Control device

Abstract

To enable an occupant in a vehicle to easily go to a desired place.SOLUTION: A control device 200 controls the travel of a vehicle 10 of interest. The control device 200 causes facility information 30 to be shown to a display screen 20 of a display device in a selectable manner. The facility information 30 represents information regarding a facility. The facility whose facility information 30 is displayed by the control device 200 is the one that satisfies a display condition. This display condition includes at least a condition that the facility is easily reachable by a vehicle 10 of interest. The control device 200 accepts, from an occupant in the vehicle 10 of interest, an input for selecting one from facility information pieces 30 shown to the display screen 20. Meanwhile, the control device 200 causes the vehicle 10 of interest to travel toward the facility that corresponds to the selected facility information 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicle travel control. [Background technology]

[0002] Systems have been developed that assist vehicle driving to allow passengers to easily reach their desired destinations. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses stop-off information to determine approach to an estimated stop-off facility, and changes the vehicle's driving lane to the leftmost lane when approaching the stop-off facility. The stop-off information is information about stops at roadside facilities along the route to the destination. Stop-off locations estimated using the stop-off information include stop-off locations explicitly input by the driver, stop-off locations estimated based on the performance of facilities the driver has visited in the past, stop-off locations estimated based on the driver's hobbies and preferences, stop-off locations estimated based on the driver's biometric information (such as a toilet, hospital, or pharmacy), and stop-off locations estimated based on the vehicle's remaining energy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-210405 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is difficult to reliably identify the places where the passenger wants to stop by using the stop information described above. Therefore, it is preferable that the passenger can specify the stop locations themselves. In this regard, Patent Document 1 also assumes that the driver may explicitly input the stop locations. However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose any technology to support the driver's explicit input.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a vehicle occupant to easily go to a desired location. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention is a display control means for displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving means for receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control means for driving a target vehicle toward a facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determination means for determining a remaining time during which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected; the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; The display control means is a control device that displays the determined remaining time together with the facility information.

[0007] The second invention is: a display control means for displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving means for receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control means for driving a target vehicle toward a facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determination means for determining a remaining time during which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected; the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; The facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility for which the remaining time is equal to or greater than a third threshold value, in the control device.

[0008] The third invention is a display control means for displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving means for receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control means for driving a target vehicle toward a facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determining means for determining a remaining distance within which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected, the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; The display control means is a control device that displays the determined remaining distance together with the facility information.

[0009] The fourth invention is A computer-implemented control method comprising: a display control step of displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving step of receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control step of driving the target vehicle toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determination step of determining a remaining time during which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected, the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; In the display control step, the determined remaining time is displayed together with the facility information.

[0010] The fifth invention is A computer-implemented control method comprising: a display control step of displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving step of receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control step of driving the target vehicle toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determination step of determining a remaining time during which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected, the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; In this control method, the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility for which the remaining time is equal to or greater than a third threshold value.

[0011] The sixth invention is A computer-implemented control method comprising: a display control step of displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving step of receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control step of driving the target vehicle toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information; a determination step of determining a remaining distance within which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display condition can be selected, the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily accessible to the target vehicle; In the display control step, the determined remaining distance is displayed together with the facility information.

[0012] The seventh invention is A program that causes a computer to execute each step of the control method according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control device. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing executed by the control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how facility information and selectable time periods are displayed for each facility. [Figure 7]10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image on which facility information is superimposed and displayed on a display screen. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, like components are designated by like reference numerals, and their description will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each block in the block diagram represents a functional configuration, not a hardware configuration.

[0015] <Summary> Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of the control device 200 of embodiment 1. The following explanation using Fig. 1 is an example for making it easier to understand the operation of the control device 200, and is not intended to limit the operation of the control device 200.

[0016] The control device 200 is a device that controls the traveling of the target vehicle 10. For example, the target vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle, and the control device 200 is a device that controls the traveling of this autonomous vehicle. However, the target vehicle 10 is not limited to an autonomous vehicle as long as part of its traveling is controlled by the control device 200. For example, as will be described later, the control device 200 performs control to "stop the target vehicle 10 near the entrance of the target facility." In this case, the control to cause the target vehicle 10 to enter the target relocation facility and park the target vehicle 10 in the parking lot is performed manually by the driver of the target vehicle 10.

[0017] The control device 200 displays facility information 30 in a selectable manner on the display screen 20 of the display device. The facility information 30 represents various information related to the facility. For example, in FIG. 1 , the facility information 30 is realized as a button showing the name of the facility. The information shown by the facility information 30 is not limited to the name of the facility. For example, the facility information 30 may include the distance and required time from the current time of the target vehicle 10 to the facility.

