Video data management system

Abstract

A terminal device mounted on a vehicle and capable of communicating with a server via a communication network including a mobile communication network comprises: a video acquisition unit that acquires video data showing images of the vehicle's travel path from an imaging device; a location acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device; a time acquisition unit that acquires time information; a first storage unit that stores the video data as a plurality of video files divided into predetermined period intervals; and a communication control unit that uses a first communication device to transmit management information to the server at predetermined time intervals, including list information showing a list of the plurality of video files, location information, time information, and video provider identification information that identifies the video provider who is the provider of the video data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal device and a video data management system.

Background Art

[0002] Systems for managing video data obtained by imaging with imaging devices such as drive recorders mounted on vehicles traveling on roads are known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an operation recording system that includes a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices and a server wirelessly connected to each of the vehicle-mounted devices via a wide area communication network. The vehicle-mounted device is a drive recorder, which records captured images on a recording medium such as an SD card, and transmits operation data such as travel position information and travel time information to the server. The server uses, in addition to the operation data, vehicle-mounted device setting information including an update interval that is a cycle for overwriting the captured images, to identify each vehicle-mounted device that retains the captured images of the scene of a desired event, and transmits an overwrite prohibition instruction for protecting the captured images to each of the identified vehicle-mounted devices.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to have the vehicle equipped with the vehicle-mounted device that has received the overwrite prohibition instruction return to the administrator's office, and then store the captured images of the vehicle-mounted device in the terminal at the office. For this reason, the target captured images cannot be immediately provided to the administrator.

[0006] Furthermore, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the determination of whether or not a desired image exists in the in-vehicle unit is merely a prediction using the overwrite cycle of the captured image. Therefore, even if there is a period during which the in-vehicle unit is unable to acquire an image for some reason, it may still be possible to identify that unit. As a result, even if the vehicle enters the office, the desired image may not be obtained. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a terminal device in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is a terminal device mounted on a vehicle and capable of communicating with a server via a communication network including a mobile communication network, comprising: a video acquisition unit that acquires video data showing images of the vehicle's travel path from an imaging device; a location acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device; a time acquisition unit that acquires time information; a first storage unit that stores the video data as a plurality of video files divided into predetermined period intervals; and a communication control unit that uses a first communication device to transmit management information to the server at predetermined time intervals, including list information showing a list of the plurality of video files, the location information, the time information, and video provider identification information that identifies a video provider who is the provider of the video data.

[0008] A video data management system in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is a video data management system comprising: a plurality of terminal devices mounted on different vehicles; and a server capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices via a communication network including a mobile communication network, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices includes: a video acquisition unit that acquires video data showing video of the vehicle's travel path; a location acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device; a time acquisition unit that acquires time information; a first storage unit that stores the video data as a plurality of video files for predetermined periods; and a communication control unit that uses a first communication device to transmit management information to the server at predetermined time intervals, including list information showing a list of the plurality of video files, the location information, the time information, and video provider identification information identifying a video provider that is the provider of the video data, wherein the server includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires the management information from each of the plurality of terminal devices and determines whether or not a condition associated with the video provider identification information included in the acquired management information is met; and, if it is determined that the condition is met, a display control unit that causes information related to the management information to be displayed on a video user's device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The video data management system disclosed herein can reliably and quickly provide the desired video files to the administrator while reducing the amount of data transmitted to terminal devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the video data management system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a server configuration. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of video provider information. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of contract information. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of video user information. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a server. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of management information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map image. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a storage state of video data on a map image. [Figure 12] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of instruction information. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a use case of an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a computer that executes a program. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] 1. Embodiment 1-1. Overview of Video Data Management System FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a video data management system 1 according to an embodiment. The video data management system 1 is a system that collectively manages video data representing images captured from a plurality of vehicles M traveling on roads. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, each of the plurality of vehicles M is, for example, an automobile.

[0012] Note that the vehicle M is not limited to an automobile, and may be any vehicle that can travel on a road with a terminal device 10, which will be described later, mounted thereon, and may be, for example, a motorcycle, a bicycle, or the like. Further, the number of vehicles M used in the video data management system 1 is not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. 1, and is arbitrary.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the video data management system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10, a server 20, and an external device 30. The terminal device 10, the server 20, and the external device 30 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network NW. The communication network NW is a network including a mobile communication network. The communication network NW may include the Internet and the like in addition to the mobile communication network.

[0014] Each of the plurality of terminal devices 10 is a device such as a drive recorder mounted on a different vehicle M. Each terminal device 10 captures an image of an area on the road where the vehicle M travels, and stores video data representing the captured image. The video data is stored in the terminal device 10 in a state of being divided into a plurality of video files, and each terminal device 10 transmits management information DD indicating the storage state of the plurality of video files to the server 20 at predetermined time intervals. Further, each terminal device 10 transmits the video file to the server 20 in response to a request from the server 20. The number of terminal devices 10 is determined according to the number of vehicles M used in the video data management system 1, and is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1, and is arbitrary.

[0015] The server 20 displays the storage state of the video data in the plurality of terminal devices 10 on a map based on the management information DD received from each of the plurality of terminal devices 10. Further, the server 20 can accept a designated position using the display, and generates instruction information D5 for requesting transmission of the video file corresponding to the designated position. The instruction information D5 is stored in the server 20 in a state accessible by each terminal device 10. Therefore, each terminal device 10 transmits the video file to the server 20 in response to a request based on the instruction information D5 from the server 20. Furthermore, the server 20 generates service information D6 using the video file from the terminal device 10.

[0016] The external device 30 is a computer that can use the information of the server 20, and for example, acquires the service information D6 from the server 20 when necessary.

[0017] 1-2. Configuration of Terminal Device Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 comprises a processing unit 11, a storage device 12 which is an example of a "first storage unit", a communication device 13 which is an example of a "first communication device", an imaging device 14, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 15, an input device 16, and a display device 17. These are connected to each other via a single or multiple bus so that they can communicate with one another.

[0018] The processing unit 11 is a processor that controls the entire terminal device 10, and is composed of, for example, one or more chips. The processing unit 11 is composed of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, and registers. Some or all of the functions of the processing unit 11 may be implemented by hardware such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processing unit 11 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0019] The storage device 12 is a recording medium readable by the processing unit 11, and stores various programs executed by the processing unit 11 and various data used by the processing unit 11. The storage device 12 is composed of one or more types of storage circuits, such as ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), and RAM (Random Access Memory). A memory card, such as an SD card, is also detachably mounted in the storage device 12 as a recording medium. The video data D1, described later, is stored on this memory card. Note that the storage device 12 does not necessarily have to be configured to accommodate this memory card. In this case, the video data, described later, is stored in a storage circuit fixedly provided in the storage device 12.

