Monitoring support system, control method of monitoring support device, and control program for monitoring support device

Abstract

To provide a monitoring support system etc. capable of providing appropriate monitoring support depending on passengers of an automatic driving vehicle.SOLUTION: A monitoring support system that supports human response by remote supervisors to inquiries from passengers of an automatic driving vehicle includes: a biological information acquisition unit that acquires biological information of the passengers of the automatic driving vehicle equipped with a non-contact vital sensor from the automatic driving vehicle; a reception unit that receives inquiries from the passengers of the automatic driving vehicle and determines whether human response is necessary depending on the content of the inquiries; a setting unit that sets a priority to a manned inquiry that requires a human response depending on the passenger's biological information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a notification processing unit that notifies the supervisor of the information regarding the manned inquiry together with information regarding the set priority.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring support system, a control method for a monitoring support device, and a control program for a monitoring support device. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, with regard to autonomous driving, technological development is underway for the Automatic Driving System (ADS) and the establishment of related systems, with the aim of commercializing services related to autonomous driving at level 4 and above. At level 4, the autonomous driving system installed in the autonomous vehicle will execute all dynamic driving tasks (DDT), so the autonomous vehicle will run without a driver. For this reason, inquiries from passengers in the autonomous vehicle while it is running will need to be handled by a remote monitor.

[0003] As an example of a technology for assisting supervisors in monitoring autonomous vehicles, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for notifying an operator of a request for assistance when it is determined that the state of an autonomous vehicle meets the conditions for assistance by an operator based on vehicle state data received from the autonomous vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-056745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the situation of the autonomous vehicle has not changed, the necessity of assistance is judged based on conditions different from the previous time, so that the operator will not be called under the same conditions as the previous time, and the burden on the operator can be reduced. However, when a public bus is realized as an autonomous vehicle, for example, there are various passengers, and even if the state of the autonomous vehicle is the same as the previous time, some passengers may need the assistance of the operator. In other words, there is a demand for appropriate monitoring assistance according to the passengers of the autonomous vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a monitoring support system that supports a remote monitor's human response to inquiries from passengers of an autonomous vehicle includes a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of passengers of the autonomous vehicle from the autonomous vehicle equipped with a non-contact vital sensor, a reception unit that receives inquiries from passengers of the autonomous vehicle and determines whether or not human response is required depending on the content of the inquiry, a setting unit that sets a priority for manned inquiries that require human response depending on the passenger's biometric information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a notification processing unit that notifies the monitor of information regarding the manned inquiry together with information regarding the set priority. Note that each functional unit may be realized by machine learning.

[0007] A monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a memory unit that pre-stores, as a reporting action, actions of an autonomous vehicle while it is traveling that may lead to inquiries from passengers, and an operation information acquisition unit that acquires, from the autonomous vehicle while it is traveling, information regarding an operation to be performed by the autonomous vehicle before the operation, or information regarding an operation that has been performed by the autonomous vehicle after the operation, and when at least one of the operation to be performed and the performed operation corresponds to a reporting action, the notification processing unit may notify passengers of information explaining the operation.

[0008] In a monitoring support system of one embodiment of the present invention, the notification processing unit may notify passengers of information regarding the driving status of the autonomous vehicle when a predetermined first condition is met in the passenger's biometric information, regardless of whether an inquiry is made or not.

[0009] A monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes an image acquisition unit that acquires images of the inside and outside of the autonomous vehicle from an imaging device installed in the autonomous vehicle, and the notification processing unit may notify passengers of information regarding the driving status of the autonomous vehicle when a predetermined second condition is satisfied in the passenger behavior determined from the images, regardless of whether an inquiry is made or not.

[0010] In a monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the setting unit may set the highest priority among manned inquiries made by passengers of autonomous vehicles whose destination is a medical institution.

[0011] In a monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reception unit may determine that an inquiry received from a passenger who has been notified of information explaining the operation by the notification processing unit is an inquiry that requires human response.

[0012] In a monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a first condition is met for the biometric information acquired by the acquisition unit, the setting unit may set a priority depending on at least one of the duration for which the first condition is met and the number of passengers having biometric information for which the first condition is met.

[0013] In a monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a second condition is met in the passenger behavior acquired by the acquisition unit, the setting unit may set a priority depending on at least one of the duration for which the second condition is met and the number of passengers for whom the second condition is met.

[0014] A control method of a monitoring support device that supports human responses by a remote monitor to inquiries from passengers of an autonomous vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of the monitoring support device acquiring biometric information of passengers of the autonomous vehicle from the autonomous vehicle equipped with a non-contact vital sensor, accepting inquiries from passengers of the autonomous vehicle and determining whether or not human response is required depending on the content of the inquiry, setting a priority for manned inquiries that require human response depending on the passenger's biometric information acquired in the acquiring step, and notifying the monitor of information regarding the manned inquiries together with information regarding the set priority.

[0015] A control program of a monitoring support device according to one embodiment of the present invention, which supports human responses by a remote monitor to inquiries from passengers of an autonomous vehicle, provides the monitoring support device with the following functions: a function for acquiring biometric information of passengers of an autonomous vehicle from the autonomous vehicle equipped with a non-contact vital sensor; a function for accepting inquiries from passengers of the autonomous vehicle and determining whether or not human response is required depending on the content of the inquiry; a function for setting a priority for manned inquiries, which are inquiries that require human response, depending on the passenger's biometric information acquired by the acquiring function; and a function for notifying the monitor of information regarding the manned inquiries together with information regarding the set priority.

[0016] In the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the notification processing unit may change the manner of notification to passengers depending on the characteristics of the passengers.

