Communication system, vehicle control device, and control method

Abstract

To reduce trouble that a driver may feel.SOLUTION: Upon receiving from a road-side device information indicating a possibility that danger may occur on a vehicle, a vehicle control device (20) estimates a state of a driver on the basis of information relating to the driver of the vehicle and warns the driver according to the estimated state of the driver.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system, a vehicle control device, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known inventions that set hazard detection areas to improve the safety of vehicles and pedestrians (for example, Patent Document 1). The invention described in Patent Document 1 estimates a terminal whose acceleration exceeds a threshold from among multiple mapped terminals, and updates and sets the hazard detection area to include the position of that terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-40429 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a notification of danger is sent to the driver each time a device is estimated to be the cause of acceleration exceeding a threshold, which may be annoying to some drivers.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to reduce the annoyance felt by drivers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication system including a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle and a roadside device installed on a road and performing road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle control device, wherein the roadside device determines whether or not there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range based on the roadside device, and if it determines that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle, it transmits information indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle to the vehicle control device, and when the vehicle control device receives information indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle from the roadside device, it estimates the state of the driver based on information regarding the driver of the vehicle, and issues a warning to the driver according to the estimated state of the driver.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle and capable of performing road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device installed on a road, and is equipped with at least one processor, and when the processor receives information from the roadside device indicating that there is a possibility of a danger to the vehicle, the processor estimates the state of the driver based on information about the driver of the vehicle, and issues a warning to the driver according to the estimated state of the driver.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle capable of performing road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device installed on a road, and includes the steps of: when information indicating a possibility of a danger to the vehicle is received from the roadside device, estimating the state of the driver based on information about the driver of the vehicle; and warning the driver depending on the state of the driver.

[0009] The vehicle control device according to each aspect of the present disclosure may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program that realizes the vehicle control device on a computer by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the vehicle control device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which the control program is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a sheet having a built-in piezoelectric sensor. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a roadside device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of functions of a processor of the vehicle control device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of functions of a processor of the roadside device. [Figure 8] 5 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of the operation of the vehicle and the roadside device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a communication system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 10 is a sequence chart illustrating an example of operations of a vehicle, a roadside device, a first server, and a second server according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, a communication system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals and the description will be omitted.

[0013] (Configuration example of communication system 100) Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a communication system 100 according to embodiment 1. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the communication system 100 includes a vehicle 10 and a roadside device 50. Fig. 1 illustrates a scene in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway 70 with two lanes on each side.

[0014] The roadside device 50 is a communication device installed on a road (for example, at the side of the road), and is configured to be able to perform vehicle-to-roadside-infrastructure (V2I) communication with the vehicle 10. Roadside-to-vehicle communication is a technology for exchanging various information between the vehicle 10 and the roadside device 50, which makes it possible to improve traffic safety and optimize traffic flow, for example. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which three roadside devices 50 are installed at the side of the expressway 70, the number of roadside devices 50 is not limited to this. The number of roadside devices 50 may be one, two, or four or more. In addition, the installation location of the roadside device 50 is not limited to the expressway 70, and the roadside device 50 may be installed at an intersection or a crosswalk on a general road.

[0015] As long as road-to-vehicle communication is possible, the roadside device 50 may be of any type. For example, the roadside device 50 may be a well-known ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) device.

[0016] 1 indicates a range in which the roadside device 50 can communicate with the vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 is traveling within the communication range 60, the vehicle 10 and the roadside device 50 can perform road-to-vehicle communication with each other. More specifically, when the vehicle 10 enters the communication range 60, the road-to-vehicle communication is started, and when the vehicle 10 leaves the communication range 60, the road-to-vehicle communication is ended.

[0017] The communication method for road-to-vehicle communication is not particularly limited, and a well-known wireless communication method such as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) can be used.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an example in which one vehicle 10 performs road-to-vehicle communication with the roadside device 50, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which a large number of vehicles perform road-to-vehicle communication with the roadside device 50 may also be used.

[0019] In FIG. 1, the installation location of the roadside device 50 is described as being on the expressway 70, but the roadside device 50 may be installed at any location on the expressway 70, or may be installed at a specific location on the expressway 70.

[0020] (Example of the configuration of vehicle 10) Next, a configuration example of the vehicle 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 10 includes at least a navigation device 13, a camera 11, a vehicle control device 20, a speaker 14, and a seat 30. Fig. 2 shows a scene in which a driver 40 is seated in the seat 30 and driving the vehicle.

[0022] The navigation device 13 is a device that provides guidance along a route to a destination set by the driver 40. In this embodiment, the navigation device 13 is configured as a so-called telematics navigation system. The navigation device 13 has a built-in communication device for road-to-vehicle communication, and is capable of performing road-to-vehicle communication with the roadside device 50. However, the communication device for road-to-vehicle communication does not necessarily have to be built into the navigation device 13, and may be installed at any location on the vehicle 10.

