METHOD FOR DETECTING WHEN A MOBILE DEVICE IS LOST, MOBILE DEVICE, AND WOST DETECTION PROGRAM

Abstract

Title: METHOD FOR DETECTING LOST TERMINAL DETECTION, MOBILE TERMINAL AND LOST DETECTION PROGRAM. A method for detecting lost mobile terminal (1) includes a step of determining whether a user (200) exits a vehicle (100); and a step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is lost inside the vehicle (100). When it is determined that the user (200) exits the vehicle (100), and that an acceleration variance value (Ac1) acquired by a sensor (5) of the mobile terminal (1) is less than a first threshold value (R1), it is determined that the mobile terminal (1) is lost during the step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is lost. Fig. 6

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR DETECTING LOST TERMINAL, MOBILE TERMINAL, AND LOST TERMINAL DETECTION PROGRAM

[0001] TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Scope of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for detecting the misplacement of a mobile terminal, a mobile terminal, and a misplacement detection program. 2. Description of the Prior Technique

[0003] In the prior art, there is a misplacement notification technique. Patent JP 2008-262,459 A discloses a misplacement notification device that notifies a vehicle occupant when an item carried in a vehicle is misplaced. The misplacement notification device of JP 2008-262,459 A comprises a carried item detection unit that detects a carried item being transported by an occupant in the vehicle and a notification unit. The notification unit informs the occupant that a carried item, among those determined to be removed from the vehicle by the occupant, has not been determined to have actually been removed from the vehicle. In JP 2008-262,459 A, a carried item is identified by image recognition.

[0004] When the mobile terminal is misplaced in the vehicle, it is desirable that the misplacement can be detected appropriately. For example, when the mobile terminal is misplaced in the vehicle, it is desirable that the occurrence of the misplacement can be appropriately determined from the mobile terminal's perspective. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting the misplacement of a mobile terminal, a mobile terminal, and a misplacement detection program capable of appropriately determining the occurrence of misplacement on the mobile terminal side.

[0006] A method for detecting the loss of a mobile terminal according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a step of determining whether a user gets out of a vehicle; and a step of determining whether the mobile terminal is lost in the vehicle, wherein when it is determined that the user gets out of the vehicle and that an acceleration variance value acquired by a sensor of the mobile terminal is less than a first threshold value, it is determined that the mobile terminal is lost during the step of determining whether the mobile terminal is lost.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this aspect, the loss detection method may further include: a step of causing the mobile terminal to notify the user of the loss when it is determined that the mobile terminal is lost.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this aspect, the drift detection method may further include: a step consisting of calculating a first average acceleration from the acceleration acquired by the sensor in a state in which the vehicle is stopped and the user gets into the vehicle;and a step of calculating a second average acceleration from the acceleration acquired by the sensor after determining that the user is getting out of the vehicle, wherein it can be determined that the user is getting out of the vehicle during the step of determining whether the user is getting out of the vehicle, when the acceleration acquired by the sensor indicates a large acceleration in a state in which the vehicle is stopped, and during the step of determining whether the mobile terminal is misplaced, it can be determined that the mobile terminal is misplaced, when a magnitude of a difference between the first average acceleration and the second average acceleration is greater than a second threshold value.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this aspect, during the step of calculating the second average acceleration, the second average acceleration can be calculated when a variance value of the acceleration acquired by the sensor is less than the first threshold value.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this aspect, the method for detecting straying may further include: a step consisting of determining whether the mobile terminal is positioned in the vehicle on the basis of a speed of movement of the mobile terminal calculated from at least one of an acceleration acquired by the sensor or position information of the mobile terminal.

[0011] According to one embodiment of this aspect, during the step of determining whether the user gets out of the vehicle, it can be determined that the user gets out of the vehicle based on information acquired by the mobile terminal through communication with the vehicle.

[0012] A mobile terminal according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a sensor that detects an acceleration; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine if a user is getting out of a vehicle, and to determine that the mobile terminal is misplaced in the vehicle, when it is determined that the user is getting out of the vehicle and that a variance value of the acceleration acquired by the sensor is less than a first threshold value.

[0013] A wandering detection program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a mobile terminal to perform a process consisting of: determining if a user gets out of a vehicle; and determine that the mobile terminal is misplaced in the vehicle, when it is determined that the user gets out of the vehicle and that an acceleration variance value acquired by a sensor of the mobile terminal is less than a first threshold value.

[0014] The above-mentioned objectives, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of currently preferred embodiments of the invention, when taken in reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to a first embodiment; [Fig.2] is a functional diagram of the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment; [Fig.3] is a diagram illustrating a user getting into a vehicle; [Fig.4] is a diagram illustrating a change in acceleration depending on the presence or absence of an occupant; [Fig.5] is a diagram illustrating a difference in average acceleration depending on the presence or absence of an occupant; [Fig.6] is a diagram illustrating an operation of the first embodiment; [Fig.7] is an organizational chart according to the first embodiment; [Fig.8] is a diagram illustrating an acceleration transition in a single-seater vehicle; [Fig.9] is a diagram illustrating the acceleration transition in a single-seater vehicle; [Fig. 10] is a diagram illustrating an operation of a second embodiment; [Fig. 11] is an organizational chart according to the second embodiment; and [Fig. 12] is an organizational chart according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION

[0015] Below, a method for detecting when a mobile terminal is lost, a mobile terminal, and a loss detection program according to an embodiment of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by the embodiment. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments include those that can be readily understood by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially identical. First method of implementation

[0016] A first embodiment is described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. The present embodiment relates to a method for detecting the loss of a terminal a mobile device, a mobile terminal, and a wandering detection program. [Fig. 1] is a diagram illustrating a mobile terminal according to a first embodiment, [Fig. 2] is a functional diagram of the mobile terminal according to the first embodiment, [Fig. 3] is a diagram illustrating a user getting into a vehicle, [Fig. 4] is a diagram illustrating a change in acceleration depending on the presence or absence of an occupant, [Fig. 5] is a diagram illustrating a difference in average acceleration depending on the presence or absence of an occupant, [Fig. 6] is a diagram illustrating an operation of the first embodiment, [Fig. 7] is a flowchart according to the first embodiment, and Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams illustrating an acceleration transition in a single-seater vehicle.