[0020] The storage device 12 stores the control program P1, video data D1, location information D2, time information D3, list information D4, operation information DDa, and video provider identification information D21.

[0021] The control program P1 is a program for controlling the operation of the terminal device 10, and as described later, it is executed by the processing unit 11 to realize the desired function.

[0022] Video data D1 is information representing video footage of the vehicle M's travel path, and is generated by the imaging device 14. Video data D1 is, for example, information representing a video at a predetermined frame rate, and consists of information representing a number of still images per second corresponding to the frame rate. Furthermore, video data D1 is stored in the storage device 12 as N video files D1a_1 to D1a_N, divided into predetermined period intervals. N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. Hereafter, video files D1a_1 to D1a_N may be referred to simply as video file D1a without distinction.

[0023] The length of the predetermined period is preferably 1 minute or more and 10 minutes or less, and more preferably 3 minutes or more and 8 minutes or less. In this case, while reducing the amount of communication due to the transmission of list information D4 from the terminal device 10, the terminal device 10 can transmit a video file D1a with a suitable video length without processing the video data D1 in response to a request from the server 20.

[0024] Location information D2 is information indicating the location of the imaging device 14 or terminal device 10, and is generated by the GPS receiver 15. The location indicated by location information D2 is expressed, for example, as latitude and longitude on Earth. Location information D2 is stored in the storage device 12, for example, for each frame or file of the video data D1, in association with the video data D1.

[0025] Time information D3 is information indicating the time and is acquired from the GPS receiver 15 or a timing device described later. Time information D3 is stored in the storage device 12, for example, for each frame or file of the video data D1, in association with the video data D1.

[0026] List information D4 is information indicating a list of multiple video files D1a, and is generated by the communication control unit 11d. For example, list information D4 indicates the filenames of the multiple video files D1a. Specific examples of list information D4, along with specific examples of location information D2 and time information D3 included in management information DD, will be explained later with reference to Figure 9.

[0027] Operation information DDa is information indicating the operating status of the terminal device 10 and is generated by the communication control unit 11d. The operating status indicated by operation information DDa includes the on / off state of the power supply of the terminal device 10 and the presence or absence of storage media for multiple video files D1a.

[0028] The video provider identification information D21 is information that identifies the provider of the video data D1. For example, the video provider is a person who owns a vehicle M equipped with a terminal device 10 and uses vehicle M for business or other purposes. The video provider may be an individual or an organization such as a company.

[0029] The communication device 13 is a device that communicates with other devices and transmits management information DD and video file D1a to the server 20 via the communication network NW. The communication device 13 has a communication circuit for a wireless communication method such as LTE 4G or 5G that can communicate with a mobile communication base station, for example. In addition to the circuit for mobile communication, the communication device 13 may also have a communication circuit for a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Furthermore, the communication device 13 may be configured to have only a transmission function, or it may be configured to have both a transmission function and a reception function.

[0030] The imaging device 14 is a device that captures an area on the road on which the vehicle M is traveling and outputs video data D1 showing the captured image. Here, the imaging range of the imaging device 14 may be in front of or behind the vehicle M in the direction of travel, or it may be all around the vehicle M. The imaging device 14 is composed of, for example, an imaging optical system and an image sensor. The imaging optical system is an optical system that includes at least one imaging lens and may be equipped with various optical elements such as prisms, or it may be equipped with zoom lenses, focus lenses, etc. The image sensor is composed of, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor. The imaging device 14 may be provided outside the terminal device 10 as a separate unit from the terminal device 10.

[0031] The GPS receiver 15 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites, performs positioning calculations to generate location information, and acquires time information. This location information is information regarding the latitude and longitude indicating the position of the GPS receiver 15 on Earth, and is used as location information D2. This time information is information indicating Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), and is used as time information D3. The position of the GPS receiver 15 on Earth approximates the position of the imaging device 14. Therefore, in this embodiment, this location information is considered as location information D2. The position of the imaging device 14 can also be expressed as the position of the terminal device 10.

[0032] The time information from the GPS receiver 15 may be used as time information D3 as is, or it may be used as time information D3 after adjusting for the time difference to match the time zone where the terminal device 10 is located. The terminal device 10 may also be equipped with a timing device that includes an oscillator such as a crystal oscillator, in which case the time information generated by the timing device may be used as time information D3. The timing device generates time information by counting pulse signals obtained by dividing the frequency of the clock signal generated by the oscillator. The time information from the GPS receiver 15 may also be used to adjust the time information of the timing device.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 2, the positioning satellite is a GPS satellite. However, the positioning satellite is not limited to GPS satellites; for example, it may be a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as the EU's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS, or China's Beidou, a geostationary satellite such as SBAS, or a quasi-zenith satellite. In this case, in addition to the GPS receiver 15, or in place of the GPS receiver 15, a receiver appropriate to the type of positioning satellite may be used as appropriate. Furthermore, the GPS receiver 15 may be installed outside the terminal device 10 as a separate unit from the terminal device 10.

[0034] The input device 16 is an input device that accepts input from an external source, and specifically includes a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc. For example, the input device 16 includes various operation buttons such as a power button and a reset button to specify whether the terminal device 10 is powered on or off. The input device 16 may be provided as needed or may be omitted.

[0035] The display device 17 is a display device that displays information to the outside, and specifically, it is various types of display panels such as liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels. The display device 17 may be provided as needed, or it may be omitted.

[0036] In the terminal device 10 outlined above, the processing unit 11 reads and executes the control program P1 from the storage device 12. Through this execution, the processing unit 11 functions as a video acquisition unit 11a, a position acquisition unit 11b, a time acquisition unit 11c, and a communication control unit 11d, which is an example of a "first communication unit." Therefore, the terminal device 10 comprises a video acquisition unit 11a, a position acquisition unit 11b, a time acquisition unit 11c, and a communication control unit 11d. In addition to these functions, the processing unit 11 performs other appropriate processing.

[0037] The video acquisition unit 11a controls the operation of the imaging device 14. More specifically, the video acquisition unit 11a acquires video data D1 from the imaging device 14 and stores the acquired video data D1 as multiple video files D1a in the storage device 12.

