Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing device (10) having an acquisition means (11) for acquiring information indicating the state of at least one of a person boarding a moving body and an object loaded onto the moving body, and an identification means (12) for identifying a wireless communication means used in communication between the moving body and an external device on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition means.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a program is stored. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that, depending on the vehicle situation, including "going straight," "turning right," "turning left," "backing up," "getting on / off / stopping," and "occupant abnormalities" such as the driver being unable to drive, the priority and quality of captured images from an imaging direction that is most necessary for the control center are changed to higher and transmitted to the control center. This allows data required by the center to be transmitted preferentially depending on the vehicle situation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-003934 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, there may be cases where, for example, the center side is unable to transmit sufficient data required.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that can appropriately perform communication in a moving body such as a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing device is provided that has an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the status of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body, and an identification means for identifying a wireless communication means used for communication between the moving body and an external device based on the information acquired by the acquisition means.

[0007] In addition, a second aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing method that acquires information indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body, and identifies a wireless communication means to be used for communication between the moving body and an external device based on the acquired information.

[0008] In addition, a third aspect of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: acquiring information indicating the status of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body; and identifying, based on the acquired information, a wireless communication means to be used for communication between the moving body and an external device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect, communication can be appropriately performed in a moving body such as a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in a wireless DB according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The principles of the present disclosure will be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are set forth for illustrative purposes only, to aid those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present disclosure, without implying any limitation on the scope of the disclosure. The disclosure described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0012] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) <Configuration> The configuration of an information processing device 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 10 according to an embodiment. The information processing device 10 has an acquisition unit 11 and an identification unit 12. These units may be realized by cooperation between one or more programs installed in the information processing device 10 and hardware such as a processor 101 and a memory 102 of the information processing device 10.

[0014] The acquisition unit 11 acquires information (e.g., images including at least one of a still image and a video image) indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on the moving object and an object on the moving object. The identification unit 12 identifies a wireless communication means used for communication between the moving object and an external device based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 11.

[0015] (Embodiment 2) Next, the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. <System configuration> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 2, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 10, an image capturing device 20, an image capturing device 30, and a server 40. Note that the numbers of the information processing devices 10, the image capturing devices 20, the image capturing devices 30, and the server 40 are not limited to the example of Fig. 1.

[0016] The information processing device 10, the photographing device 20, the photographing device 30, and the server 40 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N, such as the Internet, a wireless local area network (LAN), a mobile phone network, a cable, or a bus. The network N described in the present disclosure may include, for example, 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system, NR: New Radio), 4G (fourth generation mobile communication system), and 3G (third generation mobile communication system). Note that 4G may include, for example, LTE (Long Term Evolution) Advanced, WiMAX2, and LTE. The network N described in the present disclosure may also include, for example, 6G (sixth generation mobile communication system, Beyond 5G). The wireless communication of the present disclosure may be performed according to any generation of wireless communication protocol currently known or developed in the future.

[0017] The information processing device 10 may be mounted on a moving body 200 such as a vehicle, an autonomous robot, a flying car (eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft), UAM (Urban Air Mobility)), etc. Examples of vehicles in the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, automobiles, motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles.

[0018] The image capturing device 20 may be mounted on the moving body 200, for example, and installed in a position where it can capture images of the interior of the moving body (for example, the interior of the vehicle) or the loading platform. The information processing device 10 and the image capturing device 20 may be configured as an integrated device. In this case, the information processing device 10 may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet.

[0019] The image capturing device 30 is, for example, an image capturing device (camera) that is provided outside the moving body 200 so as to capture an image of the path (e.g., a road) along which the moving body 200 moves. The image capturing device 30 may be attached to, for example, a pole (signal pole) on which a traffic signal is attached, a pole on which a road sign or the like is attached, a street light, a gate at the entrance to a highway, or a utility pole. The image capturing device 30 may also be provided in a facility such as a store.

[0020] The server 40 is a device that performs at least one of monitoring and controlling the moving object 200. The server 40 may monitor the moving object 200 based on, for example, images captured by at least one of the image capturing device 20 and the image capturing device 30.

[0021] <Hardware configuration> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 10 according to an embodiment. In the example of Fig. 3, the information processing device 10 (computer 100) includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103. These components may be connected via a bus or the like. The memory 102 stores at least a part of a program 104. The communication interface 103 includes an interface required for communication with other network elements.

