Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To present purposes related to a behavior of a user so as to allow the user to select any one of the purposes by a method capable of suppressing degradation of attentiveness of the user.SOLUTION: An information processing device selects one or a plurality of elements of presentation information among the plurality of elements of the presentation information indicating purposes related to a behavior of a user, so as to execute processing for presentation to the user. The device performs: estimating a load on attentiveness to be required for the behavior of the user; determining, when the user is allowed to select any one of the presentation information among the presented presentation information, whether selection is to be performed by an utterance input of the user via a microphone or a manual input of the user via an operation input part, based on the load on the attentiveness; and executing processing to allow the user to select the one of the presentation information by the determined method.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Various devices have been proposed that present advice regarding driving to a driver of a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a safe driving support device including an actual operation information acquisition unit that acquires, as actual operation information, information regarding an actual operation of the host vehicle according to a driving operation of the driver, a driving scene determination unit that determines a driving scene of the host vehicle, an ideal operation information calculation unit that calculates, as ideal operation information, information regarding an ideal operation of the host vehicle using the driving scene of the host vehicle, and a presentation control unit that presents, to an information presentation unit, transition information that shows transitions of the actual operation information and transitions of the ideal operation information on the same time axis.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, as motivations for a person to take some action, it is known that there are extrinsic motivations and intrinsic motivations. Extrinsic motivation is a motivation that arises when one tries to act to achieve a goal aimed at something brought from the outside such as a reward or evaluation, and intrinsic motivation is a motivation that arises from a person's internal desires such as curiosity or a desire to explore things. Since intrinsic motivation has the action itself as the goal, it is easy to exhibit high concentration, and since the desire is satisfied by taking the action, one is motivated to act and try to optimize, so there is an advantage that one can proactively continue high-quality actions for a long time.

[0005] Therefore, when giving advice to a person who performs a predetermined action, it is considered effective to make the person select specific actions to be targeted and generate intrinsic motivation, rather than simply setting external goals for the action results. However, when making a person select specific actions to be targeted in a state where the person is mentally or operationally under a load of attention, such as during driving a vehicle, there is a risk that the person's attention will decline due to being conscious of selecting specific actions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can present goals related to a user's actions and allow the user to select any goal in a manner that can suppress a decline in the user's attention.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a presentation information storage unit that stores a plurality of pieces of presentation information indicating goals related to a user's actions; and a processing unit that selects one or more pieces of presentation information from the presentation information and executes a process of presenting the selected presentation information to the user. The processing unit estimates a load of attention required for the user's actions, and when allowing the user to select any of the presented presentation information, determines, based on the load of attention, whether to allow selection by any of a method of voice input of the user via a microphone or a method of manual input of the user via an operation input unit, and executes a process of allowing selection of any of the presentation information by the determined method.

[0008] Also, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method in which a computer selects one or more pieces of presentation information indicating a goal related to a user's behavior and presents the selected information to the user, the method including: estimating a load on the attention required for the user's behavior; determining, based on the load on the attention, how to have the user select any one of the presented pieces of presentation information, either by voice input of the user via a microphone or by manual input of the user via an operation input unit; and executing a process of having the user select any one of the presented pieces of presentation information according to the determined method.

[0009] Also, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus that selects one or more pieces of presentation information indicating a goal related to a user's behavior and presents the selected information to the user, the program causing the computer to execute a process including: estimating a load on the attention required for the user's behavior; determining, based on the load on the attention, how to have the user select any one of the presented pieces of presentation information, either by voice input of the user via a microphone or by manual input of the user via an operation input unit; and executing a process of having the user select any one of the presented pieces of presentation information according to the determined method.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to present a goal related to a user's behavior and have the user select any one of the goals by a method capable of suppressing a decrease in the user's attention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0013] <1. Configuration Example of Vehicle> First, an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle equipped with an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle 10 including an information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 is configured as a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits the drive torque output from a drive power source 9 that generates the drive torque of the vehicle 10 to the left front wheel 3LF, the right front wheel 3RF, the left rear wheel 3LR, and the right rear wheel 3RR (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "wheel 3" when not particularly distinguished). The drive power source 9 may be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, may be a drive motor, or may include both an internal combustion engine and a drive motor.

[0015] Note that the vehicle 10 may be, for example, an electric vehicle including two drive motors, a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor, or may be an electric vehicle including a drive motor corresponding to each wheel 3. Further, when the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle 10 includes a secondary battery that stores electric power supplied to the drive motor, and a generator such as a motor or a fuel cell that generates electric power to be charged into the battery.

[0016] The vehicle 10 includes a drive power source 9, a steering device 37, and a brake hydraulic control unit 20 as devices used for driving control of the vehicle 10. The drive power source 9 outputs a drive torque that is transmitted to the front-wheel drive shaft 5F and the rear-wheel drive shaft 5R via a transmission (not shown), a front-wheel differential mechanism 7F, and a rear-wheel differential mechanism 7R. The driving of the drive power source 9 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control device 40 configured to include one or a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Unit).

[0017] The steering device 37 is provided on the front-wheel drive shaft 5F. The steering device 37 includes an electric motor and a gear mechanism (not shown), and adjusts the steering angles of the left front wheel 3LF and the right front wheel 3RF by being controlled by the vehicle control device 40. The vehicle control device 40 controls the steering device 37 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 35 by the driver during manual driving. Note that the steering device 37 may be a hydraulic power steering device.

[0018] The braking system of the vehicle 10 is configured as a hydraulic braking system. The brake hydraulic control unit 20 adjusts the hydraulic pressure supplied to the brake calipers 21LF, 21RF, 21LR, 21RR (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "brake caliper 21" when not particularly distinguished) provided on the front, rear, left, and right wheels 3, respectively, and generates braking force. The driving of the brake hydraulic control unit 20 is controlled by the vehicle control device 40. When the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the brake by the hydraulic braking system is used in combination with the regenerative brake by the driving motor.

[0019] The vehicle control device 40 includes one or more electronic control devices that control the driving of the driving force source 9 that outputs the driving torque of the vehicle 10, the steering device 37 that controls the steering angle of the steering wheel 35 or the steered wheels, and the brake hydraulic control unit 20 that controls the braking force of the vehicle 10. The vehicle control device 40 may have a function of controlling the driving of the transmission that shifts the output output from the driving force source 9 and transmits it to the wheels 3. When the vehicle 10 is manually operated, the vehicle control device 40 acquires information on the operation amount by the driver's operation, and controls the driving of the driving force source 9 that outputs the driving torque of the vehicle 10, the steering device 37 that controls the steering angle of the steered wheels, and the brake hydraulic control unit 20 that controls the braking force of the vehicle 10.

[0020] Further, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle behavior measurement device 11, a surrounding environment detection device 13, a vehicle position information detection device 15, an operation input unit 17, a microphone 19, a speaker 31, a display device 33, and an information processing device 50.

[0021] The vehicle behavior measurement device 11 measures information indicating the state of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle behavior data"). The vehicle behavior measurement device 11 includes at least one of, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor. The vehicle speed sensor detects, for example, the rotational speed of the drive shaft of the vehicle 10. The acceleration sensor detects at least the longitudinal acceleration, which is the acceleration along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the lateral acceleration, which is the acceleration along the vehicle width direction. The acceleration sensor may further detect the vertical acceleration, which is the acceleration along the vehicle body height direction. The angular velocity sensor detects the change rate of each of the rotational angles (roll angle) around the axis along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the rotational angle (pitch angle) around the axis along the vehicle width direction, and the rotational angle (yaw angle) around the axis along the vehicle body height direction.

