Video switching computer, observation device, video switching method, and program

Abstract

A video switching computer (1) performs the following: receiving the degree of importance of videos; setting display ranks for the videos on the basis of the received degree of importance; giving an instruction to observation devices (2) corresponding to the respective videos such that the quality of the videos are set on the basis of the display ranks; acquiring, from the observation devices (2), videos having the image quality set by the observation device (2); and causing a terminal (3) to output the acquired videos in accordance with the display ranks.

Description

Video switching computer, observation device, video switching method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a video switching computer, an observation device, a video switching method, and a program.

[0002] Conventionally, at particularly dangerous sites such as construction sites, work machines and the like have been remotely operated. At such sites, imaging devices such as fixed cameras installed at multiple locations, cameras mounted on drones, and mobile cameras installed on portable devices, etc., are used to provide work support to workers, managers, and other related parties in various remote locations with information about the site situation (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 070214 Pamphlet Patent No. 7029586 Specification

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a computer that can output images obtained from an observation device to a terminal according to their importance, even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission that can be used for images.

[0005] The provided invention is a video switching computer that switches between videos from multiple distributed observation devices, and includes an importance receiving unit that receives the importance of the videos, a display order setting unit that sets the display order of the videos based on the received importance, an instruction unit that instructs the observation device corresponding to each video so that the image quality of the video is set based on the display order, an acquisition unit that acquires video of the image quality set by the observation device from the observation device, and an output unit that outputs the acquired video to a terminal according to the display order.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a system including a video switching computer 1, an observation device, and a terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a system including a video switching computer 1, an observation device, and a terminal according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of video switching processing executed by the video switching computer 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of video switching that the video switching computer 1 according to this embodiment causes to be displayed (output) on a terminal 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of video switching that the video switching computer 1 according to this embodiment causes to be displayed (output) on a terminal 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining video output processing executed by the video switching computer 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining video distribution processing executed by an observation device 2 constituting this embodiment.

[0007] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same numbers or symbols throughout the description of the embodiments.

[0008] [Basic Concept / Basic Configuration] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a video switching system that is a system including a video switching computer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of observation devices 2, and a terminal 3. Hereinafter, the video switching computer 1 may be referred to simply as the computer 1.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1 , a computer 1 functions as a media server and is connected to multiple observation devices 2 and terminals 3 for data communication via the Internet, a network such as a mobile phone network, a network constructed by software virtualization, or the like. The number of each observation device 2 and terminal 3 may be one or more. Multiple observation devices 2 may be connected to the computer 1 simultaneously, or the observation device 2 and terminal 3 may be connected to the computer 1 simultaneously. The multiple observation devices 2 may be installed at one site or at multiple sites (e.g., site X and site Y as shown in FIG. 1 ). Each of the multiple observation devices 2 is an imaging device such as a video camera that observes the remote operation status of a remotely controlled work machine such as a robot arm, shovel, crane, bulldozer, or transport vehicle. The terminal 3 acquires and displays the video captured by the observation device 2 via the video switching computer 1.

[0010] The computer 1 may be an on-premise computer or computing system such as an on-premise server or an on-premise computing system, or may be a cloud computer or computing system such as a cloud server or a cloud computing system. In this embodiment, the computer 1 is a cloud computing system. As will be described later, the computer 1 may be a personal computer, a computer installed in a mobile terminal, or a computer installed in a wearable terminal.

[0011] The observation device 2 may be a device such as a camera, a temperature sensor, or a metal detector. The video captured by the observation device 2 may be video data, image data, numerical data, or other data. The video switching computer 1 may acquire the data from the observation device 2 via the network, or may acquire the data via a system (not shown) that controls remote operations other than the observation device 2.

[0012] The terminal 3 is a terminal capable of transmitting and receiving data between the terminal 3 and the video switching computer 1. The terminal 3 may be, for example, an electronic device such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the computer 1 has at least one video channel 4. The video channel 4 includes a plurality of ports 5. Each of the plurality of ports 5 may be assigned a unique port number (identifier). The video channel 4 may be, for example, a data channel in a peer-to-peer communication connection method. An example of communication based on a peer-to-peer communication connection method is WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication).

[0014] The computer 1 receives the importance of the video received at each port 5 and optimally sets the display order of the video to be displayed on the terminal 3 based on the importance. The importance may be the level of attention the user of the terminal 3 pays to the video. The computer 1 may set the importance of the video based on information received from the observation device 2, based on input by the user of the terminal 3, or by estimation and setting using a trained model constructed by machine learning. The computer 1 may set the display order of videos (related videos) associated with the video with the highest display order so that the related videos are output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display order. Specifically, for example, the computer 1 may set the display order of the related videos within a predetermined display order range so that the related videos are output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display order, or may set the display order of the related videos by a predetermined number of places compared to before the change in the display order so that the related videos are output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display order.

[0015] Furthermore, the computer 1 may associate video (neighboring video) from an observation device 2 located near the observation device 2 capturing the video with the highest display rank as video in the same group (video from the same cassette) as the video with the highest display rank. In this case, the computer 1 may set the display rank so as to raise the display rank of the neighboring video included in the group. Specifically, for example, the computer 1 may set the display rank of the neighboring video within a predetermined display rank range so that the neighboring video is output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display rank, or may set the display rank of the neighboring video to be raised by a predetermined rank compared to before the change in the display rank so that the neighboring video is output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display rank.

[0016] In addition, the video associated with the video with the highest display rank may be, for example, a video showing the same location as the video with the highest display rank, or a video showing the same machine as the video with the highest display rank.

[0017] Furthermore, the vicinity of the video with the highest display rank may be, for example, a position next to the video with the highest display rank on the screen of terminal 3. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1 , the vicinity of video A1 with the highest display rank may be, for example, a position next to and above video A1 with the highest display rank, a position next to and below video A1 with the highest display rank, or a position next to and to the side (right or left) of video A1 with the highest display rank on the screen of terminal 3.

[0018] Furthermore, the observation device 2 located near the observation device 2 that captures the video with the highest display rank may be, for example, an observation device 2 among multiple observation devices 2 whose distance from the observation device 2 that captures the video with the highest display rank is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0019] The computer 1 notifies the observation device 2 corresponding to each video to increase the image quality of the video set to a high display order and decrease the image quality of the video set to a low display order. This allows the observation device 2 to provide the computer 1 with video of the image quality according to the notification.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the computer 1 acquires images from a plurality of observation devices 2 observing site X and site Y via a video channel 4. The computer 1 may have only a single video channel 4, or may have a plurality of channels 4 including a first video channel 4 and a second video channel 4. In this case, the computer 1 may acquire images from a plurality of observation devices 2 observing site X via the first video channel 4, and images from a plurality of observation devices 2 observing site Y via the second video channel 4. In this embodiment, each video channel 4 is composed of a plurality of ports 5 set according to the display order. The computer 1 acquires images from each observation device 2 via a port 5 according to the display order of the image.

[0021] The computer 1 acquires images transmitted from multiple observation devices 2 and displays (outputs) the acquired images on the terminal 3 according to the display order. Specifically, the computer 1 opens each port 5 of the video channel 4 to the terminal 3, allowing the terminal 3 to acquire images according to the display order set by the computer 1 with image quality according to the display order, and display the acquired images on the screen of the terminal 3. The computer 1 may cause the terminal 3 to enlarge and display the image (A1, F1) with the highest display order, as in the display example of the terminal 3 shown in FIG. 1 . That is, the computer 1 may output the image with the highest display order to the terminal 3 in a larger size than the other images. Specifically, when displaying an image of site X on the terminal 3, the computer 1 may output the image A1 with the highest display order to the terminal 3 in a larger size than the other images such as image A2, as shown in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, when displaying an image of site Y on the terminal 3, the computer 1 may output the image F1 with the highest display order to the terminal 3 in a larger size than the other images such as image F2, as shown in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, when the display order is changed so that, for example, the display order of video A1 changes from second or lower to the highest, the computer 1 may output the video A1 to the terminal 3 at a size larger than the size (original size) of the video A1 when the display order was second or lower. The computer 1 may also hide the video with a low display order. Specifically, the computer 1 may hide the video whose display order is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. Note that the video channel 4 in this embodiment may or may not be divided into a video acquisition channel and a video output channel.

[0022] 2 is a configuration diagram of a video switching system that is a system including a video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of observation devices 2, and a terminal 3. The computer 1 may be realized, for example, by one terminal device or by a plurality of terminal devices.

[0023] As described above, the computer 1 may be an on-premise computer or computing system, or a cloud-based computer or computing system. The computer 1 may also be a personal computer such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer. The computer 1 may also be a computer installed in a mobile terminal such as a handheld terminal, smartphone, or tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal such as smart glasses, a head-mounted display, or a smart watch. In this case, the computer 1 may be equipped with an imaging device such as a camera that captures images such as color video and / or still images.

