Patent Publication Number: US-2010114708-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for providing road-traffic information using road-to-vehicle communication

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-282354, filed Oct. 31, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a technique of providing the road-traffic information showing the present traffic states on roads, by using, in particular, the moving picture data acquired by cameras. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the recent years, a system that provides information about the road-traffic states to vehicles running on roads has been developed. The information provided to the vehicles consists of numerical data and graphic data that show the travel time each vehicle required needs to travel to a specific destination and the current congestion states on various roads. The numerical data and graphic data are of the type that is displayed on the variable data displays provided along roads. 
     One of the road-traffic information providing systems hitherto known is the car navigation system that corresponds to a road-traffic information providing system called “vehicle information and communication system (VICS). The car navigation system is now very popular as a car-mounted system. The information provided by VICS, i.e., information about the road-traffic states, can be displayed as character data or graphic data, on a display screen. VICS is a system that provides macro information about any district that has roads. 
     A system for providing moving-image data has been proposed in connection with a system that controls the video data generated by monitor cameras. This system takes some measures against illegal acquisition of such video data. (See, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-277636.) Further, a moving picture providing system has been proposed, which can display advertisement data on the map being displayed. (See, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-202235.) 
     The system that gives information about the road-traffic states, using the moving pictures photographed by cameras, is useful because the driver of any vehicle can know, in real time, the present traffic-sates on various roads. The moving pictures include pictures photographed by roadside CCTV cameras. 
     If advertisement on merchandise items and service items is merged with the moving pictures, the information will be valuable not only to the driver, but also to any occupant of the vehicle, who may use the service areas along turnpikes. The advertisement may pertain to the merchandise items and service items the road facility for service business. In this case, the road facility for service business may sponsor the road-traffic information, adding some value to the road-traffic information. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a system for providing road-traffic information that can provides valuable and useful road-traffic information, by synthesizing moving picture data about road traffic states with additional data such as advertisement data. 
     According to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a road-traffic information providing system that synthesizes the moving picture data generated from moving pictures acquired by cameras, with additional data such as advertisement data advertising merchandise items and various service items. 
     The road-traffic information providing system according to the aspect of this invention comprises a transmission unit configured to transmit moving picture data representing the road-traffic states photographed by cameras; an acquisition unit configured to acquire additional data; a synthesis unit configured to synthesize the moving picture data with the additional data, thereby generating road-traffic information; and an information-providing unit configured to provide the road-traffic information to objects that should receive the information. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram explaining the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an exemplary information item displayed in the system according to an embodiment; 
         FIGS. 3A to 3C  are diagrams explaining how images are synthesized to generate a synthesized image in the system according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart explaining how the system according to an embodiment operates; and 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram explaining the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the major components of a road-traffic information providing system according to a first embodiment of this invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system according to this embodiment comprises a camera  1 , a roadside information-collecting unit  2 , a center system  5 , an intra-facility unit  15 , an intra-facility information providing unit  18 , a roadside information-providing unit  19 , and an intra-vehicle device  22 . The center system  5  and the units  2 ,  15  and  19  each include a computer composed of software and hardware. The intra-vehicle device  22  is provided in a vehicle. 
     The camera  1  is a monitor camera that is a movie-camera or a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera, etc. It is installed at a photographing point set on a roadside or set in a service area or parking area built on a turnpike. The camera  1  outputs a video signal that represents a moving picture showing the road-traffic state at the photographing point. 
     The road-traffic state is mainly the traffic of vehicles running on the road. The road includes a road in any facility that is a road facility for service business. The roadside information-collecting unit  2  is an apparatus installed on a side of the road. The roadside information-collecting unit  2  is connected to the camera  1  by a wired communication path  100 . The unit  2  acquires the moving picture from the camera  1 . The unit  2  includes a moving picture processing unit  3  and a transmission process unit  4 . The moving picture processing unit  3  processes any video signal output from the camera  1 . 
     The moving picture processing unit  3  compresses moving picture data, using moving picture compressing scheme such as Moving Picture Experts Group 4 (MPEG-4), in order to increase the transmission efficiency. The transmission process unit  4  transmits receives the moving picture data from the moving picture processing unit  3  and transmits the same, as a National Television System Committee (NTSC) signal, to the center system  5  through a wired communication path  101 . 
