Information processor, information processing method, and system

Abstract

To prevent a user from touching a vehicle window under opening / closing movement thereof while the window is being opened / closed by remote control.SOLUTION: An information processor determines whether or not all of conditions for a specified vehicle are met if a driving system is stopped and no electronic key is found inside the vehicle; sends, if all of the conditions are met, a command to the vehicle to start opening / closing the window without asking the user of the vehicle whether or not to open or close the window; obtains information for determining whether or not a person is inside the vehicle while opening / closing the window; and sends, if a person is determined to be inside the vehicle, a command to the vehicle to stop opening / closing the window.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a system.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a technique for automatically closing a window of a vehicle when it is detected that a user having a key has been away from the vehicle for a certain period of time and the window of the vehicle is open (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to suppress a user from contacting a window being opened or closed when remotely operating the window of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is when a predetermined condition regarding opening and closing of a window of a vehicle is satisfied, transmitting a command to start opening and closing of the window to the vehicle, acquiring information for determining whether or not a person is present in the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window, when it is determined that a person is present in the vehicle, transmitting a command to stop opening and closing of the window to the vehicle, and an information processing apparatus including a control unit that executes the above.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a computer When a predetermined condition for opening and closing a window of a vehicle is satisfied, send a command to start opening and closing the window to the vehicle. Obtain information for determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window. When it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, send a command to stop opening and closing the window to the vehicle. It is an information processing method for performing the above.

[0007] One of the other aspects of the present disclosure is A system including a vehicle and a server, The vehicle Transmits information regarding a predetermined condition for opening and closing a window to the server, When receiving a command to start opening and closing the window from the server, starts opening and closing the window, Transmits information regarding whether a person is present inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window to the server, When receiving a command to stop opening and closing the window from the server, stops opening and closing the window, The server When a predetermined condition for opening and closing a window of the vehicle is satisfied, sends a command to start opening and closing the window to the vehicle, Obtains information for determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window from the vehicle, When it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, sends a command to stop opening and closing the window to the vehicle. It is a system.

[0008] Also, another aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the above information processing method, or a storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent a user from contacting a window being opened or closed when remotely operating the window of a vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit. When a predetermined condition regarding the opening and closing of a window of a vehicle is satisfied, the control unit transmits a command to start the opening and closing of the window to the vehicle, acquires information for determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window, and when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmits a command to stop the opening and closing of the window to the vehicle.

[0012] The predetermined condition is a condition for starting the opening and closing of a window of the vehicle. The predetermined condition is a condition for determining that the vehicle has been parked. For example, when it is detected that the driver has stopped the vehicle function and left the vehicle, it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied. On the other hand, after starting the opening and closing of the window, the presence of a person inside the vehicle is one of the conditions for stopping the opening and closing of the window. Thus, the condition for starting the opening and closing of the window and the condition for stopping the opening and closing of the window may be different.

[0013] When a command to start the opening and closing of the window is transmitted to the vehicle, the opening and closing of the window is started in the vehicle. Here, when the driver of the vehicle leaves the vehicle without noticing a person inside the vehicle, etc., the predetermined condition may be satisfied and the opening and closing of the window may be started. In this case, there is a risk that the person left inside the vehicle may come into contact with the window. Therefore, the control unit determines whether a person is present inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window. For this determination, for example, the detection value of a sensor that detects a moving object transmitted from the vehicle can be used. For example, when a moving object is detected inside the vehicle, it may be determined that a person is present inside the vehicle. And when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, by transmitting a command to stop the opening and closing of the window to the vehicle, the opening and closing of the window is stopped in the vehicle, so that it is possible to prevent the person inside the vehicle from coming into contact with the window. Note that in the present disclosure, the window of the vehicle may include a sunroof.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Also, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0015] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to the present embodiment. The system 1 is a system capable of opening and closing a window 10A of a vehicle 10 by remote operation. The opening and closing of the window 10A by remote operation is executed when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Here, when detecting that there is no person in the vehicle by a sensor is not included in the predetermined condition, even when the predetermined condition is satisfied, there may be a person in the vehicle. For example, there may be a case where the user forgets that there is a person in the vehicle, parks the vehicle, and leaves the vehicle. In such a case, if the window 10A is opened and closed by remote operation, there is a risk that the person left in the vehicle may come into contact with the window 10A being opened and closed.