[0038] The position acquisition unit 11b acquires position information D2. More specifically, each time a frame or file of video data D1 is generated, the position acquisition unit 11b stores the position information from the GPS receiver 15 as position information D2 in the storage device 12, associating it with the video data D1.

[0039] The time acquisition unit 11c acquires time information D3. More specifically, each time a frame or file of video data D1 is generated, the time acquisition unit 11c stores the time information from the GPS receiver 15 as time information D3 in the storage device 12, associating it with the video data D1.

[0040] The communication control unit 11d controls the operation of the communication device 13. More specifically, the communication control unit 11d uses the communication device 13 to transmit information including list information D4, location information D2, time information D3, and video provider identification information D21 to the server 20 as management information DD at predetermined time intervals. Here, the communication control unit 11d generates list information D4 based on a plurality of video files D1a stored in the storage device 12. This generation is performed, for example, at the predetermined time interval.

[0041] The predetermined time interval is preferably 10 seconds or more and 3 minutes or less, more preferably 30 seconds or more and 2 minutes or less, and even more preferably 45 seconds or more and 1 minute 30 seconds or less. In this case, the amount of communication due to the transmission of management information DD from the terminal device 10 can be reduced, while the server 20 can suitably grasp the storage status of the video data D1 stored in the multiple terminal devices 10.

[0042] In this embodiment, the management information DD further includes list information D4, location information D2, time information D3, and video provider identification information D21, as well as operation information DDa. Here, the communication control unit 11d generates the operation information DDa based on the operating status of the terminal device 10. This generation is performed, for example, at predetermined time intervals.

[0043] The communication control unit 11d uses the communication device 13 to send the video file D1a based on the instruction information D5 to the server 20. In this embodiment, the communication control unit 11d uses the communication device 13 to periodically access the storage device 22 of the server 20 (described later), and when there is a request to send the video file D1a based on the instruction information D5, it sends the video file D1a corresponding to the request to the server 20.

[0044] 1-3. Server Configuration Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of server 20. Server 20 comprises a processing unit 21, a storage device 22 which is an example of a "second storage unit", a communication device 23 which is an example of a "second communication device", an input device 24, and a display device 25. These are connected to each other via a single or multiple bus so that they can communicate with one another.

[0045] The processing unit 21 is a processor that controls the entire server 20 and is composed of, for example, one or more chips. The processing unit 21 is composed of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, and registers. Some or all of the functions of the processing unit 21 may be implemented by hardware such as a DSP, ASIC, PLD, FPGA, etc. The processing unit 21 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0046] The storage device 22 is a recording medium readable by the processing device 21, and stores various programs executed by the processing device 21 and various data used by the processing device 21. The storage device 22 is composed of one or more types of storage circuits, such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, RAM, etc.

[0047] The storage device 22 stores the control program P2, management information DD, instruction information D5, video file D1a, service information D6, reservation information D7, video provider information D22, contract information D23, and video user information D24.

[0048] Control program P2 is a program for controlling the operation of server 20, and as described later, it realizes the desired function by being executed on processing unit 21.

[0049] Instruction information D5 is information for requesting the transmission of a video file D1a showing video footage taken at a specified location, which was received by the reception unit 21c described later, and is generated by the instruction unit 21d described later. Instruction information D5 includes, for example, information specifying the terminal device 10 and the video file D1a. Details of instruction information D5 will be explained later with reference to Figure 12.

[0050] Service information D6 is information for providing services to users of the external device 30, and is generated, for example, using video file D1a or management information DD from the terminal device 10 as appropriate.

[0051] Reservation information D7 is information used to retain the reception result of the reception unit 21c for a predetermined period of time when the video file D1a, which shows the video taken at the specified location received by the reception unit 21c (described later), is not in the list indicated by the management information DD, and indicates the reception result of the reception unit 21c, i.e., the specified location.

[0052] Video provider information D22 is information about the video provider. Figure 4 shows an example of video provider information.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the video provider information D22 includes the following items: "Video Provider Identifier," "Industry," "Contract Area," and "Special Conditions."

[0054] The "Video Provider Identifier" is information that identifies the video provider. The "Industry" is information that indicates the industry of the video provider. The "Contract Area" is the area that is pre-assigned to the video provider. The "Special Conditions" are conditions that are pre-set regarding the provision of video. Note that the "Industry," "Contract Area," and "Special Conditions" do not need to be set.

[0055] For example, Figure 4 shows that the video provider "A" is in the "taxi" industry, the contract area is "Tokai," and the special condition is "no other companies in the same industry."

[0056] Contract information D23 is information regarding the service contract. Figure 5 shows an example of contract information. Here, "service" means that the video user receives video from the video provider, as described later.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, contract information D23 includes the items "Contract Type" and "Regional Conditions". "Contract Type" is information that identifies the type of contract. "Regional Conditions" are conditions related to the region.

[0058] For example, Figure 5 shows that the regional condition for contract type "General" is "Contract area only".

[0059] Video user information D24 is information about the video user. Figure 6 shows an example of video user information. For example, the video user is a user of the external device 30 and a recipient of the service. The video user may be an individual or an organization such as a company.

[0060] As shown in Figure 6, the video user information D24 includes the following items: "video user identifier," "industry," "contract type," and "contract region."

[0061] "Video User Identifier" is information that identifies the video user. "Industry" is information that indicates the industry of the video user. "Contract Type" is information that identifies the type of contract. "Contract Region" is the region that is pre-associated with the video user.

[0062] The communication device 23 is a device that communicates with other devices and receives management information DD and video files D1a from the terminal devices 10 via the communication network NW. The communication device 23 has a communication circuit that is connected to the communication network NW wirelessly or via a wired connection. In this embodiment, the communication device 23 is configured so that each terminal device 10 can access the storage device 22.

[0063] The input device 24 is an input device that accepts input from an external source, and specifically includes a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc. For example, the input device 24 includes various operation buttons such as a power button and a reset button to specify whether the server 20 is powered on or off. The input device 24 may be provided as needed or omitted.

[0064] The display device 25 is a display device that displays information to the outside, and specifically, it is various types of display panels such as liquid crystal panels and organic EL panels.

[0065] In the server 20 outlined above, the processing unit 21 reads and executes the control program P2 from the storage device 22. This execution enables the processing unit 21 to function as an information acquisition unit 21a, a display control unit 21b, a receiving unit 21c, and an instruction unit 21d. Therefore, the server 20 comprises an information acquisition unit 21a, a display control unit 21b, a receiving unit 21c, and an instruction unit 21d. In addition to these functions, the processing unit 21 performs other appropriate processing.

