Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which can present messages corresponding to driver's driving desires.SOLUTION: The vehicle control device comprises: a driver specification part which specifies a vehicle driver; a driver attribute estimation part which estimates a driving level and a driving desire of the driver on the basis of vehicle information related to traveling of a vehicle, vehicle peripheral information related to a surrounding environment of the vehicle, and driver's driving operation information, in a plurality of past trips; and a message presentation part which presents messages to a driver, the messages including at least one of appreciation for driving, an indication against an unfavorable driving behavior, and an advice to driving, according to diving levels and driving desires estimated by the driver attribute estimation part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

Background Art

[0002] There is disclosed a device that gives advice on driving by quantifying and presenting the driving of a driver.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that presents the result of scoring the driving of a driver.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a uniform message is presented to all drivers. However, some drivers may have a low willingness to change their driving style after hearing the advice, that is, a low receptivity to the pointed-out issues. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to present a message with content corresponding to the driving willingness of the driver.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of presenting a message corresponding to the driving willingness of a driver.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, a vehicle control device according to the present invention includes a driver identification unit that identifies a driver of a vehicle, vehicle information related to the running of the vehicle, vehicle surrounding information related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and driving operation information of the driver in a plurality of past trips, and a driver attribute estimation unit that estimates the driving level and driving motivation of the driver based on these, and a message presentation unit that presents a message to the driver, the message including at least one of a reward for driving, a pointed-out of an undesirable driving behavior, and advice for driving, according to the driving level and driving motivation estimated by the driver attribute estimation unit.

[0008] According to this configuration, a message according to the driving motivation of the driver can be presented.

[0009] Further, in the vehicle control device according to the present invention, it is estimated that the higher the driving motivation of the driver, the lower the average occurrence frequency of undesirable driving behaviors in a predetermined number of past trips of the driver.

[0010] According to this configuration, the driving motivation of the driver can be easily estimated.

[0011] Also, in the vehicle control device according to the present invention, when the driving level of the driver is high, even if no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, instead of presenting praise for driving, the driving advice presentation unit presents appreciation for driving. When the driving level of the driver is at a general level and no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, praise for driving is presented. When an unfavorable driving behavior has occurred and the driver's driving motivation is high, points and advice for driving are presented. When the driver's driving motivation is low, compared to when the driving motivation is high, the presentation of points and advice for driving is reduced. When the driving level of the driver is low and no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, praise for driving is presented. When an unfavorable driving behavior has occurred and the driver's driving motivation is high, only advice for driving is presented. When the driver's driving motivation is low, neither points nor advice for driving are presented.

[0012] According to this configuration, appropriate advice according to the driver's driving motivation can be presented. For example, for a driver who is not good at driving and has high driving motivation, by presenting more advice to promote the improvement of driving motivation and suppressing the presentation of points for bad points, the driving motivation can be maintained. Also, for a driver who is good at driving, regardless of the level of driving motivation, by suppressing the presentation of advice and points for driving and presenting more appreciation for driving, the driving motivation can be maintained.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a message according to the driver's driving motivation can be presented.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] (Schematic Configuration of Vehicle Control Device) Using FIG. 1, the schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 10 of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle control device of the embodiment.

[0017] The vehicle control device 10 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) and diagnoses the driver's driving level and estimates the driving desire. Further, the vehicle control device 10 presents advice to the driver according to the driver's driving level and driving desire.

[0018] The vehicle control device 10 includes an ECU 12, a storage device 22, a speaker 29, and a display device 30.

[0019] ECU 12 acquires various types of information related to the driver and the vehicle in operation, which will be described later. Then, based on the acquired various types of information, ECU 12 estimates the driver's driving level and driving motivation. Also, ECU 12 presents to the driver, from speaker 29 and display device 30, a message including at least one of appreciation for driving, a pointed-out of unfavorable driving behavior, and advice for driving, according to the driving level and driving motivation.

[0020] Note that ECU 12 has a computer configuration and realizes the various functions described above by expanding and executing the pre-stored control program 24 in its own RAM.