[0022] The data measured by the vehicle behavior measurement device 11 is data that can change due to the driver's steering operation, accelerator operation, and brake operation, and is input as vehicle behavior data to the information processing device 50. The information processing device 50 is configured to be able to acquire information indicating the data measured by the vehicle behavior measurement device 11. The vehicle behavior measurement device 11 may include, in addition to the vehicle speed sensor, the acceleration sensor, and the angular velocity sensor, a sensor capable of measuring data reflecting the behavior of the vehicle 10.

[0023] The surrounding environment detection device 13 is a device that detects the situation around the vehicle 10. The surrounding environment detection device 13 is configured to include at least one of, for example, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and a radar sensor. In the example of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1, the surrounding environment detection device 13 includes a pair of left and right front imaging cameras 13LF, 13RF and a LiDAR 13S.

[0024] The surrounding environment detection device 13 detects objects around the vehicle 10 such as other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, road signs, and other obstacles based on the acquired data, and calculates the distances, relative speeds, and relative positions to these objects. Further, the surrounding environment detection device 13 detects information on the surrounding situation of the vehicle 10 such as the road width based on the acquired data. The information detected by the surrounding environment detection device 13 is input to the information processing device 50. The information processing device 50 is configured to be able to acquire the information detected by the surrounding environment detection device 13. The surrounding environment detection device 13 may include devices other than a stereo camera, a monocular camera, LiDAR, and a radar sensor that can detect information on the surrounding situation of the vehicle 10.

[0025] The vehicle position information detection device 15 receives a positioning signal transmitted from a satellite of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) typified by GPS (Global Positioning System), and measures the position of the vehicle 10. The vehicle position information detection device 15 may receive a positioning signal transmitted from another system such as a quasi-zenith satellite system instead of GNSS or in combination with GNSS, and measure the position of the vehicle 10. The information on the position of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle position information detection device 15 is input to the information processing device 50. The information processing device 50 is configured to be able to acquire the position information detected by the vehicle position information detection device 15.

[0026] The operation input unit 17 receives a user's operation input and transmits it to the information processing device 50. The operation input unit 17 may be, for example, a touch panel type display, or a dial type operation device. Alternatively, the operation input unit 17 may be an image recognition device that receives input by gesture. The microphone 19 has a function as an input unit that recognizes the user's voice.

[0027] The speaker 31 outputs sounds recognizable by the user. The speaker 31 may be a speaker provided in the vehicle 10 or a dedicated speaker. The output of the speaker 31 is controlled by the information processing device 50. In the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1, the speaker 31 includes four speakers 31LF, 31RF, 31LR, and 31RR provided on the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle 10.

[0028] The display device 33 is an optical panel such as a liquid crystal panel and performs displays of images, videos, texts, and the like. The driving of the display device 33 is performed by the information processing device 50. The display device 33 may be a display device provided in the instrument panel of the vehicle 10, a display device for a navigation system, or a dedicated display device.

[0029] <2. Information Processing Device> Subsequently, the information processing device 50 according to the present embodiment will be specifically described.

[0030] The information processing device 50 functions as a device that presents predetermined presentation information to the driver by a processor such as one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) executing a computer program. The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute operations described later that the information processing device 50 should execute. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 53 provided in the information processing device 50, or may be recorded on a recording medium built in the information processing device 50 or any recording medium externally attachable to the information processing device 50.

[0031] Examples of recording media for recording computer programs include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and Blu-ray (registered trademark); magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; memory elements such as RAM and ROM; and flash memories such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories and SSD (Solid State Drive), and other media capable of storing programs.

[0032] The information processing device 50 executes a process of selecting one or more of a plurality of presentation information indicating goals related to the driving behavior of the vehicle 10 by the driver and presenting it to the driver. Further, the information processing device 50 determines a selection method when allowing the driver to select one or more of the presentation information presented to the driver as the goal of the driving behavior, and presents it to the driver together with the presentation information. Thereby, the driver is made aware of what should be noted when driving the vehicle 10, and the driving skills of the driver are improved.

[0033] (2-1. Configuration example of information processing device) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 50 according to the present embodiment. The information processing device 50 is communicably connected to a vehicle behavior measurement device 11, a surrounding environment detection device 13, a vehicle position information detection device 15, an operation input unit 17, a microphone 19, a speaker 31, and a display device 33 via a dedicated line or a communication bus such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The information processing device 50 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU and peripheral components, and memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). Part or all of the information processing device 50 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or may be program modules executed by instructions from a CPU or the like.

[0034] The information processing device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a processing unit 53, and a storage unit 55. The information processing device 50 also includes a map data storage unit 41, a vehicle behavior data storage unit 43, a presentation information storage unit 45, and a driving skill information storage unit 49 that are communicably connected to the processing unit 53.

[0035] The communication unit 51 is configured to include one or more interfaces for transmitting and receiving data and signals between the processing unit 53 and other devices, sensors, etc.

[0036] The storage unit 55 is configured to include one or more storage elements such as a RAM or a ROM. The storage unit 55 stores programs executed by the processing unit 53, various parameters used for program execution, acquired data, data of calculation results, etc. A part of the storage unit 55 is used as a work area of the processing unit 53.

[0037] The map data storage unit 41, the vehicle behavior data storage unit 43, the presentation information storage unit 45, and the driving skill information storage unit 49 are each configured such that predetermined information is recorded on one or more recording media. A part or all of each storage unit may be configured as a common recording media.

[0038] The map data storage unit 41 stores map data including road information, facility information, traffic signal machines, speed limits, etc.

[0039] The vehicle behavior data storage unit 43 stores vehicle behavior data output from the vehicle behavior measurement device 11 at each predetermined calculation cycle.

[0040] The prompt information storage unit 45 stores candidates for a plurality of pieces of prompt information to be presented to the user. In the present embodiment, the prompt information includes first prompt information indicating a target of the driving state of the vehicle 10 during driving of the vehicle 10 by the driver, and second prompt information indicating a target of the driver's driving operation. The first prompt information is information indicating a target of the driving state of the vehicle 10 that appears as a result of the driving operation, rather than a target of a specific driving operation by the driver. The second prompt information is information indicating a target of the driving operation as an action directly performed by the driver.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an example of the prompt information stored in the prompt information storage unit 45. The first prompt information is set as a target of the driving state of the vehicle 10, such as "stabilize vehicle behavior", "keep the vehicle speed constant", "eliminate left - right wobbling", "ensure a sufficient inter - vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle", rather than a target of a specific driving operation by the driver.

[0042] The second prompt information is set as a target of a specific driving operation by the driver, such as "do not increase or reverse unnecessary steering", "do not suddenly step on the accelerator pedal", "do not suddenly step on the brake pedal", "do not suddenly release the brake pedal". For example, "do not increase or reverse unnecessary steering" is a specific example of a driving operation to stabilize vehicle behavior or eliminate left - right wobbling. Also, "do not suddenly step on the accelerator pedal", "do not suddenly step on the brake pedal", and "do not suddenly release the brake pedal" are specific examples of driving operations to stabilize vehicle behavior or keep the vehicle speed constant. Also, "do not suddenly step on the accelerator pedal" is a specific example of a driving operation to ensure a sufficient inter - vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle.

[0043] Note that the first prompt information and the second prompt information are not limited to the examples shown in FIG. 3.

[0044] The driving skill information storage unit 49 stores information related to the driver's driving skills together with the identification information of each driver. In the present embodiment, the driving skill information storage unit 49 stores information on the driver's attributes, information on the achievement status of the target indicated by the presentation information selected by the driver, and information on the driver's driving skill level.

[0045] The information related to the driver's attributes is basic information related to the driver's driving skills, and includes at least any one of information such as the driver's age, the number of years elapsed since obtaining the license, the driving frequency, and the number of years elapsed after the last driving. Further, other information that can estimate the driver's driving skills may be included. These information may be obtained in the form of a questionnaire in which the driver inputs answers to questions presented from the information processing device 50 to the operation input unit 17 or the microphone 19, and recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49. Alternatively, these information collected in advance may be transferred and recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49.

