Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method for reducing redundancy of video information generated by a communication terminal / imaging unit held by a mobile body.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus 1 includes: a determination unit 4 which determines whether video information 17a corresponding to a predetermined time space 21 can be acquired based on a predetermined determination condition 4a, on the basis of the number of communication terminals 11 existing in the predetermined time space 21 including areas 22 and time zones 23, using the video information 17a generated based on movement of a mobile body 12 holding the communication terminal 11 that acquires time information 16b and position information 16a; and a notification unit 5 which notifies an external apparatus 13 of a time space 21 that falls under denial, as video-missing time space information 5a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method for video information obtained from a moving object.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a traffic information providing center or the like for providing traffic jam information on a road to a vehicle driver in a visual form. The traffic information providing center determines a traffic jam prediction area as an image data collection range, determines candidates for regular buses scheduled to pass through that range, and transmits an information collection command to the regular buses that have become candidate vehicles. When the vehicle body of a regular bus approaches the image data collection range indicated by the information collection command, the regular bus transmits probe information including image data captured by an on-board camera and vehicle body position information, etc. to the traffic information providing center. The traffic information providing center creates, in real time, road condition confirmation information that allows the road condition to be visually confirmed based on the received probe information, and provides it to a network accessible from the information-using vehicle body.

[0003] Conventionally, images around the vehicle body have been recorded by a drive recorder or the like. In the recorded images, position information, time information, etc. are tagged with the occurrence of an abnormality such as an acceleration abnormality as a trigger. The video information can be extracted using that tag as a landmark.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] <* Generally, moving objects, including people and vehicles, often possess communication terminals that transmit location and time information. Furthermore, moving objects typically carry recording devices (such as dashcams) that capture images of their surroundings at predetermined intervals. As a result, moving objects generate large amounts of video data daily.

[0006] For example, based on time and location information (probe data) acquired from each vehicle, it is possible to estimate the location of traffic congestion and identify the time and area that the drive recorder should record (see Patent Document 1).

[0007] However, much of the generated video data is not being used effectively. For example, video footage from dashcams tends to be concentrated in specific times and areas. Therefore, it is difficult to use it appropriately for events that cannot be predicted when and where they will occur, such as theft, getting lost, loitering, and robbery.

[0008] Therefore, in one aspect, this specification aims to provide an information processing device and an information processing method that mitigate the duplication of video information generated by a communication terminal / camera unit held by a mobile device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) An information processing device in one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that uses video information generated based on the movement of a mobile body holding a communication terminal that acquires time information and location information, and is characterized by comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not the video information corresponding to a predetermined spatiotemporal space can be acquired based on predetermined conditions, based on the number of the communication terminals present in a predetermined spatiotemporal space consisting of an area and a time period; and a notification unit that notifies an external device of the spatiotemporal space corresponding to the denial as video deficient spatiotemporal information.

[0010] "Location information" refers to information indicating the current location of a moving object. "Location information" may also be expressed as, for example, latitude and longitude. Furthermore, "location information" may also include altitude. Additionally, "location information" may be expressed as, for example, another index value that can be converted to latitude, longitude, and altitude.

[0011] "Time information" refers to information indicating the time when the location information was identified. Furthermore, "time information" may be Japanese time, overseas time, or the elapsed time relative to a reference time. Additionally, "time information" may be expressed as, for example, a specific time or another index value that can be converted to the elapsed time relative to a reference time.

[0012] "Local information" refers to information identified by location and time information.

[0013] "Visual information" refers to information consisting of images, videos, or a combination of images and videos. "Visual information" may also be information represented by an index value that can be converted into, for example, an image, a video, or a combination of images and videos.

[0014] "Spacetime" refers to areas and time periods. "Spatiotemporal information" refers to information consisting of an area and a time period. For example, an area may be represented by multiple location information, or by a predetermined radius centered on a single location. Alternatively, an area may be defined by specifying three or more locations and connecting those points. A time period is represented by multiple time information. Furthermore, "spatiotemporal information" may also be information represented by other index values ​​that can be converted into "area and time period."

[0015] "Image-deficient spatiotemporal information" refers to spatiotemporal information that lacks image information, as determined based on predetermined conditions.

[0016] (2) In such an information processing device, it is preferable that the notification unit notifies the communication terminal, which is an external device located in the area / near thereto corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency, based on the location information.

[0017] (3) It is also preferable that the notification unit notifies route information relating to the route to the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency, and reward information relating to the reward obtained by providing the image information of the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency.

[0018] "Route information" refers to information about routes that pass through areas corresponding to video-deficient spatiotemporal information. This information may include text, images, videos, audio, or even a combination of multiple elements such as text, images, videos, and audio.

