method

Abstract

To improve a technique for providing the simulation of a vehicle parked in a user's house.SOLUTION: A method to be executed by a terminal device 20 includes: accepting, via an input unit 24, input by a user of a vehicle that the user is considering purchasing, and environmental conditions in which the vehicle is placed; transmitting, via a communication unit 23, first information indicating the vehicle and environmental conditions; acquiring, via the communication unit 23, an image generated based on the first information and second information indicating the user's house and representing the vehicle parked in the user's house under environmental conditions; and outputting the image via an output unit 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technology that provides virtual object display leading to sales promotion in stores and the like. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that 3D model data is acquired by image recognition of a product printed on an AR image providing medium, an AR image is obtained by drawing the acquired 3D model data, and the AR image is superimposed and displayed on an image captured by a camera.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a user is considering purchasing a vehicle, they may not know what the vehicle will look like when actually parked in the user's home parking lot or the like, and may want to know a specific image. Thus, there has been room for improvement in the technology that provides a simulation of the vehicle parked at the user's home to a user considering purchasing a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The method relating to this disclosure is a method performed by a terminal device comprising an input unit, an output unit, a communication unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit receives input from the user of a vehicle that the user is considering purchasing and the environmental conditions in which the vehicle is located, via the input unit; transmits first information indicating the vehicle and the environmental conditions via the communication unit; acquires an image via the communication unit representing the vehicle parked at the user's house under the environmental conditions, which is generated based on the first information and second information indicating the user's house; and outputs the image via the output unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] This disclosure makes it possible to improve the technology that provides simulations of vehicles parked at a user's home. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the image output to the terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the image output to the terminal device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0009] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of System 1 according to this embodiment will be described. System 1 comprises an information processing device 10 and a terminal device 20. The information processing device 10 can communicate with the terminal device 20 via a network 30.

[0010] The information processing device 10 is a computer installed in a facility such as a data center. The information processing device 10 is, for example, a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The information processing device 10 is operated by a vehicle sales company.

[0011] The terminal device 20 is held by the user. The terminal device 20 is, for example, a mobile device such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, or a PC. "PC" is an abbreviation for personal computer.

[0012] Network 30 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or any combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 30 may also include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. Wireless networks are, for example, ad hoc networks, cellular networks, wireless LANs, satellite communication networks, or terrestrial microwave networks. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0013] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. The terminal device 20 receives input from the user regarding the vehicle the user is considering purchasing and the environmental conditions in which the vehicle will be located. The terminal device 20 transmits first information indicating the vehicle and environmental conditions to the information processing device 10. The terminal device 20 acquires an image representing the vehicle parked at the user's house under those environmental conditions, which is generated based on the first information and second information indicating the user's house, and outputs the image.

[0014] Environmental conditions, such as weather and time of day, represent the environment in which a vehicle parked at the user's home is located, and can be input by the user as described below. According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily check a vehicle that the user is considering purchasing, parked at the user's home, under specified environmental conditions. Therefore, it becomes possible to improve the technology that provides simulations of a vehicle parked at the user's home.

[0015] Referring to Figure 1, the configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. The information processing device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0016] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 11 controls each part of the information processing device 10 and executes processes related to the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0017] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM, ROM, or flash memory. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read-only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. Flash memory is, for example, SSD. "SSD" is an abbreviation for solid-state drive. Magnetic memory is, for example, HDD. "HDD" is an abbreviation for hard disk drive. The storage unit 12 functions, for example, as main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The memory unit 12 stores information used for the operation of the information processing device 10 and information obtained through the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0018] The communication unit 13 includes at least one communication module. The communication module is, for example, a module compatible with a wired LAN communication standard such as Ethernet® or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE 802.11. "IEEE" is an abbreviation for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The communication unit 13 communicates with devices other than the information processing device 10. The communication unit 13 receives information used in the operation of the information processing device 10 and transmits information obtained through the operation of the information processing device 10.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the terminal device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described. The terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, and a photographing unit 26. The hardware configurations of the control unit 21 and the storage unit 22 of the terminal device 20 may be the same as those of the control unit 11 and the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10, respectively. The description thereof will be omitted here.

[0020] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard, an interface corresponding to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN interface. "LTE" is an abbreviation for Long Term Evolution. "4G" is an abbreviation for 4th generation. "5G" is an abbreviation for 5th generation. The communication unit 23 receives information used for the operation of the terminal device 20 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 20.