[0046] The information on the achievement status of the target includes the number of times each presentation information selected by the driver in the past was selected, and the number of times the target indicated by the selected presentation information was achieved. The driving skill level is a level of driving skills divided into multiple stages, and is obtained by the driving skill determination unit 69 and recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49. In the present embodiment, an example in which the driving skill level is divided into four stages will be described.

[0047] (2-2. Configuration example of the processing unit) The processing unit 53 is configured to include one or more processors such as a CPU. The processing unit 53 includes an acquisition unit 61, a load status estimation unit 63, an action target presentation unit 65, a selection method determination unit 67, and a driving skill determination unit 69. Each of these units is a function realized by the execution of a program by the processor. However, a part of the acquisition unit 61, the load status estimation unit 63, the action target presentation unit 65, the selection method determination unit 67, and the driving skill determination unit 69 may be configured by an analog circuit.

[0048] (2-2-1. Acquisition unit) The acquisition unit 61 acquires information output from the vehicle behavior measurement device 11, the surrounding environment detection device 13, the vehicle position information detection device 15, the operation input unit 17, and the microphone 19 via the communication unit 51. The information acquired by the acquisition unit 61 includes vehicle behavior data output from the vehicle behavior measurement device 11. The acquisition unit 61 acquires information at a predetermined sampling period and stores the acquired vehicle behavior data in the storage unit 55.

[0049] (2-2-2. Load condition estimation unit) The load condition estimation unit 63 estimates the load on the driver's attention required for driving behavior. The load condition estimation unit 63 estimates the load on the driver's attention required for driving behavior based on at least one piece of information among the driving state of the vehicle 10, the road shape, the surrounding environment, the weather, and the driver's driving skills. In the present embodiment, the load condition estimation unit 63 estimates the driver's load condition in three levels: "low", "medium", and "high". The method for estimating the load condition required for the driver's driving behavior is not particularly limited. Hereinafter, an example of the load condition estimation method will be described.

[0050] First, the load condition estimation unit 63 determines that the load condition is "low" when the vehicle 10 is stopped. The stopped state referred to here means, for example, a state in which the shift lever is in the parking position and the vehicle 10 is not in a situation where driving starts. Further, the load condition estimation unit 63 estimates the driver's load condition using the following formula (1) when the vehicle 10 is in the driving state.

[0051] y = a1 * x1 + a2 * x2 + a3 * x3 + a4 * x4 + x5 …(1) y: Index value of the driver's load condition When y < 1, the load condition = "low" When 1 ≤ y < 3, the load condition = "medium" When 3 ≤ y, the load condition = "high" x1: Variable indicating the load due to the state of the vehicle 10 x2: Variable indicating the load due to the road shape x3: Variable indicating the load due to the number of other vehicles around x4: Variable indicating the weather x5: Variable indicating the driving skill of the driver a1~a5: Weighting coefficients of each variable

[0052] The variable x1 indicating the load according to the state of the vehicle 10 is set as follows, for example. When 0 km / h < vehicle speed ≤ 30 km / h, variable x1 = 0.2 When 30 km / h < vehicle speed ≤ 60 km / h, variable x1 = 0.4 When 60 km / h < vehicle speed ≤ 100 km / h, variable x1 = 0.8 When vehicle speed > 100 km / h, variable x1 = 1.0

[0053] The variable x2 indicating the load according to the road shape is set as follows, for example. When on a straight road, variable x2 = 0 When on a curve with a turning radius of 100 m or more, variable x2 = 0.5 When on a curve with a turning radius of less than 10 mm, variable x2 = 1.0 When the road gradient is 1% or more and less than 2.5%, add 0.25 to the above variable x2 When the road gradient is 2.5% or more and less than 5%, add 0.5 to the above variable x2 When the road gradient is 5% or more, add 1.0 to the above variable x2

[0054] The variable x3 indicating the load according to the number of other vehicles around is set as follows, for example. When the number of vehicles within 100 m ahead is 0, variable x3 = 0 When the number of vehicles within 100 m ahead is 1 - 3, variable x3 = 0.5 When the number of vehicles within 100 m ahead is 4 or more, variable x3 = 1.0 However, a predetermined value may be added to the above variable x3 according to the distance and relative speed to other vehicles around.

[0055] The variable x4 indicating the weather is set as follows, for example. When day * sunny, variable x4 = 0 When day * rainy, variable x4 = 0.2 When day * snowy, variable x4 = 0.4 When it is night and sunny, variable x4 = 0.4 When it is night and rainy, variable x4 = 0.8 When it is night and snowy, variable x4 = 1.0

[0056] The variable x5 indicating the driving skill of the driver is set as follows, for example. When the driving skill level is "high", variable x5 = 0.2 When the driving skill level is "medium", variable x5 = 0.6 When the driving skill level is "low", variable x5 = 1.0

[0057] The weighting coefficients a1 to a5 of each variable may basically be 1, but may be changed to a value of 1 or more when there are elements that require particular attention or elements that the driver is not good at, etc. In this embodiment, the larger the value of the index value y, the greater the load, which means that due to any one or more of the state of the vehicle 10, the road shape, other surrounding vehicles, the weather, and the driving skill of the driver, the attention required for the driver's driving behavior is large.

[0058] (2-2-3. Action Target Presentation Unit) The action target presentation unit 65 executes a process of selecting one or more pieces of presentation information from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 and presenting it to the driver. The action target presentation unit 65 selects one or more pieces of presentation information according to the load situation estimated by the load situation estimation unit 63. Also, the action target presentation unit 65 executes a process of allowing the driver to select any one of the presented pieces of presentation information by either the driver's speech input via the microphone 19 or the driver's manual input via the operation input unit 17. The action target presentation unit 65 drives either one or both of the speaker 31 and the display device 33 to present the presentation information and the information on the selection method to the driver.

[0059] For example, when the driver's load status is "low", the action target presentation unit 65 presents a plurality of pieces of presentation information to the driver and causes the driver to select any one or a plurality of pieces of presentation information as the target of the driving action (Method 1). Method 1 is a method of giving the driver intrinsic motivation by allowing the driver to select any action target from among a plurality of action target options. Further, when the driver's load status is "medium", the action target presentation unit 65 presents one piece of presentation information to the driver and causes the driver to select the presented information as the target of the driving action (Method 2). Method 2 is a method of giving the driver intrinsic motivation by presenting one action target and causing the driver to perform an operation of selecting the action target in order to recognize the action target. Further, when the driver's load status is "high", the action target presentation unit 65 presents one piece of presentation information to the driver (Method 3). Method 3 is a method of giving the driver extrinsic motivation by only giving a notice instructing the driver about the action target.

[0060] In the present embodiment, a state where the attention load status is "low" or "medium" is set as a state lower than a predetermined first criterion, and a state where the attention load status is "high" is set as a state higher than the predetermined first criterion. Further, a state where the attention load status is "low" is set as a state lower than a second criterion that is even lower than the predetermined first criterion ("low" < second criterion < "medium" < first criterion < "high").

[0061] When the attention load situation is "low" or "medium" and the above-mentioned Method 1 or Method 2 is adopted, the Action Goal Prompting Unit 65 notifies the driver of the selection method when the driver selects one or more pieces of the presented prompt information from the presented prompt information. The Action Goal Prompting Unit 65 presents the information on the selection method determined by the Selection Method Determination Unit 67 together with the prompt information. At this time, the Action Goal Prompting Unit 65 makes an inquiry to let the driver select one of the prompt information by the selection method according to the attention load required for the driver's driving action. Thereby, the Action Goal Prompting Unit 65 enhances the intrinsic motivation by presenting information related to the goal of the driving action to the driver and letting the driver make a selection. The Action Goal Prompting Unit 65 records one or more pieces of prompt information that the driver wants to select via the operation input unit 17 or the microphone 19.

