INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION DEVICE

• US 20130107054A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueoka, Shohji, Matsuda, Yuusaku, Wakabayashi, Yuki, Fujiwara, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An information distribution device capable of distributing call attention information for calling attention to an event after confirming whether or not an event has occurred depending on circumstances is provided. A communication unit receives vehicle information, which relates to the behavior of a vehicle, and image information, which includes an image photographed by a vehicle has photographed, and distributes the call attention information for calling attention to an event, to a vehicle. A control unit determines whether or not to make a request to a vehicle for transmission of the image information, based on vehicle information or weather information, and makes a request to a vehicle for transmission of an image if it is determined to make a request for transmission of the image information.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An information distribution device which distributes call attention information for calling attention to an event to a vehicle, based on at least one of image information, which includes an image photographed by an image pickup unit in a vehicle, vehicle information, which relates to the behavior of a vehicle, and weather information, comprising:

a first information acquisition unit configured to acquire at least one of the vehicle information and the weather information;

an image transmission request determination unit configured to determine whether or not to make a request to a vehicle for transmission of the image information based on at least one of the vehicle information and the weather information acquired by the first information acquisition unit;

an output unit configured to output a request for transmission of the image information to a vehicle if the image transmission request determination unit determines to make a request for transmission of the image information;

a second information acquisition unit configured to acquire the image information from a vehicle that has responded to the request for transmission of the image information;

a call attention information distribution determination unit configured to determine whether or not to distribute the call attention information to a vehicle, based on the image information acquired by the second information acquisition unit; and

a first call attention information distribution unit configured to distribute the call attention information to a vehicle if the call attention information distribution determination unit determines to distribute the call attention information to a vehicle.

13. The information distribution device according to claim 12, further comprising a second call attention information distribution unit configured to distribute the call attention information to a vehicle, based on the vehicle information acquired by the first information acquisition unit.

14. The information distribution device according to claim 12, further comprising a call attention information distribution abort unit configured to abort distribution of the call attention information to a vehicle if the call attention information distribution determination unit determines not to distribute the call attention information to a vehicle.

15. The information distribution device according to claim 12, further comprising a first distribution target vehicle discrimination unit configured to discriminate a vehicle to which the call attention information should be distributed based on the source of transmission of the vehicle information and the position of the vehicle.

16. The information distribution device according to claim 12, further comprising a second distribution target vehicle discrimination unit configured to discriminate a vehicle to which the call attention information should be distributed based on the source of transmission of the vehicle information and the travel route of the vehicle

17. The information distribution device according to claim 16, further comprising:

a bypass information creation unit configured to create bypass information for notifying presence/absence of a means for bypassing an event that has occurred in the travel route of the vehicle, based on the vehicle position information and the travel route information; and

a bypass information distribution unit configured to distribute the bypass information to a vehicle.

18. An information distribution device which distributes specific position information, which relates to the circumstances of an event in a specific position stored in an external server, to a vehicle, comprising:

an event information acquisition unit configured to acquire event information, which relates to the position of an event, from at least one of a vehicle and an external server; and

a specific position information acquisition unit configured to acquire the specific position information stored in the external server based on the position of an event included in the event information acquired by the event information acquisition unit, wherein

the specific position information acquisition unit makes the frequency of requests to the external server for specific position information after acquisition of the event information by the event information acquisition unit higher than the frequency of requests to the external server for specific position information before acquisition of the event information by the event information acquisition unit.

19. The information distribution device according to claim 18, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the specific position information; and

an update unit configured to compare the specific position information received from the external server and the specific position information stored in the storage unit and update the specific position information if the specific position information received from the external server is different from the specific position information stored in the storage unit.

20. The information distribution device according to claim 19, further comprising:

an event determination unit configured to determine whether or not an event exists in the specific position, based on the specific position information; and

a call attention cancel information distribution unit configured to discriminate a vehicle to which the call attention cancel information for cancelling call of the attention to an event should be distributed and distribute the call attention cancel information to the vehicle if it is determined that an event does not exist in the specific position.

21. The information distribution device according to claim 20, wherein

the specific position information acquisition unit returns the frequency of requests to the external server for the specific position information after distribution of the call attention cancel information by the call attention cancel information distribution unit to the frequency of requests to the external server for the specific position information before acquisition of the event information by the event information acquisition unit.

22. The information distribution device according to claim 19, further comprising:

an event determination unit configured to determine whether or not an event exists in the specific position, based on the specific position information; and

a call attention information distribution unit configured to discriminate a vehicle to which call attention information for calling attention to an event should be distributed and distribute the call attention information to the vehicle if it is determined that an event exists in the specific position.