Vehicle incoming call notification device, incoming call notification method and incoming call notification system

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle incoming call notification device, an incoming call notification method and an incoming call notification system. The present invention reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in a scenario in which a passenger is concentrated in driving by notifying an incoming call without hindering the passenger from being concentrated in driving. A vehicular telephony notification device (10) notifies a passenger taking a vehicle (1) of an incoming call when a communication device (20) has an incoming call, the vehicular telephony notification device (10) being provided with: an illumination unit (12) for notifying the passenger of the incoming call by visually recognizing a light image generated by light emission when an incoming call has occurred; a display unit (13) that displays incoming call information and notifies an occupant of an incoming call when the incoming call is received; and a control unit (11) that performs, on the basis of an incoming call signal acquired from the communication device and traveling state information acquired from the vehicle, light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit and display control of incoming call information displayed by the display unit, and performs incoming call notification.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a vehicle call notification device or the like that is capable of notifying a passenger of a call when a communication device held by the passenger has a call. BACKGROUND

[0002] For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a technology related to a vehicle that is capable of cooperating with a mobile device. According to the technology described in Patent Literature 1, when the mobile device has a call, the mobile device transmits an image related to call function interruption processing (interruption image) to the vehicle, and the vehicle displays the call function interruption image in a screen area of a display device, whereby the passenger (driver) who is riding in the vehicle is able to be notified of call information.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 7282208 (refer to paragraph

[0066] ). SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] However, according to the technology described in Patent Literature 1, when there is a call while the vehicle is running, the passenger moves the line of sight from a state of looking at a forward field of view for driving to the display device, and recognizes the caller or the like by visually recognizing the call information displayed on the display device, and thus it is possible that safe driving is hindered. In particular, there is a problem in that a sudden call bell sound output while the vehicle is running, or the confirmation of the call information displayed on the display device and the conversation during driving hinder the passenger from concentrating on the driving of the vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present application is to provide a vehicle call notification device or the like that is capable of reducing the possibility of hindering safe driving in a situation in which the passenger concentrates on driving, by performing call notification in a manner that does not hinder the passenger from concentrating on driving.

[0009] Another object of the present application will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following aspects and preferred embodiments, as well as the accompanying drawings.

[0010] TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0011] Hereinafter, a manner according to the present application is exemplified in order to easily understand the outline of the present application.

[0012] A call notification device for a vehicle according to a first aspect of the present application notifies a passenger who is riding in a vehicle of a call when a communication device has the call, wherein the call notification device includes: an illumination section that causes a light image generated by emitting light to be visually recognized by the passenger to perform the call notification when the call is present; a display section that displays call information to perform the call notification to the passenger when the call is present; and a control section that individually performs light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of the call information displayed by the display section to perform the call notification based on a call signal acquired from the communication device and travel state information acquired from the vehicle.

[0013] In the first aspect, the control section individually performs light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of call information displayed by the display section to perform the call notification based on a call signal acquired from the communication device and travel state information acquired from the vehicle. Thus, for example, a call notification device for a vehicle can be provided that, if a call is present while the vehicle is in a lower speed travel including a stop state, performs the call notification by performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of call information displayed by the display section, and on the other hand, if a call is present while the vehicle is in travel requiring a large driving load, does not perform display control of call information displayed by the display section that becomes an obstacle to concentration on driving for confirmation, but only performs the call notification by comparing whether or not light emission based on control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section, a light emission color, or a light emission pattern becomes an obstacle to concentration on driving, whereby the possibility of an obstacle to safe driving in a situation in which the passenger concentrates on driving can be reduced.

[0014] In a second aspect dependent on the first aspect, the control section can determine whether the vehicle is in a first travel state including a stop state or a second travel state in which the passenger requires a larger driving load than the first travel state based on the travel state information of the vehicle, and when the call is present while it is determined that the vehicle is in the first travel state, perform first notification processing in which call notification based on a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and call notification based on display of the call information by the display section are performed.

[0015] Here, the "first running state" refers to, for example, (1) a case where the running speed of the vehicle continues at a certain speed (for example, 10 km / h) for a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) or more, (2) a state where the parking brake is required for a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) or more in a state where there is no operation of the vehicle or driving assistance based on an ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) and there is no malfunction of the vehicle, and (3) a state where the waiting time based on a signal is a certain time (for example, 30 seconds) or more. In addition, the "second running state" refers to a running state other than the first running state. In the second mode, when the call is made while it is determined that the vehicle is in the first running state, the "first notification process" is executed, in which the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion and the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display portion are performed. Therefore, the occupant can confirm the call by the presence or absence of the light emission of the lighting portion, the light emission pattern, and the like, and can confirm the details of the content of the call by the call information displayed by the display portion in a range that does not interfere with the concentration of driving.

[0016] In the third mode depending on the second mode, the control portion can perform the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display portion when the call is made while it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state based on the running state information of the vehicle, and not perform the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion, or perform the call notification for a prescribed time by the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion, and execute the second notification process of storing the call-associated information acquired from the communication device after the prescribed time elapses.

[0017] Here, the "call-associated information" refers to a call history included in a call signal, for example, including the time of the call, the caller, the telephone number of the caller, and the attribute of the call (the number of calls from the same telephone number or whether it is a call that requires an urgent response, and the like). In the third mode, the control portion does not perform the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion when the call is made while it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state based on the running state information, or performs the call notification for a prescribed time by the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion, and executes the second notification process of storing the call-associated information acquired from the communication device after the prescribed time elapses. Therefore, by the "second notification process", for example, as described above, the occupant can confirm the details of the content of the call by the call-associated information displayed by the display portion in a range that does not interfere with the concentration of driving. Figure 6The caller (calling party), the caller's telephone number, and a telephone icon are displayed as in the incoming call notification screen 50A, whereby the incoming call notification can be performed without interfering with the occupant's concentration on driving. Also, when the talkable state is reached, the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section can be performed based on the stored incoming call association information.

[0018] In a fourth mode dependent on the third mode, the control section can perform, when the first driving state is reached after the second notification processing in which the incoming call association information is stored in the second driving state is performed, third notification processing based on the stored incoming call association information, in which the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section are performed.

[0019] In the fourth mode, when the first driving state is reached after the incoming call association information is stored in the second driving state, the control section performs third notification processing based on the stored incoming call association information, in which the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section are performed. Thus, for example, as in the missed call notification screen 50B, Figure 7 the caller (calling party), the caller's telephone number, a telephone icon, a call history, and a call time are displayed, whereby the occupant can grasp the situation in which a call was made in the middle of the notification processing.

[0020] In a fifth mode dependent on the first to fourth modes, the display section can be disposed below a windshield of the vehicle, and the illumination section can be composed of a light source that emits light toward a light receiver disposed on at least a portion of the windshield, and the occupant can visually recognize a light image generated by the light emitted from the light source via the light receiver.

[0021] In the fifth mode, the display section is disposed below the windshield (windscreen), and the illumination section emits light from the light source toward the light receiver disposed on at least a portion of the windshield (windscreen), and the occupant visually recognizes the light image based on the light emitted from the light source via the light receiver. Thus, for example, as in the missed call notification screen 50B, Figure 1In the case where the vehicle incoming call notification device is applied to a motorcycle, as shown, by disposing a light receiver that visually recognizes a light image based on light from the lighting portion 12 on the windshield 40 used as a windshield, the occupant can visually recognize the light image emitted by the lighting portion via the light receiver while visually recognizing the front view (front) required for driving without moving the line of sight, and thus, the incoming call notification can be performed without becoming an obstacle to the occupant's concentration on driving. In addition, in order for the occupant to visually recognize the light image, the light guided by the light receiver can be emitted toward the windshield (windshield) without being emitted toward the occupant, and the reflected light can be made to be directed toward the occupant to make the occupant visually recognize a virtual image.