[0023] Camera 11 has an imaging element such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The location where camera 11 is installed may be any location where it is possible to capture at least an image of the face of driver 40, and may be an instrument panel, a meter, or a steering wheel. FIG. 2 shows an example where one camera 11 is installed, but the number of cameras 11 is not limited to one, and multiple cameras 11 may be installed. In addition, camera 11 is not limited to a visible light camera, and may be an infrared camera equipped with an infrared function so as to be able to capture images in dark surroundings and measure body temperature.

[0024] The camera 11 photographs the face of the driver 40 at a predetermined period and transmits the photographed image data to the vehicle control device 20. When the camera 11 photographs the face of the driver 40, the photographing method may be a still image or a video. The image data is used to estimate the state of the driver 40. Details will be described later.

[0025] The vehicle control device 20 is a device that executes various controls based on road-to-vehicle communication with the roadside device 50, and may be configured as, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). As the ECU, an engine ECU for controlling the engine, a brake ECU for controlling the brakes, or the like may be provided separately for each mechanism of the vehicle 10. The vehicle control device 20 may be an ECU dedicated to executing various controls based on road-to-vehicle communication, or the engine ECU, the brake ECU, or the like may function as the vehicle control device 20.

[0026] The speaker 14 is a device that outputs route guidance voice, various warning sounds or voices, music, etc. The speaker 14 may be formed integrally with the navigation device 13, or may be installed separately from the navigation device 13 at any location in the vehicle 10.

[0027] (Example of Sheet 30 configuration) Next, a configuration example of the sheet 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a seat 30 provided in a vehicle 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the seat 30 has a headrest 31, a seat back 32, and a seat cushion 33. The headrest 31 and the seat back 32 form the back surface of the seat 30, and the seat cushion 33 forms the sitting surface of the seat 30.

[0029] The seat cushion 33 has a built-in piezoelectric sensor 12 for acquiring the heartbeat of the driver 40. In this embodiment, the "heartbeat" may be defined as ballistocardiology (BCG) caused by the pulsation of the heart.

[0030] The piezoelectric sensor 12 is a sensor that utilizes the piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage when pressure is applied. The piezoelectric sensor 12 receives pressure from the buttocks of a driver 40 seated on the seat surface of the seat cushion 33, and senses the heartbeat of the driver 40.

[0031] The piezoelectric sensor 12 transmits the sensed heartbeat data of the driver 40 to the vehicle control device 20. The heartbeat data is used to estimate the state of the driver 40. Details will be described later. The piezoelectric sensor 12 allows sensing in a non-restrained and non-invasive manner by simply sitting, so that no burden is placed on the driver 40.

[0032] The location where the piezoelectric sensor 12 is installed is not limited to the seat cushion 33, and the piezoelectric sensor 12 may be installed in the headrest 31 or the seat back 32. The piezoelectric sensor 12 may be installed in any one or any two of the headrest 31, the seat back 32, and the seat cushion 33, or may be installed in each of the headrest 31, the seat back 32, and the seat cushion 33.

[0033] The method of sensing the heartbeat of the driver 40 is not limited to the piezoelectric sensor 12. For example, a smart watch worn on the wrist of the driver 40 may sense the heartbeat. In this case, the smart watch may transmit the sensed heartbeat data to the vehicle control device 20.

[0034] (Hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 20) Next, an example of a hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the vehicle control device 20.

[0035] 4, the vehicle control device 20 includes a processor 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a storage device 24, and a communication I / F 26. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 25 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0036] The processor 21 is an arithmetic unit that executes various programs, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 21 reads out programs from the ROM 22 or the storage device 24, and executes the various programs using the RAM 23 as a working area. Although one processor 21 is shown in FIG. 3, the present invention is not limited to this, and multiple processors 21 may be provided.

[0037] The ROM 22 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 23 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Note that computer-readable recording media are not limited to the ROM 22 and RAM 23, and may include EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), etc.

[0038] The storage device 24 is configured with a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like, and stores various programs and various data.

[0039] The communication I / F 26 is not particularly limited, but for example, an interface for an in-vehicle network that complies with the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard is used.

[0040] Facial image data of the driver 40 captured by the camera 11 is stored in the storage device 24 via the communication I / F 26. Heartbeat data sensed by the piezoelectric sensor 12 is also stored in the storage device 24 via the communication I / F 26.

[0041] Information obtained from the roadside device 50 through road-to-vehicle communication with the roadside device 50 is transmitted to the vehicle control device 20 via the navigation device 13. However, this is not limited thereto, and in the case where the vehicle control device 20 is equipped with a communication device for road-to-vehicle communication, the vehicle control device 20 may be configured to directly obtain information from the roadside device 50.