[0017] The method for detecting the loss of the mobile terminal according to this embodiment is a method carried out in a mobile terminal 1. The program for detecting the loss of the mobile terminal according to this embodiment is a program which causes the mobile terminal 1 to carry out various types of processing.

[0018] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the mobile terminal 1 comprises a housing 2, a display device 3, a speaker 4, a sensor 5, a communication unit 6, a position information acquisition unit 7, and a control unit 10. The mobile terminal 1 is, for example, what is called a smartphone and is a portable information processing terminal. The display device 3 is a device that displays an image and is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The mobile terminal 1 may have a touch panel arranged to overlap the display device 3. The mobile terminal 1 may have an input device such as a button or a switch. The mobile terminal 1 may have a connector to which a charging cable or a communication cable is connected. The speaker 4 is a device that outputs sound and is arranged, for example, near the display device 3.

[0019] The sensor 5 is a sensor capable of detecting acceleration. The sensor 5 comprises, for example, at least one of a gyroscopic sensor and an acceleration sensor. For example, the sensor 5 can output accelerations in three predetermined axial directions. Each of the three axes is orthogonal to the other two axes. The three axes are, for example, the longitudinal direction, the lateral direction, and the thickness direction of the moving terminal 1.

[0020] The communication unit 6 includes a communication circuit that establishes wireless communication with an external device. The communication unit 6 is designed to perform radio communication with a radio base station. The mobile terminal 1 can make a call and perform data communication via a mobile wireless communication service provided by a communications company. The communication unit 22 can be used to perform short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (trademark) or WiFi.

[0021] The position information acquisition unit 7 acquires information on the position of the mobile terminal 1. The position information acquisition unit 7 calculates the current position of the mobile terminal 1, for example, based on a signal received from a positioning satellite. The position information acquisition unit 7 can calculate the current position of the mobile terminal 1 based on a signal received from a ground base station or similar station.

[0022] The control unit 10 comprises a processor and memory and performs various types of processing in the mobile terminal 1. The control unit 10 establishes communication with the display device 3, the speaker 4, the sensor 5, the communication unit 6, and the position information acquisition unit 7 via the communication interface. The method for detecting when the mobile terminal is lost and the program for detecting when it is lost according to this embodiment are executed by the control unit 10.

[0023] The misplacement detection program according to this embodiment is stored, for example, in non-volatile memory of the control unit 10. The method for detecting misplacement of the mobile terminal according to this embodiment is stored in the non-volatile memory of the control unit 10, for example, in the form of a program executable by a computer. The misplacement detection program may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium and offered as a computer program product. The misplacement detection program may be provided by being downloaded via a network such as the Internet.

[0024] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], the control unit 10 comprises a boarding / dismounting determination unit 11, a displacement determination unit 12, an average value calculation unit 13, a straying determination unit 14, and a notification processing unit 15. The boarding / dismounting determination unit 11 determines that a user 200 is boarding a vehicle 100 and that the user 200 is dismounting from the vehicle 100. The displacement determination unit 12 determines that the vehicle 100 is moving and that the vehicle 100 is stopped. The average value calculation unit 13 calculates an average acceleration, which is the average value of the accelerations acquired by the sensor 5.

[0025] The loss detection unit 14 determines that the mobile terminal 1 is lost in the vehicle 100. The notification processing unit 15 executes various types of notifications regarding the loss to the user. The entry / exit detection unit 11, the displacement detection unit 12, the average value calculation unit 13, the loss detection unit 14, and the processing unit notification 15 handles, for example, the stray detection program of this embodiment which causes the processor of the control unit 10 to execute.

[0026] As described below, the method for detecting when the mobile terminal is lost and the method for detecting when the mobile terminal 1 is lost in the vehicle 100 based on the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5. Figure 3 illustrates the vehicle 100 in a state in which the user 200 enters it. The vehicle 100 in Figure 3 has a front right seat 110, a front left seat 120, a rear seat 130, and a dashboard 140. In the vehicle 100 in Figure 3, the front right seat 110 is the driver's seat. The user 200 is seated in the front right seat 110 as the driver. A plurality of occupants can sit side-by-side in the rear seat 130 in the vehicle's width direction X.

[0027] The mobile terminal 1 is placed in the vehicle 100. For example, the mobile terminal 1 can be placed directly on the dashboard 140 or can be supported by a bracket attached to the dashboard 140. The mobile terminal 1 can be placed near a central information display (CID). The mobile terminal 1 can be placed on a seat such as the front left seat 120.

[0028] Vehicle 100 is, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). When vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, the level of vibration of vehicle 100 when the vehicle is stationary is low, and the vibration acceleration is low. Therefore, when the mobile terminal 1 is placed in vehicle 100, the variance of the acceleration detected by the sensor 5 when the vehicle is stationary is a small value.