[0022] In a sixth aspect dependent on the second aspect, the control portion can perform the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display portion when the incoming call is stopped in the first driving state.

[0023] In the sixth aspect, the control portion performs the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display portion when the incoming call is stopped in the first driving state, and thus, even in the case where the occupant does not respond to the incoming call or does not notice the incoming call, the details of the incoming call can be known based on the incoming call-related information.

[0024] In a seventh aspect dependent on the fifth aspect, the control portion can perform the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display portion after performing the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion when the incoming call is made while it is determined that the first driving state in which the driving state information acquired from the vehicle includes a stop state.

[0025] In the seventh aspect, the control portion performs the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display portion after performing the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting portion when the incoming call is made while it is determined that the first driving state in which the driving state information acquired from the vehicle includes a stop state. In other words, since the display of the incoming call information by the display portion is performed after the lighting portion is caused to emit light in order to perform the incoming call notification, the occupant can perform the incoming call confirmation based on the light emission by the lighting portion almost without moving the line of sight each time the first driving state is entered, and thus, it is difficult to develop a habit of moving the line of sight to the display portion to confirm the incoming call in a situation where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0026] In the eighth aspect according to the fourth aspect, the control section can be configured to, after the second notification process of storing the call-associated information acquired from the communication device is executed, enter the first driving state, and when the call is made before the third notification process is executed, refer to the stored call-associated information to control (1) the light emission color or light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section executed in the third notification process to be different depending on the number of calls when there are a plurality of calls, and (2) the light emission color or light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section executed in the third notification process to be different depending on the number of calls when there are a plurality of calls from the same telephone number.

[0027] In the eighth aspect, when the call is made in a state where the third notification process is not completed after the second notification process is executed, the control section controls, based on the call-associated information stored in the second notification process, for example, as shown in (a), the pattern of the light emitted by the lighting section 12 to be different in the "third notification process (missed call notification)" depending on the number of calls (the number of call-associated information is three), and as shown in (b), the color of the light emitted by the lighting section to be different in the "third notification process" depending on the number of calls from the same telephone number. Figure 8 (a) shown, in the case where there are a plurality of calls, the pattern of the light emitted by the lighting section 12 to be different in the "third notification process (missed call notification)" depending on the number of calls (the number of call-associated information is three), and as Figure 8 (b) shown, in the case where there are a plurality of calls from the same telephone number, the color of the light emitted by the lighting section to be different in the "third notification process" depending on the number of calls. In this way, by controlling the light emission color or light emission pattern of the light emission signal based on the lighting section 12 that notifies of the missed call in the third notification process depending on the number of calls, it is possible to easily determine whether the call is a content of high urgency or importance to the occupant himself or herself.

[0028] In the ninth aspect according to the first aspect, the control section can be configured to control at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the light emission color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section based on the telephone directory information acquired from the communication device.

[0029] In the ninth aspect, the control section controls at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the light emission color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section based on the telephone directory information acquired from the communication device, and thus the occupant is able to specify the caller only by the light emitted by the lighting section by previously grasping the customized content without moving the line of sight of the occupant, and thus it is possible to contribute to safe driving in a scenario where the occupant focuses on driving.

[0030] In the tenth mode subordinated to the second to fifth modes, the control section can perform control such that, when there is the incoming call and it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state, a message indicating that the vehicle is running is generated and transmitted to the caller.

[0031] In the tenth mode, the control section, when there is an incoming call and it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state, performs a "driving state notification function" of generating a message indicating that the vehicle is running and automatically transmitting it to the caller, so that the caller can recognize the reason for not answering the phone.

[0032] In the eleventh mode subordinated to the second to fifth modes, the control section can perform control such that, when the vehicle enters a third running state in which a call can be made from the second running state, a message indicating that a call can be made is generated and transmitted to the caller when there is the incoming call in the second running state.

[0033] Here, the "third running state in which a call can be made" refers to, for example, a state in which there is no operation of the vehicle or a failure of the vehicle, the vehicle is located in a parking lot of a store or an emergency stop lane, or the parking brake takes a constant time (for example, 30 seconds) or more. In the eleventh mode, the control section, when the vehicle enters the third running state in which a call can be made from the second running state, performs a "callable state notification function" of generating a message indicating that a call can be made and automatically transmitting it to the caller when there is an incoming call in the second running state, so that the caller (the call target side) can grasp the timing of making a call again by the received message.

[0034] In the twelfth mode subordinated to the second to fifth modes, the control section can perform control such that, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state when there is the incoming call, a message prompting whether the incoming call requires an urgent reply is generated and transmitted to the caller, and when the reply from the caller requires an urgent reply, an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and an incoming call notification based on display of the incoming call information by the display section are performed regardless of the running state.

[0035] In the twelfth mode, the control section, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the second running state when there is an incoming call, performs an "urgent call notification function" of generating a message prompting whether the incoming call requires an urgent reply and automatically transmitting it to the caller, and when the reply from the caller requires an urgent reply, an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and an incoming call notification based on display of the incoming call information by the display section are performed regardless of the running state, so that, for a normal incoming call, the incoming call notification is performed in a state in which it does not become an obstacle to the concentration of the occupant on driving, and, for an incoming call requiring an urgent reply, the occupant can be made to immediately notice.

[0036] The thirteenth aspect of the present application is a call notification method for a vehicle call notification device that has an illumination section that visually notifies a passenger in a vehicle of a call by generating a light image through light emission, and a display section that displays call information to visually notify the passenger of a call when the call is received, the call notification method notifying the passenger of a call when a communication device built in or held by the passenger receives a call, wherein the call notification method has the steps of acquiring driving state information from the vehicle, acquiring a call signal from the communication device, and individually performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of the call information displayed by the display section to visually notify the passenger of the call based on the driving state information and the call signal.

[0037] In the thirteenth aspect, the call notification is performed by individually performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of call information displayed by the display section based on a call signal acquired from the communication device and driving state information acquired from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, a call notification method can be provided that, if a call is received while the vehicle is in a low-speed driving state including a stop state, performs call notification by performing light emission control of a light signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of call information displayed by the display section, and on the other hand, if a call is received while the vehicle is in a high-speed driving state that requires a large driving load, performs call notification by only comparing the presence or absence of light emission, the light emission color, or the light emission pattern of the control based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section that does not become an obstacle to concentration on driving by the display section, thereby reducing the likelihood of impeding safe driving in a situation in which the passenger is concentrating on driving.

[0038] The fourteenth aspect of the present application is a call notification program that notifies a passenger of a call when a communication device built in or held by the passenger receives a call, the vehicle call notification device having an illumination section that visually notifies the passenger in a vehicle of a call by generating a light image through light emission, a display section that displays call information to visually notify the passenger of a call when the call is received, and a control section, wherein the control section is caused to have a processor perform the processes of acquiring driving state information from the vehicle, acquiring a call signal from the communication device, and individually performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section and display control of the call information displayed by the display section to visually notify the passenger of the call based on the driving state information and the call signal.