[0019] "Reward information" refers to information related to rewards. This may include electronic information such as text, images, videos, or audio describing the content of the reward, or it may be a combination of multiple types of information such as text, images, videos, or audio. Rewards may include cash, electronic money, virtual currency, tokens (cryptocurrency), or points that can be used to purchase services / products. It may also be the service itself, as long as it is a form of compensation. Rewards may also be expressed in terms of other indicators that can be converted into cash, electronic money, virtual currency, tokens, points, or services.

[0020] (4) It is also preferable that the notification unit notifies change request information regarding a request to change the existing route of the moving object to a route that passes through the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency.

[0021] "Change request information" refers to information regarding a request for a route change, including information about the areas to be traversed. For example, it may be information such as text, audio, images, or videos indicating a change request, or information consisting of multiple combinations thereof. "Change request information" may also be information represented by other indicators that can be converted into audio, images, videos, or multiple combinations thereof.

[0022] (5) Further, it is preferable that the moving body holds a photographing device that photographs the periphery of the moving body and generates the video information, and the external device is a management device that manages the operation of the moving body.

[0023] (6) Further, it is preferable that the determination unit makes a determination based on an index value obtained by multiplying the number of passages per predetermined time of the vehicle body as the moving body that has traveled a predetermined route in the area by the ratio of the effective video that can be acquired.

[0024] (7) It is preferable that the determination unit makes a determination based on a second index value obtained by dividing the index value by the number of lanes of the route.

[0025] (8) A method used for an information processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is a method used for an information processing apparatus that uses video information generated based on the movement of a moving body that holds a communication terminal that acquires time information and position information, and based on the number of the communication terminals existing in a predetermined spatio-temporal area composed of an area and a time zone, determines whether the video information corresponding to the spatio-temporal area can be appropriately acquired, and notifies an external device of the spatio-temporal area corresponding to the determination of no as video-deficient spatio-temporal area information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] The information processing apparatus and the information processing method can effectively utilize video information.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a system using an information processing apparatus. [Figure 2] It is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road map. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a map information database. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a communication terminal. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the processing flow of an information processing device. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a mobile information database. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a local information database. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of an aggregated information database. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a map screen displayed on a device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] [1. Overview] (Introduction) The system including the information processing device according to this embodiment promotes the distribution of vehicles from time periods and locations with high vehicle traffic (hereinafter referred to as spatiotemporal) to spatiotemporal areas with low traffic volume within a predetermined area providing services, avoids duplication of video information generated from the camera (e.g., a drive recorder), and promotes the generation of video information distributed across a wide spatiotemporal area. When video information is distributed, it can be effectively used to address events that are unpredictable in terms of when and where they may occur, such as theft, getting lost, loitering, and robbery. The distribution of video information is performed by identifying spatiotemporal areas with little video information (video-deficient spatiotemporal information) from information on the volume of vehicle traffic in a specific spatiotemporal area, and then notifying / publishing this video-deficient spatiotemporal information to an external device (mobile device / server for information disclosure). For example, by disclosing video-deficient spatiotemporal information within a given area to drivers and people enjoying walking, running, or cycling, it is possible to encourage them to choose and move to spatiotemporal areas with little video information for crime prevention and safety purposes within the area. In this case, they are notified of the change of route to a sparse spatiotemporal area in exchange for a reward.

[0029] [2.Each configuration] (System 10) First, the system will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 shows system 10. In system 10, an information processing device 1, a mobile body 12 holding a communication terminal 11, and an external device 13 are connected to each other via a communication network 14. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 1 of system 10 prompts the vehicle and person 12 to move onto a road indicated by code L41 where the mobile body 12 is not currently traveling.

[0030] (Information Processing Device 1) The following will be explained in detail using Figure 2. Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the functional block diagram of system 10. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 11 corresponds to the external device 13. The information processing device 1 shown in Figure 2 utilizes video information 17a generated based on the movement of the mobile body 12. The mobile body 12 in the figure is located on a road within a predetermined length range, identified by the code L and a number. The predetermined road corresponds to area 22 and is called a link. Details of the link will be described later.

[0031] The information processing device 1 primarily comprises, for example, a determination unit 4 and a notification unit 5. In this embodiment, the information processing device 1 further comprises a local information acquisition unit 2 and an aggregation unit 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the information processing device 1 further comprises a confirmation unit 7, a route creation unit 8 and a settlement unit 9.

[0032] (Local Information Acquisition Department 2) The local information acquisition unit 2 acquires location information 16a and time information 16b of the communication terminal 11 held in the mobile device 12 as local information 16. The local information acquisition unit 2 may also acquire known probe data from an external organization. An external organization could be, for example, an automobile manufacturer.