[0024] The computer 1 includes an arithmetic processing unit and a memory. Examples of the arithmetic processing unit include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Examples of the memory include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The computer 1 also includes a control unit. The functions of the control unit are realized by the arithmetic processing unit executing a program stored in the memory. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit includes a processing unit, a communication unit, a storage unit, an input unit, and an output unit. The control unit issues execution commands to the processing unit, communication unit, input unit, output unit, storage unit, etc., and the processing unit calculates data and determines the calculation results.

[0025] The computer 1 includes a communication unit that is a device that enables the computer 1 to communicate with other devices such as the terminal 3 and the observation device 2. The communication method may be wireless or wired.

[0026] The computer 1 has an input unit that is equipped with functions necessary for a user to operate the computer 1. The computer 1 includes an input device for realizing input. The computer 1 can be equipped with, for example, an LCD display that realizes a touch panel function, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen tablet, hardware buttons on the device, a microphone for voice recognition, and the like as input devices. The input unit of the computer 1 is not limited to the input methods described above.

[0027] The computer 1 has, as an output unit, functions necessary for a user to operate the computer 1. The computer 1 includes an output device for realizing output. The computer 1 may have, for example, a display device or an audio output device as the output device. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display, a PC display, a projector, and a head-mounted display, and examples of the audio output device include a speaker. The output unit of the computer 1 is not limited to the output methods described above.

[0028] The computer 1 includes a storage unit (recording medium) such as a hard disk, semiconductor memory, or memory card. The data may be stored in a cloud service, a database, or the like. The storage unit may store, for example, part or all of the video acquired from the observation device 2 as data. In this case, the computer 1 may be configured to be able to search for video data stored in the storage unit.

[0029] The processing unit of the control unit includes a display order setting unit 10 and a determination unit 11. The communication unit of the control unit includes an importance receiving unit 20, an instruction unit 21, an acquisition unit 22, and a display output unit 23. The memory unit of the control unit includes a video storage unit 30.

[0030] The observation device 2 may be, for example, a camera, a temperature sensor, a metal detector, or the like. The observation device 2 includes an imaging unit that captures images. The observation device 2 may also be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a handheld terminal, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal such as smart glasses, a head-mounted display, or a smart watch.

[0031] The observation device 2 includes a processing unit and a memory. Examples of the processing unit include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Examples of the memory include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The observation device 2 includes a control unit. The functions of the control unit are realized by the processing unit executing a program stored in the memory. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit includes a processing unit, a communication unit, a storage unit, an imaging unit, an input unit, and an output unit. The control unit issues execution commands to the processing unit, imaging unit, communication unit, input unit, output unit, storage unit, etc., and the processing unit calculates data and determines the calculation results.

[0032] The observation device 2 includes a communication unit that is a device that enables the observation device 2 to communicate with other devices such as the computer 1 and the terminal 3. The communication method may be wireless or wired.

[0033] The observation device 2 has an input unit that is equipped with functions necessary for a user to operate the observation device 2. The observation device 2 includes an input device for realizing input. The observation device 2 can be equipped with, for example, an LCD display that realizes a touch panel function, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen tablet, hardware buttons on the device, a microphone for voice recognition, etc. as input devices. The input unit of the observation device 2 is not limited to the input methods described above.

[0034] The observation device 2 has, as an output unit, functions necessary for a user to operate the observation device 2. The observation device 2 includes an output device for realizing output. The observation device 2 may, for example, be equipped with a display device or an audio output device as the output device. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display, a PC display, a projector, etc., and examples of the audio output device include a speaker, etc. The output unit of the observation device 2 is not limited to the output methods described above.

[0035] The observation device 2 includes a storage unit such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, a memory card, or other data storage (recording medium). The data may be stored in a cloud service, a database, or the like.

[0036] The processing unit of the control unit includes an information detection unit 40, an importance setting unit 41, an image quality setting unit 42, an acceleration detection unit 43, and a learning unit 44. The communication unit of the control unit includes an importance providing unit 50, an instruction receiving unit 51, and a video providing unit 52.

[0037] As described above, the terminal 3 may be, for example, a personal computer such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer, a mobile terminal such as a handheld terminal, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal such as smart glasses, a head-mounted display or a smart watch, or another type of information terminal. The terminal 3 may be equipped with an imaging device such as a camera that captures images such as color moving images and / or still images.

[0038] The terminal 3 includes an arithmetic processing unit and a memory. Examples of the arithmetic processing unit include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Examples of the memory include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The terminal 3 includes a control unit. The functions of the control unit are realized by the arithmetic processing unit executing a program stored in the memory. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit includes a processing unit, a communication unit, an input unit, an output unit, and a storage unit. The control unit issues execution commands to the processing unit, communication unit, input unit, output unit, storage unit, etc., and the processing unit calculates data and determines the calculation results.

[0039] The terminal 3 includes a communication unit that enables the terminal 3 to communicate with other devices such as the computer 1 and the observation device 2. The communication method may be wireless or wired.

[0040] The terminal 3 has, as an input unit, functions necessary for a user to operate the terminal 3. The terminal 3 includes an input device for realizing input. The terminal 3 can be equipped with, for example, an LCD display realizing a touch panel function, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen tablet, hardware buttons on the device, a microphone for voice recognition, etc. as input devices. The input unit of the terminal 3 is not limited to the input methods described above.

[0041] The terminal 3 has, as an output unit, functions necessary for a user to operate the terminal 3. The terminal 3 includes an output device for realizing output. The terminal 3 may have, for example, a display device or an audio output device as the output device. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display, a PC display, a projector, etc., and examples of the audio output device include a speaker, etc. The output unit of the terminal 3 is not limited to the output methods described above.

[0042] The terminal 3 includes a storage unit such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, a memory card, or other data storage (recording medium). The data may be stored in a cloud service, a database, or the like.

[0043] Note that some or all of the functions of the computer 1 may be implemented in the observation device 2 or the terminal 3 by software virtualization.

[0044] The above is the basic concept and basic configuration of the video switching system, which is a system including the video switching computer 1 (distributed video switching computer 1), the observation device 2, and the terminal 3.

[0045] [Video Switching Process] The video switching process executed by the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the video switching process executed by the video switching computer 1.

[0046] The importance receiving unit 20 of the computer 1 receives the importance of the video (step S1). Specifically, the importance receiving unit 20 receives the importance of the video captured by the observation device 2 from the observation device 2 communicatively connected to the computer 1 via the network. The type of data indicating the importance is not particularly limited and can be various data, but it is preferable that it be numerical data such as a score indicating the importance of the video. The importance receiving unit 20 may receive, as the importance of the video, an importance based on a measurement value detected by a sensor (e.g., the observation device 2), or may receive an importance based on information such as an abnormality detected by the sensor. Furthermore, the importance receiving unit 20 may receive, as the importance of the video, an importance based on a user input to the input unit of the computer 1 or the input unit of the terminal 3.

[0047] Next, the display order setting unit 10 of the computer 1 sets the display order of the videos based on the received importance (step S2). Specifically, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order using an algorithm such as a ranking algorithm. The type of algorithm is not particularly limited.

[0048] 4, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the related videos A2-A4 associated with the video A1 with the highest display order among the videos captured by the observation device 2 at the site X so that the related videos A2-A4 are output near the video A1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3. Specifically, for example, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the related videos A2-A4 within a predetermined display order range so that the related videos A2-A4 are output near the video A1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3, or may set the display order of the related videos A2-A4 to be raised by a predetermined number of places compared to before the change in the display order so that the related videos A2-A4 are output near the video A1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3.

[0049] Furthermore, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the related videos F2-F4 associated with the video F1 with the highest display order among the videos captured by the observation device 2 at the site Y so that the related videos F2-F4 are output near the video F1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3. Specifically, for example, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the related videos F2-F4 within a predetermined display order range so that the related videos F2-F4 are output near the video F1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3, or may set the display order of the related videos F2-F4 to be raised by a predetermined number of places compared to before the change in the display order so that the related videos F2-F4 are output near the video F1 with the highest display order on the terminal 3.

[0050] The display order setting unit 10 may associate the related videos A2-A4 with the video A1 having the highest display order as videos in the same group (videos on the same cassette), and may set the display order so that the related videos A2-A4 included in this group are output near the video A1 on the terminal 3. Specifically, for example, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the videos A2-A4 included in the same group within a preset display order range so that the videos A2-A4 included in the same group are output near the video A1 on the terminal 3, or may set the display order of the videos A2-A4 included in the same group to be raised by a predetermined number of places compared to before the change in the display order so that the videos A2-A4 included in the same group are output near the video A1 on the terminal 3.

[0051] Similarly, the display order setting unit 10 may associate the related videos F2-F4 with the video F1 having the highest display order as videos in the same group (videos on the same cassette), and set the display order so that the related videos F2-F4 included in this group are output near the video F1 on the terminal 3. Specifically, for example, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of the videos F2-F4 included in the same group within a preset display order range so that the videos F2-F4 included in the same group are output near the video F1 on the terminal 3, or may set the display order of the videos F2-F4 included in the same group to be raised by a predetermined number of places compared to before the change in the display order so that the videos F2-F4 included in the same group are output near the video F1 on the terminal 3.

