In-vehicle device, playback device, information processing system, and method for controlling in-vehicle device

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle device capable of properly providing facility-related information including advertisements to a user of a vehicle, a reproduction unit, an information processing system, and a control method of the on-vehicle device.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle device includes a control unit. The control unit acquires a piece of point information indicating the point where the facility is located together with a facility-related information trigger to acquire the facility-related information related to the facility including advertisements related to the facility. When the vehicle travels at a point included in the point information, the control unit protects the facility-related information trigger of facilities existing at the relevant point, and images of the surrounding area of the vehicle captured by a camera while driving at the location while associated with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device, a playback device, an information processing system, and a method for controlling an in-vehicle device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Various techniques have been proposed for providing images captured by an in-vehicle device such as a drive recorder (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-002147 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A vehicle equipped with the above-described on-board device travels through locations where facilities such as stores are located. However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of appropriately providing facility-related information (e.g., coupon information, store information, etc.) including advertisements related to the facilities to users of the vehicle traveling through such locations.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an in-vehicle device, a playback device, an information processing system, and a control method for an in-vehicle device that can appropriately provide facility-related information, including advertisements, to vehicle users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an in-vehicle device including a control unit that acquires location information indicating a location where a facility is located and a facility-related information trigger for acquiring facility-related information related to the facility, including advertisements for the facility, and, when a vehicle travels through the location included in the location information, associates the facility-related information trigger of the facility located at the location with an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by a camera while the vehicle is traveling through the location, and protects the image. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, facility-related information including advertisements can be appropriately provided to vehicle users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing system including an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the server device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the registration information. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of distribution information. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the protection information. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining protection of the peripheral image. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an output unit of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the display of a user terminal device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an in-vehicle device, a playback device, an information processing system, and a control method for an in-vehicle device disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0010] <Outline of the information processing system> First, an overview of an information processing system including an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing system including an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment.

[0011] The information processing system 1 according to the embodiment is a system that executes various processes, such as a process of providing facility-related information to a user U of a vehicle C. In Fig. 1, the vehicle C shown by the solid line in the lower part indicates a state before the vehicle C has traveled, the vehicle C shown by the dashed-dotted line in the middle part indicates a state during the travel, and the vehicle C shown by the dashed-two-dot line in the upper part indicates a state after the travel has ended (a state after the travel).

[0012] As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 10 and a server device 100.

[0013] The in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on a vehicle C and includes, for example, a camera, a storage device, a microcomputer, etc. Note that, for example, a drive recorder can be used as the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 also includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., which will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0014] The camera of the in-vehicle device 10 captures images of the surroundings (for example, the front and rear) of the vehicle C. The surrounding images (image data) captured by the camera are video data, but are not limited to this and may be still image data, etc. The in-vehicle device 10 also has a communication function for communicating via a communication network.

[0015] Meanwhile, when a vehicle C equipped with the on-vehicle device 10 travels, for example, on a road B, it passes a point P where a facility A such as a store is located. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to appropriately provide facility-related information (e.g., coupon information, store information, etc.) related to facility A, including advertisements related to facility A, to a user U of the vehicle C traveling through such point P.

[0016] Specifically, the server device 100 of the information processing system 1 includes a storage unit 120 (see FIG. 3), and the storage unit 120 stores registered information including location information indicating location P where facility A is located, facility-related information including advertisements related to facility A, and facility-related information triggers for acquiring the facility-related information. Some or all of the registered information is registered in advance in the server device 100 by an advertiser of an advertisement in the facility-related information (for example, an administrator of facility A). Details of the registered information including location information, facility-related information, and facility-related information triggers will be described later with reference to FIG. 4, etc.

[0017] 1, the in-vehicle device 10 acquires both the location information and the facility-related information trigger from the server device 100 (step S1). For example, the in-vehicle device 10 acquires the location information and the facility-related information trigger from the server device 100 in advance before the vehicle C starts traveling.

[0018] When vehicle C starts traveling (see arrow D), the in-vehicle device 10 captures images of the surroundings of vehicle C with a camera and temporarily stores the captured images of the surroundings in the storage unit 30 (see FIG. 5). Note that the in-vehicle device 10 stores the surrounding images, but when the storage capacity of the storage unit 30 reaches its upper limit (or when a predetermined time has passed since the surrounding images were stored), it executes a process of deleting the oldest surrounding images in order and overwriting them with the most recently captured surrounding images.

[0019] Next, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 1, when the vehicle C travels through a point P included in the point information, the in-vehicle device 10 associates and protects a facility-related information trigger of a facility A present at the point P with a surrounding image captured by a camera while the vehicle C is traveling through the point P (step S2). Specifically, the in-vehicle device 10 stores in the storage unit 30 a certain period of surrounding images captured while the vehicle C is traveling through the point P, and protects the surrounding images from being overwritten by a newly captured surrounding image after the vehicle C has passed the point P. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 associates (links) and protects the surrounding images captured while the vehicle C is traveling through the point P with a facility-related information trigger of a facility A present at the point P.

[0020] Next, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, the vehicle C stops traveling. When the vehicle C stops traveling, the in-vehicle device 10 executes a notification process to notify the user U of the vehicle C that the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image have been associated and protected (step S3). In more detail, for example, when the vehicle C stops at a parking position Q and the ignition switch is turned off, and the traveling of the vehicle C ends, the in-vehicle device 10 notifies the user U that the information such as the facility-related information trigger has been protected. Note that this notification is performed by displaying a message or outputting a sound indicating that the information such as the facility-related information trigger has been protected, but is not limited to this.