[0033] (Aggregation section 3, spacetime 21, area 22, time zone 23) The aggregation unit 3 aggregates the number of communication terminals 11 present in a predetermined spatiotemporal area 21 (see Figure 9) consisting of area 22 and time zone 23.

[0034] (Judgment part 4) The determination unit 4 determines whether or not video information 17a corresponding to the spacetime 21 can be acquired, based on the number of communication terminals 11 present in the predetermined spacetime 21. The determination takes into account, for example, that even if there are many communication terminals 11, a certain proportion of the moving objects will not be holding a camera unit 17. Furthermore, it takes into account the possibility that the video information 17a may not be clear due to weather, time of day, or some kind of malfunction. Based on the determination, the spatiotemporal information 21 where video information 17a is lacking is defined as video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a. Video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a is represented by area 22 and time zone 23.

[0035] (Road map 24) Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a road map. The road map 24 shown in Figure 3 represents area A, where system 10 provides services. In the road map 24, the circular frames indicated by the symbol ND are nodes. Each node is assigned an identification number ID (see Figure 4), for example, ND1, ND2, etc. In this embodiment, the nodes correspond to the locations where traffic lights are installed. The locations of intersections may also be used as nodes. The arrow lines indicated by the symbol L between two nodes are links. Each link is assigned an identification number ID (see Figure 4), for example, L1, L2. The arrows indicate the direction of travel of the vehicle. Links L are distinguished and represented for uphill and downhill lanes. In Figure 3, for ease of visibility, sections with wide roads are shown with two links L, L. On the other hand, sections with narrow roads are shown with one link L for visibility reasons, and the description is omitted. In the case of one-way traffic, there is one link L, but in this embodiment, for improved visibility, the link is omitted and there is no distinction between the link shown as a single line and the link for one-way traffic. Link L corresponds to area 22. Time zone 23 (see Figure 10) is a time zone divided into 1-hour intervals in this embodiment. It may be divided into other lengths. Also, time zones with heavy traffic may be divided into shorter intervals, and time zones with light traffic (e.g., late at night) may be divided into longer intervals.

[0036] (Map Information Database 25) Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of a map information database (hereinafter referred to as the map information DB). The map information database 25 shown in Figure 4 consists of node information 26 and link information 27. Node information 26 consists of node ID 26a and coordinate information 26b. In this embodiment, coordinate information 26b consists of longitude and latitude, but any value that can be converted to these coordinates is acceptable. Link information 27 includes link ID 27a, starting point 27b, ending point 27c, number of lanes 27d, road type 27e, and road name 27f. Other items may also be included in link information 27. The direction indicated by the link arrow corresponds to the direction from starting point 27b to ending point 27c. Number of lanes 27d indicates the number of lanes. Road type 27e indicates the type of road (e.g., national road, municipal road, private road). Road name 27f indicates the number / name of the road (e.g., national road, municipal road).

[0037] (Notification section 5) Returning to Figure 2, the notification unit 5 notifies the communication terminal 11 (external device 13) of spatiotemporal information 5a regarding spatiotemporal deficiency corresponding to the determination of "no". In this embodiment, if there is spatiotemporal information 5a indicating a lack of video, the notification unit 5 checks whether a moving object 12 is located near the area 22 corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a indicating a lack of video. Then, it notifies the nearby moving object 12.

[0038] (Verification section 7) The verification unit 7 confirms whether the mobile body 12 has passed through the link ID 27a (see Figure 4) corresponding to the notified spatiotemporal video deficiency information 5a. The verification is performed based on the local information 16 of the mobile body 12. In addition to the local information 16, video information 17a may also be acquired and used for verification.

[0039] (Route creation unit 8) The route creation unit 8 creates a route from the current location 6a of the mobile body 12, via link ID 27a corresponding to the video deficiency spatiotemporal information 5a, to the link endpoint 27c, and further, a route 6d (see Figure 11) returning from the endpoint 27c to the existing route 6b, and transmits this as route information 29a to the communication terminal 11. The communication terminal 11 displays the created route on the display unit 19.

[0040] (Payment Department 9) The settlement unit 9 pays the reward after confirming that the link ID 27a (see Figure 4) corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a of the mobile body 12 has passed through. The reward is paid by sending settlement information (not shown) to the settlement server.

[0041] (Communication terminal 11) The communication terminal 11 comprises a location detection unit 15, a shooting unit 17, a metadata generation unit 18, a display unit 19, and a communication terminal storage unit 31. In this embodiment, the communication terminal 11 is, for example, a smartphone. However, it may also be a mobile phone, a tablet device, a personal computer, etc. It may also be a drive recorder or a navigation device. Furthermore, the communication terminal 11 may operate in cooperation with the drive recorder or navigation device.

