Information processing method and emergency control apparatus

Abstract

To execute emergency control even when an occupant with a poor physical condition cannot perform an operation.SOLUTION: An emergency control device according to the present exemplary embodiment executes emergency control in cases in which a cancellation operation instructing not to execute the emergency control has not been received from an occupant determined to be in a poor physical condition until specific time has elapsed since at least one of occupants was determined to be in the poor physical condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method and an emergency control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology that executes emergency control when a vehicle occupant is unwell. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes a technology that, when it is detected that the driver is unwell, enables operation of a second switch that is located closer to the driver than a first switch, and executes a predetermined emergency control when the first switch or the second switch is operated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-124855 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that emergency control cannot be executed when an occupant who is in poor physical condition is unable to perform an operation (in the above example, operation of the first switch or the second switch). For example, in the conventional technology, emergency control is not executed when an occupant who is in poor physical condition is unable to perform any operation.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an information processing method and an emergency control device that can perform emergency control even when an occupant who is in poor health is unable to perform operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method that causes a processor to execute a process for determining whether emergency control can be executed, wherein the processor determines whether at least one of the occupants of a vehicle that is autonomously traveling along a route to a destination is in poor health, and if it determines that at least one of the occupants is in poor health, and if a cancellation operation instructing not to execute the emergency control is not received from the occupant determined to be in poor health within a predetermined time from a reference point, the processor executes at least one of the emergency control actions of stopping the vehicle, moving the vehicle to a medical institution, and notifying outside the vehicle that someone is in poor health. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing method and an emergency control device that can execute emergency control even when an occupant who is in poor health is unable to perform operations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with an emergency control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an emergency control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of an emergency control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 10 illustrates an example of a processing procedure of an emergency control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 shows an example of a release operation image. [Figure 6] 10 shows an example of an execution operation image. [Figure 7] An example of a processing procedure when an execution operation is not accepted will be illustrated. [Figure 8] An example of a processing procedure when an execution operation is accepted will be illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention in all respects. Needless to say, various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, when implementing the present invention, specific configurations according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted. Note that, although data appearing in the present embodiment are described in natural language, more specifically, they are specified using pseudo-language, commands, parameters, machine language, etc. that can be recognized by a computer.

[0010] §1 Application Examples FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle VH equipped with an emergency control device (emergency control device 1) according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the vehicle VH has multiple seats and carries one or more occupants Ue, for example, multiple occupants Ue. The vehicle VH is configured to perform autonomous driving, and can transport the occupants Ue to the destination by, for example, autonomously driving along a route to the destination. Autonomous driving is also called automatic driving. The vehicle VH may be a so-called automatic driving vehicle, and in particular may be a fully automatic driving (unmanned driving) vehicle.

[0011] In this embodiment, when distinguishing between the multiple occupants Ue of the vehicle VH, "(1)," "(2)," "(3)," ..., "(n)" are added after "Ue" to distinguish between them. Here, "n" is an integer equal to or greater than "1." When referring to the multiple occupants Ue collectively without distinguishing between them, they are simply referred to as "occupants Ue." Of the one or more occupants Ue of the vehicle VH, an occupant Ue who is determined to be "in poor health (experiencing poor health)" is also specifically referred to as a "person in poor health PPH." Furthermore, an occupant Ue who is determined to be "not in poor health (not experiencing poor health)" is also specifically referred to as a "person in good health PGH." A person in good health PGH may also be referred to as an occupant Ue other than a person in poor health PPH. A person in poor health PPH and a person in good health PGH are also referred to in the same way as an occupant Ue.

[0012] The autonomous driving system Sys is a system that enables the vehicle VH to travel autonomously, and controls, for example, the acceleration, steering, and deceleration (braking) of the vehicle VH. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving system Sys communicates with each of the environment detection unit 21 and the route setting unit 22 (transmitting and receiving information to and from each other) to cause the vehicle VH to travel autonomously along a route to a destination. The autonomous driving system Sys also communicates with the emergency control device 1 to perform emergency control such as stopping the vehicle VH or moving (autonomously traveling) the vehicle VH to a medical institution (e.g., the nearest medical institution). The autonomous driving system Sys may be connected to the environment detection unit 21, the route setting unit 22, and the emergency control device 1 via, for example, a controller area network (CAN) or other in-vehicle LAN, and may transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0013] The environment detection unit 21 detects environmental information related to the environment around the vehicle VH and transmits the detected environmental information to the autonomous driving system Sys. The environmental information may include information related to the road on which the vehicle VH is traveling or will travel, for example, information about the white lines, signs, and traffic lights on the road. Furthermore, the environmental information may include information about pedestrians, other vehicles, obstacles, etc. on the road, and information about buildings along the road. The environment detection unit 21 includes a sensor (detection device) capable of detecting the above-mentioned environmental information, and may include, for example, an external camera, a millimeter-wave radar, a laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR), an ultrasonic sensor, etc.

[0014] The route setting unit 22 sets a route to a destination (e.g., a destination desired by the occupant Ue) and transmits information about the set route to the autonomous driving system Sys. The route setting unit 22 may store map data, for example, three-dimensional map information such as road surface information, lane information, and building location information. In order to autonomously drive the vehicle VH to a medical institution (e.g., the nearest medical institution), the route setting unit 22 may search for the medical institution, set a route with the searched medical institution as a new destination, and transmit information about the set route to the autonomous driving system Sys.

[0015] The emergency control device 1 executes emergency control if it does not receive a cancel operation OC from an occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor health, instructing not to execute emergency control, within a predetermined time PT after it has been determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health. Therefore, the emergency control device 1 can execute emergency control even when an occupant Ue who is in poor health is unable to perform any operation.

[0016] 1, the emergency control device 1 is provided in, for example, a vehicle VH, and is configured to be able to communicate with an autonomous driving system Sys that realizes autonomous driving of the vehicle VH. As emergency control, the emergency control device 1 transmits, for example, an execution instruction EI to the autonomous driving system Sys instructing the execution of emergency control. By transmitting the execution instruction EI to the autonomous driving system Sys, the emergency control device 1 can cause the autonomous driving system Sys to stop the vehicle VH or move it to a medical institution (autonomous driving).

[0017] In this embodiment, a state in which the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) executes (is executing) emergency control is also referred to as a "ill health mode." Furthermore, a state in which the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) does not execute (is not executing) emergency control, for example, a state in which the vehicle VH autonomously drives along a route to a destination (a destination desired by the occupant Ue), is also referred to as a "normal mode (normal autonomous driving mode)." The emergency control executed by the emergency control device 1 includes at least one of stopping the vehicle VH, moving the vehicle VH to a medical institution, and reporting to the outside of the vehicle VH that a person has become ill. The "outside of the vehicle VH" may be, for example, an operator outside the vehicle VH, a medical institution, an ambulance, or the like. The operator may be an operator associated with a service that transports the occupant Ue to the destination. The emergency control device 1, which has been outlined above, will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

[0018] §2 Configuration example [Hardware configuration] Fig. 2 schematically illustrates an example of the hardware configuration of the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment is a computer to which a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication interface 13, an external interface 14, an input device 15, an output device 16, and a drive 17 are electrically connected. In Fig. 2, the communication interface and the external interface are referred to as a "communication I / F" and an "external I / F."