[0018] The facility information 30 is displayed on a map 40. Note that, as will be described later, the location where the facility information 30 is displayed does not have to be on the map 40.

[0019] Here, the facilities for which the facility information 30 is displayed by the control device 200 are facilities that satisfy the display conditions. The display conditions include at least the condition that "the facility is easily reachable by the target vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as a facility with high reachability)." Examples of facilities with high reachability include facilities near the current location of the target vehicle 10 and facilities along the road on which the target vehicle 10 is currently traveling.

[0020] The control device 200 receives an input from a passenger of the target vehicle 10 to select one of the facility information 30 displayed on the display screen 20. Then, the control device 200 drives the target vehicle 10 toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information 30.

[0021] According to the control device 200 of this embodiment, the passenger of the target vehicle 10 can easily specify the facility to which the passenger wants to direct the target vehicle 10. Therefore, the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the passenger is improved.

[0022] Here, in the case of a facility that the target vehicle 10 can easily reach, such as a facility near the current location of the target vehicle 10, it is considered that the passenger will often suddenly feel the urge to head to the facility rather than heading there in a planned manner. Therefore, a facility that is highly accessible to the target vehicle 10 is particularly suitable for a passenger to direct the target vehicle 10 to with a simple operation.

[0023] Therefore, the control device 200 of this embodiment displays facility information 30 of facilities that at least satisfy the condition that "the target vehicle 10 has high reachability," on the display screen 20. In this way, the facility information 30 displayed on the display screen 20 is narrowed down to facility information 30 of facilities that are particularly suitable for a passenger to direct the target vehicle 10 to with a simple operation. This prevents the number of facility information 30 displayed on the display screen 20 from becoming too large, further improving the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the passenger of the target vehicle 10.

[0024] The control device 200 of this embodiment will be described in further detail below.

[0025] <Example of functional configuration of control device 200> The control device 200 is configured with, for example, the functional components shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control device 200 according to the first embodiment. The control device 200 has a display control unit 202, a selection receiving unit 204, and a driving control unit 206. The display control unit 202 displays facility information 30 of facilities that satisfy a display condition on the display screen 20. The selection receiving unit 204 receives selection of the facility information 30. The driving control unit 206 drives the target vehicle 10 toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information 30.

[0026] <Example of Hardware Configuration of Control Device 200> Each functional component of the control device 200 may be realized by hardware that realizes the functional component (e.g., a hardwired electronic circuit, etc.), or may be realized by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of an electronic circuit and a program that controls it). Below, a case where each functional component of the control device 200 is realized by a combination of hardware and software will be further described.

[0027] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 200. The computer 100 is a computer that realizes the control device 200. For example, the computer 100 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the engine of the target vehicle 10. The computer 100 may be a computer designed specifically for realizing the control device 200, or may be a general-purpose computer.

[0028] The computer 100 has a bus 102, a processor 104, a memory 106, a storage device 108, an input / output interface 110, and a network interface 112. The bus 102 is a data transmission path through which the processor 104, the memory 106, the storage device 108, the input / output interface 110, and the network interface 112 transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 104 and other components to each other is not limited to bus connection. The processor 104 is an arithmetic processing unit implemented using a microprocessor or the like. The memory 106 is a main storage device implemented using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like. The storage device 108 is an auxiliary storage device implemented using a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like.

[0029] The input / output interface 110 is an interface for connecting the computer 100 to peripheral devices. Various analog signals and digital signals used for controlling the target vehicle 10 are input to or output from the computer 100 via the input / output interface 110. Here, the input / output interface 110 may include an A / D converter that converts an analog input signal into a digital signal, a D / A converter that converts a digital output signal into an analog signal, and the like, as appropriate.

[0030] For example, in Fig. 3, a drive circuit 50 is connected to the input / output interface 110. The drive circuit 50 is a drive circuit for driving various mechanisms of the target vehicle 10, such as the gears, engine, and steering. The control device 200 controls the operation of the drive circuit 50 to control the running of the target vehicle 10. Note that existing technology can be used for the technology for controlling the running of the vehicle by controlling various drive circuits based on a control method determined by a computer such as an ECU.

[0031] The network interface 112 is an interface for connecting the computer 100 to a communication network. This communication network is, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication network. The method for connecting the network interface 112 to the communication network may be wireless connection or wired connection.

[0032] The computer 100 may have a plurality of network interfaces 112. For example, the computer 100 has a network interface 112 for connecting to a CAN communication network and a network interface 112 for connecting to a WAN (Wide Area Network) communication network. For example, the computer 100 acquires various information from a server device or the like via the WAN communication network.