[0039] In the fourteenth aspect, the control section has a processor that reads out a call notification program recorded in the memory and sequentially executes, whereby the vehicle call notification device can perform call notification based on a call signal acquired from the communication device and driving state information of the vehicle acquired via the vehicle electronic control unit, by separately performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and display control of call information displayed by the display section. Thus, for example, if there is a call while the vehicle is in low-speed driving including a stop state, call notification is performed by performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and display control of call information displayed by the display section, whereas if there is a call while the vehicle is in high-speed driving requiring a large driving load, display control of call information by the display section that becomes an obstacle to concentration on driving for confirmation is not performed, and call notification is performed only by comparing whether or not light emission based on control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section, a light emission color, or a light emission pattern does not become an obstacle to concentration on driving, whereby it is possible to reduce the likelihood of impeding safe driving in a situation in which an occupant concentrates on driving.

[0040] The fifteenth aspect of the present application is a call notification system composed of a vehicle electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, a communication device held or built in by an occupant of the vehicle, and a vehicle call notification device that notifies the occupant of a call when the communication device has the call, wherein the vehicle call notification device is connected to the communication device by wire or wirelessly, has a lighting section that causes a light image generated by light emission to be visually recognized to notify the occupant of the call when there is the call, a display section that displays call information to notify the occupant of the call when there is the call, and a control section that performs the call notification based on a call signal acquired from the communication device and driving state information of the vehicle acquired via the vehicle electronic control unit, by separately performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and display control of the call information displayed by the display section.

[0041] In the fifteenth aspect, the vehicle call notification device performs call notification based on a call signal acquired from a communication device connected by wire or wirelessly and vehicle running state information acquired from a vehicle electronic control unit, separately performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and display control of call information displayed by the display section. Thus, for example, a call notification system can be provided in which, if a call is made while the vehicle is in a lower speed running including a stop state, call notification is performed by performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section and display control of call information displayed by the display section, whereas, if a call is made while the vehicle is in a high speed running requiring a large driving load, display control of call information by the display section that becomes an obstacle to concentration on driving for confirmation is not performed, and call notification is performed only by comparing the presence or absence of light emission based on control of a light emission signal emitted by the lighting section, a light emission color, or a light emission pattern that does not become an obstacle to concentration on driving, thereby reducing the possibility of obstructing safe driving in a situation in which an occupant concentrates on driving.

[0042] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the illustrated aspects of the application can be further modified without departing from the spirit of the application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a view showing a mounting structure of constituent parts when the call notification system of the embodiment of the application is applied to a motorcycle.

[0044] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the application.

[0045] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control section of the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the application.

[0046] Figure 4A is a flowchart showing the detailed steps of the "first notification processing" shown in Figure 3

[0047] Figure 4B is a flowchart showing the detailed steps of the "second notification processing" shown in Figure 3

[0048] Figure 4C is a flowchart showing the detailed steps of the "third notification processing" shown in Figure 3

[0049] Figure 5A is a flowchart showing the steps in which the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the application performs the "driving state notification function".

[0050] ​​​Figure 5B is a flowchart showing steps of the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the present application for executing the "talkable state notification function".

[0051] Figure 5C is a flowchart showing steps of the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the present application for executing the "emergency talk notification function".

[0052] Figure 6 is a diagram showing one example of a call notification screen generated by the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0053] Figure 7 is a diagram showing one example of a missed call notification screen generated by the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0054] Figure 8 is a diagram showing one example of a light emission pattern emitted by the illumination section of the vehicle call notification device of the embodiment of the present application.

[0055] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 1... vehicle; 10... vehicle call notification device; 11... control section; 12... illumination section; 13... display section; 14... communication section; 20... communication device; 30... vehicle ECU; 40... windshield (windshield glass); 50A... call notification screen; 50B... missed call notification screen; 100... call notification system; 121... light source; 122... light receiver. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The best mode described below is used for easy understanding of the present application. Therefore, those skilled in the art should note that the present application is not unduly limited by the embodiments described below (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiments).

[0058] Structure of Embodiments

[0059] Reference Figure 1 . Figure 1 is a diagram showing a mounting structure of constituent parts when the call notification system 100 of the present embodiment is applied to a motorcycle as the vehicle 1. As shown in Figure 1 , the motorcycle is provided with the vehicle call notification device 10 of the present embodiment including the control section 11, the illumination section 12, and the display section 13. In addition, a passenger riding the motorcycle holds a communication device 20 such as a smartphone, or a function possessed by the communication device 20 is built in the control section 11. In the case where the passenger holds the communication device 20, the communication device 20 and the vehicle call notification device 10 (control section 11) of the present embodiment are connected via close-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0060] In addition, in a motorcycle, a speed sensor that detects a running state or behavior, or a sensor such as an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) that detects three-dimensional inertial movement (translation movement and rotational movement in orthogonal three-axis directions) is installed at various places, a plurality of vehicle ECUs 30 that control a drive system, a steering system, and a brake system on the basis of detection signals output from these sensors are provided, and running state information of the motorcycle can be output by the vehicle ECUs 30. In addition, a navigation device that has a GPS (Global Positioning System) that locates position information of the motorcycle and map information can also be connected to the vehicle ECUs 30.

[0061] The incoming call notification system 100 of the present embodiment is configured to include the vehicle incoming call notification device 10, the communication device 20, and the vehicle ECUs 30 described above.

[0062] In addition, a windshield 40 that is installed in the front of the vehicle opposite to the occupant as a windshield glass is made by injection molding a light-transmissive PC material (light-transmissive resin glass) and is a wind deflector that is provided to regulate running wind. The windshield 40 can regulate wind that blows to an occupant (driver) who rides the motorcycle while securing a front view.

[0063] In the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of the present embodiment, the display section 13 is disposed below the windshield 40 and is provided in the vicinity of a rotation center portion of a handlebar of the motorcycle. The display section 13 is, for example, a liquid crystal display of a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display section 13 can be replaced with a meter that displays a vehicle speed, remaining fuel, or the like. The display section 13 is, for example, as described later, capable of displaying incoming call information including a telephone icon, a telephone number, a caller, or the like on an incoming call notification screen 50A under display control by the control section 11 when the communication device 20 has an incoming call. In addition, the control section 11 can be included in the display section 13. Figure 6

[0064] The illumination section 12 is capable of causing a light image generated by emitting light (light emission signal) to be visually recognized and notifying the occupant of an incoming call when the communication device 20 has an incoming call. The illumination section 12 is, for example, as described later, capable of emitting light in a predetermined color (for example, red) from a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an organic EL when the communication device 20 has an incoming call. Figure 1 ​(a) shown, by the light source 121 that emits light to the light receiver 122 disposed to at least a portion of the windshield 40, is set to be recognizable in the directionality of the left and right regions. The control section 11 emits display light toward the light receiver 122 by causing the light source 121 to emit light or blink in a prescribed emission color, and can cause the occupant (driver) to visually recognize a light image based on light emitted from the light source 121 via the light receiver 122.

[0065] The light source 121 is constituted by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and can be one and emit light of one color tone (emission color), or can be a plurality and each emit light of a different color tone (emission color). In addition, the color tone can also be changed by a combination of light sources 121 of three primary colors. In addition, the light receiver 122 can also be made in a shape that is not disposed in left and right divided regions but can recognize the regions integrally.

[0066] The vehicle call notification device 10 according to the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 (a), since the light receiver 122 that visually recognizes a light image by the light source 121 of the illumination section 12 is disposed at a higher position than the display section 13, the occupant (driver) can easily grasp the call information by causing the light source 121 to emit light or blink. In addition, as shown in Figure 1 (b), the illumination section 12 causes light that has been guided by the light receiver 122 not to be emitted toward the occupant but to be emitted toward the windshield 40, causes the reflected light to be emitted toward the occupant, and causes the occupant to visually recognize it as a virtual image. This point is described in detail in Patent No. 6435611.