[0016] On the other hand, when a person is detected in the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window 10A, the center server 30 stops the opening and closing of the window 10A. When the opening and closing of the window 10A is stopped, the fact is notified to the user terminal 20, or the fact that there is a person in the vehicle is notified to the user terminal 20.

[0017] In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a vehicle 10, a user terminal 20, and a center server 30. The user terminal 20 is a mobile terminal possessed by the user. Also, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle associated with the user terminal 20. The vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the center server 30 are interconnected by a network N1. Note that the network N1 is, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication networks may be adopted. Also, the network N1 may include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Further, the vehicle 10 is connected to the user terminal 20 via a network N2 including short-range wireless communication and the like. Although one vehicle 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 by way of example, a plurality of vehicles 10 may exist. Also, a plurality of users and user terminals 20 may exist according to the number of vehicles 10.

[0018] Based on FIG. 2, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the center server 30 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of each of the vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the center server 30 that constitute the system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0019] The center server 30 has the configuration of a general computer. The center server 30 includes a processor 31, a main memory unit 32, an auxiliary storage unit 33, and a communication unit 34. These are interconnected by a bus.

[0020] The processor 31 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like. The processor 31 controls the center server 30 and performs various information processing operations. The main memory unit 32 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), or the like. The auxiliary storage unit 33 is an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive), a removable medium, or the like. The auxiliary storage unit 33 stores an operating system (Operating System: OS), various programs, various tables, and the like. The program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33 is loaded by the processor 31 into the working area of the main memory unit 32 and executed, and through the execution of this program, each component and the like are controlled. Thereby, the center server 30 realizes a function that meets a predetermined purpose. The main memory unit 32 and the auxiliary storage unit 33 are computer-readable recording media. Note that the center server 30 may be a single computer or a combination of multiple computers. Also, the information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33 may be stored in the main memory unit 32. Further, the information stored in the main memory unit 32 may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33. Note that the processor 31 is an example of the control unit according to the present disclosure.

[0021] The communication unit 34 is a means for communicating with the vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20 via the network N1. The communication unit 34 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board and the wireless communication circuit are connected to the network N1.

[0022] Note that a series of processes executed by the center server 30 can be executed by hardware or by software.

[0023] Next, the user terminal 20 will be described. The user terminal 20 is a small computer such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal information terminal, a wearable computer (such as a smartwatch), or a personal computer (PC). The user terminal 20 includes a processor 21, a main memory unit 22, an auxiliary storage unit 23, an input unit 24, a display 25, a communication unit 26, and a position information sensor 27. These are interconnected by a bus. Since the processor 21, the main memory unit 22, and the auxiliary storage unit 23 are the same as the processor 31, the main memory unit 32, and the auxiliary storage unit 33 of the center server 30, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0024] The input unit 24 is a means for receiving an input operation performed by the user, and is, for example, a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, or a push button. The display 25 is a means for presenting information to the user, and is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The input unit 24 and the display 25 may be configured as a single touch panel display.

[0025] The communication unit 26 is a communication means for connecting the user terminal 20 to the network N1 or the network N2. The communication unit 26 is, for example, a mobile communication service (for example, a telephone communication network such as 5G (5th Generation), 4G (4th Generation), 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc.), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. It is a circuit for communicating with other devices (such as the vehicle 10 or the center server 30, etc.) via the network N1 or the network N2 using a wireless communication network.

[0026] The position information sensor 27 acquires the position information (for example, latitude and longitude) of the user terminal 20. The position information sensor 27 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a wireless L AN communication unit, etc.

