Driving support device, driving support system, and driving support method

Abstract

To provide a driving support device capable of more appropriately determining the condition of a driver driving a vehicle and supporting good driving.SOLUTION: A driving support device 100 includes: a user information acquisition unit 111 that acquires user information; a biometric information acquisition unit 112 that acquires biometric information during work including driving a vehicle and biometric information in daily life during off-duty hours via a biometric information acquisition device; a vehicle information acquisition unit 113 that acquires vehicle information; an accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 that acquires accident occurrence information; an accident occurrence estimation unit 115 that estimates the occurrence of an accident on a planned route of a vehicle driven by a driver based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information; and a notification unit 116 that notifies the driver of the estimated information via an in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device, a driving assistance system, and a driving assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been proposed that issues a warning to a driver driving a vehicle based on the driver's biological information, information on the vehicle's travel route, etc. Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that issues a warning to a driver based on the driver's biological information. The driving support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 issues a warning to a driver driving a vehicle when the vehicle is in a location recorded in hazard map information and the state of the driver driving the vehicle is determined to be dangerous. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-242190 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The driving support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 determines the driver's state as dangerous if there is no predetermined change in the driver's real-time biological information when the vehicle is in a location recorded in the hazard map. That is, in the driving support device, when the vehicle is in a location recorded in the hazard map, a predetermined change appears in the driver's biological information, such as an increase in the driver's heart rate. However, the actual driver's state appears as dangerous when there are various other information other than the information detected in the real-time biological information, and it is necessary to determine whether the state is dangerous based on that information.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance device that can more appropriately determine the state of a driver who drives a vehicle and assist the driver in good driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of a driver who drives a vehicle, a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of the driver via a biometric information acquisition device, the biometric information including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle and second biometric information in daily life outside of work, a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, an accident occurrence information acquisition unit that acquires information regarding past accident occurrences on the route traveled by the vehicle, an accident occurrence estimation unit that estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information, and a notification unit that notifies the driver of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit via an on-board device provided in the vehicle.

[0007] A driving assistance system according to another aspect of the present invention is a driving assistance system including a biometric information acquisition device that acquires biometric information of a driver who drives a vehicle, an on-board device provided in the vehicle, and a driving assistance apparatus, wherein the driving assistance apparatus includes a user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of the driver who drives the vehicle, a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of the driver via the biometric information acquisition device, the biometric information including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle and second biometric information in daily life outside of work, a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, an accident occurrence information acquisition unit that acquires past accident occurrence information on the route on which the vehicle is driven, an accident occurrence estimation unit that estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information, and a notification unit that notifies the driver of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit via the on-board device.

[0008] A driving assistance method according to another aspect of the present invention is a driving assistance method executed by a computer, which acquires user information of a driver driving a vehicle, acquires biometric information of the driver via a biometric information acquisition device, the biometric information including first biometric information during work hours including driving the vehicle and second biometric information during daily life outside of work, acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the vehicle passenger compartment, acquires information regarding past accident occurrences on the route traveled by the vehicle, estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information, and notifies the driver of the estimated information via an on-board device installed in the vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving assistance device that can more appropriately determine the state of a driver who drives a vehicle and assist the driver in good driving. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram for explaining acquisition of biometric information of a driver in the driving assistance system according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle device in the driving assistance system according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6A] 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of user information applied to the driving assistance device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 6B] 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle information and accident information applied to the driving assistance device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of the driving assistance device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The driving assistance device 100, the driving assistance system 10, and the driving assistance method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0012] (Configuration of driving assistance system 10) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a driving assistance system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the driving assistance system 10 includes a driving assistance apparatus 100, an in-vehicle device 200 mounted on a vehicle 20, and a biometric information acquisition device 30.

[0013] The driving support device 100 is a device that manages the health condition of the driver 32 (see FIG. 2) who drives the vehicle 20, and issues a warning to the driver 32 when an accident is predicted to occur on a route along which the vehicle 20 is scheduled to travel. The health information (biological information) of the driver 32 handled by the driving support device 100 includes biological information during driving as well as biological information during the driver's daily life. In this specification, biological information of the driver 32 during work, including driving the vehicle 20, is defined as first biological information, and biological information of the driver 32 during daily life outside of work is defined as second biological information. In this embodiment, biological information during driving the vehicle 20 outside of work is included in the second biological information.