[0019] The control unit 11 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), and read-only memory (ROM), and is configured to execute information processing based on programs and various data. The CPU is an example of a processor resource. The storage unit 12 is an example of a memory resource, and is configured, for example, with a hard disk drive or solid-state drive. In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 stores various information such as an emergency control program 120 and a priority operation determination rule 122.

[0020] The emergency control program 120 is a program for causing the emergency control device 1 to execute information processing (FIG. 4) described below for determining whether or not emergency control can be executed. The emergency control program 120 includes a series of instructions for the information processing.

[0021] The priority operation determination rule 122 is a rule for determining which operation should be prioritized when the emergency control device 1 receives both a cancel operation OC that instructs not to execute emergency control and an execute operation OE that instructs to execute emergency control. In other words, the priority operation determination rule 122 is a rule for determining, when the emergency control device 1 receives both the cancel operation OC and the execute operation OE, whether to prioritize the cancel operation OC and not execute emergency control, or to prioritize the execute operation OE and execute emergency control. The priority operation determination rule 122 is determined in advance, and its contents may be updated as appropriate.

[0022] The communication interface 13 is, for example, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) module, a wireless LAN module, or the like, and is an interface for performing wired or wireless communication via a network. As described above, the communication interface 13 may be an interface for performing communication via a CAN or other in-vehicle LAN. The emergency control device 1 may use this communication interface 13 to perform data communication via a network with another information processing device. The external interface 14 is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, a dedicated port, or the like, and is an interface for connecting to an external device. The type and number of external interfaces 14 may be appropriately selected depending on the type and number of external devices to be connected. The emergency control device 1 is connected to the autonomous driving system Sys via at least one of the communication interface 13 and the external interface 14, and can transmit an execution instruction EI to the autonomous driving system Sys.

[0023] The input device 15 is a device for inputting, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, etc. The output device 16 is a device for outputting, for example, a display, a speaker, etc. An operator such as a user can operate the emergency control device 1 by using the input device 15 and the output device 16.

[0024] The drive 17 is, for example, a CD drive, a DVD drive, or the like, and is a drive device for reading various information, such as programs, stored in a storage medium 91. The storage medium 91 is a medium that stores information, such as programs, electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically, so that a computer or other device, machine, or the like can read the stored information. At least one of the emergency control program 120 and the priority operation determination rule 122 may be stored in the storage medium 91. The emergency control device 1 may acquire at least one of the emergency control program 120 and the priority operation determination rule 122 from the storage medium 91. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates a disk-type storage medium, such as a CD or a DVD, as an example of the storage medium 91. However, the type of the storage medium 91 is not limited to a disk-type medium and may be other than a disk-type medium. Examples of storage media other than a disk-type medium include semiconductor memories, such as flash memories. The type of the drive 17 may be selected arbitrarily depending on the type of the storage medium 91.

[0025] Note that, with regard to the specific hardware configuration of the emergency control device 1, components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the processor resources may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processor may be configured with a microprocessor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like. The storage unit 12 may be configured with RAM and ROM included in the control unit 11. At least one of the communication interface 13, the external interface 14, the input device 15, the output device 16, and the drive 17 may be omitted. The emergency control device 1 may be configured with multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configurations of the computers may or may not be identical. Furthermore, the emergency control device 1 may be an information processing device designed specifically for the services provided, as well as a general-purpose server device, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like.

[0026] [Software configuration] 3 schematically illustrates an example of the software configuration of the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment. The control unit 11 of the emergency control device 1 loads the emergency control program 120 stored in the storage unit 12 into RAM. The control unit 11 then uses the CPU to interpret and execute instructions included in the emergency control program 120 loaded into RAM to control each component. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment operates as a computer including a physical condition detection unit 110, an authorization unit 112, an operation reception unit 114, a priority operation determination unit 116, and an execution unit 118 as software modules. That is, in this embodiment, each software module of the emergency control device 1 is realized by the control unit 11 (CPU).

[0027] The physical condition detection unit 110 detects the physical condition of each of one or more (e.g., multiple) occupants Ue of the vehicle VH. For example, the physical condition detection unit 110 detects the physical condition of each occupant Ue when emergency control is not being executed, for example, when the vehicle VH is autonomously traveling along a route to the destination (normal mode). The physical condition detection unit 110 may detect the physical condition of each occupant Ue by checking, from captured images (imaging data) of the face (head) and body of each occupant Ue, whether the occupant Ue's eyes are closed, whether the body (head) is unsteady, or whether the posture is poor, from captured images (imaging data) of the face (head) and body of each occupant Ue. Furthermore, if the captured images are captured by an infrared camera, the physical condition detection unit 110 may detect the physical condition of each occupant Ue by checking whether the body temperature of the occupant Ue is abnormally high or low. Furthermore, the physical condition detection unit 110 may acquire biometric information of the occupant Ue (e.g., data indicating the physical condition of the occupant Ue, such as brain waves, heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, and body temperature) from a wearable device worn by the occupant Ue, and detect the physical condition of the occupant Ue from the acquired biometric information. The physical condition detection unit 110 may acquire such biometric information from a biometric sensor installed on a seat (seat) of the vehicle VH, for example. In another example, when the physical condition detection unit 110 receives a report from the occupant Ue that "I am feeling unwell," it may generate a detection result that "the occupant Ue is feeling unwell" for the occupant Ue. Similarly, when the physical condition detection unit 110 receives a report from a certain occupant Ue(x) that "another occupant Ue(y) is feeling unwell," it may generate a detection result that "the occupant Ue(y) is feeling unwell" for the other occupant Ue(y). However, the method by which the physical condition detection unit 110 detects the physical condition of each occupant Ue is not limited to the above, and the physical condition detection unit 110 may use any method as long as it can detect the physical condition of each occupant Ue. The physical condition detection unit 110 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a poor health person identification unit 1102, a good health person identification unit 1104, and a symptom degree determination unit 1106.

[0028] The unwell person identifying unit 1102 determines whether at least one of the occupants Ue in the vehicle VH (particularly, the vehicle VH that autonomously travels along a route to a destination) is in poor health. If the unwell person identifying unit 1102 determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, (1) it notifies the authorization unit 112 of the determination result, and (2) it starts counting time from the reference time RP when it determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health. Furthermore, if the unwell person identifying unit 1102 determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, it further identifies each of the one or more occupants Ue who have been determined to be in poor health, that is, it identifies each of the one or more unwell persons PPH. The unwell person identifying unit 1102 may further identify at least one of the identification information (ID) and the seating position of each identified unwell person PPH (i.e., each occupant Ue determined to be in poor health). The unwell person identification unit 1102 notifies the authority granting unit 112, in particular the release authority granting unit 1122, of unwell person information IPH (e.g., information indicating at least one of the ID and seating position of each unwell person PPH), which is information about the unwell person PPH.