[0029] Figure 4 illustrates an example of acceleration detected by sensor 5 while the vehicle is stationary. Figure 5 illustrates a moving average of the acceleration over Figure 4. The acceleration over Figure 4 is an acceleration Gx in the vehicle width direction X of vehicle 100 divided among the accelerations detected by sensor 5 located on the central information display of vehicle 100. The acceleration over Figure 4 is acquired in a state in which the ignition switch of vehicle 100 is off, and the air conditioning and audio system are switched off. An interval for acceleration detection by sensor 5 is, for example, 0.1 seconds. The moving average over Figure 5 is an average of the detected values ​​over the number of terms n. When the number of terms n = 30, the average acceleration value over three seconds is plotted.

[0030] In Figures 4 and 5, the horizontal axis represents elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents an acceleration value. In [Fig. 4], firstly, a user 200 User 200 gets into vehicle 100 alone and sits down, and mobile terminal 1 is placed in vehicle 100. At time t1, user 200 gets out of vehicle 100. At this time, mobile terminal 1 remains in vehicle 100. User 200 is outside vehicle 100 from time t2 to time t3. At time t3, user 200 gets into vehicle 100. After time t4, user 200 is seated in vehicle 100. It should be noted that the seats on which user 200 sits before time t1 and after time t4 are the same seat, for example, the front right seat 110.

[0031] As can be seen in [Fig. 4], when user 200 gets out of vehicle 100 and when user 200 gets into vehicle 100, the acceleration value changes considerably, and the variance of the acceleration becomes significant. This change is considered to indicate a vibration of vehicle 100 in the vehicle width direction X. Meanwhile, before time tl, when user 200 gets out of the vehicle, the change in the acceleration value is small, and therefore the variance of the acceleration becomes small. As can be seen in [Fig. 5], the acceleration value before time tl returns to a substantially constant level.

[0032] Since user 200 is outside the vehicle from time t2 to time t3, the acceleration value remains substantially constant. Furthermore, even after user 200 gets back into the vehicle, the acceleration value remains substantially constant.

[0033] Here, the level of acceleration differs between the moment when user 200 enters the vehicle and the moment when user 200 is outside the vehicle. As illustrated in [Fig. 5], there is a difference Aa between the level of acceleration when user 200 enters the vehicle and the level of acceleration when user 200 does not enter the vehicle. The control unit 10 of this embodiment can determine that user 200 is exiting the vehicle 100 based on the difference in the level of acceleration.

[0034] In the case of the vehicle 100 illustrated in [Fig. 3], when the user 200 gets out of the vehicle 100, the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 changes. The difference Aa in the acceleration level is considered to be caused, for example, by a change in the position of the center of gravity. When the user 200 sitting in the front right seat 110 gets out of the vehicle, the position of the center of gravity in the vehicle width direction X shifts. This change in the position of the center of gravity generates the difference Aa in the acceleration level detected by the sensor 5 via a change in the roll angle of the vehicle 100 or similar.

[0035] When a significant change in acceleration occurs from a state where the mobile terminal 1 is placed in the vehicle, the control unit 10 estimates that the user 200 is getting out of the vehicle 100. Then, when the variance of the acceleration If the acceleration level becomes low, and the acceleration level changes compared to the moment before exiting the vehicle, it is determined that there is a high probability that user 200 will exit vehicle 100. Furthermore, when the acceleration level returns to a substantially constant level after user 200 exits the vehicle, it is highly probable that the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced inside vehicle 100. The method for detecting the misplacement of the mobile terminal and the misplacement detection program according to this embodiment can appropriately determine whether the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced inside vehicle 100.

[0036] Figure 6 illustrates a change in acceleration when the mobile terminal 1 is not misplaced, and a change in acceleration when misplacement occurs. In Figure 6, an upper graph (a) illustrates a vehicle speed transition V of vehicle 100, a middle graph (b) illustrates an acceleration transition AcO when there is no misplacement, and a lower graph (c) illustrates an acceleration transition Acl when misplacement occurs. Examples of a scene where the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced include a scene where user 200 temporarily exits the vehicle and a scene where user 200 places luggage in vehicle 100. As another scenario, there is a case where user 200 exits with the misplaced mobile terminal 1 at some location in vehicle 100.As another scenario, there is a case where mobile terminal 1 falls from a user's clothing pocket into the seat, and user 200 gets out of the vehicle without realizing it.

[0037] User 200 carrying mobile terminal 1 gets into vehicle 100 at time tl0 and drops mobile terminal 1 into the vehicle at time tl1. When mobile terminal 1 is in a stationary state, the values ​​of accelerations Ac0 and Acl become substantially constant levels from time tl1.

[0038] Vehicle 100 begins to move at time tl2. The control unit 10 of the mobile terminal 1 calculates a speed of movement of the mobile terminal 1 based on the position information of the mobile terminal 1 and the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5. The displacement determination unit 12 of the control unit 10 can determine whether the movement of the mobile terminal 1 is caused by the movement of the vehicle 100. For example, it is determined whether the mobile terminal 1 is moving on a road based on map data and the position information of the mobile terminal 1. When the mobile terminal 1 is moving on a road, it can be determined that the movement of the mobile terminal 1 is caused by the movement of the vehicle 100. The control unit 10 can also determine whether the movement of the mobile terminal 1 is caused by the movement of the vehicle 100 based on the value of the acceleration and the magnitude of the speed of movement.When it is determined that the movement of the mobile terminal 1 is caused by the movement of the . vehicle 100, the control unit 10 monitors the movement status of vehicle 100 based on the movement speed of mobile terminal 1.

[0039] As can be seen in graphs (b) and (c) of [Fig. 6], the accelerations AcO and Acl change considerably while the vehicle 100 is moving. That is to say, it can be determined that the vehicle 100 is moving based on the speed of movement of the moving terminal 1 and the magnitude of the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5. Furthermore, when the speed of movement of the moving terminal 1 is 0, and the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 becomes substantially constant, it is possible to determine that the vehicle 100 is stopped.