[0014] In the driving assistance system 10 according to this embodiment, the driving assistance apparatus 100, the in-vehicle device 200, and the biometric information acquisition device 30 are capable of communicating with each other via a network 40. The network 40 may be a mobile phone line. The biometric information acquisition device 30 may be capable of communicating with the driving assistance apparatus 100 via a user terminal 31. For example, communication between the user terminal 31 and the biometric information acquisition device 30 may be performed via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) that enables short-distance communication.

[0015] The bioinformation acquisition device 30 includes, for example, a wearable terminal 30a, a body composition meter 30b, a blood pressure monitor 30c, a camera 30d, a millimeter wave radar 30e, etc. Note that the bioinformation acquisition device 30 is not limited to the wearable terminal 30a, the body composition meter 30b, the blood pressure monitor 30c, the camera 30d, and the millimeter wave radar 30e shown in Fig. 1, but includes an ultrasonic measuring device for measuring body fat, etc., and a Libre for measuring blood glucose levels. Note that the camera 30d and the millimeter wave radar 30e correspond to wearless terminals.

[0016] Furthermore, the biometric information acquisition device 30 may exchange data with the driving assistance apparatus 100 or the in-vehicle device 200 via the user terminal 31. Furthermore, data exchange between the biometric information acquisition device 30 and the user terminal 31 may be performed via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Furthermore, information acquired by the biometric information acquisition device 30 may be configured to be sent to the driving assistance apparatus 100 via the in-vehicle device 200.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining acquisition of biometric information of a driver in the driving assistance system 10 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 2, biometric information of a driver 32 (user) who is driving is sent to the vehicle-mounted device 200 via the wearable terminal 30a.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the biometric information acquisition device 30 acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and second biometric information during daily life outside work. The acquired biometric information is sent to the driving assistance device 100.

[0019] In this way, in the driving assistance system 10 according to this embodiment, by acquiring not only biometric information of the driver 32 while driving the vehicle 20 at work, but also biometric information during daily life outside of work, it becomes possible to more accurately manage the health condition of the driver.

[0020] (Configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 200) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 200 in the driving assistance system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle-mounted device 200 includes a CPU 210. The vehicle-mounted device 200 also includes a speed signal IF 231, an engine signal IF 232, a GPS IF 233 (Global Positioning System), an external input IF 234, and a sensor signal IF 235. The vehicle-mounted device 200 also includes a wide-area communication module 241, a non-volatile memory 242, a volatile memory 243, an SD card 244, a SW input unit 245, and an LCD 246 (Liquid Crystal Display).

[0021] The CPU 210 executes pre-installed programs to realize various functions required for the vehicle-mounted device 200. The main operations of the CPU 210 will be described later.

[0022] The speed signal IF 231 converts a predetermined vehicle speed signal output from the vehicle side into a signal suitable for input processing by the CPU 210. The CPU 210 can grasp the traveling speed and traveling distance of the vehicle 20 by monitoring the number of pulses and the signal period of the vehicle speed signal.

[0023] The engine signal IF 232 converts a predetermined engine rotation signal output from the vehicle side into a signal suitable for input processing by the CPU 210. The CPU 210 can grasp the engine rotation speed (rpm) by monitoring the number of pulses and the signal period of the engine rotation signal.

[0024] The GPSIF 233 is used to input a signal from a GPS receiver (not shown) to the CPU 210. The GPS receiver receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and can calculate the current position of the vehicle 20, which is the reception point. The CPU 210 can obtain information on the current position from the GPS receiver via the GPSIF 233.

[0025] The external input IF 234 converts a predetermined external signal into a signal suitable for input processing by the CPU 210. For example, a signal indicating a gear position is input as the predetermined external signal. Also, a signal indicating the magnitude of acceleration applied to the vehicle 20 can be input to the external input IF 234 as an external signal. Also, the predetermined external signal may be, for example, a signal from a camera mounted inside the vehicle.