[0029] The unwell person identifying unit 1102 may use "the time when the emergency control device 1 displays a release operation image IMC (an image that can accept a release operation OC), which will be described later," as the reference time RP, instead of "the time when it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is unwell." If "the time when it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is unwell" is used as the reference time RP, the emergency control device 1 can execute emergency action promptly after determining that at least one of the occupants Ue is unwell. If "the time when the release operation image IMC is displayed" is used as the reference time RP, the emergency control device 1 can execute emergency action after reliably giving the unwell person PPH an opportunity to consider whether or not emergency control needs to be executed (whether or not it can be executed).

[0030] The good health person identifying unit 1104 determines whether any occupants Ue other than the poor health person PPH are present in the vehicle VH, that is, whether one or more good health persons PGH are present in the vehicle VH. If the good health person identifying unit 1104 determines that a good health person PGH is present in the vehicle VH, it notifies the authorization unit 112 of the determination result. If it determines that one or more good health persons PGH are present in the vehicle VH, the good health person identifying unit 1104 further identifies each of the one or more good health persons PGH. The good health person identifying unit 1104 may further identify at least one of the identification information (ID) and the seating position of each identified good health person PGH (i.e., each of one or more occupants Ue other than the occupant Ue determined to be in poor health). The good health person identification unit 1104 notifies the authority granting unit 112, in particular the execution authority granting unit 1124, of good health person information IGH (e.g., information indicating at least one of the ID and seating position of each good health person PGH), which is information about the good health person PGH.

[0031] The symptom degree determination unit 1106 determines whether the degree of poor health of the unwell PPH is severe, and notifies the priority operation determination unit 116 of the determination result, for example, notifying the priority operation determination unit 116 of whether or not there is a seriously unwell PPH. The symptom degree determination unit 1106 determines whether the degree of poor health of each unwell PPH is severe, and if it determines that there is even one seriously unwell PPH, it may notify the priority operation determination unit 116 of the determination result that there is a seriously unwell PPH.

[0032] The authority granting unit 112 grants the poor health person PPH the authority (cancellation authority) to instruct the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control, and grants the good health person PGH the authority (execution authority) to instruct the emergency control device 1 to execute emergency control. "Granting the cancellation authority" means, for example, enabling the cancellation operation OC to be performed, or permitting the cancellation operation OC to be performed. The cancellation operation OC is an operation that instructs the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control, in other words, an operation that instructs the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control. The cancellation operation OC may be considered as an operation that stops the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from transitioning (shifting) from the normal mode to the poor health mode and maintaining the normal mode. In contrast to this, "granting the execution authority" means, for example, enabling the execution operation OE to be performed, or permitting the execution operation OE to be performed. The execution operation OE is an operation to instruct the emergency control device 1 to execute emergency control, in other words, an operation to instruct the emergency control device 1 to execute emergency control. The execution operation OE may be considered as an operation to transition (make the transition) the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from the normal mode to the poor health mode.

[0033] When the poor health identifying unit 1102 determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, the authorization unit 112 may notify the persons in good health PGH that at least one of the occupants has been determined to be in poor health. As will be described in detail later, the authorization unit 112 may notify the persons in good health PGH that at least one of the occupants has been determined to be in poor health by including information such as "At least one of the occupants has been determined to be in poor health" in the execution operation image IME. As described above, the emergency control device 1 sets a reference time point RP when it determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, and executes emergency control if it does not receive a release operation OC within a predetermined time PT from the reference time point RP. Therefore, by notifying the persons in good health PGH that at least one of the occupants has been determined to be in poor health, the emergency control device 1 can notify the persons in good health PGH of the possibility of emergency control being executed in advance of the execution of emergency control. In the illustrated example, the authorization unit 112 includes a release authorization unit 1122 and an execution authorization unit 1124 .

[0034] The release authority granting unit 1122 grants release authority to each sick person PPH, that is, enables each sick person PPH to perform the release operation OC. For example, the release authority granting unit 1122 uses the sick person information IPH to display a release operation image IMC that can accept the release operation OC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each sick person PPH and the portable terminal. The release authority granting unit 1122 may use the "seat of each sick person PPH" indicated by the sick person information IPH to display the release operation image IMC on the display screen of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each sick person PPH. If information correlating each occupant's ID with contact information, etc. is available, the release authority granting unit 1122 may use the "ID of each sick person PPH" indicated by the sick person information IPH to display the release operation image IMC on the display screen of the terminal carried by each sick person PPH. The release authority granting unit 1122 may use the "seat of each unwell person PPH" indicated in the unwell person information IPH to perform short-range wireless communication with the relevant seat as its reception range, thereby displaying the release operation image IMC on the display screen of the terminal carried by each unwell person PPH. However, the method by which the release authority granting unit 1122 displays the release operation image IMC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each unwell person PPH and the terminal carried by each unwell person PPH is not limited to the above. Each unwell person PPH can instruct the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control by performing a release operation OC on the release operation image IMC.

[0035] Because the emergency control device 1 displays the cancellation operation image IMC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal and the mobile terminal located near the seat of the ill person PPH, it is difficult for occupants Ue other than the ill person PPH to see the cancellation operation image IMC, much less operate it. Therefore, the emergency control device 1 can grant cancellation authority only to the ill person PPH. Furthermore, by granting cancellation authority to the ill person PPH, particularly by granting cancellation authority only to the ill person PPH, the emergency control device 1 achieves the following effects. That is, for example, if the ill person PPH determines that "his / her illness is not serious enough to warrant emergency control," the ill person PPH can instruct the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control. Furthermore, for example, even if the ill person PPH is mistakenly determined (misdetected) to be "ill" when he / she is simply "sleepy," the ill person PPH who has been determined to be "ill" can instruct the emergency control device 1 not to execute emergency control. Then, when the PPH of the person in poor health instructs not to execute emergency control, that is, when the PPH of the person in poor health receives a cancellation operation OC, the emergency control device 1 does not execute emergency control in accordance with the instruction (cancellation operation OC). Therefore, by granting cancellation authority to the PPH of the person in poor health, the emergency control device 1 enables the PPH of the person in poor health to determine whether or not emergency control needs to be executed. In particular, if the PPH of the person in poor health determines that execution of emergency control is unnecessary based on, for example, their own physical condition, the emergency control device 1 can stop the execution of emergency control in accordance with the determination.