[0021] The input unit 24 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with the display, or a microphone. The input unit 24 accepts an operation of inputting data used for the operation of the terminal device 20. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 20, the input unit 24 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external input device. As the connection method, for example, any method such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0022] The output unit 25 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electroluminescence. The output unit 25 outputs data obtained by the operation of the terminal device 20. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 20, the output unit 25 may be connected to the terminal device 20 as an external output device. Any connection method can be used, for example, USB, HDMI®, or Bluetooth®.

[0023] The imaging unit 26 is a camera that photographs the area around the terminal device 20. The imaging unit 26 may be a camera capable of photographing a subject in three dimensions, such as a TOF (Time Of Flight) camera or a stereo camera. The imaging unit 26 can output the acquired image to the control unit 21. The imaging unit 26 is provided, for example, on the side opposite to the output unit 25.

[0024] The functions of the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20 are realized by executing the program according to this embodiment on the processor acting as the control unit 11 or control unit 21. In other words, the functions of the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20 are realized by software. The program causes the computer to perform the operations of the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20. That is, the computer functions as the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20 by performing the operations of the information processing device 10 or terminal device 20 according to the program.

[0025] The program can be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable medium. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable mediums include flash memory, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, magneto-optical recording media, or ROM. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as SD cards, DVDs, or CD-ROMs containing the program. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may also be distributed by storing it in server storage and transferring it from the server to other computers. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0026] A computer, for example, stores a program stored on a portable medium or a program transferred from a server in its main memory. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main memory with its processor and executes the processing according to the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from the portable medium and execute the processing according to the program. The computer may also execute the processing according to the received program sequentially each time a program is transferred to the computer from a server. Processing may also be performed by a so-called ASP-type service, which does not transfer programs from the server to the computer, but realizes its function only through execution instructions and result retrieval. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. A program includes information used for processing by an electronic computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to the computer but has the nature of defining the computer's processing falls under "equivalent to a program".

[0027] Some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 or the terminal device 20 may be implemented by a programmable circuit or dedicated circuit as the control unit 11 or the control unit 21. In other words, some or all of the functions of the information processing device 10 or the terminal device 20 may be implemented by hardware.

[0028] The operation of System 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Of the operations shown in Figure 2, the operation of the terminal device 20 corresponds to the method according to this embodiment. In the following, communication between the information processing device 10 and the external device will be performed via the communication unit 13 and the network 30. In the following, communication between the terminal device 20 and the external device will be performed via the communication unit 23 and the network 30.

[0029] In S101 of Figure 2, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 transmits setting information to the terminal device 20 indicating at least one vehicle for sale and the environmental options in which the vehicle will be placed. The setting information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10. Environmental options include weather, time of day, etc. In this example, weather environmental options include "rain," "sunny," "cloudy," etc. Time of day environmental options include "morning," "noon," "evening," "night," etc. However, environmental options may also include temperature, humidity, the brightness level of the lights on the vehicle, etc. The setting information may include multiple exterior options for the same vehicle. Exterior options may include, for example, body color, wheels, headlights, taillights, door mirrors, etc.

[0030] In S102, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 acquires the setting information by receiving it.

[0031] In S103, the control unit 21 outputs at least one vehicle indicated by the configuration information and environmental options via the output unit 25. Any method may be used for output. For example, the control unit 21 may output at least one vehicle and environmental options by displaying them on the output unit 25 as icons or the like. In this example, the control unit 21 outputs vehicles CA, CB, and CC, and as environmental options, three types of weather ("rainy", "sunny", and "cloudy") and three types of time of day ("morning", "noon", and "night") via the output unit 25. If the configuration information includes exterior options for the vehicles, the control unit 21 outputs those exterior options.

[0032] In S104, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 receives input via the input unit 24 of the vehicle the user is considering purchasing and the environmental conditions in which the vehicle will be located. Any method may be used to receive the input. For example, the control unit 11 may receive input via the input unit 24 of the user selecting an icon output in S103. In this example, the control unit 21 accepts input of the vehicle CA as the vehicle the user is considering purchasing. In this example, the control unit 11 accepts input of the weather as "sunny" and the time of day as "morning" as the environmental conditions. If the setting information includes exterior options for the vehicle, the control unit 21 may further accept user input of the exterior options.

[0033] In S105, the control unit 21 generates first information indicating the vehicle and environmental conditions received in S104, and transmits the first information to the information processing device 10. The first information may include the vehicle's exterior options entered by the user.