[0062] (2-2-4. Selection Method Determination Unit) When the Selection Method Determination Unit 67 allows the driver to select any one of the presented prompt information, it determines, based on the attention load, whether to allow selection by the driver's voice input via the microphone 19 or the driver's manual input via the operation input unit 17. Since voice input does not require the driver's body movement, voice input is desirable to stabilize the behavior of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, voice input takes more time than manual input using a switch, touch display, etc. Therefore, in order to avoid a change in the driver's load situation and a decrease in attention to the driving action during voice input, it is desirable that the same load situation continues until the voice input is completed. For this reason, the Selection Method Determination Unit 67 estimates the duration of the load situation, determines voice input as the selection method when the duration is long, and determines manual input as the selection method when the duration is short.

[0063] In addition, it is considered that there are individual differences in the effect of improving the driver's driving behavior as a result of intrinsic motivation through voice input or manual input. Therefore, the selection method determination unit 67 determines either voice input or manual input as the selection method based on the degree of achievement of the driver's driving behavior target when presenting information was selected by voice input or manual input in the past.

[0064] (2-2-5. Driving Skill Judgment Unit) The driving skill judgment unit 69 judges the driver's driving skill level. As an initial setting of the driving skill level, the driving skill judgment unit 69 judges the driving skill level based on the driver's attribute information. For example, the fact that the driver is elderly, the number of years since obtaining the license is short, the driving frequency is low, and the number of years elapsed after the previous driving is long can be information for judging that the driving skill level is low. The driving skill judgment unit 69 records the obtained driving skill level information in the driving skill information storage unit 49.

[0065] In addition, the driving skill judgment unit 69 updates the driving skill level based on the vehicle behavior data acquired while the driver is driving the vehicle 10. In the present embodiment, the driving skill judgment unit 69 calculates the degree of achievement of the target indicated by the presented information selected by the driver based on the vehicle behavior data acquired while the driver is driving the vehicle 10, and adjusts the driving skill level. The driving skill judgment unit 69 updates the information recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49 with the obtained driving skill level information.

[0066] (2-3. Operation of the Processing Unit) Next, a specific example of the processing operation by the processing unit 53 of the information processing apparatus 50 will be described.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation by the processing unit 53. When the processing unit 53 detects the startup of the system of the vehicle 10 (step S11), the action target presentation unit 65 determines the driver's safety awareness (step S13). The detection of the startup of the system of the vehicle 10 may be by detecting a signal that the start switch of the system of the vehicle 10 has been turned on, or by detecting a signal indicating that an operation has been performed to request the presentation of presentation information by the driver or the like. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 determines the driver's safety awareness based on the input by the driver or a passenger via the operation input unit 17 or the microphone 19. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 applies information on the driver's age, the number of years elapsed since obtaining a license, the driving frequency, and the number of years elapsed after driving immediately before to a predetermined calculation formula or algorithm to determine the driver's safety awareness.

[0068] Alternatively, the action target presentation unit 65 may determine the driver's safety awareness based on information on the driver's driving skill level. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 identifies the driver based on the face image of the driver captured by the in-vehicle camera, and searches for information on the driving skill level of the corresponding driver from the data recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49. The action target presentation unit 65 may identify the driver based on the information input by the driver to the operation input unit 17 or the microphone 19. The action target presentation unit 65 acquires information on the driving skill level of the corresponding driver. In this embodiment, the driving skill level is classified into four levels: "level 1 (low)", "level 2 (slightly low)", "level 3 (slightly high)", and "level 4 (high)". The larger the level value, the higher the safety awareness.

[0069] Next, when the driving start of the vehicle 10 is detected (step S15), the action target presentation unit 65 starts a timer count and determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (step S17). This predetermined time is a time for measuring the timing for presenting the driver with presentation information that is a target regarding the driving action, and is set to a value within a range of, for example, 5 to 15 minutes. The timer counter is reset every time the predetermined time elapses and repeatedly measures the predetermined time. If the action target presentation unit 65 determines that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S17 / No), the determination in step S17 is repeated until the predetermined time elapses.

[0070] On the other hand, when the action target presentation unit 65 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (S17 / Yes), the load situation estimation unit 63 executes a process (load situation estimation process) for estimating the load of attention required for the driver's driving action (step S19).

[0071] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the load situation estimation process. First, the load situation estimation unit 63 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is stopped (step S31). If the load situation estimation unit 63 determines that the vehicle 10 is stopped (S31 / Yes), it determines that the load situation is "low" (step S43). For example, when the shift lever is in the parking position and the vehicle 10 is not in a situation where it starts to run, the driver's attention required for the driving action is not necessary, so the load situation estimation unit 63 determines that the load situation is "low".

[0072] On the other hand, if the load situation estimation unit 63 determines that the vehicle 10 is not stopped (S31 / No), it acquires information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 detected by the surrounding environment detection device 13 (step S33). Next, the load situation estimation unit 63 acquires information indicating the state of the vehicle detected by the vehicle behavior measurement device 11 (step S35). Further, the load situation estimation unit 63 acquires information on the driver's driving skill level from the data recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49 (step S37).

[0073] Next, the load condition estimation unit 63 calculates an index value y of the driver's load condition using the following formula (1) based on the acquired information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10, the information on the state of the vehicle 10, and the information on the driver's driving skill level (step S39).

[0074] y = a1 * x1 + a2 * x2 + a3 * x3 + a4 * x4 + x5 …(1) y: Index value of the driver's load condition When y < 1, the load condition = "low" When 1 ≤ y < 3, the load condition = "medium" When 3 ≤ y, the load condition = "high" x1: Variable indicating the load due to the state of the vehicle 10 x2: Variable indicating the load due to the road shape x3: Variable indicating the load due to the number of other surrounding vehicles x4: Variable indicating the weather x5: Variable indicating the driver's driving skill a1~a5: Weighting coefficients of each variable

[0075] The variable x1 indicating the load due to the state of the vehicle 10 is set based on the vehicle speed information output from the vehicle behavior measurement device 11. The variable x2 indicating the load due to the road shape, the variable x3 indicating the load due to the number of other surrounding vehicles, and the variable x4 indicating the weather are set based on the information on the surrounding situation of the vehicle 10 output from the surrounding environment detection device 13. The weather information may be acquired from an external system such as a telematics service.

[0076] Next, the load condition estimation unit 63 determines whether the calculated index value y is less than 1 (step S41). If the load condition estimation unit 63 determines that the index value y is less than 1 (S41 / Yes), it determines that the load condition is "low" (step S43). On the other hand, if the load condition estimation unit 63 does not determine that the index value y is less than 1 (S41 / No), it determines whether the index value y is less than 3 (step S45). If the load condition estimation unit 63 determines that the index value y is less than 3 (S43 / Yes), that is, when the index value y is 1 or more and less than 3, it determines that the load condition is "medium" (step S47). On the other hand, if the load condition estimation unit 63 does not determine that the index value y is less than 3 (S45 / No), it determines that the load condition is "high".

[0077] Returning to FIG. 4, after the load condition of the driver is estimated, the action target presentation unit 65 executes action target presentation processing according to the load condition of the driver (step S21).

[0078] FIGS. 6 to 7 are flowcharts showing an example of the action target presentation processing. First, the action target presentation unit 65 determines whether the estimated load condition of the driver is "low" (step S51). If the action target presentation unit 65 determines that the load condition of the driver is "low" (S51 / Yes), it sets the method for presenting the target of the driving action to "Method 1" (step S53), and selects a plurality of pieces of presentation information to be presented to the driver from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 (step S55).