[0040] The vehicle 100 is stopped at time tl3, and the accelerations AcO and Acl become substantially constant. The control unit 10 can determine that the mobile terminal 1 is placed in the stationary vehicle because the vehicle speed V is a value indicating a stop, and the accelerations AcO and Acl become substantially constant.

[0041] Subsequently, a descent determination is made at time tl4. At time tl4, the accelerations Ac0 and Acl change sharply. The control unit 10 performs a descent determination based on the magnitude and mode of change of the accelerations Ac0 and Ac1, and the magnitude of the accelerations Ac0 and Acl. The descent determination can be made based on a frequency component in an acceleration change.

[0042] In a normal case where there is no disorientation, the user 200 takes the mobile terminal 1 out of the vehicle 100. During the AcO acceleration in the normal case, a change in acceleration occurs even after the descent determination has been performed. The acceleration at this time is an acceleration consistent with the movement of the user 200, such as walking. When a change in acceleration is detected after the descent determination, the control unit 10 can determine that no disorientation has occurred.

[0043] At the same time, when the misalignment occurs, the acceleration Acl returns to a substantially constant level after the descent determination. In this case, the control unit 10 can estimate that the user 200 misplaces the mobile terminal 1 in the vehicle 100. Furthermore, a difference occurs in the acceleration level before and after the descent determination. In this case, the control unit 10 can determine that there is a high probability that the misalignment will occur.

[0044] The method for detecting when the mobile terminal is lost and the method for detecting when the terminal is lost according to this embodiment are described with reference to [Fig. 7]. The flowchart of [Fig. 7] is executed repeatedly, for example, in the mobile terminal 1. The flowchart of [Fig. 7] can be started by a user operation 200.

[0045] In step S10, the control unit 10 instructs the sensor 5 to output acceleration data. The sensor 5 outputs data indicating a detected acceleration value in response to the command from the control unit 10. When step S10 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S20.

[0046] At step S20, the control unit 10 sets the counter value to 0, which is an initial value. When step S20 is executed, the process proceeds to step S30.

[0047] At step S30, the control unit 10 calculates the acceleration variance. The control unit 10 calculates a variance over a predetermined time from the acceleration data acquired by the sensor 5. The predetermined time is, for example, one second. When step S30 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S40.

[0048] At step S40, the control unit 10 determines whether the acceleration variance is less than a threshold value Rv. The threshold value Rv is, for example, a value that can be used to determine whether the mobile terminal 1 is located in the stationary vehicle 100. The threshold value Rv is established based, for example, on the variance value of the acceleration output of sensor 5 when the mobile terminal 1 comes to a stop. When an affirmative determination is made at step S40 that the acceleration variance is less than the threshold value Rv, the process proceeds to step S50, and when a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0049] At step S50, the control unit 10 increments the counter value. One is added to the counter value. When step S50 is executed, the process proceeds to step S60.

[0050] At step S60, the control unit 10 determines whether the counter value is a threshold value Tv or higher. The threshold value Tv is, for example, a value that can be used to determine whether or not user 200 gets into vehicle 100. When a time period corresponding to the threshold value Tv elapses while the acceleration variance remains small, it is assumed that user 200 gets into vehicle 100. The threshold value Tv is, for example, a value corresponding to three seconds. As a result of the determination at step S60, when an affirmative determination is made that the counter value is the threshold value Tv or higher, the processing proceeds to step S70, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S30.

[0051] At step S70, the control unit 10 calculates a first average acceleration AVE1. The first average acceleration AVE1 is an average acceleration value in a state where the user 200 enters the vehicle and is a calibrated average acceleration. The first average acceleration AVE1 is, for example, an average value of a plurality of continuous acceleration data elements. The first average acceleration AVE1 is calculated by the computing unit of average value 13. In [Fig. 6], the first average acceleration AVE1 is calculated over a period between time t1 and time t12. The first average acceleration AVE1 indicates an acceleration level in a state where the user 200 gets into the vehicle. When step S70 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S80.

[0052] At step S80, the counter value is set to 0, which is the initial value. When step S80 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S90. It should be noted that the transition to step S80 can occur when vehicle 100 begins to move. For example, when it is determined that vehicle 100 is moving based on the speed of the mobile terminal 1, the control unit 10 can proceed to process step S80.

[0053] At step S90, the control unit 10 determines whether the vehicle speed V is zero. The control unit 10 performs the determination at step S90 based on the movement speed of the mobile terminal 1. The determination at step S90 is performed, for example, by the displacement determination unit 12. As a result of the determination at step S90, when an affirmative determination is made that the vehicle speed V is 0, the processing proceeds to step S100, and when a negative determination is made, the determination at step S90 is repeated.

[0054] At step S100, the control unit 10 instructs the sensor 5 to output acceleration data. The control unit 10 calculates a variance over a predetermined time from the acceleration data acquired by the sensor 5. When step S100 is executed, the processing proceeds to step SI 10.

[0055] At step SI 10, the control unit 10 determines whether the variance of the acceleration is less than a threshold value Rv. As a result of the determination at step SI 10, when an affirmative determination is made that the variance of the acceleration is less than the threshold value Rv, the processing proceeds to step S120, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S80.

[0056] At step S120, the control unit 10 increments the counter value. One is added to the counter value. When step S120 is executed, the process proceeds to step S130.

[0057] At step S130, the control unit 10 determines whether the counter value is a threshold value Tv or higher. The threshold value Tv at step S130 may be the same as the threshold value Tv at step S60. As a result of the determination at step S130, when an affirmative determination is made that the counter value is the threshold value Tv or higher, the process proceeds to step S140, and when a negative determination is made, the acceleration variance is updated, and the process proceeds to step S10.