[0021] Memory device 22 stores control program 24, driving score history data 26, and message data 28. Memory device 22 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile memory that retains the stored content even when the vehicle power is turned off.

[0022] Control program 24 is a program in which a series of procedures for operating ECU 12 as vehicle control device 10 are described.

[0023] Driving score history data 26 is the history of the driving scores of each driver, stored in association with an identification number or the like that uniquely identifies the driver. Note that the driving score is the history of the driving scores representing the driver's driving level calculated by vehicle control device 10 for each trip. Details of the driving score will be described later.

[0024] Message data 28 is a data file that stores various messages to be presented to the driver. Message data 28 includes appreciation for the driver's driving, a pointed-out of unfavorable driving behavior, and advice for driving. Also, message data 28 includes voice data and text data.

[0025] Messages presented as rewards for driving include, for example, "There was good acceleration at startup. Gentle acceleration starting slowly is also wonderful." which is a message praising good driving, "Safe driving is continuing, which is great." which is a message praising the absence of danger, "Thank you for driving." which is a message rewarding driving, etc.

[0026] Messages presented as pointers to unfavorable driving behaviors include, for example, "It seems that the safety check at a stop is not sufficient. Let's check the surroundings before starting." etc.

[0027] Messages presented as advice for driving include, for example, "At intersections, it is important to turn after calmly and thoroughly checking safety without rushing." etc.

[0028] Speaker 29 outputs the message data 28 specified by ECU 12 as voice information.

[0029] Display device 30 outputs the message data 28 specified by ECU 12 as character information or icon information. The display device 30 is, for example, a center display of a vehicle, an instrument panel installed in a meter cluster, or a HUD (head-up display), etc.

[0030] ECU 12 acquires driver information 14, vehicle information 16, vehicle surrounding information 18, and driving operation information 20.

[0031] Driver information 14 is information identifying who the driver is, information related to the behavior of the driver during driving, etc. ECU 12 acquires driver information 14, for example, from the face image of the driver or information related to the mobile phone held by the driver.

[0032] Note that ECU 12 acquires the face image of the driver from, for example, a camera installed in the vehicle. The camera can be substituted with, for example, a driver monitor camera installed in the vehicle for monitoring the state of the driver.

[0033] The ECU 12 uniquely identifies the driver from the driver's face image.

[0034] Also, the ECU 12 acquires information related to the driver's arousal level and inattentiveness from the movement of the driver's line of sight, the frequency of blinking, the expression, etc. based on the driver's face image.

[0035] Also, the ECU 12 may identify the driver who owns the mobile terminal by wirelessly connecting to the mobile terminal of the pre-registered driver and acquiring the terminal number etc. of the mobile terminal.

[0036] The vehicle information 16 is information related to the behavior of the vehicle during travel. The vehicle information 16 is, for example, vehicle speed, longitudinal G, lateral G, steering angle, travel time, etc. The ECU 12 acquires the vehicle information 16 by monitoring the sensor outputs of sensors such as a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a steering angle sensor installed in the vehicle. Note that the ECU 12 may acquire the vehicle information 16 from sensors (cameras, radars, etc.) for ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistant Systems) that perform driving assistance and are installed in the vehicle.

[0037] The ECU 12 acquires these vehicle information 16, for example, by acquiring the signals flowing through the CAN (Control Area Network) laid in the vehicle.

[0038] The vehicle surrounding information 18 is information related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle during travel. The vehicle surrounding information 18 is, for example, the distance to the vehicle ahead, the distance to the vehicle behind, the distance to the lane edge, information on road signs installed on the road during travel, information on the speed limit, the road alignment of the road during travel, etc. The ECU 12 acquires the vehicle surrounding information 18 from, for example, sensors for ADAS or a car navigation system.

[0039] The driving operation information 20 is information related to the driver's vehicle operation. The driving operation information 20 is information that indirectly represents the driver's driving operation, such as the accelerator opening, the braking force, and the steering pattern.

[0040] The ECU 12 acquires the driving operation information 20 by, for example, acquiring signals flowing through the CAN laid in the vehicle.

