TRAVELING VIDEO PROVIDING SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD
20230064195 · 2023-03-02
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G01C21/3602
PHYSICS
G01C21/3691
PHYSICS
G06V20/56
PHYSICS
International classification
Abstract
A video collection server receives traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and stores the traveling videos and position information about positions where the traveling videos are captured in a traveling video database. A video search unit of the video providing server searches the traveling video database when the video distribution request is received from a user, and acquires the traveling video(s) captured by the vehicle traveling in each of one or more sections included in the designated route. A traveling video synthesis unit synthesizes the traveling video of each section. A video distribution unit distributes the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as the traveling video when the vehicle travels along the route.
Claims
1. A traveling video providing system comprising: a video collection server configured to receive traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and store the traveling videos and position information in a traveling video database, the position information being about positions where the traveling videos are captured; a video providing server configured to receive a video distribution request including information designating a route and distribute route traveling videos to a user, the route traveling videos being the traveling videos captured when a vehicle travels along the route designated in the video distribution request; and a user apparatus configured to receive and display the distributed route traveling video, wherein the video providing server comprises: at least one memory storing instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: search the traveling video database when the video distribution request is received from the user, and acquire the traveling video(s) captured by the vehicle traveling in each of one or more sections included in the designated route; synthesize the traveling video of each section included in the route; and distribute the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus as the route traveling videos.
2. The traveling video providing system according to claim 1, wherein the video distribution request further includes information for designating a video condition, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to acquire a traveling video satisfying the video condition from among the traveling videos captured by each of the vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the route.
3. The traveling video providing system according to claim 2, wherein the video conditions include at least one of a vehicle type, weather, a time period, a season, or a traveling direction.
4. The traveling video providing system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to acquire a latest traveling video among the plurality of traveling videos when there are a plurality of traveling videos satisfying the video condition in the traveling video database.
5. The traveling video providing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to divide the route into a plurality of sections and acquire the traveling video for each section from the traveling video database.
6. The traveling video providing system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to divide the route into a plurality of sections at each branch point.
7. The traveling video providing system according to claim 1, wherein the user apparatus includes a wearable or head-mounted display apparatus.
8. The traveling video providing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform image processing for changing a viewpoint of the video on the traveling video of one section, and synthesize the traveling video of the one section having the changed viewpoint with the traveling video of another section.
9. A traveling video providing apparatus comprising: at least one memory storing instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: search, when a video distribution request including information designating a route is received from a user, a traveling video database configured to store traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and position information, the position information being about positions where the traveling videos are captured, and acquire a traveling video(s) captured by vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route; synthesize the traveling video of each section included in the route; and distribute the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as route traveling videos, the route traveling videos being the traveling videos captured when a vehicle travels along the route.
10. The traveling video providing system according to claim 9, wherein the video distribution request further includes information for designating a video condition, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to acquire a traveling video satisfying the video condition from among the traveling video captured by each of the vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the route.
11. The traveling video providing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to acquire a latest traveling video among the plurality of traveling videos when there are a plurality of traveling videos satisfying the video condition in the traveling video database.
12. A traveling video providing method comprising: searching, when a video distribution request including information designating a route is received from a user, a traveling video database configured to store traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and position information, the position information being about positions where the traveling videos are captured, and acquiring a traveling video(s) captured by vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route; synthesizing the traveling video of each section included in the route; and distributing the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as route traveling videos, the route traveling videos being the traveling videos captured when a vehicle travels along the route.
13. (canceled)
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT
[0027] Prior to the description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the present disclosure will be described.
[0028] The video collection server 11 receives traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles. The video collection server 11 stores the traveling videos and position information about a position where the traveling videos are captured in the traveling video database 12. The video providing server 13 receives, from a user, a video distribution request including information for designating a route. The video providing server 13 distributes, to the user, the traveling video when a vehicle travels along the route designated in the video distribution request. The user apparatus 14 displays the distributed traveling video.
[0029] In the video providing server 13, when the video distribution request is received from the user, the traveling video search means 31 searches the traveling video database 12 in accordance with the video distribution request. The traveling video search means 31 acquires, from the traveling video database 12, the traveling videos captured by the vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route. The traveling video synthesis means 32 synthesizes the traveling videos of the respective sections included in the route. The video distribution means 33 distributes the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus 14 as the traveling video when the vehicle travels along the route.
[0030] In the present disclosure, the traveling video search means 31 acquires, from the traveling video database 12, the traveling video of each section included in the route. The traveling video synthesis means 32 synthesizes the traveling videos of the respective sections. The video distribution means 33 distributes the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus 14. In the present disclosure, since the traveling videos of the respective sections are synthesized, even when there is no vehicle traveling along the route designated by the user, the video of the vehicle traveling along the route designated by the user can be displayed as a series of image data.