     The center system  5  includes a moving picture data management unit  6 , a controller&#39;s display unit  7 , a moving picture database  8 , a moving picture extraction unit  9 , an additional-data input unit  10 , a additional-data database  11 , an additional-data selection unit  12 , an output-data preparation unit  13 , and an output-data transmission unit  14 . 
     A controller&#39;s terminal  50  is provided in the center system  5  and is connected to the center system  5 . The controller&#39;s terminal  50  has a display screen for displaying the moving picture data supplied from the controller&#39;s display unit  7 . The controller&#39;s terminal  50  is connected to the addition-data input unit  10 , too, and can therefore accumulate additional data, such as advertisement, in the additional-data database  11 . 
     The intra-facility unit  15  is installed in a road facility for service business such as a service area or a parking area that is built on a turnpike. The intra-facility unit  15  is connected by a wired communication path  102  to the center system  5  and can therefore receive the output data transmitted from the output-data transmission unit  14 . The “output data” is data generated by synthesizing moving picture data representing the road traffic state and additional data representing advertisement, etc. The intra-facility unit  15  includes an intra-facility data generation unit  16  and an intra-facility transmission unit  17 . The intra-facility data generation unit  16  generates data for use in the facility, from the output data received from the center system  5 . The intra-facility transmission unit  17  transmits the data generated by the unit  16 , to the intra-facility information providing unit  18  through a wired communication path  103 . 
     The intra-facility information providing unit  18  displays the output data (i.e., data generated by the intra-facility data generation unit  16 ) that has been transmitted from the intra-facility transmission unit  17  provided in the intra-facility unit  15 . More specifically, the intra-facility information providing unit  18  has a display installed in the a road facility for service business such as service area or parking area built on the turnpike. Thus, the output data is displayed on the screen of this display. 
     The roadside information-providing unit  19  is installed at the roadside (including the road build in the facility). The unit  19  is connected by a wired communication path  104  to the center system  5 , and can receive the output data transmitted from the output-data transmission unit  14 . The roadside information-providing unit  19  includes an output-data generation unit  20  and a roadside transmission unit  21 . 
     The output-data generation unit  20  generates output data for use in the vehicle, from the output data received from the center system  5 . The roadside transmission unit  21  transmits the output data, thus generated, to the intra-vehicle device  22  through a wireless communication path  105 . The wireless communication path  105  is a wireless communication facility of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) type. Note that the wired communication paths  100  to  104  are transmission paths that constitute, for example, a wired network. 
     The intra-vehicle device  22  is provided in the vehicle and includes a monitor and a wireless communication device DSRC system. The intra-vehicle device  22  has a monitor, which displays on its screen the output data transmitted through the wireless communication path  105 . The intra-vehicle device  22  may be replaced by a device integrated, in terms of function, with the conventional car navigation system. 
     (Operation of the System) 
     How the system according to this embodiment operates will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A to  3 C, and  4 . 
     First, the roadside information-collecting unit  2  collects the moving picture data the camera  1  has acquired. The moving picture data is transmitted from the unit  2  to the center system  5  through the wired communication path  101  (Step S 1 ). The camera  1  is photographing the road traffic near the service area or parking area or at a position preset as a photographing point. 
     In the center system  5 , the moving picture data management unit  6  receives the moving picture data and stores the same in the moving picture database  8  and, at the same time, outputs the moving picture data to the controller&#39;s display unit  7  (Step S 2 ). The controller&#39;s display unit  7  expands the moving picture data that has been compressed. The moving picture data thus expanded is output to the controller&#39;s terminal  50 . The controller&#39;s terminal  50  displays the moving picture data on its monitor screen, as is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The controller views the moving picture data thus displayed on the monitor screen, grasping the road-traffic state at the position where the camera  1  is installed. 
