Vehicle information processing device and method

Abstract

The invention comprises: an identification data input unit (11) for inputting identification data for identifying a passenger of a vehicle; a preference data storage unit (12) for storing preference data related to the preferences of the passenger in association with the identification data; an object acquisition unit (13) for acquiring object data existing in the vicinity of the passenger riding in the vehicle; a determination unit (15) for determining whether the object included in the object data can be identified by the vision or hearing of the passenger riding in the vehicle; and a notification data generation unit (16) for generating notification data for the passenger riding in the vehicle based on the preference data of the passenger associated with the identification data stored in the preference data storage unit and the object determined by the determination unit to be recognizable by the passenger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle information processing device and method. Background Art

[0002] A driving assistance system is proposed, which assists driving by enabling communication between a character displayed on a vehicle-mounted display and a driver. For example, a driving assistance system is known, which outputs character information in a manner determined based on an intimacy determined according to a state in which a user drives a vehicle, outputs the character information from a first output unit when the intimacy is less than a predetermined threshold, and outputs the character information from the first output unit and a second output unit when the intimacy is greater than a predetermined threshold (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5966121 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the above-mentioned prior art, the output character information is changed according to the intimacy determined based on the travel distance, etc. However, in the above-mentioned prior art, it is not possible to provide content suitable for each user from the perspective of the preferences of each user and the user's surrounding environment. Therefore, there is a problem that more interesting information cannot be provided.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle information processing device and method capable of providing more interesting information.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by generating notification data for passengers on a vehicle based on the passenger's preference data associated with identification data stored in a preference data storage unit and objects judged to be recognizable by the passengers in object data existing around the passengers on the vehicle.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, more interesting information can be provided to the vehicle occupant based on the occupant's preference data and the object data that the occupant can visually recognize. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1AIt is a hardware configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle to which the vehicle information processing device according to the present invention is applied.

[0014] Figure 1B This is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle information processing device according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2A It is shown in Figure 1B Flowchart of the information processing process executed in the vehicle information processing device (part 1).

[0016] Figure 2B It is shown in Figure 1B Flowchart of the information processing process executed in the vehicle information processing device (part 2).

[0017] Figure 3 It shows that the Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation at step S12.

[0018] Figure 4 It shows that the Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation at step S13.

[0019] Figure 5 It shows that the Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation at step S14.

[0020] Figure 6 It shows that the Figure 2B FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation at step S15. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1A is a hardware configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle to which the vehicle information processing device 1 according to the present invention is applied. Figure 1B The functional block diagram of the embodiment of the vehicle information processing device 1. The vehicle information processing device 1 of the present embodiment is a device that provides information to a driver and fellow passengers (hereinafter, these drivers and fellow passengers are also referred to as vehicle passengers or simply passengers) or communicates with the passengers by means of media such as sound, image, action of a character robot, and a combination thereof.

[0022] like Figure 1AAs shown, a vehicle 100 to which the vehicle information processing device 1 according to the present invention is applied includes a sensor group 110, a surrounding detection device 120, a navigation device 130, an external information acquisition device 140, a drive device 150, an indoor camera 160, an indoor microphone 170, a speaker 180, and a controller 190. These devices are connected via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other vehicle-mounted LAN to send and receive information to each other. In addition, the vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment includes a controller 190.

[0023] As the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, an electric vehicle having an electric motor as a driving source, an engine vehicle having an internal combustion engine as a driving source, and a hybrid vehicle having both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as driving sources can be exemplified. In addition, electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles using electric motors as driving sources include those using secondary batteries as the power source of the electric motor and those using fuel cells as the power source of the electric motor.

[0024] The sensor group 110 is composed of devices for detecting the driving state of the vehicle. Specifically, the sensor group 110 of this embodiment includes a vehicle speed sensor 111 , an engine speed sensor 112 , an accelerator pedal opening sensor 113 , a brake pedal opening sensor 114 , a steering angle sensor 115 , and a shift lever sensor 116 .

[0025] The surrounding detection device 120 detects objects existing in the surroundings of the vehicle 100. As the surrounding detection device 120, a vehicle-mounted camera 121 and a radar 122 can be listed. The vehicle-mounted camera 121 captures the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The vehicle-mounted camera 121 is composed of, for example, a front camera that captures the front of the vehicle 100, a rear camera that captures the rear of the vehicle 100, and a side camera that captures the side of the vehicle 100. The radar 122 detects obstacles existing in the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The radar 122 is composed of, for example, a front radar that detects obstacles existing in front of the vehicle 100, a rear radar that detects obstacles existing in the rear of the vehicle 100, and a side radar that detects obstacles existing in the side of the vehicle 100. The radar 122 detects the distance from the vehicle 100 to the obstacle and the direction in which the obstacle is located.