[0033] The storage device 108 stores program modules for implementing each functional component of the control device 200. The processor 104 reads these program modules into the memory 106 and executes them to implement the functions of the control device 200.

[0034] <<About the display screen 20>> As described above, the facility information 30 is displayed on the display screen 20. The display screen 20 can be a display screen of any display. For example, the display screen 20 is a display device of a car navigation system provided in the target vehicle 10. Alternatively, the target vehicle 10 can be a display device provided in a mobile terminal carried by a passenger of the target vehicle 10. The display screen 20 may be connected to the computer 100 via the input / output interface 110, or may be connected to the computer 100 via the network interface 112.

[0035] <Processing flow> 4 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing executed by the control device 200 of the first embodiment. The display control unit 202 displays facility information 30 of facilities that satisfy the facial expression condition on the display screen 20 (S102). The selection receiving unit 204 receives the selection of the facility information 30 (S104). The driving control unit 206 drives the target vehicle 10 toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information 30 (S106).

[0036] <Display of facility information 30: S102> The display control unit 202 displays facility information 30 of facilities that satisfy the display conditions on the display screen 20 (S102). The facility information 30 is displayed in a selectable manner. Various techniques can be used to display information in a selectable manner on the display screen 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the facility information 30 can be realized as a button. Alternatively, the facility information 30 can be realized as a selectable character string representing the name of the facility, such as a link included on a web page.

[0037] As described above, the display conditions include at least the condition that "the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high." Specific conditions that indicate that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high are exemplified below. Note that the condition that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high may include multiple conditions, which will be described below. Furthermore, the condition that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high may be defined as a condition that requires all of the multiple conditions to be met (a so-called AND condition), or as a condition that requires only one of the multiple conditions to be met (a so-called OR condition), or may be defined as any combination of AND conditions and OR conditions.

[0038] <<First example of specific conditions>> For example, the condition that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high includes a condition that the distance from the current location of the target vehicle 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold. In order to identify facilities whose distance from the current location of the target vehicle 10 is equal to or less than the first threshold, the display control unit 202 acquires map information. This map information includes information (such as name and location) about each facility located on the map. The display control unit 202 uses the acquired map information to identify one or more facilities that are located at a distance equal to or less than the first threshold from the current location of the target vehicle 10.

[0039] The method for identifying the current position of the target vehicle 10 is arbitrary. For example, the current position of the target vehicle 10 is represented by the GPS coordinates of the target vehicle 10, which is identified using a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor mounted on the target vehicle 10. Alternatively, for example, the current position of the target vehicle 10 may be the target vehicle's own position calculated as a result of vehicle localization by the target vehicle 10. Note that existing technology can be used for the technology for estimating the vehicle's own position.

[0040] The first threshold value may be a predetermined fixed value or may be a value set by the user in some way. For example, when a map is displayed on the display screen 20, the first threshold value is determined according to the scale of the map. In this case, the correspondence between the scale of the map and the value of the first threshold value is determined in advance.

[0041] <<Second example of specific conditions>> For example, the condition that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high includes the condition that "the facility is located along the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling." Facilities located along the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling can be identified using map information.

[0042] <<Third example of specific conditions>> For example, the condition that the reachability of the target vehicle 10 is high includes the condition that "the facility is located a distance equal to or greater than the second threshold value from the current location of the target vehicle 10." The second threshold value is a value less than the first threshold value.

[0043] The reason for setting a lower limit value for the distance between the current position of the target vehicle 10 and the facility is that if these distances are small, even if the passenger selects facility information 30 for that facility, there is a possibility that the target vehicle 10 will pass in front of the facility before the control device 200 can control the target vehicle 10 in time. By displaying facility information 30 for facilities that are a certain distance (second threshold) away from the target vehicle 10 on the display screen 20, the facility information 30 displayed is limited to facilities to which the target vehicle 10 can be directed, thereby further improving the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the passenger of the target vehicle 10.

[0044] The second threshold may be a fixed value set in advance, or may be dynamically determined. In the latter case, for example, the display control unit 202 determines the second threshold in consideration of the traveling state of the target vehicle 10. In this case, for example, a conversion formula for converting the traveling state of the target vehicle 10 into the second threshold is determined in advance. The display control unit 202 determines the second threshold by applying the traveling state of the target vehicle 10 to the conversion formula.

[0045] The driving state of the target vehicle 10 is determined, for example, by the speed of the target vehicle 10. In this case, in the conversion formula, a larger second threshold value is associated with a faster speed. Alternatively, for example, the driving state of the target vehicle 10 is determined based on the lane in which the target vehicle 10 is traveling, in addition to the speed of the target vehicle 10. For example, in order to enter a facility located on the left side of a road where traffic is on the left side, the target vehicle 10 must travel in the leftmost lane. Therefore, the farther the lane in which the target vehicle 10 is traveling is from the leftmost lane, the larger the second threshold value needs to be.