[0058] In step S140, an average acceleration value AVE3 is calculated by the control unit 10. The average acceleration value AVE3 is used, for example, to determine whether user 200 is getting off. The average acceleration value AVE3 is, for example, an average value of a plurality of continuous acceleration data elements. The average acceleration value AVE3 is calculated by the average value calculation unit 13. The average acceleration value AVE3 can be an absolute value. When step S140 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S150.

[0059] At step S150, the control unit 10 determines whether an average acceleration value AVE3 is greater than a threshold value Ta. At step S150, when an affirmative determination is made that the average acceleration value AVE3 is greater than the threshold value Ta, the processing proceeds to step S160, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S140.

[0060] At step S160, the control unit 10 notifies user 200. This notification is intended to draw attention to the user's presence and prevent them from misplacing the mobile terminal 1 in the vehicle 100. When an affirmative determination is made at step S150, it is assumed that user 200 is exiting the vehicle, or it is temporarily determined that user 200 is exiting the vehicle. By notifying user 200 at this time, misplacing the mobile terminal 1 can be prevented in advance. The notification at step S160 is, for example, a sound output from the loudspeaker 4. When step S160 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S170.

[0061] At step S170, the control unit 10 calculates a second average acceleration AVE2. The second average acceleration AVE2 is an average value of accelerations calculated from accelerations after determining that the user 200 is exiting the vehicle. The second average acceleration AVE2 is, for example, an average value of a plurality of continuous acceleration data elements. The second average acceleration AVE2 is calculated by the average value calculation unit 13. In [Fig. 6], the second average acceleration AVE2 is calculated after the exit determination is performed at time 114.It should be noted that the control unit 10 can calculate the second average acceleration AVE2 when the variance value of the acceleration acquired by sensor 5 is less than a first threshold value RL. In other words, the control unit 10 can calculate the second average acceleration AVE2 when the acceleration acquired by sensor 5 passes to a substantially constant value. The value of the first threshold value RI is, for example, the same value as the threshold value Rv. When step S170 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S180.

[0062] At step S180, the control unit 10 performs a determination of the difference between the average acceleration. This determination is performed, for example, by The deviation determination unit 14. The control unit 10 compares the absolute value of the difference between the second average acceleration AVE2 and the first average acceleration AVE1 with a second threshold value Dif. The second threshold value Dif is a value used to determine whether there is a significant difference between the first average acceleration AVE1 and the second average acceleration AVE2. When the absolute value of the difference is greater than the second threshold value Dif in the determination at step S180, a positive determination is made, and the process proceeds to step S190. When a negative determination is made, the flowchart ends. A situation in which a negative determination is made at step S180 is, for example, a situation in which user 200 does not get out but gets into vehicle 100.

[0063] It should be noted that, in step S180, the misalignment can be determined based on the duration of the state in which the absolute value of the difference is greater than the second threshold value Dif. For example, when a state in which the absolute value of the difference is greater than the second threshold value Dif continues for a predetermined period of time, it can be determined that the mobile terminal 1 is misaligned in the vehicle 100. The predetermined period of time can be, for example, several seconds or three seconds.

[0064] At step S190, the control unit 10 determines that the misdirection occurs, and the processing proceeds to step S200.

[0065] At step S200, an alarm is output by the control unit 10. The alarm output at step S200 is executed, for example, by the notification processing unit 15. The control unit 10 outputs an alarm concerning a deviation to the user 200. This alarm is, for example, an audible output from the loudspeaker 4. The alarm may be a notification to another terminal owned by the user 200. The alarm may also be a notification to the vehicle 100. In this case, the control unit 10 instructs the vehicle 100 to output an alarm to the user. The vehicle 100, upon receiving the instruction, emits an alarm to the user 200, for example, a sound such as a horn. When step S200 is executed, the flowchart ends.

[0066] The control unit 10 can increase the warning level to the user 200 depending on the time elapsed since the deviation is determined. For example, when the magnitude of the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 does not change even after several seconds have elapsed since the alarm was initially output, the warning level can be increased.

[0067] It should be noted that the determination of the loss of balance is not limited to determination based on the difference between the average accelerations AVE1 and AVE2. For example, during the determination at step S180, it can be determined If the variance of the acceleration is less than the first threshold value RI. In this case, when the variance of the acceleration acquired by sensor 5 is less than the first threshold value RI, it can be determined that the mobile terminal 1 is lost.

[0068] As illustrated in Figure (c) of [Fig. 6], when the straying occurs, the acceleration Acl returns to a substantially constant value after the descent determination at time tl4. That is, the variance of the acceleration Acl becomes a small value. In this case, it can be determined that the straying of the mobile terminal 1 occurs independently of the presence or absence of the difference between the average accelerations AVE1 and AVE2. The value of the first threshold value RI is, for example, the same value as the threshold value Rv.

[0069] The direction in which the difference in average acceleration occurs due to the entry and exit of the user 200 may differ depending on the type of vehicle 100. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the acceleration transition in the single-seat vehicle 100. Figure 8 illustrates an Ac2 transition of the acceleration Gx in the vehicle width direction X in the single-seat vehicle 100. Figure 9 illustrates an Ac3 transition of the acceleration Gz in a vehicle vertical direction Z in the single-seat vehicle 100. As can be seen in Figures 8 and 9, in the single-seat vehicle 100, the change in the level of acceleration due to the presence or absence of an occupant occurs primarily in the vehicle vertical direction Z. The difference Aa in average acceleration in Figure 9 is considered to be related to a change in the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle vertical direction Z.