[0067] Referring to Figure 2 . Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle call notification device 10 according to the present embodiment. As described above, the vehicle call notification device 10 according to the present embodiment is constituted by the control section 11, the illumination section 12, the display section 13, and the communication section 14.

[0068] The control section 11 performs call notification by separately performing light emission control of a light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 and display control of call information displayed by the display section 13, based on a call signal acquired from the communication device 20 such as a smartphone connected via a wire or wirelessly via the communication section 14 and travel state information acquired from the vehicle (vehicle ECU 30) via a CAN (Control Area Network) bus not shown. Details of the control section 11 are described later.

[0069] The illumination section 12 performs the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 when there is an incoming call. The display section 13 displays the call information when there is an incoming call, and performs the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13. The communication section 14 manages the interface between the control section 11 and the communication device 20 in accordance with the near field wireless communication specification, for example, and has a function of obtaining the call information such as the caller and the telephone number from the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20, or obtaining the phonebook data, and further transmitting the message generated by the control section 11 to the communication device 20 of the caller.

[0070] The control section 11 determines whether the vehicle 1 (motorcycle) is in a first running state including a stop state, or in a second running state in which the driver needs a larger driving load than in the first running state, based on the running state information acquired from the vehicle 1 via the vehicle ECU 30. When there is an incoming call while determining that it is the first running state, the "first notification processing" in which the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 and the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 are performed can be executed. Here, the first running state refers to, for example, (1) a case where the running speed of the vehicle continues at a certain speed (for example, 10 km / h) for a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) or more, (2) a state where the parking brake is required for a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) or more in a state where there is no operation of the vehicle or driving assistance based on the ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System), and further there is no vehicle failure, and (3) a state where there is a signal at the place where the vehicle 1 stops, and the activation waiting time of the signal is a certain time (for example, 30 seconds) or more. Further, the "second running state" refers to a running state other than the first running state.

[0071] Further, the control section 11 can perform the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 when there is an incoming call while determining that the vehicle 1 is in the second running state based on the running state information of the vehicle 1, and does not perform the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12, or performs the call notification by the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 for a certain time, and after the lapse of the certain time, executes the "second notification processing" in which the incoming call related information acquired from the communication device 20 is stored.

[0072] Here, the incoming call related information refers to the incoming call history included in the incoming call signal, for example, including the incoming call time, the caller, the telephone number of the caller, the attribute of the incoming call (the number of incoming calls from the same telephone number or whether it is an incoming call requiring an urgent reply, and the like).

[0073] Further, the control section 11 can perform the "third notification processing" based on the stored call-related information when the vehicle 1 enters the first driving state after the "second notification processing" in which the call-related information is stored in the second driving state. In the "third notification processing", the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 and the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 are performed.

[0074] Further, the control section 11 can perform the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 and the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 when the call is stopped (not continued) in the first driving state.

[0075] Further, the control section 11 can perform the call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 after the call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 when the call is received while the vehicle 1 is determined to be in the first driving state in which the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 includes the parked state.

[0076] Further, the control section 11 can perform the following control with reference to the stored call-related information when the call is received before the "third notification processing" is performed after the vehicle 1 enters the first driving state after the "second notification processing" in which the call-related information acquired from the communication device 20 is stored: (1) in the case where a plurality of calls are received, the light emission color or the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 performed in the "third notification processing" is made different according to the number of calls; and (2) in the case where a plurality of calls are received from the same telephone number, the light emission color or the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 performed in the "third notification processing" is made different according to the number of calls.

[0077] Further, the control section 11 can perform the control of at least one of the presence or absence of the light emission, the light emission color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 according to the caller based on the telephone directory information acquired from the communication device 20.

[0078] Further, the control section 11 can perform the "driving state notification function" of generating a message indicating that the vehicle is being driven and transmitting the generated message to the caller when the vehicle 1 is determined to be in the second driving state.

[0079] Further, the control section 11 can perform the "talkable state notification function" of generating a message indicating that the vehicle 1 is in the talkable state and transmitting the generated message to the caller when the vehicle 1 enters the third driving state in which the call is possible from the second driving state. Here, the "third driving state in which the call is possible" refers to, for example, a state in which there is no operation of the vehicle 1 or vehicle failure, the vehicle 1 is located in a parking lot of a store or an emergency stop lane, and the parking brake needs a certain time (for example, 30 seconds) or more.

[0080] In addition, when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state and a call comes in, it generates a message indicating that the vehicle is driving and prompting whether the caller needs to make an emergency call back, and sends it to the caller. When the caller needs to make an emergency call back, it can perform the "emergency call notification function" regardless of the driving state. In the "emergency call notification function", it performs call notification based on the light signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13.

[0081] Furthermore, the control unit 11 is equipped with a processor (CPU) including a memory. The memory contains storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), which are allocated program and workpiece areas. Here, the program area contains the incoming call notification program of this embodiment, executed by the processor, and the workpiece area contains various setting information such as incoming call information or custom illumination patterns generated by the incoming call notification program of this embodiment, each stored separately.

[0082] (The actions of the implementation method)

[0083] Next, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C . Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the basic operation of the control unit 11 of the vehicle power notification device 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 4A It means Figure 3 The flowchart shown illustrates the specific steps of the "first notification processing". Figure 4B This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps involved in "processing the second notification." Figure 4C This is a flowchart illustrating the specific steps involved in "third-party notification processing." First, refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C ,right Figure 1 , Figure 2 The operation of the vehicle power notification device 10 in this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0084] exist Figure 3In the process, the control unit 11 first detects the starting of the vehicle 1 (step ST10). Here, the vehicle ECU 30 detects the ON (IG-ON) of the ignition switch (IG) and notifies the control unit 11, thereby enabling the control unit 11 to detect the starting of the vehicle 1. After the control unit 1 confirms that the vehicle 1 has started (step ST10 "Yes"), it obtains the driving status information of the vehicle 1 via the vehicle ECU 30 (step ST11).

[0085] In the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, there are "first driving state" and "second driving state" as driving state information. "First driving state" refers to, for example, the following: (1) the vehicle 1 travels at a certain speed (e.g., 10 km / h) for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more; (2) the parking brake requires a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more when there is no operation of the vehicle 1 or ADAS-based driving assistance, and no vehicle malfunction; (3) the vehicle 1 stops at a traffic signal and the starting waiting time for starting by the traffic signal is a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more. "Second driving state" refers to driving states other than the first driving state. Regarding the driving state of the vehicle 1, the control unit 11 can determine it based on the driving speed, vehicle position information, parking brake operation status, etc., obtained from sensors (not shown) installed at various locations on the vehicle 1 via the vehicle ECU 30.

[0086] When the acquired driving status information indicates a first driving state including a parking state (step ST12 "Yes"), and the control unit 11 receives an incoming call signal from the communication device 20 (step ST13 "Yes"), it executes "first notification processing." In this "first notification processing," it executes incoming call notification based on the illumination control of the lighting unit 12 and incoming call notification based on the display control of the display unit 13. Detailed steps of the "first notification processing" are shown below. Figure 4A .