[0046] The second threshold may be determined taking into consideration the structure and conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling, in addition to the driving state of the target vehicle 10. The road structure is expressed, for example, by the number of lanes and the presence or absence of a median strip. The number of lanes determines the number of lane changes the target vehicle 10 must make before reaching the facility. Furthermore, the presence or absence of a median strip determines whether the target vehicle 10 can cross the opposite lane in the middle of the road (at a location other than an intersection) to enter the facility. The road conditions are, for example, the traffic congestion state. The road congestion state affects, for example, the time it takes the target vehicle 10 to change lanes.

[0047] When calculating the second threshold value taking into consideration the road structure and conditions, for example, a conversion formula for converting a combination of "the driving state of the target vehicle 10, the structure of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is driving, and the conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is driving" into the second threshold value is determined in advance. Then, the display control unit 202 determines the second threshold value by applying the combination of "the current driving state of the target vehicle 10, the structure of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is currently driving, and the conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is currently driving" to the conversion formula. However, only one of the road structure and road conditions may be used.

[0048] Note that different second thresholds may be determined for facilities located on the left and right sides of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling. This is because the driving route to a facility located on the left side of the road and the driving route to a facility located on the right side of the road are different. In this case, the above conversion formula is determined for each of the facilities located on the left and right sides of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0049] When a facility that is a distance equal to or greater than the second threshold value from the current position of the target vehicle 10 is treated as a facility that is highly reachable by the target vehicle 10, the selection receiving unit 204 may display the remaining distance to reach the second threshold value for the facility for which facility information is displayed (how far the target vehicle 10 must travel from the current position before the distance between the facility and the current position of the target vehicle 10 becomes less than the second threshold value). This remaining distance can be calculated by subtracting the second threshold value from the distance between the facility and the current position of the target vehicle 10.

[0050] <<Fourth example of specific conditions>> For example, the condition that the target vehicle 10 has high reachability includes the condition that "the facility is detectable using a sensor." Various sensors can be used as the sensor. For example, the sensor is a camera image sensor. In this case, a facility that satisfies the condition that the target vehicle 10 has high reachability is a facility that can be detected by image analysis of the captured image generated by the camera. It can also be expressed as a facility located within the imaging range of the camera.

[0051] Alternatively, the sensor may be a distance measuring device such as a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. In this case, a facility that satisfies the condition of being highly reachable by the target vehicle 10 is a facility that can be identified using, for example, the measurement results from the distance measuring device and a map of the area around the target vehicle 10. Note that existing technology can be used to identify the facility whose distance has been measured by using the measurement results from the distance measuring device and a map of the area around the vehicle.

[0052] <<Fifth example of specific conditions>> For example, the condition that the target vehicle 10 has high reachability includes the condition that "the facility is capable of autonomous driving within its premises." For example, if a parking lot is provided within the premises of a facility, in order to use the facility, it is conceivable that the target vehicle 10 will head to the parking lot from the entrance of the facility's premises and park there. In this case, whether autonomous driving within the premises of the facility is possible will vary depending on factors such as the facility's compatibility with autonomous vehicles, the autonomous driving performance of the target vehicle 10, and facility information that can be acquired by the control device 200. It is also conceivable that some passengers of the target vehicle 10 do not prefer to manually drive in a relatively narrow space, such as within the premises of a facility.

[0053] Therefore, for example, a passenger (driver) of the target vehicle 10 who does not want to use a facility that requires manual driving within the premises sets the control device 200 to include the condition "the facility is capable of automatic driving within the premises" in the conditions for high reachability of the target vehicle 10. By doing so, only facility information 30 of facilities that are easy for the driver to use is displayed on the display screen 20, further improving the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the driver.

[0054] <Conditions other than reachability> The display conditions may include other conditions in addition to the condition that "the facility is highly reachable by the target vehicle 10." For example, the display conditions further include the condition that "the facility is of high interest to the passenger." This display condition narrows down the facility information 30 displayed on the display screen 20 to facility information 30 of facilities of high interest to the passenger. In other words, facility information 30 of facilities that the passenger is not interested in will not be displayed on the display screen 20. This further improves the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the passengers of the target vehicle 10.

[0055] If the display conditions include the condition "facilities that passengers are highly interested in," the display control unit 202 estimates the facilities that passengers are highly interested in. The passengers' level of interest in each facility can be estimated using various methods, for example, as exemplified below.