[0079] For example, the action target presentation unit 65 selects three pieces of presentation information from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 as the presentation information to be presented to the driver. Also, the action target presentation unit 65 determines which of the first presentation information or the second presentation information to prioritize according to the driving skill level of the driver, and may make the number of presentations of the prioritized first presentation information or second presentation information larger than the number of presentations of the non-prioritized first presentation information or second presentation information. For example, the higher the driving skill level of the driver, the more the action target presentation unit 65 increases the number of the first presentation information compared to the number of the second presentation information.

[0080] The higher the driving skill level of the driver, the more it is considered that the driver can achieve the driving state of the target vehicle 10 by only presenting the driving state of the target vehicle 10 and performing appropriate driving operations by himself / herself. Therefore, the action target presentation unit 65 gives priority to the first presentation information indicating the target of the driving state of the vehicle 10 during driving of the vehicle 10 over the second presentation information as the driving skill level of the driver is higher. On the other hand, the lower the driving skill level of the driver, the more it is considered that it is not enough to only present the driving state of the target vehicle 10, and it is necessary to present a more specific target of the driving operation. Therefore, the action target presentation unit 65 gives priority to the second presentation information indicating the target of the driver's driving operation over the first presentation information as the driving skill level of the driver is lower.

[0081] After determining the selection numbers of the first presentation information and the second presentation information respectively, the action target presentation unit 65 selects a predetermined number of presentation information from the first presentation information and the second presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 selects the presentation information based on the achievement status of the target indicated by the presentation information in the driver's past driving from among the plurality of presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45. The achievement status of the target indicated by the presentation information selected by the driver is calculated by, for example, the driving skill determination unit 69 and recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49 together with the identification information of the driver. The method for calculating the achievement status of the target by the driving skill determination unit 69 will be described in detail in the description of step S27.

[0082] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information on the achievement status of the target indicated by the presentation information selected by the driver. In the information on the achievement status of the target, for the first presentation information and the second presentation information shown in FIG. 3, for each content of the presentation information, the number of past selections by the driver, the number of times the target was achieved, the target achievement rate (%), and the number of consecutive times the target could not be achieved (consecutive non-achievement times) are recorded. The number of past selections, the number of times the target was achieved, and the target achievement rate (%) by the driver are recorded for each selection method (voice input or manual input) by the driver.

[0083] For example, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a small number of target achievement times or a low target achievement rate in the driver's past driving. In this case, driving states or operation targets that the driver is not good at are presented, and it is possible to raise the awareness of improving the driving operations that the driver is not good at. On the other hand, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a large number of target achievement times or a high target achievement rate in the driver's past driving. In this case, driving states or operation targets that the driver is good at are presented, and it is possible to reduce the driver's sense of difficulty with respect to the driving of the vehicle 10 that has selected the presentation information.

[0084] Also, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a large number of consecutive non-achievement times in the driver's past driving. In this case, driving states or operation targets that the driver is not good at are presented, and it is possible to raise the awareness of improving the driving operations that the driver is not good at. On the other hand, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a small number of consecutive non-achievement times in the driver's past driving. In this case, presentation information other than presentation information with a low effect of intrinsic motivation or presentation information related to driving operations in which the driver's driving skills are insufficient is selected, and it is possible to reduce the driver's sense of difficulty with respect to the driving of the vehicle 10 that has selected the presentation information.

[0085] Furthermore, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information based on the presentation information selected by the driver in the past from among a plurality of pieces of presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45. Specifically, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a small number of times selected by the driver within a recent predetermined period or a predetermined number of times. In this case, driving states or operation targets of a predetermined type that the driver has not been consciously performing the driving operation recently are presented. On the other hand, the action target presentation unit 65 may select presentation information with a large number of times selected by the driver within a recent predetermined period or a predetermined number of times. In this case, the driver who has selected the presentation information can be made to repeatedly practice a predetermined driving state or operation target.

[0086] In addition, the action target presentation unit 65 may randomly select a predetermined number of pieces of presentation information from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45. In particular, in the case of a driver who has used the function of presenting presentation information less frequently so far, the action target presentation unit 65 randomly selects a predetermined number of pieces of presentation information from the first presentation information and the second presentation information. In this case, the driver is randomly presented with the target of the driving state or the driving operation, and the driver who has selected the presentation information can practice various driving operations.

[0087] Note that the method by which the action target presentation unit 65 selects a predetermined number of pieces of presentation information from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 is not limited to the above example.

[0088] Returning to FIG. 6, when the action target presentation unit 65 does not determine that the driver's load situation is "low" (S51 / No), it proposes to the driver to improve the load situation (step S61). Here, since reducing the load required for the driver's driving behavior can concentrate on the act of selecting presentation information, the action target presentation unit 65 presents methods for improving the load situation and the like. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 proposes, according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 or the driving state of the vehicle 10, "When driving on a highway, use the adaptive cruise control (ACC) function while selecting presentation information.", "If there is a road shoulder around, stop the vehicle temporarily.", or "Reduce the vehicle speed a little and keep away from the surrounding vehicles."

[0089] Next, the load condition estimation unit 63 estimates the driver's load condition again in the same procedure as in step S19 (step S63). After that, the action target presentation unit 65 determines whether or not the driver's load condition has been improved to "low" (step S65). When the action target presentation unit 65 determines that the driver's load condition is "low" (S65 / Yes), it proceeds to step S53, sets the method for presenting the target of the driving action to "Method 1", and selects a plurality of pieces of presentation information to be presented to the driver from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 (step S55). On the other hand, when the action target presentation unit 65 does not determine that the driver's load condition is "low" (S65 / No), it determines whether or not the driver's load condition is "medium" (step S67).

[0090] When the action target presentation unit 65 determines that the driver's load condition is "medium" (S67 / Yes), it sets the method for presenting the target of the driving action to "Method 2" (step S69), and selects one piece of presentation information to be presented to the driver from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 (step S71). For example, the action target presentation unit 65 determines which of the first presentation information or the second presentation information to prioritize according to the driver's driving skill level, and selects one of the first presentation information or the second presentation information to be prioritized. For example, the action target presentation unit 65 selects the presentation information based on the information on the achievement status of the target shown in FIG. 8 in the driver's past driving.

[0091] On the other hand, when the action target presentation unit 65 does not determine that the driver's load condition is "medium" (S67 / No), it determines whether or not to use "Method 3" as the method for presenting the target of the driving action (step S73). When step S67 is a negative determination, since the driver's load condition is "high", in order to prevent the vehicle 10 from being in a dangerous situation while the driver selects the presentation information, it is determined whether or not to use Method 3 in consideration of the driver's awareness of safety. Since Method 3 is a method that does not require the driver to select the presentation information, the action target presentation unit 65 determines whether or not to present the target related to the driving action from the viewpoint of whether the situation is such that the danger of the vehicle 10 does not increase.

[0092] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for determining whether or not to use Method 3. The determination method shown in FIG. 9 is an example of determining whether or not to use Method 3 based on the driver's driving skill level, the load required for the driving action (index value y), and the driver's safety awareness. The driver's driving skills are divided into "high (level 3 (slightly high), level 4 (high))" and "low (level 1 (low), level 2 (slightly low))", and the criteria for determination are defined for each driving skill.

[0093] For example, the action target presentation unit 65 determines to use Method 3 when the driver's driving skill is "high" and the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 4. Further, when the driver's driving skill is "high", the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 4, and the driver's safety awareness is low, and there is an item with a low achievement degree in light of the information on the achievement status of the target shown in FIG. 8, the action target presentation unit 65 determines to use Method 3. On the other hand, when the driver's driving skill is "high", the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 4, and the driver's safety awareness is low, and there is no item with a low achievement degree in light of the information on the achievement status of the target shown in FIG. 8, the action target presentation unit 65 determines not to use Method 3. Furthermore, when the driver's driving skill is "high" and the load (index value y) is 4 or more, the action target presentation unit 65 determines not to use Method 3.