[0042] (Mobile unit 12) The mobile device 12 is equipped with a communication terminal 11. The mobile device 12 can be any vehicle that can travel on public roads, such as a car, motorcycle, bicycle, or electric kick scooter. Alternatively, the mobile device 12 may be a person holding the communication terminal 11.

[0043] (External device 13) External devices 13 include a communication terminal 11 held by the mobile device 12, a server for publishing video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a on the internet, and a server (operation management device) of an operating company that manages the operation of buses / taxi services.

[0044] (Communication Network 14) The communication network 14 is, for example, the Internet communication network, and is also constructed using mobile phone lines, wireless communication channels, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.

[0045] (Position detection unit 15) The location detection unit 15 of the communication terminal 11 has the function of acquiring local information 16 consisting of location information 16a and time information 16b of the communication terminal 11. For example, the location detection unit 15 acquires location information using a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. Alternatively, other positioning methods such as WiFi positioning or beacon positioning may be used.

[0046] (Photography Department 17) The imaging unit 17 is a conventionally known device equipped with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, etc. The imaging unit 17 captures images of the front, rear, and sides of the car, and multiple thereof, and generates video information 17a. The imaging unit 17 may be integrated into the communication terminal 11, or it may be a separate unit from the communication terminal 11. The imaging unit 17 may also be equipped with a sound-collecting device such as a microphone (not shown). The video information 17a generated by the imaging unit 17 is stored in the storage unit 31.

[0047] (Metadata generation unit 18, video information 17a) The metadata generation unit 18, triggered by anomalies such as impacts to the vehicle body 12 or acceleration abnormalities, and also at predetermined intervals, attaches tags consisting of location information 16a and / or time information 16b to the video information 17a generated by the shooting unit 17. Note that instead of saving all video information 17a to the storage unit 31, only tagged video information 17a may be saved. The video information 17a is a video. Note that a large number of still images may be used as a substitute.

[0048] (Display section 19) As the display unit 19, for example, a device that displays a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), or an organic electroluminescent (EL) display may be used.

[0049] [3. Hardware Configuration] Next, the hardware configurations of the information processing device 1 and the communication terminal 11 will be explained using Figures 5 and 6.

[0050] (Hardware configuration of information processing device 1) Figure 5 shows the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. As shown in Figure 5, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment uses, for example, a computer. The information processing device 1 is equipped with a CPU (or GPU) 30. The CPU 30 is connected to, for example, a memory (hereinafter referred to as the storage unit) 31, a connection port 33 for connecting / reading recording devices 32, etc., and a communication circuit 34 for communicating with the outside via a network, via a bus line 35. The storage unit 31 stores a program 36 for processing the system 10. It may also store a browser program 37 and an OS 38 (operating system). The program 36 is installed on the server 11 by the recording device 32. The storage unit 31 also stores a map information DB 25, a mobile information database (hereinafter referred to as the mobile information DB) 40, a local information database (hereinafter referred to as the local information DB) 41, and an aggregate information database (aggregate information DB) 42. Furthermore, the storage unit 31 stores various conditions 4a, 5b, and 5c.

[0051] (Hardware configuration of communication terminal 11) Figure 6 shows the hardware configuration of the communication terminal 11. As shown in Figure 6, in the communication terminal 11 of this embodiment, a display unit 19 is connected to the bus line 35 of the communication terminal 11. The computer memory unit 31 of the communication terminal 11 stores a terminal program 39 for processing the system 10. A browser program 37 and an OS 38 (operating system) may also be stored there. The program 39 is installed in the communication terminal 11 by the recording device 32.

[0052] In this embodiment, program 36 and terminal program 39 may work together by utilizing the functions of OS 38 and browser program 37, respectively. Alternatively, program 36 and terminal program 39 may operate independently without utilizing browser program 37 and OS 38, respectively.

[0053] In the hardware configuration of program 36 and terminal program 39 described above, the functions shown in the functional block diagram of Figure 2 are realized, for example, using the CPU 30, program 36, and terminal program 39. However, some or all of these functions may be sequence-controlled using logic circuits such as a microcontroller or a PLC (programmable logic controller).

[0054] [4. Program] (Flowchart showing the processing of information processing device 1) Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the processing of program 36 used in the information processing device 1 of system 10. The flowchart shows information processing method 20.

[0055] (Preparation step: User registration) In this embodiment, when using system 10, the user of the communication terminal 11 is registered. However, system 10 can be used without user registration.

