Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To improve a technique to notify a driver about an object around a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a storage unit and a control unit. The storage unit stores a plurality of pieces of status information indicating a status of each of a plurality of objects in the vicinity of a vehicle, and stores a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of status information. The control unit acquires specific status information, which is status information indicating a current status of the object in the vicinity of the vehicle. The control unit acquires a score associated with the same status information as the specific status information from among a plurality of scores stored in the storage unit, and the control unit modifies the score associated with the status information in the storage unit depending on an action taken by a driver with respect to the notified object when the information about the current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the acquired score.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known techniques for informing a driver of objects around a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle information providing device that provides information about obstacles to a driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-357498 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is room for improvement in the technology for informing the driver of objects around the vehicle. For example, it is not necessarily beneficial to inform the driver of all objects.

[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for notifying a driver of objects around a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; a control unit that acquires specific situation information that is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle, The control unit is Acquire a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in the storage unit; When information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the obtained score, the score associated with the situation information in the memory unit is modified depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

[0007] An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: storing a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle, and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; acquiring specific situation information which is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle; acquiring a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in a storage unit; When information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the obtained score, the score associated with the situation information is modified depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the technology for notifying a driver of objects around a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the information processing system shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a process executed by the in-vehicle device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a view seen through a windshield of a vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a list of scores. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a view seen through a windshield of a vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a list of scores. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a roadside unit 2, a server 3, and a vehicle 4. The roadside unit 2 and the vehicle 4 are capable of road-to-vehicle communication. The server 3 and the vehicle 4 are capable of communication via a network. This network may be any network including a mobile communication network, the Internet, etc.

[0012] The roadside unit 2 is fixed to a structure such as a utility pole or a street light. The roadside unit 2 detects information of objects on the road. The detected objects on the road are, for example, passenger cars, freight cars, motorbikes, regular motorcycles, large motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The roadside unit 2 provides the detected information of objects on the road to a vehicle 4 or the like. The provided information of objects on the road includes, for example, at least any one of information on the type of object, information on the position of the object, and information on the speed of the object.

[0013] The server 3 may be any server capable of providing any information. For example, the server 3 may be a server capable of providing at least one of weather information, traffic information, map information, and the like.

[0014] The vehicle 4 travels on a road. The vehicle 4 is driven by a driver. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 4 includes cameras 5, 6, and 7, a biosensor 8, a microphone 9, and a sensor 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 4 includes an electronic control unit 11 and an in-vehicle device 20.

[0015] The cameras 5, 6, and 7 are arranged in the cabin of the vehicle 4 as shown in FIG. 1. The camera 5 generates an image by capturing an image of a scene in front of the vehicle 4. The camera 5 may be a so-called front camera. The camera 6 generates an image by capturing an image of a scene in the cabin of the vehicle 4. The image generated by the camera 6 includes an image of the driver's face, etc. The camera 7 generates an image by capturing an image of a scene behind the vehicle 4. The camera 7 may be a so-called rear camera. The cameras 5 to 7 may have a thermal camera function. Here, the cameras equipped in the vehicle 4 are not limited to the cameras 5 to 7. For example, the vehicle 4 may further include a camera that captures the scenery on the left and right sides of the vehicle 4. The vehicle 4 may include a spherical camera capable of capturing an image of 360 degrees around the vehicle 4, instead of the cameras 5 and 7.

[0016] The biological sensor 8 is attached to the driver's seat. The biological sensor 8 is capable of detecting biological information of the driver. The biological information of the driver includes at least any one of information such as the driver's alertness, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and posture.

[0017] The microphone 9 can collect noise around the vehicle 4. The microphone 9 may be a directional microphone that collects sound from a specific direction. The microphone 9 may be configured to include multiple microphones. For example, the microphone 9 may be configured to include multiple directional microphones. In this case, the microphone 9 may be configured to be able to collect sounds from both the front and rear of the vehicle 4 using directional microphones.

[0018] The sensor 10 is disposed on the steering wheel. The sensor 10 is capable of detecting the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel as pressure applied to the steering wheel. The sensor 10 includes, for example, a pressure sensor.

[0019] 2 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle 4. The electronic control unit 11 controls various functions of the vehicle 4.

[0020] The in-vehicle device 20 is housed, for example, in the dashboard of the vehicle 4 as shown in FIG. 1. The in-vehicle device 20 is an information processing device. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 20 is configured as a HUD (Head Up Display). The in-vehicle device 20 can issue various notifications and provide various information to the driver.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the in-vehicle device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a projection unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a control unit 24.

[0022] The communication unit 21 includes at least one communication module capable of communicating with the roadside unit 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with a standard for road-to-vehicle communication.

[0023] The communication unit 21 is configured to include at least one communication module capable of communicating with other components of the vehicle 4. The communication module is a communication module compatible with the standard of an in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle network is, for example, a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0024] The communication unit 21 includes at least one communication module that can be connected to a network. The communication module is a communication module that supports mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 21 communicates with the server 3 via the network.

[0025] The projection unit 22 is capable of projecting image light. The projection unit 22 is configured to include, for example, optical members and a light source. The projection unit 22 is disposed at a position where it can project the image light onto the windshield of the vehicle 4. The image light projected by the projection unit 22 is reflected by the windshield of the vehicle 4. The image light reflected by the windshield of the vehicle 4 may enter the driver's eyes. As the image light enters the driver's eyes, the driver can view the image produced by the image light as a virtual image.

[0026] The storage unit 23 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 23 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 23 stores data used in the operation of the in-vehicle device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0027] The memory unit 23 stores a plurality of situation information and a plurality of scores. One piece of situation information is associated with one score. The situation information is information indicating the situation of objects around the vehicle 4. In this embodiment, the situation information is a combination of a first label, a second label, and a third label, which will be described later. However, it is sufficient that the situation information includes at least the first label, which will be described later. The memory unit 23 stores, for example, a list of scores as shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later.