[0021] Then, when a request to send information such as a facility-related information trigger is made, for example, by the user U operating the in-vehicle device 10, the in-vehicle device 10 transmits the associated and protected facility-related information trigger and surrounding image to the user terminal device 50 of the user U (step S4). Then, based on the facility-related information trigger, the user terminal device 50 acquires facility-related information including an advertisement for facility A from the server device 100, and displays the acquired facility-related information and surrounding image.

[0022] As a result, in this embodiment, facility-related information and surrounding images including advertisements for facility A can be appropriately provided to user U of vehicle C traveling through point P. That is, in this embodiment, when vehicle C travels through point P, a facility-related information trigger for facility A at point P and surrounding images obtained during travel to point P are associated and protected, so that the facility-related information and surrounding images acquired by these facility-related information triggers can be provided to user U when the travel of vehicle C ends. Therefore, for example, user U can leisurely view facility-related information and surrounding images including advertisements for facility A at home or the like after the travel of vehicle C ends. Furthermore, user U can learn about facility A, which he or she was unaware of when traveling through point P.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the associated and protected facility-related information trigger and surrounding image to the user U, facility A can effectively provide the facility-related information acquired by the facility-related information trigger, for example, as an opportunity to stop at facility A the next time vehicle C travels through point P. Furthermore, for example, even if user U is traveling through point P but is unaware of the existence of facility A, providing the facility-related information and surrounding image acquired by the facility-related information trigger makes it possible to make user U aware of the existence of facility A.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protected peripheral images are provided to the user U, so that the user U can check the peripheral images for purposes other than recording, for example, an accident, etc. In other words, in this embodiment, the user U can have more opportunities to view the peripheral images, and thus the in-vehicle device (drive recorder) 10 can be used for purposes other than recording, for example, an accident, etc.

[0025] <Overall configuration of information processing system> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. Note that the block diagrams such as Fig. 2 show only components necessary for explaining the features of the embodiment, and general components are omitted.

[0026] In other words, each component shown in a block diagram such as Figure 2 is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each block is not limited to that shown, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0027] In addition, in the explanation of FIG. 2 and subsequent figures, the explanation of components that have already been explained may be simplified or omitted.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes an in-vehicle device 10, a user terminal device 50, a server device 100, and an advertiser terminal device 200, and each device is communicably connected to each other via a communication network N. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, Fig. 2 shows one each of the in-vehicle device 10, the user terminal device 50, and the advertiser terminal device 200, but there may be a plurality of them.

[0029] <Advertiser terminal device> The advertiser terminal device 200 is a device used by an advertiser (for example, the manager of facility A) of an advertisement in the facility-related information. The advertiser terminal device 200 has a communication function for communicating via a communication network N. The advertiser terminal device 200 may be, for example, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a desktop PC, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like, but is not limited to these.

[0030] In response to an operation by an advertiser, registration information including the above-mentioned location information and facility-related information including advertisements related to the facility is input to the advertiser terminal device 200. Then, the advertiser terminal device 200 transmits the input registration information including the location information and facility-related information to the server device 100.

[0031] <User terminal device> The user terminal device 50 is a device used by the user U. The user terminal device 50 has a communication function for communicating via a communication network N. The user terminal device 50 may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook PC, a desktop PC, or the like, but is not limited to these. The user terminal device 50 is an example of a terminal device of the user U.

[0032] The facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image are transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 10 to the user terminal device 50. The user terminal device 50 is equipped with a display, and reproduces and displays the transmitted surrounding image on the display.

[0033] Furthermore, when the surrounding image is played back, the user terminal device 50 acquires facility-related information from the server device 100 based on the facility-related information trigger and displays the acquired facility-related information on the display. Specifically, the user terminal device 50 transmits a facility-related information acquisition request to the server device 100 based on the facility-related information trigger, acquires facility-related information in response to the acquisition request from the server device 100, and displays the acquired facility-related information on the display.

[0034] The above-described processes of playing back surrounding images, acquiring and displaying facility-related information, etc. may be performed by an application installed on the user terminal device 50. The user terminal device 50 is an example of a playback device. The processes of playing back surrounding images, acquiring and displaying facility-related information, etc. may be performed by the in-vehicle device 10, in which case the in-vehicle device 10 functions as a playback device.

[0035] <Server device> The server device 100 may be realized as a cloud server that provides cloud services via a communication network N such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, or may be configured to provide distributed processing using a plurality of servers.

[0036] Here, the configuration of the server device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the server device 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the server device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a control unit 110, and a storage unit 120.

[0037] The communication unit 101 is a communication interface that is connected to the communication network N so as to enable two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the vehicle-mounted device 10, the user terminal device 50, the advertiser terminal device 200, and the like.

[0038] The storage unit 120 is configured with a storage device such as a nonvolatile memory, a data flash, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 120 stores registration information 121, various programs, and the like.

[0039] As described above, the registration information 121 is information including location information indicating the location where the facility is located, facility-related information including advertisements related to the facility, and facility-related information triggers for acquiring facility-related information.

[0040] Here, the registered information 121 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the registered information 121. As shown in Fig. 4, the registered information 121 includes items such as "registered information ID," "facility name," "facility type," "location information," "area," "road type," "facility-related information," "facility-related information trigger," and "change information," and the data in each item is associated (linked) with one another.