[0026] The sensor signal IF235 is used to input information acquired by sensors provided in the vehicle 20, such as an angular velocity sensor, a weight sensor, a temperature sensor, etc., to the CPU 210. For example, when a predetermined millimeter wave sensor or a camera is provided as a sensor in the vehicle 20, the sensor signal IF235 can convert an analog signal acquired by the sensor into a digital signal and provide it to the CPU 210.

[0027] The wide-area communication module 241 has a function of establishing a wireless communication line with a wireless base station (not shown) provided by a mobile communication carrier, for example, and enabling wide-area wireless communication. The wide-area communication module 241 can communicate with the driving assistance device 100 via an antenna (not shown) and the network 40.

[0028] The non-volatile memory 242 is an electronic device such as a flash memory that can read data and rewrite the stored data by accessing the CPU 210. The non-volatile memory 242 is used to store data such as various parameters, constant data, programs, etc. used by the vehicle-mounted device 200.

[0029] The volatile memory 243 is a semiconductor memory device from which data can be read and written by access from the CPU 210. The volatile memory 243 is used to temporarily store various data handled by the CPU 210.

[0030] The SD card 244 is detachably connected to the vehicle-mounted device 200 using a predetermined card interface (not shown). The SD card 244 is used to store various data to be recorded by the vehicle-mounted device 200, such as operation data of the vehicle 20.

[0031] The SW input unit 245 includes switches that generate signals representing the operation states of a plurality of buttons for receiving input operations by a user such as the driver of the vehicle 20. For example, switch signals acquired by the SW input unit 245 include an ON / OFF signal of an ignition SW (not shown), an ON / OFF signal of a brake SW (not shown), an ON / OFF signal of a turn signal SW (not shown), etc. Signals of the operation states of each button (SW) are input from the SW input unit 245 to the CPU 210.

[0032] The LCD 246 is positioned on the front of the housing of the vehicle-mounted device 200 in a position that is easily visible to the driver, and is used under the control of the CPU 210 to display the operating status of the vehicle-mounted device 200 and to display information required for the user's input operations.

[0033] (Configuration of driving assistance device 100)

[0034] 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support device 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the driving support device 100 is configured by a general computer including a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, an input / output IF 130 (Interface), and a communication IF 140. The driving support device 100 may be mounted as a function on a cloud server, for example. The control unit 110 and the storage unit 120 will be described in detail later.

[0035] The input / output IF 130 is, for example, a component (interface) for a user to exchange data with the driving assistance device 100. The input / output IF 130 includes, for example, an input IF and an output IF (not shown).

[0036] The input IF in the input / output IF 130 has an interface function for inputting various information by the user, and information is input from outside the driving support device 100. Information is input to the input IF by the user via, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a trackball, a voice recognition device, or the like, connected to the driving support device 100. The input IF can also input information as a data input terminal for inputting data from an external storage device (not shown) or the like.

[0037] The output IF in the input / output IF 130 can display user information (described later) on a display device (not shown) connected to the driving support device 100. The display device is, for example, a display device, a projector device, or the like.

[0038] The communication IF 140 is an interface for enabling mutual communication between the driving assistance device 100, the in-vehicle device 200 of the vehicle 20, and the user terminal 31 via the network 40.

[0039] (Functional configuration of driving assistance device 100) Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the driving support device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 110 of the driving support device 100 includes, as functions, a user information acquisition unit 111, a biological information acquisition unit 112, a vehicle information acquisition unit 113, an accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114, an accident occurrence estimation unit 115, and a notification unit 116. Each function of the control unit 110 will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 110, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire driving support device 100. Furthermore, the control unit 110 operates based on a program stored in the storage unit 120 to execute each of the above-mentioned functions. Note that the program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or the like (not shown) in the driving support device 100.