[0041] (Processing performed by the vehicle control device) Using FIG. 2, the content of the processing performed by the vehicle control device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the content of the processing performed by the vehicle control device.

[0042] After identifying the driver who drives the vehicle, the vehicle control device 10 diagnoses the driving state of the driver. The driving diagnosis is performed during the period from when the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on until it is turned off in the case of an engine vehicle. Also, in the case of an electric vehicle, the driving diagnosis is performed during the period from when the power switch of the vehicle is turned on until it is turned off.

[0043] The vehicle control device 10 performs a driving diagnosis that scores the driving behavior from the viewpoints of whether the driver is proficient in basic vehicle operations and whether the driver is observing traffic rules.

[0044] Regarding the specific method of driving diagnosis, since various methods have been proposed, it may be performed based on any of them. In the present embodiment, the vehicle control device 10 gives a full score (for example, 100 points) at the start of driving, and for each trip, calculates a driving score Si by a point deduction method in which a predetermined number of points corresponding to the driving behavior is deducted each time an unfavorable driving behavior is detected. Unfavorable driving behaviors are, for example, predetermined driving behaviors such as sudden acceleration, sudden braking, occurrence of sudden steering, and violation of traffic rules. Note that since the required time for each trip varies, the driving score Si may be normalized by the driving distance in the trip.

[0045] Based on the past driving scores Si of the same driver, the vehicle control device 10 estimates whether the driving level of the driver is, for example, "weak", "average", or "advanced".

[0046] Regardless of the method for estimating the driving level, for example, when the average score of the past driving scores Si of the same driver is 90 or above for m consecutive trips, the driving level is upgraded from "poor" to "average" or from "average" to "advanced". On the other hand, when the average score of the past driving scores Si of the same driver is 60 or below for m consecutive trips, the driving level is downgraded from "advanced" to "average" or from "average" to "poor". The number of trips m for determining the driving level is set to, for example, m = 5, etc.

[0047] In addition, the vehicle control device 10 estimates the driving motivation of the same driver based on the average driving score S of the past n trips of the driving score Si of the same driver. That is, the average driving score S is calculated by Equation (1).

[0048]

Number

[0049] The driving motivation is the will to improve one's own driving level. The vehicle control device 10 gives advice and pointers for improving the driving level to the driver's driving. A driver with high driving motivation reflects these advice and pointers in his or her own driving behavior and tries to reduce mistakes. Therefore, as the driving continues, it becomes less likely to make the same mistakes. That is, a driver with high driving motivation tends to have an improved average driving score S as the number of trips increases. On the other hand, a driver with low driving motivation tends to ignore advice and pointers regarding his or her own driving. Therefore, a driver with low driving motivation tends to maintain a low average driving score S even as the number of trips increases.

[0050] In addition, since a driver with a high driving level has a certain degree of self-awareness in his or her driving, it is desirable for the vehicle control device 10 to give appreciation for the driving rather than giving advice and pointers for minor mistakes.

[0051] The number of trips n for determining the driving desire is set to, for example, n = 3 or the like. Since it is desirable to evaluate the driving level over a longer span than the driving desire, the number of trips n is set to be smaller than the number of trips m described above.

[0052] In this way, the vehicle control device 10 presents a message set based on a predetermined rule to the driver in the current trip according to the driving level and the driving desire based on the driving scores Si of a plurality of past trips. The predetermined rule will be described in detail later (see FIG. 3).

[0053] (Message presentation rule) Using FIG. 3, the message presentation rule 40 presented by the vehicle control device 10 according to the driver will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the message presentation rule presented by the vehicle control device of the embodiment according to the driving level and the driving desire of the driver.

[0054] When no unfavorable driving behavior is detected, the vehicle control device 10 presents "praise" for the driving behavior to the driver. The "praise" for the driving behavior is a message including "praise" for no problem in the driving behavior and "reward" for the driving behavior. Further, when an unfavorable driving behavior is detected, the vehicle control device 10 presents "guidance" to the driver. The "guidance" for the driving behavior is a message including "advice" for preventing the unfavorable driving behavior and "pointing out" of what the unfavorable driving behavior is.