[0036] The emergency control device 1 also displays a release operation image IMC, which can accept the release operation OC, on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal and the mobile terminal located near the seat of the ill person PPH. Therefore, the ill person PPH can easily perform the release operation OC. As described above, it is difficult for occupants Ue other than the ill person PPH to see the release operation image IMC. For the ill person PPH, their own physical condition and the "decision made regarding the need for emergency control" may be information they do not want others to know. Therefore, by displaying the release operation image IMC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal and the mobile terminal located near the seat of the ill person PPH, the emergency control device 1 can grant release authority only to the ill person PPH, while respecting the privacy of the ill person PPH.

[0037] (About the content of the release operation image) The release operation image IMC is an image that can accept the release operation OC, and may include, for example, a "release button" that accepts the release operation OC. The release button is realized as a button (soft button) in a graphical user interface (GUI). By pressing the release button, the unwell person PPH can perform the release operation OC.

[0038] In addition to the release button, the release operation image IMC may include information notifying the following to an unwell person PPH seated near the in-vehicle terminal on which the release operation image IMC is displayed (an unwell person PPH carrying a mobile terminal on which the release operation image IMC is displayed). That is, the release operation image IMC may include information notifying that "the unwell person PPH has been determined to be in unwell health." Furthermore, the release operation image IMC may include information notifying that "if the release button is not pressed within a predetermined time PT from the display of the release operation image IMC, an emergency action will be executed."

[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a release operation image IMC. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the release operation image IMC may include, for example, the text, "You have been determined to be in poor health." The release operation image IMC allows the unwell person PPH to understand that they have been determined to be in poor health. The release operation image IMC may also include information indicating the remaining time (grace period) until the predetermined time PT, along with the text, "If you do not press the release button within the following grace period, emergency control will be executed." In the example shown in FIG. 5, the release operation image IMC indicates the grace period (45 seconds in the illustrated example) in addition to the text, "If you do not press the release button within the following grace period, emergency control will be executed." The grace period becomes "0 seconds" when the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP (for example, the time when the release operation image IMC is displayed). By using this release operation image IMC, the unwell person PPH can understand that emergency control is scheduled to be executed, how to avoid the execution of emergency control, and the grace period until the emergency control is executed.

[0040] So far, as an example of a method for "granting release authority to each unwell person PPH," a method has been described in which "a release operation image IMC is displayed on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal and the portable terminal of each unwell person PPH" is given. However, the method by which the release authority granting unit 1122 grants release authority to each unwell person PPH is not limited to the above. For example, the release authority granting unit 1122 may grant release authority to each unwell person PPH by transitioning a switch (button) provided in advance near each seat, which is provided near the seat of each unwell person PPH, to a state in which the switch can accept a release operation OC.

[0041] The execution authority granting unit 1124 grants execution authority to each good health person PGH, that is, enables each good health person PGH to perform the execution operation OE. In other words, the execution authority granting unit 1124 permits each good health person PGH to perform the execution operation OE. For example, the execution authority granting unit 1124 uses the good health person information IGH to display an execution operation image IME that can accept the execution operation OE on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each good health person PGH and the portable terminal. The execution authority granting unit 1124 may use the "seat of each good health person PGH" indicated by the good health person information IGH to display the execution operation image IME on the display screen of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each good health person PGH. When information associating each occupant's ID with contact information, etc., is available, the execution authority granting unit 1124 may use the "ID of each good health person PGH" indicated in the good health person information IGH to display the execution operation image IME on the display screen of the device carried by each good health person PGH. The execution authority granting unit 1124 may use the "seat occupied by each good health person PGH" indicated in the good health person information IGH to perform short-range wireless communication with the seat in its reception range, thereby displaying the execution operation image IME on the display screen of the device carried by each good health person PGH. However, the method by which the execution authority granting unit 1124 displays the execution operation image IME on at least one of the display screens of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat occupied by each good health person PGH and the device carried by each good health person PGH is not limited to the above. Each good health person PGH can instruct the emergency control device 1 to execute emergency control by performing an execution operation OE on the execution operation image IME.

[0042] By granting execution authority to the PGH in good physical condition, the emergency control device 1 achieves the following effects. That is, for example, even if the PPH in poor physical condition determines that "his / her physical condition is not serious enough to warrant the execution of emergency control," there may be cases where, objectively, the physical condition of the PPH in poor physical condition is serious and emergency control should be executed promptly. Therefore, it is desirable for an occupant Ue other than the PPH in poor physical condition, i.e., the PGH in good physical condition, to objectively determine whether "the physical condition of the PPH in poor physical condition is serious enough to warrant the execution of emergency control" and to decide whether or not to execute emergency control, taking into consideration the judgment of the PGH in good physical condition. Therefore, by granting execution authority to the PGH in good physical condition, the emergency control device 1 enables the PGH in good physical condition to "determine whether or not to execute emergency control." In particular, when the PGH in good physical condition determines that "the physical condition of the PPH in poor physical condition is serious enough to warrant the execution of emergency control," the emergency control device 1 can determine whether or not to execute emergency control, taking into consideration the judgment of the PGH in good physical condition.

[0043] (About the contents of the execution operation image) The execution operation image IME is an image that can accept an execution operation OE, and may include, for example, a "transition button" that accepts the execution operation OE. The transition button is realized as a soft button in a graphical user interface. By pressing the transition button, the person in good physical condition PGH can perform the execution operation OE.

[0044] In addition to the transition button, the execution operation image IME may include information notifying the following to a person PGH in good physical condition who is seated near the in-vehicle terminal on which the execution operation image IME is displayed (a person PGH in good physical condition who carries a mobile terminal on which the execution operation image IME is displayed). That is, the execution operation image IME may include information notifying that "at least one of the occupants Ue has been determined to be in poor physical condition," that is, that "there is an occupant Ue in the vehicle VH who has been determined to be in poor physical condition." The information notifying that "at least one of the occupants Ue has been determined to be in poor physical condition" is preferably configured so as not to identify the occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor physical condition. The person's own physical condition may be information that the person does not want others to know. Therefore, by configuring the information notifying that "at least one of the occupants Ue has been determined to be in poor physical condition" so that the occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor physical condition cannot be identified, the privacy of the person PPH in poor physical condition can be respected. The execution operation image IME may also include information notifying that "an emergency action is scheduled to be executed after a predetermined time PT has elapsed (from the display of the execution operation image IME)."

[0045] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of an execution operation image IME. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the execution operation image IME may include, for example, the phrase "There is someone in the vehicle who is not feeling well." This execution operation image IME allows the person in good physical condition PGH to understand that it has been determined that there is a resident occupant Ue in the vehicle who is not feeling well. Furthermore, by using the phrase "There is someone in the vehicle who is not feeling well," which does not identify the occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor physical condition, consideration can be given to the privacy of the person in poor physical condition PPH. The execution operation image IME may also include information indicating the time remaining until the scheduled time (scheduled execution time) for executing the emergency operation, along with the information that "An emergency operation is scheduled to be executed after a predetermined time PT has elapsed." In the example shown in FIG. 6, the execution operation image IME indicates the time remaining until the scheduled execution time (45 seconds in the illustrated example) in addition to the phrase "Emergency control is scheduled to be executed at the following scheduled execution time (i.e., the time when a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP)." The remaining time until the scheduled execution time becomes "0 seconds" when a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP (for example, the time point when the execution operation image IME is displayed). By using such an execution operation image IME, the person in good physical condition PGH can understand that emergency control is scheduled to be executed and the time when the emergency control is scheduled to be executed.