[0052] Furthermore, if the image from an observation device 2 located near the observation device 2 capturing image A1 with the highest display rank at site X is, for example, image B1, and the image from an observation device 2 located near the observation device 2 capturing image F1 with the highest display rank at site Y is, for example, image G1, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order to raise the display order of image B1 at site X and may set the display order to raise the display order of image G1 at site Y. Specifically, for example, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of image B1 within a predetermined display order range, or may set the display order of image B1 to be raised by a predetermined rank compared to before the display order was changed. Similarly, the display order setting unit 10 may set the display order of image G1 within a predetermined display order range, or may set the display order of image G1 to be raised by a predetermined rank compared to before the display order was changed.

[0053] Next, the instruction unit 21 of the computer 1 instructs the observation device 2 corresponding to each video to set the image quality of the video based on the display order (step S3). Specifically, the instruction unit 21 instructs the observation device 2 that captures each video to increase or decrease the image quality (image quality instruction) according to the display order. Image quality may include resolution and / or frame rate, and the instruction unit 21 may instruct the observation device 2 to increase or decrease the resolution and / or frame rate of the video as the image quality instruction. Specific aspects of image quality, such as the number of resolution levels and the number of frame rate levels, are not particularly important.

[0054] The observation device 2 sets the image quality of the video based on the image quality instruction acquired from the computer 1. The image quality instruction may include image quality instruction information for instructing the image quality. In this case, the observation device 2 may set the image quality of the video based on the image quality instruction information. The image quality instruction may also include display order information regarding the display order of the videos. In this case, the observation device 2 may be configured in advance with a map such as a relational equation or table that represents the relationship between the display order and image quality, and the observation device 2 may set the image quality of the video based on the map and the display order information.

[0055] Next, the acquisition unit 22 of the computer 1 acquires video of the image quality set by the observation device 2 from the observation device 2 (step S4). Specifically, the acquisition unit 22 acquires video of the image quality set by the observation device 2 from the video channel 4 of the computer 1. The acquisition unit 22 may also acquire signals generated by the observation device 2 for setting values ​​of brightness, contrast, etc. low. The signals generated by the observation device 2 will be described later. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 22 may store the acquired video in the video storage unit 30 based on the importance level accepted in the above-mentioned step S1. Specifically, for example, if the importance level of the video acquired in step S4 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the acquisition unit 22 may store the video in the video storage unit 30.

[0056] In this embodiment, storing video in the video storage unit 30 may mean storing the video in a standby state in a computer 1, such as a server, in which the video can be instantly displayed on the terminal 3 as needed. The standby state is a state in which video is transmitted from the observation device 2 to the computer 1, but the computer 1 is not transmitting the video to the terminal 3. Specifically, the standby state is a state in which video is transmitted from the observation device 2 to the computer 1, but the computer 1 is not transmitting the video to the terminal 3, and the computer 1 can quickly access the video. The display output unit 23 can instantly display the video stored in the video storage unit 30 (video in the standby state) on the terminal 3 as needed.

[0057] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 22 may determine whether there is a lot of movement in the acquired video by recognizing the acquired video (for example, by performing image recognition). Specifically, when the acquisition unit 22 determines that the movement in the video satisfies a predetermined condition, the acquisition unit 22 may increase the accepted importance (for example, increase the importance to a predetermined threshold or higher) and store the acquired video in the video storage unit 30. The predetermined condition may be, for example, that the moving speed of an object in the video is greater than a predetermined threshold, that the acceleration of an object in the video is greater than a predetermined threshold, or that the moving distance of an object in the video is longer than a predetermined threshold.

[0058] In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the computer 1 is provided with a video channel 4, which is composed of a plurality of ports 5 (e.g., 11 ports 5), but the number of ports 5 is not limited to the specific example shown in FIG. 4 . The plurality of ports 5 are set in advance according to the display order. That is, the plurality of ports 5 may be associated with the display order. The acquisition unit 22 acquires video according to the display order in the plurality of ports 5. That is, the acquisition unit 22 acquires video with a high display order in a port 5 with a high display order, and acquires video with a low display order in a port 5 with a low display order.

[0059] Next, the display output unit 23 of the computer 1 outputs the acquired video to the terminal 3 according to the display order (step S5). Specifically, the display output unit 23 opens each port 5 of the video channel 4 to the terminal 3, allowing the terminal 3 to acquire video according to the display order set by the display order setting unit 10 with image quality according to the display order, and display the acquired video on the screen of the terminal 3. The display output unit 23 may also cause the terminal 3 to enlarge and display the video (A1, F1) with the highest display order, as in the display example of the terminal 3 shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, when displaying video of site X on the terminal 3, the computer 1 may output the video A1 with the highest display order to the terminal 3 at a larger size than other videos such as video A2, as shown in FIG. 4. When displaying video of site Y on the terminal 3, the computer 1 may output the video F1 with the highest display order to the terminal 3 at a larger size than other videos such as video F2, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0060] The display output unit 23 of the computer 1 may retrieve the video from the video storage unit 30 according to the display order and display it on the terminal 3. In this case, the display output unit 23 can smoothly display the video (e.g., one or more videos) that is in standby mode in the video storage unit 30 on the terminal 3 according to the display order.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows an example of video switching, in which a video of site X is switched to a video of site Y on terminal 3. For example, as shown in the terminal 3 depicted in the upper right of FIG. 4, on terminal 3 displaying the video of site X, video A1, which has the highest display order, is enlarged and displayed at a high resolution and / or a high frame rate, and related videos A2-A4 related to video A1 are displayed near (above) video A1 as videos of the same group (video from the same cassette) at a low resolution and / or a low frame rate, and videos B1-E1 are displayed according to their display order. When the display order is changed to display the video of site Y, as shown in terminal 3 depicted in the lower right of FIG. 4, video F1, which has the highest display order, is enlarged and displayed at a high resolution and / or a high frame rate, and related videos F2-F4 related to video F1 are displayed near (above) video F1 as videos of the same group (video from the same cassette) at a low resolution and / or a low frame rate, and videos G1-J1 are displayed according to their display order. By changing the display order in this way, the video is switched. As described above, the number of resolution levels is not limited to two, high resolution and low resolution. For example, the number of resolution levels including high resolution and low resolution may be three or more. Similarly, the number of frame rate levels is not limited to two, high frame rate and low frame rate. For example, the number of frame rate levels including high frame rate and low frame rate may be three or more.

[0062] FIG. 5 also shows another example of video switching. As shown in the terminal 3 depicted in the upper right of FIG. 4, on terminal 3 displaying video of site X, video A1, which has the highest display order, is enlarged and displayed at a high resolution and / or a high frame rate. Videos A2-A4 related to video A1 are displayed near (above) video A1 as videos from the same group (video from the same cassette) at a low resolution and / or a low frame rate. Videos B1-E1 are displayed according to their display order. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the display order of specific videos (B1-B4) of site X and specific videos (F1-F4) of site Y are reversed, so that video F1 is displayed in the place where video B1 was displayed. This allows the user of terminal 3 to primarily monitor site X while also checking the status of specific locations at site Y. Note that, as described above, the number of resolution levels is not limited to two: high resolution and low resolution. For example, the number of resolution levels, including high resolution and low resolution, may be three or more. Similarly, the number of frame rate stages is not limited to two, the high frame rate and the low frame rate, and may be, for example, three or more frame rate stages including the high frame rate and the low frame rate.

[0063] As shown in the example display of terminal 3 in the upper right of Fig. 4, the computer 1 may instruct terminal 3 not to output one or more images (e.g., images B2-B4) acquired from some of the multiple observation devices 2, regardless of the display order. Similarly, as shown in the example display of terminal 3 in the lower right of Fig. 4, the computer 1 may instruct terminal 3 not to output one or more images (e.g., images G2-G4) acquired from some of the multiple observation devices 2, regardless of the display order.

[0064] This completes the video switching process.

[0065] [Video Output Processing] Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the video output processing executed by the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment. This processing is a detailed description of the processing carried out in step S5 of the video switching processing described above.

[0066] The determination unit 11 of the computer 1 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 is an associated video (step S51). Specifically, the determination unit 11 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 is included in a group (cassette) as a sub-video.

[0067] If it is determined in step S51 above that the video acquired in step S4 is an associated video (step S51: YES), the determination unit 11 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 is an associated video with the video having the highest display order (step S52). Specifically, the determination unit 11 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 is included in the same group (cassette) as the main video as a sub-video associated with the main video having the highest display order.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S51 that the video acquired in step S4 is not an associated video (step S51: NO), the determination unit 11 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 has the highest display order (step S53). Specifically, the determination unit 11 determines whether the video acquired in step S4 is the main video with the highest display order.

[0069] In the above-mentioned step S52, if it is determined that the video acquired in step S4 is the video associated with the video with the highest display ranking (step S52: YES), the display output unit 23 displays (outputs) the video on the terminal 3 (step S54), and terminates this processing.

[0070] If it is determined in step S52 above that the video acquired in step S4 is not a video associated with the video with the highest display ranking (step S52: NO), the computer 1 ends this process. In this case, the video is not displayed (output) on the terminal 3, but may be stored in the video storage unit 30 based on the importance received in step S1 above.