[0070] The control unit 10 can perform a difference determination between a plurality of directions in step S180 of [Fig. 7]. For example, when the sensor 5 detects accelerations in three predetermined axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3, the average accelerations AVE1 and AVE2 can be calculated for each of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3. In this case, the control unit 10 can calculate a difference between the average accelerations AVE1 and AVE2 for each of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3 and determine whether the absolute value of the difference is greater than the second threshold value Dif. The control unit 10 can determine that the deviation occurs when the absolute value of the difference in any one of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3 is greater than the second threshold value Dif.

[0071] The control unit 10 can perform a difference determination based on the sum of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3. In this case, the first average acceleration AVE1 is calculated for each of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3, and a first total value SAVE1, which is the sum of the first average acceleration AVE1, is obtained. Also, the second acceleration The average AVE2 is calculated for each of the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3, and a second total value SAVE2, which is the sum of the second average acceleration AVE2, is obtained. The control unit 10 performs a difference determination based on the magnitude of the difference between the first total value SAVE1 and the second total value SAVE2. The threshold value for determining the difference in this case can be the second threshold value Dif.

[0072] When the direction in which the difference between the average accelerations occurs is known, the control unit 10 can perform a determination of the difference between the average accelerations in the known direction. When information concerning the type of vehicle 100 is given in advance, the control unit 10 can estimate the direction in which the difference in average acceleration occurs. For example, when information indicating that vehicle 100 is a single-seater vehicle is given to the mobile terminal 1, the control unit 10 can perform a deviation determination based on a difference in average acceleration in the vertical direction of vehicle Z.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 10 can determine the relationship between each of the X, Y, and Z directions of the vehicle 100 and the three axial directions Axl, Ax2, and Ax3 of the mobile terminal 1 based on the acceleration data acquired by the sensor 5. For example, the control unit 10 can determine the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 1 relative to the vertical direction of the vehicle Z based on the direction of gravity. For example, the control unit 10 can determine the tilt angle of the mobile terminal 1 relative to a front-to-back direction of the vehicle Y based on the direction of acceleration when the vehicle 100 is moving.

[0074] As described above, the method for detecting whether the mobile terminal is lost according to this embodiment comprises a step of determining whether the user 200 exits the vehicle 100 and a step of determining whether the mobile terminal 1 is lost in the vehicle 100. The step of determining whether the user 200 exits the vehicle 100 is, for example, step S150 in [Fig. 7]. Note that the step of determining whether the user 200 exits the vehicle 100 may further comprise step S180 in [Fig. 7].

[0075] When it is determined that user 200 exits vehicle 100, and the acceleration variance value acquired by sensor 5 of mobile terminal 1 is less than the first threshold value RI, it is determined that mobile terminal 1 is lost in the step of determining whether mobile terminal 1 is lost. The method for detecting whether mobile terminal 1 is lost according to this embodiment can appropriately determine that mobile terminal 1 is lost in vehicle 100.

[0076] According to the method for detecting the loss of movement of the mobile terminal in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 1 can detect loss of movement without communication with the vehicle 100. Furthermore, loss of movement can be detected based on the sensor 5, which detects acceleration, and no other detection sensor is required. In addition, since the mobile terminal 1 can independently determine whether the user 200 is getting in or out of the vehicle, application to various vehicles is straightforward. The method for detecting the loss of movement of the mobile terminal in this embodiment is suitable for the vehicle 100, in which the frequency of use of the mobile terminal 1 is high. The method for detecting the loss of movement of the mobile terminal in this embodiment can be applied, for example, to a delivery vehicle, a professional vehicle, and a commercial vehicle.

[0077] The method for detecting when the mobile terminal is lost according to this embodiment includes a step in causing the mobile terminal 1 to notify the user 200 of the loss when it is determined that the mobile terminal 1 is lost. The step of triggering the notification is, for example, step S200 of [Fig. 7]. As a result, it is possible to draw the user 200's attention to the loss.

[0078] The method for detecting the loss of the mobile terminal according to this embodiment comprises a step for calculating the first average acceleration AVE1 and a step for calculating the second average acceleration AVE2. In the step for calculating the first average acceleration AVE1, the first average acceleration AVE1 is calculated from the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 in a state where the vehicle 100 is stopped and the user 200 is getting into the vehicle 100. During the step for calculating the second average acceleration AVE2, the second average acceleration AVE2 is calculated from the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 after it has been determined that the user 200 is getting out of the vehicle 100.

[0079] In the step of determining whether the user exits the vehicle, it is determined that the user 200 exits the vehicle 100 when the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 indicates a significant acceleration in a state where the vehicle is stationary. In the step of determining whether the mobile terminal 1 is lost, when the magnitude of the difference between the first average acceleration AVE1 and the second average acceleration AVE2 is greater than the second threshold value Dif, it is determined that the mobile terminal 1 is lost. Based on this determination, it is possible to determine a loss of orientation more precisely.

[0080] During the calculation step of the second average acceleration AVE2, the second average acceleration AVE2 can be calculated when the value of the variance of the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 is less than the first threshold value RL. This improves the accuracy of the difference determination.

[0081] The method for detecting whether the mobile terminal is misplaced may include a step of determining whether the mobile terminal 1 is positioned in the vehicle 100. Whether the mobile terminal 1 is positioned in the vehicle 100 can be determined based on the speed of movement of the mobile terminal 1. The speed of movement of the mobile terminal 1 can be calculated from at least one of the following: an acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 or position information from the mobile terminal 1. The step of determining whether the mobile terminal 1 is positioned in the vehicle 100 is performed, for example, after the calculation of the first average acceleration AVE1, and before the calculation of the second average acceleration AVE2. The method for detecting whether the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced in the vehicle 100 may improve the accuracy of determining whether the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced in the vehicle 100.