[0056] (T1) Unregistered users who wish to use System 10 register as users via Information Processing Device 1 or an external pre-registered login server (hereinafter referred to as Information Processing Device, etc.). Users request the Information Processing Device, etc. to send a registration form for user registration via communication terminal 11 or another terminal they own (hereinafter referred to as communication terminal, etc.). For example, in this embodiment, the functions of a web browser are used.

[0057] (T2) The information processing device, etc., sends a registration form. The registration form contains information such as the username, password, and handle name used in System 10 for logging into System 10 (not shown). It also contains information to be stored in the mobile information DB 40, which will be described later.

[0058] (T3) An unregistered user enters registration information into the input field. The communication terminal transmits the entered information to the information processing device.

[0059] (T4) The information processing device sets an ID 40a to identify the communication terminal 11 and registers the necessary information in the mobile information DB 40.

[0060] (Mobile Information Database 40) Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of the mobile information DB 40. The mobile information DB 40 shown in the figure summarizes the mobile information 28 of the mobile 12. The mobile information DB 40 includes, for example, the identification number ID 40a of the mobile 12, the address 40b, and the type of mobile 40c. Other information may also be registered.

[0061] ID40a is a number assigned to each communication terminal 11. Address 40b is the address of the user who owns the communication terminal 11. Type 40c of the moving object indicates one of the 12 types of moving objects, such as vehicles, bicycles, and people. If you use the smartphone app for both vehicles and bicycles, you only need to register both or one of them. In this embodiment, users are allowed to register items other than ID40a at their discretion. It is preferable that users refrain from registering information they do not wish to make public. It may also be possible to specify the scope of information that can be made public.

[0062] Furthermore, if you wish to receive a reward, you will need to enter the necessary information into the registration form. This necessary information includes, for example, all the information required to actually receive the reward. Examples of necessary information include bank account details such as bank name (bank code), branch name (branch number), account number, account name, and any information that can be converted to these. If the reward is in the form of electronic money, points, virtual currency, or tokens (cryptocurrency), then all the information necessary to receive such rewards will be entered. The required information should be at least the minimum information necessary to receive the reward. These registration items can be registered all at once, or they can be registered as needed.

[0063] (S1: Obtaining local information 16) Returning to Figure 7, the CPU 30 of the information processing device 1 (see Figure 5) acquires local information 16. Local information 16 is acquired at predetermined intervals. The acquired local information 16 is organized in the local information DB 41 of the storage unit 31 of the information processing device 1. At the same time, necessary information is acquired from the mobile information DB 40.

[0064] (Local Information Database 41) Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of the local information DB 41. The local information DB 41 shown in the figure consists of, for example, an ID 40a that identifies the mobile object 12 and local information 16. The local information 16 includes location information 16a and time information 16b. Other information may also be registered.

[0065] (S2: Compile local information 16) Local information 16 is compiled. The compiled local information 16 is organized in the compiled information DB 42 of the storage unit 31 of the information processing device 1. In this embodiment, it is confirmed from multiple local information 16 acquired at predetermined time intervals that a mobile body 12 has passed from the start point 27b to the end point 27c of a specific link. The number of mobile bodies 12 that have been confirmed is compiled.

[0066] (Database 42) Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the data structure of the aggregated information DB 42. The aggregated information DB 42 shown in the figure includes, for example, the link ID 27a and the number of communication terminals passing through in a predetermined time period 23 42a. For example, 2 o'clock in time period 23 in the figure refers to the number of passing through in the 2 o'clock hour 42a. In the figure, for example, the number of mobile bodies 12 passing through the L41 link in the 2 o'clock hour 42a is 0 (see the thick rectangle at the bottom). Furthermore, for example, the number of mobile bodies 12 passing through the L31(1) link in the 2 o'clock hour 42a is 10 (see the thick rectangle at the top). Here, the number in parentheses in L31(1) indicates the lane number. The lane numbers are assigned in ascending order from right to left as viewed from the driver. Note that if there is only one lane, the number in parentheses is not included.

[0067] (S3: Determine) Based on the determination condition 4a, it is determined whether or not video information 17a can be acquired. In this embodiment, the determination condition 4a is judged as negative if the number of passing objects 42a is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

[0068] (Another method of determination 1) Another example of judgment condition 4a is the number of passes, 42. a The determination may also be made by calculation using the following method. For example, the determination is made based on an index value obtained by multiplying the number of passes 42a by the percentage of times a valid image can be obtained. The percentage of times a valid image can be obtained is the percentage of times the image is visible and the mobile body 12 is equipped with a recording unit 17 such as a drive recorder. In this embodiment, for example, 25% is used.