[0046] The execution operation image IME illustrated in Fig. 6 further includes a transition button along with the words "If you wish to execute emergency control, please press the transition button below," and "If the person in poor health does not wish to execute emergency control, emergency control may not be executed." This execution operation image IME allows the person in good health PGH to understand that "emergency operation can be executed by pressing the transition button," and that "even if the transition button is pressed, emergency operation may not be executed depending on the intention of the person in poor health PPH."

[0047] So far, as an example of a method for "granting execution authority to each good-health person PGH," a method has been described in which "the execution operation image IME is displayed on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal and the portable terminal present near the seat of each good-health person PGH." However, the method by which the execution authority granting unit 1124 grants execution authority to each good-health person PGH is not limited to the above. For example, the execution authority granting unit 1124 may grant execution authority to each good-health person PGH by transitioning a switch (button) provided in advance near each seat, which is provided near the seat of each good-health person PGH, to a state in which the switch can accept the execution operation OE.

[0048] The operation receiving unit 114 is configured to be able to receive each of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE. Upon receiving at least one of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE, the operation receiving unit 114 notifies the priority operation determination unit 116 of the received operation. In the illustrated example, the operation receiving unit 114 includes a release operation receiving unit 1142 and an execution operation receiving unit 1144.

[0049] The release operation receiving unit 1142 is configured to be able to receive a release operation OC, and if the release operation OC is not received before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the release operation receiving unit 1142 notifies the priority operation determining unit 116 of that fact. Furthermore, if the release operation receiving unit 1142 receives a release operation OC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the release operation receiving unit 1142 notifies the priority operation determining unit 116 of that fact. If the release operation OC is received before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the release operation receiving unit 1142 may further notify the priority operation determining unit 116 of the time at which the release operation OC was received.

[0050] When the cancellation operation receiving unit 1142 receives a cancellation operation OC before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time RP, the emergency control device 1 may notify the person in good physical condition PGH that the cancellation operation OC has been received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time RP. For example, the emergency control device 1 may notify the person in good physical condition PGH of information such as, "The person in poor physical condition has instructed that he or she does not wish to have emergency control executed." This notification allows the person in good physical condition PGH to understand that the cancellation operation OC has been performed by the person in poor physical condition PPH. The emergency control device 1 may further notify the person in good physical condition PGH that an emergency operation will not be executed because the cancellation operation OC was received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time RP. This notification allows the person in good physical condition PGH to understand that an emergency operation will not be executed despite the presence of an occupant Ue who is ill. The PGH in good physical condition, knowing that the PPH in poor physical condition has performed the cancel operation OC and that emergency action will not be executed as a result, can still perform the execution operation OE if he or she determines that "emergency control should be executed because the PPH in poor physical condition is serious," in other words, the emergency control device 1 notifies the PGH in good physical condition of the intention and judgment of the PPH in poor physical condition by the above-mentioned notification, enabling the PGH in good physical condition to "determine more carefully whether or not to execute emergency action after understanding the intention and judgment of the PPH in poor physical condition."

[0051] If the release operation receiving unit 1142 does not receive the release operation OC before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the emergency control device 1 may notify the person in good physical condition PGH that the release operation OC was not received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP. This notification allows the person in good physical condition PGH to understand that the release operation OC was not performed by the person in poor physical condition PPH. The emergency control device 1 may further notify the person in good physical condition PGH that an emergency action will be performed because the release operation OC was not received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP. This notification allows the person in good physical condition PGH to understand that the emergency action will be performed before the emergency action is performed.

[0052] The execution operation receiving unit 1144 is configured to be able to receive the execution operation OE. If the execution operation receiving unit 1144 does not receive the execution operation OE, it notifies the priority operation determining unit 116 of that effect. If the execution operation receiving unit 1144 receives the execution operation OE, it notifies the priority operation determining unit 116 of that effect. If the execution operation receiving unit 1144 receives the execution operation OE, it may further notify the priority operation determining unit 116 of the time at which the execution operation OE was received. If the execution operation receiving unit 1144 receives multiple execution operations OE, it may notify the priority operation determining unit 116 of the time at which the earliest execution operation OE was received.

[0053] The priority operation determination unit 116 notifies the execution unit 118 whether or not the execution unit 118 should execute emergency control, based on the operation received (or not received) by the operation reception unit 114. For example, if the release operation reception unit 1142 does not receive a release operation OC until a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the priority operation determination unit 116 notifies the execution unit 118 that emergency control should be executed (in other words, that emergency control will be executed). When the priority operation determination unit 116 determines that emergency control should be executed, the emergency control device 1 may notify the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH, i.e., the person in poor health PPH and the person in good health PGH, that emergency control will be executed. With this configuration, the emergency control device 1 can notify the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH that emergency control will be executed before executing the emergency control.

[0054] When the release operation receiving unit 1142 receives a release operation OC and the execution operation receiving unit 1144 receives an execution operation OE before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the priority operation determining unit 116 determines which of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE to prioritize. For example, the priority operation determining unit 116 acquires the priority operation determination rule 122 by referring to the storage unit 12, and determines which of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE to prioritize in accordance with the acquired priority operation determination rule 122. When the priority operation determining unit 116 determines that the release operation OC is to be prioritized over the execution operation OE, it notifies the execution unit 118 that emergency control should not be executed (in other words, emergency control will not be executed) in accordance with the release operation OC that has been determined to be prioritized. When the priority operation determining unit 116 determines that the execution operation OE is to be prioritized over the release operation OC, it notifies the execution unit 118 that emergency control should be executed (emergency control is executed) in accordance with the execution operation OE that has been determined to be prioritized.

[0055] When both the release operation OC and the execution operation OE are received, the emergency control device 1 determines which operation should be prioritized in accordance with a predetermined priority rule (priority operation determination rule 122), thereby achieving the following effects: That is, by determining in advance the rule for determining which operation should be prioritized, the emergency control device 1 can quickly and reliably determine whether or not emergency control can be executed (whether or not execution is necessary) without malfunctioning, such as being unable to determine which operation should be prioritized, taking a long time to make the decision, or making an incorrect decision.

[0056] (Execution operation takes precedence) For example, the priority operation determination rule 122 may stipulate that when both the cancel operation OC and the execute operation OE are received, the execute operation OE is given priority. In this case, when the operation receiving unit 114 receives both the cancel operation OC and the execute operation OE, the priority operation determination unit 116 determines to give priority to the execute operation OE in accordance with the priority operation determination rule 122. The priority operation determination unit 116 notifies the execution unit 118 that emergency control should be executed (execute emergency control) in accordance with the execute operation OE determined to be given priority. As described above, a judgment by a person in good health PGH regarding the health condition of the person in poor health PPH and whether emergency control should be executed may be more objective and reasonable than a judgment by a person in poor health PPH regarding his or her own health condition and whether emergency control should be executed. Therefore, by giving priority to the execute operation OE by a person in good health PGH over the cancel operation OC by a person in poor health PPH, the emergency control device 1 may be able to execute emergency control according to a more reasonable judgment.