[0094] That is, when the level of the driver's driving skills is high or when the load situation is extremely high, the driving action target presentation unit 65 does not present the target related to the driving action. Further, even when the load situation is not extremely high, if the driver's safety awareness is low and there is no item of driving action with particularly low achievement, the driving action target presentation unit 65 does not present the target related to the driving action. On the other hand, when the load situation is not extremely high and even if the driver's safety awareness is low, if there is an item of driving action with low achievement, the driving action target presentation unit 65 presents the target related to the driving action. Also, when the load situation is not extremely high and the driver's safety awareness is high, the driving action target presentation unit 65 presents the target related to the driving action.

[0095] In addition, when the driver's driving skills are "low" and the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 3.5, the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines to use Method 3. Further, when the driver's driving skills are "low", the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 3.5, and the driver's safety awareness is low, if there is an item with low achievement in light of the achievement status information shown in FIG. 8, the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines to use Method 3. On the other hand, when the driver's driving skills are "low", the load (index value y) is 3 or more and less than 3.5, and the driver's safety awareness is low, if there is no item with low achievement in light of the achievement status information shown in FIG. 8, the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines not to use Method 3. Furthermore, when the driver's driving skills are "low" and the load (index value y) is 3.5 or more, the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines not to use Method 3.

[0096] That is, when the level of the driver's driving skills is low or the load situation is higher than a predetermined level, the driving action target presentation unit 65 does not present a target related to the driving action. Further, even when the load situation is not higher than a predetermined level, if the driver's safety awareness is low and there is no item of driving action with particularly low achievement, the driving action target presentation unit 65 does not present a target related to the driving action. On the other hand, when the load situation is not higher than a predetermined level and even when the driver's safety awareness is low, if there is an item of driving action with low achievement, the driving action target presentation unit 65 presents a target related to the driving action. Also, when the load situation is not higher than a predetermined level and the driver's safety awareness is high, the driving action target presentation unit 65 presents a target related to the driving action.

[0097] Note that the method for determining whether to use Method 3 is not limited to the above example, and any method may be used from the perspective of whether the situation is such that the risk of the vehicle 10 does not increase.

[0098] Returning to FIG. 7, when the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines not to use "Method 3" as the method for presenting the target of the driving action (S73 / No), it returns to step S17 without performing the process of presenting the target related to the driving action to the driver. On the other hand, when the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines to use "Method 3" as the method for presenting the target of the driving action (S73 / Yes), it sets the method for presenting the target of the driving action to "Method 3" (step S75), and selects one piece of presentation information to be presented to the driver from the presentation information recorded in the presentation information storage unit 45 (step S77). For example, the driving action target presentation unit 65 determines which of the first presentation information or the second presentation information to prioritize according to the driver's driving skill level, and selects any one of the prioritized first presentation information or second presentation information. For example, the driving action target presentation unit 65 selects the presentation information based on the achievement status information of the target shown in FIG. 8 in the driver's past driving.

[0099] Next, the action target presentation unit 65 presents the selected presentation information to the driver (step S79). For example, the action target presentation unit 65 displays the presentation information on the screen of the display device 33. The action target presentation unit 65 may perform an audio notification from the speaker 31 in addition to or instead of the display on the screen of the display device 33. When adopting Method 3, the action target presentation unit 65 ends the action target presentation process without asking the driver to select the presentation information.

[0100] On the other hand, when adopting Method 1 or Method 2, after the action target presentation unit 65 selects the presentation information in step S55 or step S71, the selection method determination unit 67 executes a process (selection method determination process) of determining a method for allowing the driver to select the presentation information (step S57). In the present embodiment,

[0101] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the selection method determination process. First, the selection method determination unit 67 determines whether it is estimated that the duration of the driver's current load status ("low" or "medium") continues for a predetermined time or more (step S81). For example, when the vehicle 10 stops at a red signal, if the time when the signal turns red can be grasped from the image data of the camera, the remaining time until the signal turns blue next is estimated. Further, the selection method determination unit 67 may acquire information on the remaining time until the signal turns blue next by vehicle-to-road communication or the like.

[0102] In addition, when the vehicle 10 stops on the road shoulder or the like, the selection method determination unit 67 may estimate that the duration of the driver's current load status ("low" or "medium") continues for a predetermined time or more. For example, when the selection method determination unit 67 detects that the vehicle 10 has stopped close to the edge of the road based on the image data of the camera or the detection result of the vehicle position information detection device 15, or when it detects a state where the hazard lamp is lit, the shift is in the P range, or the parking brake is used, it may be estimated that the duration of the driver's current load status ("low" or "medium") continues for a predetermined time or more. In addition, the selection method determination unit 67 may acquire information on the traffic jam status of the route on which the vehicle 10 travels and estimate the time until the vehicle 10 is caught in the traffic jam or the time to be released from the traffic jam.

[0103] When the selection method determination unit 67 determines that it is not estimated that the duration of the driver's current load status continues for a predetermined time or more (S81 / No), since it is a situation where the driver cannot take time to select the presentation information, the selection method is determined to be manual input (step S89). Note that when the selection method determination unit 67 determines that it is not estimated that the duration of the driver's current load status continues for a predetermined time or more, similar to steps S61 to S63 described above, after proposing an improvement in the load status to the driver, the load status may be estimated again.

[0104] On the other hand, when the selection method determination unit 67 determines that it is estimated that the duration of the driver's current load status continues for a predetermined time or more (S81 / Yes), it refers to the information on the achievement status of the target shown in FIG. 8 and determines whether the number of selections for each of the voice input and the manual input is less than a predetermined value (step S83).

[0105] When the selection method determination unit 67 determines that the number of selections for each of the voice input and the manual input is less than a predetermined value (S83 / Yes), since it cannot be determined which of the voice input and the manual input is effective due to intrinsic motivation for the driver, the voice input considered to be effective for stabilizing the behavior of the vehicle 10 is determined as the selection method (step S87).

[0106] On the other hand, when the selection method determination unit 67 does not determine that the number of selections for each of the voice input and the manual input is less than the predetermined value (S83 / No), it determines whether the target achievement rate by voice input is higher than the target achievement rate by manual input for the selected presentation information (step S85). When the selection method determination unit 67 determines that the target achievement rate by voice input is higher than the target achievement rate by manual input (S85 / Yes), since the effect of the intrinsic motivation by voice input is high for the driver, it determines voice input as the selection method (step S87).

[0107] On the other hand, when the selection method determination unit 67 does not determine that the target achievement rate by voice input is higher than the target achievement rate by manual input (S85 / No), it determines the selection method as manual input (step S89). Since voice input does not require the driver's body movement, voice input is desirable for stabilizing the behavior of the vehicle 10. However, depending on the driver, the effect of intrinsic motivation may be greater with manual input than with voice input, and the target achievement rate may be higher. For this reason, when the target achievement rate by voice input is higher than the target achievement rate by manual input, the selection method determination unit 67 determines manual input as the selection method.

[0108] Returning to FIG. 6, after the execution of the selection method determination process is completed, the action target presentation unit 65 presents the selected presentation information to the driver together with the information on the selection method (step S59). For example, the action target presentation unit 65 displays the presentation information on the screen of the display device 33. At this time, when the selection method is manual input, the action target presentation unit 65 performs a display prompting the driver to perform a touch operation on the presentation information, such as "Please touch the target item", on the screen of the display device 33. Further, when the selection method is voice input, the action target presentation unit 65 performs a display prompting the driver to repeat the presentation information, such as "Please read out the target item", on the screen of the display device 33. The action target presentation unit 65 may perform a voice notification and inquiry from the speaker 31 in addition to or instead of the display on the screen of the display device 33.