[0056] <<First example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that are of high interest to the passengers based on the past history of the target vehicle 10. For example, the past history is the past driving history of the target vehicle 10. Specifically, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that the target vehicle 10 has used in the past (which may include not only places reached as final destinations but also route points and stop-off points) and facilities of the same type as those facilities as facilities that are of high interest to the passengers. Here, the display control unit 202 may calculate the degree of interest in facilities that have been used in the past by taking into account the number of times the facility has been used and the frequency of use of the facility (number of times the facility has been visited per unit period).

[0057] Alternatively, the past history may be a history of facility searches, for example. The display control unit 202 estimates that facilities that have been searched for many times or frequently are facilities that passengers are highly interested in.

[0058] It is assumed that the above-mentioned past history is stored in a storage device accessible from the display control unit 202.

[0059] <<Second example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 may estimate that a facility that is of high interest to others (people other than the passengers of the target vehicle 10) is a facility that is of high interest to the passenger. Facilities that are of high interest to others include, for example, facilities that are frequently searched for on the Internet, facilities that are frequently used by others, or facilities that are frequently used by others. Existing technology can be used to obtain information indicating the number of searches on the Internet, the number of uses by others, or facilities that are frequently used by others. For example, the facilities used by each vehicle can be transmitted to a predetermined server, and this server manages the number of uses and frequency of use.

[0060] <<Third example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 may receive an input from the passenger specifying the type or name of a facility in which the passenger is highly interested. In this case, the display control unit 202 estimates that the facility specified by the type or name specified by the passenger (such as a facility belonging to the specified type or a facility including the specified name) is the facility in which the passenger is highly interested. For example, if the passenger often wants to stop by a convenience store, the passenger may specify the type as "convenience store" in advance.

[0061] It is assumed that the information input by the passenger is stored in a storage device accessible from the display control unit 202.

[0062] <<Fourth example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that are easy for the passenger to recognize as facilities that the passenger is highly interested in. For example, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that can be detected by a sensor (such as a camera image sensor or a distance measurement sensor) provided in the target vehicle 10 as facilities that the passenger is highly interested in. For example, when a camera is used, the display control unit 202 acquires a captured image generated by the camera provided in the target vehicle 10 and detects each facility from the captured image by image processing. Then, the display control unit 202 estimates the facilities that can be detected from the captured image as facilities that the passenger is easily able to recognize.

[0063] The display control unit 202 may estimate only some of the facilities detected by the sensor as facilities that are easily recognizable by the passenger. For example, the display control unit 202 may estimate only facilities that occupy an area of a predetermined size or larger within the imaging range of the camera or the detection range of the measuring device as facilities that are easily recognizable by the passenger. This predetermined size may be set in advance in the display control unit 202, or may be stored in a storage device accessible from the display control unit 202.

[0064] Alternatively, for example, it may be determined in advance whether each facility is easily recognizable by passengers based on the size of the facility itself or the size of the facility's sign. Information indicating whether a facility is easily recognizable by passengers may be included in the map information, for example. In this case, the display control unit 202 treats, among the facilities shown in the map information, facilities to which information indicating "a facility that is easily recognizable by passengers" is added as facilities that are easily recognizable by passengers.

[0065] <<Fifth example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 estimates that a facility whose distance from the current position of the target vehicle 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold is a facility that the passenger is highly interested in. Here, the predetermined threshold is This value may be the same as the first threshold value used to determine whether the reachability is high or not, or may be a different value.

[0066] <<Sixth example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that are of high interest to the passengers by using audio data including audio generated inside the passenger compartment of the target vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as indoor audio data). Specifically, the display control unit 202 identifies the name or type of the facility based on the indoor audio data, and estimates the facility of the name or type identified based on the indoor audio data as a facility that is of high interest to the passengers.

[0067] The sound generated in the interior of the target vehicle 10 is collected by a microphone. This microphone is any microphone provided in the target vehicle 10 so as to collect the sound generated in the interior of the target vehicle 10. The indoor sound data represents the sound collected by this microphone. Here, existing technology can be used to generate data representing the sound collected by the microphone.

[0068] The display control unit 202 analyzes the indoor voice data to extract the name or type of the facility from the indoor voice data. Here, existing technology can be used to extract the voice representing the name or type of the facility from the voice data. For example, the display control unit 202 extracts nouns from the indoor voice data, and identifies the name or type of the facility contained in the indoor voice data using the nouns and facility information contained in map information, etc.

[0069] Here, only some of the names or types of facilities identified by the display control unit 202 may be determined as facilities in which the passenger has a high degree of interest. For example, facilities whose occurrence frequency in the indoor voice data is equal to or greater than a predetermined frequency, or facilities whose occurrence frequency is within a predetermined ranking, are estimated as facilities in which the passenger has a high degree of interest. In the latter case, for example, only facility information of facilities with the top five names or types in which the occurrence frequency is highest is displayed on the display screen 20.

