camera to photograph an image around (for example, in front of) the in-vehicle device 20 and stores the photographed image in the storage unit 200.

[0032] The transmission unit 203 transmits information indicating the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 and the photographed image (traffic jam image), etc. to the image sharing device 10.

[0033] The reception unit 204 receives a traffic jam image, etc. from the image sharing device 10.

[0034] The display control unit 205 causes the traffic jam image received from the image sharing device 10 to be displayed on the display.

[0035] The operation reception unit 206 receives various operation instructions from the user, such as an instruction to receive a traffic jam image and an instruction on whether to provide a traffic jam image or not.

[0036] <Processing procedure> FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the image sharing device 10. In the following description, it is assumed that the data shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are stored in the user management DB 100a, the traffic jam information 100b, and the traffic jam image DB 100c, respectively.

[0037] In step S101, the reception unit 101 receives a transmission request for a traffic jam image from the in-vehicle device 20. The transmission request includes a user ID.

[0038] In step S102, the authority management unit 104 refers to the user management DB 100a and checks the number of reference authorities of the user ID received in step S101. If the number of reference authorities is 1 or more, the process proceeds to step S10 7 and if the number of reference authorities is zero, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0039] In step S103, the transmission unit 103 transmits a notification to the in-vehicle device 20 that the user does not have the reference authority. Subsequently, the reception unit 101 receives information from the in-vehicle device 20 indicating whether the user permits or does not permit the provision of the traffic jam image taken by the in-vehicle device 20. If information indicating permission to provide the traffic jam image is received, the process proceeds to step S104, and if information indicating non-permission to provide the traffic jam image is received, the process ends.

[0040] In step S104, the reception unit 101 receives from the in-vehicle device 20 a traffic jam image taken by the in-vehicle device 20 and information indicating the current position of the in-vehicle device 20. The storage unit 102 collates the traffic jam road information in the traffic jam information 100b with the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 and searches for the traffic jam ID of the traffic jam in which the in-vehicle device 20 is involved. Further, the storage unit 102 associates the searched traffic jam ID, the user ID, the image data of the received traffic jam image, the date and time when the image data was received, and the newly generated traffic jam image ID, and stores them in the traffic jam image DB 100c.

[0041] In step S105, the transmission unit 103 refers to the traffic jam image DB100c and searches for the presence or absence of traffic jam image data (i.e., traffic jam images uploaded by other users) in records having the traffic jam ID of the traffic jam in which the in-vehicle device 20 is involved and whose providing user ID is different from the user ID received in step S101 among the records retrieved in step S104. If the traffic jam image data does not exist, the process proceeds to step S106. If the traffic jam image data exists, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0042] In step S106, the authority management unit 104 adds a predetermined number of reference authorities to the user's reference authority count. Also, the transmission unit 103 transmits a message indicating that a reference authority is to be granted to the in-vehicle device 20. The predetermined number to be added may be 1, or it may be determined such that a larger number is added as the resolution of the traffic jam image received in step S104 is higher.

[0043] In step S107, the transmission unit 103 refers to the traffic jam image DB100c and searches for the presence or absence of traffic jam image data (i.e., traffic jam images uploaded by other users) in records having the traffic jam ID of the traffic jam in which the in-vehicle device 20 is involved and whose providing user ID is different from the user ID received in step S101 among the records retrieved in step S104. If the traffic jam image data does not exist, the process ends. If the traffic jam image data exists, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0044] In step S108, the authority management unit 104 subtracts a predetermined number of reference authorities from the user's reference authority count. The predetermined number to be subtracted may be 1, or it may be determined such that a larger number is subtracted as the resolution of the traffic jam image transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20 is higher.

[0045] In step S109, the transmission unit 103 transmits the traffic jam image data retrieved in the processing procedure of step S105 or step S107 to the in-vehicle device 20. Note that, in the processing procedure of step S105 or step S107, if a plurality of traffic jam image data are retrieved, the transmission unit 103 may cause the user to select a traffic jam image by transmitting a traffic jam image data list (for example, a list indicating the shooting position, a list of thumbnails, etc.) to the in-vehicle device 20, and then transmit the traffic jam image data selected by the user to the in-vehicle device 20. As another example, when a plurality of traffic jam image data are retrieved, the transmission unit 103 may select any one of the traffic jam image data based on the time when the traffic jam image was uploaded, the positional relationship between the position where the traffic jam image data was uploaded and the in-vehicle device 20, the resolution of the traffic jam image data, etc., and transmit it to the in-vehicle device 20. For example, when a plurality of traffic jam image data are retrieved, the transmission unit 103 may select the traffic jam image data with the most recent upload time, the traffic jam image data whose upload position is on the road in the traveling direction of the in-vehicle device 20, or the traffic jam image data with the highest resolution, and transmit it to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0046] In step S110, the transmission unit 103 repeats the processing procedure of step S109 until the in-vehicle device 20 (the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 20) gets out of the traffic jam or a stop of transmitting traffic jam images is requested from the in-vehicle device 20. When the in-vehicle device 20 gets out of the traffic jam or a stop of transmitting traffic jam images is requested from the in-vehicle device 20, the process ends. Note that the reception unit 101 may receive the current position from the in-vehicle device 20 periodically after the processing procedure of step S101. Also, the transmission unit 103 may periodically compare the traffic jam road information in the traffic jam information 100b with the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 to detect that the in-vehicle device 20 has gotten out of the traffic jam.