[0026] As the objects detected by the surrounding detection device 120, people, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, road obstacles, traffic lights, road signs, and crosswalks can be listed. In addition, as the surrounding detection device 120, it can be a structure using either the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted camera 121 and radar 122, or a structure combining two or more. The surrounding detection device 120 outputs the captured information and the detection results to the controller 190 as surrounding information.

[0027] The navigation device 130 guides the driver by showing a route from the current position of the vehicle 100 to the destination based on the position information of the vehicle 100 detected by the GPS 131. The navigation device 130 has map information and calculates the driving route of the vehicle 100 based on the position information of the vehicle 100 and the position information of the destination. The navigation device 130 outputs the position information of the vehicle 100 and the information of the driving route of the vehicle 100 to the controller 190. The driving route of the vehicle 100 includes the route that the vehicle 100 has actually traveled and the route that the vehicle 100 is scheduled to travel.

[0028] The external information acquisition device 140 is connected to a network existing outside the vehicle 100 to acquire information about the external environment of the vehicle 100. As the external information acquisition device 140, a device that acquires various information from the network outside the vehicle at a predetermined period via a communication line can be listed. For example, the external information acquisition device 140 acquires road congestion information, road construction information, and accident information from the VICS (registered trademark) system. In addition, for example, the external information acquisition device 140 acquires weather information from an external server. The external information acquisition device 140 outputs the information acquired from outside the vehicle to the controller 190. In addition, the external information acquisition device 140 is not limited to acquiring information from an external server, but can also retrieve required information on the network and access a server that manages the information based on the search results.

[0029] In addition, the external information acquisition device 140 is not limited to a device that acquires information about the external environment via a communication line, and may be, for example, an external temperature sensor that detects the external temperature, a humidity sensor that detects humidity, or a raindrop sensor that detects raindrops. The external temperature sensor outputs information about the external temperature as a detection result to the controller 190. The humidity sensor outputs information about the humidity as a detection result to the controller 190. The raindrop sensor outputs information about raindrops as a detection result to the controller 190.

[0030] The drive device 150 is provided with a drive mechanism of the vehicle 100. The drive mechanism includes the electric motor and / or internal combustion engine as the driving source of the vehicle 100, a drive shaft that transmits the output from these driving sources to the driving wheels, a power transmission device of an automatic transmission, and a brake device (not shown) that brakes the wheels. The drive device 150 generates control signals of these drive mechanisms based on input signals generated according to the driver's accelerator operation and brake operation, and control signals obtained from a vehicle controller (not shown) or a driving control device (not shown), and performs driving control including acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle. The driving control including acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle can be automatically performed by sending command information to the drive device 150. In addition, in the case of a hybrid vehicle, the torque distribution output to the electric motor and the internal combustion engine respectively corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle is also sent to the drive device 150.

[0031] The subject who drives the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is the subject who controls the driving device 150, that is, the driver of the vehicle 100 or the vehicle controller. The vehicle 100 travels by the driving operation of the driver or by the autonomous driving operation performed by the vehicle controller. Figure 1A Although not shown in the figure, the vehicle 100 is provided with a device for switching the subject of the driving operation (e.g., a button-shaped switch, etc.). The driver can switch between the manual driving operation and the driving operation performed by the vehicle controller by switching the switch. The driving operation performed by the vehicle controller is a driving operation based on the so-called autonomous driving, which is a driving operation that enables the vehicle to drive autonomously. As a technology for autonomous driving, technologies known at the time of filing this application can be appropriately applied. The drive device 150 outputs information about the driving subject driving the vehicle 100 to the controller 190 as driving subject information.

[0032] The indoor camera 160 is provided at a position where the passengers of the vehicle 100 can be photographed to photograph the passengers. In the present embodiment, the indoor camera 160 photographs the driver among the passengers of the vehicle 100. Preferably, the indoor camera 160 is provided at a position where the driver's expression including the driver's line of sight and the driving operation performed by the driver can be photographed. The indoor camera 160 outputs the information of the camera image of the driver to the controller 190.

[0033] The indoor microphone 170 acquires voice information of passengers of the vehicle 100 and stores the voice information at least temporarily. In the present embodiment, the indoor microphone 170 acquires voice information of the driver among passengers of the vehicle 100. The installation position of the indoor microphone 170 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably installed near the seat of the passenger.

[0034] The speaker 180 outputs sound information to the passengers of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the speaker 180 outputs sound information to the driver of the passengers of the vehicle 100. The installation position of the speaker 180 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably installed near the seat of the passengers.