[0027] Next, the vehicle 10 will be described. The vehicle 10 includes a processor 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary storage unit 13, a window actuator 14, a window sensor 15, a communication unit 16, a locking / unlocking unit 17, an IG switch 18, and an intrusion sensor 19. These are interconnected by a bus. Since the processor 11, the main memory unit 12, the auxiliary storage unit 13, and the communication unit 16 are the same as the processor 21, the main memory unit 22, the auxiliary storage unit 23, and the communication unit 26 of the user terminal 20, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0028] The window actuator 14 is an actuator for opening and closing the window glass and is typically an electric motor. The window sensor 15 is a sensor for detecting the opening degree of the window glass. Note that the window sensor 15 may be a sensor for detecting that the opening degree of the window glass is a predetermined opening degree. For example, the window sensor 15 may be a sensor capable of detecting whether the window is fully closed.

[0029] The unlocking and locking unit 17 unlocks and locks the door of the vehicle 10. The IG switch 18 is a switch for the user to start the vehicle 10 or stop the functions of the vehicle 10 by pressing it. The intrusion sensor 19 is a sensor for detecting that a person has entered the vehicle or that there is a person in the vehicle, and is typically an infrared sensor, an image sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, a vibration sensor, or a microphone, etc. The intrusion sensor 19 can be used in common with the sensor used in the security system. In this case, it is not necessary to newly provide the intrusion sensor 19.

[0030] Next, the functions of the center server 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the center server 30. The center server 30 includes a control unit 301 and a vehicle information DB 311 as functional components. The processor 31 of the center server 30 executes the processing of the control unit 301 by a computer program on the main storage unit 32.

[0031] The vehicle information DB 311 is constructed by a program of a database management system (DBMS) executed by the processor 31 to manage the data stored in the auxiliary storage unit 33. The vehicle information DB 311 is, for example, a relational database.

[0032] Note that a part of the processing of the control unit 301 may be executed by another computer connected to the network N1.

[0033] The control unit 301 acquires information about the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as vehicle information). The vehicle information is information for associating the vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20. The vehicle information stores a vehicle ID that is an identifier unique to the vehicle 10, a user ID that is an identifier unique to the user, and a user terminal ID that is an identifier unique to the user terminal 20. This information is registered in advance by the user using the user terminal 20 to the center server 30. When the control unit 301 acquires the vehicle information, it stores it in the vehicle information DB 311.

[0034] When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 301 opens and closes the window 10A of the vehicle 10 by remote operation. Therefore, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied. The predetermined condition is a condition for determining that the vehicle 10 is parked. As an alternative, the predetermined condition may be a condition for determining that the user is not in a state of driving the vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 is parked, the user cannot immediately open and close the window 10A of the vehicle 10. Therefore, for example, if the user forgets to close the window 10A, the window 10A will remain open.

[0035] The predetermined condition is, for example, that the function of the vehicle 10 is in a stopped state (shut-down state), and that the user is away from the vehicle 10. In such a state, it can be said that the vehicle 10 is in a parked state. The control unit 301 uses the function of the smart key 101A described later to determine whether or not the electronic key 201A described later exists inside the vehicle. If the electronic key 201A does not exist inside the vehicle, it is considered that the user has got out of the vehicle 10 with the electronic key 201A. In addition, the control unit 301 acquires the start state of the vehicle 10. That is, it is acquired whether or not the user has shut down the vehicle 10 by pressing the IG switch 18. If the vehicle 10 is in a parked state, it is considered that the user will not immediately drive the vehicle 10.

[0036] The control unit 301 determines whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied based on the detection state of the electronic key 201A and the start state of the vehicle 10 transmitted from the vehicle 10. That is, if the electronic key 201A is detected by the vehicle 10 and the function of the vehicle 10 is in a stopped state (shut-down state), it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied. The detection state of the electronic key 201A and the start state of the vehicle 10 may be transmitted from the vehicle 10 at a predetermined interval, or may be transmitted when the detection state of the electronic key 201A or the start state of the vehicle 10 changes.