[0042] The vehicle control device 20 causes the speaker 14 to output various sounds or voices.

[0043] (Hardware configuration of the roadside device 50) Next, an example of a hardware configuration of the roadside device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the roadside device 50.

[0044] 5, the roadside device 50 includes a processor 51, a ROM 52, a RAM 53, a storage device 54, and a communication I / F 56. Each component is connected via a bus 55 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0045] The configurations of the processor 51, the ROM 52, the RAM 53, and the storage device 54 are similar to the configurations of the processor 21, the ROM 22, the RAM 23, and the storage device 24 of the vehicle control device 20 described above, and therefore will not be described. The communication I / F 26 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these, and performs road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle 10.

[0046] (Functions of the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20) Next, an example of the functions of the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram of the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20. As shown in Fig. 6, in the vehicle control device 20 of this embodiment, the processor 21 executes a specific program to function as a biological information acquisition unit 211, a state estimation unit 212, and an attention calling unit 213.

[0047] The biological information acquiring unit 211 acquires biological information of the driver 40. The “biological information of the driver 40” includes at least heartbeat data of the driver 40. That is, the biological information acquiring unit 211 can acquire the heartbeat data of the driver 40 from the piezoelectric sensor 12. The biological information acquiring unit 211 outputs the acquired biological information of the driver 40 to the state estimating unit 212.

[0048] The state estimation unit 212 estimates the state of the driver 40 based on the biological information of the driver 40 acquired from the biological information acquisition unit 211. An example of the "state of the driver 40" is the drowsiness of the driver 40. The state estimation unit 212 may estimate a "drowsiness level" indicating the degree of drowsiness of the driver 40 as a numerical value based on the heart rate data of the driver 40. For example, the state estimation unit 212 may estimate the drowsiness level based on the drowsiness evaluation method of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). According to the NEDO drowsiness evaluation method, the drowsiness level is calculated as a level from 1 to 5. The drowsiness levels 1 to 5 are as follows: (1) drowsiness level 1: not sleepy at all, (2) drowsiness level 2: slightly sleepy, (3) drowsiness level 3: sleepy, (4) drowsiness level 4: quite sleepy, and (5) drowsiness level 5: very sleepy. When the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold value (for example, 2), that is, when the drowsiness level is any one of 3 to 5, the state estimation unit 212 can estimate that the driver 40 is very drowsy.

[0049] An example of a method for estimating a drowsiness level using heart rate data will be described. The state estimation unit 212 estimates a heart rate interval (RRI: RR Interval) of the driver 40 using the heart rate data of the driver 40 sensed by the piezoelectric sensor 12. As a preliminary preparation, a correlation between the heart rate interval and the drowsiness level is machine-learned in advance, and the machine-learned trained model is stored in the storage device 24. The state estimation unit 212 can estimate a drowsiness level by inputting the estimated heart rate interval of the driver 40 into the trained model.

[0050] The state estimation unit 212 outputs information on the estimated state of the driver 40, i.e., the drowsiness level of the driver 40, to the attention calling unit 213. Note that only when the state estimation unit 212 estimates that the driver 40 is very drowsy, the state estimation unit 212 may output the drowsiness level to the attention calling unit 213. That is, the state estimation unit 212 may output the drowsiness level to the attention calling unit 213 only when the estimated drowsiness level is any one of 3 to 5.

[0051] When the drowsiness level acquired from the state estimation unit 212 is greater than a threshold value, the attention calling unit 213 calls the attention of the driver 40. This attention is given in order to suppress the drowsiness of the driver 40.

[0052] The method of calling the driver's attention may be to emit a warning sound from the speaker 14, or to warn the driver by voice such as "Would you like to take a break?" or "Please drive carefully," or a combination of a warning sound and voice. In addition, the driver's 40 favorite music may be played from the speaker 14 to call the driver's attention. Playing the driver's favorite music can suppress the driver's 40 drowsiness and enable the driver to concentrate on driving.

[0053] (Functions of the processor 51 of the roadside device 50) Next, an example of the function of the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram of the processor 51 of the roadside device 50. As shown in Fig. 7, in the roadside device 50 of the present embodiment, the processor 51 functions as a vehicle detection unit 511 and a danger determination unit 512 by executing a specific program.

[0054] The vehicle detection unit 511 detects the vehicle 10 traveling within the communication range 60 using a camera or a sensor provided in the roadside device 50. The vehicle detection unit 511 outputs a signal indicating that the vehicle 10 has been detected to the danger determination unit 512.