[0034] In S106, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 acquires the first information by receiving it.

[0035] In S107, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 acquires second information indicating the user's home. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire the second information by referring to a database that has been previously stored in the storage unit 12 and which indicates the user's home in association with the user's identifier.

[0036] Any method may be used to acquire the second information. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire the second information by receiving it from the terminal device 20. In this case, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 acquires a two-dimensional image of the user's house taken by the user using the shooting unit 26, generates the second information including the image, and transmits it to the information processing device 10. In this case, the user's house may include the parking lot or garage of the user's house, or any place where a vehicle is parked. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may acquire multiple two-dimensional images of the user's house taken from multiple directions and generate the second information. However, the control unit 21 may also acquire a three-dimensional image from the shooting unit 26 and generate the second information including the three-dimensional image.

[0037] For example, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 may transmit information indicating multiple house types to the terminal device 20, and obtain information indicating the user's house selected by the user from among the multiple house types as second information from the terminal device 20. The information indicating multiple house types may be stored in advance in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10, or it may be obtained by the information processing device 10 communicating with an external device such as a server device of a house builder. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that receives the information displays the information on the output unit 25 using icons or the like. The control unit 21 receives user input via the input unit 24, in which the user selects a house that is the same as or similar to the user's own house from among the multiple house types. The control unit 21 may generate second information indicating the user's house based on the user input and transmit it to the information processing device 10. In this way, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 obtains the second information.

[0038] In S108, the control unit 11 acquires first three-dimensional data representing the vehicle under the environmental conditions indicated by the first information. Three-dimensional data includes, for example, a three-dimensional model, point cloud data, mesh data, etc. Any method may be used to acquire the first three-dimensional data. For example, the control unit 11 may refer to information indicating the appearance of each vehicle, which is pre-stored in the memory unit 12, and acquire the three-dimensional data of the vehicle indicated by the first information. The control unit 11 may also acquire the data by applying the environmental conditions indicated by the first information to the three-dimensional data using any image processing technique, and generating first three-dimensional data in which the way light hits the vehicle has been adjusted. If the first information includes exterior options for the vehicle, the control unit 21 acquires first three-dimensional data representing the vehicle with the exterior options installed under those environmental conditions.

[0039] In S109, the control unit 11 acquires second three-dimensional data representing the user's house as indicated by the second information. Any method may be used to acquire the second three-dimensional data. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire it by generating second three-dimensional data representing the user's house in three dimensions using any image processing technique based on multiple two-dimensional images of the user's house taken from multiple directions. The control unit 11 may also acquire it by extracting three-dimensional data from the three-dimensional images indicated by the second information. Not limited to these, the control unit 11 may also acquire it by reading three-dimensional data corresponding to the user's house indicated by the second information from a database of three-dimensional data pre-stored in the storage unit 12. This database may be stored in the storage unit of a server device of a house builder with which the information processing device 10 communicates. In this example, the control unit 11 acquires the data by extracting three-dimensional data from the three-dimensional images of the user's house indicated by the second information.

[0040] In S110, the control unit 11 generates an image by combining the first three-dimensional data and the second three-dimensional data. In this example, the combined image is a three-dimensional image representing a vehicle parked at the user's house as indicated by the second information, under the environmental conditions indicated by the first information. However, the control unit 11 may also generate a two-dimensional image as the combined image. Any method may be used to generate the combined image. For example, the control unit 11 may use any image processing technique to generate an image representing the vehicle indicated by the first information, parked at a predetermined location such as the parking lot or garage of the user's house as indicated by the second three-dimensional data. This location may be predetermined by the user. The control unit 11 may use any image processing technique to apply the environmental conditions indicated by the first information to the vehicle indicated by the first information and the user's house indicated by the second information, and generate an image representing the vehicle indicated by the first information and the user's house indicated by the second information with adjusted lighting, etc.

[0041] In S111, the control unit 11 transmits the generated image to the terminal device 20.

[0042] In S112, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 receives an image from the information processing device 10.

[0043] In S113, the control unit 21 outputs the received image via the output unit 25. Figure 3 shows an example of an image output to the output unit 25 of the terminal device 20. In Figure 3, the vehicle CA indicated by the first information is displayed, parked at the user's house H indicated by the second information, under environmental conditions indicated by the first information, where the weather is "sunny" and the time of day is "morning". By viewing the three-dimensional image output to the output unit 25, the user can visualize the vehicle CA parked at the user's house H in various environments with a sense of realism. After that, the operation of system 1 ends.