[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied is determined based on the detection state of the electronic key 201A and the startup state of the vehicle 10. However, the predetermined condition is not limited to these. For example, instead of the detection state of the electronic key 201A, the state of the door lock may be used as a condition. That is, if the door is locked from outside the vehicle and the vehicle 10 is in a shutdown state, it may be determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied. Further, for example, when the vehicle 10 is in a shutdown state and the door has been opened and closed once, it can be considered that the driver has gotten out of the vehicle, so it may be determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0038] Further, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the window 10A is open based on the detection value of the window sensor 15 transmitted from the vehicle 10. The detection value of the window sensor 15 may be transmitted, for example, simultaneously with the detection state of the above-described electronic key 201A, or may be transmitted only once when the vehicle 10 is shut down (that is, when the IG switch 18 is pressed).

[0039] Then, for example, when the above-mentioned predetermined conditions are satisfied and window 10A is open, the control unit 301 generates an inquiry as to whether to close window 10A and transmits it to the user terminal 20. And when the control unit 301 receives an answer from the user terminal 20 to close window 10A, it generates a command to close window 10A and transmits it to the vehicle 10. As an alternative method, the opening and closing of window 10A of the vehicle 10 may be performed regardless of the user's request. For example, when the predetermined conditions are satisfied and window 10A is open, window 10A may be closed. Also, an inquiry to the user is not essential. When there is a request from a user who noticed that they parked with window 10A open and the above-mentioned predetermined conditions are satisfied, a command to close window 10A may be generated and transmitted to the vehicle 10. Further, as an alternative method, for example, when the above-mentioned predetermined conditions are satisfied and window 10A is open, the control unit 301 may only notify the user terminal 20 that window 10A is open. As a result, when the user requests to close window 10A from the user terminal 20, a command to close window 10A may be generated and transmitted to the vehicle 10.

[0040] Also, after transmitting a command to close window 10A to the vehicle 10, the control unit 301 receives the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 from the vehicle 10. And the control unit 301 determines whether there is a person in the vehicle based on the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19. And when it is determined that there is a person in the vehicle, a command for stopping the opening and closing of window 10A is generated and transmitted to the vehicle 10. Also, information regarding the stopping of the opening and closing of window 10A is generated and transmitted to the user terminal 20. This information may include information for notifying the user that there is a person in the vehicle.

[0041] Next, the functions of the vehicle 10 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 includes a control unit 101 as a functional component. The processor 11 of the vehicle 10 executes the processing of the control unit 101 by a computer program on the main storage unit 12. However, a part of the processing of the control unit 101 may be executed by a hardware circuit.

[0042] The control unit 101 has the function of a smart key 101A that locks and unlocks a door by operating the locking and unlocking unit 17 based on a signal from the user terminal 20. The control unit 101 uses the function of this smart key 101A to perform short-range wireless communication with the electronic key 201A described later. Then, for example, information regarding whether the smart key 101A can communicate with the electronic key 201A or information regarding the intensity of the radio wave from the electronic key 201A is transmitted to the center server 30 as the detection state of the electronic key 201A.

[0043] The control unit 101 transmits the detection value of the window sensor 15, the detection state of the electronic key 201A, the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19, and the startup state of the vehicle 10 to the center server 30 at predetermined intervals. Note that the transmission of this information may be limited to those in which there are changes in the detection values and the like. Also, when the control unit 301 receives a command from the center server 30 via the communication unit 16, it executes processing according to the command.

[0044] The detection value of the window sensor 15 is information related to whether the window is open or the degree of opening of the window. The detection state of the electronic key 201A indicates the communication state between the smart key 101A and the electronic key 201A, and is information that can determine whether a user having the electronic key 201A is present inside the vehicle. The detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 is information that can determine whether a person is present inside the vehicle. The startup state of the vehicle 10 is information that can determine whether the vehicle 10 is started or its functions are stopped. The startup state of the vehicle 10 changes, for example, when the user presses the IG switch 18.