[0071] If it is determined in step S53 above that the video acquired in step S4 has the highest display order (step S53: YES), the display output unit 23 displays the video on the terminal 3 (step S54), and ends this process. At this time, the display output unit 23 may retrieve the video from the video storage unit 30 according to the display order, display it on the terminal 3, and end this process.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S53 that the video acquired in step S4 does not have the highest display order (step S53: NO), the computer 1 ends this process. In this case, the video is not displayed (output) on the terminal 3, but may be stored in the video storage unit 30 based on the importance received in step S1.

[0073] This completes the video output process.

[0074] The video switching computer 1 according to this embodiment can control the amount of data transmitted from a large number of observation devices scattered throughout the field by instructing the observation devices to set high image quality for video with high importance and low image quality for video with low importance. Therefore, even in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited and with the minimum necessary infrastructure, it is possible to suppress video delays and degradation in video quality and smoothly switch between videos according to their importance, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, the video with the highest display priority is displayed large, so that even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission that can be used for video, and with the minimum necessary infrastructure, the user can closely monitor the location and / or machine that shows the video that is of the most interest to them.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, the video with the highest display ranking is displayed along with the video associated with that video, so that even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission that can be used for video, and with the minimum necessary infrastructure, the user can closely monitor the location and / or machine shown in the video with the highest importance, as well as the location and / or machine shown in the related video.

[0077] Furthermore, the image switching computer 1 according to this embodiment can display images of machines and / or locations that are attracting a lot of attention, or images of machines and / or locations that are close to those images, allowing the user to simultaneously monitor the images of the machines and / or locations that are attracting attention and the surrounding environment.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, for example, if a sensor or the like installed at the site detects an abnormality or detects a high acceleration in the movement of an object in the video, it becomes possible to raise the display ranking of the video of the monitored location, facility, etc. related to the video of the abnormality and / or fast-moving object.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, the user of the computer 1 or the user of the terminal 3 can set the importance of the video when they want to switch the video displayed on the terminal 3 to another video, and can therefore increase or decrease the importance of the video showing the monitored object, such as a machine operated by the user or a site monitored by the user, and switch the displayed video as appropriate.

[0080] According to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, by increasing the resolution of videos of high importance, videos requiring detailed information can be delivered clearly, and by decreasing the resolution of videos of low importance, these videos can be delivered smoothly even in a slow network environment or on a device with limited processing power, allowing users to view these videos. Also, by increasing the frame rate of videos of high importance, videos with a lot of fast movement can be delivered, and by decreasing the frame rate of videos of low importance, the data size of the videos can be reduced, allowing these videos to be delivered and users to view these videos even in a slow network environment or an unstable network environment due to mobility, etc.

[0081] According to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, for example, by storing video of high importance and keeping the output of that video in a standby state in the computer 1, it becomes possible to smoothly switch videos without delay, even in a site with a poor communication environment, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user. Also, by storing the video in the computer 1 (server), it becomes possible to search for the video of the image to be captured.

[0082] According to the video switching computer 1 of this embodiment, when the display order of a stored video is raised, the video that is on standby for output can be instantly accessed and output, so that even in a location with a poor communication environment, the video can be switched smoothly and without delay, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0083] An example of the flow of processing in which the video storage unit 30 stores video and the display output unit 23 outputs the stored video to the terminal 3 will be briefly described below.

[0084] The video storage unit 30 may determine whether to store the video based on a predetermined storage determination condition, and store the video when the storage determination condition is satisfied. The display output unit 23 may determine whether to output the video stored in the video storage unit 30 to the terminal 3 based on a predetermined output determination condition, and output the video to the terminal 3 when the output determination condition is satisfied.

[0085] The storage determination condition may include, for example, a condition that the importance level is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The output determination condition may include, for example, a condition regarding the presence or absence of a movable monitoring target, such as a machine or a person, in the video to be stored. Specifically, the output determination condition may include, for example, a condition that the presence or absence of a movable monitoring target in the video to be stored changes to a state in which the monitoring target is present. The output determination condition may also include, for example, a condition regarding the degree of movement of the movable monitoring target in the video to be stored. Specifically, the output determination condition may be, for example, that the speed of movement of the movable monitoring target in the video to be stored is greater than a predetermined threshold, that the acceleration of the movable monitoring target in the video to be stored is greater than a predetermined threshold, or that the distance traveled by the movable monitoring target in the video to be stored is greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0086] [Video Distribution Processing] The video distribution processing executed by the observation device 2 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart of the video distribution processing executed by the observation device 2.

[0087] The information detection unit 40 of the observation device 2 detects information related to the video captured by the observation device 2 (video-related information) (step S21).

[0088] The information detection unit 40 may, for example, acquire sensing results from a sensor and detect the video-related information based on the sensing results. The sensor may be a sensor included in the observation device 2, or may be a sensor installed at a location separate from the observation device 2. The sensor installed at a location separate from the observation device 2 may be a sensor installed at a work site, manufacturing site, or other site, or may be a sensor attached to an object to be monitored at the site.

[0089] The information detection unit 40 may detect, based on the sensing results of the sensors, information about some abnormality (abnormality information) at a site such as a work site or a manufacturing site as the video-related information.

[0090] Furthermore, the information detection unit 40 may detect information about the movement of a monitored object (object movement information) as the video-related information based on the sensing results of the sensors. Examples of monitored objects include work machines (such as shovels, cranes, and transport vehicles), people, structures, and obstacles present at a work site. Examples of monitored objects include work machines (such as hoists and transport vehicles), people, and structures present at a manufacturing site. The object movement information may be, for example, information about the speed of the monitored object, information about the acceleration of the monitored object, or information about the distance traveled by the monitored object.

[0091] Furthermore, the detection in step S21 may be detection based on a trained model for information detection using artificial intelligence (AI). That is, the information detection unit 40 may detect information related to the video captured by the observation device 2 (video-related information) using the trained model for information detection. Specifically, for example, the information detection unit 40 may input a determination target portion (e.g., an image included in the video) of the video captured by the observation device 2 to be determined into the trained model for information detection, obtain a determination result for an object included in the determination target portion from the trained model for information detection, and detect the video-related information based on the obtained determination result.

[0092] For example, the learning unit 44 of the observation device 2 may perform supervised learning on the feature quantities of information displayed in the video when the information is detected. This makes it possible to accumulate training data on workers, particularly skilled workers, and future use of this data may enable work optimization, hazard prediction in work practices, and the like. Such training data may be stored in the memory unit of the observation device 2 as additional training data for automatic detection. The learning unit 44 may also learn about the feature quantities using a deep learning technique, which automatically defines and learns using a multi-layered neural network. Thereafter, the learning unit 44 may create a trained model for information detection based on the learning results, and the memory unit of the observation device 2 may store the trained model.

[0093] In the above specific example, the learning unit 44 of the observation device 2 generates a trained model by performing supervised learning, but the generation of the trained model may be performed by a learning device other than the observation device 2. The observation device 2 may store the trained model generated by the learning device in a storage unit. This learning device includes a computer. The learning device acquires a training dataset including teacher data and correct labels, inputs the teacher data to a trained model, acquires processing results from the trained model, and trains the trained model based on the error between the correct labels and the processing results according to a learning algorithm.

[0094] For example, if the trained model for information detection has been trained based on the error between the judgment result of the trained model for a training image including a target object and a correct label indicating the type of object included in the training image, the information detection unit 40 can input the target portion to the trained model for information detection, obtain a judgment result from the trained model for information detection, and detect information about the target object as the video-related information based on the obtained judgment result. The information detection unit 40 may sequentially input a large number of time-series images included in a video captured by the observation device 2 to the trained model for information detection and obtain a judgment result about the object included in each image from the trained model for information detection, thereby detecting, for example, information about the movement of an object in the video (object movement information) as the video-related information. The object movement information may be, for example, information about the speed of the object in the video, information about the acceleration of the object in the video, or information about the distance traveled by the object in the video.

[0095] Next, the importance setting unit 41 of the observation device 2 sets the importance of the video based on the video-related information detected in step S21 (step S22). Specifically, the importance setting unit 41 may increase the importance of the video to be captured when, for example, the information detection unit 40 detects some kind of abnormality at the site based on the sensing results of a sensor installed at the site and / or detects that the acceleration of the movement of an object in the video is high, and may decrease the importance of the video to be captured when these conditions are resolved.

[0096] Examples of the sensor include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), an acoustic sensor, a voice sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a light sensor, a vibration sensor, a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an infrared sensor, a metal detector, etc. However, the sensor is not limited to these specific examples.

[0097] If the sensor is a LiDAR, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the LiDAR and detect the distance to a monitoring target, such as an object, as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected distance. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance level the higher the urgency corresponding to the distance (e.g., the closer the distance to the monitoring target). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output video of an area with a high urgency to the terminal 3 based on the importance level provided by the observation device 2. The importance level may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the distance.