[0055] The risk determination unit 512 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 may be in danger in the communication range 60, on the condition that a signal indicating that the vehicle 10 has been detected is acquired from the vehicle detection unit 511. As an example, "the vehicle 10 may be in danger" refers to a case where a sharp curve or a steep slope exists in the communication range 60. However, this is not limited to this. For example, when the weather conditions in the communication range 60 are bad, such as heavy rain or fog, the risk determination unit 512 may determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 may be in danger. In another example, when road construction is being carried out in the communication range 60, the risk determination unit 512 may determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 may be in danger. Alternatively, when traffic congestion occurs in the communication range 60, the risk determination unit 512 may determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 may be in danger.

[0056] The definition of a sharp curve is changed depending on the speed limit or road type set for the road. For example, a section on Expressway 70 where the radius of curvature is less than 250m corresponds to a sharp curve. In addition, if there are warning signs such as "Steep uphill slope ahead" or "Steep downhill slope ahead", it corresponds to a steep gradient.

[0057] Although it has been described that the determination is made as to whether or not there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 in the communication range 60 in which the vehicle 10 is communicating with the roadside device 50, the range to be determined is not limited to the communication range 60 in which the vehicle 10 is communicating with the roadside device 50. For example, the range to be determined may be a predetermined range beyond the communication range 60 in which the vehicle 10 is communicating with the roadside device 50, or may be a range including from the communication range 60 in which the vehicle 10 is communicating with the roadside device 50 to the destination.

[0058] (An example of road-to-vehicle communication between the vehicle 10 and the roadside device 50) Next, an example of road-to-vehicle communication performed between the vehicle 10 and the roadside device 50 will be described with reference to the sequence chart of Fig. 8. Although the scene of the sequence chart of Fig. 8 is not particularly limited, it will be described here as a scene in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on the highway 70, as described in Fig. 1.

[0059] In step S101, the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 detects the vehicle 10 traveling within the communication range 60 using a camera or a sensor provided in the roadside device 50. The vehicle to be detected may be a specific vehicle or any vehicle. When a specific vehicle is to be detected, for example, a unique ID for identifying the vehicle is stored in advance in the storage device 54 of the roadside device 50, and the ID transmitted from the vehicle traveling within the communication range 60 is checked against the storage device 54, and only when the ID matches the stored unique ID, the vehicle is detected as the detection target.

[0060] When the vehicle 10 is detected, the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 determines whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 will be in danger within the communication range 60. Here, it is assumed that a sharp curve is present within the communication range 60. Since a sharp curve is present within the communication range 60, the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle 10 will be in danger within the communication range 60.

[0061] The process proceeds to step S103, where the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 notifies the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10. In other words, the processor 51 of the roadside device 50 transmits information indicating that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 to the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20.

[0062] The processing proceeds to step S104, where the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20, having received information from the roadside device 50 indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10, acquires heart rate data, which is biometric information of the driver 40, from the piezoelectric sensor 12.

[0063] The process proceeds to step S105, where the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 estimates the state of the driver 40 based on the heart rate data of the driver 40 acquired in the process of step S104. Here, the drowsiness of the driver 40 is taken as the "state of the driver 40". The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 estimates the drowsiness level of the driver 40 based on the heart rate data of the driver 40. An example of a method for estimating the drowsiness level has already been described, and therefore will not be described here.

[0064] The process proceeds to step S106, where the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 issues a warning to the driver 40 when the drowsiness level estimated in the process of step S105 is greater than a threshold value.

[0065] According to this configuration, the roadside device 50 issues a warning to the driver 40 only when it is determined that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 and the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold, so that the number of warnings is limited, and it is possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40. In addition, it is expected that the drowsiness of the driver 40 will be relieved by the driver 40 taking a rest in response to the warning, and it is expected that the driver 40 will be able to drive safely thereafter.

[0066] 8 is an example, and steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the order of steps may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, after receiving the notification of step S103, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may acquire information about the vehicle 10 before performing the process of step S104.

[0067] The "information about the vehicle 10" here refers to, for example, information indicating the running state of the vehicle 10, such as the accelerator opening degree, the brake opening degree, the steering angle, the operation status of the turn signal switch, etc. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may acquire such information about the vehicle 10 from the accelerator opening degree sensor, the brake opening degree sensor, the steering angle sensor, the turn signal switch, etc.

[0068] After acquiring the information of the vehicle 10, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may determine whether or not there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 based on the acquired information of the vehicle 10. When the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 determines that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 based on the information of the vehicle 10, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may perform processing of step S104.

[0069] Here, it is assumed that in step S102, the roadside device 50 detects that the vehicle 10 has deviated from the lane and thus determines that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20, which has received the notification of lane deviation, acquires information indicating the traveling state of the vehicle 10 and checks the traveling state of the vehicle 10. At this time, for example, if the turn signal switch is operated and the turn signal lamp is flashing, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 can determine that the vehicle has changed lanes rather than deviated from the lane. In this case, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 does not need to perform the processes from step S104 onwards.