[0017] In a monitoring assistance system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the notification processing unit may change the style of notification to passengers, and in the case of voice notification, at least one of the speaking speed, tone of voice, and volume, depending on at least one of the passenger characteristics, such as the number of passengers, their age, their history of riding in autonomous vehicles, their destination, whether or not they need riding assistance, and their emotions. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a monitoring support system etc. capable of providing appropriate monitoring support according to passengers of an autonomously driven vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring support system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a server (monitoring support device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an example of the human response necessity information in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4(a) and (b) show examples of conditions relating to biological information and behavior information in a monitoring support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a map used in the surveillance support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a terminal used by a remote monitor in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example of reporting operation information in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an example of the notification mode information in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11(a) and (b) are examples of the notification mode information in the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention (also referred to as the present invention) according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the number of servers (monitoring support devices), user terminals (communication terminals), storage devices, vehicles (autonomous driving vehicles), etc., data sets (tables), flow charts, display screens, etc. shown in the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0021] <Background of the Invention> As described above, in an autonomous vehicle without a driver, inquiries from passengers must be handled by a remote monitor. Before autonomous vehicles become established, passengers are likely to be unfamiliar with their operation and many inquiries are likely to occur. However, since the monitor monitors multiple autonomous vehicles, there may be cases where the monitor cannot immediately respond to inquiries. Depending on the content of the inquiry, an unmanned response using a program or AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be sufficient, so that the monitor can extract inquiries that should be handled by the monitor depending on the content of the inquiry, which leads to monitoring support for the monitor. However, some inquiries that require a human response may be urgent, such as a passenger's poor physical condition, and a response that is appropriate to the passenger's condition is required. The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned matters.

[0022] <System configuration> 1 is a schematic diagram of a monitoring support system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. The monitoring support system 600 may be a system that supports a monitor in remotely monitoring an autonomously driven vehicle 200 (200A to 200C).

[0023] In the following, as an example, the monitoring support system 600 will be described as a system that performs monitoring support for a public bus, which is an autonomous vehicle. However, the monitoring target of the monitoring support system 600 is not limited to a public bus. Also, while only three public buses are shown as autonomous vehicles in FIG. 1, the number of autonomous vehicles whose monitoring is supported by the monitoring support system 600 may be more or less than this number.

[0024] The monitoring support system 600 may include at least an autonomous vehicle 200 (200A to 200C), a server (monitoring support device) 100, a communication terminal (user terminal) 300 (300A, 300B) of a user 30 (30A, 30B) who is a passenger of the autonomous vehicle 200 (200A, 200B), and a storage device 400. The server 100 is an information processing device that supports remote monitoring by an observer of the autonomous vehicles 200A to 200C, and is communicatively connected to the autonomous vehicles 200A to 200C and the user terminals 300A and 300B via a network 500. Note that, although only one server 100 is shown in FIG. 1, this is not limiting and multiple servers may be present. The server 100 is a distributed server system that cooperates by communicating via a network, and may include an edge server or may be a so-called cloud server. That is, the server 100 is not limited to a physical server, and may include a virtual server. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit of the server 100 may be realized by machine learning or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the extent feasible. Note that, when there is no particular need to distinguish between them, the autonomous vehicles 200A-200C, the user terminals 300A and 300B, and the passenger users 30A-30C may be simply referred to as the vehicles 200, the user terminals 300, and the passengers 30, respectively.

[0025] The vehicle 200 may be a general self-driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving system and capable of running without a driver, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle 200 may be equipped with a non-contact vital sensor 201 (201A to 201C) that detects the biological information of a passenger in a non-contact manner. The non-contact vital sensor 201 is a sensor that can detect biological information (vital information) such as pulse, breathing, body temperature, and body movement in a non-contact manner, and may be an existing sensor regardless of the detection method as long as it can detect the biological information. In the figure, only one non-contact vital sensor 201 is shown in each vehicle 200, but the non-contact vital sensor 201 may be provided in a number that can sufficiently detect the biological information of the passengers depending on the size of the vehicle 200, the maximum number of passengers, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, the vehicle 200 may include imaging devices 202 (202A to 202C) that capture images of the interior of the vehicle. The imaging devices 202 may be, for example, cameras, and may be provided in multiple locations such as at places where the interior of the vehicle can be glanced at, and may capture images of the passengers 30 inside the vehicle 200. Data captured by the imaging devices 202 may be video or still images. Furthermore, the vehicle 200 may include an imaging device (not shown) that captures images of the outside of the vehicle, and may capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 200.

[0027] Furthermore, the vehicle 200 may be equipped with a reporting device (not shown). The reporting device is a device used by the passenger 30 when making some inquiry to a remote monitor, and may be, for example, a tablet terminal having a communication function. The passenger 30 may be able to input the inquiry content by operating the tablet terminal as the reporting device. The inquiry may be made by selecting an option displayed in a preset order on the tablet terminal, selecting a category of the inquiry content, and then inputting details by voice or text, or may be made by inputting the inquiry content by voice or text immediately after starting the reporting device without displaying any option. Alternatively, the inquiry by the passenger 30 may be possible from the communication terminal 300 owned by the passenger 30, without going through the reporting device. For example, an application for using a public bus may be installed on the communication terminal 300, and the inquiry may be possible via the application.

[0028] The monitoring support system 600 may further include a monitoring center (not shown) where a monitor stands by and remotely monitors and manages the vehicles 200. The server 100 may then cause a display device installed in the monitoring center to display information about each vehicle 200 (details will be described later).

[0029] The network 500 includes a wireless network and a wired network. Specifically, for example, the network 500 may be a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a long term evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, a mobile communication system for fourth generation communication (4G), fifth generation communication (5G), sixth generation communication (6G) or later, etc. Note that the network 500 is not limited to these examples, and may be, for example, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), Bluetooth (Bluetooth (registered trademark)), an optical line, a satellite communication network, a dedicated network, etc. Furthermore, the network 500 may be a combination of these.