[0098] If the sensor is an acoustic sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the acoustic sensor and detect the magnitude of sound pressure as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the magnitude of the detected sound pressure. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the higher the urgency correlated with the sound pressure (e.g., the higher the sound pressure). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output videos of areas with high urgency to the terminal 3 based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnitude of the sound pressure.

[0099] If the sensor is an audio sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the audio sensor and detect audio characteristics such as audio volume and audio frequency as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected audio characteristics. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the higher the urgency correlated with the audio characteristics (e.g., the louder the audio pressure). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output videos of areas with high urgency to the terminal 3 based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the audio characteristics.

[0100] If the sensor is an acceleration sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the acceleration sensor and detect the acceleration of an object as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected acceleration of the object. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the higher the degree of abnormality correlated with the acceleration (e.g., the greater the acceleration). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output videos of areas with a high degree of abnormality to the terminal 3 based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnitude of the acceleration. The abnormality correlated with acceleration may be, for example, an abnormality caused by vibration of an object or another abnormality.

[0101] If the sensor is a gas sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the gas sensor and detect a gas concentration as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected gas concentration. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the greater the degree of deterioration of the site environment correlated with the gas concentration (e.g., the higher the gas concentration). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 videos of areas where the site environment is highly deteriorated, based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnitude of the gas concentration.

[0102] If the sensor is a humidity sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the humidity sensor and detect humidity as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected humidity. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance of the video the greater the degree of decline in operational efficiency of the device correlated with the humidity (e.g., the higher the humidity). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 videos of areas where the degree of decline in operational efficiency of the device is high, based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the level of humidity.

[0103] If the sensor is an optical sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the optical sensor and detect the amount of light based on the sensing results as the video-related information, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected amount of light. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance of the video as the degree of reduction in visibility correlated with the amount of light increases (e.g., the lower the amount of light). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 an image of an area where the degree of reduction in visibility is high and work efficiency is likely to decrease, based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnitude of the amount of light.

[0104] If the sensor is a vibration sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the vibration sensor and detect vibrations as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected vibration. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance for the video, the higher the degree of abnormality correlated with the vibration characteristics and in an object such as a structure or equipment at the site. This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 videos of areas with a high degree of abnormality in an object such as a structure or equipment based on the importance provided by the observation device 2, allowing the user to discover abnormalities early. The importance ranking may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the vibration characteristics.

[0105] If the sensor is a proximity sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the proximity sensor and detect the distance to a monitoring target, such as an object, as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected distance. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance level the higher the urgency corresponding to the distance (e.g., the closer the distance to the monitoring target). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output video of an area with a high urgency to the terminal 3 based on the importance level provided by the observation device 2. The importance level may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the distance.

[0106] If the sensor is a pressure sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the pressure sensor and detect pressure as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected pressure. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the higher the degree of abnormality in the load correlated with the magnitude of the pressure (e.g., the greater the pressure). This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 videos of areas where a high load is placed on a machine such as a work machine, based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnitude of the pressure.

[0107] If the sensor is a magnetic sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the magnetic sensor and detect magnetic field changes as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected magnetic field changes. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance the higher the degree of abnormality of the metal object correlated with the magnetic field changes. This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output to the terminal 3 videos of areas where abnormal metal objects are present at the site based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance rank may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the magnetic field changes.

[0108] If the sensor is an infrared sensor, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the infrared sensor and detect the amount of heat radiation based on the sensing results as the image-related information, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the image according to the detected amount of heat radiation. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance level the higher the degree of risk of an overheated area correlated with the amount of heat radiation. This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output images of areas where overheated areas exist at the site to the terminal 3 based on the importance level provided by the observation device 2. The importance level may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the amount of heat radiation.

[0109] If the sensor is a metal detector, the information detection unit 40 may acquire sensing results from the metal detector and detect metal characteristics, such as the type and size of the metal object, as the video-related information based on the sensing results, and the importance setting unit 41 may set the importance of the video according to the detected metal characteristics. In this case, the importance setting unit 41 may set a higher importance as the degree of danger correlated with the characteristics of the metal object increases. This allows the computer 1 to preferentially output videos of areas where dangerous objects are present at the site to the terminal 3 based on the importance provided by the observation device 2. The importance ranks may be set in advance into multiple levels (e.g., five levels) associated with the characteristics of the metal object.

[0110] Note that, when the detection in step S21 is based on a trained model for information detection, the information detection unit 40 is configured to input the video captured by the observation device 2 (e.g., an image included in the video captured by the observation device 2) into the trained model for information detection and acquire the determination result (e.g., the type of object in the video) from the trained model for information detection, but is not limited to this specific example. For example, the information detection unit 40 may be configured to input the sensing result of the sensor into the trained model for information detection and acquire the determination result from the trained model for information detection. In this case, the determination result may be a determination result regarding the presence or absence of an abnormality (the degree of abnormality) that is correlated with the sensing result of the sensor. Specific examples of the sensor include those described below. The sensing result of a sound-related sensor, such as an acoustic sensor or a voice sensor, is correlated with the presence or absence of an abnormality regarding sound. The sensing result of an acceleration sensor is correlated with the presence or absence of an abnormality regarding acceleration or speed. The sensing result of a gas sensor is correlated with the presence or absence of an abnormality regarding gas concentration. The sensing result of a humidity sensor is correlated with the presence or absence of an abnormality regarding humidity. The sensing results of an optical sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in the amount of light. The sensing results of a vibration sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in vibration. The sensing results of a proximity sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in the distance to the monitored object. The sensing results of a pressure sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in pressure. The sensing results of a magnetic sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in magnetic field changes. The sensing results of an infrared sensor correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in the distance to the monitored object. The sensing results of a metal detector correlate with the presence or absence of abnormalities in the characteristics of metal (degree of danger).

[0111] The information detection unit 40 may also be configured to input the video captured by the observation device 2 and / or the sensing results of the sensor into a trained model for information detection and acquire the judgment results (e.g., a judgment result of the type of object in the video, a judgment result of the presence or absence of an abnormality) from the trained model for information detection. The information detection unit 40 may also be configured to input the video captured by the observation device 2 and / or the sensing results of the sensor into a trained model for information detection and acquire an importance level as a judgment result from the trained model for information detection. This importance level may be correlated with the presence or absence of an abnormality, for example, and the presence of such an abnormality may indicate a high importance level. In this case, the learning device may acquire a training dataset including teacher data (e.g., sensing results) and a correct answer label (e.g., the presence or absence of an abnormality), input the teacher data into a trained model, acquire a processing result from the trained model, and train the trained model based on the error between the correct answer label and the processing result according to a learning algorithm.

[0112] Next, the importance providing unit 50 of the observation device 2 provides the set importance to the computer 1 (step S23). Specifically, the importance providing unit 50 provides the set importance to the computer 1 by transmitting the set importance to the computer 1 via the network, in order to cause the computer 1 to set the display order of the videos to be displayed on the terminal 3.

[0113] Next, the instruction receiving unit 51 of the observation device 2 receives an instruction from the computer 1 (step S24). Specifically, the instruction receiving unit 51 receives an instruction from the computer 1 to increase the image quality of the video set to a high display order and to decrease the image quality of the video set to a low display order. That is, the instruction receiving unit 51 receives an instruction from the computer 1 to set the image quality of the video set to a high display order to high image quality in the observation device 2 and the image quality of the video set to a low display order to low image quality in the observation device 2.

[0114] Next, the image quality setting unit 42 of the observation device 2 sets the image quality of the captured image based on the received instruction (step S25). Specifically, the image quality setting unit 42 increases or decreases the image quality of the captured image based on the received instruction. Image quality includes resolution and / or frame rate, and the instruction unit 21 of the computer 1 may issue an instruction to the observation device 2 to increase or decrease the image resolution and / or frame rate. Specific aspects of image quality, such as the number of resolution levels and the number of frame rate levels, are not particularly important.

[0115] The acceleration detection unit 43 of the observation device 2 detects the acceleration of the observation device 2. Examples of the acceleration detection unit 43 include a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. In step S25, if the acceleration of the observation device 2 itself detected by the acceleration detection unit 43 of the observation device 2 is large, for example, the image quality setting unit 42 may set the image quality of the captured image to a low level without following instructions from the computer 1. Specifically, if the acceleration of the observation device 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the image quality setting unit 42 may lower the image quality to a predetermined value, or may lower the image quality by a predetermined degree. Furthermore, the image quality setting unit 42 may set the image quality to a lower level as the acceleration of the observation device 2 increases. The image quality setting unit 42 may control the image quality based on changes in parameters such as image brightness and contrast.

[0116] Next, the video providing unit 52 of the observation device 2 provides the video of the set image quality to the computer 1 (step S26). Specifically, the video providing unit 52 provides the video of the image quality set in the above-mentioned step S25 to the video channel 4 of the computer 1. At this time, the video providing unit 52 provides the video of the set image quality to the port 5 set according to the display order. If the observation device 2 generated a signal to set parameters such as brightness and contrast low in the above-mentioned step S25, the video providing unit 52 also provides this signal to the computer 1.