[0066] The information acquisition unit 21a uses the communication device 23 to acquire management information DD from each of the multiple terminal devices 10 at predetermined time intervals. That is, when the communication device 23 receives management information DD from the terminal device 10, the information acquisition unit 21a acquires the received management information DD.

[0067] The display control unit 21b uses the display device 25 to display a map image based on the management information DD. A specific example of this map image will be explained later with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0068] Here, the information acquisition unit 21a acquires management information DD from each of the multiple terminal devices 10 and determines whether the conditions associated with the video provider identification information D21 included in the acquired management information DD are met. For example, the information acquisition unit 21a determines whether the management information DD satisfies the conditions based on the video provider information D22, contract information D23, and video user information D24.

[0069] The display control unit 21b then displays a map image based on the management information DD that satisfies the conditions. The procedure for determination by the information acquisition unit 21a will be explained later with reference to Figure 8. In other words, if the display control unit 21b determines that the conditions are met, it causes the information related to the management information DD to be displayed on the video user's device.

[0070] The reception unit 21c receives a specified location for specifying the shooting location of the video file D1a. More specifically, the reception unit 21c receives a location on the map of the map image MP described later as the specified location.

[0071] The instruction unit 21d generates instruction information D5 based on the reception result of the reception unit 21c. More specifically, if the management information DD indicates that an image has been taken at the designated location, the instruction unit 21d generates instruction information D5 based on the reception result of the reception unit 21c. If the management information DD indicates that an image has not been taken at the designated location, the instruction unit 21d waits for a period of time until the management information DD indicates that an image has been taken at the designated location, and then generates instruction information D5 based on the reception result of the reception unit 21c.

[0072] In this embodiment, if the instruction unit 21d indicates that the management information DD has not taken a picture at the designated location, it stores information indicating the designated location as reservation information D7 in the storage device 22 for the period until the management information DD indicates that a picture has been taken at the designated location.

[0073] 1-4. Operation of the video data management system Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 10. In the terminal device 10, as shown in Figure 7, first, in step S11, the processing unit 11 starts imaging with the imaging device 14. Upon the start of imaging, the generation of video data D1 begins, and the video data D1 is associated with location information D2 and time information D3 and stored in the storage device 12. If the total file capacity of the video data D1 stored in the storage device 12 exceeds a predetermined amount, the video data D1 files may be deleted from the storage device 12 in order from oldest to newest.

[0074] Next, in step S12, the processing unit 11 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has elapsed (step S12: YES), in step S13, the processing unit 11 generates management information DD. This generation is performed, for example, by generating list information D4 based on a plurality of video files D1a stored in the storage device 12, and generating operation information DDa based on the operating status of the terminal device 10, and then adding location information D2, time information D3, and video provider identification information D21 corresponding to the list information D4 to this information.

[0075] After step S13, in step S14, the processing unit 11 transmits management information DD using the communication device 13.

[0076] After step S14, or if a predetermined time has not elapsed (step S12: NO), in step S15, the processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a request to send the video file D1a. This determination is made by the processing unit 11 checking the contents of the instruction information D5 stored in the server 20 using the communication device 13.

[0077] If there is a request to send video file D1a (step S15: YES), in step S16, the processing unit 11 uses the communication device 13 to send the video file D1a that is the subject of the request.

[0078] After step S16, or if there is no request to send the video file D1a (step S15: NO), in step S17, the processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is an instruction from the imaging device 14 to terminate imaging. If there is no such instruction (step S17: NO), the process returns to step S12. On the other hand, if there is such an instruction (step S17: YES), the process terminates.

[0079] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of server 20. As shown in Figure 8, first, in step S21, server 20 determines whether or not the processing unit 21 has received management information DD. If management information DD has been received (step S21: YES), in step S22, processing unit 21 determines whether or not the content can be displayed for each user (step S22). That is, processing unit 21 determines whether or not the management information DD satisfies the conditions based on the video provider information D22, contract information D23, and video user information D24. Then, in step S23, processing unit 21 displays a map image based on the management information DD using the display device 25. At this time, in the map image, videos that were determined to be displayable in step S22 can be selected, while videos that were determined not to be displayable in step S22 cannot be selected. For example, processing unit 21 displays a map image based on the management information DD of videos that were determined to be displayable.

[0080] After step S23, or if management information DD has not been received (step S21: NO), in step S24, the processing unit 21 determines whether the specified location has been accepted. If the specified location has not been accepted (step S24: NO), the processing unit 21 returns to step S21. On the other hand, if the specified location has been accepted (step S24: YES), the processing unit 21 determines whether the specified video file D1a, which was captured at the specified location, is included in the list indicated by management information DD.

[0081] If the specified video file D1a is not included in the list (step S25: NO), in step S31, the processing unit 21 stores the reservation information D7 in the storage device 22, thereby retaining the reception result of the reception unit 21c. After step S31, in step S32, the processing unit 21 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S32: NO), the processing unit 21 returns to the aforementioned step S21. As a result, the reception result of the reception unit 21c is retained for the predetermined time, and in the aforementioned step S24, the processing unit 21 determines that the specified position has been received.

[0082] If a predetermined time has elapsed (step S32: YES), in step S33, the processing unit 21 deletes the reservation information D7 from the storage device 22, thereby releasing the reception result from the reception unit 21c.

[0083] If the specified video file D1a is included in the list (step S25: YES), in step S26, the processing unit 21 generates instruction information D5 based on the specified location. After step S26, in step S27, the processing unit 21 stores the instruction information D5 in the storage device 22.

[0084] After step S27, in step S28, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not it has received the specified video file D1a based on the instruction information D5. If the specified video file D1a has not been received (step S28: NO), the processing unit returns to step S21. On the other hand, if the specified video file D1a has been received (step S28: YES), in step S29, the processing unit 21 deletes the instruction information D5 related to the received video file D1a from the storage device 22.

[0085] After step S29 or step S33, in step S30, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not there is a termination instruction. If there is no termination instruction (step S30: NO), the processing unit 21 returns to step S21. On the other hand, if there is a termination instruction (step S30: YES), the processing unit 21 terminates the process.

[0086] Figure 9 shows an example of management information DD. As mentioned above, management information DD includes location information D2, time information D3, list information D4, operation information DDa, and video provider identification information D21. The value of video provider identification information D21 is the video provider identifier. As shown in Figure 9, list information D4 is information indicating the filenames of multiple video files D1a. Here, the filename of video file D1a includes the identification number of the terminal device 10 "ID***" and the acquisition time of video file D1a "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss".