[0030] The user terminal 300 is a communication terminal of a user who uses a public bus. Here, when the public bus is a so-called on-demand bus that runs on a route set according to a user's reservation, the user terminal 300 may transmit and receive information about the use of the public bus received from the user between the server 100. The information about the use of the public bus may refer to information that specifies the boarding and disembarking positions required when reserving a public bus, user information required when using the public bus, notifications from a monitoring support system, and the like. When the public bus is a so-called fixed-time fixed-route bus that departs and arrives at a bus stop at a time set in a timetable, the user terminal 300 may not be used. Here, in FIG. 1, a smartphone is shown as the user terminal 300, but the user terminal 300 may be any terminal that can realize the functions described in each embodiment described below.

[0031] The storage device 400 stores (contains) various information (data) used in the monitoring support system 600. Although only one storage device 400 is shown in FIG. 1, separate from the server 100, the storage device 400 may be integrated into the server 100. That is, the storage device 400 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory of the server 100. The storage device 400 may be composed of a plurality of storage devices. The storage device 400 may be connected to the server 100 through a dedicated internal network different from the network 500, or may be connected to the server 100 via the network 500.

[0032] Here, as an example of information stored in the storage device 400, the human response necessity information and the predetermined first and second conditions used in the monitoring support system 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0033] FIG. 3 is an example of a human response necessity information table TB10 that stores human response necessity information. The human response necessity information is stored in a human response necessity information DB (database) 410, and may be information indicating whether or not a human response is required for an inquiry from a passenger 30 according to the content of the inquiry. In FIG. 3, "unnecessary" is indicated when a human response is not required, and "required" is indicated when a human response is required. For example, when the inquiry content is related to "driving", "payment", "change of destination", etc., a human response is not required, and an unmanned response by a preset program or AI (Artificial Intelligence) may be performed. In contrast, when the inquiry content is "trouble between passengers", "trouble with in-vehicle equipment", etc., or when the inquiry content is "unidentifiable", which indicates that the inquiry content cannot be determined, a human response by a monitor may be performed. In addition, FIG. 3 is an example, and the information stored in the human response necessity information table TB10 may be more or less than this. For example, a priority may be set in advance for an inquiry that "requires" human response, and the priority may be associated with the human response necessity information table TB10. Furthermore, the human response necessity information may be set in advance by the service provider that provides the bus service, and may be updateable as appropriate.

[0034] 4(a) and (b) are information tables relating to predetermined first and second conditions for setting priorities for inquiries that require human response, with FIG. 4(a) being an example of a first condition table TB20 relating to biometric information, and FIG. 4(b) being an example of a second condition table TB30 relating to behavior information. The first condition table TB20 and the second condition table TB30 may be stored in a condition DB 420 relating to biometric information / behavior information. Note that FIG. 4 is an example, and the information stored in each table TB20, TB30 may be more or less than this, and may be updated as appropriate.

[0035] As described above, the vehicle 200 is equipped with a non-contact vital sensor 201, which senses the biometric information of the passenger 30. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a first condition is satisfied in the biometric information of the passenger 30 of the vehicle 200 from which an inquiry requiring human response has been transmitted, the priority of the response to the inquiry may be set high. The first condition regarding the biometric information may specify a change in the biometric information that may occur when a person feels anxiety or impatience. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when "a decrease in body temperature," "an increase in body temperature," "an increase in pulse rate," "a decrease in pulse rate," "irregular breathing," or the like is detected in the biometric information of the passenger 30, a high priority may be set for an inquiry requiring human response from the vehicle 200 in which the passenger 30 from whom such biometric information has been detected is riding. Note that, although not limited thereto, "a decrease in body temperature" may be a decrease in body temperature to 35 degrees or less. Also, "an increase in body temperature" may be a rise in body temperature to 37.5 degrees or more. An "increased pulse rate" may be a pulse rate of 25 beats per minute or more, and a "decreased pulse rate" may be a pulse rate of 9 beats per minute or less. Furthermore, "disturbed breathing" may be a decrease or increase in the number of breaths, a decrease or increase in the tidal volume, an abnormal breathing rhythm, etc. Note that, although details will be described later, regardless of whether an inquiry has been made, a notification may be made from the monitor about a vehicle 200 in which a passenger 30 whose biometric information satisfies the first condition is riding.

[0036] As described above, the vehicle 200 is provided with an imaging device 202, which captures the behavior of the passenger 30. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the behavior of the passenger 30 of the vehicle 200 to which an inquiry requiring human response is transmitted satisfies the second condition, the priority of the response to the inquiry may be set high. The second condition regarding the behavior may specify the behavior that a person may take when feeling anxious or impatient. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when the behavior of the passenger 30 includes "looking around outside the vehicle," "leaning forward in the direction of travel," "frequent seat changes," "staring at the camera in the vehicle," "impatient expression," and "faint face," the priority of the inquiry from the vehicle 200 in which the passenger 30 in which such behavior is detected is riding may be set high. Note that, although details will be described later, regardless of the presence or absence of an inquiry, a notice may be given from the monitor about the vehicle 200 in which the passenger 30 in whose behavior the second condition is riding is riding.

[0037] <Server> Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] (1) Server hardware configuration The server 100 includes a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 170.

[0039] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and may be a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. The control unit 110 may execute the functions and methods described in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 170 and executing a code or instruction included in the read program.

[0040] The communication unit 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a network interface card (NIC), communication software, or a combination of these. The communication unit 120 transmits and receives various data to and from the vehicle 200 and the user terminal 300 via the network 500. The communication unit 120 may receive various data required for monitoring the vehicle 200 from a so-called connected car that is not an autonomous driving car but has a communication function, and may transmit the results of monitoring to a monitor's terminal (not shown).