[0087] according to Figure 4A The control unit 11 sends a light signal, including light emission, light emission color, and light emission mode, to the lighting unit 12 to notify of incoming calls (step ST141). Then, the following control is performed: incoming call information, such as the caller's and caller's phone numbers, is extracted from the received incoming call signal and displayed as an incoming call notification screen (see reference). Figure 6 The incoming call notification screen 50A is displayed on the display unit 13 (step ST142). An example of the incoming call notification screen 50A displayed on the display unit 13 is shown below. Figure 6 .exist Figure 6In the example shown, the incoming call notification screen 50A is displayed in the upper portion of the screen. Here, in addition to the telephone icon that intuitively conveys the situation of the incoming call, the caller (calling party) based on the telephone directory information and the telephone number of the caller are displayed as the incoming call information on the incoming call notification screen 50A. Further, in the case where the caller is not in the telephone directory information, the caller is set to non-notification.

[0088] Returning to Figure 3 An explanation follows. When the travel state information acquired from the vehicle 1 is not the first travel state (step ST12, "No"), that is, when the second travel state indicating a greater driving load than the first travel state and the incoming call signal is received from the communication device 20 (step ST15, "Yes"), the control section 11 executes the "second notification process" (step ST16). The detailed steps of the "second notification process" are shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6. Figure 4B .

[0089] According to Figure 4B , the control section 11 determines whether the incoming call signal is continuous (step ST161), when the incoming call signal is continuously received (step ST161, "Yes"), the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section 13 is performed (step ST162), the incoming call notification based on the emission of the light signal by the lighting section 12 is not performed, or, as shown in the flowchart, the light signal is transmitted to the lighting section 12 to perform the incoming call notification for a prescribed time (steps ST163, ST164), after the prescribed time has elapsed (step ST164, "Yes"), the control is performed to stop the transmission of the light signal and not to perform the incoming call notification by the lighting section 12, and the incoming call associated information acquired from the communication device 20 via the communication section 14 is stored (step ST165). Further, when the incoming call signal is not continuous (step ST161, "No"), the control to stop the emission of the light signal by the lighting section 12 and to store the incoming call associated information is performed (step ST165).

[0090] Returning to Figure 3 An explanation follows. After the control section 11 has executed the "second notification process" in which the incoming call associated information is stored in the second travel state, when the vehicle 1 enters the first travel state (step ST17, "Yes"), the "third notification process" is executed based on the stored incoming call associated information, in which the incoming call notification based on the emission of the light signal by the lighting section 12 and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section 13 are performed (step ST18). The detailed steps of the "third notification process" are shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7. Figure 4C .

[0091] According to Figure 4C, the control section 11 first acquires the call-associated information stored when the first driving state is entered after the "second notification processing" is executed (step ST181). As the call-associated information, the call history including the call time, the caller, the telephone number of the caller, the attribute of the call (the number of calls from the same telephone number or whether it is a call requiring emergency response, etc.) is stored. Next, the control section 11 performs the missed call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting section 12 and the missed call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 in accordance with the call-associated information (step ST182). One example of the missed call notification screen 50B displayed on the display section 13 is shown in Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 (b).

[0092] In Figure 7 the example shown in (a), as with the missed call notification screen 50B displayed at the time of the "first notification processing", the missed call notification screen 50B is displayed allocated in the upper portion of the screen of the display section 13. In the missed call notification screen 50B, in addition to the telephone icon at the time of the call, the caller (the calling party) based on the telephone directory information, and the telephone number of the caller, the call history indicating the number of missed calls (the number in the O box), the call time, and the like are displayed as the call-associated information. Further, as shown in Figure 7 (b), the color of the background or the frame of the missed call notification screen 50B can be changed in accordance with the number of missed calls or the number of times of missed call notifications from the same telephone number. In Figure 7 (b), the color change is indicated by the dot marks in the frame of the missed call notification screen 50B.

[0093] Further, Figures 3-4C The flowchart shown in the above

[0094] (EFFECTS OF THE EMBODIMENTS)

[0095] As described above, in the vehicle call notification device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 performs call notification independently by controlling the illumination signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the call information displayed by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle (vehicle ECU 30). Therefore, for example, if a call comes in while the vehicle (motorcycle, etc.) is traveling at a low speed, including when parked, call notification is performed by controlling the illumination signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the call information displayed by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if a call comes in while driving under heavy load, the display of the call information displayed by the display unit 13 is not performed, which would hinder driving concentration for confirmation. Instead, call notification is performed solely by controlling the presence, color, or mode of illumination based on the illumination signal emitted by the illumination unit 12, without hindering driving concentration. This reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in scenarios where occupants are focused on driving.

[0096] In addition, when the control unit 11 determines that a call is received while the vehicle (motorcycle, etc.) is in the first driving state, it performs "first notification processing". In the "first notification processing", it performs call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13. As a result, the occupant can confirm the call by the presence or absence of light emission of the lighting unit 12, the light emission mode, etc., and can also confirm the details of the call content by the call information displayed by the display unit 13 within a concentrated range without interfering with driving.

[0097] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a call while the vehicle is in a second driving state based on the driving state information, it does not send a call notification based on the light signal emitted by the lighting unit 12. Alternatively, it sends a call notification for a predetermined time using the light signal emitted by the lighting unit 12. After the predetermined time has elapsed, it executes "second notification processing" that stores the call association information obtained from the communication device 20. Thus, for example, as... Figure 6 As shown in the incoming call notification screen 50A, the caller (caller), the caller's phone number, and a phone icon are displayed, thus enabling incoming call notifications without interfering with the passenger's focus on driving. Furthermore, when the call is active, incoming call notifications can also be made based on stored call association information, either through a light signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 or by displaying incoming call information on the display unit 13.

[0098] In addition, when the control section 11 enters the first running state after storing the incoming call associated information in the second running state, the control section 11 performs the "third notification process" based on the stored incoming call associated information, in which the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section 13 are performed. Thus, for example, as shown in Figure 7 (a) and Figure 7 As shown in the missed call notification screen 50B in (b), the caller (calling party), the telephone number of the caller, the telephone icon, the incoming call history, and the incoming call time are displayed, whereby the occupant can grasp the situation in which the incoming call has occurred in the middle of the notification process.

[0099] In addition, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of the present embodiment, the display section 13 is disposed below the windshield 40 used as the windshield, and the illumination section 12 emits the light emitted from the light source 121 through the light receiver 122 disposed on at least a portion of the windshield 40, and the occupant visually recognizes the light image. Thus, for example, as shown in Figure 1 In the case where the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 is applied to a motorcycle, the occupant can visually recognize the light image emitted by the illumination section 12 through the light receiver 122 without moving the line of sight while visually recognizing the front field of view (front) required for driving, by disposing the illumination section 12 on the windshield 40. Thus, the incoming call notification can be performed without hindering the concentration of the occupant on driving. Further, in order for the occupant to visually recognize the light image, the light guided by the light receiver 122 can be configured to be emitted toward the windshield 40 instead of toward the occupant, and the reflected light can be configured to be emitted toward the occupant so that the occupant visually recognizes a virtual image.

[0100] Further, as shown in the flowchart in Figures 3-4C Although not illustrated in the flowchart, the control section 11 of the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of the present embodiment can perform the incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the illumination section 12 and the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display section 13 when the incoming call is stopped in the first running state, and thus the occupant can know the details of the incoming call based on the incoming call associated information even in the case where the occupant does not respond to the incoming call or does not notice the incoming call.

[0101] Further, the control section 11 can perform the missed call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 after performing the call notification based on the light emission signal by the lighting section 12 when the incoming call is made while being in the first driving state determined to include the stop state from the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1. In other words, since the lighting section 12 is caused to emit light first for the call notification, and then the display of the call information by the display section 13 is performed, the occupant can perform the call confirmation based on the light emission by the lighting section 12 almost without moving the line of sight when becoming the first driving state. Therefore, it is difficult to develop the habit of the occupant to move the line of sight to the display section 13 to confirm the call in the scene where the occupant concentrates on the driving, which has a high possibility of obstructing the safe driving.