[0070] <<Seventh example of how to estimate the level of interest>> For example, the display control unit 202 may estimate facilities that are of high interest to the passenger based on the passenger's state estimated using various sensors. For example, when the passenger's fatigue level is high, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities suitable for resting (for example, restaurants, cafes, etc.) as facilities that are of high interest to the passenger. As another example, when the passenger's hunger level is high, the display control unit 202 estimates places where the passenger can eat (for example, restaurants, cafes, etc.) or places where the passenger can purchase groceries (for example, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.) as facilities that are of high interest to the passenger. As another example, when the passenger is feeling unwell, the display control unit 202 estimates facilities that are used by people who are unwell (for example, hospitals, drugstores, etc.) as facilities that are of high interest to the passenger.

[0071] The technology for using sensors to grasp the state of the passenger can be based on existing technology. For example, by using a blood flow sensor, a body temperature sensor (temperature sensor), or a sensor that examines the contents of the breath, it is possible to grasp the passenger's level of fatigue, hunger, physical condition, etc.

[0072] It is assumed that the state of the passenger and the facilities that are estimated to be of high interest to the passenger in that state are associated in advance. For example, this association is included in the map information.

[0073] <Update display> When the position of the target vehicle 10 changes, the facilities that satisfy the display conditions change. Therefore, the display control unit 202 repeatedly updates the display on the display screen 20. For example, the display control unit 202 repeatedly executes S102 at a predetermined cycle. That is, the display control unit 202 repeats the following process at a predetermined cycle: "1) acquire the current position of the target vehicle 10, 2) identify a facility that satisfies the expression conditions based on the current position, and 3) display facility information 30 of the identified facility on the display screen 20."

[0074] Alternatively, for example, the display control unit 202 may change the display on the display screen 20 every time the position of the target vehicle 10 changes by a predetermined amount or more. For example, if the predetermined amount is 100 m, the display control unit 202 performs the above processes 1) to 3) every time the target vehicle 10 moves forward by 100 m.

[0075] <Selection of facility information 30: S104> The selection receiving unit 204 receives the selection of the facility information 30 (S104). The method by which the passenger of the target vehicle 10 selects the facility information 30 is arbitrary. For example, if the display screen 20 is realized as a touch panel, the passenger selects the facility information 30 by a touch operation on the display screen 20, etc. In this case, the selection receiving unit 204 recognizes the operation on the touch panel and thereby receives the selection of the facility information 30. Alternatively, for example, the passenger may select the facility information 30 by voice input. In this case, the selection receiving unit 204 identifies the selected facility information 30 by analyzing the voice input via a microphone provided in the interior of the target vehicle 10.

[0076] <Control of travel of target vehicle 10: S106> The driving control unit 206 drives the target vehicle 10 toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information 30 (S106). The control of driving the target vehicle 10 toward the facility may include a series of controls: 1) changing the driving lane of the target vehicle 10 to the driving lane closest to the target facility; 2) stopping the target vehicle 10 near the entrance of the target facility; 3) causing the target vehicle 10 to enter the target facility; and 4) parking the target vehicle 10 in the parking lot of the target facility. However, there are cases where the target vehicle 10 does not need to be parked in a parking lot, such as when using a drive-through. The driving control unit 206 may perform all or only some of the above steps 1) to 4). For example, when the driving control unit 206 only controls step 1), the driver of the target vehicle 10 manually controls steps 2) to 4). Alternatively, when the driving control unit 206 controls steps 1) and 2), the driver of the target vehicle 10 manually controls steps 3) and 4). It should be noted that existing technologies can be used to realize the above-mentioned controls 1) to 4).

[0077] [Embodiment 2] 5 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control device 200 of embodiment 2. Except for the matters described below, the control device 200 of embodiment 2 has the same functions as the control device 200 of embodiment 1.

[0078] The control device 200 of the second embodiment has a determination unit 208. The determination unit 208 determines the remaining time (hereinafter, "selectable time") during which the facility information 30 of a facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected. The display control unit 202 displays the determined selectable time on the display screen 20 together with the facility information 30.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of how the facility information 30 and the selectable time are displayed for each facility. In FIG. 6, a button 70 includes the facility information 30 and the selectable time 60. By pressing the button 70, the passenger can select the facility information 30 included in that button 70. The selectable time 60 represents the remaining time during which the facility information 30 included in the same button 70 can be selected.