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 9, the nmea file is included in the management information DD as location information D2 and time information D3, corresponding to the list indicated by list information D4. Here, the file name of the nmea file includes the identification number of the terminal device 10, "ID***", and the acquisition time of the video file D1a, "yyyyMMdd-HHmmss".

[0088] Here, we will explain the procedure by which the information acquisition unit 21a determines whether or not to display the video. It is assumed that the information acquisition unit 21a has already acquired the video user identifier of the user of the external device 30 that displays the map image. For example, the information acquisition unit 21a acquires the video user identifier from the login information for the application or website used to provide the service.

[0089] The information acquisition unit 21a can obtain the industry, contract type, and contract region of the video user from the video user information D24 based on the video user identifier. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 21a can obtain the industry, contract region, and special conditions of the video provider from the video provider information D22 based on the video provider identifier shown in the video provider identification information D21 of the management information DD. Additionally, the information acquisition unit 21a can obtain regional conditions associated with the video user's contract type from the contract information D23.

[0090] (Determination based on regional conditions) The information acquisition unit 21a determines that the video can be displayed if the contract area of ​​the video provider and the contract area of ​​the video user match, provided that the regional condition of the video user's contract type is "contract area only". Furthermore, if the regional condition of the video user's contract type is "contract area only", the information acquisition unit 21a determines that the video cannot be displayed if the contract area of ​​the video provider and the contract area of ​​the video user do not match.

[0091] The information acquisition unit 21a determines that the video can be displayed if the regional condition of the video user's contract type is "nationwide". However, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the contract region of the video provider and the contract region of the video user are in the same country.

[0092] In this way, the information acquisition unit 21a can determine whether the conditions are met based on the relationship between the region pre-associated with the video provider and the region pre-set for the video user.

[0093] (Determination based on special conditions) The information acquisition unit 21a makes a determination according to the special conditions of the video provider. Even if the information acquisition unit 21a determines that the video can be displayed based on the regional conditions, if the result of the determination based on the special conditions is that the video cannot be displayed, the final determination result will be that the video cannot be displayed. For example, the information acquisition unit 21a will display the final determination result only if both the result of the determination based on the regional conditions and the result of the determination based on the special conditions are that the video can be displayed, and will not display the final determination result in all other cases.

[0094] As shown in Figure 4, the special condition for video provider "A" is "not allowed in the same industry." In accordance with this special condition, the information acquisition unit 21a determines that display is not possible if the industry of the video provider and the video user are the same, and determines that display is possible if the industry of the video provider and the video user are different.

[0095] In this way, the information acquisition unit 21a determines whether the conditions are met based on the relationship between the industry pre-associated with the video provider and the industry pre-set for the video user.

[0096] As shown in Figure 4, the special condition for video provider "E" is "requires special permission". In accordance with this special condition, the information acquisition unit 21a determines that the video can only be displayed if the video user's contract type is "special permission".

[0097] In this way, the information acquisition unit 21a determines whether the conditions are met based on the information pre-associated with the video provider and the contract type for the service that uses the video data, which is pre-set for the video user.

[0098] Figure 10 shows an example of a map image MP. The display device 25 displays the map image MP based on management information DD, for example, as shown in Figure 10. The map image MP shows the driving history of vehicle M and the storage status of video file D1a on the map. In the example shown in Figure 10, the route traveled by vehicle M, which has stored video file D1a, is highlighted as display X.

[0099] The map image MP is capable of accepting user input, and the specified position can be registered by operating the input device 24 to position the pointer PT over the desired location and then performing a mouse click or similar operation.

[0100] If you click the mouse while pointer PT is over the path shown in display X, instruction information D5 will be generated immediately. Also, if you click the mouse while pointer PT is over a path other than the one shown in display X, reservation information D7 will be generated.

[0101] Figure 11 shows an example of how the storage state of video data D1 is displayed in the map image MP. The display of roads in the map image MP is selected from different displays X_0 to X_4, for example, as shown in Figure 11. Note that the display modes of displays X_0 to X_4 are not limited to those shown in Figure 11 and are arbitrary. Also, the number of types of road displays in the map image MP are not limited to those shown in Figure 11 and are arbitrary.

[0102] Displays X_0 to X_4 indicate that one of the following is different: the driving history of vehicle M, the storage status of video file D1a, or the operating status of terminal device 10. For example, display X_0 indicates that vehicle M has no driving history. Display X_1 indicates that vehicle M has a driving history and that no memory card is installed in terminal device 10. Display X_2 indicates that vehicle M has a driving history and that a memory card is installed in terminal device 10, but the terminal device 10 is not powered on. Display X_3 indicates that vehicle M has a driving history, that a memory card is installed in terminal device 10, and that the terminal device 10 is powered on. Display X_4 indicates that vehicle M has a driving history and that video file D1a is stored in server 20.

[0103] Thus, the map image MP indicates, as a recording state, a state selected from multiple states, including the state in which the video file D1a is stored in the storage device 12, the state in which the video file D1a is stored in the storage device 22, and the state in which the video file D1a is not stored in either the storage device 12 or the storage device 22, for each location on the map. Furthermore, the map image MP also indicates the operating state shown by the operating information DDa on the map.

[0104] Figure 12 shows an example of instruction information D5. Instruction information D5 includes, for example, the identification number of the terminal device 10 and information regarding the acquisition time and duration of the video file D1a, as shown in Figure 12. Therefore, the terminal device 10 can identify the video file D1a to be transmitted.

[0105] As described above, the terminal device 10 is mounted on the vehicle M and can communicate with the server 20 via a communication network NW including a mobile communication network. As previously stated, the terminal device 10 includes a video acquisition unit 11a, a position acquisition unit 11b, a time acquisition unit 11c, a storage device 12 which is an example of a "first storage unit", and a communication control unit 11d.

[0106] The video acquisition unit 11a acquires video data D1 from the imaging device 14, which shows video of the vehicle M's travel path. The position acquisition unit 11b acquires position information D2, which indicates the position of the terminal device 10. The time acquisition unit 11c acquires time information D3. The storage device 12 stores the video data D1 as multiple video files D1a, which are divided into predetermined period intervals. The communication control unit 11d uses a communication device 13, which is an example of a "first communication device," to transmit management information DD, which includes list information D4 showing a list of the multiple video files D1a, position information D2, and time information D3, to the server 20 at predetermined time intervals.