[0102] Further, the control section 11 can perform the missed call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 after performing the call notification based on the light emission signal by the lighting section 12 when the incoming call is made while being in the first driving state determined to include the stop state from the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1. In other words, since the lighting section 12 is caused to emit light first for the call notification, and then the display of the call information by the display section 13 is performed, the occupant can perform the call confirmation based on the light emission by the lighting section 12 almost without moving the line of sight when becoming the first driving state. Therefore, it is difficult to develop the habit of the occupant to move the line of sight to the display section 13 to confirm the call in the scene where the occupant concentrates on the driving, which has a high possibility of obstructing the safe driving. Figure 8 (a) indicates the light emission pattern when the call-associated information is three (the number of calls is three). Here, the call notification is performed with the same number of flickers as the number of calls. Further, in the case where there are multiple calls from the same telephone number, for example, as shown in (b), the case where the call notification is performed by changing the light emission color according to the number of the call-associated information (the number of calls) is shown. In (b), toward the paper surface, as shown on the left, in the case where the call-associated information is two, for example, the light emission is performed in a relatively soft orange color, and, in contrast, as shown on the right, in the case where the call-associated information is five (the number of calls is five), by performing the light emission in a red color close to a warning, the occupant can recognize that it is an important call where the urgency to return the call is high. Figure 8 Figure 8 (b), the case where the call notification is performed by changing the light emission color according to the number of the call-associated information (the number of calls) is shown. In (b), toward the paper surface, as shown on the left, in the case where the call-associated information is two, for example, the light emission is performed in a relatively soft orange color, and, in contrast, as shown on the right, in the case where the call-associated information is five (the number of calls is five), by performing the light emission in a red color close to a warning, the occupant can recognize that it is an important call where the urgency to return the call is high.

[0103] Thus, by controlling the light emission color or the light emission pattern of the light emission signal based on the lighting section 12 to notify the missed call in the third notification processing according to the number of calls, it is possible to easily determine whether the call is an important content where the urgency or the importance is high to the occupant himself or herself.

[0104] Further, the control section 11 can perform the missed call notification based on the display of the call information by the display section 13 after performing the call notification based on the light emission signal by the lighting section 12 when the incoming call is made while being in the first driving state determined to include the stop state from the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1. In other words, since the lighting section 12 is caused to emit light first for the call notification, and then the display of the call information by the display section 13 is performed, the occupant can perform the call confirmation based on the light emission by the lighting section 12 almost without moving the line of sight when becoming the first driving state. Therefore, it is difficult to develop the habit of the occupant to move the line of sight to the display section 13 to confirm the call in the scene where the occupant concentrates on the driving, which has a high possibility of obstructing the safe driving.

[0105] (Application Examples) ​

[0106] Furthermore, in the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment described above, an example of implementing the call notification function of the communication device 20 in cooperation with the vehicle has been explained. However, in addition to this, it can also perform "driving status notification function", "talking status notification function", and "emergency call notification function". Hereinafter, the steps for implementing these functions will be used as an application example, while referring to... Figures 5A-5C They then provided a detailed explanation.

[0107] Reference Figure 5A . Figure 5A This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of using the vehicle call notification device 10 to implement the "driving status notification function" in this embodiment. Figure 5A When it is determined that vehicle 1 is in a second driving state, the "driving status notification function" is activated. Therefore, the control unit 11 first determines whether vehicle 1 is in a second driving state (step ST201). Here, if the vehicle is in a second driving state (step ST201 "Yes"), the control unit 11 performs the following control: automatically generates a message indicating that the vehicle is being driven (e.g., "I am currently driving") (step ST202), and sends the generated message to the caller (the recipient of the call) via SNS (Social Networking Service) or the like (step ST203). By using the "driving status notification function" to send a message indicating that the vehicle is being driven to the caller (the recipient of the call), the caller can understand the reason for not answering the phone.

[0108] Reference Figure 5B . Figure 5B This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the vehicle call notification device 10 in this embodiment for performing the "talkable status notification function". In the control unit 11, for example, during the generation... Figure 7 (a) Figure 7 (b) After the missed call notification screen 50B shown in Figure 50B is displayed on the display unit 13 to notify of missed calls, the "talkable status notification function" is activated when the vehicle 1 enters the third driving state where it can make calls from the second driving state. Here, the "third driving state where it can make calls" refers to a state where the vehicle 1 is not being operated or is malfunctioning, and the vehicle 1 is located in the parking lot of a shop or in the emergency parking lane, and the parking brake needs to be applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more.

[0109] exist Figure 5BIn this process, the control unit 11 first determines whether the vehicle 1 has entered a third driving state where communication is possible (step ST211). When it is determined that the vehicle 1 has entered the third driving state and is capable of communication (step ST211 "Yes"), the control unit 11 generates a message indicating that communication is possible (e.g., "Currently in a communication state") and sends this message to the communication device 20 via the communication unit 14 (step ST212). Upon receiving this message, the communication device 20 sends it to the caller (the recipient of the call). Through this "communication status notification function," the caller can use the received message to determine when to make another call.

[0110] Reference Figure 5C . Figure 5C This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the vehicle call notification device 10 in this embodiment to perform the "emergency call notification function". When it is determined that the vehicle (motorcycle, etc.) is in a second driving state (driving) and a call is received, the "emergency call notification function" is activated. Figure 5C In the process, the control unit 11 first determines whether the vehicle 1 is in a second driving state (step ST221). When it is determined to be in a second driving state (step ST221 "Yes"), the control unit 11 generates a message indicating that it is driving and prompts the user to call back if the incoming call is urgent (e.g., "I am currently driving. In case of emergency, please dial '0' on the dial pad. Please contact me immediately when the call can be made") and sends it to the communication device 20 (step ST "222"). When the message is received, the communication device 20 sends the generated message to the caller (the recipient of the call).

[0111] Then, based on the callback from the caller, it is determined whether the call is urgent (step ST223). If the callback is urgent (step ST223 "Yes"), the control unit 11, regardless of the driving status, performs call notification based on the light signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and the display of call information (missed call notification screen 50B) by the display unit 13 (step ST224). On the other hand, if the callback is not urgent (step ST223 "No"), the call information is stored (step ST225).

[0112] Thus, when the vehicle is in the second driving state and a call comes in, the control unit 11 automatically generates a message prompting whether the call is urgent and sends it to the caller. When the caller's reply is urgent, the "emergency call notification function" can be used to notify the occupants of incoming calls without causing them to become a concentrated obstruction to the driver, and to make the occupants notice the call immediately when it is an urgent call. In the "emergency call notification function", the call notification is based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and the call notification is based on the display of the call information by the display unit 13, regardless of the driving state.

[0113] also, Figures 5A-5C The flowchart shown is not intended to limit the invention to the processing steps shown in the flowchart. Steps may be added, deleted, or changed in order without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the invention.

[0114] (Summarize)

[0115] As described above, the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment is, for example, as follows: Figure 1 As shown, when the communication device 20 receives an incoming call, the vehicle call notification device 10 notifies the occupants of the vehicle 1 of the incoming call. Furthermore, the vehicle call notification device 10 includes: an illumination unit 12, which, when an incoming call is received, visually identifies the light image generated by emitting light to notify the occupants; a display unit 13, which displays the incoming call information to notify the occupants; and a control unit 11, which, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle 1, independently executes the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13 to perform the incoming call notification.