[0041] The storage unit 170 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the server 100. The storage unit 170 may include, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 170 may also include a memory that provides a working area for the control unit 110.

[0042] (2) Server Functionality Configuration The server 100 includes an acquisition unit 111, a reception unit 115, a setting unit 116, and a notification processing unit 117 as functions realized by the control unit 110. The acquisition unit 111 may include a biometric information acquisition unit 112, a motion information acquisition unit 113, and an image acquisition unit 114. In FIG. 2, functional units that are not essential to each embodiment described hereinafter may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI to the extent that they can be realized.

[0043] The acquisition unit 111 acquires information necessary for monitoring the vehicle 200, and may acquire, for example, information on the road conditions of the road on which the vehicle 200 travels via the communication unit 120. The information on the road conditions of the road is data acquired while the connected car or the vehicle 200 travels on the road, and may be, for example, data in which information such as traffic restrictions due to construction or accidents, fallen objects or obstacles on the road, rainfall, and snowfall is associated with a road ID (IDentifier) ​​of the road from which the information was acquired, together with acquired time information. The information on the road conditions of the road may be still images, moving images, sensing data, etc. acquired from a camera provided in the connected car, various sensors (ranging sensors (LiDAR (light detection and ranging), millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, etc.)) provided in the vehicle 200, and cameras (monocular cameras, stereo cameras, multi-cameras, etc.), etc.

[0044] Here, the road ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies each road, and may be set in advance by a monitor of the vehicle 200, or a road ID set in an existing dynamic map may be used. Note that a dynamic map is a map that combines high definition 3D map data, which is static information conventionally used for controlling automatic driving, with semi-static information (traffic regulations, road construction schedules, wide-area weather forecast information, etc.), dynamic information (surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, traffic light information, etc.), and semi-dynamic information (traffic accidents, traffic regulations, congestion, narrow-area weather information, etc.) that changes in real time.

[0045] 5 is a schematic diagram of a dynamic map (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "map"). In the map MAP10, the road ID may be, for example, an identifier that uniquely identifies each of the roads R1 to Ri. The map MAP10 may also include the locations of bus stops 11 to 15 and business offices 21, and the vehicle 200 may use such data to set a travel route.

[0046] Returning to Fig. 2, the biometric information acquiring unit 112 may acquire biometric information of the passenger 30 detected by the non-contact vital sensor 201 of the vehicle 200 from the vehicle 200. The biometric information may be acquired from each of the vehicles 200A to 200C at a predetermined interval such as, for example, every 3 minutes or every 5 minutes, although this is not limited thereto. The operation information acquiring unit 113 will be described later.

[0047] The image acquisition unit 114 may acquire still images or moving images captured by the imaging device 202 in the vehicle 200 or an imaging device outside the vehicle 200. The image acquisition unit 114 may also acquire data detected by various sensors such as a distance measuring sensor provided in the vehicle 200 described above.

[0048] The reception unit 115 may receive an inquiry from a passenger 30 of the autonomous vehicle 200, and determine whether or not human assistance is required depending on the content of the inquiry. The reception unit 115 may analyze information related to the received inquiry using known speech recognition processing or language processing techniques, and determine a category for the content of the inquiry. Then, the reception unit 115 may determine whether or not human assistance is required depending on whether the content of the inquiry is an inquiry for which human assistance is "required" in the human assistance necessity information table TB10 in FIG. 3.

[0049] The setting unit 116 may set a priority for a manned inquiry that requires a human response, according to the biometric information of the passenger 30 acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 112. That is, the setting unit 116 may refer to a first condition table TB20 related to biometric information and determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied for the biometric information of the passenger 30 of the vehicle 200 to which the manned inquiry was transmitted. Then, the setting unit 116 may set a priority indicating that the manned inquiry from the vehicle 200 whose biometric information satisfies the first condition is an inquiry that requires a priority response. Note that the priority setting may be performed by associating a flag or the like indicating that the manned inquiry should be prioritized.

[0050] The notification processing unit 117 may function as a notification processing unit that notifies a monitoring terminal (not shown) used by a monitor of the vehicle 200 of information related to the manned inquiry together with information related to the set priority. Fig. 6 shows an example of a screen of the monitoring terminal on which information related to the manned inquiry is displayed. Note that the figure is an example and is not limited to this. The display screen DIS10 of the manned inquiry may include, for example, a map area showing the location of the vehicle 200 from which the manned inquiry was sent, the content of the manned inquiry, and information related to the priority.

[0051] In the example of FIG. 6, a plurality of manned inquiries for which the first condition is satisfied are displayed for one monitor. In this manner, when there are a plurality of manned inquiries from vehicles 200 whose biometric information satisfies the first condition, the setting unit 116 may set the priority according to at least one of the duration of satisfaction of the first condition and the number of passengers whose biometric information satisfies the first condition. For example, the highest priority may be set to the manned inquiry for which the longest time has elapsed since the first condition was satisfied. Alternatively, the number of passengers for which the first condition is satisfied may be compared between the vehicles 200, and the priority may be set higher for vehicles with a larger number of passengers according to the number of passengers.

[0052] This allows the supervisor to respond more quickly to inquiries that require an immediate response, making it possible to provide a supervisory support system with high usability.

[0053] In addition, when there are multiple manned inquiries for which the first condition is satisfied, each monitor may be notified of one manned inquiry. That is, the notification processing unit 117 may extract multiple monitors who can immediately respond to the manned inquiries from the inquiries that the monitors are currently responding to and the status of the vehicle being monitored, and notify each monitor of information related to the manned inquiries one by one.

[0054] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the supervisor is notified of manned inquiries that should be dealt with as a priority based on the biological information of the passenger 30. Therefore, it is possible to quickly respond to inquiries according to the status of the passenger 30 while reducing the burden on the supervisor.