     Next, the moving picture extraction unit  9  extracts moving picture data to give the driver and occupants of the vehicle or the users of the road facility for service business (i.e., service area or parking area), from the moving picture data accumulated in the moving picture database  8  (Step S 3 ). The moving picture data extracted by the moving picture extraction unit  9  represents chronically congested locations, traffic-branch units, traffic-confluence units, traffic inflows and outflows at toll gates, or the traffic states at the entrance to and exit from the service area or parking area. Further, the moving picture extraction unit  9  may extract moving picture data that represents the traffic state at any parking area in the road facility for service business. The moving picture extraction unit  9  extracts moving picture data in accordance with the position data input from the controller&#39;s terminal  50  and representing the location of the camera  1 . The moving picture data, thus extracted, is output to the output-data preparation unit  13 . Here, it is assumed that the moving picture data represents the traffic states at the entrance to and exit from the service area or parking area. 
     The additional-data selection unit  12  selects, for example, the advertisement data about merchandise items and service from the additional data accumulated in the additional-data database  11  and outputs the same to the output-data preparation unit  13  (Step S 4 ). The additional-data database  11  accumulates advertisement data that has been input from the controller&#39;s terminal  50  through the addition-data input unit  10 . The advertisement data includes video data, text data, marks, campaign colors, etc., about the merchandise items. Examples of the advertisement data are the video data representing the image of a vehicle advertised, the text data representing the name of the vehicle, or the mark such as the trademark of the car manufacturer. 
     The additional-data selection unit  12  can select an advertisement data item from the additional-data database  11  in accordance with data representing selection conditions such as the destination of moving picture data, the time of providing the moving picture data and the road-traffic state. The data representing these selection conditions is input at the controller&#39;s terminal  50 . More precisely, the data representing the selection conditions represents the place where the merchandise item should be advertised and the time when the merchandise item should be advertised. The place where the merchandize item should be advertised is, for example, a specific service area, a particular parking area, or the exit from a particular toll gate. The time when the merchandise item should be advertised is, for example, morning, daytime or night on weekdays, holidays or national holidays. The data representing the selection conditions represents, for example, a desirable average vehicle speed n (km/h) calculated from road-traffic states such as the average speed of the vehicles, the volume of traffic and the number of vehicles per unit area, from which to determine whether traffic congestion exists or not. 
     The output-data preparation unit  13  synthesizes the moving picture data extracted by the moving picture extraction unit  9  with the advertisement data selected by the additional-data selection unit  12 , thereby generating moving picture data (i.e., output data) (Step S 5 ). More precisely, the output-data preparation unit  13  performs a motion vector process on the input moving picture data, recognizing the vehicles represented by the data, as objects, by utilizing, for example, the conventional encoding (i.e., compression) technique. Moreover, the output-data preparation unit  13  utilizes the data representing the vehicles thus recognized as objects, synthesizing the moving picture data and the advertisement data. Note that the output-data preparation unit  13  may perform a vector-image process in order to extract the images of vehicles from the moving picture data and to track the images thus extracted. 
     The output-data preparation unit  13  synthesizes the moving picture data with the additional data, by performing an overlapping process of overlapping the advertisement data on a vehicle object, the advertisement data being, for example, video data representing the image of a vehicle advertised, text data representing the name of the vehicle, or a mark such as the trademark of the car manufacturer. Further, the output-data preparation unit  13  can paint all vehicles represented by the moving picture data in a specific campaign color, by using color data representing the campaign color. 
     The output-data transmission unit  14  transmits the output data generated by the output-data preparation unit  13  via the wired communication paths  102  and  104  to the intra-facility unit  15  and roadside information-providing unit  19 , by means of TCP/IP communication or streaming transmission (Step S 6 ). Before transmitting the output data, the output-data transmission unit  14  compresses the output data if the moving picture data contained in the output data has been expanded by the output-data preparation unit  13 . 
     In the intra-facility unit  15 , the intra-facility data generation unit  16  receives the output data and converts the same time to data that will be used in the road facility for service business. The data thus converted is ordinary compressed moving picture data if such data is desirable. If still picture data is desired, the unit  16  will converts the output data to still picture data that represents consecutive still pictures. The intra-facility transmission unit  17  transmits the data generated by the unit  16  to the intra-facility information providing unit  18  by means of TCP/IP communication or streaming transmission. 