[0041] 5, the storage unit 120 stores information included in a user information DB 121 (DB: Database), a vehicle information DB 122, and an accident information DB 123 as data. The storage unit 120 for storing each of these data may be one or more. For example, a single storage unit 120 may be configured to store the data in separate areas. Alternatively, the data may be distributed and stored in a plurality of storage devices installed in physically separate locations.

[0042] Fig. 6A is a diagram for explaining an example of user information applied to the driving assistance device 100 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 6A, information related to "user ID", "chronic illness", "medication", and "medication status" stored in the user information DB 121 is stored. "User ID" is information for identifying a user (driver 32).

[0043] The information stored in the "chronic illness" field is information indicating whether the driver 32 has a chronic illness that affects driving. The information regarding the "chronic illness" may be information that is stored in advance in the storage unit 120 in association with the "user ID", for example.

[0044] The information on "medication" is, for example, information indicating whether or not medication is required for the driver 32 who has a chronic illness. The information on "medication" may be, for example, information that is stored in advance in the storage unit 120 in association with a "user ID."

[0045] The information on the "medication status" is information indicating whether or not the driver 32 who needs to take medication has already taken medication. In the example shown in FIG. 6A, "○" is stored when medication has already been taken. For example, the information stored in the "medication status" may be information input by the driver 32 via the user terminal 31.

[0046] The user information DB 121 also stores information measured by the “body composition meter,” “wearable terminal,” “blood pressure meter,” “Libre,” and “millimeter wave meter” acquired by the biological information acquisition device 30.

[0047] 6B is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle information and accident information applied to the driving support device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6B, the information stored in the vehicle information DB 122 includes a "vehicle ID" for identifying the vehicle 20 and a "user ID" for identifying the user who is the driver. The vehicle information DB 122 also includes information on the "temperature" and "humidity" in the passenger compartment (inside the driver's cab) acquired via the sensor signal IF 235 of the vehicle-mounted device 200. The vehicle information DB 122 also includes location information of the vehicle 20 acquired via the GPS IF 233 of the vehicle-mounted device 200.

[0048] 6B, the information includes accident information stored in the accident information DB 123. The accident information includes, for example, the date and time of an accident that occurred in the past and the location information where the accident occurred.

[0049] Next, each function of the control unit 110 of the driving assistance device 100 will be described in detail.

[0050] The user information acquisition unit 111 acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. In addition, the user information acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired user information in the user information DB 121.

[0051] The biometric information acquiring unit 112 acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and biometric information in daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquiring device 30. In addition, the biometric information acquiring unit 112 stores the acquired biometric information in the user information DB 121.

[0052] The vehicle information acquisition unit 113 acquires vehicle information including information on the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the vehicle information acquisition unit 113 stores the acquired vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 122. For example, the vehicle information may include information on the humidity in addition to the information on the temperature inside the passenger compartment acquired via the sensor signal IF 235 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 as described above. Furthermore, the vehicle information may include location information indicating the location of the vehicle 20 acquired via the GPS IF 233.

[0053] The accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 acquires past accident occurrence information on the route traveled by the vehicle 20. The accident occurrence information may be information stored in advance in the accident information DB 123. For example, the route traveled by the vehicle 20 may be a route detected based on destination information input by the driver 32 via the in-vehicle device 200 before driving. Alternatively, the route traveled by the vehicle 20 may be detected from position information of the vehicle 20 included in the vehicle information.

[0054] The accident occurrence estimation unit 115 estimates the occurrence of an accident on a planned driving route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32, based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. For example, the accident occurrence information included in the accident information DB 123 may include, in addition to the date and time of occurrence and the location of occurrence, vehicle information at the time of the accident and / or user information in past accident information. The accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that there is a possibility of an accident occurring when the vehicle 20 is scheduled to travel the same route as when a past accident occurred on the planned driving route of the vehicle 20.