[0035] The controller 190 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing a program, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) functioning as an accessible storage device, wherein the program executes a conversation process with the passengers using a conversation program corresponding to the load of the passengers of the vehicle 100. In addition, as an action circuit, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. can be used instead of or in addition to the CPU. The controller 190 executes various control functions by having the CPU execute the program stored in the ROM.

[0036] The vehicle information processing device 1 of the present embodiment is constructed as follows Figure 1A The vehicle information processing device 1 of this embodiment is composed of a computer, which includes: a ROM that stores programs for executing various processes; a CPU as an action circuit that functions as the vehicle information processing device 1 by executing the programs stored in the ROM; and a RAM that functions as an accessible storage device. Moreover, from the perspective of the functional structure that is performed by executing the information processing program, as shown in FIG. Figure 1B As shown, the vehicle information processing device 1 includes an identification data input unit 11, a preference data storage unit 12, an object acquisition unit 13, an actual use detection unit 14, a determination unit 15, and a notification data generation unit 16, and a vehicle information acquisition unit 17 as needed. Figure 1B The configuration of the vehicle information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0037] The identification data input unit 11 is an interface for inputting identification data, and the identification data is used to identify the passengers of the vehicle to which the vehicle information processing device 1 of this example is applied. Moreover, when the passenger carries a terminal device (mobile computer such as a smart phone) storing his / her own identification data and takes the vehicle, the identification data of the passenger is automatically or semi-automatically read via a short-range wireless communication network such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the passenger uses an input button (not shown) set as the identification data input unit 11 to manually input the identification data, thereby inputting the identification data of the passenger. In addition, the identification data of the passenger may be stored in a wireless key of the vehicle, and when the wireless key is used to unlock or start the vehicle, the identification data input unit 11 automatically or semi-automatically reads the identification data of the passenger via a short-range wireless communication network.

[0038] The preference data storage unit 12 is a storage device such as a database that stores preference data related to the preferences of each person who may become a passenger in association with identification data. The preference data is the hobbies or other matters in which each passenger shows interest, and these data are organized, for example, by category. For example, regarding Mr. X, preference data such as interest in sports, dining, and fashion, particularly liking baseball among sports, and particularly liking ramen among dining is stored. Regarding such preference data, the passenger can either manually input his own preference data or analyze the preference data based on the actual use of the vehicle.

[0039] Instead of or in addition to the above method, the number of times the passenger browses a web site that the passenger browses using a computer on a regular basis, or the number of commodities purchased using a credit card by category, may be counted to accumulate the passenger's personal data in the preference data storage unit 12, and the data may be analyzed to thereby set the preference data. For example, with respect to the above-mentioned Mr. X, if the number of times the passenger browses web sites belonging to the categories of sports, dining, and fashion is accumulated in the preference data storage unit 12 more than the number of times the passenger browses other categories, the preference data of Mr. X may be set to sports, dining, and fashion. In addition, if the number of times Mr. X purchases baseball game tickets twice a month using a credit card is accumulated in the preference data storage unit 12, the preference data of Mr. X may be set to particularly like baseball among sports.

[0040] The object acquisition unit 13 acquires object data existing in the vicinity of passengers in the vehicle. The object acquisition unit 13 performs image analysis processing in which a specific object (object) is identified from image data of the vehicle surroundings captured by a vehicle-mounted camera device such as a camera included in the vehicle sensor class 2. In addition, the object acquisition unit 13 extracts specific objects from the vehicle position detection device such as a GPS receiver included in the vehicle sensor class 2 and the map data stored in the map database 3. Objects determined by the object acquisition unit 13 are not particularly limited, and include buildings, stores, vehicles, pedestrians, roads, intersections, etc. In addition, buildings include landmarks such as Yokohama Stadium (registered trademark), Yokohama Cosmo World (registered trademark), and Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (registered trademark), stores include restaurants, clothing stores, etc., and roads include the Metropolitan Expressway Yokohane Line, etc.

[0041] The actual usage detection unit 14 detects the actual situation of the passenger using the vehicle information processing device 1. The information detected by the actual usage detection unit 14 is not particularly limited, but the passenger is determined based on the identification data input to the identification data input unit 11, and the actual usage value corresponding to the time and / or frequency of the passenger using the vehicle information processing device 1 is calculated. The actual usage value calculated by the actual usage detection unit 14 is output to the notification data generation unit 16, and the generated notification data is determined according to the size of the actual usage value. The details are described later. In addition, the actual usage detection unit 14 can also be omitted as needed.