[0031] Example embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0032] Each of vehicles 101 to 105 is mounted with a camera for capturing at least an area in front of the vehicle (a direction in which the vehicle moves forward). For example, the vehicle 101 is a private vehicle, the vehicle 102 is a van, the vehicle 103 is a truck, the vehicle 104 is a taxi, and the vehicle 105 is a bus. Each vehicle transmits a traveling video captured by using the camera to the video collection server 120 via a network 110 such as the Internet.
[0033] The video collection server 120 collects videos (traveling videos) of cameras mounted on the vehicles from an unspecified number of vehicles via the network 110. The video collection server 120 stores the collected traveling videos in a traveling video DB 140. The video collection server 120 stores the traveling video received from each vehicle in the traveling video DB 140 in association with information such as position information and a traveling direction. The video collection server 120 corresponds to the video collection server 11 of
[0034] The user apparatus 150 is used by a user who wishes to distribute the traveling video. The user apparatus 150 is configured as an apparatus such as a computer apparatus, a smartphone, or a tablet having a communication function. The user apparatus 150 includes a display apparatus capable of displaying moving images. The display apparatus may be configured as an apparatus such as, for example, a wearable display or a head-mounted display.
[0035] The user transmits a video distribution request to the video providing server by using the user apparatus 150. The video distribution request includes information for designating a route of a traveling video the user wants to be provided with and information for designating video conditions. The user accesses the video providing server 140 via, for example, the Internet, and designates the route and the video conditions on the web page provided by the video providing server 140. The user apparatus 150 corresponds to the user apparatus 14 in
[0036]
[0037] The traveling video search unit 142 searches the traveling video DB 120 (see
[0038]
[0039] The user designates, for example, the video conditions in which the vehicle type is “standard-sized car/taxi”, the weather is “fine”, the time period is “morning”, the season is “winter”, and the traveling direction is “south”. In this case, the traveling video search unit 142 acquires, for each section of the route from the traveling video DB 120, a traveling video in which the vehicle type corresponds to a standard-sized car or the like, the weather is fine, the time indicates morning, the date indicates winter, and the traveling direction is south when a vehicle is traveling. For example, the traveling video DB 120 stores the traveling video in association with attribute information such as the weather, the date and time, and the traveling direction. The traveling video search unit 142 may identify the weather, the time period, the season, and the traveling direction by referring to the attribute information.
[0040] The traveling video synthesis unit 143 synthesizes the traveling videos of the respective sections acquired by the traveling video search unit 142. For example, by synthesizing the traveling videos of vehicles of the same vehicle type in the respective sections, it is possible to synthesize images (videos) having similar viewpoints (distances between the camera and the ground surface). In addition, by synthesizing the traveling videos of the same weather in the respective sections, it is possible to synthesize the images having close illuminance. By synthesizing the traveling videos in the respective sections in the same time period, it is possible to synthesize images having close luminous intensities and the close directions pointed by light. By synthesizing the traveling videos of the same season in the respective sections, it is possible to synthesize images having close sceneries. The traveling video synthesis unit 143 corresponds to the traveling video synthesis means 32 shown in
[0041] The video transmission unit 144 distributes the traveling video synthesized by the traveling video synthesis unit 143 to the user apparatus 150 as the traveling video when the vehicle travels along the route from a starting point to a destination point. The video transmission unit 144 streams, for example, the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus 150. The video transmission unit 144 corresponds to the video distribution means 33 shown in
[0042] Next, an operation procedure will be described. The operation of the traveling video providing system is roughly divided into video collection and traveling video provision.
[0043]
[0044] The traveling video search unit 142 divides the route designated in the video distribution request into a plurality of sections. The traveling video search unit 142 divides the route into a plurality of sections at each branch point such as an intersection. The traveling video search unit 142 searches the traveling video DB 120 based on the position information and the video conditions of each section, and acquires the traveling videos of the respective sections included in the route from the traveling video DB 120 (Step B2). The traveling video synthesis unit 143 synthesizes the traveling videos of the respective sections (Step B3). The video transmission unit 144 distributes the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus 150 (Step B4). An operating body of the traveling video providing system 100 may be paid by the user for the distribution of the traveling video.
[0045] Hereinafter, the acquisition of the traveling videos of the respective sections and the synthesis of the traveling videos will be described with reference to specific examples.