[0045] When the control unit 101 receives a command from the center server 30 to close the window 10A, it activates the window actuator 14 to close the window 10A. At this time, the window actuator 14 is activated until the opening degree of the window 10A detected by the window sensor 15 becomes fully closed. As another method, when the control unit 101 receives a command from the center server 30 to set the opening degree of the window 10A to a predetermined opening degree, the window actuator 14 may be activated until the opening degree of the window 10A detected by the window sensor 15 becomes the predetermined opening degree.

[0046] Also, when the control unit 101 activates the window actuator 14 based on a command from the center server 30, it transmits the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 to the center server 30. The detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 may be transmitted to the center server 30 every predetermined time, or may be transmitted to the center server 30 when the detection value changes. After transmitting the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 to the center server 30, if the control unit 101 receives a command from the center server 30 to stop the opening and closing of the window 10A, the control unit 101 stops the window actuator 14. When the control unit 101 stops the window actuator 14, it may notify the center server 30 that the window actuator 14 has been stopped.

[0047] Next, the functions of the user terminal 20 will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 201 as a functional component. The processor 21 of the user terminal 20 executes the processing of the control unit 201 by a computer program on the main storage unit 22. However, a part of the processing of the control unit 201 may be executed by a hardware circuit. The control unit 201 has the function of the electronic key 201A of the smart key system. As another method, the user may possess a terminal having the function of an electronic key separately from the user terminal 20. The control unit 201 (electronic key 201A) establishes communication with the smart key 101A of the vehicle 10 and causes the vehicle 10 to be locked and unlocked.

[0048] In addition, the control unit 201 receives an inquiry regarding the opening and closing of window 10A from the center server 30. For example, when window 10A is open, it receives an inquiry as to whether window 10A should be closed. Upon receiving this inquiry, the control unit 201 causes the display 25 to display a message prompting the content of the inquiry and a response. FIG. 6 is an example of an image displayed on the display 25 in response to an inquiry as to whether to close window 10A. When the user presses the "Close window" button, the control unit 201 generates information requesting that the window be closed and transmits it to the center server 30. Note that the control unit 201 may request the user to input a password or the like before generating the information requesting that the window be closed, in order to confirm whether the user operating the user terminal 20 is a legitimate user. This is an example of an image displayed on the display 25 in response to the inquiry. When the user presses the "Close window" button, the control unit 201 generates information requesting that the window be closed and transmits it to the center server 30. Note that the control unit 201 may request the user to input a password or the like before generating the information requesting that the window be closed, in order to confirm whether the user operating the user terminal 20 is a legitimate user.

[0049] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image that the control unit 201 causes the display 25 to display while window 10A is being closed. While window 10A is being closed, by displaying the image shown in FIG. 7 on the display 25, the user can know that window 10A is being closed. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an image that the control unit 20 causes the display 25 to display when the closing of window 10A is completed. When the closing of window 10A is completed, by displaying the image shown in FIG. 8 on the display 25, the user can know that window 10A has been closed. On the other hand, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an image that the control unit 20 causes the display 25 to display when the closing of window 10A fails. When the closing of window 10A fails, the image shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display 25 to notify the user. The images shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are caused by the control unit 201 to be displayed on the display 25 based on a command from the center server 30.

[0050] Next, the processing in the center server 30 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the processing of the center server 30 according to the present embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 10 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals for each vehicle 10 in the center server 30. Note that it is described that necessary information is stored in the vehicle information DB 311. Further, below, the case where the window 10A is closed will be described.

[0051] In step S101, the control unit 301 acquires information from the vehicle 10. The information acquired at this time is information regarding a predetermined condition and information regarding the opening degree of the window 10A. In step S102, the control unit 301 determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is shut down and the communication between the electronic key 201A and the smart key 101A is not established. If an affirmative determination is made in step S102, the process proceeds to step S103, and if a negative determination is made, this routine is terminated.

[0052] In step S103, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the window 10A is open. The control unit 301 determines whether or not the detection value of the window sensor 15 acquired from the vehicle 10 indicates that the window 10A is open. If an affirmative determination is made in step S103, the process proceeds to step S104, and if a negative determination is made, this routine is terminated.