[0070] In this way, even if the roadside device 50 judges that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10, if the vehicle control device 20 judges that there is no possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 based on the information of the vehicle 10, no warning is issued to the driver 40, so that the annoyance felt by the driver 40 can be reduced. In addition, since this warning is a false alarm, it also contributes to preventing false alarms. Note that, if the roadside device 50 judges that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 and the vehicle control device 20 judges that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 based on the information of the vehicle 10, the processing from step S104 onwards is performed, and the driver 40 is warned according to the processing result.

[0071] In this way, processing of step S104 may be performed after processing of step S103, or information about vehicle 10 may be acquired after processing of step S103 and processing of step S104 may proceed depending on the acquired information about vehicle 10, or processing from step S104 onwards may be omitted.

[0072] In the above, the heart rate is taken as an example of the biometric information of the driver 40, and an example of estimating the drowsiness level of the driver 40 based on the heart rate data of the driver 40 has been described, but the biometric information is not limited to the heart rate, and the method of estimating the drowsiness level is not limited to the method using the heart rate data. For example, the biometric information may include information about the face of the driver 40, such as the degree of eyelid opening, eye movement, blink frequency, changes in blink patterns, facial expression, etc. These pieces of information may be obtained by analyzing the facial image data of the driver 40 captured by the camera 11. Therefore, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may estimate the drowsiness level of the driver 40 using the facial image data of the driver 40 captured by the camera 11. Specifically, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 can estimate the drowsiness level from the degree of eyelid opening, eye movement, blink frequency, changes in blink patterns, facial expression, etc. of the driver 40.

[0073] The biological information of the driver 40 may be the respiration of the driver 40 or the body temperature of the driver 40. Whether the biological information is the respiration or the body temperature, the drowsiness level can be estimated in the same manner as the heart rate.

[0074] Furthermore, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may estimate the drowsiness level using information other than biological information. For example, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may estimate the drowsiness level based on the posture of the driver 40. Since the posture tends to change as drowsiness increases, the drowsiness level of the driver 40 may be estimated by utilizing this tendency. The posture may be obtained by analyzing image data captured by the camera 11, for example.

[0075] Although drowsiness has been taken up as an example of the "state of the driver 40," the state of the driver 40 may include the fatigue state of the driver 40. The fatigue state can be estimated in the same manner as the method of estimating the drowsiness level. That is, the correlation between the heart rate interval and the fatigue state is machine-learned in advance, and the machine-learned learned model is stored in the storage device 24. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 can estimate the fatigue state by inputting the heart rate interval of the driver 40 into the learned model. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 can estimate that the fatigue of the driver 40 is high when the fatigue state is higher than a threshold value. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may issue a warning to the driver 40 only when the roadside device 50 determines that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 and the fatigue of the driver 40 is estimated to be high. This limits the number of times the warning is issued, making it possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40.

[0076] The state of the driver 40 may include a state in which the driver 40 is driving absentmindedly. The estimation of whether the driver 40 is driving absentmindedly may use heart rate data or face image data. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may issue a warning to the driver 40 only when the roadside device 50 determines that there is a possibility of danger occurring to the vehicle 10 and it is estimated that the driver 40 is driving absentmindedly. This limits the number of times the warning is issued, making it possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40.

[0077] In the above, the method using the speaker 14 has been described as an example of a method for calling the driver's attention, but the method is not limited to this. For example, if the seat 30 is provided with a vibration device, vibrating the seat 30 can also be used to call the driver's attention. By vibrating the seat 30, it is possible to suppress drowsiness of the driver 40 and allow the driver 40 to concentrate on driving.

[0078] In the above description, the timing to start acquiring the biometric information of the driver 40 is when the roadside device 50 acquires information indicating that the vehicle 10 may be in danger, but this is not limited to the above. The processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may always acquire the biometric information of the driver 40 while the vehicle 10 is traveling. In other words, the timing to start acquiring the biometric information of the driver 40 may be when the ignition switch of the vehicle 10 is turned on.

[0079] Incidentally, if the biometric information of the driver 40 is constantly acquired, there is a risk of increasing the computational load on the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20. In contrast, by starting acquisition of the biometric information of the driver 40 on the condition that information indicating a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 is acquired from the roadside device 50, it is possible to reduce the computational load.

[0080] The condition for starting estimation of the drowsiness level of the driver 40 may be that information indicating that danger may occur to the vehicle 10 is acquired from the roadside device 50. That is, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may start estimation of the drowsiness level on the condition that information indicating that danger may occur to the vehicle 10 is acquired from the roadside device 50 while constantly acquiring biological information of the driver 40 while the vehicle 10 is traveling. However, without being limited thereto, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may always acquire biological information of the driver 40 while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and estimate the drowsiness level of the driver 40 based on the acquired biological information.