[0055] In order to reduce the burden on the monitor, a mechanism for reducing inquiries may be provided. For this reason, according to one embodiment of the present invention, among the operations of the autonomous vehicle 200 during its travel, operations that may lead to inquiries by the passenger 30 may be stored in advance as reporting operations. FIG. 7 is an example of a reporting operation information table TB40 stored in the reporting operation information DB430. Note that FIG. 7 is an example, and the information stored in the reporting operation information table TB40 may be more or less than this, and may be updated as appropriate. The reporting operation information may be an operation that may cause anxiety or impatience to the passenger 30 among the operations of the autonomous vehicle 200 during its travel, and may be an opportunity for the passenger 30 to make an inquiry to the monitoring center. For example, in FIG. 7, "sudden braking," "lane change," "stopping at a place without a sign," etc. by the vehicle 200 may cause anxiety to the passenger 30 if the cause of the operation by the vehicle 200 is unknown. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the reporting operation information as shown in FIG. 7 may be stored in advance, and an appropriate notification may be given to the passenger 30 when the reporting operation is performed by the vehicle 200.

[0056] A detailed description will be given. The operation information acquisition unit 113 may acquire information on the operation performed by the vehicle 200 from the vehicle 200 before the operation, or information on the operation performed by the vehicle 200 after the operation. The operation of the vehicle 200 may be transmitted from an automatic driving system mounted on the vehicle 200, and may be information on the operation (acceleration / deceleration, left / right turn, temporary stop, etc.) that the automatic driving system will perform next, or may be log data accumulated after the operation. When at least one of the operation performed by the vehicle 200 and the operation performed corresponds to a reporting operation stored in the reporting operation information table TB40, the notification processing unit 118 may notify the passenger 30 of information explaining the operation. The notification to the passenger 30 may be performed via a display installed in the vehicle 200 or via the user terminal 300.

[0057] FIG. 8 shows an example of a screen of the user terminal 300 on which information explaining the operation of the vehicle 200 is displayed. The screen 81a in FIG. 8(a) is an example of information explaining the operation of the vehicle 200 after the operation, and displays information that "sudden braking" was performed to "suddenly stop due to a bicycle jumping out". The screen 81b in FIG. 8(b) is an example of information about an operation that the vehicle 200 is about to perform, and displays information that "the vehicle is scheduled to stop temporarily due to the passage of an emergency vehicle". The notification content to the user is not limited to the illustrated one. The notification content after the operation of the vehicle 200 may be, for example, "temporarily stop on the shoulder of the road due to ambulance information received from another vehicle". The notification content before the operation of the vehicle 200 may be, for example, "change the route to travel due to lane regulation due to an accident" or "detect a fallen object on the road and avoid it by driving slowly".

[0058] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, passengers are notified of the reason for the operation of the vehicle 200, thereby preventing passengers from feeling anxious that could lead to inquiries and providing a more user-friendly monitoring support system that reduces the burden on the monitor.

[0059] As described above, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even if there is no inquiry, information explaining the operation of the vehicle 200 may be displayed. However, even if the information explaining the operation is provided, some passengers 30 may still make an inquiry. In this case, it is considered that the passengers 30 have a strong sense of anxiety, and it is desirable for a human to respond. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reception unit 115 may determine that an inquiry received from a passenger 30 who has been notified of the information explaining the operation by the notification processing unit 118 is an inquiry that requires a human response. This makes it possible to extract passengers 30 who require a human response and relieve the anxiety of the passengers 30.

[0060] In the above, a mode in which a priority is set for a manned inquiry according to the biometric information of the passenger 30 has been described. However, according to one embodiment of the present invention, regardless of the presence or absence of an inquiry, when the first condition is satisfied in the biometric information of the passenger 30, information regarding the traveling status of the vehicle 200 may be notified to the passenger 30. The information regarding the traveling status is information related to the traveling of the vehicle 200, and may be information regarding the traveling position of the vehicle 200, the traveling speed, the surrounding environment (outside temperature, tourist attractions, etc.), and the like. The information regarding the traveling status may be provided by the notification processing unit 117 in an automated voice or the like via a tablet device or speaker in the vehicle 200, or may be displayed on a display of the vehicle 200. In addition, a supervisor may call out by voice.

[0061] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a notification that reduces the anxiety of passengers is provided in accordance with the passenger's biometric information, which can reduce the number of inquiries and the burden on the supervisor.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the second condition is satisfied in the behavior of the passenger 30, the passenger 30 may be notified of information on the traveling status of the vehicle 200, regardless of whether an inquiry is made or not. The image acquisition unit 114 may acquire images of the inside and outside of the vehicle 200 from the imaging device 202 provided in the vehicle 200 or an imaging device outside the vehicle (not shown), and may determine the behavior of the passenger in the images using a known image recognition method. The notification processing unit 118 may notify the passenger 30 of information on the traveling status of the vehicle 200, when the behavior of the passenger 30 determined from the images satisfies the second condition stored in the second condition table TB30. The notification method is as described above.

[0063] In this manner, according to an embodiment of the present invention, notifications are provided that reduce passenger anxiety in response to passenger behavior, thereby reducing the number of inquiries and the burden on supervisors.

[0064] In addition, similar to the first condition related to the biometric information, when there are a plurality of manned inquiries from the vehicle 200 in which the behavior of the passenger 30 satisfies the second condition, the setting unit 116 may set the priority according to at least one of the duration of satisfaction of the second condition and the number of passengers having biometric information in which the second condition is satisfied. This allows the monitor to respond more quickly to manned inquiries that require an immediate response, and provides a monitoring support system with high usability.