[0117] This completes the video distribution process.

[0118] According to the observation device 2 of this embodiment, for example, if a sensor or the like installed on-site detects an abnormality or a high acceleration of movement in the video, the importance of video of the monitored location, facility, or other object related to the abnormality and / or fast-moving video can be increased. As a result, the observation device 2 is instructed by the computer 1 to set the image quality of high-importance video to high and low-importance video to low, allowing the computer 1 to control the amount of data transmitted from multiple observation devices 2 scattered throughout the site. Therefore, even in an environment with limited data transmission capacity for video, even with minimal infrastructure, problems such as video delays and video quality degradation can be suppressed, and video can be smoothly switched automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user according to the importance of the video.

[0119] If the observation device 2 is an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone, the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle (such as uniform motion) is remotely controlled, and the subject of the unmanned aerial vehicle is, for example, a work machine and its surroundings at a work site, the unmanned aerial vehicle can capture bird's-eye view footage of the work machine and its surroundings. That is, the unmanned aerial vehicle can capture footage of the work machine itself, the area in front of the work machine, the area behind the work machine, the area to the right of the work machine, and the area to the left of the work machine. In this case, the image quality setting unit 42 may detect the movement of the work machine included in the bird's-eye view footage and set the image quality based on the movement of the work machine (e.g., based on the speed and / or acceleration of the work machine). The image quality setting unit 42 may also detect the movement of a moving object included in the bird's-eye view footage, specifically, a moving object present in front of, behind, to the right, or to the left of the work machine, and set the image quality based on the movement of the moving object (e.g., based on the speed and / or acceleration of the moving object). The image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, detect the movement of at least one of the work machine and the mobile object from the overhead-view video, and control the image quality based on optical flow difference information based on the acceleration and / or speed of that movement. The image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, set a higher importance level the greater the speed and / or acceleration of the work machine. Similarly, the image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, set a higher importance level the greater the speed and / or acceleration of the mobile object. This improves safety during remote operation. The image quality setting unit 42 may also control the image quality based on changes in parameters such as brightness and contrast in the overhead-view video.

[0120] If the observation device 2 is, for example, an imaging device such as a camera fixedly installed at a predetermined location on the work site, and the subject of the camera is, for example, a work machine and its surroundings at the work site, the imaging device can capture an area appropriate to the installation location. For example, it is preferable for the imaging device to capture video of at least one of the areas behind the work machine, the area to the right of the work machine, and the area to the left of the work machine. This is because users typically tend to focus on the area in front of the work machine, while they tend not to focus on the areas behind, to the right, and to the left of the work machine. The image quality setting unit 42 may detect the movement of the work machine included in the video and set the image quality based on the movement of the work machine (e.g., based on the speed and / or acceleration of the work machine). Furthermore, the image quality setting unit 42 may detect the movement of a moving object included in the video, specifically, a moving object present, for example, in the area behind, to the right, or to the left of the work machine, and set the image quality based on the movement of the moving object (e.g., based on the speed and / or acceleration of the moving object). The image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, detect the movement of at least one of the work machine and the mobile object from the overhead-view video, and control the image quality based on optical flow difference information based on the acceleration and / or speed of that movement. The image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, set a higher importance level the greater the speed and / or acceleration of the work machine. Similarly, the image quality setting unit 42 may, for example, set a higher importance level the greater the speed and / or acceleration of the mobile object. This improves safety during remote operation. The image quality setting unit 42 may also control the image quality based on changes in parameters such as brightness and contrast in the overhead-view video.

[0121] Furthermore, with the observation device 2 of this embodiment, the amount of data transmission can be controlled by lowering the image quality of video captured when the observation device 2 itself is moving unstably. Therefore, in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited, even with the minimum necessary infrastructure, it is possible to prevent problems such as video delays and degradation of video quality, and it becomes possible to smoothly switch between videos depending on the importance of the video, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the observation device 2 of this embodiment, artificial intelligence (AI) learns from past images about information that influences the setting of importance, allowing the observation device to set the importance of the images it captures, so that the importance can be automatically increased or decreased depending on the content of the captured image, and the images to be displayed can be switched as appropriate.

[0123] The above-described means and functions are realized by a computer 1 including a CPU, memory, various terminals, etc., reading and executing a predetermined program. The program may be provided, for example, in the form of a cloud service provided from one or more terminals via a network, specifically, for example, in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service). The program may also be provided, for example, in the form of a computer-readable recording medium. In this case, the computer reads the program from the recording medium, transfers it to an internal or external recording device, records it, and executes it. The program may also be configured to be pre-recorded on a non-transitory recording device (non-transitory recording medium), such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or magneto-optical disk, and provided to the terminal from the recording device via a communication line.

[0124] Specifically, the program of this embodiment is a program that can be read by a computer 1, and causes the computer to execute the following steps: accepting the importance of the video; setting the display order of the video based on the accepted importance; issuing instructions to the observation device 2 corresponding to each video so that the image quality of the video is set based on the display order; acquiring the video of the image quality set by the observation device 2 from the observation device 2; and outputting the acquired video to a terminal 3 according to the display order.

[0125] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0126] [Summary of the embodiment] A video switching computer 1 having a first feature is a computer 1 for switching between videos from a plurality of distributed observation devices 2. This video switching computer 1 includes an importance level receiving unit that receives the importance levels of the videos, a display order setting unit that sets the display order of the videos based on the received importance levels, an instruction unit that instructs the observation devices 2 corresponding to each video to set the image quality of the videos based on the display order, an acquisition unit that acquires, from the observation devices 2, videos with the image quality set by the observation devices 2, and an output unit that causes a terminal 3 to output the acquired videos in accordance with the display order.

[0127] The video switching computer 1 having the first feature can control the amount of data transmitted from a plurality of observation devices 2 scattered around the site by instructing the observation devices 2 to set high image quality for video with high importance and low image quality for video with low importance. Therefore, in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited, even with the bare minimum infrastructure, it is possible to suppress problems such as video delays and degradation of video quality, and smoothly switch between videos according to the importance of the video, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0128] In the video switching computer 1 having the second feature, it is preferable that the output unit causes the terminal 3 to enlarge and output the video with the highest display order.

[0129] According to the video switching computer 1 having the second feature, the video with the highest display priority is displayed large, so that even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission that can be used for video, and with the minimum necessary infrastructure, the user can closely monitor the location and / or machine that shows the video that is of the greatest interest to them.

[0130] In the video switching computer 1 having the third feature, it is preferable that the display order setting unit sets the display order so that the video associated with the video with the highest display order is output on the terminal 3 near the video with the highest display order.

[0131] According to the video switching computer 1 having the third feature, since the associated video is displayed together with the video with the highest display order, even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission available for video and with a minimum necessary infrastructure, the user can closely monitor the location and / or machine shown in the video with the highest display order. The video associated with the video with the highest display order may be, for example, a video showing the same location as the video with the highest display order, or a video showing the same machine as the video with the highest display order.

[0132] In the video switching computer 1 having the fourth feature, it is preferable that the display order setting unit raises the display order of the video from the observation device 2 located near the observation device 2 that captures the video with the highest display order.

[0133] According to the video switching computer 1 having the fourth feature, it is possible to display video of machines and / or locations close to machines and / or locations that are attracting a lot of attention, thereby enabling the user to simultaneously monitor the environment around the machines and / or locations of interest.

[0134] The video switching computer 1 having the fifth feature preferably further comprises a video storage unit for storing videos based on the importance.

[0135] According to the video switching computer 1 having the fifth feature, for example, by storing high-importance video in the video storage unit and putting the video on standby for output, it becomes possible to smoothly switch videos without delay, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user, even in a site with a poor communication environment. Also, by storing high-importance video in the computer 1 as a server, the computer 1 can search for the video of the subject to be captured.

[0136] In this fifth feature, the video storage unit may store the video in a standby state in a video switching computer 1, such as a server, in which the video to be stored can be instantly displayed on a terminal 3 as needed.

[0137] In the video switching computer 1 having the sixth feature, it is preferable that the output unit outputs the stored video to the terminal 3 in accordance with the display order.

[0138] According to the video switching computer 1 having the sixth feature, when the display order of the stored video is raised, the video that is on standby for output can be instantly accessed and output, so that even in a site where the communication environment is poor, the video can be switched automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user smoothly and without delay.

[0139] In the video switching computer 1 having the seventh feature, it is preferable that the importance level receiving unit receives an input of the importance level from a user.

[0140] According to the video switching computer 1 having the seventh feature, the user of the computer 1 or the user of the terminal 3 can set the importance of the video when they want to switch the video displayed on the terminal 3 to another video, and can therefore increase or decrease the importance of the video showing the monitored object, such as a machine operated by the user or a site monitored by the user, and switch the displayed video as appropriate.

[0141] In the video switching computer 1 having the eighth feature, it is preferable that the instruction unit instructs the observation device 2 to increase or decrease the resolution of the video, thereby increasing or decreasing the image quality.