[0055] The vehicle control device 10 switches the amounts of "praise", "reward", "advice", and "pointing out" according to the driving level and the driving desire of the driver based on the message presentation rule 40 shown in FIG. 3.

[0056] When the driving level of the driver is high, that is, when the driving level is advanced, the vehicle control device 10 presents very little "praise" for driving and presents a great deal of "reward" for driving, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, even if no undesirable driving behavior has occurred. Also, even when an undesirable driving behavior has occurred, the presentation of "criticism" is minimized and no "advice" is presented. This is because if a large amount of "advice", "criticism", or "praise" is presented to a driver with a high driving level, it may go against the motivation to improve or maintain the driving level. Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 presents only the minimum necessary "criticism" to a driver with a high driving level.

[0057] In addition, when the driving level of the driver is at a general level and no undesirable driving behavior has occurred, the vehicle control device 10 presents only "praise" for driving, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, and does not present "reward" for driving.

[0058] Also, when the driving level of the driver is at a general level, the driving motivation is high, and an undesirable driving behavior has occurred, the vehicle control device 10 presents both "criticism" and "advice" for driving. This is because a driver with a general driving level and high driving motivation has a high receptivity to "advice" and "criticism" regarding driving behavior. Furthermore, for such a driver, since the method of improvement cannot be understood by "criticism" alone, it is desirable to present both "criticism" and "advice".

[0059] Also, when the driving level of the driver is at a general level, the driving motivation is low, and an undesirable driving behavior has occurred, the vehicle control device 10 presents much less "criticism" and "advice" for driving compared to when the driving motivation is high. This is because a driver with a general driving level and low driving motivation has a low receptivity to "advice" and "criticism" regarding driving behavior, and presenting a large amount of "criticism" and "advice" regarding driving behavior may further reduce the driving motivation.

[0060] Further, when the driving level of the driver is low and no unfavorable driving behavior occurs, the vehicle control device 10 presents only "praise" for driving regardless of the driver's driving motivation, and does not present "reward" for driving. This is because for a driver who is not good at driving and has low driving motivation, it is important to have an attitude of praising and encouraging to improve.

[0061] Also, when the driving level of the driver is low, the driving motivation is high, and an unfavorable driving behavior occurs, the vehicle control device 10 presents more "advice" for driving and does not present "criticism" for driving. This is because a driver who is not good at driving but has high driving motivation has a strong desire to improve driving skills. Therefore, it is more desirable to present positive advice rather than pointing out the areas that have not been achieved in order to further improve the driving motivation.

[0062] In addition, when the driving level of the driver is low, the driving motivation is low, and an unfavorable driving behavior occurs, the vehicle control device 10 does not present either "criticism" or "advice" for driving. This is because a driver who is not good at driving and has low driving motivation may ignore "criticism" and "advice" on driving behavior. For such a category of drivers, as described above, when no unfavorable driving behavior occurs, it is possible to praise and encourage them by presenting "praise" for driving.

[0063] Regarding the presentation of "praise" for driving, the vehicle control device 10 sets the highest priority for presenting "praise" for good driving to drivers with an average driving level and those who are not good at driving. Then, following the "praise" for good driving, the vehicle control device 10 presents "praise" for there being no danger, and sets the lowest priority for presenting "appreciation" for driving. Therefore, every time an event related to good driving occurs, the vehicle control device 10 presents "praise" such as "Good driving", and when it detects that there has been no danger during driving for a predetermined distance, it presents "praise" such as "Please continue your current driving style". And the vehicle control device 10 presents "appreciation" such as "Thank you for your driving" only when the ignition switch or power switch of the vehicle is turned off to end the driving. On the other hand, for drivers with a high driving level, for example, only "appreciation" for driving is presented at the end of driving.

[0064] (Functional Configuration of Vehicle Control Device) The functional configuration of the vehicle control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment.

[0065] The vehicle control device 10 realizes, as functional parts, a driver identification unit 121, a vehicle information acquisition unit 122, a vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 123, a driving operation information acquisition unit 124, a driving diagnosis unit 125, a driving level estimation unit 126, a driving motivation estimation unit 127, a driver attribute estimation unit 128, and a message presentation unit 129 shown in FIG. 4 by expanding and executing the control program 24 stored in the storage device 22 in the RAM in the ECU 12.