[0107] In the terminal device 10 described above, management information DD, which includes list information D4, location information D2, and time information D3, is transmitted from the terminal device 10 to the server 20 at predetermined time intervals. Therefore, even if video data D1 is not transmitted from the terminal device 10 to the server 20, the server 20 can understand the storage status of video data D1 stored in multiple terminal devices 10. As a result, video data D1 stored in multiple terminal devices 10 can be managed while reducing the amount of communication from the terminal device 10. Furthermore, based on the management information DD, the server 20 can request the terminal device 10 to send the desired video file D1a at any time. As a result, the desired video file D1a can be reliably and quickly provided to the administrator.

[0108] In this embodiment, as described above, the list information D4 is information indicating the filenames of multiple video files D1a. Therefore, the list information D4 can be easily generated using the filenames of the video files D1a.

[0109] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the file name of video file D1a includes the identification number of terminal device 10 and the acquisition time of video file D1a. By including the identification number of terminal device 10 in the file name, terminal device 10 can be identified from the file name. In addition, existing devices such as drive recorders with imaging capabilities often use the acquisition time of the video as the file name of the video file. Therefore, list information D4 can be easily generated simply by adding the identification number of terminal device 10 to the file name used in such devices.

[0110] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the length of the predetermined period for dividing the video data D1 into multiple video files D1a is preferably between 1 minute and 10 minutes. In this case, while reducing the amount of communication required by the transmission of list information D4 from the terminal device 10, the terminal device 10 can send video files D1a with a suitable video length from the terminal device 10 in response to a request from the server 20 without processing the video data D1.

[0111] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the predetermined time interval for transmitting the management information DD to the server 20 is preferably 10 seconds or more and 3 minutes or less. In this case, the amount of communication required by the transmission of the management information DD from the terminal device 10 can be reduced, while the server 20 can effectively grasp the storage status of the video data D1 stored in the multiple terminal devices 10.

[0112] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the server 20 includes a storage device 22, which is an example of a "second storage unit." The storage device 22 stores instruction information D5 for requesting the transmission of the video file D1a. The communication control unit 11d uses the communication device 13 to transmit the video file D1a based on the instruction information D5 to the server 20. This ensures that the desired video file D1a can be reliably and quickly provided to the administrator.

[0113] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the instruction information D5 includes information regarding the identification number of the terminal device 10 and the acquisition time and duration of the video file D1a. Therefore, it is possible to request the identified terminal device 10 to transmit the video file D1a at the desired time and duration.

[0114] Furthermore, as described above, the video data management system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 mounted on different vehicles M, and a server 20 capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices 10 via a communication network NW including a mobile communication network.

[0115] As mentioned above, the server 20 includes an information acquisition unit 21a and a display control unit 21b. The information acquisition unit 21a acquires management information DD from each of the multiple terminal devices 10 at predetermined time intervals. The display control unit 21b uses a display device 25 to display a map image MP based on the management information DD. The management information DD includes list information D4, location information D2, and time information D3. The list information D4 shows a list of multiple video files D1a obtained by dividing video data D1, which shows video of the driving route of a vehicle M equipped with one of the multiple terminal devices 10, into predetermined time intervals. The map image MP shows the driving history of the vehicle M and the storage status of the video files D1a on a map.

[0116] Therefore, the server 20 displays a map image MP on the map that shows the driving history of vehicle M and the memory status of video file D1a, based on the management information DD. This visualizes the memory status, making it easy to understand. As a result, usability can be improved.

[0117] In this embodiment, as described above, the management information DD further includes operation information DDa indicating the operating status of the terminal device 10. The map image MP further displays the operating status indicated by the operation information DDa on the map. Therefore, when the server 20 requests the terminal device 10 to send the desired video file D1a at a desired time based on the management information DD, requests to terminal devices 10 that are not operating are prevented. As a result, the desired video file D1a can be efficiently provided to the administrator.

[0118] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the operating status indicated by the operating information DDa includes the on / off state of the terminal device 10's power and the presence or absence of storage media for the multiple video files D1a. Therefore, it is possible to request that the terminal device 10 be powered on or that a recording medium be inserted as needed. As a result, the likelihood of the provision of the desired video file D1a being hindered due to the terminal device 10 being powered off or the recording medium not being inserted is reduced.

[0119] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the recording status indicated by the map image MP is selected from a plurality of states for each location on the map, including a state in which the video file D1a is stored in the terminal device 10, a state in which the video file D1a is stored in the server 20, and a state in which the video file D1a is not stored in either the terminal device 10 or the server 20. This prevents the server 20 from repeatedly requesting the terminal device 10 to send the video file D1a.

[0120] As described above, the video data management system 1 comprises a plurality of terminal devices 10 mounted on different vehicles M, and a server 20 capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices 10 via a communication network NW including a mobile communication network.

[0121] As described above, the server 20 further includes an instruction unit 21d that generates instruction information D5 for requesting the transmission of the video file D1a. Each of the multiple terminal devices 10 transmits the video file D1a to the server 20 based on the instruction information D5. This ensures that the desired video file D1a can be reliably and quickly provided to the administrator.

[0122] As mentioned above, the server 20 includes a reception unit 21c, an instruction unit 21d, and a storage device 22, which is an example of a "second storage unit". The reception unit 21c receives a specified location. The instruction unit 21d generates instruction information D5 to request the transmission of a video file D1a showing the video captured at the specified location. The storage device 22 stores the instruction information D5.

[0123] Here, if the instruction unit 21d indicates that the management information DD is not capturing images at the designated location, it waits for a period of time until the management information DD indicates that it is capturing images at the designated location, and then generates instruction information D5. The communication control unit 11d uses the communication device 13 to send the video file D1a based on the instruction information D5 to the server 20.

[0124] Therefore, even if the management information DD indicates that filming is not taking place at the specified location, the instruction information D5 is generated after waiting for a period of time until the management information DD indicates that filming is taking place at the specified location. As a result, the instruction information D5 can be generated quickly without the administrator of the server 20 having to monitor the system during that period. Consequently, the target video file D1a can be quickly provided from the terminal device 10 to the server 20. This improves usability.

[0125] In this embodiment, as described above, the server 20 uses the display device 25 to display a map image MP based on the management information DD. The map image MP displays the vehicle M's driving history and the storage status of the video file D1a on the map. The reception unit 21c accepts the location on the map as the specified location. Therefore, the target video data D1 can be specified easily and reliably.