[0042] The determination unit 15 determines whether the object included in the object data acquired by the object acquisition unit 13 can be recognized by the vision or hearing of the passengers in the vehicle. In addition to extracting objects from the image data of the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device, the object acquisition unit 13 also extracts specific objects from the vehicle position detection device such as the GPS receiver included in the vehicle sensor type 2 and the map data stored in the map database 3. Therefore, even if the extracted object exists in the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle, it is likely to be in a position relationship or other environmental relationship that cannot be recognized from the passengers through vision or hearing. If the passengers are notified of information related to the object that exists in the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle but cannot be recognized from the passengers through vision or hearing, it may make the passengers feel stressed. Therefore, the determination unit 15 determines whether the object acquired by the object acquisition unit 13 can be recognized by the passengers, and outputs the result to the notification data generation unit 16.

[0043] When an object is extracted from the image data of the vehicle's surroundings captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device, the determination unit 15 determines that the object can be recognized by the passenger because the vehicle-mounted camera device can be used for visual recognition. In contrast, when a specific object is extracted from the vehicle position detection device such as the GPS receiver included in the vehicle sensor class 2 and the map data stored in the map database 3, the object acquired by the object acquisition unit 13 is compared with the image data of the vehicle's surroundings captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device to determine whether the object can be recognized by the passenger. In addition, in the above example, an example of determining whether it can be recognized by vision or hearing is shown, but it is not limited to this. For example, it is also determined that it can be recognized by vibration, swaying, acceleration corresponding to the movement of the vehicle, gravity acceleration, etc. that can be felt by the body.

[0044] The notification data generation unit 16 generates notification data for the passenger based on the preference data of the passenger associated with the identification data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 and the object determined by the determination unit 15 to be identifiable by the passenger. The notification data generated by the notification data generation unit 16 refers to the sound, image, action of the character robot, or a combination thereof output from the notification device 6 described later. For example, when notification data consisting of sound and character images is generated for a user whose preference data includes "baseball", a notification is made that "Yokohama won the Yokohama-Hanshin game last night with a score of 8 to 7. As a result, Yokohama is only one game behind the first-place Giant." In addition, when notification data is generated for a passenger with an object determined to be identifiable, information related to the relative position or distance relative to the vehicle on which the passenger is riding may also be included. For example, for a user whose preference data includes "bread", when "bakery" is detected as an object associated with "bread" included at a predetermined distance (e.g., 50m) from the vehicle, the notification data generation unit generates notification data that "there is a bakery 50m ahead" and makes a notification.

[0045] The notification data generation unit 16 of this embodiment first determines the notification data to be generated based on whether the preference data storage unit 12 stores the preference data of the passenger or whether the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 satisfies a predetermined condition, and whether there is an object determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passenger. Whether the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 satisfies the predetermined condition means that the preference data storage unit 12 has accumulated preference data with a degree of reliability that fully reflects the preference of the passenger.

[0046] More specifically, when there is an object determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passenger around the vehicle, the notification data generation unit 16 preferentially generates information related to the recognizable object as notification data. In addition, when the preference data storage unit 12 does not store the preference data of the passenger riding in the vehicle, or when the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 does not satisfy the prescribed conditions, the notification data generation unit 16 does not use the preference data as notification data, but generates information related to the recognizable object as notification data.

[0047] In addition, when the preference data of passengers riding in the vehicle is stored in the preference data storage unit 12 and there are objects determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passengers, the notification data generation unit 16 generates information related to the objects that are associated with the preference data of the passengers among the objects determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passengers as notification data.

[0048] Furthermore, the notification data generating unit 16 generates notification data as follows based on the size of the actual usage value detected by the actual usage detecting unit 14. First, when the actual usage value of the passenger riding the vehicle detected by the actual usage detecting unit 14 is less than a predetermined value, the notification data generating unit 16 does not use the passenger's preference data as notification data but generates information related to an identifiable object as notification data. This is because if the actual usage value of the vehicle information processing device 1 is small, it cannot be said that the passenger's preference data is also sufficiently reliable.

[0049] On the other hand, when the actual usage value of the passenger boarding the vehicle detected by the actual usage detection unit 14 is greater than a predetermined value, the notification data generation unit 16 generates notification data based on the passenger's preference data and the object determined to be identifiable.

[0050] The vehicle sensors 2 include, in addition to the above-mentioned vehicle-mounted camera device, a radar device for detecting obstacles around the vehicle, a vehicle position detection device including a GPS receiver, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the vehicle, an acceleration / deceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle, an indoor camera for photographing the interior of the vehicle, etc. The detection signal detected by the vehicle sensors 2 is output to the object acquisition unit 13 and the vehicle information acquisition unit 17.