[0055] The accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate the occurrence of an accident based on the health condition (biological information) of the driver 32 while driving, based on the vehicle information and / or user information at the time of the occurrence of a past accident on the planned driving route of the vehicle 20. That is, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that an accident may occur when the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident is similar to the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving. The similarity determination by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 between the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident and the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving may be estimated by a predetermined threshold. For example, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may determine that the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving is similar to the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident when the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0056] In addition, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that there is a possibility of an accident occurring when the value of the vehicle information at the time of the past accident in a vehicle 20 that is scheduled to pass through a point where an accident occurred in the past is similar to the value of the vehicle information of the vehicle 20 currently being driven.

[0057] The notification unit 116 notifies the driver 32 of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 via the vehicle-mounted device 200 provided in the vehicle 20. This allows the driver 32 to receive a warning when an accident is estimated to occur, thereby preventing the accident from occurring.

[0058] (Outline of processing flow of driving support device 100) Next, the flow of processing in the driving assistance device 100 will be shown using the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. The series of operations of the driving assistance device 100 shown in the flowchart in Fig. 7 starts when the driving assistance device 100 is started, and ends when the work is completed. The processing in the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 also ends when the power is turned off or an interrupt occurs to end the processing. In addition, in the following explanation of the flowchart, the same contents as those described in the explanation of the driving assistance system 10 and the driving assistance device 100 above will be omitted or simplified.

[0059] In step S701, the user information acquisition unit 111 acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. In addition, the user information acquisition unit 111 stores the acquired user information in the user information DB 121. After that, the process proceeds to step S702.

[0060] In step S702, the biometric information acquisition unit 112 acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and biometric information in daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquisition device 30. The biometric information acquisition unit 112 also stores the acquired biometric information in the user information DB 121. After that, the process proceeds to step S703.

[0061] In step S703, the vehicle information acquisition unit 113 acquires vehicle information including information on the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the vehicle information acquisition unit 113 stores the acquired vehicle information in the vehicle information DB 122. For example, the vehicle information may include information on the humidity in addition to the information on the temperature inside the passenger compartment acquired via the sensor signal IF 235 of the vehicle-mounted device 200 as described above. Furthermore, the vehicle information may include location information indicating the location of the vehicle 20 acquired via the GPS IF 233.

[0062] In step S704, the accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 acquires past accident occurrence information on the route traveled by the vehicle 20. The accident occurrence information may be information stored in advance in the accident information DB 123. For example, the route traveled by the vehicle 20 may be a route detected based on destination information input by the driver 32 via the in-vehicle device 200 before driving. Alternatively, the route traveled by the vehicle 20 may be detected from position information of the vehicle 20 included in the vehicle information.

[0063] In step S705, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 estimates an accident occurrence on a planned driving route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32 based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. For example, the accident occurrence information included in the accident information DB 123 may include vehicle information at the time of the accident occurrence and / or user information in addition to the occurrence date and time and the occurrence location in past accident information. The accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that there is a possibility of an accident occurring when the vehicle 20 is scheduled to travel the same route as when a past accident occurred on the planned driving route of the vehicle 20.

[0064] The accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate the occurrence of an accident based on the health condition (biological information) of the driver 32 while driving, based on the vehicle information and / or user information at the time of the occurrence of a past accident on the planned driving route of the vehicle 20. That is, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that an accident may occur when the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident is similar to the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving. The similarity determination by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 between the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident and the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving may be estimated by a predetermined threshold. For example, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may determine that the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving is similar to the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 at the time of the past accident when the value of the biometric information of the driver 32 while driving exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0065] In addition, the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 may estimate that there is a possibility of an accident occurring when the value of the vehicle information at the time of the past accident in a vehicle 20 that is scheduled to pass through a point where an accident occurred in the past is similar to the value of the vehicle information of the vehicle 20 currently being driven.

[0066] In step S705, if the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 determines that an accident is estimated to have occurred in the vehicle 20 (step S705: YES), the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, in step S705, if the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 determines that an accident is not estimated to have occurred in the vehicle 20 (step S705: NO), the process proceeds to step S707.

[0067] In step S706, the notification unit 116 notifies the driver 32 of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 via the vehicle-mounted device 200 provided in the vehicle 20. This allows the driver 32 to receive a warning when an accident is estimated to occur, thereby preventing the accident from occurring. After that, the process proceeds to step S707.