[0028] The control unit 24 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The control unit 24 executes processes related to the operation of the in-vehicle device 20 while controlling each part of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0029] The control unit 24 acquires the specific situation information. The specific situation information is situation information indicating the current situation of objects around the vehicle 4. In this embodiment, the control unit 24 acquires the specific situation information by executing a process of attaching a first label, a second label, and a third label to the current objects and situations around the vehicle 4, respectively. The first label is a label indicating the situation of the object. The second label is a label indicating the situation of the driver. The third label is a label indicating the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4. That is, in this embodiment, the specific situation information is a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label. However, it is sufficient that the specific situation information includes at least the first label. The specific situation information may further include other labels in addition to the first to third labels.

[0030] The control unit 24 acquires a score associated with a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label that is the same as or similar to the combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label acquired as the specific situation information, among the combinations of the first label, the second label, and the third label stored in the storage unit 23. Furthermore, when the control unit 24 notifies the driver of information on the current object around the vehicle 4 based on the acquired score, the control unit 24 corrects the score in the storage unit 23 according to the action taken by the driver with respect to the notified object. With such a configuration, the score can be corrected according to the action taken by the driver with respect to the notified object. Also, by associating the score with the first label, etc., which indicates the situation of the object, the score can be corrected according to the situation of the object, etc.

[0031] An example of the above-mentioned processing by the control unit 24 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the process executed by the in-vehicle device 20 shown in Fig. 1. For example, when the vehicle 4 starts traveling, the control unit 24 starts the process of step S1.

[0033] The control unit 24 acquires information on current objects around the vehicle 4 (step S1). The current objects around the vehicle 4, about which information is acquired in the process of step S1, are objects that are candidates for the target object to be notified to the driver. Hereinafter, the objects currently existing around the vehicle 4, about which information is acquired in the process of step S1, are also referred to as "candidate objects". In other words, the process of step S1 can be said to be a process of acquiring information on the candidate objects. The acquired information on the candidate objects includes, for example, at least one of information on the type of the candidate object, position information on the candidate object, and speed information on the candidate object. Herein, the target object may include at least one of an object that may collide with the vehicle 4 and an object that may hinder the travel of the vehicle 4. The object that may collide with the vehicle 4 is, for example, an object on the road. Therefore, the control unit 24 may receive information on the object on the road from the roadside unit 2 by the communication unit 21, and may regard the received information on the object on the road as information on the candidate object. The control unit 24 may also acquire information on the candidate object by performing object recognition processing or the like on the images generated by the cameras 5 and 7.

[0034] The control unit 24 executes a first labeling process (step S2). The first labeling process is a process of attaching a first label indicating the state of the object (candidate object) to the candidate object.

[0035] The first label may include a label indicating the type of the candidate object. As described above, the acquired information on the candidate object may include information on the type of the candidate object. For example, the control unit 24 may attach a label indicating any one of a passenger car, a freight vehicle, a motorized bicycle, a normal motorcycle, a large motorcycle, a bicycle, and a pedestrian as a first label to the candidate object according to the type of the candidate object. Here, depending on the type of object, the driver's attention to the object may change. Also, depending on the type of object, the degree of risk of collision between the object and the vehicle 4 may change. By including a label indicating the type of object in the first label, in the process of step S15 described later, it is possible to correct the score corresponding to a situation including information on the type of object present around the vehicle 4.

[0036] The first label may include a label indicating the relative position of the candidate object with respect to the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the candidate object may include the position information of the candidate object. For example, the control unit 24 may attach a label indicating any one of "forward", "backward", "right side" and "left side" with respect to the vehicle 4 as the first label to the candidate object according to the position information of the candidate object. The position information of the candidate object may be expressed as an angle of the position where the candidate object exists with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 4. The position information of the candidate object may include information on the distance between the vehicle 4 and the candidate object. Here, whether or not the driver recognizes the notified object may change depending on the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 4. By including a label indicating the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 4 in the first label, in the process of step S15 described later, it is possible to correct the score corresponding to the situation including information on the relative position of the object existing around the vehicle 4 with respect to the vehicle 4.

[0037] The first label may include a label indicating the risk of the candidate object. The risk of the candidate object may be the level of risk that the candidate object will collide with the vehicle 4. The risk of the candidate object may be higher as the time to collision (TTC) of the candidate object is shorter. The control unit 24 may divide the time to collision of the candidate object into a plurality of levels. For example, the control unit 24 may divide the time to collision of the candidate object into three levels, namely, "high", "medium" and "low". Here, as described above, the information of the candidate object may include position information and speed information of the candidate object. The control unit 24 may calculate the time to collision of the candidate object based on the speed information of the vehicle 4 and the position information and speed information of the candidate object. The control unit 24 may attach any one of the plurality of levels as a first label to the information of the candidate object according to the calculated time to collision of the candidate object.

[0038] The first label may include a label indicating in which visual field of the driver the candidate object is located. As described above, the information on the candidate object may include position information of the candidate object. In addition, the information on the driver, which will be described later, may include line-of-sight information of the driver. The control unit 24 may specify in which visual field of the driver the candidate object is located based on the position information on the candidate object and the line-of-sight information of the driver. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating either central vision, peripheral vision, or outside of the visual field to the candidate object as the first label according to the specified visual field of the driver.

[0039] The first label may include a label indicating the driver's line of sight state with respect to the candidate object. This label may be a label indicating any one of the following: the driver's line of sight is fixed on the candidate object, the driver's line of sight is not fixed on the candidate object and the driver's line of sight is directed, and the driver's line of sight is not directed on the candidate object. The driver's line of sight is fixed on the candidate object means that the driver has directed his / her line of sight on the candidate object for a predetermined period of time or more. The predetermined period of time may be, for example, 0.5 seconds. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating the driver's line of sight state with respect to the candidate object as the first label to the candidate object based on the position information of the candidate object and the driver's line of sight information described above.