[0051] The map database 3 stores, for example, three-dimensional high-precision map information including location information of various facilities and specific locations, and is a memory accessible from the object acquisition unit 13 and the vehicle information acquisition unit 17. The three-dimensional high-precision map information stored in the map database 3 is three-dimensional map information based on the road shape detected when the data acquisition vehicle is used to travel on an actual road, and is map information obtained by associating detailed and high-precision location information such as curves and the size of the curves (for example, curvature or curvature radius), road confluence points, branch points, toll booths, locations where the number of lanes decreases, service areas / parking lots, etc., with map information as three-dimensional information.

[0052] The notification device 6 includes at least one of a speaker, a display, or a character robot, and outputs notification data consisting of sound into the vehicle from the speaker, displays notification data consisting of an image including characters on the display, and expresses the notification data through the actions of the character robot. In addition, the character robot refers to an anthropomorphic three-dimensional vehicle-mounted robot, and the notification data is expressed through sound or character images and the actions of the face and hands. Alternatively, a two-dimensional image may be displayed on the display.

[0053] As described above, when storing the passenger's preference data in the preference data storage unit 12, the number of times the passenger browses a website using a computer or the number of items purchased using a credit card may be counted on a regular basis, and the passenger's personal data may be accumulated in the preference data storage unit 12, and the data may be analyzed to form the preference data. When collecting the preference data by such a method, information from an external website or other external server 4 may be collected via a telecommunication network 5 such as the Internet and a communication unit 8 of the vehicle 100.

[0054] Next, the information processing procedure of the vehicle information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 2A and Figure 2B It is shown in Figure 1B Flow chart of the information processing process executed in the vehicle information processing device 1. First, when a passenger gets on the vehicle, in step S1, the identification data of the passenger is input to the identification data input unit 11. The identification data input unit 11 obtains the identification data from the preference data storage unit 12, and obtains the preference data and other attributes of the passenger, and outputs them together with the identification data to the notification data generation unit 16.

[0055] In step S2, the vehicle information acquisition unit 17 acquires information related to the vehicle from the vehicle sensor 2 and the map database 3, and outputs the information to the notification data generation unit 16. The information related to the vehicle includes not only the usual vehicle status information, but also vehicle fault information, accident information of the traffic agency, and other safety-related information. Then, in step S3, the notification data generation unit 16 determines whether there is information related to safety and needs to be notified in the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 17. If there is information related to safety that needs to be notified, the process proceeds to step S4, and the notification device 6 is used to give priority to the notification of the information related to safety. After the notification is made, the processing is temporarily terminated.

[0056] If there is no safety-related information that needs to be notified in step S3, proceed to step S5 to determine whether the topic provision flag is on (ON). If the topic provision flag is on, proceed to step S6, and if the topic provision flag is off (OFF), return to step S1. The topic provision flag refers to a flag used to set whether to use the vehicle information processing device 1 of this embodiment to perform a routine of providing information to the driver and fellow passengers or conducting conversations with passengers through the media of sound, image, character robot actions, and combinations thereof. The topic provision flag can be always set to on, but it can also be set on / off according to the wishes of the passengers through a specified input button.

[0057] When the topic providing flag is on, the topic providing routine of steps S6 to S15 is executed. First, in step S7, the notification data generating unit 16 determines whether the actual usage value detected by the actual usage detecting unit 14 is greater than a prescribed value, and proceeds to step S8 if it is greater than the prescribed value, and proceeds to step S11 if it is less than the prescribed value.

[0058] In step S8, the notification data generating unit 16 determines whether the preference data of the passenger stored in association with the identification data is stored in the preference data storage unit 12 and whether the preference data satisfies the prescribed condition, and proceeds to step S9 if the prescribed condition is satisfied, and proceeds to step S11 if the prescribed condition is not satisfied. The fact that the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 satisfies the prescribed condition means that the preference data storage unit 12 has accumulated the preference data with a degree of reliability that sufficiently reflects the preference of the passenger.

[0059] In step S9 , the notification data generating unit 16 determines whether one or more objects acquired by the object acquiring unit 13 match the preference data determined in step S8 , and proceeds to step S10 if there are matching objects, or proceeds to step S11 if there are no matching objects.

[0060] In step S10 , the notification data generating unit 16 determines whether there is an object that can be visually or auditorily recognized by the passenger among the objects that match the preference data determined in step S9 , and proceeds to step S12 if there is, and otherwise proceeds to step S13 .