[0022] When the program 104 is executed by the processor 101, memory 102, and other components in cooperation with each other, the computer 100 performs at least some of the processing of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory 102 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network. The memory 102 may be, by way of non-limiting example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 102 may also be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. While only one memory 102 is shown in the computer 100, several physically distinct memory modules may be present in the computer 100. The processor 101 may be of any type. The processor 101 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and, by way of non-limiting example, a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The computer 100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device.

[0024] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, that execute on a target real or virtual processor or device to perform the processes or methods of the present disclosure. Program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or divided among program modules as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0025] The program code for executing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus. When the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / acts in the flowcharts and / or implementing block diagrams are performed. The program code may be executed entirely on the machine, partly on the machine, as a standalone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0026] The program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media, optical disk media, and semiconductor memory. Magnetic recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, and hard disk drives. Magneto-optical recording media include, for example, magneto-optical disks. Optical disk media include, for example, Blu-ray discs, CD (Compact Disc)-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs (Recordable), and CD-RWs (Rewritable). Semiconductor memory includes, for example, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can supply the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0027] <Configuration> The configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, compared to the example of Fig. 1, the information processing device 10 further includes a determination unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a control unit 15. Each of these units may be realized by cooperation between one or more programs installed in the information processing device 10 and hardware such as a processor 101 and a memory 102 of the information processing device 10.

[0028] The determination unit 13 determines the state of at least one of the person riding on the moving body 200 and the object on the moving body 200 based on the image acquired by the acquisition unit 11. The communication unit 14 communicates with the server 40 using the wireless communication means identified by the identification unit 12. The control unit 15 controls each function of the moving body 200 (for example, functions related to braking, propulsion, driving, steering, etc.) based on control information received from the server 40.

[0029] <Processing> An example of processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the wireless DB 601 according to the embodiment. Note that the following processing may be executed at a specific timing, for example, periodically.

[0030] In step S101, the acquisition unit 11 of the information processing device 10 acquires an image (at least one of a video and a still image) of at least one of a person riding on the moving body 200 and an object on the moving body 200, captured by at least one of the image capturing device 20 and the image capturing device 30. The image is an example of "information indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on the moving body and an object on the moving body."

[0031] Next, the determination unit 13 of the information processing device 10 determines (estimates, infers) the state of at least one of the person riding on the moving body 200 and the object on the moving body 200 based on the image acquired by the acquisition unit 11 (step S102). Here, the determination unit 13 may determine the state using, for example, AI (Artificial Intelligence) using deep learning or the like.

[0032] Here, the state may include, for example, the number of people riding on the moving body 200, whether the people are standing, whether the people are holding onto equipment (e.g., a strap or a handrail) provided on the moving body 200, the age of the people, the sex of the people, etc. Furthermore, the state may also include, for example, whether the people are using a wheelchair, whether the people are using a mobility aid that shifts their weight from their legs to their upper body (e.g., crutches), etc.

[0033] The state may also include, for example, the number of objects (e.g., cargo) carried on the moving body 200, the weight of the objects, and the degree of shaking of the objects. The degree of shaking of the object may be, for example, an index indicating the magnitude of shaking of the object. For example, the determination unit 13 may determine the value of the degree of shaking to be higher the more frequently the object shakes and the greater the amount of movement of the object.

[0034] Next, the identification unit 12 of the information processing device 10 identifies (determines, selects) the wireless communication means to be used for communication with the server 40 based on the state determined by the determination unit 13 (step S103). This makes it possible to differentiate the wireless communication means to be used depending on, for example, the stability of the mobile object 200. Therefore, for example, when multiple mobile objects use the same wireless communication means (for example, local 5G), it is possible to reduce congestion in the wireless network of the wireless communication means and a decrease in communication quality.

[0035] Here, the identification unit 12 may, for example, refer to the wireless DB 601 of Figure 6 to identify at least one of the wireless network and virtual network (e.g., slice) used in wireless communication between the device on the mobile body 200 side (e.g., the information processing device 10) and the server 40.

[0036] 6, wireless networks and virtual networks are stored (set, registered) in association with stability in the wireless DB 601. Note that the wireless DB 601 may be stored (set, registered) in advance in an internal or external storage device of the information processing device 10.