[0057] (The operation that is accepted first takes priority.) For example, the priority operation determination rule 122 may stipulate that when both a release operation OC and an execution operation OE are received, the operation that is received first is given priority. In this case, when the operation receiving unit 114 receives both the release operation OC and the execution operation OE, the priority operation determination unit 116 compares the time at which the release operation OC is received with the time at which the execution operation OE is received in accordance with the priority operation determination rule 122. When it is confirmed that the release operation OC is received before the execution operation OE, the priority operation determination unit 116 determines to give priority to the release operation OC that was received first. When it is confirmed that the execution operation OE is received before the release operation OC, the priority operation determination unit 116 determines to give priority to the execution operation OE that was received first. Generally, an operation that is received first is considered to be more urgent than an operation that is received later. Therefore, when the emergency control device 1 receives both the release operation OC and the execution operation OE, it is possible to select the operation with the higher urgency by giving priority to the operation that was received first.

[0058] (Consider the degree of poor health) For example, the priority operation determination rule 122 may prescribe that when both the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE are received, it is determined which of the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE should be given priority, taking into consideration the degree of physical condition of the occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor physical condition. Specifically, the priority operation determination rule 122 may prescribe that when the degree of physical condition of the occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor physical condition is severe, the execution operation OE is given priority over the cancel operation OC. In this case, when the operation receiving unit 114 receives both the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE, the priority operation determination unit 116 makes the following determination in accordance with the priority operation determination rule 122. That is, when the symptom degree determination unit 1106 notifies the user that "a seriously unwell person PPH exists," the priority operation determination unit 116 determines that the execution operation OE is given priority over the cancel operation OC. When no such notification has been received from the symptom degree determination unit 1106, or when a notification has been received that "there are no seriously unwell PPHs," the priority operation determination unit 116 may determine the operation to be prioritized in accordance with another rule defined in the priority operation determination rules 122. By following the priority operation determination rules 122, the emergency control device 1 can flexibly determine which of the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE should be prioritized, taking into consideration the degree of unwellness of the unwell PPHs.

[0059] When the priority operation determination unit 116 determines that the release operation OC is given priority over the execution operation OE and that emergency control will not be executed, the emergency control device 1 may notify the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH of this determination. With this configuration, the emergency control device 1 can inform the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH that, between the release operation OC and the execution operation OE, the release operation OC is given priority and that emergency control will not be executed. When the priority operation determination unit 116 determines that the execution operation OE is given priority over the release operation OC and that emergency control will be executed, the emergency control device 1 may notify the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH of this determination. With this configuration, the emergency control device 1 can inform the occupant Ue of the vehicle VH of this determination before the emergency control is executed that the execution operation OE is given priority over the release operation OC and the execution operation OE and that emergency control will be executed.

[0060] The execution unit 118 executes or does not execute emergency control according to the notification from the priority operation determination unit 116. Specifically, when notified by the priority operation determination unit 116 that emergency control should be executed (to execute emergency control), the execution unit 118 executes emergency control and, for example, outputs an execution instruction EI instructing the execution of emergency control. The execution unit 118 may output the execution instruction EI to any of the communication interface 13, the external interface 14, and the output device 16 to notify the outside of the vehicle VH that a person has become ill. The execution unit 118 may output the execution instruction EI to any of the communication interface 13 and the external interface 14 to cause the autonomous driving system Sys to stop the vehicle VH or move the vehicle VH to a medical institution (autonomous driving). That is, when notified by the priority operation determination unit 116 that emergency control should be executed, the execution unit 118 transitions the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from the normal mode to the ill-health mode. In contrast, if the priority operation determination unit 116 notifies the execution unit 118 that emergency control should not be executed (emergency control will not be executed), the execution unit 118 does not execute emergency control and maintains the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) in normal mode.

[0061] §3 Example of operation 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment. The processing procedure described below is an example of the processing procedure of the information processing method PM for "determining whether emergency control can be executed." However, the processing procedure described below is merely an example, and each step may be modified as much as possible. Furthermore, steps may be omitted, replaced, or added to the processing procedure described below as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0062] (Step S110) In step S110, the control unit 11 operates as the unwell person identification unit 1102 and determines whether at least one of the occupants Ue in the vehicle VH is in poor health. If it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health (Yes in S110), the control unit 11 proceeds to steps S112, S114, and S120. The emergency control device 1 (control unit 11) only needs to execute steps S112, S114, and S120 (S122) before executing emergency control, and it is not necessary to execute these three (four) steps simultaneously. For example, the order in which these three steps are executed may be reversed. However, it is preferable to execute these three steps approximately simultaneously in order to ensure that the unwell person PPH and the well-healthy person PGH each have time to consider whether or not to execute emergency control. If it is determined that there is no occupant Ue who is feeling unwell (No in S110), the control unit 11 repeats the determination in step S110 until it determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is feeling unwell.

[0063] (Steps S112, S114) In step S112, the control unit 11 operates as the unwell person identifying unit 1102 and starts counting time from the time when it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is unwell as the reference time RP. The control unit 11 may also set the "time when the cancellation operation image IMC is displayed," that is, the time when step S114 is executed, as the reference time RP.

[0064] In step S114, the control unit 11 operates as the release authority granting unit 1122 and grants release authority to each of one or more occupants Ue determined to be in poor health, that is, to each unwell person PPH. For example, in step S114, the control unit 11 displays a release operation image IMC that can accept a release operation OC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each unwell person PPH and the portable terminal. After executing steps S112 and S114, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S116.

[0065] (Step S116) In step S116, the control unit 11 operates as the release operation receiving unit 1142 and determines whether a release operation OC has been received until a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP. If it is determined that a release operation OC has not been received until a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP (Yes in S116), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S118. If it is determined that a release operation OC has been received until a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP (No in S116), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S130.

[0066] (Step S118) In step S118, the control unit 11 operates as the execution unit 118 and executes emergency control, for example, transitioning (making the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) transition from normal mode to ill-health mode. The emergency control includes at least one of stopping the vehicle VH, moving the vehicle VH to a medical institution, and notifying the outside of the vehicle VH that someone is ill.

[0067] (Step S120) In step S120, the control unit 11 operates as the good health person identification unit 1104 and determines whether any occupant Ue other than the occupant Ue determined to be in poor health (i.e., the poor health person information IPH) is present in the vehicle VH. In other words, the control unit 11 determines whether any good health person PGH is present in the vehicle VH. If it is determined that any good health person PGH is present in the vehicle VH (Yes in step S120), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S122. If it is determined that any good health person PGH is not present in the vehicle VH (No in step S120), that is, if it is determined that any occupant Ue other than the occupant Ue determined to be in poor health is not present in the vehicle VH, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S116.