[0126] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the instruction information D5 includes information regarding the identification number of the terminal device 10 and the acquisition time and duration of the video file D1a. Therefore, it is possible to request the identified terminal device 10 to transmit the video file D1a at the desired time and duration.

[0127] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the storage state indicated by the map image MP is selected from a plurality of states for each location on the map, including a state in which the video file D1a is stored in the storage device 12, a state in which the video file D1a is stored in the storage device 22, and a state in which the video file D1a is not stored in either the storage device 12 or the storage device 22. This prevents the server 20 from repeatedly requesting the transmission of the video file D1a to the terminal device 10.

[0128] Furthermore, as described above, if the instruction unit 21d indicates that the management information DD has not taken a picture at the specified location, it stores information indicating the specified location as reservation information D7 in the storage device 22 for the period until the management information DD indicates that a picture has been taken at the specified location. Therefore, based on the reservation information D7, it is possible to determine the period from when the management information DD indicates that a picture has not been taken at the specified location to when the management information DD indicates that a picture has been taken at the specified location.

[0129] This section describes use cases that can be realized by the embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a use case of the embodiment.

[0130] The video providers shown in Figure 13—Tokai A Taxi Company, Tokai B Taxi Company, Kanto C Taxi Company, D Insurance Company, and E Local Government—are assumed to be the same as video providers "A," "B," "C," "D," and "E" in Figure 4, respectively.

[0131] Furthermore, the video users shown in Figure 13, Tokai F Company, G Company, and H Company, are assumed to be video users "F," "G," and "H," respectively, in Figure 6.

[0132] The video provider sends metadata (codes 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E) containing video provider identifiers (codes 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E) to the server 20. The metadata is management information DD.

[0133] Tokai F Company will use the service for the purpose of "detecting other construction projects in the Tokai region." Tokai F Company's contract type is "general," and its contract area is "Tokai." Therefore, Tokai F Company can use the video provided by Tokai A Taxi Company and Tokai B Taxi Company. Note that the special condition "no use by companies in the same industry" will not be considered here. In addition, metadata corresponding to video users with the same contract type and contract area as Tokai F Company may be managed in a single data table (Tokai region data table).

[0134] Company G will use the service for the purpose of "nationwide deterioration detection." Company G's contract type is "premium." Therefore, Company G can use video provided by Tokai A Taxi Company, Tokai B Taxi Company, Kanto Taxi Company C, and D Insurance Company. In addition, metadata corresponding to video users with the same contract type and contract area as Company G may be managed in a single data table (a nationwide data table).

[0135] Company H will use the service for "nationwide crime prevention and surveillance." Company H's contract type is "special license." Therefore, Company G can use the video provided by Municipality E. In addition, metadata corresponding to video users with the same contract type and contract area as Company H may be managed in a single data table (public data table). For example, Company H is an organization related to national defense or police.

[0136] In Figure 13, not all metadata that is determined to be displayable may be shown. For example, Company H may determine that metadata other than code 21E is also displayable.

[0137] This allows video providers to control who they distribute their videos to. For example, if a video provider tightens the conditions for distributing their videos, the number of users may decrease, potentially reducing the profits earned from the service. On the other hand, if a video provider tightens the conditions for distributing their videos, more users may upgrade to higher-tier subscriptions to access the videos, increasing the unit price and leading to increased profits. Video providers can consider these trade-offs and determine conditions in a way that maximizes their profits.

[0138] 2. Variations This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above. Specific variations are illustrated below. Two or more embodiments arbitrarily selected from the following examples may be combined.

[0139] (1) In the above-described embodiment, an example is given in which instruction information D5 is generated using a map image MP. However, the system is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, instruction information D5 may be generated by inputting latitude and longitude values ​​without using a map image MP. Furthermore, the server 20 may not request the terminal device 10 to transmit the video file D1a. In this case, the server 20 may not receive the video file D1a from the terminal device 10, but may simply monitor the storage status of the video file D1a on the terminal device 10.

[0140] (2) The block diagrams used in the description of the embodiments above show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the means of realizing each functional block are not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by one device that is physically and / or logically coupled, or by two or more physically and / or logically separated devices that are directly and / or indirectly connected (for example, by wired and / or wireless) and realized by multiple such devices.

[0141] Furthermore, the term "apparatus" used in the description of the embodiments above may be replaced with other terms such as circuit, device, or unit.

[0142] (3) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., in the embodiments described above may be rearranged in order, as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, the methods described herein present the elements of various steps in an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0143] (4) In the embodiments described above, the input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory). The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0144] (5) In the embodiments described above, the determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0145] (6) In the embodiments described above, the storage device 12 or storage device 22 is a recording medium readable by the processing unit 11 or processing unit 21, and although ROM and RAM are given as examples, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., compact disks, digital multipurpose disks, Blu-ray® disks), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-ROMs), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy® disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers, and other suitable storage media. The program may also be transmitted from a network. The program may also be transmitted from a communication network via a telecommunications line.

[0146] (7) In the embodiments described above, the information and signals described may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc., which may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0147] (8) Each function illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 can be implemented by any combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, each function may be implemented by a single device, or by two or more devices configured separately from each other.

[0148] (9) The programs illustrated in the embodiments described above should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures or functions, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode or hardware description languages ​​or by any other name.

[0149] Furthermore, software, instructions, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, and digital subscriber lines (DSL) and / or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, these wired and / or wireless technologies are included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0150] (10) In the embodiments described above, information, parameters, etc., may be expressed as absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or by corresponding other information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0151] (11) In the embodiments described above, the server 20 may be a mobile station. A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other appropriate term.

[0152] (12) In the embodiments described above, the term “connected,” or any variation thereof, means any direct or indirect connection or combination between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” to each other. The connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. As used herein, two elements may be considered to be “connected” to each other by using one or more wires, cables and / or printed electrical connections, and by using electromagnetic energy, such as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain and optical (both visible and invisible) domain, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples.

[0153] (13) In the embodiments described above, the phrase “based on” does not mean “based solely on” unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase “based on” means both “based solely on” and “based at least on.”

[0154] (14) Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used herein does not limit the quantity or order of those elements in general. These designations may be used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed therein, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0155] (15) In the embodiments described above, to the extent that “including,” “comprising,” and variations thereof are used herein or in the claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “equipped with.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used herein or in the claims is not intended to be exclusive OR.