[0041] The "registration information ID" is identification information that identifies the registration information. The "facility name" is information that indicates the name of the facility. Note that facilities include, for example, restaurants, supermarkets, commercial facilities, convenience stores, and other stores, as well as event facilities where events such as concerts, plays, and sports matches are held, but these are merely examples and are not limited to these. Also, in the example shown in Figure 4, for convenience, the "facility name" is written abstractly as "G1," but it is assumed that specific information is stored in "G1." Below, other information may also be written abstractly.

[0042] "Facility type" is information indicating the type of facility. For example, "facility type" is information indicating a type such as a restaurant or supermarket, but is not limited to this and may be information indicating a more specific type (such as a fast food restaurant, a restaurant, or a ramen shop).

[0043] "Point information" is information indicating the point where the facility is located, and more specifically, the location information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the facility.

[0044] It should be noted that the "point information" is not limited to the location information of the facility described above. In other words, the "point information" may include image information indicating the point where the facility is located. Examples of image information include, but are not limited to, an image of the facility's signboard (an image of a fast food restaurant or restaurant signboard (such as a logo)) and an image of the facility's exterior (an image of the distinctive exterior of a fast food restaurant or restaurant). Since the image information is set by the advertiser, such image information may be referred to as a "set image" below. In this embodiment, if this set image is included in the surrounding image captured by the camera, it becomes possible to determine that vehicle C is traveling through a point included in the point information, which will be described later.

[0045] "Area" is information indicating the area (region) that includes the location of the facility. "Area" is information indicating an area in city, ward, town, or village units, for example, but is not limited to this and may be information indicating an arbitrarily set area.

[0046] "Road type" is information indicating the type of road that passes through the point where the facility is located. "Road type" includes information indicating, for example, general road, expressway, national road, prefectural road, private road, etc.

[0047] "Facility-related information" is information related to a facility, including advertisements related to the facility. "Facility-related information" includes, for example, coupon information that can be used at the facility, information about products sold at the facility (store), facility (store) flyer information, store information such as the facility's business hours, information about events held at the facility, and videos such as commercials for the facility. In this way, "facility-related information" includes information that will encourage users to use (stop by) the facility.

[0048] The "facility-related information trigger" is trigger information for acquiring facility-related information, in other words, an acquisition instruction that instructs acquisition of facility-related information. Note that the "facility-related information trigger" is generated and registered based on the facility-related information, but is not limited to this.

[0049] "Change information" is information related to changes to the facility-related information provided to the user. As will be described later, the content of the facility-related information can be changed depending on the number of times vehicle C has traveled through a location where the facility corresponding to the facility-related information is located. For example, the content of the facility-related information provided to the user after vehicle C passes through a location where the facility is located for the first time can be changed (made different) from the content of the facility-related information provided after vehicle C passes through the location for the second time or later. As a specific example, the content of coupon information, which is facility-related information, can be changed to be better as the number of times vehicle C travels through a location where the facility is located increases, and "change information" includes information related to that change.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 4, the registration information identified by the registration information ID "F1" indicates that the facility name is "G1", the facility type is "H1", the location information is "J1", the area is "K1", the road type is "L1", the facility-related information is "M1", the facility-related information trigger is "N1", and the change information is "O1".

[0051] In addition, the above-mentioned registration information shows an example including "facility name," "facility type," "area," "road type," and "change information," but it is not limited to this and may be configured to include some of these.

[0052] Returning to the explanation of Figure 3, the control unit 110 includes a registration unit 111 and a distribution unit 112, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output ports, etc., and various circuits.

[0053] The CPU of the computer functions as the registration unit 111 and distribution unit 112 of the control unit 110, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM. In addition, at least a part or all of the registration unit 111 and distribution unit 112 of the control unit 110 can also be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0054] The registration unit 111 registers the registration information in the storage unit 120. For example, the registration unit 111 receives registration information including location information and facility-related information transmitted from the advertiser terminal device 200, and registers the received information as registration information 121 in the storage unit 120. Furthermore, the registration unit 111 generates a facility-related information trigger for acquiring the facility-related information based on the received facility-related information, and registers the facility-related information in the storage unit 120 as registration information 121.

[0055] The distribution unit 112 distributes the registration information 121 in the storage unit 120 to the in-vehicle device 10. For example, when the distribution unit 112 receives a request to distribute registration information from the in-vehicle device 10, it reads out the registration information corresponding to the distribution request from the registration information 121 registered in the storage unit 120, and distributes (transmits) the registration information to the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 101. For example, the registration information corresponding to the distribution request is registration information excluding facility-related information, and the distribution unit 112 distributes (transmits) the registration information excluding the facility-related information to the in-vehicle device 10. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to acquire registration information including location information, facility-related information triggers, etc.

[0056] In the above description, the distribution unit 112 distributes the registration information excluding the facility-related information, but this is not limited to this, and the distribution unit 112 may distribute the registration information including the facility-related information.

[0057] Furthermore, when a request to acquire facility-related information based on the facility-related information trigger is transmitted from the user terminal device 50, the distribution unit 112 distributes (transmits) the facility-related information in response to the acquisition request to the user terminal device 50. This allows the user terminal device 50 to acquire the facility-related information.

[0058] <In-vehicle equipment> Next, the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the in-vehicle device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a GPS sensor 12, a camera 13, an acceleration sensor 14, an operation unit 15, an output unit 16, a control unit 20, and a storage unit 30.

[0059] The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that is connected to the communication network N so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally, and transmits and receives information to and from the server device 100, the user terminal device 50, etc. The communication unit 11 may have a function of connecting to and communicating with the user terminal device 50 via short-range wireless communication. As a short-range communication method, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like can be used, but is not limited to this.