[0061] In step S12, since the actual usage value is above the specified value, the preference data of the passenger stored in the preference data storage unit 12 is sufficiently reliable, there are objects matching the preference data around the passenger, and the objects can be identified visually or auditorily, the following conditions are met, and therefore, information related to the identifiable object is preferentially output to the notification device 6 to notify the passenger.

[0062] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation when the process proceeds to step S12, where reference numeral 6 represents a character robot-type notification device, reference numeral X represents a passenger, and reference numeral 7 represents object data existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device. Here, it is assumed that the preference data such as passenger X is interested in sports, dining, and fashion, particularly liking baseball among sports, and particularly liking ramen among dining has sufficient reliability to meet the prescribed conditions, and is stored in the preference data storage unit 12. In addition, it is assumed that in the object data 7 existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device, it is observed that there is a shopping street in front of the station ahead of the current driving, and among them, a ramen shop 8 can be visually recognized.

[0063] In such a situation, the notification data generating unit 16 preferentially notifies the passenger of information related to the "ramen shop" that is in line with the passenger's preferences and can be visually identified. For example, the notification device 6 as a character robot outputs notification data composed of voice such as "The ramen shop 'XXX' that can be seen in front is a shop that provides nationally famous Hakata ramen. The 'special XXX ramen' with tonkotsu flavor is recommended. There are 5 parking spaces in the parking lot opposite the shop."

[0064] When making this notification, information related to the object to be notified may be retrieved from the external server 4 via the telecommunications network 5. In addition, in order to set a form of dialogue with the passenger X, it is also possible to first ask "I can see the ramen restaurant 'XXX' ahead, do you want to know the detailed information of the restaurant?", and then retrieve the information of the restaurant (business hours, scheduled holidays, menu, prices, etc.), and output the information slowly and in detail.

[0065] In step S13, since the actual usage value is above the specified value, the preference data of the passenger stored in the preference data storage unit 12 is sufficiently reliable, and there are objects matching the preference data around the passenger but the objects cannot be identified visually or auditorily, the following conditions are met: therefore, instead of outputting information related to the unrecognizable objects to the notification device 6, information related to the objects matching the preferences is output to the notification device 6 to notify the passenger.

[0066] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation when the process proceeds to step S13, where reference numeral 6 denotes a character robot-type notification device, reference numeral X denotes a passenger, and reference numeral 7 denotes object data existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device. Here, it is assumed that the preference data such as passenger X is interested in sports, dining, and fashion, particularly liking baseball among sports, and particularly liking ramen among dining has sufficient reliability to satisfy the prescribed conditions, and is stored in the preference data storage unit 12. In addition, it is assumed that the object data 7 existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device is currently observed to be traveling on a highway, and there is only a highway ahead.

[0067] In such a situation, the object acquired from the object data 7 existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device and the passenger's preference data have a weak relationship, so the notification data generation unit 16 notifies the passenger of information related to baseball (sports category) as an object that matches the passenger's preference. For example, the notification device 6 as a character robot outputs notification data composed of voice such as "In last night's Yokohama-Hanshin game, Yokohama won 8 to 7. As a result, Yokohama is only one game behind the first-place Giants."

[0068] When making this notification, information related to baseball as the favorite data to be notified may be retrieved from the external server 4 via the telecommunications network 5. In addition, in order to make a conversation with the passenger X, it is also possible to first ask "Do you want to know the result of the Yokohama-Hanshin game last night?", then retrieve the information of the game (score results, winning / losing pitchers, home runs, changes in rankings, etc.), and output the information slowly and in detail.

[0069] In addition, when the actual usage value is less than the specified value in step S7, when the preference data that meets the specified conditions is not stored in the preference data storage unit 12 in step S8, and when there is no object that meets the preference data in step S9, in these cases, the process proceeds to step S11, and the notification data generation unit 16 determines whether there is an object that can be identified visually or auditorily in the object data. If so, the process proceeds to step S14, and if not, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0070] In step S14, since the actual usage value is less than the specified value, or the preference data of the passenger stored in the preference data storage unit 12 is not sufficiently reliable, or there is no object matching the preference data around the passenger, and the object can be identified visually or auditorily, the information related to the identifiable object is preferentially output to the notification device 6 to notify the passenger.

[0071] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation when the process proceeds to step S14, where reference numeral 6 represents a character robot-type notification device, reference numeral X represents a passenger, and reference numeral 7 represents object data existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device. Here, it is assumed that the preference data of passenger X is not sufficiently reliable to meet the prescribed conditions, or is not stored in the preference data storage unit 12. In addition, it is assumed that Yokohama Cosmo World (registered trademark) is observed in the object data 7 existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device in the current driving direction, and the Ferris wheel can be visually recognized.