[0037] The stability is an index indicating the degree of stability of at least one of a person and an object riding on the moving body 200 during its movement. The identification unit 12 may calculate the stability value based on, for example, the state of at least one of a person and an object riding on the moving body 200 determined by the determination unit 13. In this case, the identification unit 12 may calculate the stability value using, for example, the number of people riding on the moving body 200, their attributes, posture, or equipment used, or any combination of these. Note that the attributes of the people may include age, gender, physique, whether or not they are pregnant, etc. Furthermore, the posture of the people may include whether or not they are standing, whether or not they are holding onto equipment (such as a strap), etc. The equipment used by the people may include a wheelchair, a mobility aid (such as crutches), etc.

[0038] In this case, the specifying unit 12 may, for example, determine a lower stability value as the number of people riding on the moving body 200 increases. Furthermore, the specifying unit 12 may, for example, determine a lower stability value as the number of people standing on the moving body 200 (without sitting in a seat) increases. Furthermore, the specifying unit 12 may, for example, determine a lower stability value as the number of people standing on the moving body 200 (without sitting in a seat) and not holding onto facilities provided on the moving body 200 (for example, a strap or a handrail) increases. Furthermore, the specifying unit 12 may, for example, determine a lower stability value as the age of a person standing on the moving body 200 and not holding onto facilities provided on the moving body 200 is equal to or greater than a first threshold (for example, 70 years old) and the difference between the age and the first threshold increases. Thereby, for example, when an elderly person is standing without holding onto a strap or the like, the stability value can be determined to be low.

[0039] Furthermore, the identification unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, when the age of a person standing on the moving body 200 and not holding onto a facility provided on the moving body 200 is equal to or less than a second threshold (for example, 6 years old) and the absolute value of the difference from the second threshold is larger. Thereby, for example, when a small child or the like is standing without holding onto a strap or the like, the stability value can be determined to be lower.

[0040] Furthermore, the specifying unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the number of pregnant people who are standing on the moving body 200 and not holding onto equipment provided on the moving body 200 increases. The specifying unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the number of people who are standing on the moving body 200 and not holding onto equipment provided on the moving body 200 and using mobility assistance devices such as crutches increases. The specifying unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the number of wheelchair-using people on the moving body 200 increases.

[0041] Furthermore, the identification unit 12 may calculate the stability value using the number, weight, size, weight, shape, valuableness (whether valuables are valuables or not), or degree of movement of objects on the moving body 200, or any combination thereof. In this case, the identification unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the number of objects (e.g., cargo) on the moving body 200 increases. The identification unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the weight of the objects on the moving body 200 increases. The identification unit 12 may determine a lower stability value, for example, as the degree of movement of the objects on the moving body 200 increases. Note that, when a person and an object are on the moving body 200, the identification unit 12 may calculate the stability based on both the state of the person and the state of the object.

[0042] The wireless network in FIG. 6 is a wireless network used for communication between the mobile object 200 and the server 40. The wireless network may include, for example, a wireless network using a radio access technology (RAT) such as local 5G or LTE. The virtual network in FIG. 6 may be, for example, a slice in a wireless network. This allows, for example, each mobile object 200 to be assigned a wireless communication means with appropriate communication quality according to the status of passengers, etc.

[0043] Next, the communication unit 14 of the information processing device 10 establishes communication with the server 40 using the wireless communication means identified by the identification unit 12 (step S104). Next, the communication unit 14 of the information processing device 10 transmits information such as an image captured by the imaging device 20 to the server 40 (step S105).

[0044] Next, the server 40 generates control information for controlling the mobile object 200 based on the image or the like received from the information processing device 10 (step S106). Here, the server 40 may generate the control information based on, for example, an input operation from a monitor (operator) at a center who monitors the mobile object 200 using images. In this case, the control information may include, for example, a command to stop or resume the autonomous driving of the mobile object 200 that is being driven autonomously by AI or the like. The control information may also include information on operations related to remote control from the monitor (operator) at the center (for example, operations of the brake, accelerator, steering wheel, etc.). The server 40 may also generate the control information based on, for example, an inference result from AI or the like that causes the mobile object 200 to be driven autonomously using images.

[0045] Next, the server 40 transmits the generated control information to the information processing device 10 (step S107). Next, the control unit 15 of the information processing device 10 controls the moving body 200 based on the received control information (step S108). Here, the control unit 15 controls each function of the moving body 200 (for example, functions related to braking, propulsion, driving, steering, etc.) based on the control information received from the server 40.