[0065] <Server control flow> The process of the monitoring support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9. First, the acquisition unit 111 acquires biometric information of the passenger 30 of the autonomous vehicle 200 from the autonomous vehicle 200 equipped with the non-contact vital sensor 201 (step S11). The reception unit 115 receives an inquiry from the passenger 30 via a notification device equipped in the autonomous vehicle 200, and determines whether or not a human response is required according to the content of the inquiry (steps S12 and S13). If it is determined that no human response is required (NO in step S13), the content of the inquiry is handled unmanned by a program or AI (step S16). If it is determined that a human response is required (YES in step S13), the setting unit 116 sets a priority to the manned inquiry that is an inquiry that requires a human response according to the acquired biometric information of the passenger 30 (step S14). The notification processing unit 117 notifies the monitor of information regarding the manned inquiry together with information regarding the set priority (step S15).

[0066] <Example> A specific example to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. In recent epidemics of infectious diseases, when transporting patients in fire rescue and private ambulance vehicles, it is required to avoid contact between patients and healthy people as much as possible. In light of this background, it is expected that autonomous vehicles will be used to transport people who want medical treatment without the driver being present. On the other hand, it is possible that some people who want medical treatment may experience a sudden change in their physical condition, so it is necessary to remotely monitor changes in the physical condition of passengers and take prompt action according to the change in physical condition.

[0067] Therefore, the setting unit 116 may set the highest priority of manned inquiries from passengers of an autonomous vehicle whose destination is a medical institution among manned inquiries. That is, by implementing vehicles that transport patients (hereinafter also referred to as "patient transport vehicles"), such as taxis, private ambulances, and fire ambulances heading to hospitals, as autonomous vehicles and providing the autonomous vehicles with non-contact vital sensors and imaging devices, it becomes possible to monitor patients using the monitoring support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, deterioration of vital information or abnormal behavior of the patient may be detected, and a supervisor may call out to the patient. In addition, when there is an inquiry from a patient regarding the travel of the patient transport vehicle, it may be set so that the supervisor's response is given priority when deterioration of vital information or abnormal behavior is detected as described above.

[0068] This will reduce the chances of contact between patients and healthy people during transport, while enabling remote manned response based on the patient's vital signs.

[0069] Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical contradictions, and multiple components, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided. In addition, the configurations shown in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, each component described as being included in the server 100 may be realized by being distributed among multiple servers.

[0070] Moreover, the processes described above as being performed by the server 100 may be executed by the vehicle 200 or the user terminal 300.

[0071] Also, in the above description, a manner has been described in which, among the actions of autonomous vehicle 200 while it is traveling, the reason for an action (reporting action) that may lead to an inquiry by passenger 30 is notified to passenger 30. However, if the first condition or the second condition is not satisfied for the biometric information or behavior information of passenger 30 after the reporting action, notification to passenger 30 does not have to be provided.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the notification mode to the passenger 30 may be changed according to the characteristics of the passenger 30. The characteristics of the passenger may be information that characterizes the passenger, and may include, for example, the number of passengers, age, riding history in an autonomous vehicle, destination, need for riding assistance, gender, emotions, voice, voice volume, and the like. Here, the need for riding assistance may be information that can determine whether assistance is required when boarding or disembarking due to the use of welfare equipment such as a wheelchair, a cane, or a ramp, or due to visual or hearing impairment. Furthermore, the "emotions during the ride" may refer to the passenger's feelings such as "anger," "disgust," "fear," "joy," "sadness," "surprise," and "calmness" in addition to the above-mentioned "sense of anxiety." The above-mentioned passenger characteristics may be obtained from the user when reserving a bus as information regarding the use of the bus, or may be obtained by having the user input the information when registering for use of a service that provides the bus. However, the method of acquiring the passenger characteristics is not limited to these. For example, the passenger characteristics may be acquired by an identification processing unit of the server 100 (not shown) performing identification processing on moving images, biometric information, motion information, and the like of the passenger.

[0073] Here, the identification processing by the identification processing unit will be described. For example, the identification processing unit may process images of passengers acquired from imaging devices installed inside and outside the vehicle 200 using a known image recognition technology to identify the number of passengers, their gender, whether or not boarding assistance is required, and the emotions of the passengers. As the known image recognition technology, for example, a method based on machine learning (neural network, support vector machine, decision tree, k-nearest neighbor method, etc.) may be used. Here, the identification processing unit may estimate the emotions of the passengers from the facial expressions of the recognized passengers. For emotion estimation based on the facial expressions, an identification method using a learning model generated in advance by machine learning a combination of the facial expression and the emotion at that time may be used, but is not limited to these, and a known emotion estimation technology may be used. In addition, the identification processing unit may perform emotion recognition (emotion estimation) processing of the passengers based on the voices of the passengers in the vehicle 200. For emotion recognition by voice, a known emotion recognition technology by voice may be used. In emotion recognition from voice, for example, the emotion contained in the voice may be recognized by calculating statistics (average value, variance, slope, etc.) of feature quantities such as the pitch (frequency) and loudness of a voice extracted in a time series, and estimating the emotion category to which the feature quantity vector belongs and the coordinate value in the emotion space from the multidimensional feature quantity vector converted from the voice signal. Here, the above-mentioned machine learning method may be used for estimating the emotion based on the feature quantity vector.

[0074] The notification processing unit 117 may change the notification mode to the passenger according to the passenger's characteristics. Here, the notification mode refers to information that can be changed regarding the notification, and may be, for example, the content, text, and style of the notification to the passenger, or, in the case of automatic voice notification, the speaking speed, tone, volume, etc. of the synthesized voice. This will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. Note that Figs. 10 and 11 are merely examples, and the change in the notification mode is not limited to those shown in the drawings, and passenger characteristics may be classified more finely or more roughly.