[0082] The mobile terminal 1 of this embodiment includes the sensor 5, which detects acceleration, and the control unit 10. The control unit 10 is configured to determine whether user 200 is exiting the vehicle 100. The control unit 10 is further configured to determine that the mobile terminal 1 is misplaced in the vehicle 100 when it is determined that user 200 is exiting the vehicle, and that the variance of the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 is less than the first threshold value RL

[0083] The wandering detection program according to this embodiment is a program that causes the mobile terminal 1 to execute each processing element. Each processing element that the wandering detection program causes the mobile terminal 1 to execute includes the processing of determining whether user 200 is getting out of the vehicle 100. Each processing element above includes the processing of determining that the mobile terminal 1 is lost in the vehicle 100 when it is determined that user 200 is getting out of the vehicle, and the variance of the acceleration acquired by the sensor 5 of the mobile terminal 1 is less than the first threshold value RL

[0084] It should be noted that the vehicle 100 to which the mobile terminal's wandering detection method and the wandering detection program according to this embodiment are applied is not limited to a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The vehicle 100 may be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). In the hybrid vehicle, the internal combustion engine may be switched off immediately after entering the vehicle or upon exiting the vehicle after it has stopped. In this case, it is possible to appropriately determine wandering using the mobile terminal's wandering detection method and the program according to this embodiment. Furthermore, there is a possibility of applying the mobile terminal's wandering detection method and the program according to this embodiment to the vehicle 100 which uses the internal combustion engine as a power source and is not equipped with an electric motor. Second method of implementation

[0085] One embodiment is described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In the second embodiment, components having functions similar to those described in the first embodiment are designated by the same numerals, and a redundant description is omitted. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the second embodiment, and Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, for example, information about user 200 and information about vehicle 100 are acquired from vehicle 100 via wireless communication.

[0086] The control unit 10 according to the second embodiment acquires information concerning the boarding and disembarking of the user 200 and information concerning the movement status of the vehicle 100 by wireless communication with the vehicle 100. Figure 10 illustrates an operation when wireless communication with the vehicle 100 is possible. In Figure 10, an upper graph (d) illustrates a transition in the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 100, a middle graph (e) illustrates an acceleration transition Ac4 when there is no drifting, and a lower graph (f) illustrates an acceleration transition Ac5 when drifting occurs.

[0087] The fact that user 200 gets into vehicle 100, the fact that vehicle 100 is stopped, and the fact that user 200 gets out of vehicle 100 are determined based on information acquired by a sensor mounted on vehicle 100. In [Fig. 10], it is determined that user 200 gets out of vehicle 100 at time t21. In the normal case without deviation, an acceleration change occurs after the descent is determined.

[0088] Meanwhile, when the misalignment occurs, the acceleration Ac5 returns to a substantially constant level after the descent is determined. In this case, the control unit 10 can determine that the user 200 has misplaced the mobile terminal 1 in the vehicle 100.

[0089] The method for detecting the loss of the mobile terminal and the loss detection program according to the second embodiment are described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The flowchart of [Fig. 11] is executed repeatedly, for example, in the mobile terminal 1. The flowchart of [Fig. 11] can be started by a user operation 200.

[0090] At step S300, the control unit 10 determines whether communication with the vehicle 100 is possible. When an affirmative determination is made that the If communication with vehicle 100 is possible, the process proceeds to step S310, and when a negative determination is made, the stray detection procedure and the stray detection program without communication with vehicle 100 are executed. When a negative determination is made at step S300, for example, the flowchart of [Fig. 7] of the first embodiment is executed.

[0091] At step S310, the control unit 10 determines whether the vehicle speed V of vehicle 100 is 0. The determination at step S310 is performed, for example, on the basis of the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor of vehicle 100. As a result of the determination at step S310, when an affirmative determination is made that the vehicle speed V is 0, the processing proceeds to step S320, and when a negative determination is made, the determination at step S310 is repeated.

[0092] At step S320, the control unit 10 determines whether a descent is detected by in-cabin sensing. In-cabin sensing is a sensing method that involves detecting a person in the vehicle 100 using a sensor such as a camera or radar. When the detected person is no longer detected, an affirmative determination is made that a descent has been detected at step S320. As a result of the determination at step S320, when an affirmative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S400, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S330.

[0093] At step S330, the control unit 10 determines whether a descent is detected by the pressure sensor. The pressure sensor is, for example, a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person seated in each seat of the vehicle 100. When the pressure detected by the pressure sensor decreases from the value with a seated user to the value without a seated user, it is determined at step S330 to be affirmative that a descent is detected. As a result of the determination at step S330, when an affirmative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S400, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S340.

[0094] At step S340, the control unit 10 determines whether the descent is detected by a door open / close sensor. When the door open / close sensor detects that the door has changed from the closed state to the open state and then back to the closed state, an affirmative determination is made that a descent has been detected at step S340. As a result of the determination at step S340, when an affirmative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S400, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S350.

[0095] At step S350, the control unit 10 determines whether a descent is detected by the smart key. For example, when the vehicle door 100 is locked by The smart key, and a door lock signal is received, an affirmative determination is made that a descent is detected at step S350. As a result of the determination at step S350, when an affirmative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S400, and when a negative determination is made, the processing proceeds to step S310.

[0096] At step S400, it is determined that the mobile terminal 1 is lost. Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart for determining whether the terminal is lost. At step S410, the control unit 10 instructs the sensor 5 to output acceleration data. The sensor 5 outputs data indicating a detected acceleration value in response to the command from the control unit 10. When step S410 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S420.

[0097] At step S420, the control unit 10 sets the counter value to 0, which is an initial value. When step S420 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S430.