[0142] According to the video switching computer 1 having the eighth characteristic, by issuing an instruction to increase the resolution of video of high importance, video with important details can be delivered clearly, and by issuing an instruction to decrease the resolution of video of low importance, these videos can be delivered smoothly even in a slow network environment or on a device with limited processing power, allowing the user to view these videos.

[0143] In the video switching computer 1 having the ninth feature, it is preferable that the instruction unit instructs the observation device 2 to increase or decrease the frame rate of the video, thereby increasing or decreasing the image quality.

[0144] According to the video switching computer 1 having the ninth feature, by increasing the frame rate of video of high importance, video with a lot of fast movement can be delivered, and by decreasing the frame rate of video of low importance, the data size of the video can be reduced, thereby making it possible to deliver these videos even in a slow network environment or an unstable network environment due to movement, etc., and allowing users to view these videos.

[0145] The observation device 2 having the tenth feature is configured to be communicatively connected to the video switching computer 1. This observation device 2 includes an information detection unit that detects information related to the video to be shot, an importance setting unit that sets the importance of the video based on the detected information, an importance providing unit that provides the set importance to the computer 1, an instruction receiving unit that receives the instruction from the computer 1, an image quality setting unit that sets the image quality of the video to be shot based on the received instruction, and an image providing unit that provides the video with the set image quality to the video switching computer 1.

[0146] According to the tenth feature of the invention, for example, if a sensor or the like installed at a site detects an abnormality or a high acceleration of movement in the video, the display order of video of a monitored location, facility, or other location related to the abnormality and / or fast-moving video can be increased. The observation device 2 can then be instructed by the computer 1 to set high-quality video for high-importance video and low-quality video for low-importance video, thereby controlling the amount of data transmitted from multiple observation devices 2 scattered around the site. Therefore, even in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited and with minimal infrastructure, problems such as video delays and video quality degradation can be suppressed, and video can be smoothly switched depending on the importance of the video, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0147] An observation device 2 having the eleventh feature further includes an acceleration detection unit that detects the acceleration of the observation device 2, and it is preferable that the image quality setting unit sets the image quality of the captured image to a low level when the detected acceleration is large.

[0148] According to the observation device 2 having the eleventh feature, the amount of data transmission can be controlled by lowering the image quality of the video captured when the observation device 2 itself is moving unstably. Therefore, in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited, even with the minimum necessary infrastructure, it is possible to prevent problems such as video delays and degradation of video quality, and it becomes possible to smoothly switch between videos depending on the importance of the video, either automatically by the computer 1 or manually by the user.

[0149] In the observation device 2 having the twelfth feature, it is preferable that the information detection unit detects the information based on a trained model.

[0150] According to the invention relating to the observation device 2 having the twelfth feature, artificial intelligence (AI) learns from past images about information that influences the setting of importance, and the observation device 2 can set the importance of the images it captures.This makes it possible to automatically increase or decrease the importance depending on the content of the images being captured, and also to switch the images to be displayed as appropriate.

[0151] The embodiments having the above first to twelfth features are in the categories of computers, observation devices, methods, or programs, but similar actions and effects according to the categories can also be achieved in other categories such as systems, which will be described later.

[0152] As described above, according to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a video switching computer 1, an observation device 2, a video switching method, and a program that can smoothly switch video displays without delay while minimizing the amount of data transmitted from cameras scattered around the site, even in an environment where the amount of data transmission available for video is limited, even with the minimum necessary infrastructure. The present invention also includes the following video switching system.

[0153] The video switching system comprises a plurality of observation devices 2 dispersedly arranged in an area to be observed, such as a site, and a video switching computer 1, wherein the video switching computer 1 comprises: an importance receiving unit 20 that receives the importance of the video captured by the plurality of observation devices 2; a display order setting unit 10 that sets the display order of the video captured by the plurality of observation devices 2 based on the received importance; an instruction unit 21 that gives instructions to the observation devices 2 that capture the video to set the image quality of the video captured by each observation device 2 based on the importance or the display order; an acquisition unit 22 that acquires video of the image quality set by each of the plurality of observation devices 2 from each of the plurality of observation devices 2; and an output unit 23 (display output unit 23) that outputs the acquired video to a terminal 3 according to the display order.

[0154] In the video switching system, the video switching computer 1 instructs each observation device 2 to set high image quality for video with high importance and low image quality for video with low importance. Therefore, this video switching system can control the amount of data transmitted from multiple observation devices 2 distributed at a work site or other site to the video switching computer 1. As a result, even in an environment where there is a limit to the amount of data transmission available for video, the computer 1 can output the videos acquired from the multiple observation devices 2 to the terminal 3 with image quality according to their importance.

[0155] The video switching system may include the terminal 3 as a component, but the terminal 3 is not an essential component of the video switching system.

[0156] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes the following modifications, for example.

[0157] [Variation 1] In the video switching systems according to the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the site where the observation device 2 is located is a work site where a work machine 60 such as a shovel, crane, or bulldozer performs work, but this is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The site where the observation device 2 is located may also be, for example, a manufacturing site. In this case, a production line for manufacturing products from raw materials is located at the manufacturing site. In this production line, multiple processes are performed to manufacture products from raw materials. Multiple observation devices 2 are located at the manufacturing site to capture images of the status of each of the multiple processes.

[0158] Specifically, for example, the production line includes a first process, a second process, and a third process, and the multiple observation devices 2 include a first observation device 2 for photographing the situation of the first process, a second observation device 2 for photographing the situation of the second process, and a third observation device 2 for photographing the situation of the third process.

[0159] In variant example 1, the configurations of the computer 1, the multiple observation devices 2, and the terminal 3 are similar to the configurations of the computer 1, the multiple observation devices 2, and the terminal 3 in the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 7, so detailed explanations of these will be omitted.

[0160] In this modification 1, similarly to the above embodiment, the computer 1 is configured to switch between videos from a plurality of observation devices 2 that are distributed around a manufacturing site. The computer 1 includes an importance level receiving unit 20 that receives the importance of the video, a display order setting unit 10 that sets the display order of the video based on the received importance level, an instruction unit 21 that instructs the observation devices 2 corresponding to each video so that the image quality of the video is set based on the display order, an acquisition unit 22 that acquires, from the observation devices 2, videos with the image quality set by the observation devices 2, and a display output unit 23 that causes the acquired videos to be output to the terminal 3 according to the display order.

[0161] In this modified example 1, the computer 1 performs the arithmetic processing shown in Fig. 3 and the arithmetic processing shown in Fig. 6. Also, in this modified example 1, the observation device 2 may perform the arithmetic processing shown in Fig. 7. Also, in this modified example 1, the terminal 3 displays, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 and / or Fig. 5 based on instructions from the computer 1.

[0162] Furthermore, the site where the observation device 2 is installed may be, for example, a site where monitoring and maintenance of infrastructure facilities such as a plant or power plant is required.

[0163] [Modification 2] In a video switching system according to Modification 2, the computer 1 performs processing to switch at least one of the image quality and size of the video output at the terminal 3 in accordance with at least one of a specific action and a specific video.

[0164] The site where the observation device 2 is placed is a work site, and a work machine 60 such as a shovel, a crane, or a bulldozer is placed at this work site.

[0165] The work machine 60 shown in Fig. 1 is, for example, a shovel. This work machine 60 includes a self-propelled lower traveling body 61, an upper rotating body 62 rotatably supported on the lower traveling body 61, and a working device 63 supported on the upper rotating body 62. In the specific example shown in Fig. 1, the lower traveling body 61 includes a crawler-type traveling device, but the traveling device may also include tires. The working device 63 includes, for example, a boom rotatably supported on the upper rotating body 62, an arm rotatably supported at the tip of the boom, and a bucket rotatably supported at the tip of the arm.

[0166] The work machine 60 is equipped with an attitude detector 64 for detecting the attitude of the work machine 60. The attitude detector 64 may include a boom attitude detector for detecting the attitude of the boom, an arm attitude detector for detecting the attitude of the arm, and a bucket attitude detector for detecting the attitude of the bucket. The attitude detector 64 may further include a rotating unit attitude detector for detecting the attitude of the upper rotating unit 62 relative to the undercarriage 61. The attitude detector 64 may further include an attitude detector that detects the degree of inclination of the work machine 60 relative to a horizontal plane.

[0167] The video switching system according to Modification 2 includes a remote control device. The remote control device includes a terminal 3 including a display device as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, and a remote controller 65 for remotely controlling the work machine 60. The remote controller 65 includes a plurality of remote control levers for moving the work implement 63 of the work machine 60 and rotating the upper rotating body 62. The remote controller 65 also includes at least one of an operation lever and an operation pedal (not shown) for driving the undercarriage 61 of the work machine 60. A user can remotely control the work machine 60 located at a work site by operating the remote controller 65 of the remote control device while viewing the screen of the display device of the terminal 3.

[0168] The computer 1 according to Modification 2 may perform processing to automatically switch at least one of the image quality and size of the video output on the terminal 3 in accordance with a specific operation of the work machine 60. The specific operation is stored in advance in the computer 1. The user inputs information to the input section of the terminal 3 shown in FIG. 2 to specify the specific operation, and the computer 1 sets the operation corresponding to the input as the specific operation.