[0075] FIG. 10 is an example of a notification mode table TB50 in which notification modes to be used are associated with the characteristics of passengers. The notification mode table TB50 may be stored in the storage device 400. The notification processing unit 117 may perform notification according to the characteristics of passengers by referring to the notification mode table TB50. For example, if the passenger is 10 years old or younger, the content to be notified may be generated in simple expressions that even children can understand. The content to be notified may refer to vehicle announcements in text or automatic voice, such as responses to inquiries from passengers as described above, how to get on and off the vehicle, how to pay the fare, destination guidance, and advertisements. Here, the content to be notified may be stored in advance in the storage device 400 in a form or style that is changed for each passenger's characteristics. Alternatively, keywords (words) of the content to be notified may be stored in the storage device 400, and a sentence may be automatically generated in a notification mode according to the passenger's characteristics using a known natural language processing technique, and output by at least one of text and voice.

[0076] Continuing with the explanation of the notification mode table TB50 in Fig. 10. If the passenger's characteristics include age 60 or over, the notification processing unit 117 may notify in simple terms that avoid foreign words and IT (Information Technology) terms that have only recently started to be used. If the passenger's characteristics include age 11 to 59, the notification may be made in a form that uses everyday terms without using the above-mentioned simple expressions.

[0077] Furthermore, the notification processing unit 117 may notify a passenger who requires assistance when getting on and off the vehicle 200 of information about facilities for people requiring assistance, such as ramps. Furthermore, the notification processing unit 117 may notify a passenger who is riding the vehicle 200 for the first time or a passenger for whom a predetermined period of time has passed since the last time he or she rode, according to the passenger's riding history, of information about the boarding and alighting methods, payment methods, and driving routes, as well as information about the behavior of the vehicle, such as the speed of the vehicle 200 and points to stop at.

[0078] In addition, when there are many passengers in the vehicle 200, it is expected that the notification may be difficult to hear due to conversations between the passengers. Therefore, the notification processing unit 117 may increase or decrease the volume of the notification or the pitch of the voice depending on the number of passengers. Similarly, the notification processing unit 117 may change the volume and tone of the notification depending on the voice and volume of the passengers and the noise outside the vehicle 200. The above-mentioned notification modes may be combined depending on the characteristics of the passengers.

[0079] 11(a) and (b) are examples of notification mode tables TB60 and TB70 that associate notification modes to be used according to passenger characteristics. The notification mode tables TB60 and TB70 may be tables that associate notification modes when outputting content to be notified by voice with each passenger characteristic. Note that the tables shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0080] The notification processing unit 117 may perform voice notification according to the characteristics of the passenger, with reference to the notification mode table TB60, 70. For example, when the destination of the passenger is a "recreation spot", the notification processing unit 117 may set the speech speed of the voice to "1.1 times faster" than the reference value. The reference value of the speech speed may be set in advance, for example, "5.1 to 6 characters / second", but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the notification processing unit 117 may synthesize a voice including an emotional expression according to the characteristics of the passenger. For example, when the destination of the passenger is a "recreation spot", the notification processing unit 117 may output the content to be notified in a voice including an emotional expression of "fun and joy". An existing voice synthesis technology may be used to generate the voice including the emotional expression. In the example of the notification mode table TB60 in FIG. 11(a), when the destination of the passenger is a "hospital", the notification processing unit 117 may set the speech speed of the voice to "0.8 times faster" than the reference value and output a voice including an emotional expression of "calmness". At least one of the following may be performed: changing the speech rate and outputting a voice including an emotional expression.

[0081] Furthermore, the notification processing unit 117 may refer to the notification mode table TB70 and change the notification mode according to the passenger's emotion. When it is estimated from the above-mentioned classification processing unit that the passenger's emotion is "fear / surprise", the notification processing unit 117 may set the speech rate to "0.7 times faster" than the reference value and output a voice including an emotional expression of "relief / calmness". For example, when it is estimated that the passenger is "fear / surprise" due to sudden braking of the vehicle 200, the notification processing unit 117 may output a voice indicating that "the vehicle has suddenly stopped due to a bicycle jumping out", but at this time, the speech rate may be slower than the reference value and a voice including an emotional expression of "calmness" may be output. This can give the passenger a sense of security and calm them down.

[0082] In addition, when the passenger's destination is a "recreation spot", the notification processing unit 117 may output a voice with a speech speed "1.1 times faster" than the reference value and an emotional expression of "fun and joy". For example, when informing a passenger whose destination is a zoo of a payment method for a fare, the notification processing unit 117 may output a voice with a speech speed faster than the reference value and an emotional expression of "fun and joy". This makes it possible to provide guidance that is in tune with the passenger's feelings and acceptable to the passenger. The notification modes of Figs. 10 and 11 may be combined. For example, when the passenger is 10 years old or younger and the destination is a recreation spot, the notification processing unit 117 may notify in a voice with an emotional expression of fun and joy in a simple manner that children can understand, at a speech speed 1.1 times faster than the reference value.

[0083] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the manner of notification to the passenger may be changed depending on the characteristics of the passenger. This allows the user to be given an appropriate message when a service is provided by an autonomous vehicle without a driver, and allows the passenger to receive guidance that is in line with the passenger's emotions and is more acceptable to the passenger.

[0084] In addition to the above-mentioned voice signal, emotion recognition from voice may also be performed from the contents of speech. Furthermore, the emotion of a passenger may be estimated not only from the above-mentioned facial expression and voice, but also from biological information such as pulse rate, number of breaths, and sweating, and information on the passenger's movements such as looking around or walking around the vehicle, or by combining these pieces of information.

[0085] Furthermore, when notifying the user, a voice or writing style estimated from a music listening service or a social networking service (SNS) used by the user may be used.