[0098] In step S430, the control unit 10 calculates the acceleration variance. The control unit 10 calculates a variance over a predetermined time from the acceleration data acquired by the sensor 5. The predetermined time is, for example, one second. When step S430 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S440.

[0099] At step S440, the control unit 10 determines whether the acceleration variance is less than the threshold value Rv. The threshold value Rv is, for example, a value that can be used to determine whether the mobile terminal 1 is placed in the stationary vehicle 100. When an affirmative determination is made at step S440 that the acceleration variance is less than the threshold value Rv, the process proceeds to step S450, and when a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S420.

[0100] At step S450, the control unit 10 increments the counter value. One is added to the counter value. When step S450 is executed, the processing proceeds to step S460.

[0101] At step S460, the control unit 10 determines whether the counter value is the threshold value Tv or higher. As a result of the determination at step S460, when an affirmative determination is made that the counter value is the threshold value Tv or higher, the process proceeds to step S470, and when a negative determination is made, the acceleration variance is updated, and the process proceeds to step S440.

[0102] At step S470, an alarm is delivered at output by the control unit 10. When step S470 is executed, the flowchart for determining the loss of balance ends.

[0103] As described above, in the mobile terminal misplacement detection method according to the second embodiment, in the step of determining whether the user gets out of the vehicle, it is determined that the user 200 gets out of vehicle 100 based on information acquired by the mobile terminal 1 through communication with vehicle 100. The step of determining whether the user is exiting the vehicle comprises, for example, steps S320 to S350 in [Fig. 1 1]. In this way, the exit determination is performed based on information acquired from vehicle 100, thus improving the accuracy of the determination.

[0104] It should be noted that the step of determining whether the occupant is exiting the vehicle may include determining whether the occupant exiting the vehicle is the user 200 corresponding to the mobile terminal 1. In this case, the control unit 10 acquires information in advance concerning the seat in the vehicle 100 in which the user 200 of the mobile terminal 1 is sitting. For example, the control unit 10 may acquire information concerning the seat in which the user 200 is sitting next to the vehicle 100. A method by which the vehicle 100 identifies the user 200 is arbitrary, but may, for example, be image recognition for an image captured by in-cabin camera. When the occupant exiting the vehicle is the user 200 of the mobile terminal 1, the control unit 10 can determine that disorientation has occurred.

[0105] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be combined and executed appropriately.

[0106] The method for detecting whether a mobile terminal is lost according to these embodiments comprises a step of determining whether a user exits a vehicle and a step of determining whether a mobile terminal is lost in the vehicle, wherein, when it is determined that the user exits the vehicle, and an acceleration variance value acquired by a sensor of the mobile terminal is less than a first threshold value, it is determined that the mobile terminal is lost during the step of determining that the mobile terminal is lost. According to the method for detecting whether a mobile terminal is lost, an appropriate effect of determining the occurrence of the loss on the mobile terminal side is demonstrated.

Claims

Demands

1. Method for detecting the misplacement of a mobile terminal (1), the method comprising: a step of determining whether a user (200) gets out of a vehicle (100); and a step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is misplaced in the vehicle (100), wherein when it is determined that the user (200) gets out of the vehicle (100) and that an acceleration variance value acquired by a sensor (5) of the mobile terminal (1) is less than a first threshold value (RI), it is determined that the mobile terminal (1) is misplaced during the step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is misplaced.

2. The method for detecting the loss of a mobile terminal (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of causing the mobile terminal (1) to notify the user (200) of the loss when it is determined that the mobile terminal (1) is lost.

3. The method for detecting the loss of a mobile terminal (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: a step consisting of calculating a first average acceleration (AVE1) from the acceleration acquired by the sensor (5) in a state in which the vehicle (100) is stopped and the user (200) gets into the vehicle (100);and a step of calculating a second average acceleration (AVE2) from the acceleration acquired by the sensor (5) after determining that the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100), wherein it is determined that the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100) during the step of determining whether the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100), when an average acceleration value (AVE3) acquired by the sensor (5) is greater than a threshold value (Ta) in a state where the vehicle (100) is stopped, and during the step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is lost, it is determined that the mobile terminal (1) is lost, when a magnitude of a difference between the first acceleration; average (AVE1) and the second average acceleration (AVE2) is greater than a second threshold value (Dif).

4. The method for detecting the misplacement of a mobile terminal (1) according to claim 3, wherein during the step of calculating the second average acceleration (AVE2), the second average acceleration (AVE2) is calculated when a variance value of the acceleration acquired by the sensor (5) is less than the first threshold value (RI).

5. The method for detecting the misplacement of a mobile terminal (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of determining whether the mobile terminal (1) is positioned in the vehicle (100) on the basis of a speed of movement of the mobile terminal (1) calculated from at least one of an acceleration acquired by the sensor (5) or position information of the mobile terminal (1).

6. The method for detecting the loss of a mobile terminal (1) according to claim 1, wherein during the step of determining whether the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100), it is determined that the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100) on the basis of information acquired by the mobile terminal (1) through communication with the vehicle (100).

7. Mobile terminal (1) comprising: a sensor (5) that detects an acceleration; and a control unit (10), wherein the control unit (10) is configured to determine if a user (200) is getting out of a vehicle (100), and to determine that the mobile terminal (1) is misplaced in the vehicle (100), when it is determined that the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100) and that a variance value of the acceleration acquired by the sensor (5) is less than a first threshold value (RI).

8. A wandering detection program to cause a mobile terminal (1) to perform a process consisting of: determining whether a user (200) is getting out of a vehicle (100); and determining that the mobile terminal (1) is wandering in the vehicle (100), when it is determined that the user (200) is getting out of the vehicle (100) and that an acceleration variance value acquired by a sensor (5) of the mobile terminal (1) is less than a first threshold value (RI).

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