     The intra-facility information providing unit  18  may be located outdoors and the can hardly be connected to the intra-facility transmission unit  17  by the wired communication path  103 . In this case, the unit  18  can be connected to the unit  17  by utilizing wireless communication path such as a wireless LAN. The intra-facility information providing unit  18  has a display such as a monitor or a liquid crystal TV (i.e., liquid crystal display). The display displays the output data supplied from the intra-facility unit  15 . 
     To be more specific, the intra-facility information providing unit  18  performs a conversion process, either displaying on its screen a moving picture showing various types of vehicles ( FIG. 2 ) and an advertised vehicle  30 , or displaying images of the advertised vehicle  30  in place of various types of vehicles, as is illustrated in  FIG. 3A . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the intra-facility information providing unit  18  may display a moving picture showing various types of vehicles and text data items  31 , each being an advertisement data item added to the image of one vehicle. Still alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3C , the intra-facility information providing unit  18  may display a moving picture showing various types of vehicles and images  32  of a merchandize item advertised, each added to the image of one vehicle. Each text data item  31  is, for example, the name of a merchandize item advertised. Each of the images  32  is, for example, a loaf of bread advertised. 
     Similarly, in the roadside information-providing unit  19 , the output-data generation unit  20  receives the output data transmitted from the output-data transmission unit  14  and converts the same to data that will be used in the intra-vehicle device  22 . The data thus converted is ordinary compressed moving picture data if such data is desirable. If still picture data is desired, the roadside information-providing unit  19  will converts the output data to still picture data that represents consecutive still pictures. The roadside transmission unit  21  transmits the output data generated by the output-data generation unit  20  to the intra-vehicle device  22  through the wireless communication path  105  that achieves, for example beacon communication utilized in DSRC or VICS communication. The intra-vehicle device  22  displays, on its monitor screen, such moving picture data having such advertisement data as shown in  FIG. 3A ,  3 B or  3 C. 
     In the system according to this embodiment, which is configured as described above, a moving picture having such advertisement data as shown in  FIG. 3A ,  3 B or  3 C can be displayed by the display screen of a display provided in the road facility for service business such as a service area or parking area built on any turnpike and by the monitor screen of the intra-vehicle device  22  provided in a vehicle. Hence, any person using the road facility for service business such as a service area or parking area and the driver of the vehicle can not only confirm the road-traffic state at the photographing point preset, but also see the advertisement about merchandise or service. This increases the probability that the facility user and the car driver buys the advertised merchandise item, e.g., bread sold at the shop operating in a service area. Not only the facility user and the car driver, but also the people working in the road facility for service business can see the advertisement and know the road-traffic state. 
     From the advertisement data that should be added to the moving picture data representing the road-traffic state, an advertisement data item may be selected in accordance with the time or plate at which to advertise the merchandise item or service item. If this is the case, the advertisement will be more effective than otherwise. In the morning, for example, it is advisable to display advertisement of merchandize items necessary at this time of the day (e.g., foods for breakfast). At such a time or in such a place, where traffic congestion may occur, the monitor screen of the intra-vehicle device  22  may display an advertisement data item about music DCs. This increases the probability that the car driver buys a music CD at a shop in a service area. The advertisement data item displayed is therefore effective. 
     The charge for providing advertisement data may be set in accordance with the road-traffic state at the place where the data should be displayed. Thus, an appropriate advertisement sponsor and a suitable merchandise item can be selected in accordance with the road-traffic state at any position the vehicle is travelling. 
     Moreover, the system according to this embodiment can display both a road-traffic state and advertisement at the same time. Therefore, the system gives useful information not only to the car driver and the facility user, but also to the road management firm, the facility company and the advertisement agent. The information helps the firm, company and agent to achieve good coordination. 