[0169] The specific motion may be, for example, at least one of a motion of the working implement 63 and a motion of the upper rotating body 62. Specifically, the specific motion may be a traveling motion of the work machine 60 in a predetermined direction, a traveling motion of the work machine 60 going uphill, or a traveling motion of the work machine 60 going downhill. The specific motion may also be a boom motion, an arm motion, a bucket motion, or a swing motion of the upper rotating body 62. The specific motion may also be a motion in which the traveling speed of the work machine 60 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, a motion in which the operating speed (rotation speed) of the boom, arm, or bucket of the working implement 63 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or a motion in which the swing speed of the upper rotating body 62 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0170] The computer 1 or the controller of the work machine 60 can determine whether the specific action has been performed based on the detection results input from a motion detection device for determining the specific action. The motion detection device may be, for example, the attitude detector 64, the observation device 2, the remote controller 65, or any other device. If the motion detection device is the observation device 2, the computer 1 or the controller of the work machine 60 may determine whether the specific action has been performed by image recognition of video acquired from the observation device 2. If the motion detection device is the attitude detector 64, the computer 1 or the controller of the work machine 60 can determine whether the specific action has been performed based on the detection results from the attitude detector 64. If the motion detection device is the remote controller 65, the computer 1 or the controller of the work machine 60 can determine whether the specific action has been performed based on the amount of lever operation applied to the remote controller 65.

[0171] When the specific action is performed, the computer 1 may perform processing to automatically switch at least one of the image quality and size of the video output on the terminal 3. Specifically, when the specific action is performed, the computer 1 may instruct the terminal 3 to increase the size of the video related to the specific action on the terminal 3 compared to before the specific action was performed, and the terminal 3 may increase the size of the video related to the specific action on the display device of the terminal 3 in accordance with the instruction compared to before the specific action was performed.

[0172] Furthermore, when the specific action is performed, the computer 1 instructs the observation device 2 that captures the video so that the image quality of the video related to the specific action is higher than before the specific action was performed, and the observation device 2 sets the image quality of the video to be higher in accordance with the instruction than before the specific action was performed, provides the video of the set image quality to the computer 1, and the computer 1 may output the video to the terminal 3.

[0173] Furthermore, the computer 1 may perform processing to switch at least one of the image quality and size of the image output on the terminal 3 in accordance with a specific image. The computer 1 stores the specific image in advance. The specific image may be, for example, an image whose contrast is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold, or an image whose resolution is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. A user inputs the specific threshold into the input unit of the terminal 3 shown in FIG. 2 , and the computer 1 sets a value corresponding to the input as the specific threshold. The computer 1 or a controller of the terminal 3 can acquire the contrast of the image displayed on the terminal 3.

[0174] When the specific video is displayed on terminal 3, computer 1 may perform processing to automatically switch at least one of the image quality and size of the video output on terminal 3. Specifically, when the specific video is displayed on terminal 3, computer 1 may instruct terminal 3 to increase the size of the specific video on terminal 3 compared to before the specific video was displayed, and terminal 3 may increase the size of the specific video on the display device of terminal 3 in accordance with the instruction compared to before the specific video was displayed.

[0175] Furthermore, when the specific image is displayed on the terminal 3, the computer 1 may instruct the terminal 3 to increase the contrast of the specific image compared to before the specific image was displayed, and the terminal 3 may increase the contrast of the image in accordance with the instruction compared to before the specific image was displayed.

[0176] [Modification 3] The video switching system according to Modification 3 has the following preset function: That is, the computer 1 is configured to be able to save video display settings associated with specific identification conditions.

[0177] The image display setting items may include, for example, a setting item regarding the number of images to be displayed on terminal 3, a setting item regarding the size of the images to be displayed on terminal 3, and a setting item regarding the display position of the images on terminal 3.

[0178] The specific identification condition may be, for example, a condition related to an identifier (identification information) for identifying a user, or a condition related to an identifier (identification information) for identifying a target object such as a work machine, manufacturing equipment, or facility located at a work site. The specific identification condition may also be, for example, a condition related to the operating speed of a remotely controlled target such as the work machine 60, or a condition related to the characteristics of the image. The specific identification condition may also be a condition related to the content of an operation performed at a work site. The content of the operation may include, for example, a work machine operation such as an excavation operation or a reversing operation at a work site, or a vehicle operation such as a transport operation or a reversing operation at a manufacturing site. The specific identification condition may also be a condition related to weather, a condition related to a time period, or a condition related to the quality of the communication environment.

[0179] The user inputs to the input section of the terminal 3 shown in Figure 2 to specify the specific identification condition and the video display setting associated therewith, and the computer 1 associates and saves the specific identification condition with the video display setting based on the input. When the specific identification condition is met, the computer 1 causes the terminal 3 to output video using the video display setting associated with the identification condition. Therefore, the computer 1 can cause the terminal 3 to display video in a display mode that matches the specific identification condition, such as the user's preferences or the type of work machine 60.

[0180] While the above embodiment has been described primarily in terms of the case where the observation device 2 is installed at a work site, environments in which the amount of data transmission is limited may also be, for example, enclosed spaces such as underground spaces, tunnels, and factories, regions in Japan or overseas where communication infrastructure is not adequately developed, space, or regions with congested communications. Furthermore, environments in which the amount of data transmission is limited may also be, for example, environments in which at least one of the observation device 2, computer 1, and terminal 3 communicate while moving.

[0181] The communication means between the computer 1 and the observation device 2 and between the computer 1 and the terminal 3 are not limited to the above-mentioned internet line, a network such as a mobile phone network, or a network constructed by software virtualization. The communication means may be, for example, satellite communication, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or other communication means. Satellite communication is a communication method for data communication between the ground and an artificial satellite. LPWA is suitable, for example, when the observation device 2 and the computer 1 are relatively close to each other, or when the computer 1 and the terminal 3 are relatively close to each other, and is expected to have a cost-reducing effect.

[0182] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Video switching computer 2 Observation device 3 Terminal 4 Video channel 5 Port 10 Display order setting unit 11 Determination unit 20 Importance receiving unit 21 Instruction unit 22 Acquisition unit 23 Display output unit 30 Video storage unit 40 Information detection unit 41 Importance setting unit 42 Image quality setting unit 43 Acceleration detection unit 44 Learning unit 50 Importance providing unit 51 Instruction receiving unit 52 Video providing unit

Claims

1. A video switching computer that switches between videos from multiple distributed observation devices, comprising: an importance receiving unit that receives the importance of the video; a display order setting unit that sets the display order of the video based on the received importance; an instruction unit that instructs the observation device corresponding to each video so that the image quality of the video is set based on the display order; an acquisition unit that acquires video of the image quality set by the observation device from the observation device; and an output unit that outputs the acquired video to a terminal according to the display order.

2. The video switching computer according to claim 1, wherein said output unit causes said terminal to enlarge and output said video with the highest display order.

3. A video switching computer as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the display order setting unit sets the display order so that the video associated with the video with the highest display order is output on the terminal in the vicinity of the video with the highest display order.

4. A video switching computer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the display order setting unit raises the display order of video from an observation device located near the observation device capturing the video with the highest display order.

5. The video switching computer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a video storage unit for storing the video with high importance.

6. The video switching computer according to claim 5, wherein said output unit causes said terminal to output said stored video in accordance with said display order.

7. The video switching computer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the importance level receiving unit receives an input of the importance level from a user.

8. A video switching computer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said instruction unit issues an instruction to said observation device to increase or decrease the image quality by increasing or decreasing the resolution of said video.

9. A video switching computer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said instruction unit instructs said observation device to increase or decrease the frame rate of said video, thereby increasing or decreasing said image quality.

10. An observation device communicably connected to a video switching computer described in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: an information detection unit that detects information related to video captured by said observation device; an importance setting unit that sets the importance of said video based on said detected information; an importance providing unit that provides said set importance to said video switching computer; an instruction receiving unit that receives said instructions from said video switching computer; an image quality setting unit that sets the image quality of the video to be captured based on said received instructions; and an image providing unit that provides said video switching computer with the image quality that has been set.

11. The observation device according to claim 10, further comprising an acceleration detection unit that detects the acceleration of the observation device, wherein the image quality setting unit sets the image quality of the captured image to a low level when the detected acceleration is large.

12. The observation device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the information detection unit detects the information based on a trained model.

13. A video switching method executed by a computer for switching between videos from multiple distributed observation devices, comprising the steps of: accepting the importance of the videos; setting a display order for the videos based on the accepted importance; issuing instructions to the observation devices corresponding to each video so that the image quality of the videos is set based on the display order; acquiring from the observation devices videos with the image quality set by the observation devices; and outputting the acquired videos to a terminal according to the display order.

14. A computer-readable program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: receiving the importance of images; setting the display order of the images based on the received importance; instructing an observation device corresponding to each image to set the image quality of the images based on the display order; acquiring images of the image quality set by the observation device from the observation device; and outputting the acquired images to a terminal according to the display order.

Images