[0068] In step S707, if the control unit 110 determines that the system of the driving assistance device 100 has been terminated (step S707: YES), the process ends. On the other hand, in step S707, if the control unit 110 determines that the system of the driving assistance device 100 has not been terminated (step S707: NO), the process returns to step S701, and the process from step S701 is repeated. In this embodiment, the system may be terminated, for example, when the vehicle 20 arrives at the destination.

[0069] As described above, the driving support device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a user information acquisition unit 111 that acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. The driving support device 100 also includes a biometric information acquisition unit 112 that acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and second biometric information during daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquisition device 30. The driving support device 100 also includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 113 that acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20. The driving support device 100 also includes an accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 that acquires past accident occurrence information on the route on which the vehicle 20 travels. The driving support device 100 also includes an accident occurrence estimation unit 115 that estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32, based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. Furthermore, the driving support device 100 includes a notification unit 116 that notifies the driver 32 of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 via the vehicle-mounted device 200 provided in the vehicle 20.

[0070] As a result, the driving support device 100 estimates the occurrence of an accident based on the first biological information during work including driving the vehicle 20 and the second biological information during daily life outside work. Therefore, the driving support device 100 can more appropriately determine the state of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20 and support good driving.

[0071] The biometric information acquisition device 30 may include a wearable terminal or a wearless terminal. This allows the driving assistance apparatus 100 to acquire biometric information without operating the biometric information acquisition device 30 every time the biometric information is acquired, and allows for continuous health management of the driver 32 (user). Furthermore, by using a wearless terminal, the driver 32 (user) can acquire biometric information without being aware of the device.

[0072] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present embodiments are not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments. The components described above include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be appropriately combined. Various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments.

[0073] In addition, a computer program (driving assistance program) that causes a computer to execute the processing (driving assistance method) in the driving assistance device 100 described above, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, are included in the scope of this embodiment. Here, any type of computer-readable recording medium may be used. In addition, the computer program is not limited to one recorded on the recording medium, and may be one transmitted via a telecommunications line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or the like.

[0074] The features of the driving assistance device 100, the driving assistance system 10, and the driving assistance method will be described below.

[0075] The driving support device 100 according to the first embodiment includes a user information acquisition unit 111 that acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. The driving support device 100 also includes a biometric information acquisition unit 112 that acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and second biometric information in daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquisition device 30. The driving support device 100 also includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 113 that acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20. The driving support device 100 also includes an accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 that acquires past accident occurrence information on the route on which the vehicle 20 travels. The driving support device 100 also includes an accident occurrence estimation unit 115 that estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32, based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. Furthermore, the driving support device 100 includes a notification unit 116 that notifies the driver 32 of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 via the vehicle-mounted device 200 provided in the vehicle 20.

[0076] According to the above configuration, the driving support device 100 estimates the occurrence of an accident based on the first biological information during work including driving the vehicle 20 and the second biological information during daily life outside work. Therefore, the driving support device 100 can more appropriately determine the state of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20 and support good driving.

[0077] The biometric information acquisition device 30 of the driving assistance apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment may include a wearable terminal or a wearless terminal.

[0078] According to the above configuration, the driving support device 100 can acquire biometric information without operating the biometric information acquisition device 30 every time the biometric information is acquired, and can continuously manage the health of the driver 32 (user). In addition, by using a wearable terminal, the driver 32 (user) can acquire biometric information without being aware of the device.

[0079] The driving assistance system 10 according to the third embodiment includes a biometric information acquisition device 30 that acquires biometric information of a driver 32 who drives a vehicle 20, an in-vehicle device 200 provided in the vehicle 20, and a driving assistance device 100. The driving assistance device 100 includes a user information acquisition unit 111 that acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. The driving assistance device 100 also includes a biometric information acquisition unit 112 that acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and second biometric information during daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquisition device 30. The driving assistance device 100 also includes a vehicle information acquisition unit 113 that acquires vehicle information including information regarding the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20, and an accident occurrence information acquisition unit 114 that acquires past accident occurrence information on the route traveled by the vehicle 20. The driving support device 100 also has an accident occurrence estimation unit 115 that estimates the occurrence of an accident on a planned driving route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32 based on the user information, the biological information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. The driving support device 100 also has a notification unit 116 that notifies the driver 32 of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit 115 via the in-vehicle device 200.