[0072] In such a situation, the preference data of the passenger recorded in the preference data storage unit 12 is of low reliability for use in the generation of notification data, so the notification data generation unit 16 notifies the passenger of information related to the object that is acquired from the object data 7 that exists in the vicinity of the passenger and is captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device and can be identified. For example, the notification device 6 as a character robot outputs notification data composed of voice such as "The Ferris wheel that can be seen in front is the world's largest Ferris wheel called 'Cosmo Clock 21', which is installed in Yokohama Cosmo World and is famous as a symbol of Yokohama."

[0073] When making this notification, information about the Ferris wheel that is the object of notification and can be visually recognized may be retrieved from the external server 4 via the telecommunications network 5. In addition, in order to make a conversation with the rider X, it is also possible to first ask "Do you want to know the content of the Ferris wheel?", then retrieve the information of the Ferris wheel, and output the information slowly and in detail.

[0074] In step S15, since the actual usage value is less than the specified value, or the preference data of the passenger stored in the preference data storage unit 12 is not sufficiently reliable, or there is no object matching the preference data around the passenger and the object cannot be identified visually or auditorily, general content related to the attributes of the passenger is output to the notification device 6 to notify the passenger.

[0075] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an example of the situation when the process proceeds to step S15, where reference numeral 6 represents a character robot-type notification device, reference numeral X represents a passenger, and reference numeral 7 represents object data existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device. Here, it is assumed that the preference data of passenger X is not sufficiently reliable to meet the prescribed conditions, or is not stored in the preference data storage unit 12. In addition, it is assumed that the vehicle is currently traveling on a highway, and there is only a highway ahead of it, in the object data 7 existing around the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device.

[0076] In such a situation, the preference data of the passenger recorded in the preference data storage unit 12 is of low reliability for use in the generation of notification data. On the other hand, it is unknown whether the object acquired from the object data 7 existing in the vicinity of the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device is also an object of interest to the passenger. Therefore, the notification data generation unit 16 notifies the passenger of information related to the general object acquired from the object data 7 existing in the vicinity of the passenger captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device. For example, the notification device 6 as a character robot outputs notification data composed of voice such as "There is a delicious steamed dumpling restaurant where you go out of the next IC."

[0077] When making this notification, information about the shaomai shop that is the notification target and cannot be visually identified may be retrieved from the external server 4 via the telecommunication network 5. In addition, in order to make a conversation with the passenger X, the question "Do you want to know the contents of the shaomai shop?" may be asked first, and then the information of the shaomai shop may be retrieved, and the information may be output slowly and in detail.

[0078] As described above, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and the method of the present embodiment, notification data for passengers boarding the vehicle is generated based on the passenger's preference data associated with the identification data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 and the object determined to be identifiable by the passenger by the determination unit 15. In other words, the content of the notification data is determined based on the reliability of the passenger's preference data and the ratio of the existence of the identifiable object, so that content suitable for each passenger can be provided according to the preferences of the passenger and the surrounding environment during the vehicle driving, and more interesting information can be provided.

[0079] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, the notification data to be generated is determined based on whether the preference data storage unit 12 stores the preference data of the passenger riding in the vehicle or whether the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 satisfies a predetermined condition, and whether there is an object determined to be recognizable by the passenger by the determination unit 15. That is, the notification data to be generated is determined based on the reliability of the preference data and the possibility of recognizing the object, so the possibility of providing content suitable for the passenger is increased.

[0080] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of this embodiment, when there is an object determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passenger, information related to the recognizable object is preferentially generated as notification data, thereby at least providing visually recognizable and interesting information.

[0081] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, when the preference data of the passenger riding in the vehicle is not stored in the preference data storage unit 12, or when the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit 12 does not satisfy the prescribed conditions, the preference data is not used as notification data but information related to an identifiable object is generated as notification data, thereby at least providing visually identifiable and interesting information.

[0082] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, when the preference data of a passenger riding in the vehicle is stored in the preference data storage unit 12 and there is an object determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passenger, information related to an object associated with the passenger's preference data among the objects determined by the determination unit 15 to be recognizable by the passenger is generated as notification data, thereby providing information that most interests the passenger.

[0083] Furthermore, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, the notification data to be generated is determined according to the magnitude of the actual usage value of the occupant, so that preference data from past usage can be used, and more interesting information can be provided.

[0084] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, when the actual usage value of a passenger riding in the vehicle is less than a specified value, the passenger's preference data is not used as notification data and information related to an identifiable object is generated as notification data, thereby excluding information related to actual usage that has no use value.