[0040] The first label may include a label indicating whether or not the driver is in a situation where the candidate object can be seen. This label may be, for example, a label indicating any of a situation where the driver can directly see the candidate object, a situation where the driver can indirectly see the candidate object, and a situation where the driver cannot see the candidate object. The situation where the driver can indirectly see the candidate object is, for example, a situation where the candidate object can be seen through a curve mirror or a side mirror. The situation where the driver cannot see the candidate object is, for example, a situation where the candidate object is located behind a wall or the like. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating whether or not the driver is in a situation where the driver can see the candidate object as a first label to the candidate object based on the position information of the candidate object and the line of sight information of the driver described above.

[0041] The first label may include a label indicating whether or not the driver is aware of the candidate object. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating whether or not the driver is aware of the candidate object as the first label to the candidate object based on the position information of the candidate object and the line of sight information of the driver described above. The control unit 24 may determine that the driver is aware of the candidate object when it detects that the candidate object is included in the central visual field or peripheral visual field of the driver based on the line of sight of the driver, for example.

[0042] The control unit 24 acquires information on the driver (step S3). The information on the driver may be any information that indicates the driver's condition. The information on the driver includes, for example, at least one of the following: biometric information on the driver, gaze information on the driver, information on the driver's driving operation, and information on the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. The information on the driver's driving operation includes, for example, at least one of the following: the force with which the driver applies the brake and the force with which the driver applies the accelerator. The control unit 24 acquires the biometric information on the driver from the biosensor 8 by receiving it through the communication unit 21. The control unit 24 receives data on an image of the driver's face from the camera 6 through the communication unit 21, and detects and acquires the gaze information of the driver by performing object recognition processing or the like on the received image of the driver's face. The biometric information on the driver may include at least one of the following: the driver's state of tension and the driver's level of alertness. The control unit 24 may detect the driver's state of tension and the driver's level of alertness from the number of times the driver blinks, etc. If the camera 6 has a function of a thermal camera, the biometric information on the driver may include information on the driver's body temperature. The control unit 24 acquires information on the force with which the driver applies the brake and the force with which the driver applies the accelerator by communicating with the electronic control unit 11 via the communication unit 21. The control unit 24 acquires information on the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel by receiving the information from the sensor 10 via the communication unit 21.

[0043] The control unit 24 executes a second labeling process (step S4). The second labeling process is a process of attaching a second label indicating the driver's situation to the candidate object.

[0044] The second label may include a label indicating the driver's alertness. As described above, the driver's information may include information on the driver's alertness as the driver's biometric information. The control unit 24 may divide the driver's alertness into a plurality of levels. For example, the control unit 24 may divide the driver's alertness into three levels: "high", "medium", and "low". The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating one of the plurality of levels as a second label to the candidate object according to the driver's alertness.

[0045] The second label may include a label indicating the state of the driver's driving operation. As described above, the driver's information may include, as information on the driver's driving operation, at least one of the force with which the driver depresses the brake and the force with which the driver depresses the accelerator, for example. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating that the driver's foot is on the accelerator, that the driver's foot is on the brake, or that the brake is depressed as the second label to the candidate object according to the information on the driver's driving operation. Here, whether the driver recognizes an object may be reflected in the driver's driving operation. In addition, the time it takes the driver to react to the notified object changes between a state where the driver's foot is on the accelerator and a state where the driver's foot is on the brake. By including a label indicating the state of the driver's driving operation in the second label, it is possible to correct the score corresponding to a state including information on the state of the driver's driving operation in the process of step S15 described later.

[0046] The second label may include a label indicating the state of the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. As described above, the information on the driver may include information on the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. The control unit 24 may divide the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel into a plurality of levels. For example, the control unit 24 may divide the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel into three levels, namely, "strong", "medium" and "weak". The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating one of the plurality of levels as a second label to the candidate object according to the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. Here, whether or not the driver needs to be notified of the object changes depending on the degree of tension of the driver. In addition, the degree of tension of the driver may be reflected in the state of the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel. By including a label indicating the state of the force with which the driver grips the steering wheel in the second label, it is possible to correct the score corresponding to the state including the information on the degree of tension of the driver in the process of step S15 described later.

[0047] The control unit 24 acquires environmental information around the vehicle 4 (step S5). The environmental information around the vehicle 4 may be any type of information as long as it is information about the environment around the vehicle 4. The environmental information around the vehicle 4 includes, for example, at least any of information about noise around the vehicle 4, information about signs around the vehicle 4, information about road structures around the vehicle 4, information about traffic volume around the vehicle 4, and weather information around the vehicle 4. The information about the road structure includes, for example, at least any of information about the type of road, the shape of the road, and the area on the road. The type of road is, for example, a side road, a highway, or a main road. The shape of the road is, for example, an intersection, a straight road, a single road, or a railroad crossing. The area on the road includes, for example, a crosswalk. The control unit 24 acquires information about noise around the vehicle 4 from the microphone 9 by receiving it through the communication unit 21. If the microphone 9 includes a directional microphone, the control unit 24 may acquire information about noise for each direction in which the directional microphone collects sound. The noise information may include at least one of information on the sound source and the volume of the sound included in the noise. The sound source information may include at least one of information on the running sound of the vehicle, the sound of the horn, the sound of braking, the sound emitted by an emergency vehicle, and the warning sound of a railroad crossing. The control unit 24 receives image data of the front of the vehicle 4 from the camera 5 by the communication unit 21, and receives image data of the rear of the vehicle 4 from the camera 7 by the communication unit 21. The control unit 24 acquires information on signs around the vehicle 4, information on the road structure around the vehicle 4, and information on the traffic volume around the vehicle 4 by performing object recognition processing or the like on the received image. When the server 3 is a server capable of providing weather information, the control unit 24 may acquire the weather information around the vehicle 4 by receiving it from the server 3 via the network by the communication unit 21. When the server 3 is a server capable of providing traffic information, the control unit 24 may acquire the traffic volume information around the vehicle 4 by receiving it from the server 3 via the network by the communication unit 21.