[0081] Also, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may issue a warning to the driver 40 under the condition that the vehicle 10 is running swaying in addition to the condition that the roadside device 50 determines that the vehicle 10 may be in danger and the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold. The roadside device 50 detects the swaying of the vehicle 10. The method of detecting the swaying of the vehicle 10 is not particularly limited, but for example, the roadside device 50 can determine that the vehicle 10 is swaying when both or either one of the amplitude and cycle of the swaying of the vehicle 10 exceeds a predetermined value. The warning is issued to the driver 40 only when all of these conditions are satisfied, so that the number of times the warning is issued is limited, and it is possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40.

[0082] (Action and effect) As described above, according to the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0083] The communication system 100 includes a vehicle control device 20 mounted on a vehicle 10, and a roadside device 50 installed on a road and performing road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle control device 20. When the vehicle 10 is traveling within a predetermined range based on the roadside device 50, the roadside device 50 determines whether or not there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10, and when it determines that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10, transmits information indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 to the vehicle control device 20. When the vehicle control device 20 receives information indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 from the roadside device 50, the vehicle control device 20 estimates the state of the driver 40 based on information about the driver 40 of the vehicle 10, and issues a warning to the driver 40 according to the estimated state of the driver 40. An example of the "predetermined range" here is the communication range 60 described above.

[0084] According to the above configuration, the roadside device 50 determines that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10, and issues a warning to the driver 40 according to the state of the driver 40 estimated based on information about the driver 40. This limits the number of times the warning is issued, thereby making it possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40.

[0085] The information on the driver 40 includes at least heart rate data or face information, which is biological information of the driver 40. The vehicle control device 20 may estimate the drowsiness level of the driver 40 based on the heart rate data or the face information, and may issue a warning to the driver 40 when it is determined that the drowsiness level is higher than a threshold value.

[0086] According to the above configuration, the roadside device 50 issues a warning to the driver 40 only when it is determined that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 and the drowsiness level is greater than the threshold value, so that the number of warnings is limited, and it is possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40. In addition, it is expected that the drowsiness of the driver 40 will be relieved and the driver's driving will be safer thereafter if the conditions are met, and even on a straight road with good visibility such as the expressway 70, a warning can be issued while reducing the annoyance caused.

[0087] Furthermore, when the roadside device 50 detects swaying of the vehicle 10, the roadside device 50 may transmit information indicating that the vehicle 10 is swaying to the vehicle control device 20. When the vehicle control device 20 receives information indicating that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10 and information indicating that the vehicle 10 is swaying from the roadside device 50, the vehicle control device 20 may estimate the drowsiness level based on the heart rate data or information regarding the face, and may issue a warning to the driver 40 when it determines that the drowsiness level is higher than a threshold value.

[0088] According to the above configuration, a warning is issued to the driver 40 only when all of the following conditions (1) to (3) are met: (1) the roadside device 50 determines that there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle 10, (2) the roadside device 50 determines that the vehicle 10 is staggering, and (3) the vehicle control device 20 determines that the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold value. Therefore, the number of warnings is limited, making it possible to reduce the annoyance felt by the driver 40.

[0089] In addition, after the vehicle 10 has passed through a specified range, the vehicle control device 20 may again estimate the drowsiness level based on the heart rate data or information regarding the face, and if it determines that the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold, it may issue a warning to the driver 40.

[0090] According to the above configuration, even after the vehicle 10 has passed the predetermined range, it is possible to continue to call the driver's attention.

[0091] [Embodiment 2] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 9. A communication system 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the communication system 100 according to the first embodiment in that the communication system 200 further includes a first server 80 and a second server 81. Configurations that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be denoted by reference numerals and will not be described again. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0092] Fig. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a communication system 200 according to the embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 9, the communication system 200 further includes a first server 80 and a second server 81 in addition to the configuration described in the embodiment 1.

[0093] The first server 80 is configured to be able to communicate with the vehicle 10 via a communication network. The first server 80 is also configured to be able to communicate with the second server 81 via a communication network. The communication network is, for example, the Internet, but is not limited thereto and other wireless communication methods may be used.

[0094] The first server 80 is a server that acquires, from the vehicle 10, location information of the vehicle 10, a state of the driver 40 estimated based on bio-information of the driver 40, and the like, and stores and manages this information. The location where the first server 80 is installed is not particularly limited, and the first server 80 may be installed, for example, in a management center of a business operator that provides services using the communication system 200.