[0060] The GPS sensor 12 detects the position of the vehicle C and outputs position information indicating the detected position of the vehicle C to the control unit 20. The camera 13 captures images of the surroundings (for example, the front and rear) of the vehicle C and outputs the captured surrounding images (image data) to the control unit 20. The acceleration sensor 14 detects acceleration acting on the vehicle and outputs acceleration information indicating the detected acceleration to the control unit 20.

[0061] The operation unit 15 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the operation unit 15 can accept a request to transmit the protected facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image to the user terminal device 50 through an operation by the user U. The operation unit 15 can also accept input of acquisition conditions (described later) for the location information and the facility-related information trigger through an operation by the user U. Then, the operation unit 15 outputs information indicating the operation content (transmission request and acquisition conditions) accepted from the user U to the control unit 20.

[0062] Note that, for example, a touch panel display can be used as the operation unit 15, but is not limited to this. That is, the operation unit 15 may be, for example, a voice input device such as a microphone, and when a voice requesting transmission of a facility-related information trigger and a surrounding image is input from the user U, the operation unit 15 may output information indicating such transmission request to the control unit 20.

[0063] The output unit 16 outputs various types of information, such as a notification that a facility-related information trigger and a surrounding image have been associated and protected. For example, the output unit 16 includes a display unit such as a display and an audio output unit such as a speaker, and outputs various types of information such as notifications to the user U of the vehicle C. In addition, the display in the output unit 16 displays the surrounding image captured by the camera 13, etc.

[0064] The storage unit 30 is configured with storage devices such as non-volatile memory, data flash, hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 30 stores map information 31, acquisition condition information 32, distribution information 33, image information 34, counter 35, protection information 36, various programs, etc.

[0065] The map information 31 is information about a map including the route (road) on which the vehicle C travels, the locations of facilities, etc. The map information 31 also includes information about the type of road (for example, an ordinary road, an expressway, etc.).

[0066] The acquisition condition information 32 is information indicating conditions for the location information and the facility-related information trigger (more precisely, the facility-related information corresponding to the facility-related information trigger) that the in-vehicle device 10 acquires from the server device 100. That is, the in-vehicle device 10 acquires the location information and the facility-related information trigger that satisfy the acquisition conditions included in the acquisition condition information 32.

[0067] The acquisition conditions of the acquisition condition information 32 include information about location information and facility-related information that the user U wishes to acquire. As an example, if the user U wishes to acquire facility-related information that includes advertisements for a specific type of facility (for example, fast food restaurants), the user U sets the type as the acquisition condition. As a result, the acquisition unit 22, which will be described later, acquires facility-related information triggers that correspond to facility-related information that satisfies the acquisition conditions (here, facility-related information that includes advertisements for fast food restaurants) from the registered information registered in the server device 100.

[0068] As another example, when the user U wishes to acquire facility-related information of facilities located in a specific area (for example, XX city or an area within a predetermined range from a predetermined location such as the user's home), the user U sets the area as an acquisition condition. As a result, the acquisition unit 22, which will be described later, acquires facility-related information triggers corresponding to facility-related information that satisfies the acquisition condition (here, facility-related information of facilities located in XX city or facility-related information of facilities within a predetermined range) from the registered information registered in the server device 100. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined location and predetermined range can be set arbitrarily.

[0069] The distribution information 33 is information (a part or all of the registered information) distributed from the server device 100. Here, the distribution information 33 will be explained with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution information 33.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 6, the distribution information 33 includes items such as "distribution information ID," "facility name," "facility type," "location information," "area," "road type," "facility-related information trigger," and "change information," and the data for each item is associated (linked) with each other.

[0071] The "distribution information ID" is identification information that identifies the distribution information. Note that the "facility name," "facility type," "location information," "area," "road type," "facility-related information trigger," and "change information" are the same as those in the above-mentioned registered information 121 (see FIG. 4), and therefore will not be described here.

[0072] In the example shown in Figure 6, the registered information identified by the distribution information ID "P1" indicates that the facility name is "G1", the facility type is "H1", the location information is "J1", the area is "K1", the road type is "L1", the facility-related information trigger is "N1", and the change information is "O1".

[0073] Also, Figure 6 shows an example in which, among the registration information registered in the server device 100, the registration information identified by the registration information IDs "F1" and "F3" satisfies the above-mentioned acquisition conditions, is distributed to the in-vehicle device 10, and is acquired as distribution information identified by the distribution information IDs "P1" and "P3."

[0074] In addition, the above-mentioned distribution information shows an example including "facility name," "facility type," "area," "road type," and "change information," but it is not limited to this and may be configured to include some of these.

[0075] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 5, the image information 34 is an image (image data) of the surroundings of the vehicle C captured by the camera 13. The counter 35 is a counter that counts the number of times the vehicle C has traveled through a point where a facility corresponding to the facility-related information is located.

[0076] The protected information 36 is a facility-related information trigger and a surrounding image that are associated (linked) and protected. The protected information 36 will now be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the protected information 36.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 7, the protection information 36 includes items such as "protection information ID," "facility-related information trigger," and "surrounding image," and the data of each item is associated (linked) with each other.

[0078] The "protected information ID" is identification information that identifies the protected information. The "facility-related information trigger" is information that is protected when vehicle C travels through a point included in the point information, and is a facility-related information trigger for acquiring facility-related information for facilities that exist at that point. The "surrounding image" is information (image data) that is protected when vehicle C travels through a point included in the point information, and is an image of the surroundings of vehicle C captured by camera 13 while traveling through that point.