[0086] Each functional unit of the server 100 and the vehicle 200 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) or a dedicated circuit formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)) or the like, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each functional unit may be realized by one or more integrated circuits, and the functions of multiple functional units may be realized by one integrated circuit. Furthermore, the above-mentioned server 100 may be realized by multiple server computers, and depending on the function, it may be realized by calling an external platform or the like using an API (Application Programming Interface) or the like.

[0087] When each functional unit of the server 100 is realized by software, the server 100 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that is software that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or storage device (these are referred to as "recording media") in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or CPU), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which the program is expanded. The object of the present invention is achieved by the computer (or CPU) reading and executing the program from the recording medium. That is, the server 100 according to the present invention functions as each of the above-mentioned components by the CPU executing the program loaded on the RAM. As the recording medium, a "non-transient tangible medium", for example, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, etc. can be used. The program may also be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) capable of transmitting the program. The present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0088] The above program may be implemented using, for example, a scripting language such as ActionScript, JavaScript (registered trademark), Python, or Ruby, an object-oriented programming language such as C language, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, or Java (registered trademark), or a markup language such as HTML5. Furthermore, the term "section, module, or unit" in the claims may be read as "means" or "circuit." For example, a communication section may be read as a communication means or a communication circuit.

[0089] Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure may be provided to the server 100 via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) capable of transmitting the program.

[0090] According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, it becomes possible to operate autonomous vehicles safely and comfortably even when elderly people or children are on board, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to make cities and towns inclusive and inclusive. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 100 Server (monitoring support device) 110 Control section 111 Acquisition Department 112 Biometric information acquisition unit 113 Operation information acquisition unit 114 Image acquisition unit 115 Reception 116 Setting section 117 Notification Processing Unit 120 Communications Department 170 Storage section 200 Self-driving vehicles 300 User terminal (communication terminal) 400 storage device 500 Network 600 Surveillance Support System 30 passengers (users)

Claims

1. A monitoring support system that supports a remote monitor in an autonomous driving vehicle in which a driver is absent, A storage unit that stores in advance, among actions by the autonomously driven vehicle while the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling, stopping or slowing down as a predetermined action that may lead to an inquiry by a passenger of the autonomously driven vehicle; an operation information acquisition unit that acquires, from the autonomously driven vehicle while it is traveling, information regarding an operation to be performed by the autonomously driven vehicle before the operation, or information regarding an operation performed by the autonomously driven vehicle after the operation; A monitoring support system comprising: a notification processing unit that, when an action to be performed by the autonomous vehicle or an action that has been performed by the autonomous vehicle corresponds to the specified action of stopping or slowing down, notifies the passenger of information explaining the action to be performed or the action that has been performed.

2. A reception unit is further provided which receives inquiries from passengers of the autonomous vehicle and determines whether or not a human response by the monitor is required depending on the content of the received inquiry; The reception unit determines that human assistance is not required when the content of the inquiry relates to at least one of driving, payment, and a change of destination; The monitoring support system responds to the inquiry that is determined not to require a human response using a program or AI. The monitoring support system according to claim 1 .

3. The reception unit determines that a human response is required when the content of the inquiry is at least one of a problem between passengers, a problem with on-board equipment, and an indeterminable content. The monitoring support system according to claim 2 .

4. The notification processing unit notifies passengers who are riding in the autonomous vehicle for the first time or passengers for whom a predetermined period of time has passed since their last ride, of information regarding at least one of how to board and disembark the autonomous vehicle, how to pay the fare, the driving route, the speed, and points at which to stop, based on the passenger's riding history in the autonomous vehicle. The monitoring support system according to claim 1 .

5. The notification processing unit notifies the passenger who requires boarding assistance of information regarding assistance-requiring facilities provided in the autonomous vehicle. The monitoring support system according to claim 1 .

6. The notification processing unit outputs a signal of at least one of text and voice to notify the passenger of information regarding at least one of how to get on and off the autonomous vehicle, how to pay the fare, the destination, and advertisements. The monitoring support system according to claim 1 .

7. The storage unit stores keywords for the content of the notification to the passenger, the notification processing unit automatically generates a sentence from the keyword by natural language processing, and outputs a signal related to at least one of text and voice for notifying the passenger of the generated sentence. The monitoring support system according to claim 1 .

8. A control method for a monitoring assistance device that assists a remote monitor in an autonomous driving vehicle in which a driver is absent, The monitoring support device a step of storing in advance as a predetermined action, among actions by the autonomously driven vehicle while the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling, stopping or slowing down as an action that may lead to an inquiry by a passenger of the autonomously driven vehicle; acquiring, from the autonomously driven vehicle while it is traveling, information regarding an operation to be performed by the autonomously driven vehicle before the operation, or information regarding an operation performed by the autonomously driven vehicle after the operation; A control method for a monitoring assistance device, comprising: if the action to be performed by the autonomous vehicle or the action that the autonomous vehicle has performed corresponds to the specified action of stopping or slowing down, notifying the passenger of information explaining the action to be performed or the action that the autonomous vehicle has performed.

9. A control program for a monitoring assistance device that assists a remote monitor in an autonomous driving vehicle in which a driver is absent, For monitoring support devices, A function of pre-storing, among the actions of the autonomously driven vehicle while the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling, stopping or slowing down as a predetermined action that may lead to an inquiry by a passenger of the autonomously driven vehicle; A function of acquiring information regarding an operation to be performed by the autonomously driven vehicle from the autonomously driven vehicle while the autonomously driven vehicle is traveling before the operation, or acquiring information regarding an operation performed by the autonomously driven vehicle after the operation; A control program for a monitoring support device that realizes a function of notifying the passenger of information explaining the action to be performed or the action that has been performed by the autonomous vehicle when the action to be performed or the action that has been performed by the autonomous vehicle corresponds to the specified action of stopping or slowing down.

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