[0095] The second server 81 is a server managed and operated by a business operator that uses the service provided by the communication system 200. Although one second server 81 is shown in Fig. 9, the number of second servers 81 is not limited to one, and there may be as many second servers 81 as the number of business operators that use the service provided by the communication system 200.

[0096] Businesses that use services provided by communication system 200 include, for example, transportation companies that deliver packages, highway management companies that manage and operate highway 70, food and beverage companies that open restaurants and provide food and beverages at service areas and parking areas on highway 70, accommodation companies that provide hotels and sleeping spaces at service areas and parking areas on highway 70, and insurance companies that handle insurance for vehicles 10.

[0097] By using the services provided by the communication system 200 to access the first server 80, a transportation company can obtain real-time information such as where the trucks and trailers delivering packages are currently traveling, whether the drivers' fatigue levels or drowsiness levels are problematic, and whether they have been driving for too long.

[0098] The expressway management company can provide better services by analyzing big data accumulated by daily driving by accessing the first server 80 using the service of the communication system 200. For example, by analyzing the drowsiness levels of a huge number of drivers, it is possible to grasp where on the expressway 70 many drivers become drowsy. The expressway management company may install the roadside device 50 at a point where many drivers become drowsy. Installing the roadside device 50 at a point where many drivers become drowsy in this way contributes to efficient infrastructure construction. The reason is that by installing the roadside device 50 at a point where many drivers become drowsy, it is possible to efficiently call the attention of the drivers. In the above, it has been explained that the roadside device 50 may be installed at a specific place on the expressway 70, but an example of the "specific place" may be a point where many drivers become drowsy as referred to here.

[0099] The food service company can identify drivers 40 with high levels of drowsiness by accessing the first server 80 using the service provided by the communication system 200. The food service company may distribute coupons for food and drink that can be used in service areas and parking areas to drivers 40 with high levels of drowsiness. Since the drivers 40 can enjoy monetary benefits from the coupons, such coupons increase their motivation to take a break in service areas and parking areas.

[0100] The accommodation company can identify the driver 40 with a high level of drowsiness by accessing the first server 80 using the service of the communication system 200. The accommodation company may distribute coupons for accommodation facilities that can be used in service areas and parking areas to the driver 40 with a high level of drowsiness. The driver 40 can enjoy monetary benefits from the coupons, and such coupons increase the driver's motivation to take a break in service areas and parking areas.

[0101] Insurance companies can know whether or not a target driver takes breaks regularly by accessing the first server 80 using the service of the communication system 200. Drivers who take breaks regularly are considered to be less likely to have accidents, so insurance companies can offer such drivers plans with low insurance premiums. Plans that offer financial benefits to drivers can increase the number of contracts.

[0102] (An example of communication between the vehicle 10, the roadside device 50, the first server 80, and the second server 81) Next, an example of communication between the vehicle 10, the roadside device 50, the first server 80, and the second server 81 will be described with reference to the sequence chart of Fig. 10. Although the scene of the sequence chart of Fig. 10 is not particularly limited, it will be described here as a scene in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on the highway 70 as shown in Fig. 9. Also, the business entity that manages and operates the second server 81 will be described as, as an example, a food and beverage company that opens restaurants and provides food and beverages in service areas and parking areas on the highway 70.

[0103] Steps S201 to S205 in FIG. 10 are similar to steps S101 to S105 in FIG. 8, so their explanation will be omitted and the explanation will start from step S206 in FIG.

[0104] In step S206, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 transmits the state of the driver 40 estimated in the process of step S205 to the first server 80. Here, the drowsiness of the driver 40 is taken as the "state of the driver 40". That is, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 transmits the estimated drowsiness level of the driver 40 to the first server 80. Note that, when transmitting the estimated drowsiness level of the driver 40 to the first server 80, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may also transmit position information to the vehicle 10 together. Here, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 will be described as transmitting the estimated drowsiness level of the driver 40 and the position information of the vehicle 10 together to the first server 80.

[0105] The process proceeds to step S207, where the first server 80 stores the drowsiness level of the driver 40 and the position information of the vehicle 10 acquired from the vehicle control device 20.

[0106] The process proceeds to step S208, where the second server 81 accesses the first server 80 to refer to the drowsiness level of the driver 40 and the position information of the vehicle 10. The second server 81 may be configured to always access the first server 80 to refer to the drowsiness level of the driver 40 and the position information of the vehicle 10. The arrow from the second server 81 to the first server 80 shown in FIG. 10 indicates that the second server 81 accesses the first server 80.

[0107] The process proceeds to step S209, where the second server 81 accesses the first server 80 to acquire attributes of the driver 40. The "attributes" mentioned here include gender, age, family structure, and the like.

[0108] The process proceeds to step S210, where the second server 81 determines the distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the next service area or parking area.