[0079] In the example shown in FIG. 7, the protected information identified by the protected information ID "Q1" indicates that the facility-related information trigger is "N1" and the surrounding image is "R1".

[0080] 5, the control unit 20 includes a setting unit 21, an acquisition unit 22, a recording unit 23, a notification unit 24, and a transmission unit 25, and includes, for example, a computer and various circuits having a CPU, ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, an input / output port, etc. The CPU of the computer functions as the setting unit 21, the acquisition unit 22, the recording unit 23, the notification unit 24, and the transmission unit 25 of the control unit 20, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

[0081] Furthermore, at least some or all of the setting unit 21, acquisition unit 22, recording unit 23, notification unit 24 and transmission unit 25 of the control unit 20 can be configured using hardware such as ASIC or FPGA.

[0082] The setting unit 21 sets the above-mentioned acquisition conditions. For example, the setting unit 21 receives information indicating the conditions of the location information and facility-related information trigger (more precisely, facility-related information corresponding to the facility-related information trigger) that the user U desires to acquire via the operation unit 15 operated by the user U. Then, the setting unit 21 stores the received information in the storage unit 30 as acquisition condition information 32, thereby setting the acquisition conditions.

[0083] The acquisition conditions are set in advance before the vehicle C starts traveling, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be set while or after the vehicle C has started traveling. Also, the configuration may be such that the acquisition conditions are not set, i.e., the acquisition condition information 32 is not stored in the storage unit 30.

[0084] The acquisition unit 22 also acquires location information indicating a location where a facility is located, a facility-related information trigger for acquiring facility-related information including advertisements related to the facility, etc. Specifically, before the vehicle C starts traveling, the acquisition unit 22 outputs a distribution request for the registration information registered in the server device 100 to the server device 100. Then, the acquisition unit 22 acquires the registration information distributed (transmitted) from the server device 100 in response to the distribution request, which includes the location information and the facility-related information trigger, and stores the acquired information in the storage unit 30 as distribution information 33.

[0085] Furthermore, when the above-described acquisition conditions are set, the acquisition unit 22 can acquire location information and facility-related information triggers that satisfy the acquisition conditions. For example, the acquisition unit 22 reads acquisition condition information 32 from the storage unit 30 and outputs a distribution request for registered information that satisfies the acquisition conditions included in the acquisition condition information 32 to the server device 100. Then, the acquisition unit 22 acquires the registered information, including the location information and facility-related information triggers that satisfy the acquisition conditions, from the server device 100 and stores the acquired information in the storage unit 30 as distribution information 33.

[0086] As an example, when the facility type "fast food restaurant" is set as an acquisition condition, the acquisition unit 22 outputs a distribution request for registered information whose "facility type" is "fast food restaurant." Then, the acquisition unit 22 acquires registered information that satisfies the acquisition condition (here, the facility type is fast food restaurant) from the server device 100 and stores it in the storage unit 30 as distribution information 33.

[0087] As another example, when the area "XX City" where the facility is located is set as an acquisition condition, the acquisition unit 22 outputs a distribution request for registered information whose "area" is "XX City." Then, the acquisition unit 22 acquires registered information that satisfies the acquisition condition (here, the area is XX City) from the server device 100 and stores it in the storage unit 30 as distribution information 33.

[0088] As a result, the distribution information 33 includes only information that satisfies the acquisition condition, in other words, location information and facility-related information triggers that the user U desires to acquire.

[0089] The recording unit 23 records and protects various information such as surrounding images and facility-related information triggers. For example, the recording unit 23 acquires surrounding images captured by the camera 13 and records (saves) the acquired images as image information 34 in the storage unit 30. Furthermore, when the storage capacity of the storage unit 30 reaches its upper limit (or when a predetermined time has passed since the surrounding images were saved), the recording unit 23 executes a process of deleting the oldest surrounding images in order and overwriting them with the newly captured surrounding images.

[0090] When the recording unit 23 detects an impact due to a collision accident, for example, based on the acceleration information, the recording unit 23 performs a process of prohibiting overwriting of surrounding images (image data) for a predetermined period of time before and after the detection.

[0091] In addition, when vehicle C travels through a location included in the location information, recording unit 23 associates and protects facility-related information triggers for facilities present at that location with surrounding images captured by camera 13 while traveling through that location.

[0092] Specifically, the recording unit 23 acquires location information indicating the location of the vehicle C from the GPS sensor 12, and reads out the distributed information 33 (see FIG. 6) from the storage unit 30. If the location where the vehicle C is traveling is at or near point P (see FIG. 1) included in the location information of the distribution information 33, the recording unit 23 determines that the vehicle C is traveling at point P. When it is determined that the vehicle C is traveling at point P, the recording unit 23 triggers protection of the surrounding images, and protects the surrounding images for a certain period of time before and after the vehicle C passed through point P in the storage unit 30 as protection information 36.

[0093] This protection of peripheral images will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the protection of peripheral images. As shown in Fig. 8, when the vehicle C passes a point P at time T1, the recording unit 23 protects peripheral images for a certain period of time from time T0, which is before time T1 when the vehicle C passes the point P, to time T2, which is after time T1. In detail, the recording unit 23 protects peripheral images captured from time T0 to time T2, which includes time T1 when the vehicle C passes the point P, from being overwritten by new peripheral images captured after time T2, which is after the vehicle C passes the point P.