[0047] In the processing procedure described above, the transmitting unit 103 may replace the "traffic jam ID of the traffic jam in which in-vehicle device 20 is involved" in the processing procedures of steps S105 and S107 with the "traffic jam ID of the traffic jams occurring within a predetermined range (for example, a radius of 10 km, etc.) from the current position of in-vehicle device 20", and search for traffic jam images. That is, in addition to the traffic jam image of the traffic jam in which in-vehicle device 20 is currently involved, the transmitting unit 103 may be able to transmit the traffic jam images of the traffic jams occurring within a predetermined range from the current position of in-vehicle device 20 to in-vehicle device 20. In this case, since a large number of traffic jam images may be searched, the in-vehicle device 20 may be caused to select traffic jam image data by transmitting a traffic jam image data list (for example, a list indicating the shooting position, a list of thumbnails, etc.) to the user, and the traffic jam image data selected by the user may be transmitted to in-vehicle device 20.

[0048] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure performed by in-vehicle device 20. In the following description, it is assumed that the user management DB 100a, the traffic jam information 100b, and the traffic jam image DB 100c store the data shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, respectively.

[0049] In step S201, when the transmitting unit 203 receives a request to refer to a traffic jam image from the user (screen D10 in FIG. 11), it transmits a request to transmit a traffic jam image including the user ID to the image sharing device 10.

[0050] In step S202, if the number of reference authorities of the user is zero, the receiving unit 204 receives a notification from the image sharing device 10 that the user does not have the reference authority. When the notification is received, the process proceeds to step S205, and when the notification is not received, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0051] In step S203, the receiving unit 204 determines whether it has received from the image sharing device 10 a screen for receiving a traffic jam image or a selection of a traffic jam image. If not received, the process ends. If received, the process proceeds to the processing procedure of step S204.

[0052] In step S204, the display control unit 205 causes the received traffic jam image to be displayed on the display (screen D14 in FIG. 11). If a screen for selecting a traffic jam image is received, the display control unit 112 causes the screen for selecting a traffic jam image to be displayed on the display (screen D13 in FIG. 11). Subsequently, the transmission unit 203 notifies the image sharing device 10 of the selection result of the traffic jam image received from the user, and the reception unit 204 receives the traffic jam image selected by the user from the image sharing device 10. The display control unit 205 causes the received traffic jam image to be displayed on the display (screen D14 in FIG. 11).

[0053] In step S205, the display control unit 205 causes a screen for receiving a selection of permitting or not permitting the provision of the photographed traffic jam image without the viewing right to be displayed on the display (screen D11 in FIG. 11). When the operation reception unit 206 receives an instruction from the user to permit the provision of the photographed traffic jam image, the process proceeds to step S206. When the operation reception unit 206 receives an instruction from the user not to permit the provision of the photographed traffic jam image, the transmission unit 203 transmits a notification that the provision of the traffic jam image is not permitted to the image sharing device 10, and the process ends.

[0054] In step S206, the transmission unit 203 transmits a notification to the image sharing device 10 that the provision of the photographed traffic jam image is permitted. Subsequently, the reception unit 204 receives either a traffic jam image (or a screen for receiving a selection of a traffic jam image) or a message indicating that the viewing right is granted. When a traffic jam image (or a screen for receiving a selection of a traffic jam image) is received, the process proceeds to step S204, and when a message indicating that the viewing right is granted is received, the process proceeds to step S207. Note that the case of receiving a message indicating that the viewing right is granted is a case where there is no traffic jam image that can be transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20 in the processing procedure of step S105 in FIG. 9.

[0055] In step S207, the display control unit 205 causes a message indicating that the viewing right is granted to be displayed on the display (screen D12 in FIG. 11).

[0056] <Modification Example> In the processing procedures of step S105 and step S109 in FIG. 9, the transmission unit 103 refers to the traffic jam image DB100c, and among the records having the traffic jam ID of the traffic jam in which the in-vehicle device 20 is involved, which were searched in step S104, the traffic jam image data of the records in which the providing user ID is different from the user ID received in step S101, and further, along the traveling direction on the road where the in-vehicle device 20 is traveling, it may be configured to search for the presence or absence of a traffic jam image captured by an in-vehicle device 20 traveling at least in front of the in-vehicle device 20. Also, in the processing procedure of step S109, the transmission unit 103 may be configured to transmit a traffic jam image captured by an in-vehicle device 20 traveling at least in front of the in-vehicle device 20. In this way, the user can more accurately grasp the state of the traffic jam.

[0057] A predetermined value may be associated with the traffic jam images managed by the image sharing device 10. The predetermined value associated with the traffic jam image may vary depending on the vehicle type of the vehicle that captured the image. For example, traffic jam images captured at a higher position, such as those of trucks or buses, may be set to have a higher value. Also, when referring to a traffic jam image with a high value, a large number of reference rights may be subtracted, or it may be made possible to refer to it by paying a predetermined consideration (for example, an amount of money).