[0046] In
[0047]
[0048]
[0049]
[0050] In this example embodiment, the traveling video search unit 142 acquires traveling videos in the respective sections included in the route designated by the user from the traveling video DB 130 that can store traveling videos collected from many unspecified vehicles. The traveling video synthesis unit 143 synthesizes traveling videos in the respective sections, and the video transmission unit 144 distributes, to the user apparatus 150, the synthesized traveling video as a series of the traveling videos. In this way, the user can view the video image traveling between specified points.
[0051] Further, in this example embodiment, the user can designate the vehicle type and the like as the video conditions. The traveling video search unit 142 acquires traveling videos of the same type of a vehicle for each section of the route, so that the user can view, for example, a traveling video in which the heights of the viewpoints are aligned.
[0052] The traveling video providing system 100 may be used, for example, in the following situations. The user designates a starting point and a destination point in an area where he or she visited for the first time in a trip or the like, and transmits a video distribution request to the video providing server 140. At this time, the user designates the same type of a vehicle as that of the vehicle driven by the user as the video condition. By viewing the distributed traveling video, the user can simulate driving experience in advance from the same viewpoint as that of his or her own vehicle type before actually driving the vehicle in an area that the user has never visited.
[0053] Note that the traveling video synthesis unit 143 may perform image processing for changing the viewpoint of the video on the traveling video in a certain section while synthesizing traveling videos. The traveling video synthesis unit 143 may synthesize the traveling video of the section in which the viewpoint is changed with the traveling video of another section. For example, for a certain section, there is a case where there is no traveling video of a vehicle of the type designated in the video condition in the traveling video DB 130. In this case, the traveling video search unit 142 may acquire a traveling video of a vehicle of a type different from the vehicle type designated in the video condition for the section. For example, when the designated vehicle type is “standard-sized car” and the traveling video DB 130 includes only the traveling video of the vehicle type “truck” for a certain section, the traveling video search unit 142 may acquire the traveling video of the “truck”. The traveling video synthesis unit 143 may perform image processing for lowering the viewpoint of the traveling video of the “truck”. The traveling video synthesis unit 143 may synthesize the traveling video in which the viewpoint is lowered with the traveling video of the “standard-sized car” in another section. Also in this case, the positions of the viewpoints of the traveling videos to be synthesized can be aligned.
[0054] Next, physical configurations of the video collection server 120 and the video providing server 140 will be described.
[0055] The communication interface 550 is for connecting the computer apparatus 500 and the communication network via wire communication means or wireless communication means. The user interface 560 includes a display unit such as a display. The user interface 560 also includes an input unit such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel.
[0056] The storage unit 520 is an auxiliary storage device capable of holding various types of data. The storage unit 520 need not necessarily be a part of the computer apparatus 500, and instead may be an external storage device or a cloud storage device connected to the computer apparatus 500 via a network. The storage unit 520 may be used, for example, as the traveling video DB 130 shown in
[0057] The ROM 530 is a non-volatile storage device. The ROM 530 is a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory having a relatively small capacity. Programs executed by the CPU 510 may be stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530. The storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 stores, for example, various programs for implementing the functions of the respective units in the video collection server 120 or the video providing server 140.
[0058] The above programs can be stored and provided to the computer apparatus 500 using any type of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer readable media include any type of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic storage media (such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives, etc.), optical magnetic storage media (e.g. magneto-optical disks), optical disk medium such as CD (compact disc) and DVD (digital versatile disk), and semiconductor memories (such as mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM, etc.). The programs may be provided to the computer using any type of transitory computer readable media.
[0059] Examples of transitory computer readable media include electric signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Transitory computer readable media can provide the programs to the computer via a wired communication line (e.g. electric wires, and optical fibers) or a wireless communication line.
[0060] The RAM 540 is a volatile storage device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) are used as the RAM 540. The RAM 540 may be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data and the like. The CPU 510 expands the programs stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 into the RAM 540 and executes it. The functions of each unit in the video collection server 120 or the video providing server 140 can be implemented by the CPU 510 executing the program. The CPU 510 may have an internal buffer that can temporarily store data or the like.
[0061] Although the example embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described example embodiments, and changes or modifications to the above-described example embodiments are also included in the present disclosure to the extent that they do not depart from the spirit of the present disclosure.
[0062] The whole or part of the example embodiments disclosed above can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.
[Supplementary Note 1]
[0063] A traveling video providing system comprising:
[0064] a video collection server configured to receive traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and store the traveling videos and position information about positions where the traveling videos are captured in a traveling video database;
[0065] a video providing server configured to receive a video distribution request including information designating a route and distribute the traveling videos to a user when a vehicle travels along the route designated in the video distribution request; and
[0066] a user apparatus configured to receive and display the distributed traveling video, wherein
[0067] the video providing server comprises: [0068] traveling video search means for searching the traveling video database when the video distribution request is received from the user, and acquiring the traveling video(s) captured by the vehicle traveling in each of one or more sections included in the designated route; [0069] traveling video synthesis means for synthesizing the traveling video of each section included in the route; and [0070] video distribution means for distributing the synthesized traveling video to the user apparatus as the traveling video when the vehicle travels along the route.