[0109] The driver who has received the notification of the presented information selects one or more of the presented pieces of presented information. Specifically, when the display device 33 is a touch panel type display and also serves as the operation input unit 17, the driver manually inputs and selects the presented information by pressing the screen of the display device 33. Alternatively, the driver selects the presented information by manual input through an input operation to the other operation input unit 17. Also, the driver selects the presented information by voice input to the microphone 19. By allowing the driver to select one or more of the presented information, the driver can be made aware of (intrinsically motivated) the goal when driving the vehicle 10.

[0110] Returning to FIG. 4, after executing the action target presentation process, the action target presentation unit 65 acquires and records information on the selection result of the presented information selected by the driver (step S23). The action target presentation unit 65 acquires information on the presented information manually selected by the driver through the operation input unit 17 or information on the presented information selected by the driver by voice input through the microphone 19. The action target presentation unit 65 records the presented information selected by the driver in the storage unit 55.

[0111] After the driver selects the presented information, the driving skill determination unit 69 calculates the degree of achievement of the goal indicated by the presented information selected by the driver based on the vehicle behavior data (step S25). For example, the acquisition unit 61 acquires the vehicle behavior data output from the vehicle behavior measurement device 11 at a predetermined sampling period and records it in the vehicle behavior data storage unit 43. At this time, the acquisition unit 61 records the vehicle behavior data together with information on the time when the vehicle behavior data was acquired, enabling association with the presented information selected when the vehicle behavior data was acquired.

[0112] The driving skill determination unit 69 may calculate the degree of achievement of the target based on the collected vehicle behavior data for each predetermined time or predetermined driving section, or may sequentially calculate the degree of achievement of the target based on the vehicle behavior data collected in the immediately preceding predetermined time. Alternatively, when the driver finishes driving the vehicle 10, the driving skill determination unit 69 may calculate the degree of achievement of the target based on the vehicle behavior data collected from the start to the end of the current driving of the vehicle 10. For example, the driving skill determination unit 69 calculates the feature amount set for each item of the presentation information, and calculates the degree of achievement of the target indicated by the presentation information based on the ratio of achieving the threshold value.

[0113] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method for calculating the degree of achievement of a target based on vehicle behavior data. FIG. 11 shows an example of obtaining the lateral acceleration (lateral jerk) from the measurement data of the lateral acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor as one of the vehicle behavior measurement devices 11 and calculating the degree of achievement of the target.

[0114] The lateral acceleration can be, for example, an index value when aiming for "stabilizing the vehicle behavior" and "eliminating left - right wobbling" among the first presentation information shown in FIG. 3. Also, the lateral acceleration can be, for example, an index value when aiming for "not increasing or decreasing unnecessary steering" among the second presentation information shown in FIG. 3.

[0115] The driving skill determination unit 69 executes predetermined data processing on the vehicle behavior data acquired by the acquisition unit 61 and recorded in the vehicle behavior data storage unit 43. Specifically, the driving skill determination unit 69 executes a smoothing process and an absolute - value conversion process on the measurement data of the lateral acceleration, and converts it into data of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration. Also, the driving skill determination unit 69 differentiates the data of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration with respect to time, and converts it into data of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration (lateral jerk).

[0116] Based on the lateral acceleration data, the driving skill determination unit 69 determines the number of times the lateral acceleration exceeds a predetermined reference value thre_DL for each of the predetermined sections pr1, Pr2, Pr3... PrN. The predetermined section that serves as the unit for calculating the evaluation value may be, for example, a section delimited by a predetermined driving distance, a section delimited by a predetermined driving time, or a section delimited for each intersection where a traffic signal is provided.

[0117] Also, the predetermined section may be a specific section set in advance. For example, to evaluate the stability of the driver's steering operation state, it is preferable to set a straight section where a straight line continues for a predetermined distance or more, or a turning section where a curve with a certain curvature continues as the predetermined section. Also, to evaluate the driver's accelerator operation state or brake operation state, it is preferable to set a straight section where a straight line continues for a predetermined distance or more as the predetermined section. Whether or not these specific sections have been traveled can be determined based on the position information of the vehicle 10 detected by the vehicle position information detection device 15 and the map data stored in the map data storage unit 41.

[0118] The driving skill determination unit 69 calculates the average value of the number of times the lateral acceleration exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL in each section PrN, and calculates the degree of achievement based on the average value. For example, the driving skill determination unit 69 sets the degree of achievement to "1" when the average value of the number of times the lateral acceleration exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL in each section PrN reaches a predetermined threshold value, and sets the degree of achievement to a value smaller than "1" as the average value exceeds the predetermined threshold value. In this case, the larger the difference between the above average value and the predetermined threshold value, the smaller the value of the degree of achievement is less than "1". Also, the driving skill determination unit 69 sets the degree of achievement to a value larger than "1" as the average value is less than the predetermined threshold value. In this case, the larger the difference between the above average value and the predetermined threshold value, the larger the value of the degree of achievement is greater than "1".

[0119] For example, when the number of times the lateral acceleration per unit time (1 second) exceeds a predetermined reference value thre_DL reaches the threshold value (2 times / second), the driving skill determination unit 69 sets the achievement level to "1". Also, when the number of times the lateral acceleration per unit time (1 second) exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL is 2.5 times / second, which is above the threshold value, the driving skill determination unit 69 sets the achievement level to "0.8 (2 / 2.5)". Further, when the number of times the lateral acceleration per unit time (1 second) exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL is 1.5 times / second, which is below the threshold value, the driving skill determination unit 69 sets the achievement level to "1.33 (2 / 1.5)".

[0120] Note that the method for determining the achievement level of the target indicated by each piece of presentation information is not limited to the above example. The driving skill determination unit 69 may determine the achievement level of the target according to any criteria. Also, in the above example, the driving skill determination unit 69 evaluates the achievement level of the target based only on the lateral acceleration data, but it may also evaluate the achievement level of the target based on multiple types of vehicle behavior data. In this case, the driving skill determination unit 69 may replace the values of the individual data used with the same index (for example, values from 0 to 10), and determine the achievement level of the target based on the values obtained by replacing the values of all the data used with the same index.

[0121] The driving skill determination unit 69 accumulates data on the achievement status of the target as shown in FIG. 8 in the manner of the above example. Specifically, when the achievement level obtained from the number of times the lateral acceleration exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL is "1" or more, the driving skill determination unit 69 increments the count of the target achievement times by 1 and resets the counter for the consecutive non-achievement times. Also, when the result that the achievement level obtained from the number of times the lateral acceleration exceeds the predetermined reference value thre_DL is less than "1" continues, the driving skill determination unit 69 increments the count of the consecutive non-achievement times by 1. The driving skill determination unit 69 calculates the achievement level of the target every one period (one selection time) until the option of the presentation information is re-presented, and records the determination result.

[0122] The driving skill determination unit 69 may notify the driver of the achievement degree of the target calculated by the driving skill determination unit 69. For example, the driving skill determination unit 69 may replace the value of the achievement degree with expressions such as "very well done", "well done", "not done very well", "needs improvement", etc. and then notify. The driving skill determination unit 69 drives the display device 33 or the speaker 31 to give a notification such as "the driving operation of the selected target was well done".

[0123] Next, the driving skill determination unit 69 adjusts the driver's driving skill level based on the calculated achievement degree of the target, and updates the information on the driver's driving skill level recorded in the driving skill information storage unit 49 (step S27). For example, the driving skill determination unit 69 raises the driving skill level by one level when the number of times the target is achieved exceeds a predetermined established number of times, while lowers the driving skill level by one level when the number of times the target cannot be achieved exceeds a predetermined established number of times. However, in the above example, the upper limit of the driving skill level is limited to "level 4" and the lower limit is limited to "level 1".