[0066] The driver identification unit 121 identifies the driver of the vehicle. The driver identification unit 121 identifies the driver of the vehicle based on, for example, the face image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera, the information of the driver's mobile phone wirelessly connected to the in-vehicle communication device installed in the vehicle, and the like.

[0067] The vehicle information acquisition unit 122 acquires vehicle information 16, which is information related to the behavior of the vehicle. Further, the vehicle information acquisition unit 122 determines whether the operation of the vehicle has started or the operation of the vehicle has ended by detecting the turning on of the ignition switch or the power switch, and the turning off of the ignition switch or the power switch.

[0068] The vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 123 acquires vehicle surrounding information 18, which is information related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0069] The driving operation information acquisition unit 124 acquires driving operation information 20, which is information related to the vehicle operation by the driver.

[0070] The driving diagnosis unit 125 diagnoses the driving of the driver based on the vehicle information 16 acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 122, the vehicle surrounding information 18 acquired by the vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 123, and the driving operation information 20 acquired by the driving operation information acquisition unit 124 in the current trip. Specifically, the driving diagnosis unit 125 visualizes by quantifying the driving actions of the driver. The method of quantification is not limited, but as described above, the vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment quantifies the driving actions by a deduction method.

[0071] The driving level estimation unit 126 estimates the driving level of the driver based on the diagnosis results of the driving diagnosis unit 125 in a plurality of past trips.

[0072] The driving motivation estimation unit 127 estimates the driving motivation of the driver based on the diagnosis results of the driving diagnosis unit 125 in a plurality of past trips. Specifically, the driving motivation estimation unit 127 estimates that the driving motivation of the driver is higher as the average occurrence frequency of undesirable driving behaviors in a predetermined number of past trips of the driver is lower.

[0073] The driver attribute estimation unit 128 estimates the driver attribute of the driver based on the driving level estimated by the driving level estimation unit 126 and the driving motivation estimated by the driving motivation estimation unit 127.

[0074] The message presentation unit 129 presents to the driver a message including at least one of a reward for driving, a comment on an undesirable driving behavior, and advice on driving, according to the driver attribute estimated by the driver attribute estimation unit 128. The message presentation unit 129 presents a message to the driver by voice output from the speaker 29 or by display such as text information or image information on the display device 30.

[0075] (Flow of processing performed by the vehicle control device) Using FIG. 5, the flow of processing performed by the vehicle control device 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the vehicle control device of the embodiment.

[0076] The vehicle information acquisition unit 122 determines whether the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned on (step S11). If it is determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned on (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it is determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has not been turned on (step S11: No), the determination in step S11 is repeated.

[0077] In step S11, when it is determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned on, the driver identification unit 121 performs a driver identification process for identifying the driver (step S12). The flow of the driver identification process will be described in detail later (see FIG. 6).

[0078] Subsequently, the driving level estimation unit 126 estimates the driving level of the driver identified in step S12 based on the past driving diagnosis results obtained by the driving diagnosis unit 125 (step S13). Although the specific estimation method is not limited, for example, the driving level estimation unit 126 estimates whether the driving level of the driver is, for example, "weak", "average", or "advanced" based on the transition of the past driving scores Si.

[0079] Subsequently, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 performs driver attribute estimation processing for estimating the driver attributes for setting advice to be presented to the driver based on the driving level of the driver estimated in step S13 and the driving motivation of the driver estimated by the driving motivation estimation unit 127 (step S14). The details of the flow of the driver attribute estimation processing will be described later (see FIG. 7).

[0080] The driving diagnosis unit 125 sets the driving score Si in the current trip of the driver to the maximum value (step S15).