[0085] In addition, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, when the actual usage value of the passenger riding in the vehicle is above a specified value, the notification data is generated based on the preference data of the passenger and the object determined to be identifiable, thereby being able to use the preference data from past usage and to provide more interesting information.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the vehicle information processing device 1 and method of the present embodiment, the notification data generated for the object determined to be identifiable includes information on the relative position or distance to the vehicle in which the passenger is riding, thereby providing more useful content.

[0087] Description of Reference Numerals

[0088] 1: Vehicle information processing device; 11: Identification data input unit; 12: Preference data storage unit; 13: Object acquisition unit; 14: Actual use detection unit; 15: Judgment unit; 16: Notification data generation unit; 17: Vehicle information acquisition unit; 2: Vehicle sensor class; 3: Map database; 4: External server; 5: Telecommunication network; 6: Notification device; 7: Object data existing around the passenger; 8: Communication unit; X: Passenger.

Claims

1. A vehicle information processing device comprising: an identification data input unit for inputting identification data for identifying an occupant of the vehicle; a preference data storage unit for storing preference data related to the preference of the passenger in association with the identification data; an object acquisition unit that acquires object data existing around a passenger riding in the vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the object included in the object data can be recognized by vision or hearing of a passenger riding in the vehicle; a notification data generating unit for generating notification data for a passenger boarding the vehicle based on an object associated with the passenger's preference data among the objects included in the object data; as well as an actual use situation detection unit for detecting an actual use situation of the vehicle information processing device by the passenger; wherein, when there is an object determined by the determination unit to be recognizable by the passenger, the notification data generation unit generates information related to the recognizable object as notification data in priority to information related to the unrecognizable object; The actual usage detection unit calculates an actual usage value corresponding to the time or frequency of use of the vehicle information processing device by the passenger, The notification data generating unit determines the notification data to be generated according to the magnitude of the actual usage value of the passenger, When the actual usage value of the passenger riding the vehicle detected by the actual usage detection unit is less than a specified value, the notification data generation unit does not use the passenger's preference data as notification data but generates information related to the identifiable object as notification data, When the actual usage value of the passenger boarding the vehicle detected by the actual usage detection unit is greater than a predetermined value, the notification data generation unit generates the notification data based on the preference data of the passenger and the object determined to be identifiable.

2. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The notification data generating unit determines the notification data to be generated based on whether the preference data storage unit stores preference data of a passenger boarding the vehicle or whether the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit satisfies a prescribed condition, and whether there is an object determined by the determination unit to be recognizable by the passenger.

3. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the preference data of the passenger riding in the vehicle is not stored in the preference data storage unit, or when the preference data stored in the preference data storage unit does not satisfy a specified condition, the notification data generation unit does not use the preference data as notification data but generates information related to the identifiable object as notification data.

4. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the preference data storage unit stores preference data of a passenger riding the vehicle and there is an object determined by the determination unit to be recognizable by the passenger, the notification data generation unit generates information related to an object associated with the preference data of the passenger among the objects determined by the determination unit to be recognizable by the passenger as notification data.

5. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The objects included in the object data are any objects such as buildings, stores, vehicles, pedestrians, and intersections that are determined based on image data of the outside of the vehicle captured by the vehicle-mounted camera device.

6. The vehicle information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The notification data generated for the object determined to be identifiable to the passenger boarding the vehicle includes information on the relative position or distance with respect to the vehicle boarded by the passenger.

7. A vehicle information processing method, comprising: processing vehicle information using a computer operated by a program; In the vehicle information processing method, the computer performs the following processing: inputting identification data for identifying the occupant of the vehicle, storing preference data related to the preference of the passenger in association with the identification data, acquiring object data existing around a passenger riding in the vehicle, determining whether the object included in the object data can be recognized by the vision or hearing of a passenger riding in the vehicle, generating notification data for a passenger boarding the vehicle based on an object associated with the passenger's preference data among the objects included in the object data, detecting the actual situation of the occupant using the vehicle information processing device that executes the vehicle information processing method, in, When there is an object determined to be recognizable by the passenger, information on the recognizable object is generated as notification data with priority over information on the unrecognizable object. calculating an actual usage value corresponding to the time or frequency of use of the vehicle information processing device by the passenger, The notification data generated is determined according to the actual usage value of the passenger. When the actual usage value of the passenger on the vehicle is less than a predetermined value, the preference data of the passenger is not used as notification data, but information related to the identifiable object is generated as notification data, When the actual usage value of the passenger boarding the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the notification data is generated based on the preference data of the passenger and the object determined to be identifiable. 8 . A computer program product comprising a program for causing a computer to execute each step of the vehicle information processing method according to claim 7 .

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