[0094] The above-mentioned certain time (the time from time T0 to time T2) can be set arbitrarily. Also, in Fig. 8, an example is shown in which the time (period) ta from time T1 to time T0 and the time (period) tb from time T1 to time T2 are the same, but this is not limiting, and the time ta and the time tb may be set to different values.

[0095] Continuing with the explanation of Figure 5, the recording unit 23 associates (links) the surrounding image during driving at the above-mentioned point P with a facility-related information trigger for facility A (see Figure 1) located at point P and protects it as protected information 36 in the memory unit 30.

[0096] Furthermore, as described above, when acquisition conditions are set, the distribution information 33 includes only information that satisfies the acquisition conditions, in other words, facility-related information triggers that correspond to location information and facility-related information that the user U desires to acquire. Therefore, by using distribution information 33 whose content satisfies the acquisition conditions, the recording unit 23 can protect facility-related information triggers that correspond to facility-related information that the user U desires (needs). Therefore, the transmission unit 25, which will be described later, can transmit facility-related information triggers that are necessary for the user U to the user terminal device 50, thereby providing facility-related information that corresponds to the facility-related information triggers. Conversely, it is possible to prevent facility-related information that is not desired or unnecessary for the user U from being provided.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above, the recording unit 23 determines whether or not the vehicle C is traveling through point P based on the location information of the vehicle C and the location information of the facility, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the recording unit 23 may determine whether or not the vehicle C is traveling through point P based on a surrounding image captured by the camera 13 while traveling.

[0098] Specifically, for example, if the location information includes a signboard (such as a logo) of facility A or an image of a distinctive appearance as a set image, the recording unit 23 determines whether the vehicle C is traveling through location P based on the set image and a surrounding image captured while traveling. More specifically, the recording unit 23 analyzes the set image and the surrounding image captured by the camera 13 while traveling, and if the set image is included in the surrounding image by pattern matching or the like, determines that the vehicle C is traveling through location P where facility A is located. Then, if it is determined that the vehicle C is traveling through location P, the recording unit 23 associates the facility-related information trigger with the surrounding image and protects it as described above.

[0099] In this way, in this embodiment, by using the surrounding image captured by the camera 13, it is possible to determine whether the vehicle C is traveling at point P even in cases where, for example, the detection accuracy of the location information by the GPS sensor 12 temporarily decreases.

[0100] Furthermore, the advertiser can easily set (register) location information indicating location P where facility A is located. That is, for example, if facility A is a facility with a relatively large number of facilities (number of stores), such as a chain store, it would be cumbersome for the advertiser to register the location information for each facility as location information. In this embodiment, as described above, if a set image is included in the surrounding image, it is determined that vehicle C is traveling at location P, so the advertiser only needs to set a set image (such as a signboard image) as location information, even if there are many facilities. This facilitates the setting (registration) work for the advertiser, thereby improving the versatility of the information processing system 1.

[0101] Furthermore, the recording unit 23 may change the content of the facility-related information trigger to be protected (more precisely, the facility-related information corresponding to the facility-related information trigger) depending on the number of times the vehicle C has traveled through the point P. Specifically, first, the recording unit 23 calculates the number of times the vehicle C has traveled through the point P. For example, when the recording unit 23 determines that the vehicle C is traveling through the point P, the recording unit 23 adds one to the number of times the vehicle C has traveled through the point P, more specifically, increments the counter 35. Note that when the point information includes multiple points, the number of times traveled is counted for each of the multiple points, but this is not limited to this.

[0102] Then, the recording unit 23 changes the content of the protected facility-related information trigger (more precisely, the facility-related information corresponding to the facility-related information trigger) based on the value of the counter 35 and the "change information" in the distribution information 33. As an example, the recording unit 23 changes the content of the protected facility-related information trigger (facility-related information) depending on the number of times the vehicle has been driven, such as protecting a facility-related information trigger that acquires "10% OFF" coupon information as facility-related information when the number of times the vehicle has been driven to point P is 1, and protecting a facility-related information trigger that acquires "20% OFF" coupon information when the number of times the vehicle has been driven to point P is 10. Then, the protected facility-related information trigger (here, the facility-related information trigger that acquires coupon information) is provided (transmitted) to the user U by the transmitting unit 25, which will be described later.

[0103] This makes it possible to provide user U of vehicle C with facility-related information with effective content according to the number of times the user has traveled to point P. That is, for example, it can be assumed that user U of vehicle C who travels to point P relatively frequently travels around point P on a daily basis in an area (for example, a living area). In this embodiment, it is possible to provide such user U with more effective facility-related information (such as coupon information or store information) that will encourage the user U to stop by facility A at point P.

[0104] Furthermore, the recording unit 23 may change the point at which the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image are protected, depending on the type of road on which the vehicle C is traveling. As a result, in this embodiment, the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image can be protected according to the road on which the vehicle C is traveling.

[0105] Specifically, road types include ordinary roads, expressways, national highways, etc., as described above. In urban areas, an elevated expressway and an ordinary road below the expressway may run parallel to each other. In such a case, if a point P is present on the ordinary road below while vehicle C is traveling on the expressway, the facility-related information trigger for facility A at point P may be protected, and facility-related information corresponding to the facility-related information trigger may be provided to user U. This facility-related information for facility A at point P on the ordinary road is unnecessary information for user U of vehicle C traveling on the expressway.