[0053] In step S104, the control unit 301 generates an inquiry for transmission to the user terminal 20. This inquiry is an inquiry regarding whether or not to close the window 10A. In step S105, the control unit 301 transmits the inquiry to the user terminal 20.

[0054] In step S106, the control unit 301 determines whether or not an answer to close the window 10A has been received from the user terminal 20. When the control unit 301 receives an answer indicating a desire to close the window 10A from the user terminal 20, it determines that an answer to close the window 10A has been received. On the other hand, when the control unit 301 receives an answer indicating no desire to close the window 10A from the user terminal 20, or when no answer is received from the user terminal 20 even after waiting for a predetermined time, it treats that there is no answer to close the window 10A. If an affirmative determination is made in step S106, the process proceeds to step S107, and if a negative determination is made, this routine is terminated.

[0055] In step S107, the control unit 301 executes window closing control. The window closing control is control executed when closing the window 10 A. Here, FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the window closing control. In step S201, the control unit 301 transmits a window closing command to the vehicle 10. The window closing command is a command to close the window 10A and is generated by the control unit 301.

[0056] In step S202, the control unit 301 transmits a command to display an image during window closing to the user terminal 20. The image during window closing is the image shown in FIG. 7 and is an image indicating that the window 10A is in the process of being closed.

[0057] In step S203, the control unit 301 acquires information from the vehicle 10. The information acquired here includes the detection value of the window sensor 15 and the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19. In step S204, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the window 10A is open. If an affirmative determination is made in step S204, the process proceeds to step S206, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0058] In step S205, the control unit 301 transmits a command to the user terminal 20 to display the closed window completion image on the display 25. The closed window completion image is the image shown in FIG. 8 and indicates that the closing of window 10A has been completed. Note that, after receiving the closed window completion information (see step S307) described later, a command to display the closed window completion image on the display 25 may be transmitted to the user terminal 20.

[0059] In step S206, the control unit 301 determines whether or not there is a person inside the vehicle. The control unit 301 determines that there is a person inside the vehicle when the detection value of the intrusion sensor 19 is a value indicating that there is a person inside the vehicle. If an affirmative determination is made in step S206, the process proceeds to step S207, and if a negative determination is made, the process returns to step S203.

[0060] In step S207, the control unit 301 generates a window stop command. The window stop command is a command to stop the opening and closing of window 10A of the vehicle 10. In step S208, the control unit 301 transmits the window stop command to the vehicle 10. Also, in step S209, the control unit 301 transmits a command to the user terminal 20 to display the closed window failure image on the display 25. The closed window failure image is the image shown in FIG. 9 and indicates that the closing of window 10A has failed. By transmitting this command, the user terminal 20 is notified that the closing of window 10A has failed. Note that, after receiving the closed window stop information (see step S310) described later, a command to display the closed window failure image on the display 25 may be transmitted to the user terminal 20. Thereafter, this routine is terminated. As a result, the routine shown in FIG. 10 is also terminated.

[0061] Next, the processing in the vehicle 10 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the processing of the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. The processing shown in FIG. 12 is repeatedly executed in the vehicle 10 at predetermined time intervals.

[0062] In step S301, the control unit 101 acquires information regarding the vehicle 10. The information acquired here corresponds to the information received by the center server 30 in step S101. That is, the control unit 101 acquires the detection state of the electronic key 201A, the startup state of the vehicle 10, and the detection value of the window sensor 15. In step S302, the control unit 101 transmits the acquired information regarding the vehicle 10 to the center server 30. In step S303, the control unit 101 determines whether it has received a window closing command from the center server 30. This window closing command is transmitted from the center server 30 in step S201 of FIG. 11. If the determination in step S303 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S304; if the determination is negative, this routine is terminated.