[0058] The image displayed on the in-vehicle device 20 may be a video captured in real time by another in-vehicle device 20, like a live camera.

[0059] The receiving unit 101 of the image sharing device 10 may be configured to repeatedly receive traffic jam images from the in-vehicle device 20 at a predetermined period (for example, at intervals of 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.) while the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 is on the road corresponding to the same traffic jam ID. Also, the transmission unit 103 of the image sharing device 10 may be configured to instruct the in-vehicle device 20 to stop transmitting traffic jam images when the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 moves out of the road corresponding to the same traffic jam ID.

[0060] In the processing procedure of step S102 in FIG. 9, when a user having reference authority wishes to upload a traffic jam image without using the reference authority, the image sharing apparatus 10 may proceed to the processing procedure from step S102 to step S103.

[0061] The reference authority may be associated with a range in which a traffic jam image can be referenced, the type of traffic jam image that can be referenced, and the like. For example, a reference authority that allows reference to traffic jam images within a 30 km radius from the position of the own vehicle, an authority that allows reference to only low-resolution traffic jam images, or an authority that allows reference to high-resolution traffic jam images may be defined.

[0062] <Summary> According to the embodiment described above, a user traveling on a congested road can refer to a traffic jam image captured by the in-vehicle device 20 of another user. As a result, the user can more accurately grasp the traffic jam situation.

[0063] The embodiments described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not for limiting and interpreting the present invention. The flowcharts, sequences, each element included in the embodiments, and their arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, sizes, etc. described in the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate. Also, it is possible to partially replace or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0064] 1... Image sharing system, 10... Image sharing apparatus, 11... Processor, 12... Storage device, 13... Communication IF, 14... Input device, 15... Output device, 20... In-vehicle device, 100... Storage unit, 100a... User management DB, 100b... Traffic jam information, 100c... Traffic jam image DB, 101... Reception unit, 102... Storage unit, 103... Transmission unit, 104... Authority management unit, 200... Storage unit, 201... Position reporting unit, 202... Photographing unit, 203... Transmission unit, 204... Reception unit, 205... Display control unit, 206... Operation reception unit

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores traffic jam management information for managing continuous traffic jam locations on a road and image information for managing traffic jam images taken of the traffic jams; An authority management unit that manages the number of reference rights for a user who uses a user device to refer to traffic jam information; A receiving unit that receives, from the user device, position information indicating the current position of the user device and a traffic jam image taken by the user device; A storage unit that stores the traffic jam image taken by the user device received by the receiving unit in the image information in association with the traffic jam at the current position of the user device; A transmission unit that transmits, based on the number of reference rights of the user who uses the user device, the traffic jam management information, and the image information, a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device to the user device; having; When the receiving unit receives a traffic jam image taken by the user device, or when the number of reference rights of the user who uses the user device is 1 or more, the transmission unit transmits a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device. An image sharing device.

2. When the authority management unit receives a traffic jam image taken by the user device in the receiving unit and there is no traffic jam image that can be provided to the user device, the authority management unit increases the number of reference rights of the user who uses the user device. The image sharing device according to claim 1.

3. When the number of reference rights of the user who uses the user device is 1 or more and the receiving unit does not receive a traffic jam image taken by the user device, and a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device is transmitted, the authority management unit decreases the number of reference rights of the user who uses the user device. The image sharing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An image sharing method performed by an image sharing device, comprising: Storing, in a storage unit, traffic jam management information for managing continuous traffic jam locations on a road and image information for managing traffic jam images taken of the traffic jams; Managing the number of reference rights for a user who uses a user device to refer to traffic jam information; Receiving, from the user device, position information indicating the current position of the user device and a traffic jam image taken by the user device; Storing, in the image information, the traffic jam image taken by the user device received in the receiving step in association with the traffic jam at the current position of the user device. Based on the number of reference rights of the user using the user device, the traffic jam management information, and the image information, transmitting, by another user device, a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device to the user device. Including The transmitting step transmits a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device when the traffic jam image taken by the user device is received in the receiving step, or when the number of reference rights of the user using the user device is 1 or more. Image sharing method.

5. Causing a computer to Store, in a storage unit, traffic jam management information for managing continuous traffic jam locations on a road and image information for managing traffic jam images taken of the traffic jams. Managing the number of reference rights for a user using the user device to refer to traffic jam information. Receiving, from the user device, position information indicating the current position of the user device and a traffic jam image taken by the user device. Storing, in the image information, the traffic jam image taken by the user device received in the receiving step in association with the traffic jam at the current position of the user device. Based on the number of reference rights of the user using the user device, the traffic jam management information, and the image information, transmitting, by another user device, a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device to the user device. To execute The transmitting step transmits a traffic jam image taken of the traffic jam corresponding to the current position of the user device when the traffic jam image taken by the user device is received in the receiving step, or when the number of reference rights of the user using the user device is 1 or more. Program.

Images