[0048] The control unit 24 executes a third labeling process (step S6). The third labeling process is a process of attaching a third label indicating the state of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 to the candidate object.

[0049] The third label may include a label indicating the noise situation around the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 may include information on the noise of the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may divide the noise around the vehicle 4 into a plurality of levels based on the frequency band and volume of the noise. For example, the control unit 24 may divide the noise around the vehicle 4 into three levels, "high", "medium" and "low". The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating one of the plurality of levels as a third label to a candidate object according to the frequency band and volume of the noise around the vehicle 4. Here, whether or not it is necessary to notify the driver of the object may change depending on the noise situation around the vehicle 4. For example, when the noise level around the vehicle 4 is low, the engine sound of another vehicle or the siren sound of an emergency vehicle is likely to be heard by the driver. Therefore, when the noise level around the vehicle 4 is low, it is likely that the notification of another vehicle or an emergency vehicle is unnecessary. On the other hand, when the noise level around the vehicle 4 is high, the driver is likely to be unable to hear the engine sound of another vehicle or the siren sound of an emergency vehicle. Therefore, notification of another vehicle or an emergency vehicle is likely to be necessary when the noise level around the vehicle 4 is high. By including a label indicating the noise situation around the vehicle 4 in the third label, it is possible to modify the score corresponding to the situation including information on the noise situation around the vehicle 4 in the processing of step S15 described below.

[0050] The third label may include a label indicating the type of sign around the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 may include information on signs around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating, for example, any one of stop, speed limit, merging warning, and lane designation as the third label to the candidate object according to the information on the signs around the vehicle 4. Here, the driver's attention to the objects around the vehicle 4 may change depending on the type of sign around the vehicle 4. In other words, whether or not it is necessary to notify the driver of the object may change depending on the type of sign around the vehicle 4. By including a label indicating the type of sign around the vehicle 4 in the third label, it is possible to correct the score corresponding to the situation including the information on the type of sign around the vehicle 4 in the process of step S15 described later.

[0051] The third label may include a label indicating the condition of the road structure around the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 may include information on the road structure around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may assign a label indicating any one of a side road, an expressway, a main road, an intersection, a straight road, a single road, a railroad crossing, and a pedestrian crossing as the third label to the candidate object according to the information on the road structure around the vehicle 4.

[0052] The third label may include a label indicating the traffic volume situation around the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 may include information on the traffic volume around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may divide the traffic density around the vehicle 4 into a plurality of levels based on the information on the traffic volume around the vehicle 4. For example, the control unit 24 may divide it into three levels, namely, "high", "medium" and "low". The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating one of the plurality of levels as a third label to the candidate object according to the traffic volume around the vehicle 4. Here, the psychological load of the driver may change according to the traffic volume situation around the vehicle 4. For example, when the traffic volume around the vehicle 4 is significantly high, there are more objects to which the driver should pay attention. Also, when the traffic volume around the vehicle 4 is significantly low, the driver will drive aimlessly. When the psychological load of the driver changes, it may change whether or not it is necessary to notify the driver of the object. By including a label indicating the traffic volume situation around the vehicle 4 in the third label, the score corresponding to the situation including the information on the psychological load of the driver can be corrected in the process of step S15 described later.

[0053] The third label may include a label indicating weather conditions around the vehicle 4. As described above, the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 may include weather information around the vehicle 4. In accordance with the weather information around the vehicle 4, the control unit 24 may attach a label indicating weather conditions around the vehicle 4 as a third label to the candidate object.

[0054] The third label may include a label indicating the brightness condition around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may estimate the amount of sunlight based on meteorological information around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 may attach a label indicating the brightness condition around the vehicle 4 as a third label to the candidate object based on the estimated amount of sunlight.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a view seen from the windshield of the vehicle 4. In FIG. 4, a pedestrian 30 and a freight vehicle 31 are present in front of the vehicle 4. The pedestrian 30 can be detected by the camera 5. In FIG. 4, the freight vehicle 31 is behind a wall and therefore cannot be seen by the driver. However, the freight vehicle 31 can be detected by, for example, a roadside unit 2 installed in the vicinity of the vehicle 4. Behind the vehicle 4, there is a motorized bicycle 32. However, in FIG. 4, the motorized bicycle 32 is behind the vehicle 4 and therefore cannot be seen by the driver. However, the motorized bicycle 32 can be detected by the camera 7. In addition, a sign 33 is present in front of the vehicle 4. The sign 33 is a stop sign.

[0056] 4, the control unit 24 acquires information on a pedestrian 30 as information on a candidate object. The control unit 24 assigns, as first labels to the pedestrian 30, which is a candidate object, a label "pedestrian" indicating the type of the candidate object, a label "forward" indicating the relative position of the candidate object with respect to the vehicle 4, and a label "low" indicating the risk level of the candidate object. The control unit 24 also assigns, as the first label, a label indicating that the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the candidate object (a label indicating the state of the driver's line of sight toward the candidate object) to the pedestrian 30.

[0057] 4, the control unit 24 acquires information on a truck 31 as information on a candidate object. The control unit 24 assigns, as first labels to the truck 31, which is the candidate object, a label "truck" indicating the type of the candidate object, a label "forward" indicating the relative position of the candidate object with respect to the vehicle 4, and a label "middle" indicating the degree of danger of the candidate object. The control unit 24 also assigns, as the first label, a label indicating that the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the candidate object (a label indicating the state of the driver's line of sight toward the candidate object) to the truck 31.