[0063] In step S304, the control unit 101 starts the operation of the window actuator 14 to close the window 10A. In step S305, the control unit 101 acquires the detection value of the window sensor 15. That is, the control unit 101 acquires the opening degree of the window 10A. In step S306, the control unit 101 determines whether the window 10A is fully closed based on the detection value of the window sensor 15. That is, the control unit 101 determines whether the closing of the window 10A has been completed. If the determination in step S306 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S307; if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S308.

[0064] In step S307, the control unit 101 transmits window closing completion information to the center server 30. The window closing completion information is information indicating that the closing of the window 10A has been completed. Note that the process of step S307 can be omitted. On the other hand, in step S308, the control unit 101 determines whether it has received a window stop command from the center server 30. The window stop command is transmitted from the center server 30 in step S208 of FIG. 11. If the determination in step S308 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S309; if the determination is negative, the process returns to step S305.

[0065] In step S309, the control unit 101 stops the window actuator 14. Then, in step S310, the control unit 101 transmits the closed window stop information to the center server 30. The closed window stop information is information indicating that the closing of window 10A has been stopped. Note that the process of step S310 can be omitted.

[0066] Next, the first process of the user terminal 20 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the first process of the user terminal 20 according to the present embodiment. The first process is a process for answering an inquiry from the center server 30. The first process shown in FIG. 13 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals in the user terminal 20.

[0067] In step S401, the control unit 201 determines whether an inquiry has been received from the center server 30. This inquiry is an inquiry as to whether to close window 10A, and is the inquiry transmitted from the center server 30 in step S105 of FIG. 10. If an affirmative determination is made in step S401, the process proceeds to step S402, and if a negative determination is made, this routine is terminated.

[0068] In step S402, the control unit 201 causes the display 25 to display an image corresponding to the inquiry as to whether to close window 10A. At this time, the image shown in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0069] In step S403, the control unit 201 obtains an answer to the inquiry. When the user presses the "close window" button, the control unit 201 obtains an answer that the user wishes to close the window. On the other hand, when the user does not press the "close window" button within a predetermined time, the control unit 201 obtains an answer that the user does not wish to close the window.

[0070] Then, in step S404, the control unit 201 transmits the answer obtained in step S403 to the center server 30.

[0071] Next, the second process of the user terminal 20 will be described. Fig. 14 is a flowchart of the second process of the user terminal 20 according to this embodiment. The second process is a process for notifying the user of the state of the window 10A. The second process shown in Fig. 14 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals in the user terminal 20.

[0072] In step S501, the control unit 201 receives a display instruction for a closed window image from the center server 30. The command to display the window-closed image is a command sent from the center server 30 in step S202 of Fig. 11. If a positive determination is made in step S501, the process proceeds to step S502, where the control unit 201 causes the display 25 to display the window-closed image. At this time, the image shown in Fig. 7 is displayed. If a negative determination is made in step S501, the process proceeds to step S503.

[0073] In step S503, the control unit 201 determines whether or not a command to display a failed window closing image has been received from the center server 30. The command to display a failed window closing image is a command sent from the center server 30 in step S209 of Fig. 11. If a positive determination is made in step S503, the process proceeds to step S504, where the control unit 201 causes the display 25 to display the failed window closing image. At this time, the image shown in Fig. 9 is displayed. If a negative determination is made in step S503, the process proceeds to step S505.

[0074] In step S505, the control unit 201 determines whether or not a command to display a window closing completion image has been received from the center server 30. The command to display a window closing completion image is a command sent from the center server 30 in step S205 of Fig. 11. If a positive determination is made in step S505, the process proceeds to step S506, where the control unit 201 causes the window closing completion image to be displayed on the display 25. At this time, the image shown in Fig. 8 is displayed. If a negative determination is made in step S505, or if the processing of step S506 has ended, this routine is ended.

[0075] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a person is detected inside the vehicle while the window 10A of the vehicle 10 is being opened and closed remotely, by stopping the opening and closing of the window 10A, it is possible to prevent a person from coming into contact with the operating window 10A.

[0076] <Other Embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be implemented by appropriately changing it within the scope not departing from the gist thereof.