[0069] (Another method of determination 2) As yet another example of the determination condition 4a, the determination may be made based on a second indicator value obtained by dividing the aforementioned indicator location by the number of lanes 27d of the corresponding link. For example, the number of vehicles passing through the 2 o'clock hour with link ID L31 is 10. Also, there are 2 lanes with link ID L31 (see Figure 4). Therefore, we multiply 10 by 0.25 (25%) and divide by 2 (number of lanes) to get approximately 0.83 as the second index value. In this embodiment, a negative result is determined if the second index value is less than 1.

[0070] (S4: Check for the presence or absence of spatial information 5a during video deficiency) The presence or absence of spatiotemporal information 5a due to video deficiency is checked. In this embodiment, the area 22 corresponding to spatiotemporal information 5a due to video deficiency is shown as link ID 27a (see Figure 4). If there is no link ID corresponding to spatiotemporal information 5a due to video deficiency, program 36 is terminated; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0071] (S5: Check if there is a moving object nearby) If there is spatiotemporal information 5a indicating a lack of video, the program checks whether a mobile object 12 exists near the link ID 27a corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a, based on the search condition 5b. For example, it obtains location information 16a from the communication terminal 11 and checks whether the object is nearby. If it is not found, the program 36 terminates; otherwise, the program proceeds to step S6. In this embodiment, for example, search condition 5b searches for a nearby mobile object that is within a predetermined radius centered on the starting point 27b of the link ID. If multiple mobile objects 12 exist within the predetermined radius, the closest mobile object 12 is selected.

[0072] (S6: Obtain route information and / or reward information) Route information 29a is obtained for the route via link ID 27a corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a of the image deficiency. The route information 29a is the route from the position information 16a of the nearby moving object 12 obtained in step S5 above, via the starting point 27b of link ID 27a, to the ending point 27c. Reward information 29b is also obtained based on reward conditions 5c. For example, reward conditions 5c include increasing the reward depending on the distance between the moving object 12 and the starting point 27b, and increasing the reward the fewer the number of passes 42a (see Figure 10). Other reward conditions 5c may also be adopted.

[0073] (S7: Notify) Route information 29a and / or reward information 29b are notified to the mobile body 12 located near the aforementioned link ID 27a. In this embodiment, for example, text information 6e is notified stating, "10 points will be awarded if you capture video via the displayed route." (See Figure 11).

[0074] (Display on communication terminals) Figure 11 shows the screen display 6 of the display unit 19 of the communication terminal 11. Reference numeral 6a indicates the current location of the mobile device 12. The thick line indicated by reference numeral 6b represents the existing route already set for the mobile device 12. . network The range of the multiplication corresponds to link L41, which corresponds to the spatiotemporal information 5a of the image deficiency. The dotted line indicated by symbol 6d shows the path from the endpoint 27c of link ID 27a back to the existing path 6b. One The dashed line represents the route from the current location, through starting point 27b, to ending point 27c. Road It is showing. The return route 6d may be searched for by the communication terminal 11, or the route may be searched by the information processing terminal 1 and transmitted to the communication terminal 11. If the route is searched by the information processing terminal 1, existing route information 29c (see Figure 2) regarding the existing route 6b of the mobile body 12 is obtained from the communication terminal 11. The existing route information 29c consists, for example, the location information of the target point of the mobile body 12 and the link IDs to be traversed. Any index value that can be converted to the existing route 6b is acceptable.

[0075] (Confirmation of successful request and payment of fee) Confirm that the requested mobile object 12 has passed through link ID 27a and / or that video information 17a has been obtained. The passage through link ID 27a will be performed using local information 16. After confirmation, the payment procedure for the reward will be carried out. Payment of rewards involves, for example, sending necessary information such as a QR code (registered trademark) for receiving payment to the communication terminal 11, or requesting payment from an external payment server (see Figure 2).

[0076] [5. Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments of System 10 will be described. The modifications and other embodiments described below are substantially the same as System 10 described above, so the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0077] (Variation 1) A modified version of System 10 is described below. In Modification 1, the aggregated information DB42 is obtained from another server or an external organization of the information processing device 1. Therefore, it does not include processes S1 and S2.

[0078] (Modification 2) In the modified example 2, if there is spatiotemporal information 5a of video deficiency in step S4 (see Figure 7), the spatiotemporal information 5a of video deficiency is notified to the external device 13. Steps S5 and S6 are not taken. In step S4, regardless of whether or not there is spatiotemporal information 5a of video deficiency, the information organized in the aggregated information DB 42 may be notified to the mobile device 12, or sent to a server for information disclosure and published on a homepage or social media.