[Supplementary Note 2]
[0071] The traveling video providing system according to Supplementary note 1, wherein
[0072] the video distribution request further includes information for designating a video condition, and
[0073] the traveling video search means acquires a traveling video satisfying the video condition from among the traveling videos captured by each of the vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the route.
[Supplementary Note 3]
[0074] The traveling video providing system according to Supplementary note 2, wherein
[0075] the video conditions include at least one of a vehicle type, weather, a time period, a season, or a traveling direction.
[Supplementary Note 4]
[0076] The traveling video providing system according to Supplementary note 2 or 3, wherein
[0077] the traveling video search means acquires a latest traveling video among the plurality of traveling videos when there are a plurality of traveling videos satisfying the video condition in the traveling video database.
[Supplementary Note 5]
[0078] The traveling video providing system according to any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 4, wherein
[0079] the traveling video search means divides the route into a plurality of sections and acquires the traveling video for each section from the traveling video database.
[Supplementary Note 6]
[0080] The traveling video providing system according to Supplementary note 5, wherein
[0081] the traveling video search means divides the route into a plurality of sections at each branch point.
[Supplementary Note 7]
[0082] The traveling video providing system according to any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 5, wherein the user apparatus includes a wearable or head-mounted display apparatus.
[Supplementary Note 8]
[0083] The traveling video providing system according to any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 7, wherein
[0084] the traveling video synthesis means performs image processing for changing a viewpoint of the video on the traveling video of one section, and synthesizes the traveling video of the one section having the changed viewpoint with the traveling video of another section.
[Supplementary Note 9]
[0085] A traveling video providing apparatus comprising:
[0086] traveling video search means for searching, when a video distribution request including information designating a route is received from a user, a traveling video database configured to store traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and position information about positions where the traveling videos are captured, and acquiring a traveling video(s) captured by vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route;
[0087] traveling video synthesis means for synthesizing the traveling video of each section included in the route; and
[0088] video distribution means for distributing the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as the traveling video when a vehicle travels along the route.
[Supplementary Note 10]
[0089] The traveling video providing system according to Supplementary note 9, wherein
[0090] the video distribution request further includes information for designating a video condition, and
[0091] the traveling video search means acquires a traveling video satisfying the video condition from among the traveling videos captured by each of the vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the route.
[Supplementary Note 11]
[0092] The traveling video providing apparatus according to Supplementary note 10, wherein
[0093] the traveling video search means acquires a latest traveling video among the plurality of traveling videos when there are a plurality of traveling videos satisfying the video condition in the traveling video database.
[Supplementary Note 12]
[0094] A traveling video providing method comprising:
[0095] searching, when a video distribution request including information designating a route is received from a user, a traveling video database configured to store traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and position information about positions where the traveling videos are captured, and acquiring a traveling video(s) captured by vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route;
[0096] synthesizing the traveling video of each section included in the route; and
[0097] distributing the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as the traveling video when a vehicle travels along the route.
[Supplementary Note 13]
[0098] A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute processing of:
[0099] searching, when a video distribution request including information designating a route is received from a user, a traveling video database configured to store traveling videos captured by a plurality of vehicles and position information about positions where the traveling videos are captured, and acquiring a traveling video(s) captured by vehicles traveling in one or more sections included in the designated route;
[0100] synthesizing the traveling video of each section included in the route; and
[0101] distributing the synthesized traveling video to a user apparatus as the traveling video when a vehicle travels along the route.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0102] 10, 100: TRAVELING VIDEO PROVIDING SYSTEM [0103] 11, 120: VIDEO COLLECTION SERVER [0104] 12, 130: TRAVELING VIDEO DATABASE [0105] 13, 140: VIDEO PROVIDING SERVER [0106] 14, 150: USER APPARATUS [0107] 31: TRAVELING VIDEO SEARCH MEANS [0108] 32: TRAVELING VIDEO SYNTHESIS MEANS [0109] 33: VIDEO DISTRIBUTION MEANS [0110] 141: REQUEST RECEPTION UNIT [0111] 142: TRAVELING VIDEO SEARCH UNIT [0112] 143: TRAVELING VIDEO SYNTHESIS UNIT [0113] 144: VIDEO TRANSMISSION UNIT