[0058] 4, the control unit 24 acquires information on the motorized bicycle 32 as information on the candidate object. The control unit 24 assigns, as first labels to the motorized bicycle 32 which is the candidate object, a label indicating the type of the candidate object, "motorized bicycle", a label indicating the relative position of the candidate object with respect to the vehicle 4, "rear", and a label indicating the degree of danger of the candidate object, "high". The control unit 24 also assigns, as the first label, a label indicating that the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the candidate object (a label indicating the state of the driver's line of sight toward the candidate object) to the motorized bicycle 32.

[0059] 4, the control unit 24 assigns, as a second label, a label indicating the driver's alertness level of "low" and a label indicating that the brake is applied to each of the candidate objects, pedestrian 30, truck 31, and motorbike 32. The control unit 24 also assigns, as a second label, a label indicating the driver's gripping force on the handlebars, "weak," to each of the candidate objects, pedestrian 30, truck 31, and motorbike 32.

[0060] In Figure 4, the control unit 24 assigns a third label to each of the candidate objects, a pedestrian 30, a truck 31, and a moped 32, with a label "Medium" indicating the noise situation around the vehicle 4 and a label "Stop" indicating the type of sign around the vehicle 4.

[0061] Hereinafter, unless there is a particular distinction between the first label, the second label, and the third label, they will simply be referred to as "labels."

[0062] The control unit 24 acquires from the storage unit 23 a score associated with a label of the same combination as the combination of labels currently attached to the candidate object (step S7). Here, when the same combination of labels as the labels attached to the candidate object is not stored in the storage unit 23, the control unit 24 may acquire a score associated with a label of a similar combination to the combination of labels attached to the candidate object. A label of a similar combination to the combination of labels attached to the candidate object means that the degree or level, etc. indicated by that label is closer to the degree or level, etc. indicated by the labels attached to the candidate object than other combinations of labels.

[0063] Fig. 5 shows an example of a list of scores stored in the storage unit 23. In Fig. 5, a combination of labels and a score are associated with each number in the list.

[0064] 5, the label combination corresponding to number 1 in the list is the same as the above-mentioned label combination attached to the pedestrian 30. The control unit 24 acquires a score of "30" as the score for the pedestrian 30.

[0065] 5, the label combination corresponding to number 2 in the list is the same as the label combination attached to the above-mentioned truck 31. The control unit 24 acquires a score of "25" as the score for the truck 31.

[0066] In FIG. 5, the storage unit 23 does not store the same combination of labels as those attached to the motorized bicycle 32 described above. However, the combination of labels attached to the motorized bicycle 32 and the combination of labels corresponding to the items 3 and 4 of the list are the same, except for the first label indicating the degree of danger of the object. As described above, the motorized bicycle 32 is attached with the first label indicating the degree of danger of "high". Moreover, the first label indicating the degree of danger of the object in the item 3 of the list indicates "low". Moreover, the first label indicating the degree of danger of the object in the item 4 of the list indicates "medium". Here, the degree of danger of the motorized bicycle 32 with "high" and the degree of danger of the object in the item 4 of the list are closer to each other than the degree of danger of the motorized bicycle 32 with "high" and the degree of danger of the object in the item 3 of the list with "low". In other words, the first label indicating the degree of danger attached to the motorized bicycle 32 and the first label indicating the degree of danger in the item 4 of the list are similar. Therefore, the control unit 24 obtains the score of the motorbike 32 as "35", which is the score for number 4 on the list.

[0067] The control unit 24 selects a target object to be notified to the driver from among the multiple candidate objects (step S8). If the score acquired for the candidate object exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit 24 selects the candidate object as a target object. If the score acquired for the candidate object is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the control unit 24 does not select the candidate object as a target object. The predetermined value may be set in consideration of the burden that notifying the driver of the object places. In FIG. 4, the control unit 24 selects all of the candidate objects, pedestrian 30, freight vehicle 31, and motorized bicycle 32, as target objects.

[0068] The control unit 24 assigns an expected behavior to the target object (step S9). The expected behavior is a behavior that the driver is expected to take when the information of the target object is notified to the driver. The expected behavior may be a behavior that the driver is expected to take when the driver recognizes the existence of the target object through the notification. The expected behavior may be a behavior that the driver is expected to take when the driver recognizes the existence of the target object through the notification in order to avoid a collision between the target object and the vehicle 4. The expected behavior to be assigned for each type of target object may be set in advance. Alternatively, the control unit 24 may assign the expected behavior to the target object based on at least one of the first label, the second label, and the third label attached to the target object. The first label, the second label, and the third label are attached to the target object by the processes of steps S2, S4, and S6.

[0069] As an example, the control unit 24 may provide the target object with an expected behavior that the driver's gaze is directed toward the notified target object and the driver's gaze stays on the target object for a predetermined time. The predetermined time may be set based on the expected time for the driver to stay on the target object when recognizing the notified target object. The predetermined time may be, for example, 0.5 seconds.

[0070] As another example, the control unit 24 may impart to the target object an expected behavior that the driver will steer in a direction to avoid the target object, or an expected behavior that the driver will take his / her foot off the accelerator. Alternatively, the control unit 24 may impart to the target object an expected behavior that the driver will take his / her foot off the accelerator and step on the brake.

[0071] As yet another example, the control unit 24 may assign to the target object, as an expected behavior, a driver behavior that reliably avoids a collision between the target object and the vehicle 4, the higher the danger level of the target object indicated by the first label. For example, when the first label indicates the relative position of the target object with respect to the vehicle 4 as "forward" and the first label indicates the danger level of the target object as "high", the control unit 24 assigns to the target object the expected behavior of applying the brakes. Furthermore, when the first label indicates the danger level of the target object as "low", the control unit 24 assigns to the target object the expected behavior of visually recognizing the target object.

[0072] As yet another example, when the first label indicates that the driver is not looking at the target object and the second label indicates that the driver is gripping the steering wheel with "weak" force, the control unit 24 may assign to the target object an expected behavior of viewing the target object and gripping the steering wheel tightly. When the driver views the target object and grips the steering wheel tightly, it leads to avoidance of a collision between the target object and the vehicle 4.