     As has been described, the system of this embodiment synthesizes moving picture data representing a road-traffic state with additional data such as advertisement, thereby providing effective and useful road-traffic information. 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing the major components of a system according to a second embodiment of this invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the system according to this embodiment comprises a center system  5 , an intra-facility unit  15 , and a roadside information-providing unit  19 . The center system  5  includes a moving picture data transmission unit  23  and an additional-data registration/updating unit  24 . The intra-facility unit  15  includes an intra-facility additional-data selection unit  25 . The roadside information-providing unit  19  includes a roadside additional-data selection unit  26 . The system of  FIG. 5  has other components, which are identical to those of the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . The other components are therefore designated by the same reference numbers and will not be described in detail. 
     The operation of the system according to this embodiment will be explained below. Nonetheless, how the components identical to those of the first embodiment operate will not be described. 
     In the system according to this embodiment, the moving picture data transmission unit  23  transmits moving picture data through the wired communication paths  102  and  104  to the intra-facility unit  15  and roadside information-providing unit  19 , respectively. Note that the moving picture data thus transmitted has been extracted by the moving picture extraction unit  9  from the moving picture data accumulated in the moving picture database  8 . 
     On the other hand, the additional-data registration/updating unit  24  provides additional data through the wired communication paths  106  and  107  to the intra-facility unit  15  and roadside information-providing unit  19 , respectively. Note that the additional data thus provided has been extracted by the additional-data selection unit  12  from the additional data accumulated in the additional-data database  11 . 
     In the intra-facility unit  15 , the intra-facility additional-data selection unit  25  registers the advertisement data received from the additional-data registration/updating unit  24 , selects an advertisement data item to be synthesized with the moving picture data, in accordance with the place and time at which to display the advertisement data item, and outputs the advertisement data item to the intra-facility data generation unit  16 . The intra-facility data generation unit  16  synthesizes the advertisement data item selected by the intra-facility additional-data selection unit  25  with the moving picture data received from the moving picture data transmission unit  23 , thereby generating output data. Note that the intra-facility data generation unit  16  performs the data synthesis in the same way as does the output-data preparation unit  13  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The intra-facility transmission unit  17  transmits the data generated by the intra-facility data generation unit  16  through the wired communication path  103  to the intra-facility information providing unit  18  that is provided in the facility. The intra-facility information providing unit  18  displays, on its display screen, the output data transmitted from the intra-facility transmission unit  17 . 
     In the roadside information-providing unit  19 , the roadside additional-data selection unit  26  registers the advertisement data received from the additional-data registration/updating unit  24 , selects an advertisement data item to be synthesized with the moving picture data, in accordance with the place and time at which to display the advertisement data item, and outputs the advertisement data item to the output-data generation unit  20 . 
     The output-data generation unit  20  synthesizes the advertisement data item selected by the roadside additional-data selection unit  26  with the moving picture data received from the moving picture data transmission unit  23 , thereby generating output data. Note that the output-data generation unit  20  performs the data synthesis in the same way as does the output-data preparation unit  13  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The roadside transmission unit  21  transmits the output data generated by the output-data generation unit  20  to the intra-vehicle device  22  through the wireless communication path  105 . The intra-vehicle device  22  displays, on its monitor screen, the output data transmitted through the wireless communication path  105 . 
     The system according to the second embodiment can achieve the same advantages as the system according to the first embodiment. That is, this system can provide the car driver and any facility user with the moving picture data and the advertisement data at the same time (see  FIGS. 3A to 3C ). The car driver and facility user can therefore easily grasp the road-traffic state and see the advertisement about merchandise and service. Hence, not only the facility user and car driver, but also the people working in the facility can see the advertisement and know the road-traffic state. Thus, the system gives effective and useful road-traffic information. 
     Moreover, the system according to either embodiment, the advertisement data is synthesized with the moving picture data representing the road-traffic state, not in the center system  5 , but in the intra-facility unit  15  and roadside information-providing unit  19 . This can reduce the work load of the center system  5  in connection with the synthesis of moving picture data and advertisement data. 
     In either embodiment described above, the moving picture data or the output data obtained by synthesizing the moving picture data and advertisement data is transmitted to the intra-facility information providing unit  18  and intra-vehicle device  22 . This invention is not limited to the embodiments, nevertheless. The invention can be applied to information providing service in which the output data is transmitted to mobile terminals. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.