[0109] The process proceeds to step S211, where the second server 81 distributes a coupon to the driver 40 according to the attributes of the driver 40 when the distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the next service area or parking area is less than a predetermined distance and the drowsiness level of the driver 40 is greater than a threshold. An example of the coupon is a discount coupon for a new coffee product. The discount rate of the coupon may be increased as the driver 40 is older.

[0110] The process proceeds to step S212, where the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 prompts the driver 40 to take a break when the coupon is acquired from the second server 81. For example, the processor 21 of the vehicle control device 20 may prompt the driver 40 to take a break with a message such as "There is a coupon that can be used at the next service area. Would you like to take a break?"

[0111] Since the driver 40 can enjoy a monetary benefit from the coupon, such a coupon leads to increased motivation to take a break. In addition, since the target product is a new product, the motivation to take a break can be further increased. In addition, from the viewpoint of the food and beverage company, the driver 40 purchasing coffee leads to increased sales. It also leads to advertising of new products. In addition, it is expected that the driver 40 purchasing a drink such as coffee, which is expected to have a stimulating effect, will relieve drowsiness and make driving safer.

[0112] The process flow in the sequence chart shown in FIG. 10 is just an example, and steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the process order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0113] In FIG. 10, the business entity that manages and operates the second server 81 is described as a restaurant company, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the business entity that manages and operates the second server 81 may be a highway management company. When the business entity that manages and operates the second server 81 is a highway management company, the highway management company may provide a service that allows the driver 40 using the highway 70 to earn points every time the driver 40 follows a rest instruction. With such a service, the more the driver 40 follows the rest instruction, the more points the driver 40 accumulates, and the driver 40 can enjoy various benefits according to the accumulated points. Therefore, the provision of such a service leads to an increase in the motivation of the driver 40 to take a break. In addition, since an appropriate break leads to a reduction in the number of accidents, it is also beneficial for the highway management company to have the driver 40 take a break.

[0114] [Software implementation example] The functions of the vehicle control device 20 can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the vehicle control device 20, and by a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the vehicle control device 20.

[0115] In this case, the vehicle control device 20 includes a computer having at least one device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The computer executes the program to realize each function described in each embodiment.

[0116] The program may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media, not temporarily. The recording media may or may not be included in the vehicle control device 20. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the vehicle control device 20 via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0117] In addition, some or all of the functions of each control block can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each control block is formed is also included in the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the functions of each control block can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0118] Furthermore, each process described in each embodiment may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may be operated by the vehicle control device 20 or may be operated by another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0119] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 100, 200 Communication Systems 10 Vehicles 20 Vehicle control device 21 Processors 50 Roadside equipment 60 Range

Claims

1. A communication system including a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle and a roadside device installed on a road for performing road-to-vehicle communication with the vehicle control device, The roadside device includes: determining whether or not there is a possibility that the vehicle will be in danger while the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined range based on the roadside device; When it is determined that there is a possibility of a danger occurring to the vehicle, transmitting information indicating that there is a possibility of a danger occurring to the vehicle to the vehicle control device; The vehicle control device includes: When receiving information indicating that a danger may occur to the vehicle from the roadside device, estimating a state of the driver based on information about the driver of the vehicle; issuing a warning to the driver according to the estimated state of the driver; Communication systems.

2. The information about the driver includes at least heart rate data or face information, which is biometric information about the driver, The vehicle control device includes: estimating a drowsiness level of the driver based on the heart rate data or the facial information; When it is determined that the drowsiness level is greater than a threshold value, a warning is given to the driver. The communication system according to claim 1 .

3. The roadside device includes: When the vehicle sway is detected, information indicating that the vehicle is swaying is transmitted to the vehicle control device; The vehicle control device includes: When receiving information indicating that the vehicle is in danger and information indicating that the vehicle is staggering from the roadside device, estimating the drowsiness level based on the heart rate data or information regarding the face; When it is determined that the drowsiness level is greater than the threshold, a warning is given to the driver. The communication system according to claim 2 .

4. The vehicle control device includes: After the vehicle has passed through the predetermined range, the drowsiness level is estimated again based on the heart rate data or the information related to the face; When it is determined that the drowsiness level is greater than the threshold, a warning is given to the driver. A communication system according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle capable of performing road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device installed on a road, At least one processor; The processor, When receiving information indicating that a danger may occur to the vehicle from the roadside device, estimating a state of the driver based on information about the driver of the vehicle; issuing a warning to the driver according to the estimated state of the driver; Vehicle control device.

6. A control method executed by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle capable of performing road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device installed on a road, comprising: estimating a state of the driver of the vehicle based on information about the driver of the vehicle when information indicating that a danger may occur to the vehicle is received from the roadside device; and issuing a warning to the driver according to a state of the driver. Control methods.

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