[0073] 4, the control unit 24 assigns to a pedestrian 30, which is a target object, an expected behavior of visually recognizing the pedestrian 30. The control unit 24 also assigns to a truck 31, which is a target object, an expected behavior of visually recognizing the truck 31 and applying the brakes. The control unit 24 also assigns to a motorized bicycle 32, which is a target object, an expected behavior of visually recognizing the motorized bicycle 32 and gripping the handlebars with "strong" force.

[0074] The control unit 24 notifies the information of the target object (step S10). The control unit 24 notifies the information of the target object by projecting image light for notifying the target object onto the windshield of the vehicle 4 by the projection unit 22.

[0075] 6, the control unit 24 projects the word "pedestrian" along with an arrow indicating the position of the pedestrian 30 onto the windshield of the vehicle 4 by the projection unit 22 as a notification of information on a pedestrian 30, which is a target object. The control unit 24 projects the word "truck" along with a dashed frame indicating the position of the lorry 31 onto the windshield of the vehicle 4 by the projection unit 22 as a notification of information on a freight truck 31, which is a target object. The control unit 24 projects the word "motorcycle behind" along with an arrow indicating the position of the moped 32 onto the windshield of the vehicle 4 by the projection unit 22 as a notification of information on a moped 32, which is a target object.

[0076] The control unit 24 determines whether the driver has performed the expected behavior assigned to the notified object (step S11). The control unit 24 may determine whether the driver has performed the expected behavior by acquiring information about the driver using the same or similar means as in the processing of step S3. If the control unit 24 determines that the driver has performed the expected behavior assigned to the notified object (step S11: YES), it determines an increase in the score for the object (step S12). If the control unit 24 determines that the driver has not performed the expected behavior assigned to the notified object (step S11: NO), it determines a decrease in the score for the object (step S13).

[0077] The control unit 24 determines whether or not the process of step S11 has been executed for all target objects (step S14). If the control unit 24 determines that the process of step S11 has been executed for all target objects (step S14: YES), the control unit 24 proceeds to the process of step S15. If the control unit 24 does not determine that the process of step S11 has been executed for all target objects (step S14: NO), the control unit 24 returns to the process of step S11.

[0078] In the process of step S15, the control unit 24 modifies the scores associated with the label combinations stored in the storage unit 23 based on the process results of steps S12 and S13. As an example, the control unit 24 adds points to the scores stored in the storage unit 23 associated with the same combination of labels as the labels attached to the target object for which it has been determined in the process of step S12 that a score should be added. The control unit 24 also subtracts points from the scores stored in the storage unit 23 associated with the same combination of labels as the labels attached to the target object for which it has been determined in the process of step S13 that a score should be subtracted. The number of points added to or subtracted from the score may be any number of points.

[0079] Here, in the process of step S15, there is a case where the same combination of labels as the labels attached to the target object are not stored in the storage unit 23. This is the case where the control unit 24 acquires a score associated with a combination of labels similar to the labels attached to the candidate object (target object) in the process of step S7. In this case, the control unit 24 stores a new score associated with the combination of labels attached to the target object in the storage unit 23. The new score may be a score acquired in the process of step S7 corrected based on the process results of steps S12 and S13, or may be an initial value.

[0080] Also, at least one of an upper limit value and a lower limit value may be set for the score. When an upper limit value is set for the score, and if the score exceeds the upper limit value when points are added, the control unit 24 may set the score as the upper limit value in the process of step S15. When a lower limit value is set for the score, and if the score falls below the lower limit value when points are subtracted, the control unit 24 may set the score as the lower limit value in the process of step S15. By setting an upper limit value for the score in this way, it is possible to avoid a situation in which only predetermined objects are notified to the driver. By setting a lower limit value for the score in this way, it is possible to avoid a situation in which predetermined objects are not notified to the driver. The upper limit value and the lower limit value of the score may be set based on the amount of information that can be provided to the driver by the projection unit 22.

[0081] For example, in FIG. 6, the control unit 24 determines that the driver has performed the expected behavior assigned to the pedestrian 30, which is the notified target object (step S11: YES), and determines the addition of points to the score for the pedestrian 30 (step S12). Also, the control unit 24 does not determine that the driver has performed the expected behavior assigned to the truck 31, which is the notified target object (step S11: NO), and determines the subtraction of points from the score for the truck 31 (step S13). Also, the control unit 24 determines that the driver has performed the expected behavior assigned to the motorized bicycle 32, which is the notified target object (step S11: YES), and determines the addition of points to the score for the motorized bicycle 32 (step S12). In this case, the control unit 24 corrects the score as shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the point added to or subtracted from the score is 1 point. The control unit 24 adds 1 point to the score of No. 1 on the list and subtracts 1 point from the score of No. 2 on the list. The control unit 24 also adds the combination of labels attached to the motorized bicycle 32 and a new score to No. 5 on the list. The score of No. 5 on the list is obtained by adding 1 point to the score "35" obtained in the processing of step S7.

[0082] After the process of step S15, the control unit 24 may execute the processes from step S1 again. The control unit 24 may repeatedly execute the processes of steps S1 to S15 at any frequency. For example, the control unit 24 may repeatedly execute the processes of steps S1 to S15 about 30 times per second.

[0083] As described above, in the in-vehicle device 20 according to this embodiment, the memory unit 23 stores a score associated with a first label indicating the status of an object around the vehicle 4. The control unit 24 also acquires, from the memory unit 23, a score associated with the first label attached to a current object around the vehicle 4. Furthermore, when the control unit 24 notifies the driver of information on a current object around the vehicle 4 based on the acquired score, the control unit 24 corrects the score in the memory unit 23 according to the action taken by the driver with respect to the notified object.