[0079] (Variation 3) In variation 3, if there is video-deficient spatiotemporal information in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6, which acquires route information / reward information, without checking whether a moving object 12 is nearby (S5).

[0080] (Modification 4) In variation 4, notification (S7) is made without obtaining route information 29a and / or reward information 29b.

[0081] (Variation 5) In the modified example 5, in step S5, a communication terminal 11 is selected whose address 40b (see Figure 8) is close to the starting point 27b of the link ID. This is because even if it is not nearby now, it will be easy to go to the link ID 27a corresponding to the video deficiency spatiotemporal information 5a later. In this case, the route information 29a notified in step S6 is address 40 b This is the route from location information 16a, through the starting point 27b of link ID 27a, to the ending point 27c.

[0082] (Second Embodiment) Next, another embodiment of the system 10 will be described. Returning to Figure 1, in the system 10a according to the second embodiment, as a result of the determination in step S3 (see Figure 7), the spatiotemporal information of video deficiency 5a is notified to the operation management device that manages the operation of the mobile body 12 as an external device 13. The operation management device 13a (see Figure 1) is, for example, a device that manages the operation of buses, taxis, delivery services, etc. The operation management device 13a changes the operation route to pass through link ID 27a corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of video deficiency 5a, within a range where the arrival time increases by a predetermined amount.

[0083] (Experimental variation 6) A modified version of system 10a will be described. In modified version 6, change request information 43 (see Figure 2) regarding a request to change the route to one that goes through link ID 27a corresponding to the video deficiency spatiotemporal information 5a is transmitted to the operation management device 13a.

[0084] [6. Others] The modifications and the items described as a second embodiment can be used in appropriate combinations with the embodiments described above. Some of the functions of the information processing device 1 may be distributed to other external servers. If a route for the mobile object 12 to the target location has already been set, the route may be set to pass through link ID 27a corresponding to the video deficiency spatiotemporal information 5a so that the arrival time increases within a predetermined time, for example, within 10%. In step S5 (see Figure 7), when searching for the moving object 12, the search condition 5b may be set to include not only the presence of the object in the vicinity of link ID 27a, but also its presence in the same or close time period as the time period 23 of the spatiotemporal information 5a of the image deficiency.

[0085] [7. Summary] (1) The information processing device 1 (information processing method 20) is an information processing device 1 that utilizes video information 17a generated based on the movement of a mobile body 12 that holds a communication terminal 11 that acquires time information 16b and location information 16a, and is characterized by comprising a determination unit 4 that determines whether or not video information 17a corresponding to a predetermined spatiotemporal 21 consisting of an area 22 and a time zone 23 can be acquired based on a predetermined determination condition 4a, and a notification unit 5 that notifies an external device 13 of a spatiotemporal 21 corresponding to a "no" as video deficient spatiotemporal information 5a.

[0086] Therefore, within a predetermined area A where the service is provided, the system identifies spatiotemporal areas with little video information 17a (video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a) from information on the volume of vehicle traffic in a specific spatiotemporal area 21, and notifies / publishes the video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a to an external device 13 (mobile device / server for information disclosure). For example, it is expected that drivers and people enjoying walking / running / cycling within area A will choose their own routes for the sake of crime prevention / safety in the area, and the video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a is disclosed to residents within area A in advance. Consequently, within area A, the system encourages the distribution of mobile vehicles 12 from spatiotemporal areas 21 with high traffic volume to spatiotemporal areas 21 with low traffic volume, avoiding duplication of video information generated from the camera unit and promoting the generation of video information 17a distributed across a wide spatiotemporal area 21. This allows for the effective use of video information 17a in response to events that cannot be predicted when and where they will occur, such as theft, getting lost, loitering, and robbery.

[0087] (2) In such an information processing device 1, the notification unit 5 notifies the communication terminal 11, which is an external device 13 located in or near the area 22 corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a of the image deficiency, based on the location information 16a. This promotes the distribution of the moving object 12 to the sparse spatiotemporal area 21 and effectively promotes the generation of image information 17a in the spatiotemporal information 5a of the image deficiency.

[0088] (3) The notification unit 5 also notifies route information 29a regarding the route to area 22 corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a lacking video, and reward information 29b regarding the reward obtained by providing video information 17a of area 22 corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a lacking video. This provides an incentive to drivers and people enjoying walking / running / cycling in area A, thereby more effectively encouraging the generation of video information 17a in the spatiotemporal information 5a lacking video.