[0106] Therefore, the recording unit 23 first detects the type of road (road) on which the vehicle C is traveling, based on the position information of the vehicle C and the map information 31 containing information on road types. Then, the recording unit 23 changes the point at which the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image are protected, based on the detected type of road and the "road type" in the distribution information 33. As an example, if the type of road on which the vehicle C is traveling is "expressway," the recording unit 23 associates the facility-related information trigger with the surrounding image and protects it when the vehicle C travels through a point (more precisely, a point included in the point information) for which the road type in the distribution information 33 is set to "expressway." In other words, when the vehicle C is traveling on the expressway, the recording unit 23 does not protect the facility-related information trigger, etc., of facility A located at point P on the general road below.

[0107] As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to avoid providing unnecessary information to a user U of a vehicle C traveling on a highway (in this case, facility-related information about facility A at point P on a public road), and as a result, it is possible to provide facility-related information and surrounding images that are in line with the route that the vehicle C is traveling.

[0108] When the vehicle C has finished traveling, the notification unit 24 notifies the user U of the vehicle C that the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image have been associated and protected. In more detail, when the vehicle C is stopped, the ignition switch is turned off, and the traveling of the vehicle C has finished, the notification unit 24 notifies the user U that the information such as the facility-related information trigger has been protected, in other words, that the protected information 36 (see FIG. 7 ) has been stored in the storage unit 30 and protected.

[0109] The notification of the facility-related information trigger and the protection of the surrounding image will now be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the output unit (display) 16 of the in-vehicle device 10 when the notification of the facility-related information trigger and the protection of the surrounding image is issued.

[0110] 9, the notification unit 24 notifies the user U by displaying information indicating that the facility-related information trigger or other information has been protected in a display field 300 of the output unit (display) 16. A message indicating that the facility-related information trigger or other information has been protected, such as "There is information protected while driving," is displayed in the display field 300. This allows the user U to recognize that the facility-related information trigger or other information has been protected.

[0111] The notification unit 24 also issues a notification inquiring whether the user U wishes to transmit (transfer) the protected information such as the facility-related information trigger to the user terminal device 50. For example, the notification unit 24 displays a message such as "Do you want to transfer to your terminal device?" in the display field 300. The notification unit 24 also displays, in response to an operation by the user U, an accept button 301 for inputting consent to the transmission of the information such as the facility-related information trigger, and a reject button 302 for inputting rejection of the transmission of the information such as the facility-related information trigger, on the output unit (display) 16.

[0112] When the user U operates the accept button 301, the notification unit 24 outputs information indicating that a transmission request has been accepted to the transmission unit 25. On the other hand, when the user U operates the reject button 302, the notification unit 24 outputs information indicating that no transmission request has been made to the transmission unit 25.

[0113] In the above, a notification that information such as facility-related information triggers has been protected is displayed on the output unit (display) 16, but this is not limited to this, and notification may be made in other ways, such as by outputting a message from a speaker which is the output unit 16.

[0114] In the above description, the notification that the facility-related information trigger or other information has been protected is made by the in-vehicle device 10, but this is not limiting. For example, such a notification may be made by the user terminal device 50, or the notification itself may not be made and the information such as the facility-related information trigger may be automatically transmitted to the user terminal device 50 by the transmitting unit 25 described below.

[0115] 5, the transmission unit 25 transmits the protected facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image to the user terminal device 50. Specifically, when a request for transmission of information such as the facility-related information trigger is made, the transmission unit 25 transmits the associated and protected facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image to the user terminal device 50.

[0116] Then, as described above, the user terminal device 50 (see FIG. 2) acquires facility-related information including an advertisement for facility A from the server device 100 based on the facility-related information trigger, and displays the acquired facility-related information and surrounding image.

[0117] Although the above describes an example in which the transmitting unit 25 transmits a facility-related information trigger to the user terminal device 50 and the user terminal device 50 acquires facility-related information based on the facility-related information trigger, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transmitting unit 25 may acquire facility-related information based on the facility-related information trigger and transmit the acquired facility-related information to the user terminal device 50.

[0118] Here, the user terminal device 50 that has received the surrounding image and acquired the facility-related information will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the display 51 of the user terminal device 50 on which the facility-related information and the surrounding image are displayed.

[0119] 10, a peripheral image 401 is displayed on the display 51 of the user terminal device 50. The display 51 also displays facility-related information (coupon information for a hamburger shop (an example of facility A)) 402. Note that while FIG. 10 shows an example in which the facility-related information 402 is displayed superimposed on the peripheral image 401, the present invention is not limited to this, and other display configurations may also be used, such as displaying the facility-related information 402 separately from the peripheral image 401.

[0120] As a result, in this embodiment, facility-related information including advertisements for facility A and surrounding images can be appropriately provided to user U of vehicle C traveling through point P. That is, in this embodiment, when vehicle C travels through point P, the facility-related information trigger for facility A at point P and the surrounding images during travel to point P are associated and protected. Therefore, in this embodiment, by transmitting these facility-related information triggers and surrounding images to user terminal device 50 when vehicle C has finished traveling, it becomes possible to provide user U with the facility-related information and surrounding images acquired based on the facility-related information trigger. Therefore, for example, user U can leisurely view the facility-related information and surrounding images at home or elsewhere after vehicle C has finished traveling.

[0121] 10 shows an example in which the facility-related information is displayed using text information, but the facility-related information may be image information, video information, etc. The facility-related information may also include, for example, a URL of the server device 100, and the user terminal device 50 may be configured to access the URL to obtain and display coupon information, etc. from the server device 100.