[0116] According to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 performs call notification by independently controlling the illumination of the light-emitting signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the call information displayed by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle 1. Therefore, for example, if a call comes in while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a low speed, including when stationary, call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light-emitting signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the call information displayed by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if a call comes in while driving under heavy driving load, call notification is not performed by displaying the call information displayed by the display unit 13, which would hinder driving concentration for confirmation. Instead, call notification is performed by comparing the presence or absence of illumination, the color of illumination, or the illumination mode based on the light-emitting signal emitted by the illumination unit 12, which would not hinder driving concentration. This reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in scenarios where occupants are focused on driving.

[0117] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when a call is received while the vehicle 1 is in a first driving state, a "first notification process" is executed. In the "first notification process", a call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and a call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13 are performed. Thus, the occupant can confirm the call by the presence or absence of light emission of the lighting unit 12, the light emission mode, etc., and can also confirm the details of the call content by the call information displayed by the display unit 13 within a concentrated range without interfering with driving.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in a second driving state and a call is received based on the driving state information, it does not perform call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12, or it performs call notification for a predetermined time using the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12. After the predetermined time has elapsed, it executes "second notification processing" that stores call association information obtained from the communication device 20. Therefore, through "second notification processing," for example, as... Figure 6 As shown in the incoming call notification screen 50A, the caller (caller), the caller's phone number, and a phone icon are displayed, thus enabling incoming call notifications without interfering with the passenger's focus on driving. Furthermore, when the call is active, incoming call notifications can be made based on stored call association information, including notifications based on illumination signals emitted by the lighting unit 12 and notifications based on the display unit 13 showing incoming call information.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, after the control unit 11 stores call association information in the second driving state, when entering the first driving state, it performs "third notification processing" based on the stored call association information. In this "third notification processing," call notification is performed based on a light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13. Therefore, for example, as... Figure 7 The missed call notification screen 50B shows the caller (caller), the caller's phone number, the phone icon, the call history, and the call time, so that the passenger can know if there is a call while the notification is being processed.

[0120] Furthermore, in the vehicle call notification device 10 according to this embodiment, the display unit 13 is disposed below the windshield 40, which serves as a windshield. The illumination unit 12 provides a light receiver 122 disposed on at least a portion of the windshield 40, and emits light emitted from the light source 121 via the light receiver 122 to enable the occupant to visually recognize the light image. Therefore, for example, as... Figure 1 As shown, when the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment is applied to a motorcycle as vehicle 1, by arranging the illumination unit 12 on the windshield 40, the occupant can visually identify the light image emitted by the illumination unit 12 through the light receiver 122 without moving their gaze, while visually identifying the forward field of vision required for driving. Therefore, call notification can be made without hindering the occupant's concentration on driving. Furthermore, in order for the occupant to visually identify the light image, the light guided by the light receiver 122 can be directed towards the windshield 40 instead of towards the occupant, so that the reflected light is directed towards the occupant, allowing the occupant to visually identify the virtual image.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the call stops in the first driving state, the control unit 11 performs call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13. Therefore, even if the passenger does not answer the call or does not notice the call, the details of the call can be known based on the call association information.

[0122] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the control unit 11 determines that a call is received while the vehicle is in a first driving state (including a parking state) based on driving status information obtained from the vehicle 1, it first notifies the vehicle of the incoming call based on a light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12, and then displays the incoming call information based on the display unit 13. In other words, since the lighting unit 12 is first illuminated for the purpose of call notification, and then the incoming call information is displayed by the display unit 13, whenever the vehicle is in the first driving state, the occupant can check for the incoming call based on the light emission of the lighting unit 12 with almost no eye movement. Therefore, it is difficult to develop the habit of checking for the incoming call by moving one's eyes to the display unit 13, which is more likely to impede safe driving in scenarios where one is focused on driving.

[0123] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when a call comes in after the second notification process has been completed but the third notification process has not ended, the control unit 11 determines the caller ID information stored in the second notification process, for example, such as... Figure 8 As shown in (a), in the case of multiple incoming calls, the control that makes the pattern of the light emitted by the lighting unit 12 different is performed in the "Third Notification Processing (Missed Call Notification)" according to the number of incoming calls (the number of call-related information is three). Additionally, as... Figure 8 As shown in (b), in the case of multiple calls from the same phone number, the color of the light emitted by the lighting unit 12 is controlled to be different in the "third notification processing" according to the number of calls. In this way, by controlling the light color or light pattern of the light emission signal based on the lighting unit 12 to notify missed calls in the third notification processing according to the number of calls, it is easy to determine whether the incoming call is urgent or important to the passenger.

[0124] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 11, based on the telephone directory information obtained from the communication device 20, controls at least one of the following: the presence or absence of light, the color of light, and the light pattern, based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12, according to the caller's custom settings. Therefore, by having prior knowledge of the custom settings, the occupant can identify the caller solely through the light emitted by the lighting unit 12 without any movement of the occupant's line of sight. This contributes to safe driving in scenarios where the occupant is focused on driving.

[0125] In addition, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the control unit 11 receives a call and determines that the vehicle 1 is in a "second driving state", it generates a message indicating that the vehicle is in motion and automatically sends it to the caller through a "driving status notification function", so that the caller can understand the reason for not answering the phone.

[0126] In addition, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 enters the third driving state where it can make calls from the second driving state, the control unit 11 generates a message indicating that it is in a talkable state and automatically sends it to the caller as a “talkable state notification function” when there is an incoming call in the second driving state. The caller (the party being called) can know when to make another call based on the received message.

[0127] Furthermore, according to the vehicle call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in a second driving state when there is an incoming call, it generates a message prompting whether the incoming call requires an urgent callback and automatically sends it to the caller. When the callback from the caller requires an urgent callback, regardless of the driving state, it performs an "emergency call notification function" by performing call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit 12 and call notification based on the display of call information by the display unit 13. For normal calls, call notification can be performed without causing the occupants to become a concentrated obstruction to driving, and for calls requiring an urgent callback, the occupants can be immediately notified.

[0128] The incoming call notification method in this embodiment is, for example, a method for notifying a vehicle of incoming calls using a call notification device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle call notification device includes: an illumination unit 12, which enables visual recognition of a light image generated by emitting light to notify occupants of the vehicle 1 of incoming calls; and a display unit 13, which displays call information to notify occupants of incoming calls, and notifies occupants of incoming calls when a call is received from a built-in or occupant-held communication device 20. Furthermore, this call notification method includes, for example,... Figure 3 As shown, the procedure includes the following steps: obtaining driving status information from vehicle 1 (ST11); obtaining incoming call signals from communication device 20 (ST13, ST15); and, based on the driving status information and the incoming call signals, separately executing the illumination control of the illumination signal emitted by illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by display unit 13 to notify the user of the incoming call (ST14, ST16, ST18).

[0129] According to the incoming call notification method of this embodiment, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle 1, the method separately performs illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13 to perform incoming call notification. Therefore, for example, it is possible to provide an incoming call notification method in which, if an incoming call occurs while the vehicle 1 is in a low-speed driving state including a stationary state, the incoming call notification is performed by performing illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if an incoming call occurs while driving under conditions requiring a high driving load, the method does not perform display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13, which would hinder the driver's concentration for confirmation. Instead, the incoming call notification is performed by comparing the presence or absence of light emission, light emission color, or light emission mode based on the light emission signal controlled by the illumination unit 12, which would not hinder the driver's concentration. This reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in scenarios where occupants are focused on driving.