[0081] The driving diagnosis unit 125 determines whether an undesirable driving state has occurred based on the acquired vehicle information 16, vehicle surrounding information 18, and driving operation information 20 (step S16). If it is determined that an undesirable driving state has occurred (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if it is determined that an undesirable driving state has not occurred (step S16: No), the process proceeds to step S18. Note that the undesirable driving state is, for example, non-compliance with road signs, sudden acceleration, sudden braking, or sudden steering.

[0082] In step S16, if it is determined that an undesirable driving state has occurred, the driving diagnosis unit 125 subtracts a predetermined value from the driving score Si of the driver in the current trip (step S17). Note that the predetermined value to be subtracted may be changed according to the driving state that has occurred. For example, if the undesirable driving state is minor, the deduction may be reduced, and if the undesirable driving state is serious, the deduction may be increased. Then, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0083] Subsequent to step S17, or in step S16, if it is determined that an undesirable driving state has not occurred, the message presentation unit 129 presents a message corresponding to the driver attributes of the driver set in step S14 to the driver (step S18).

[0084] The vehicle information acquisition unit 122 determines whether the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned off (step S19). If it is determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned off (step S19: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned off (step S19: No), the process returns to step S16.

[0085] In step S19, if it is determined that the ignition switch of the vehicle has been turned off, the driving diagnosis unit 125 associates the driving score Si of the current trip with the corresponding driver and stores it in the driving score history data 26 (step S20). Then, the vehicle control device 10 ends the process of FIG. 5.

[0086] (Flow of driver identification process) Using FIG. 6, the flow of the driver identification process will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the driver identification process.

[0087] The driver identification unit 121 acquires, for example, an image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera (step S31).

[0088] The driver identification unit 121 determines whether the image acquired in step S31 is of a registered driver (step S32). If it is determined that the image is of a registered driver (step S32: Yes), the process proceeds to step S33. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the image is of a registered driver (step S32: No), the process proceeds to step S34.

[0089] In step S32, if it is determined that the image is of a registered driver, the driver identification unit 121 identifies the driver as a registered driver (step S33). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0090] On the other hand, in step S32, if it is not determined that the image is of a registered driver, the driver identification unit 121 registers the driver as a new driver (step S34). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0091] (Flow of Driver Attribute Estimation Process) Using FIG. 7, the flow of the driver attribute estimation process will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the driver attribute estimation process.

[0092] The driving level estimation unit 126 changes the following processing flow according to the driving level of the driver estimated in step S13 (step S41). Specifically, in the case of a driver who is poor at driving with a low driving level, the process proceeds to step S42. Also, in the case of a driver with an average driving level, the process proceeds to step S43. And in the case of a driver with a high driving level, the process proceeds to step S48.

[0093] In the case of a driver with a low driving level, the driving motivation estimation unit 127 determines whether the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than a preset predetermined value (step S42). If it is determined that the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than the preset predetermined value (step S42: Yes), the process proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is not equal to or greater than the preset predetermined value (step S42: No), the process proceeds to step S45.

[0094] In step S42, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than the preset predetermined value, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 sets the driver's attribute to the attribute of "poor at driving and high driving motivation" (step S44). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0095] On the other hand, in step S42, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is not equal to or greater than the preset predetermined value, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 sets the driver's attribute to the attribute of "poor at driving and low driving motivation" (step S45). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0096] Return to step S43. For a driver with a normal driving level, the driving motivation estimation unit 127 determines whether the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than a preset value (step S43). If it is determined that the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than the preset value (step S43: Yes), the process proceeds to step S46. On the other hand, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is not equal to or greater than the preset value (step S43: No), the process proceeds to step S47.

[0097] In step S43, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is equal to or greater than the preset value, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 sets the driver's attribute to the attribute of "normal driving level and high driving motivation" (step S46). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0098] On the other hand, in step S43, if it is determined that the past average driving score S is not equal to or greater than the preset value, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 sets the driver's attribute to the attribute of "normal driving level and low driving motivation" (step S47). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0099] Return to step S41. In step S41, if the driver is determined to have a high driving level, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 sets the driver's attribute to the attribute of "advanced driving level" (step S48). Then, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. 5.

[0100] Note that the driver attributes set in steps S44, S45, S46, S47, and S48 respectively correspond to each row of the presentation rule 40 in FIG. 3.