[0122] Although the above example shows the case where information such as a facility-related information trigger is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 to the user terminal device 50, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the protected information such as a facility-related information trigger may be transmitted to the server device 100, and then transmitted from the server device 100 to the user terminal device 50. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 10 may be configured to store the protected information such as a facility-related information trigger in a portable storage medium (e.g., an SD card), and the user U may remove the storage medium from the in-vehicle device 10 and insert it into the user terminal device 50, thereby transferring the information such as a facility-related information trigger to the user terminal device 50.

[0123] When the vehicle C again travels through point P where facility A corresponding to the facility-related information, etc. viewed by the user U is located, the notification unit 24 may notify the user U by voice or other means of a message indicating that the user U has previously viewed the facility-related information, etc. This can remind the user U that he or she has previously viewed the facility-related information, etc., and can serve as an opportunity for the user U to stop by facility A.

[0124] <Control processing of in-vehicle devices> Next, an example of a specific processing procedure in the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device 10.

[0125] 11, the control unit 20 of the in-vehicle device 10 acquires both the location information and the facility-related information trigger from the server device 100 (step S10). Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the vehicle C has traveled through a location included in the location information (step S11).

[0126] When it is determined that the vehicle C has traveled through a point P included in the point information (step S11, Yes), the control unit 20 associates and protects a facility-related information trigger for a facility A present at the point P with a surrounding image captured by the camera 13 while the vehicle C is traveling through the point P (step S12). On the other hand, when it is determined that the vehicle C has not traveled through the point P (step S11, No), the control unit 20 skips the processing of step S12.

[0127] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the traveling of the vehicle C has ended (step S13). If the control unit 20 determines that the traveling of the vehicle C has not ended (step S13, No), the control unit 20 returns to the processing of step S11.

[0128] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle C has finished traveling (step S13, Yes), the control unit 20 determines whether the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image have been protected (step S14). If it is determined that the information such as the facility-related information trigger has not been protected (step S14, No), the control unit 20 ends the process.

[0129] On the other hand, if the control unit 20 determines that information such as the facility-related information trigger has been protected (step S14, Yes), it executes a process to notify the user U of the vehicle C that the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image have been associated and protected (step S15).

[0130] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether or not there is a transmission request from the user U for the protected facility-related information trigger and other information (step S16). If it is determined that there is no transmission request from the user U (step S16, No), the control unit 20 ends the process.

[0131] On the other hand, if it is determined that a transmission request has been made by the user U (step S16, Yes), the control unit 20 transmits the protected facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image to the user terminal device 50 (step S17). As a result, the user terminal device 50 acquires the facility-related information based on the facility-related information trigger, and therefore the user U can view the facility-related information and the surrounding image on the user terminal device 50.

[0132] As described above, the in-vehicle device 10 according to the embodiment includes the control unit 20. The control unit 20 acquires both point information indicating point P where facility A is located and a facility-related information trigger for acquiring facility-related information related to the facility, including advertisements related to facility A, and when the vehicle C travels through point P included in the point information, the control unit 20 associates and protects the facility-related information trigger of facility A located at point P with an image of the surroundings of the vehicle C captured by the camera 13 while the vehicle C is traveling through point P. This allows facility-related information, including advertisements, to be appropriately provided to the user U of the vehicle C.

[0133] In the above embodiment, the user U of the vehicle C to whom facility-related information and the like is provided is the driver, but this is not limited to this and may be, for example, a passenger in the vehicle C.

[0134] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1. Information Processing Systems 10 Onboard equipment 13 Camera 20 Control Unit 50 User terminal device 100 Server device

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device including a control unit, The control unit Location information indicating a location where the facility is located; a facility-related information trigger for obtaining facility-related information related to the facility, including advertisements related to the facility; and When a vehicle travels through the location included in the location information, the facility-related information trigger of the facility present at the location is associated with an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by a camera while the vehicle is traveling through the location, and the associated information is protected. In-vehicle device.

2. The control unit When the vehicle has finished traveling, the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image are associated and protected, and the user of the vehicle is notified of this. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit acquiring the location information and the facility-related information trigger that satisfy an acquisition condition set by a user of the vehicle; The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit changing the point at which the facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image protection are performed according to the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling; The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling through the location included in the location information based on the surrounding image captured by the camera, the facility-related information trigger is associated with the surrounding image and protected. The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

6. The control unit If a setting image set by an advertiser of an advertisement in the facility-related information is included in the surrounding image, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling through the point included in the point information. The in-vehicle device according to claim 5 .

7. The control unit transmitting the protected facility-related information trigger and the surrounding image to a terminal device of a user of the vehicle; The in-vehicle device according to claim 1 .

8. A playback device that plays back the surrounding image protected by the in-vehicle device according to claim 1, When the surrounding image is played back on the playback device, the facility-related information is acquired based on the facility-related information trigger. playback device.

9. an in-vehicle device and a server device, The server device Location information indicating a location where the facility is located; a facility-related information trigger for obtaining facility-related information related to the facility, including advertisements related to the facility; Send together The in-vehicle device acquiring the location information and the facility-related information trigger transmitted from the server device; When a vehicle travels through the location included in the location information, the facility-related information trigger of the facility present at the location is associated with an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by a camera while the vehicle is traveling through the location, and the associated information is protected. Information processing system.

10. Location information indicating a location where the facility is located; a facility-related information trigger for obtaining facility-related information related to the facility, including advertisements related to the facility; and When a vehicle travels through the location included in the location information, the facility-related information trigger of the facility present at the location is associated with an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by a camera while the vehicle is traveling through the location, and the associated information is protected. A method for controlling an in-vehicle device.

Images