[0044] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described. The configuration of system 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, so its description will be omitted. The configurations of the information processing device 10 and terminal device 20 according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the embodiment described above, so its description will be omitted.

[0045] The operation of System 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0046] Since steps S201 to S207 in Figure 4 are the same as steps S101 to S107 in Figure 2 of the first embodiment described above, their explanation will be omitted.

[0047] In S208, the control unit 21 acquires third information indicating vehicles currently owned or previously owned by the user. Any method may be used to acquire the third information. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire the third information by referring to a database stored in the storage unit 12 in advance, which associates the user's identifier with vehicles currently owned or previously owned.

[0048] Any method may be used to acquire the third information. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire the third information by receiving it from the terminal device 20. In this case, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 acquires a two-dimensional photographic image taken by the user using the photographic unit 26, which includes the vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user. The control unit 21 generates the third information including the photographic image and transmits it to the information processing device 10. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may also acquire multiple two-dimensional photographic images of the vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user, taken from multiple directions, and generate the third information. However, the control unit 21 may also acquire a three-dimensional photographic image from the photographic unit 26 and generate the third information including the three-dimensional photographic image.

[0049] For example, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 may transmit information indicating at least one vehicle to the terminal device 20, and obtain from the terminal device 20 as third information information indicating the vehicle selected by the user from among the at least one vehicle. The information indicating at least one vehicle may be stored in advance in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10, or it may be obtained by the information processing device 10 through communication with an external device and stored in the storage unit 12. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 that receives the information displays the information on the output unit 25 using an icon or the like. The control unit 21 receives user input via the input unit 24, in which the user selects a vehicle currently owned or previously owned from among the at least one vehicle. Based on the user input, the control unit 21 generates third information indicating the vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user and transmits it to the information processing device 10. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 obtains the third information by receiving it.

[0050] Since steps S209 to S210 in Figure 4 are the same as steps S108 to S109 in Figure 2 of the first embodiment described above, their explanation will be omitted.

[0051] In S211, the control unit 11 acquires third three-dimensional data representing a vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user, as indicated by the third information. Any method may be used to acquire the third three-dimensional data. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire it by generating third three-dimensional data representing the vehicle in three dimensions using any image processing technique based on multiple two-dimensional images of the vehicle taken from multiple directions. The control unit 11 may also acquire it by extracting three-dimensional data from a three-dimensional image indicated by the third information. However, the control unit 11 may also acquire it by reading the three-dimensional data corresponding to the vehicle from a database of three-dimensional data pre-stored in the storage unit 12. In this example, the control unit 11 is assumed to acquire the data by extracting three-dimensional data from a three-dimensional image of a vehicle currently owned by the user, as indicated by the third information.

[0052] In S212, the control unit 11 generates an image by combining the first three-dimensional data, the second three-dimensional data, and the third three-dimensional data. In this example, the combined image is a three-dimensional image representing a vehicle parked at the user's house as indicated by the second information, under the environmental conditions indicated by the first information, and a vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user as indicated by the third information. However, the control unit 11 may also generate a two-dimensional image as the combined image. Any method may be used to generate the combined image.

[0053] For example, the control unit 11 may generate images representing the vehicle indicated by the first information and the vehicle indicated by the third information, respectively, parked in a predetermined location such as the parking lot or garage of the user's house indicated by the second three-dimensional data, using any image processing technique. The location may be predetermined by the user. The control unit 11 applies the environmental conditions indicated by the first information to the vehicle indicated by the first information, the vehicle indicated by the third information, and the user's house indicated by the second information, using any image processing technique. In this way, the control unit 11 may generate images representing the vehicle indicated by the first information, the vehicle indicated by the third information, and the user's house indicated by the second information, with the lighting and other factors adjusted.

[0054] Steps S213 to S214 in Figure 4 are the same as steps S111 to S112 in Figure 2 according to the first embodiment described above, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0055] In S215, the control unit 21 outputs the received image via the output unit 25. Figure 5 shows an example of an image output to the output unit 25 of the terminal device 20. In Figure 5, the vehicle CA indicated by the first information and the vehicle CD indicated by the third information, which is currently owned by the user, are displayed, under environmental conditions indicated by the first information, where the weather is "sunny" and the time of day is "morning". In this example, vehicle CD is shown with a dashed line, but the method of displaying vehicle CD is not limited to this and may be displayed with a specified color that is emphasized, semi-transparent, etc. Vehicle CA and vehicle CD may be displayed superimposed. By viewing the three-dimensional image output to the output unit 25, the user can easily compare the appearance of the vehicle they are planning to purchase, which is parked at their home, with the vehicle they currently own or have owned in the past. After that, the operation of system 1 ends.