[0084] Here, the objects around the vehicle 4 may include objects that the driver does not need to be notified of. For example, it is considered that an object that the driver judges to have a low risk of collision does not need to be notified. In this case, if the object is notified to the driver, the driver may feel bothered by the notification. In addition, with the spread of roadside units, the amount of information about objects that can be provided to the driver is increasing. However, there is a limit to the amount of information that the driver can pay attention to at one time. Therefore, if all objects around the vehicle 4 are notified to the driver, the driver may overlook necessary notifications.

[0085] Therefore, as a comparative example, it is considered to limit the object to be notified to the driver according to a preset model. Examples of such models include a model in which the shorter the collision grace time of an object is, the higher the priority of notifying the driver, and a model in which the further the object is from the driver's line of sight is, the higher the priority of notifying the driver. However, even if information about an object is notified to the driver according to such a model, the driver may feel that the information about the object is unnecessary. When the driver is notified of information about an object that he feels is unnecessary, he may feel distrustful of the information about the object thereafter. In order to solve this, it is necessary to complicate the model. However, there is a limit to the complexity of the model. For example, when a vehicle approaches an intersection and turns right, it is unnecessary to notify the driver of information about pedestrians at the left turn destination. In this case, in order not to notify the driver of information about pedestrians at the left turn destination, it is necessary to detect that the vehicle is turning right. The vehicle turning right can be detected by the driver's line of sight movement or the driver's driving operation. However, the driver's line of sight movement or the driver's driving operation differ depending on the configuration of the intersection or the individual driver. Therefore, when trying to detect when a vehicle is turning right, the model becomes complicated.

[0086] In contrast, in this embodiment, the control unit 24 does not use a model like the comparative example, but modifies the score according to the action actually taken by the driver toward the notified object. For example, the control unit 24 subtracts a score corresponding to a notification that is unnecessary for the driver and adds a score corresponding to a notification that is necessary for the driver according to the action taken by the driver. As a result, the score increases for a combination of an object that the driver needs to be notified of, the driver's situation, or the surrounding environment, while the score decreases for a combination that does not need to be notified. By notifying the driver of an object based on such a modified score, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the driver will feel bothered by the notification and the possibility that the driver will overlook a necessary notification. In addition, by notifying the driver of an object based on the score, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the model becomes complicated as in the comparative example.

[0087] In addition, even if the object is the same, whether or not the driver needs to be notified of the object may change depending on the object's condition. As an example, even if the object is the same, whether or not the driver needs to be notified of the object may change depending on the time to collision, which is the object's condition. For example, if the time to collision of the object is short, it is necessary for the driver to be notified of the object. On the other hand, if the time to collision of the object is long, it is unnecessary for the driver to be notified of the object.

[0088] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the score is used in association with the first label indicating the state of the object. By using the score in association with the first label, in the present embodiment, the score according to the state of the object can be corrected according to the action taken by the driver.

[0089] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the technology for notifying the driver of objects around the vehicle 4 can be improved.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first label associated with the score may be combined with at least one of a second label indicating the driver's situation and a third label indicating the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4. That is, the situation information of the present disclosure may further indicate at least one of the driver's situation and the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4. With this configuration, the score according to at least one of the driver's situation and the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 can be corrected according to the action taken by the driver. Here, even if the same object is to be notified, whether or not the driver needs to be notified of the object may change depending on the driver's situation or the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4. By combining at least one of the second label and the third label with the first label, in this embodiment, the score according to at least one of the driver's situation and the situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4 can be corrected according to the action taken by the driver.

[0091] In addition, in this embodiment, when the storage unit 23 does not store a label having the same combination as the labels attached to the candidate object, the control unit 24 may acquire a score associated with a label having a similar combination to the labels attached to the candidate object. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the driver of more objects. Furthermore, when the control unit 24 notifies the driver of a candidate object as a target object based on the acquired score, the control unit 24 may store a new score associated with the label attached to the notified target object in accordance with the action taken by the driver with respect to the notified target object. With this configuration, it is possible to accumulate in the storage unit 23 a label and a score appropriate to the situation of the object, etc.

[0092] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions, etc. included in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent. Multiple functional units, etc. may be combined into one or divided. Each embodiment according to the present disclosure described above is not limited to being implemented faithfully to each of the embodiments described respectively, and may be implemented by combining each feature as appropriate or omitting a part. In other words, the contents of the present disclosure can be modified and corrected in various ways by a person skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in each embodiment, each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. can be added to other embodiments so as not to be logically inconsistent, or replaced with each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. of other embodiments. In addition, in each embodiment, multiple functional units, each means, each step, etc. can be combined into one or divided. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to being implemented faithfully according to each of the described embodiments, but may be implemented by combining each feature or omitting some features as appropriate.

[0093] For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 24 has been described as attaching the first label, the second label, and the third label to an object (candidate object). However, if the control unit 24 can obtain a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label at the same time, the control unit 24 does not need to attach the first label, the second label, and the third label to the candidate object. If the control unit 24 can obtain a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label at the same time, the control unit 24 can generate a list of scores as shown in FIG. 5 or correct the scores. For example, the control unit 24 may attach the first label to the candidate object, the second label to the information of the driver, and the third label to the information of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 4. Even if the first label, the second label, and the third label are attached to different objects in this way, the control unit 24 can generate a list of scores as shown in FIG. 5 or correct the scores by obtaining a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label at the same time. Furthermore, if the control unit 24 can obtain a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label at the same time, the control unit 24 can execute the process of step S7 as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the control unit 24 can obtain from the memory unit 23 a score associated with the same combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label as the combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label obtained at the same time.

[0094] For example, the control unit 24 may execute the processes of steps S1 and S2, steps S3 and S4, and steps S5 and S6 in parallel as shown in FIG.

[0095] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the situation information has been described as a combination of the first label, the second label, and the third label. However, the situation information may be information indicating the situation of an object around the vehicle 4. In other words, the situation information may include at least the first label indicating the situation of an object around the vehicle 4.