[0068] (Step S122) In step S122, the control unit 11 operates as an execution authority granting unit 1124 and grants execution authority to each of one or more occupants Ue who have been determined not to be in poor health, that is, to each person in good health PGH. For example, in step S122, the control unit 11 displays an execution operation image IME capable of accepting the execution operation OE on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each person in good health PGH and the terminal they carry.

[0069] (Step S124) In step S124, the control unit 11 operates as the execution operation receiving unit 1144 and determines whether the execution operation OE has been received. If it is determined that the execution operation OE has been received (Yes in S124), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S132. If it is determined that the execution operation OE has not been received (No in S124), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S116.

[0070] (Step S130) In step S130, the control unit 11 operates as the execution operation receiving unit 1144 and checks whether the determination in step S124 is "Yes," that is, whether the execution operation OE has been received. If the determination in step S124 is "Yes" (Yes in S130), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134. In other words, if the control unit 11 determines that the release operation OC has been received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP (No in S116) and that the execution operation OE has been received (Yes in S130), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134. In other words, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134 if it receives both the release operation OC and the execution operation OE before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP. If the determination in at least one of step S120 and step S124 is "No" (No in S130), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S136. That is, if the control unit 11 receives a release operation OC before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP (No in S116) and confirms at least one of the following, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S136. That is, if the control unit 11 confirms at least one of that the person in good physical condition PGH is not present in the vehicle VH and that the execution operation OE has not been received (No in S130), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S136. In other words, the control unit 11 only receives a release operation OC before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, and proceeds to step S136 if the control unit 11 has not received the execution operation OE.

[0071] (Step S132) In step S132, the control unit 11 operates as the release operation receiving unit 1142 and confirms whether the determination in step S116 is "No," that is, whether the release operation OC has been received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP. If the determination in step S116 is "No" (Yes in S132), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134. In other words, if the control unit 11 receives the execution operation OE (Yes in S124) and determines that the release operation OC has been received before the predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP (Yes in S132), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134. In other words, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S134 if it receives both the release operation OC and the execution operation OE before the predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP. If the determination in step S116 is "Yes" (No in S132), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S118. That is, when the control unit 11 determines that the execution operation OE has been received (Yes in S124) and that the release operation OC has not been received until the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP (No in S132), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S118. In other words, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S118 when it receives only the execution operation OE and does not receive the release operation OC until the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP.

[0072] (Step S134) In step S134, the control unit 11 operates as the priority operation determination unit 116 and determines which of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE should be prioritized, for example, determining whether the release operation OC should be prioritized over the execution operation OE. For example, the control unit 11 refers to the storage unit 12 to acquire the priority operation determination rule 122, and determines which of the release operation OC and the execution operation OE should be prioritized in accordance with the acquired priority operation determination rule 122. If it is determined that the release operation OC should be prioritized over the execution operation OE (Yes in S134), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S136. If it is determined that the execution operation OE should be prioritized over the release operation OC (No in S134), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S118.

[0073] (Step S136) In step S136, the control unit 11 operates as the execution unit 118 and does not execute emergency control. For example, the control unit 11 maintains the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) in the normal mode.

[0074] With regard to the information processing method PM for "determining whether emergency control can be executed" that has been explained using Fig. 4, examples of actual processing procedures will be explained using Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 for the cases when the execution operation OE is not received and when the execution operation OE is received. Fig. 7 illustrates an example of the processing procedures when the execution operation OE is not received. Fig. 8 illustrates an example of the processing procedures when the execution operation OE is received.

[0075] 7, when emergency control is not being executed, for example, when the vehicle VH is autonomously traveling along a route to the destination (normal mode), if it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, the emergency control device 1 executes the following process. That is, the emergency control device 1 displays a release operation image IMC capable of accepting a release operation OC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of the person PPH who is in poor health and the terminal carried by the person PPH.

[0076] If the unwell PPH determines that "I am fine and there is no need to execute emergency control," he or she can perform a cancel operation OC on the cancel operation image IMC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time RP. As described above, the "reference time RP" is the time when the emergency control device 1 determines that "at least one of the occupants Ue is unwell," or the time when the emergency control device 1 displays the cancel operation image IMC on the display screen of the unwell PPH's mobile device, etc. If the unwell PPH performs a cancel operation OC on the cancel operation image IMC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time RP, the emergency control device 1 maintains (continues) normal mode without executing emergency control. In the illustrated example, if the unwell PPH determines that "I am fine," he or she performs a cancel operation OC by pressing the "cancel button" in the cancel operation image IMC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the cancel operation image IMC was displayed on his or her mobile device, etc. If the release operation OC is performed before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) is maintained in the normal mode, and the vehicle VH continues autonomous driving along the route to the destination.

[0077] If there is no release operation OC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP, the emergency control device 1 executes emergency control, that is, it transitions the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from normal mode to poor health mode, and in the illustrated example, stops (parks) the vehicle VH. For example, if the "release button" in the release operation image IMC is not pressed before a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the release operation image IMC was displayed on the mobile terminal or the like of the poor health person PPH, the emergency control device 1 executes emergency control.

[0078] 8, in the normal mode, when it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health, the emergency control device 1 executes the following process. That is, the emergency control device 1 displays a release operation image IMC capable of accepting a release operation OC on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of the person in poor health PPH and the portable terminal. In addition, the emergency control device 1 displays an execution operation image IME capable of accepting an execution operation OE on the display screen of at least one of the in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of each person in good health PGH and the portable terminal (advance announcement).

[0079] As in Figure 7, if the unwell person PPH determines that "I am fine," he or she performs a cancellation operation OC by pressing the "cancel button" in the cancellation operation image IMC before a predetermined time PT has elapsed since the cancellation operation image IMC was displayed on his or her mobile device or the like. If the cancellation operation OC is performed by the unwell person PPH before the predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time RP, and the person in good health PGH does not perform the execution operation OE, the emergency control device 1 will not execute emergency control. For example, the emergency control device 1 maintains the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) in normal mode, and the vehicle VH continues autonomous driving along the route to the destination.

[0080] If the "cancel button" in the cancel operation image IMC is not pressed within a predetermined time PT after the cancel operation image IMC is displayed on the mobile terminal or the like of the sick person PPH, the emergency control device 1 executes emergency control. The emergency control device 1 transitions the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from normal mode to sick mode, and in the illustrated example, stops (parks) the vehicle VH.