[0056] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, two or more blocks described in the block diagram may be combined, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing two or more steps described in the flowchart in chronological order as described, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order, depending on the processing capacity of the device performing each step, or as necessary. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0057] As a variation of this embodiment, for example, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 may synthesize an image representing the vehicle indicated by the first information, which is parked at the location the user plans to visit, in addition to or instead of the user's home, and transmit it to the terminal device 20. Specifically, first, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 receives input from the user about the location the user plans to visit via the input unit 24. The location to be visited may include any place such as a store, shopping mall, the company where the user works, accommodation, campground, or leisure facility such as an amusement park. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 transmits the destination information indicating the destination to be visited to the information processing device 10 via the communication unit 23. The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 acquires fourth three-dimensional data representing the destination to be visited indicated by the destination information. Any method may be used to acquire the fourth three-dimensional data. For example, the control unit 11 may acquire it by reading the three-dimensional data corresponding to the destination to be visited from a database of three-dimensional data pre-stored in the storage unit 12. The database may be stored in the storage unit of an external device with which the information processing device 10 communicates.

[0058] The control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 generates an image by combining the first three-dimensional data and the fourth three-dimensional data based on the first information and the destination information described above. In this example, the combined image is a three-dimensional image representing a vehicle parked at the planned destination indicated by the destination information, under the environmental conditions indicated by the first information. However, the control unit 11 may also generate a two-dimensional image as the combined image.

[0059] Any method may be used to generate the synthesized image. For example, the control unit 11 may use any image processing technique to generate an image representing the vehicle indicated by the first information, parked in a pre-set location such as the parking lot of the planned visit location represented by the fourth three-dimensional data, or inside the building of the planned visit location. This location may be pre-set by the user. The control unit 11 uses any image processing technique to apply the environmental conditions indicated by the first information to the vehicle indicated by the first information and the planned visit location indicated by the visit location information. In this way, the control unit 11 may generate an image representing the vehicle indicated by the first information and the planned visit location indicated by the visit location information, with the lighting and other factors adjusted. Subsequently, the control unit 11 transmits the generated image to the terminal device 20. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may receive the image and output it via the output unit 25.

[0060] As a variation of this embodiment, for example, in S113 of the first embodiment or S215 of the second embodiment described above, the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 may output a plurality of images to the output unit 25 simultaneously. These plurality of images may be images generated by the information processing device 10 in S110 of Figure 2 or S212 of Figure 4, with different vehicle, environmental conditions, or vehicle indicated by the first information or the third information. This makes it possible for the user to compare images of vehicles parked at their home under different conditions in a list format. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1 System 10 Information Processing Devices 11 Control Unit 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 20 Terminal devices 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 25 Output section 26 Photography Department 30 Networks

Claims

1. A method performed by a terminal device comprising an input unit, an output unit, a communication unit, and a control unit, The control unit, The user is considering purchasing a vehicle and the environmental conditions in which the vehicle will be placed. The input is received via the aforementioned input unit, Transmitting first information indicating the vehicle and the environmental conditions via the communication unit, An image representing the vehicle parked at the user's house under the environmental conditions, generated based on the first information and the second information indicating the user's house, is acquired via the communication unit. This includes outputting the aforementioned image via the output unit, The aforementioned image is a three-dimensional image formed by combining a first three-dimensional data representing the vehicle under the aforementioned environmental conditions, a second three-dimensional data representing the user's house, and further combining a third three-dimensional data representing a vehicle currently owned or previously owned by the user. method.

2. The method according to claim 1, The terminal device includes an imaging unit. The control unit, The camera unit further includes acquiring a photographic image taken by the user that includes the user's house, The second information includes the captured image, and the method.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit, The system accepts the user's input of the location the user plans to visit via the input unit, The destination information indicating the planned place to visit is transmitted via the communication unit, An image representing the vehicle parked at the planned visit location under the environmental conditions, generated based on the first information and the visit location information, is acquired via the communication unit. A method further comprising outputting the aforementioned image via the output unit.

Images