[0080] The selectable time can be used to exclude from the display targets of the facility information 30 facilities that are too close to the target vehicle 10 and therefore difficult to direct the target vehicle 10 to. That is, for example, the selectable time of the facility information 30 can mean "the time by which the target vehicle 10 can arrive at the facility corresponding to the facility information 30 without passing the facility if the facility information 30 is selected before the selectable time has elapsed and the target vehicle 10 is directed to the facility corresponding to the facility information 30 in accordance with the selection." In other words, the selectable time of the facility information 30 can mean "the time by which the target vehicle 10 will pass the facility if the facility information 30 is selected after the selectable time has elapsed and the target vehicle 10 is directed to the facility corresponding to the facility information 30 in accordance with the selection."

[0081] By displaying such meaningful selectable times on the display screen 20 together with the facility information 30, passengers of the target vehicle 10 can easily understand by what time they should select the facility information 30 of each facility in order to use that facility. This further improves the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for passengers.

[0082] There are various methods for determining the selectable time. For example, the determination unit 208 determines the selectable time of the facility information 30 of each facility that satisfies the display conditions, depending on the distance between each facility that satisfies the display conditions and the target vehicle 10 and the driving state of the target vehicle 10. For example, a conversion formula that converts a combination of "the distance between the facility and the target vehicle 10, and the driving state of the target vehicle 10 (speed and driving lane)" into the selectable time is determined in advance. The driving control unit 206 determines the selectable time of the facility information 30 of that facility by applying the combination of "the current distance between the facility and the target vehicle 10, and the driving state of the target vehicle 10" to the conversion formula.

[0083] Alternatively, for example, the selectable time may be determined by further considering the structure and conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling. For example, a conversion formula is determined in advance to convert a combination of "the distance between the facility and the target vehicle 10, the traveling state of the target vehicle 10, the structure of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling, and the conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is traveling" into the selectable time. The determination unit 208 determines the selectable time of the facility information 30 of the facility by applying the combination of "the current distance between the facility and the target vehicle 10, the current traveling state of the target vehicle 10, the structure of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is currently traveling, and the conditions of the road on which the target vehicle 10 is currently traveling" to this conversion formula. However, only one of the road structure and road conditions may be used.

[0084] The determination unit 208 may determine a remaining distance by which the facility information can be selected in addition to or instead of the selection time, which is the remaining time by which the facility information can be selected. For example, this remaining distance can be calculated as the selection time multiplied by the current speed of the target vehicle 10. Alternatively, for example, this remaining distance may be calculated as "the distance between the current position of the target vehicle 10 and the facility minus the second threshold value" as described in the first embodiment. The selection receiving unit 204 displays the remaining distance by which the facility information can be selected on the display screen 20 in addition to or instead of the selection time, which is the remaining time by which the facility information can be selected.

[0085] Here, the condition that the facility is highly reachable by the target vehicle 10 may include the condition that "the selectable time is equal to or longer than a third threshold value." In this case, for example, the traveling control unit 206 calculates the selectable time for facilities that satisfy display conditions other than this condition.

[0086] <Example of hardware configuration> The hardware configuration of the control device 200 of the second embodiment is similar to the hardware configuration of the control device 200 of the first embodiment, and is shown in, for example, Fig. 3. In this embodiment, the program modules stored in the storage device 108 described above further include programs that realize the functions described in this embodiment.

[0087] [Embodiment 3] The functional configuration of the control device 200 of the third embodiment is similar to that of the control device 200 of the first embodiment or the control device 200 of the second embodiment. Except for the matters described below, the control device 200 of the third embodiment has the same functions as the control device 200 of the first embodiment or the control device 200 of the first embodiment.

[0088] The display control unit 202 of the third embodiment displays the captured image generated by the camera on the display screen 20. At that time, the display control unit 202 superimposes facility information of facilities that satisfy display conditions on the captured image. The display conditions include at least the condition that "the facility is included in the captured image generated by the camera (a facility that can be detected using the camera)."

[0089] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a captured image on which facility information is superimposed, displayed on the display screen 20. The captured image 80 is a captured image generated by the camera described above, and is displayed on the display screen 20. Facility information 30 of two facilities that satisfy the display conditions is superimposed on the captured image 80 in Fig. 7.

[0090] By displaying the captured image with facility information superimposed on the display screen 20 in this way, the passenger can select a facility while checking the actual state of each facility on the image. This allows the passenger to select a facility more intuitively, improving the convenience of the target vehicle 10 for the passenger.

[0091] Here, the frequency at which the display on the display screen 20 is updated is arbitrary. For example, every time a captured image is generated by the camera, the display control unit 202 updates the display on the display screen 20 using the captured image. That is, the update frequency of the display screen 20 is the frequency (frame rate) at which the camera generates captured images. In this case, every time a captured image is generated by the camera, the display control unit 202 analyzes the generated captured image to generate facility information, and displays the captured image on which the facility information is superimposed on the display screen 20.