[0077] The processes and means described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0078] Also, the processes described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processes described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, it is possible to flexibly change how each function is realized by what hardware configuration (server configuration). For example, the vehicle 10 may have some or all of the functions of the center server 30.

[0079] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiment to a computer and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD disk, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Description of Symbols

[0080] 1 System 10 Vehicle 10A Window 20 User Terminal 30 Center Server 31 Processor 32 Main Memory Unit 33 Auxiliary Memory Unit 34 Communication Unit

Claims

1. Determining whether all conditions are satisfied that the driving system of a predetermined vehicle is stopped and there is no electronic key inside the vehicle; When all the conditions are satisfied, sending a command to start opening and closing the window to the vehicle without asking the user of the vehicle whether to perform opening and closing of the window; Obtaining information for determining whether there is a person inside the vehicle during the opening and closing of the window; When it is determined that there is a person inside the vehicle, sending a command to stop opening and closing the window to the vehicle; An information processing apparatus including a control unit that executes the above.

2. The control unit: Receiving a detection value of a sensor that detects a moving object inside the vehicle as information for determining whether there is a person inside the vehicle; Determining whether there is a person inside the vehicle based on the detection value of the sensor; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, which executes the above.

3. The control unit: When it is determined that there is a person inside the vehicle, sending information notifying that there is a person inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit: When it is determined that there is a person inside the vehicle, sending information notifying that the opening and closing of the window has been stopped for the reason that there is a person inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The control unit: When it is determined that there is a person inside the vehicle, sending a command to display on a display of the user terminal that there is a person inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit: When it is determined that there is a person inside the vehicle, sending a command to display on a display of the user terminal that the opening and closing of the window has been stopped for the reason that there is a person inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

7. When a computer: For a predetermined vehicle, when the driving system is stopped and there is no electronic key inside the vehicle, sending a command to start opening and closing the window to the vehicle without asking the user of the vehicle whether to perform opening and closing of the window; acquiring information for determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle during opening and closing of the window; when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmitting a command to stop opening and closing of the window to the vehicle; An information processing method for executing the above. **Claim 8** A computer receiving a detection value of a sensor that detects a moving object inside the vehicle as information for determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle; determining whether a person is present inside the vehicle based on the detection value of the sensor; The information processing method according to claim 7, for executing the above. **Claim 9** A computer when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmitting information notifying that a person is present inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8. **Claim 10** A computer when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmitting information notifying that the opening and closing of the window has been stopped because a person is present inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8. **Claim 11** A computer when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmitting a command to cause a display on a display of the user terminal to display that a person is present inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8. **Claim 12** A computer when it is determined that a person is present inside the vehicle, transmitting a command to cause a display on a display of the user terminal to display that the opening and closing of the window has been stopped because a person is present inside the vehicle to a user terminal associated with the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 7 or 8. **Claim 13** A system including a vehicle and a server, wherein the vehicle transmits information regarding an activation state of a driving system and a detection state of an electronic key to the server; when receiving a command to start opening and closing of the window from the server, starts opening and closing of the window; transmits information regarding whether a person is present inside the vehicle during opening and closing of the window to the server; when receiving a command to stop opening and closing of the window from the server, stops opening and closing of the window; wherein the server when the driving system of the vehicle is stopped and no electronic key exists inside the vehicle, transmits a command to start opening and closing of the window to the vehicle without making an inquiry to the user of the vehicle as to whether to perform opening and closing of the window. Obtain information from the vehicle to determine whether a person is present in the vehicle during opening and closing of the window, When it is determined that a person is present in the vehicle, send a command to stop the opening and closing of the window to the vehicle, System.

14. The vehicle is Equipped with a sensor for detecting moving objects inside the vehicle, As information for determining whether a person is present in the vehicle, send the detection value of the sensor for detecting moving objects inside the vehicle to the server, The system according to claim 13.

15. The server is When it is determined that a person is present in the vehicle, send information notifying that a person is present in the vehicle to the user terminal associated with the vehicle, The system according to claim 13 or 14.

Images