[0081] Even if the unwell PPH determines that he or she is fine, the person in good health PGH may determine that the unwell PPH's condition is severe enough to warrant emergency control (i.e., the unwell PPH cannot tolerate the condition). In such a case, the person in good health PGH can perform an execution operation OE on the execution operation image IME displayed on his or her mobile terminal or the like. In the illustrated example, the person in good health PGH performs the execution operation OE by pressing the "transition button (a button indicating selection of transition from normal mode to unwell mode)" in the execution operation image IME. When there is a cancellation operation OC (pressing the cancellation button) from the unwell PPH and an execution operation OE (pressing the transition button) from the person in good health PGH, the emergency control device 1 determines which operation should be prioritized according to the priority operation determination rule 122. In the illustrated example, the emergency control device 1 performs emergency control by prioritizing the execution operation OE. For example, the emergency control device 1 transitions the state of the emergency control device 1 (vehicle VH) from the normal mode to the poor health mode, and in the illustrated example, stops (parks) the vehicle VH.

[0082] 8, when it is determined that both the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE are accepted and that the execution operation OE is to be given priority over the cancel operation OC, the emergency control device 1 may execute emergency control without waiting for the predetermined time PT to have elapsed since the reference time point RP. When both the cancel operation OC and the execution operation OE are accepted, it is no longer necessary to determine "whether to accept the cancel operation OC before the predetermined time PT has elapsed since the reference time point RP." Therefore, when it is determined that the execution operation OE is to be given priority over the cancel operation OC, the emergency control device 1 can execute emergency control promptly by executing emergency control without waiting for the predetermined time PT to have elapsed, and can, for example, provide necessary treatment or the like to the unwell person PPH promptly.

[0083] [Features] As described above, the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment includes the unwell person identifying unit 1102 (determination unit) and the execution unit 118. The unwell person identifying unit 1102 determines whether at least one of the occupants Ue is in unwell health in the vehicle VH that is autonomously traveling along a route to the destination. When the unwell person identifying unit 1102 determines that at least one of the occupants Ue is in unwell health, the execution unit 118 executes emergency control unless a cancellation operation OC is received before a predetermined time PT has elapsed from the reference time point RP. The emergency control includes at least one of stopping the vehicle VH, moving the vehicle VH to a medical institution, and notifying the outside of the vehicle VH that someone is unwell.

[0084] The information processing method PM according to this embodiment is an information processing method that causes a processor to execute a process for determining whether emergency control is to be executed. The processor executes the above-described steps S110, S116, and S118. That is, in step S110, the processor determines whether at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health in the vehicle VH that is autonomously traveling along a route to the destination. If it is determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health (Yes in step S110), the processor further executes the determination of step S116, that is, determines whether a release operation OC has been received within a predetermined time PT from the reference time RP. If a release operation OC has not been received from the occupant Ue determined to be in poor health (the person in poor health PPH) within a predetermined time PT from the reference time RP (Yes in step S116), the processor executes step S118, that is, executes emergency control.

[0085] According to this configuration, the emergency control device 1 (information processing method PM) executes emergency control if it does not receive a release operation OC from an occupant Ue who has been determined to be in poor health within a predetermined time PT since it was determined that at least one of the occupants Ue is in poor health. Therefore, the emergency control device 1 (information processing method PM) can execute emergency control even when an occupant Ue who is in poor health is unable to perform an operation.

[0086] §4 Variations Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the above description is merely illustrative of the present invention in every respect. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are possible. Note that, in the following, the same reference numerals are used for components similar to those in the above embodiment, and descriptions of the same points as those in the above embodiment are omitted where appropriate. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0087] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the emergency control device 1 and the autonomous driving system Sys are configured by separate computers. However, the configuration of the emergency control device 1 according to this embodiment is not limited to this example and may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. For example, the emergency control device 1 and the autonomous driving system Sys may be integrated into one computer. Furthermore, for example, at least one of the emergency control device 1 and the autonomous driving system Sys may be configured by multiple computers. Furthermore, the emergency control device 1 may communicate with each of the environment detection unit 21 and the route setting unit 22, and the autonomous driving system Sys may acquire predetermined information from each of the environment detection unit 21 and the route setting unit 22 via the emergency control device 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1...Emergency control system, 118...Executive department, 122...priority operation decision rule (predetermined priority rule), 1102…Unwell Person Identification Unit (Determination Unit), IMC...Release operation image (image that can accept the release operation) OC... release operation, OE... execution operation, PM... information processing method, PT... predetermined time, RP: Reference time point, Ue: Occupant, VH: Vehicle

Claims

1. An information processing method for causing a processor to execute a process for determining whether emergency control can be executed, comprising: The processor: In a vehicle that is autonomously traveling along a route to a destination, determining whether at least one occupant is in poor health; When it is determined that at least one of the occupants is in poor physical condition, if a cancellation operation instructing not to execute the emergency control is not received from the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition within a predetermined time period from a reference time point, the emergency control is stopping said vehicle; Transporting said vehicle to a medical facility; and Reporting to the outside of the vehicle that someone is feeling unwell Execute at least one of Information processing methods.

2. When the processor determines that at least one of the occupants is unwell, an in-vehicle terminal located near the seat of the occupant who has been determined to be in poor physical condition; and A terminal carried by the occupant who is determined to be in poor physical condition an image capable of accepting the cancellation operation is displayed on at least one of the display screens of the The information processing method according to claim 1 .

3. The reference time point is a time point when it is determined that at least one of the occupants is in poor physical condition or a time point when an image that allows the cancellation operation to be accepted is displayed.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

4. When the processor determines that at least one of the occupants is in poor health, it notifies occupants other than the occupant determined to be in poor health that at least one of the occupants is in poor health.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

5. the processor permits an occupant other than the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition to perform an execution operation to instruct execution of the emergency control.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

6. the processor (1) receives the cancellation operation from the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition within the predetermined time period from the reference time point, and (2) receives the execution operation from an occupant other than the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition, and prioritizes either the cancellation operation or the execution operation in accordance with a predetermined priority rule; If the cancel operation takes priority over the execution operation, the emergency control is not executed, When the execution operation is prioritized over the cancellation operation, the emergency control is executed. The information processing method according to claim 5 .

7. the processor prioritizes the execution operation between the release operation and the execution operation; The information processing method according to claim 6.

8. the processor determines whether the cancel operation or the execution operation is received first; giving priority to the cancellation operation or the execution operation that is determined to have been accepted first; The information processing method according to claim 6.

9. The processor determines whether the degree of the physical condition of the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition is severe; When it is determined that the degree of the poor physical condition is severe, the execution operation is given priority over the cancellation operation and the execution operation. The information processing method according to claim 6.

10. a determination unit that determines whether at least one occupant of a vehicle that autonomously travels along a route to a destination is in poor health; When the determination unit determines that at least one of the occupants is in poor physical condition, if a cancellation operation instructing not to execute emergency control is not received from the occupant determined to be in poor physical condition within a predetermined time period from a reference time point, the emergency control is stopping said vehicle; Transporting said vehicle to a medical facility; and Reporting to the outside of the vehicle that someone is feeling unwell Execute at least one of The executive department and Equipped with Emergency control device.

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