[0101] (Operational effects of the embodiment) As described above, the vehicle control device 10 of the embodiment includes a driver identification unit 121 that identifies the driver of the vehicle, vehicle information 16 related to the running of the vehicle in a plurality of past trips, vehicle surrounding information 18 related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and driving operation information 20 of the driver. Based on these, a driver attribute estimation unit 128 that estimates the driving level and driving motivation of the driver, and a message presentation unit 129 that presents a message to the driver, the message including at least one of a reward for driving, a pointed-out of an undesirable driving behavior, and advice for driving, according to the driving level and driving motivation estimated by the driver attribute estimation unit 128. Therefore, it is possible to give advice according to the driving motivation of the driver.

[0102] Also, in the vehicle control device 10 of the embodiment, the driver attribute estimation unit 128 estimates that the higher the driving motivation of the driver, the lower the average occurrence frequency of undesirable driving behaviors in a predetermined number of past trips of the driver. Therefore, the driving motivation of the driver can be easily estimated.

[0103] Also, in the vehicle control device 10 of the embodiment, when the driver's driving level is high, even if no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, the message presentation unit 129 does not present praise for driving but presents appreciation for driving. When the driver's driving level is at a general level and no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, praise for driving is presented. When an unfavorable driving behavior has occurred and the driver's driving motivation is high, points and advice for driving are presented. When the driver's driving motivation is low, compared with the case where the driving motivation is high, the presentation of points and advice for driving is reduced. When the driver's driving level is low and no unfavorable driving behavior has occurred, regardless of the driver's driving motivation, praise for driving is presented. When an unfavorable driving behavior has occurred and the driver's driving motivation is high, only advice for driving is presented. When the driver's driving motivation is low, neither points nor advice for driving are presented. Therefore, by presenting appropriate advice according to the driver's driving motivation, it is possible to maintain and improve the driver's driving motivation.

[0104] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms. Also, various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Further, this embodiment is included in the scope and gist of the invention and is included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0105] 10 Vehicle control device 12 ECU 14 Driver information 16 Vehicle information 18 Vehicle peripheral information 20 Driving operation information 40 Presentation rule 121 Driver identification unit 122 Vehicle information acquisition unit 123 Vehicle surrounding information acquisition unit 124 Driving operation information acquisition unit 125 Driving diagnosis unit 126 Driving level estimation unit 127 Driving motivation estimation unit 128 Driver attribute estimation unit 129 Message presentation unit m, n Trip number Si Driving score S Average driving score

Claims

1. A driver identification unit that identifies a driver of a vehicle, Based on vehicle information related to the running of the vehicle, vehicle surrounding information related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and driving operation information of the driver in a plurality of past trips, a driver attribute estimation unit that estimates the driving level and driving motivation of the driver, A message presentation unit that presents a message to the driver, the message including at least one of a reward for driving, a pointing out of an undesirable driving behavior, and advice for driving, according to the driving level and driving motivation estimated by the driver attribute estimation unit, A vehicle control device.

2. The driver attribute estimation unit estimates that the higher the driving motivation of the driver is, the lower the average occurrence frequency of undesirable driving behaviors in a predetermined number of past trips of the driver is. The vehicle control device according to Claim 1.

3. The message presentation unit When the driving level of the driver is high, even if no undesirable driving behavior has occurred, it presents a reward for driving without presenting a reward for driving, When the driving level of the driver is at a general level and no undesirable driving behavior has occurred, it presents a reward for driving regardless of the driving motivation of the driver. When an undesirable driving behavior has occurred and the driving motivation of the driver is high, it presents a pointing out and advice for driving. When the driving motivation of the driver is low, it presents fewer pointings out and advice for driving than when the driving motivation is high. When the driving level of the driver is low and no undesirable driving behavior has occurred, it presents a reward for driving regardless of the driving motivation of the driver. When an undesirable driving behavior has occurred and the driving motivation of the driver is high, it presents only advice for driving. When the driving motivation of the driver is low, it presents neither a pointing out nor advice for driving. The vehicle control device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

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