[0096] For example, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the storage unit 23 stores a list of scores as shown in FIG. 5. However, before the in-vehicle device 20 executes the procedure as shown in FIG. 3, a list of initial scores may be stored in the storage unit 23. The list of initial scores, for example, associates a combination of an initial first label, a second label, and a third label with an initial score. Even if the initial score is stored in the storage unit 23, the in-vehicle device 20 executes the procedure as shown in FIG. 3, thereby making it possible to correct the initial score in accordance with an action taken by the driver.

[0097] For example, the first label, the second label, and the third label are not limited to the above examples. For example, the first label may include a label indicating how the object is seen by the driver. In this case, the first label may include at least one of a label indicating that the object is visible through the windshield of the vehicle 4, a label indicating that a part of the object is hidden by a pillar of the vehicle 4, and a label indicating that the object is visible through the right side mirror of the vehicle 4. Instead of or in addition to some or all of these labels, the first label may include at least one of a label indicating that the object is visible through the left side mirror of the vehicle 4 and a label indicating that the object is visible through the rearview mirror of the vehicle 4. Instead of or in addition to some or all of these labels, the first label may include at least one of a label indicating that the object is located in the driver's blind spot and a label indicating that the object needs to be checked for entrapment.

[0098] For example, in the above embodiment, the in-vehicle device 20 has been described as being configured as a HUD. However, the in-vehicle device 20 may have any configuration as long as it can notify the driver of an object. As another example, the in-vehicle device 20 may be configured as an in-vehicle display.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, the score associated with the situation information is modified in accordance with the action taken by the driver toward the object notified by the in-vehicle device 20 as an information processing device. However, any information processing device may execute the same or similar process as the above-described process of the in-vehicle device 20. For example, the server may modify the score associated with the situation information in accordance with the action taken by the driver toward the object notified by the information processing device.

[0100] In one embodiment, (1) an information processing device includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; a control unit that acquires specific situation information that is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle, The control unit is Acquire a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in the storage unit; When information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the obtained score, the score associated with the situation information in the memory unit is modified depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

[0101] (2) In the information processing device according to (1), The situation information may further indicate at least one of a situation of the driver and a situation of the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0102] (3) In the information processing device according to (1) or (2), When situation information identical to the specific situation information is not stored in the memory unit, the control unit may acquire a score associated with situation information similar to the specific situation information from among the multiple scores stored in the memory unit.

[0103] (4) In the information processing device according to (3), When the control unit informs the driver of information about current objects around the vehicle based on a score associated with situation information similar to the acquired specific situation information, the control unit may store a new score associated with the specific situation information in the memory unit depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

[0104] (5) In the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (4), The control unit is assigning an expected action to a current object around the vehicle, the expected action being an action that is expected to be taken by the driver when information about the current object around the vehicle is notified to the driver; If the driver performs the expected behavior, a point is added to the score as a correction to the score; If the driver does not perform the expected behavior, points may be subtracted from the score as a correction to the score.

[0105] (6) In the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), The control unit is If the acquired score exceeds a predetermined value, information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver; If the acquired score is equal to or less than a predetermined value, information about current objects around the vehicle may not be notified to the driver.

[0106] In one embodiment, (7) an information processing method includes: storing a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle, and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; acquiring specific situation information which is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle; acquiring a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in a storage unit; When information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the obtained score, the score associated with the situation information is modified depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

[0107] In this disclosure, descriptions such as "first" and "second" are identifiers for distinguishing the configuration. Configurations distinguished by descriptions such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure may have their numbers in the configuration exchanged. For example, a first label may exchange the identifiers "first" and "second" with a second label. The exchange of identifiers is performed simultaneously. The configurations remain distinguished even after the exchange of identifiers. Identifiers may be deleted. A configuration from which an identifier has been deleted is distinguished by a symbol. Descriptions of identifiers such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure alone should not be used to interpret the order of the configuration or to justify the existence of an identifier with a smaller number. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Information Processing Systems 2 Roadside unit 3 Server 4. Vehicles 5. Camera 6. Camera 7. Camera 8. Biometric Sensors 9. Mike 10 Sensors 11 Electronic control unit 20 In-vehicle equipment 21 Communications Department 22 Projection Unit 23 Memory section 24 Control Unit 30 Pedestrians 31 Trucks 32 Mopeds 33 signs

Claims

1. a storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; a control unit that acquires specific situation information that is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle, The control unit is Acquire a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in the storage unit; When information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the acquired score, the information processing device modifies the score associated with the situation information in the memory unit depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the situation information further indicates at least one of a situation of the driver and a situation of a surrounding environment of the vehicle.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein when the same situation information as the specific situation information is not stored in the memory unit, the control unit acquires a score corresponding to situation information similar to the specific situation information from among the multiple scores stored in the memory unit.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein when the control unit notifies the driver of information of current objects around the vehicle based on a score associated with situation information similar to the acquired specific situation information, the control unit stores in the memory unit a new score associated with the specific situation information depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

5. The control unit is assigning an expected action to a current object around the vehicle, the expected action being an action that is expected to be taken by the driver when information about the current object around the vehicle is notified to the driver; If the driver performs the expected behavior, a point is added to the score as a correction to the score; The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the driver does not take the expected behavior, points are subtracted from the score as a correction to the score.

6. The control unit is If the acquired score exceeds a predetermined value, information about current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver; The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein when the acquired score is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, information about current objects around the vehicle is not notified to a driver.

7. storing a plurality of pieces of situation information indicating situations of a plurality of objects around the vehicle, and a score associated with each of the plurality of pieces of situation information; acquiring specific situation information which is situation information indicating a current situation of an object around the vehicle; acquiring a score associated with the same situation information as the specific situation information from among the plurality of scores stored in a storage unit; When information of current objects around the vehicle is notified to the driver based on the acquired score, the score associated with the situation information is modified depending on the action taken by the driver toward the notified object.

Images