[0124] Note that instead of using the number of times the target is achieved or the number of times the target cannot be achieved, the driving skill determination unit 69 may use the sum of the achievement degrees of the target for multiple times. In this case, the driving skill determination unit 69 raises the driving skill level by one level when the sum of the achievement degrees of the target for multiple times is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, while lowers the driving skill level by one level when the sum of the achievement degrees of the target for multiple times is less than a predetermined reference value.

[0125] Also, the driving skill determination unit 69 may calculate the driving skill level based on the selection times, target achievement times, target achievement rate, and consecutive non - achievement times of each piece of presented information. The calculation method of the driving skill level is not particularly limited, and it may be calculated using any calculation formula or algorithm. Also, depending on the difficulty level of the target indicated by the presented information, the road conditions during driving, the driving environment, etc., weights may be assigned to each piece of data to calculate the driving skill level.

[0126] Next, the processing unit 53 determines whether to stop the system of the vehicle 10 (step S29). For example, when the processing unit 53 detects a signal that the start switch of the system of the vehicle 10 has been turned off, it may determine to stop the system of the vehicle 10, or when an operation to request the presentation of presentation information is performed by the driver or the like, it may determine to stop the system of the vehicle 10.

[0127] If the processing unit 53 determines not to stop the system of the vehicle 10 (S29 / No), it returns to step S17 and repeats the process of selecting and presenting presentation information based on the driver's driving skill level according to the procedures of each step described so far. On the other hand, if the processing unit 53 determines to stop the system of the vehicle 10 (S29 / Yes), it ends the series of processing operations.

[0128] As described above, the information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment selects one or more pieces of presentation information indicating goals related to the driving behavior of the driver, presents the selected information to the driver, and allows the driver to select any of the presentation information. Thereby, it is possible to cause the driver to select appropriate presentation information and enhance the effect of intrinsic motivation, and it is possible to efficiently improve the driving skill. At this time, the information processing apparatus 50 determines, based on the load of attention required for the driving behavior, whether to allow selection by the driver's speech input via the microphone 19 or the driver's manual input via the operation input unit 17, and executes a display or an inquiry for selecting the presentation information by the determined method. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the situation where the attention is distracted by the act of selecting the presentation information and the attention to the driving behavior decreases.

[0129] Further, when it is estimated that the state of "low" or "medium" where the load situation of attention is lower than a predetermined first standard continues for a predetermined time or more, the information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment determines to allow selection of any of the presentation information by the method of the driver's speech input. Thereby, it is possible to allow selection of the presentation information without involving the movement of the driver's body, and it is possible to suppress the behavior of the vehicle 10 from becoming unstable due to the selection of the presentation information.

[0130] Further, when it is estimated that the state of "low" or "medium" where the load situation of attention is lower than a predetermined first criterion does not continue for a predetermined time or more, the information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment determines to cause the driver to select any of the presented information by a manual input method. Thereby, it becomes unnecessary to take a long time for the action of causing the driver to select the presented information, and the selection of the presented information can be completed before the load situation of attention becomes high. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the behavior of the vehicle 10 from becoming unstable.

[0131] Further, when the load situation of attention is lower than a predetermined first criterion and lower than a predetermined second criterion that is even lower than the predetermined first criterion, that is, in the "low" state, the information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment presents a plurality of pieces of presented information to the driver and causes the driver to select any of the presented information. When the load situation of attention is in the "medium" state, one piece of presented information is presented to the driver and the driver is caused to select the presented information. Thereby, when the load situation of attention is "low", it is possible to cause the driver to select an arbitrary action target from among more driving action targets, and the effect of intrinsic motivation can be enhanced. On the other hand, when the load situation of attention is "medium", it is possible to perform intrinsic motivation of the action target without taking time and suppress the attention from being taken away by the act of selecting the presented information.

[0132] Further, when the load situation of attention is in the "high" state where it is higher than a predetermined first criterion, the information processing apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment presents one piece of presented information to the driver without making an inquiry for selecting the presented information. Thereby, even when the load situation of attention required for the driving action is high, it is possible to present an action target to the driver while suppressing the attention taken away by the recognition of the presented information to a small level.

[0133] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Naturally, these are also understood to belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0134] For example, in the above embodiment, the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle is taken as an example to explain the user's behavior. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above example. The user's behavior may be the behavior when driving a bicycle or other moving body. Furthermore, not limited to the behavior of driving a moving body, as long as a goal related to an action that requires attention for a predetermined action is presented to the user and an attempt is made to improve the user's action skills, the technology of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0135] In addition, the technology of the present disclosure can also be realized as a driving support device or a vehicle equipped with the information processing device described in the above embodiment, an information processing method by the information processing device, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above information processing device, and a non-temporary tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0136] 10: Vehicle 11: Vehicle Behavior Measurement Device 13: Surrounding Environment Detection Device 13LF: Front Camera 13RF: Front Camera 15: Vehicle Position Information Detection Device 17: Operation Input Unit 19: Microphone 33: Display Device 45: Prompt Information Storage Unit 50: Information Processing Device 53: Processing Unit 61: Acquisition Unit 63: Load Situation Estimation Unit 65: Action Goal Presentation Unit 67: Selection method determination unit 69: Driving skill determination unit

Claims

1. A presentation information storage unit that records a plurality of pieces of presentation information indicating goals related to user behavior; An information processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit that selects one or more pieces of the presentation information and executes a process of presenting the selected information to the user, wherein the processing unit: estimates the load of attention required for the user's behavior; when causing the user to select any one of the presented presentation information, determines, based on the load of attention, whether to cause the selection to be made by the user's voice input via a microphone or the user's manual input via an operation input unit; executes a process of causing the selection of any one of the presentation information by the determined method; An information processing apparatus.

2. The processing unit: when it is estimated that a state where the load of attention is lower than a predetermined first criterion continues for a predetermined time or more, determines to cause the selection of any one of the presentation information by the method of the user's voice input; when it is estimated that a state where the load of attention is lower than the predetermined first criterion does not continue for a predetermined time or more, determines to cause the selection of any one of the presentation information by the method of the user's manual input; The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The processing unit: when the load of attention is lower than the predetermined first criterion and lower than a predetermined second criterion that is even lower than the predetermined first criterion, presents a plurality of the presentation information to the user and causes the selection of any one of the presentation information; when the load of attention is lower than the predetermined first criterion and higher than the predetermined second criterion, presents one of the presentation information to the user and causes the selection of the presentation information; The information processing apparatus according to Claim 2.

4. The processing unit: when the load of attention is higher than the predetermined first criterion, presents one of the presentation information to the user without making an inquiry for selecting the presentation information; The information processing apparatus according to Claim 2.

5. The user's behavior is a driving behavior of a vehicle by a driver, and the processing unit estimates the load of attention required for the driving behavior of the driver based on at least one of a driving state of the vehicle, a road shape, a surrounding environment, weather, and the driving skill of the driver; The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

6. An information processing method in which a computer selects one or more pieces of presentation information indicating a goal related to a user's behavior and executes a process of presenting the presentation information to the user, comprising: estimating the attention load required for the user's behavior; when causing the user to select any one of the presented presentation information, determining, based on the attention load, whether to cause the selection by the user's speech input via a microphone or the user's manual input via an operation input unit; executing a process of causing the user to select any one of the presentation information according to the determined method; An information processing method including the above.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus that selects one or more pieces of presentation information indicating a goal related to a user's behavior and executes a process of presenting the presentation information to the user, comprising: causing the computer to estimate the attention load required for the user's behavior; when causing the user to select any one of the presented presentation information, determine, based on the attention load, whether to cause the selection by the user's speech input via a microphone or the user's manual input via an operation input unit; execute a process of causing the user to select any one of the presentation information according to the determined method; A program for executing a process including the above.

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