[0046] <Modification> Each functional unit of the information processing device 10 may be realized by cloud computing configured with one or more computers, for example. Also, at least a part of each process of the information processing device 10 may be configured to be executed by at least one of the image capturing device 20 and the server 40. Such information processing devices 10 are also included in the examples of the "information processing device" of the present disclosure.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[0048] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) an acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body; a specifying means for specifying a wireless communication means to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the information acquired by the acquiring means; An information processing device having the above. (Appendix 2) the identifying means identifies the wireless communication means used in communication for performing at least one of monitoring and controlling the moving object by the external device; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) the acquiring means acquires an image captured by an image capturing device mounted on the moving body; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the acquisition means acquires images captured by an image capture device installed so as to capture the route along which the moving object moves; 4. The information processing device according to claim 1. (Appendix 5) The information processing device includes: a determining means for determining a state of at least one of a person riding on the moving body and an object on the moving body based on the image acquired by the acquiring means, the identifying means identifies the wireless communication means based on the information determined by the determining means. 5. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) The determination means determines at least one of the number, attributes, posture, and equipment used by people riding on the moving object based on the image acquired by the acquisition means. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5. (Appendix 7) The determination means determines at least one of the number of objects on the moving body, the weight of the objects, the size of the objects, the shape of the objects, the value of the objects, and the degree of movement of the objects, based on the image acquired by the acquisition means. 7. The information processing device according to claim 5 or 6. (Appendix 8) the identification means calculates a stability of the moving body based on information indicating a state of at least one of a person riding on the moving body and an object on the moving body, and identifies the wireless communication means based on the calculated stability. 8. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7. (Appendix 9) the identifying means identifies a wireless network to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device from among a plurality of wireless networks based on the information acquired by the acquiring means; 9. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8. (Appendix 10) the identifying means identifies a virtual network to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device from among a plurality of virtual networks based on the information acquired by the acquiring means. 10. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 9. (Appendix 11) acquiring information indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body; Identifying a wireless communication means to be used for communication between the mobile object and the external device based on the acquired information. Information processing methods. (Appendix 12) A process of acquiring information indicating the state of at least one of a person riding on a moving body and an object on the moving body; A process of identifying a wireless communication means to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the acquired information; A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Information Processing Systems 10. Information processing equipment 11 Acquisition Department 12 Specific part 13 Judgment section 14 Communications Department 15 Control Unit 20 Imaging equipment 30 Imaging equipment 40 servers

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring an image of a moving object; a determining means for determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, weight, size, shape, value, and degree of agitation of the objects on the moving body as first information; a specifying means for specifying a wireless network or a virtual network used in communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the first information; An information processing device having the above.

2. an acquisition means for acquiring an image of a moving object; a determining means for determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, attributes, posture, and equipment used by people riding on the moving object as second information; a specifying means for specifying a wireless network or a virtual network used in communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the second information; An information processing device having the above.

3. the identifying means identifies a wireless network or a virtual network used in communication in which at least one of monitoring and controlling of the mobile object is performed by the external device; 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the acquiring means acquires an image captured by an image capturing device mounted on the moving body; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the acquisition means acquires images captured by an image capture device installed so as to capture the route along which the moving object moves; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. the identification means calculates a stability of the moving body based on information indicating a state of at least one of a person riding on the moving body and an object on the moving body, and identifies a wireless network or a virtual network based on the calculated stability. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The computer Acquire an image of a moving object, determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, weight, size, shape, value, and degree of movement of the objects on the moving body as first information; identifying a wireless network or a virtual network to be used for communication between the mobile object and the external device based on the first information; Information processing methods.

8. The computer Acquire an image of a moving object, determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, attributes, posture, and equipment used by people riding on the moving object as second information; identifying a wireless network or a virtual network to be used for communication between the mobile object and the external device based on the second information; Information processing methods.

9. A process of acquiring an image of a moving object; a process of determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, weight, size, shape, value, and degree of agitation of objects on the moving body as first information; a process of identifying a wireless network or a virtual network to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the first information; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

10. A process of acquiring an image of a moving object; determining, based on the image, at least one of the number, attributes, posture, and equipment used by people riding on the moving object as second information; a process of identifying a wireless network or a virtual network to be used for communication between the mobile object and an external device based on the second information; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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