[0130] The incoming call notification program of this embodiment is a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) call notification program that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when the built-in or occupant-held communication device 20 receives a call. For example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle call notification device 10 includes: an illumination unit 12, which enables occupants of the vehicle 1 to visually recognize a light image by emitting light to notify them of an incoming call; a display unit 13, which displays call information to notify the occupants of an incoming call; and a control unit 11. Furthermore, the call notification procedure is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the processor in the control unit 11 performs the following processes: obtaining driving status information from the vehicle 1 (step ST11); obtaining incoming call signals from the communication device 20 (steps ST23, ST15); and, based on the driving status information and the incoming call signals, separately performing illumination control of the illumination signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13 to notify the user of the incoming call (steps ST14, ST16, ST18).

[0131] According to the incoming call notification procedure of this embodiment, the processor of the control unit 11 reads the incoming call notification procedure recorded in the memory and executes it sequentially. Thus, the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 can perform incoming call notification by independently executing the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, if an incoming call occurs while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a low speed, including when parked, the incoming call is notified by performing the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if an incoming call occurs while driving under heavy driving load, the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13, which would hinder driving concentration for confirmation, is not performed. Instead, the incoming call is notified only by comparing the presence or absence of light emission, the color of light emission, or the light emission mode based on the control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12, which will not hinder driving concentration. This reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in scenarios where occupants are focused on driving.

[0132] The incoming call notification system in this embodiment is an incoming call notification system 100, for example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the incoming call notification system 100 comprises a vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30) mounted on the vehicle 1, a communication device 20 held or built into the vehicle by the occupants of the vehicle 1, and a vehicle incoming call notification device 10 that notifies the occupants of an incoming call when the communication device 20 receives a call. Furthermore, in this incoming call notification system 100, the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 is connected to the communication device 20 via wired or wireless connection, and includes: an illumination unit 12, which, when an incoming call is received, visually identifies the light image generated by emitting light to notify the occupants; a display unit 13, which displays incoming call information to notify the occupants of an incoming call; and a control unit 11, which, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and the vehicle 1's driving status information obtained via the vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30), independently executes the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13 to perform incoming call notification.

[0133] According to the incoming call notification system 100 of this embodiment, the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 performs incoming call notification by independently executing the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit 13 based on the incoming call signal obtained from the wired or wirelessly connected communication device 20 and the vehicle 1 driving status information obtained from the vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30). Therefore, for example, a call notification system 100 can be provided that, if a call comes in while the vehicle 1 is in a low-speed driving state with a low driving load, including when the vehicle is parked, call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light signal emitted by the illumination unit 12 and displaying the call information displayed by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if a call comes in while driving with a high driving load, call notification is not performed by displaying the call information displayed by the display unit 13, which would hinder the driver's concentration for confirmation. Instead, call notification is performed by controlling the presence or absence of light, the color of light, or the light pattern based on the light signal emitted by the illumination unit 12, which does not hinder the driver's concentration. This reduces the possibility of hindering safe driving in scenarios where the occupants are focused on driving.

[0134] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can easily modify the embodiments illustrated above within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle call notification device that notifies occupants of the vehicle of an incoming call when the communication device receives a call, characterized in that it comprises: The lighting unit, when the incoming call is received, makes the light image generated by emitting light visually recognizable and notifies the occupant of the incoming call; The display unit, when the incoming call occurs, displays the incoming call information to notify the occupant of the incoming call; and The control unit, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device and the driving status information obtained from the vehicle, independently executes the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit to perform the incoming call notification.

2. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the driving status information, the control unit determines whether the vehicle is in a first driving state, including a parking state, or a second driving state, where the occupants require a greater driving load than in the first driving state. When the incoming call is received while the vehicle is determined to be in the first driving state, a first notification process is executed. In the first notification process, an incoming call notification is performed based on a light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit and an incoming call notification is performed based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit.

3. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state based on the driving state information and receives the incoming call, it performs an incoming call notification based on the display unit displaying the incoming call information, but does not perform an incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit. Alternatively, it performs an incoming call notification for a predetermined time using the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit. After the predetermined time has elapsed, it performs a second notification process that stores the incoming call association information obtained from the communication device.

4. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 3, characterized in that, After the control unit performs the second notification process of storing the incoming call association information in the second driving state, when entering the first driving state, it performs a third notification process based on the stored incoming call association information. In the third notification process, it performs incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit and incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information performed by the display unit.

5. The vehicle call notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The display unit is located below the windshield of the vehicle. The lighting unit is composed of a light source that emits light to a light receiver disposed on at least a portion of the windshield, enabling the occupant to visually recognize a light image generated by light emitted from the light source through the light receiver.

6. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the incoming call stops in the first driving state, the control unit performs incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit.

7. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the control unit determines that it is in a first driving state where the driving status information obtained from the vehicle includes a parking state and receives a call, it notifies the incoming call unit based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit, and then displays the incoming call information based on the display unit.

8. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 4, characterized in that, After executing the second notification process that stores the call association information obtained from the communication device, the control unit enters the first driving state. When there is a call before the execution of the third notification process, the control unit performs the following control with reference to the stored call association information: (1) In the case of multiple calls, the light emission color or light emission mode based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit is different according to the number of calls; (2) In the case of multiple calls to the same phone number, the light emission color or light emission mode based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit is different according to the number of calls.

9. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit performs the following controls: Based on the telephone directory information obtained from the communication device, the caller customizes at least one of the following: the presence or absence of light emission, the color of light emission, and the light emission mode, based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit.

10. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control unit performs the following controls: When a call is received and it is determined that the vehicle is in the second driving state, a message indicating that it is in the second driving state is generated and the generated message is sent to the caller.

11. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control unit performs the following controls: When the vehicle transitions from the second driving state to a third driving state where communication is possible, if there is an incoming call in the second driving state, a message indicating that communication is possible is generated and the generated message is sent to the caller.

12. The vehicle call notification device according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state when there is an incoming call, it generates a message prompting whether the incoming call requires an urgent callback and sends it to the caller. When the callback from the caller requires an urgent callback, it performs incoming call notification based on the light emission signal emitted by the lighting unit and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, regardless of the driving state.

13. A method for notifying incoming calls, which is a method for notifying incoming calls using a vehicle's call notification device, characterized in that, The vehicle call notification device includes: an illumination unit that enables visual recognition of a light image generated by emitting light to notify occupants of incoming calls; and a display unit that displays call information to notify occupants of incoming calls when such calls are received, and notifies occupants of incoming calls when a call is received through a built-in communication device or a device held by the occupant; wherein the call notification method includes the following steps: Obtain driving status information from the vehicle; Obtaining incoming call information from the communication device; and Based on the driving status information and the incoming call signal, the incoming call notification is performed by separately executing the illumination control of the light emission signal emitted by the illumination unit and the display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit.

14. A call notification system comprising a vehicle electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, a communication device held or built into the vehicle by an occupant of the vehicle, and a vehicle call notification device that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when the communication device receives a call, characterized in that... The vehicle uses a call notification device to connect to the communication device via wired or wireless means, and has the following features: The lighting unit, when the incoming call is received, makes the light image generated by emitting light visually recognizable and notifies the occupant of the incoming call; The display unit, when the incoming call occurs, displays the call information to notify the occupant of the incoming call; and The control unit, based on incoming call information obtained from the communication device and vehicle driving status information obtained via the vehicle electronic control unit, independently performs illumination control of the light-emitting signal emitted by the lighting unit and display control of the incoming call information displayed by the display unit to notify the user of the incoming call.

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