[0080] According to the above configuration, the driving assistance system 10 estimates the occurrence of an accident based on the first biological information during work including driving the vehicle 20 and the second biological information during daily life outside work. Therefore, the driving assistance system 10 can more appropriately determine the state of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20 and assist in good driving.

[0081] The driving support method according to the fourth aspect is a driving support method executed by a computer. The driving support method acquires user information of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20. The driving support method also acquires biometric information of the driver 32, including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle 20, and second biometric information during daily life outside work, via the biometric information acquisition device 30. The driving support method also acquires vehicle information including information on the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle 20. The driving support method also acquires past accident occurrence information on the route traveled by the vehicle 20. The driving support method also estimates the occurrence of an accident on the planned travel route of the vehicle 20 driven by the driver 32 based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information. The driving support method also notifies the driver 32 of the estimated information via the vehicle-mounted device 200 provided in the vehicle 20.

[0082] According to the above configuration, the driving support method estimates the occurrence of an accident based on the first biological information during work including driving the vehicle 20 and the second biological information during daily life outside work. Therefore, the driving support method can more appropriately determine the state of the driver 32 who drives the vehicle 20 and support good driving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10 Driving assistance systems 20 Vehicles 30 Biometric information acquisition device 30a Wearable devices 30b body composition monitor 30c Blood Pressure Monitor 30d camera 30e Millimeter wave radar 31 User terminal 40 Network 100 Driving support device 110 Control section 111 User information acquisition unit 112 Biometric information acquisition unit 113 Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 114 Accident Information Acquisition Department 115 Accident Occurrence Estimation Department 116 Notification Department 120 Storage section 121 User Information DB 122 Vehicle Information DB 123 Accident Information DB 130 Input / Output Interface 140 Communication Interface 200 Onboard equipment

Claims

1. A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of a driver who drives a vehicle; a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of the driver, the biometric information including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle and second biometric information during daily life outside work, via a biometric information acquisition device; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including information regarding a temperature inside a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an accident occurrence information acquisition unit that acquires past accident occurrence information on a route traveled by the vehicle; an accident occurrence estimation unit that estimates an accident occurrence on a planned driving route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biological information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information; a notification unit that notifies the driver of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit via an on-board device provided in the vehicle.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric information acquisition device includes a wearable terminal or a wearless terminal.

3. A driving assistance system including a biometric information acquisition device that acquires biometric information of a driver who drives a vehicle, an on-board device provided in the vehicle, and a driving assistance device, The driving assistance device includes: A user information acquisition unit that acquires user information of the driver who drives the vehicle; a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires, via the biometric information acquisition device, the biometric information of the driver, the biometric information including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle and second biometric information in daily life outside work; a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including information regarding a temperature inside a passenger compartment of the vehicle; an accident occurrence information acquisition unit that acquires past accident occurrence information on a route traveled by the vehicle; an accident occurrence estimation unit that estimates an accident occurrence on a planned driving route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biological information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information; A driving assistance system comprising: a notification unit that notifies the driver of the information estimated by the accident occurrence estimation unit via the vehicle-mounted device.

4. A driving assistance method implemented by a computer, comprising: Acquire user information of a driver who drives a vehicle; Acquire biometric information of the driver via a biometric information acquisition device, the biometric information including first biometric information during work including driving the vehicle and second biometric information during daily life outside work; acquiring vehicle information including information regarding a temperature within a passenger compartment of the vehicle; Acquire information on past accidents occurring along a route traveled by the vehicle; Predicting an occurrence of an accident on a planned travel route of the vehicle driven by the driver based on the user information, the biometric information, the vehicle information, and the accident occurrence information; The driving assistance method further comprises notifying the driver of the estimated information via an on-board device provided in the vehicle.

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