[0156] (16) Throughout the Application, if articles have been added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, these articles shall include the plural unless it is clearly indicated otherwise by the context.

[0157] (17) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. This disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the claims. Accordingly, the descriptions herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be restrictive in any way to this disclosure. Furthermore, multiple embodiments selected from those illustrated herein may be combined.

[0158] [System configuration, etc.] Each component of the illustrated device is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. Furthermore, each processing function performed by each device can be implemented, all or any part of it, by a CPU and a program that is analyzed and executed by that CPU, or by hardware using wired logic. Note that the program may be executed not only by the CPU but also by other processors such as a GPU.

[0159] Furthermore, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified.

[0160] [program] In one embodiment, the terminal device 10 and the server 20 can be implemented by installing a program that performs the above processing as packaged software or online software on a desired computer. For example, by having the above program run on an information processing device, the information processing device can function as the terminal device 10 or the server 20. The information processing device referred to here includes desktop or notebook personal computers. In addition, mobile communication terminals such as drive recorders, tablet terminals, and smartphones are also included in the category of information processing devices.

[0161] Furthermore, server 20 may be implemented as a web server, or it may be implemented as a cloud service that provides the above processing services through outsourcing.

[0162] Figure 14 shows an example configuration of a computer running a program. Computer 1000 has, for example, memory 1010 and a CPU 1020. Computer 1000 also has a hard disk drive interface 1030, a disk drive interface 1040, a serial port interface 1050, a video adapter 1060, and a network interface 1070. These components are connected by a bus 1080.

[0163] Memory 1010 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) 1011 and RAM (Random Access Memory) 1012. ROM 1011 stores, for example, a boot program such as BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The hard disk drive interface 1030 is connected to the hard disk drive 1090. The disk drive interface 1040 is connected to the disk drive 1100. For example, a removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk or optical disk is inserted into the disk drive 1100. The serial port interface 1050 is connected to, for example, a mouse 1110 and a keyboard 1120. The video adapter 1060 is connected to, for example, a display 1130.

[0164] The hard disk drive 1090 stores, for example, the OS 1091, application programs 1092, program modules 1093, and program data 1094. That is, the programs defining the processes of the terminal device 10 and the server 20 are implemented as program modules 1093 containing code executable by a computer. The program modules 1093 are stored, for example, on the hard disk drive 1090. For example, a program module 1093 for performing processes similar to those in the functional configuration of the terminal device 10 and the server 20 is stored on the hard disk drive 1090. Note that the hard disk drive 1090 may be replaced by an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0165] Furthermore, the configuration data used in the processing of the above-described embodiment is stored as program data 1094 in, for example, memory 1010 or hard disk drive 1090. The CPU 1020 then reads the program module 1093 and program data 1094 stored in memory 1010 or hard disk drive 1090 into RAM 1012 as needed and executes the processing of the above-described embodiment.

[0166] Furthermore, the program module 1093 and program data 1094 are not limited to being stored in the hard disk drive 1090; for example, they may be stored in a removable storage medium and read by the CPU 1020 via a disk drive 1100 or the like. Alternatively, the program module 1093 and program data 1094 may be stored in another computer connected via a network (LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), etc.). The program module 1093 and program data 1094 may then be read by the CPU 1020 from the other computer via a network interface 1070. [Explanation of symbols]

[0167] 1. Video Data Management System 10 Terminal devices 11 Processing Unit 11a Video acquisition unit 11b Position acquisition part 11c Time acquisition part 11d Communication Control Unit 12 Storage device (first storage unit) 13. Communication equipment (First communication equipment) 14 Imaging device 15 GPS receivers 16 Input device 17 Display device 20 servers 21 Processing Unit 21a Information acquisition section 21b Display Control Unit 21c Reception Desk 21d Instruction section 22 Storage device (second storage unit) 23. Communication equipment (second communication equipment) 24 Input devices 25 Display device 30 External device D1 video data D1a video file D1a_1 Video File D2 Location information D3 Time Information D4 List Information D5 Instruction information D6 Service Information D7 Reservation Information D21 Video Provider Identification Information D22 Video Provider Information D23 Contract Information D24 Video User Information DD management information DDa Operation Information M Vehicle MP Map Image Network P1 Control Program P2 control program PT Pointer X display X_0 display X_1 display X_2 display X_3 display X_4 display

Claims

1. Multiple terminal devices installed in different vehicles, A video data management system comprising a server capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices via a communication network including a mobile communication network, Each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices is: A video acquisition unit acquires video data showing images of the vehicle's travel path, A location acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device, A time acquisition unit that acquires time information, A first storage unit stores the aforementioned video data as multiple video files for each predetermined period, A communication control unit that uses a first communication device to transmit management information to the server at predetermined time intervals, including list information showing a list of the plurality of video files, location information, time information, and video provider identification information identifying the video provider who is the provider of the video data, and transmits the video files to the server in response to a request from the server, The aforementioned server, An information acquisition unit that acquires the management information from each of the plurality of terminal devices and determines whether or not the conditions associated with the video provider identification information included in the acquired management information are met, If it is determined that the above conditions are met, a display control unit will cause the information relating to the management information to be displayed on the video user's device, Equipped with, The information acquisition unit is a video data management system that determines whether the conditions are met based on the relationship between the region pre-associated with the video provider and the region pre-set for the video user.

2. A plurality of terminal devices mounted on different vehicles, A video data management system comprising a server capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices via a communication network including a mobile communication network, Each of the aforementioned multiple terminal devices is: A video acquisition unit acquires video data showing images of the vehicle's travel path, A location acquisition unit that acquires location information indicating the location of the terminal device, A time acquisition unit that acquires time information, A first storage unit stores the aforementioned video data as multiple video files for each predetermined period, A communication control unit that uses a first communication device to transmit management information to the server at predetermined time intervals, including list information showing a list of the plurality of video files, location information, time information, and video provider identification information identifying the video provider who is the provider of the video data, and transmits the video files to the server in response to a request from the server, The aforementioned server, An information acquisition unit that acquires the management information from each of the plurality of terminal devices and determines whether or not the conditions associated with the video provider identification information included in the acquired management information are met, If it is determined that the above conditions are met, a display control unit will cause the information relating to the management information to be displayed on the video user's device, Equipped with, The information acquisition unit is a video data management system that determines whether the conditions are met based on the relationship between the industry type pre-associated with the video provider and the industry type pre-set for the video user.

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