[0092] Alternatively, for example, as described above, the display screen 20 may be updated at a predetermined interval or every time the target vehicle 10 travels a predetermined distance.

[0093] <Example of hardware configuration> The hardware configuration of the control device 200 of the third embodiment is shown in, for example, Fig. 3, similar to the hardware configuration of the control device 200 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the program modules stored in the storage device 108 described above further include programs that realize the functions described in this embodiment.

[0094] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and it is also possible to adopt combinations of the above-described embodiments or various other configurations. Below, examples of reference forms are given. 1. a display control means for displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving means for receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control means for driving the target vehicle toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information, A control device, wherein the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily reachable by the target vehicle. 2. 1. The control device according to 1, wherein the display control means repeatedly updates the facility information to be displayed on the display screen. 3. 3. The control device according to 1. or 2., wherein the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility located at a distance equal to or less than a first threshold from the current position of the target vehicle. 4. The control device according to any one of 1. to 3., wherein the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility provided along a road on which the target vehicle is traveling. 5. The facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility that is away from the current location by a distance equal to or greater than a second threshold value, The control device according to any one of 1. to 4., wherein the second threshold value is a value less than the first threshold value. 6. 5. The control device described in 5., wherein the second threshold is determined based on one or more of the driving state of the target vehicle, the structure of the road on which the target vehicle is driving, and the conditions of the road on which the target vehicle is driving. 7. a determining means for determining a remaining time during which facility information of each facility that satisfies the display conditions can be selected; The control device according to any one of 1. to 6., wherein the display control means displays the determined remaining time together with the facility information. 8. a determination means for determining, for each facility, a remaining time during which facility information of the facility can be selected; The control device according to any one of 1. to 6., wherein the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility for which the remaining time is equal to or greater than a third threshold value. 9. 9. The control device according to 7. or 8., wherein the determining means determines the remaining time based on at least one of the state of a road around the target vehicle and the driving state of the target vehicle. 10. a determining means for determining, for each facility, a remaining distance within which facility information of the facility can be selected; The control device according to any one of 1. to 9., wherein the display control means displays the determined remaining distance together with the facility information. 11. The control device according to any one of 1. to 10., wherein the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility where the target vehicle can travel at least part of the premises by autonomous driving. 12. 11. The control device described in claim 11, wherein the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility where the target vehicle can drive autonomously from the time it enters the premises until it parks in a parking lot. 13. The control device according to any one of 1. to 12., further including a condition that the facility that the target vehicle can easily reach is a facility that is detected using a sensor. 14. the sensor is an image sensor provided in a camera, 13. The control device according to claim 13, wherein the display control means superimposes facility information about facilities included in the captured image generated by the camera onto the captured image, and displays the captured image with the facility information superimposed. 15. The control device according to any one of 1. to 14., wherein the display conditions further include a condition that the facility is of high interest to passengers of the target vehicle. 16. The display control means Predicting facilities that are of high interest to the passengers based on the past history of the target vehicle, or Whether the facility identified by the name or type designated by the passenger is estimated to be a facility in which the passenger has a high degree of interest; A facility whose distance from the current location of the target vehicle is equal to or less than a third threshold is estimated as a facility in which the passenger is highly interested, or Whether a facility that is easily recognized by the passenger is estimated as a facility that is of high interest to the passenger; A facility identified by a name or type included in a voice generated in the interior of the target vehicle is estimated to be a facility in which the passenger has a high degree of interest; or 15. The control device described in 15., which estimates facilities that the passenger is most interested in based on the passenger's state. 17. A computer-implemented control method comprising: a display control step of displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving step of receiving a selection of the facility information; a travel control step of causing the target vehicle to travel toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information, A control method in which the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily reachable by the target vehicle. 18. 17. A program that causes a computer to execute each step of the control method described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10 Target vehicles 20 display screen 30 Facility Information 40 Map 50 Drive circuit 60 selectable times 70 buttons 80 captured images 100 calculator 102 Bus 104 processors 106 memory 108 Storage Devices 110 Input / Output Interface 112 Network Interface 200 control device 202 Display control unit 204 Selection Reception Department 206 Travel control unit 208 Decision Section

Claims

[Claim 1] a display control means for displaying facility information relating to facilities that satisfy a display condition on a display screen in a selectable manner; a selection receiving means for receiving a selection of the facility information; a driving control means for driving the target vehicle toward the facility corresponding to the selected facility information, A control device, wherein the display conditions include a condition that the facility is easily reachable by the target vehicle.

Images