[0089] (4) The notification unit 5 also notifies the mobile body 12 of a change request information 43 regarding a request to change the existing route 6b of the mobile body 12 to a route that passes through the area 22 corresponding to the spatiotemporal information 5a of the video deficiency, thereby more effectively promoting the generation of video information 17a in the spatiotemporal information 5a of the video deficiency.

[0090] (5) Furthermore, since the external device 13 is an operation management device 13a that manages the operation of the mobile body 12, it is possible to use public transportation such as buses and taxis to facilitate the generation of video information 17a in the video-deficient spatiotemporal information 5a.

[0091] (6) The determination unit 4 makes a determination based on an index value obtained by multiplying the number of times 42a that a vehicle body, as a moving object 12, travels along the corresponding route in area 22 at predetermined time intervals by the proportion of valid images that can be acquired, so that it can effectively grasp the spatiotemporal information 5a of image deficiency.

[0092] (7) The determination unit 4 makes a determination based on a second indicator value obtained by dividing the indicator value by the number of lanes in the path, so it can grasp the spatiotemporal information of video deficiency 5a more effectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Information Processing Device 2. Local Information Acquisition Department 3. Aggregation Department 4 Judgment section 4a Judgment conditions 5 Notification section 5a Lack of video footage Spatiotemporal information 5b Search Criteria 5c Compensation conditions 6 screen display 6a Current Location 6b Existing economics road 6 d Return route Route to the final destination (6e) 7. Verification Section 8. Route Creation Section 9. Payment Department 10 Systems 10a Other Embodiments 10b Other Embodiments 11. Communication terminals 12 Mobile Units 13 External device 13a Traffic control device 14. Communication Networks 15 Position detection unit 16 Local Information 16a Location information 16b Time information 17 Photography Department 17a Video Information 18 Metadata generation unit 19 Display section 20 Information Processing Methods 21 Spacetime 22 Areas 23 hours 24 Road Map 25. Map Information Database (Map Information DB) 26 Node Information 26a Node ID 27 Link Information 27a Link ID 27b Starting point 27c End point 27d number of lanes 27e Road type 27f Road name 28 Mobile Information 29a Route information 29b Reward Information 29c Existing route information 30 CPU 31 memory 32 Recording Devices 33 connection ports 34 Communication Circuit 35 Bus Line 36 Programs 36a Program 37 Browser Programs 38 OS 39 Terminal Programs 40 Mobile Information Database (Mobile Information DB) 40a Identification ID 40b address 40c Types of mobile devices 41 Local Information Database (Local Information Report D B) 42. Aggregated Information Database (Aggregated Information DB) 42a Number of passes 43 Change Request Information Area A

Claims

1. An information processing device that uses video information generated based on the movement of a mobile body holding a communication terminal that acquires time information and location information, A determination unit determines whether or not video information corresponding to a given spatiotemporal space can be acquired for each of a plurality of spatiotemporal spaces consisting of a predetermined area and each of a plurality of time periods, based on the number of times the moving object traveled along a predetermined route in the area through the given time period. An information processing device comprising: a notification unit that notifies an external device of the spatiotemporal information corresponding to the aforementioned non-existence as image-deficient spatiotemporal information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the communication terminal, which is an external device located in or near the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency, based on the location information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies route information relating to a route passing through the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency, and reward information relating to a reward obtained by providing the image information of the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of the image deficiency.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies change request information relating to a request to change the existing route of the moving object to a route that passes through the area corresponding to the spatiotemporal information of image deficiency.

5. An information processing device that uses video information generated based on the movement of a mobile body holding a communication terminal that acquires time information and location information, A determination unit that determines whether or not video information corresponding to a predetermined spatiotemporal space can be acquired based on the number of communication terminals present in a predetermined spatiotemporal space consisting of an area and time period and predetermined conditions, The system includes a notification unit that notifies an external device of the spatiotemporal information corresponding to the above or the above as image-deficient spatiotemporal information. The determination unit obtains an index value by calculation using the number of times the moving object has traveled along a predetermined path in the area, and determines whether or not the video information corresponding to the spatiotemporal area can be acquired based on the index value, in this information processing device.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the calculation obtains an index value indicating that there is a moving object that does not hold the shooting unit, or that the video information may not be clear due to weather or time.

7. An information processing method that uses video information generated based on the movement of a mobile body holding a communication terminal that acquires time information and location information, Computers For each of the multiple spatiotemporal regions consisting of a predetermined area and each of the multiple time periods, a step is to determine whether or not the video information corresponding to that spatiotemporal region can be acquired based on the number of times the moving object traveled along a predetermined route in the area passed through the time period; An information processing method that performs the steps of: notifying an external device of the spatiotemporal information corresponding to the above or the above as spatiotemporal information with image deficiency.

Images