Information processor

Abstract

To appropriately select a setting item applied to an on-vehicle device.SOLUTION: An information processor 100 for applying setting related to a user to an on-vehicle device includes a control part 110 for executing to recognize a user by one of a plurality of different recognition methods, and to select a setting item applied to an on-vehicle device, among a plurality of setting items indicating the setting related to the user, according to the type of the recognition method having recognized the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for managing settings of an in-vehicle device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for identifying a user and reflecting settings tailored to that user in an in-vehicle device, etc. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic key system in which a user entering a vehicle is identified by the user's mobile terminal and the seat position is adjusted to accommodate that user via a seat device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-215817 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to appropriately select setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is An information processing device that applies user-related settings to an in-vehicle device, the information processing device comprising: a control unit that executes the following: recognizing the user by one of a plurality of different types of recognition methods; and selecting, according to the type of the recognition method used to recognize the user, a setting item to be applied to the in-vehicle device from a plurality of setting items indicating the settings related to the user. It is an information processing device.

[0006] Other aspects include a method executed by the above-described device, a program for causing a computer to execute the method, or a computer-readable storage medium non-transitoryly storing the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately select setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of processing executed by the authentication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining components of the authentication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 5 is a flowchart of processing executed by a control unit of the authentication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a table showing the reliability of a user recognition method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a table showing the level of privacy of setting items according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a table showing the magnitude of the influence of setting items on vehicle safety according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (overview) It is assumed that the user who gets into the vehicle will be identified and settings tailored to the identified user will be applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc. In this case, the setting items (hereinafter referred to as setting items) to be applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc. will include setting items that are highly sensitive to the user's privacy or setting items that have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle. For example, the user name, destination history, driver's seat position, etc. The setting items for the in-vehicle devices, etc., are setting items that are highly sensitive to the user's privacy or have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle. Therefore, if these setting items are mistakenly applied to another person, it is undesirable from the viewpoint of privacy protection and safety. Therefore, the application of these setting items to the in-vehicle devices, etc. is carried out carefully, such as by permitting it only when the user is recognized using a highly accurate recognition method.

[0010] However, in conventional technology, when user recognition is performed using a method with low reliability, not only setting items that must be applied carefully but also setting items that do not pose a problem even if applied are prevented from being applied to in-vehicle devices, etc. In other words, when user recognition is performed using a method with low reliability, setting items with low privacy protection or setting items with little impact on vehicle safety, etc. cannot be uniformly applied to in-vehicle devices. However, it is desirable that when user recognition is performed using a method with low reliability, setting items with low privacy protection or setting items with little impact on vehicle safety can be applied. To solve this problem, it is desirable that the device be able to flexibly select setting items that can be applied to in-vehicle devices, etc., depending on the reliability of the user recognition method.

[0011] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: An information processing device that applies user-related settings to an in-vehicle device includes a control unit that recognizes the user using one of a plurality of different types of recognition methods, and selects, depending on the type of recognition method used to recognize the user, a setting item to be applied to the in-vehicle device from a plurality of setting items that indicate the settings related to the user.

[0012] The user recognition method is a method by which the information processing device according to the present disclosure recognizes who the user is in the vehicle. Typically, the user is recognized using a smartphone associated with the user, an electronic key of the vehicle in which the information processing device according to the present disclosure is installed, or the like.

[0013] The user-related settings are settings that are individually determined for each user and are applied to various facilities provided in the vehicle, such as in-vehicle devices or seats. Specifically, the user-related settings are display settings for in-vehicle devices, or the position of the driver's seat or steering wheel. The user-related settings include multiple setting items.

[0014] The control unit selects setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc., depending on the type of recognition method used when recognizing the user. For example, when a more accurate recognition method is used, it is possible to select setting items that are more privacy-sensitive or that affect security, whereas when a less accurate recognition method is used, it is possible to select setting items that are less privacy-sensitive or that do not affect security.

[0015] As a result, the information processing device according to the present disclosure can flexibly select setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices, etc., depending on the user's recognition method. In other words, the information processing device according to the present disclosure can improve user convenience in applying settings in a vehicle including in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0016] In addition, each of the multiple different recognition methods may be associated with a reliability when the recognition method is used to recognize the user, and the control unit may select the setting item to be applied to the in-vehicle equipment from the multiple setting items based on the reliability of the recognition method.

[0017] Reliability is a value that indicates the probability that the user identified by a certain user recognition method is the person who attempted user recognition (i.e., the degree of recognition accuracy). The higher the reliability, the more likely it is that the user identified by that user recognition method is the person who attempted user recognition.

[0018] This allows the information processing device according to the present disclosure to select appropriate setting items according to the reliability of the recognition method used for user recognition.

[0019] The control unit may also determine that the higher the reliability of the recognition method, the more influential the setting item of the plurality of setting items is to be applied to the in-vehicle device.

[0020] As a result, the information processing device according to the present disclosure can select setting items with an appropriate level of privacy protection depending on the reliability of the user recognition method. For example, if the reliability of the user recognition method is low, a person other than the identified user may be in the vehicle. In such a case, it is possible to prevent the personal information of the identified user from being inadvertently leaked to a third party due to the application of setting items related to the privacy of the identified user to in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0021] In addition, the control unit may decide that the higher the reliability of the recognition method, the greater the impact of the multiple setting items on the safety of the vehicle in which the on-board equipment is installed, to apply to the on-board equipment.

[0022] As a result, the information processing device according to the present disclosure can select setting items that have an appropriate impact on vehicle safety depending on the reliability of the user's recognition method. For example, if the reliability of the user's recognition method is low, a person other than the identified user may be in the vehicle. In this case, it is possible to prevent settings specialized for the identified user from being applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc., which would cause problems with vehicle operation.

[0023] The recognition method may be an electronic key, a digital key, or a Bluetooth ( The recognition may be any of recognition by a registered trademark (TM) device, biometric recognition, and recognition based on an input operation by the user.

[0024] An electronic key is typically a key fob associated with a vehicle. A digital key is typically authentication data transmitted from a mobile device to a vehicle. A digital key may be transmitted from a Bluetooth device. A user input is typically The user may set a password associated with his / her account and enter it during user authentication.

[0025] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations.

[0026] (First embodiment) <Authentication device processing overview> An overview of the processing performed by the authentication device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a diagram illustrating an overview of the processing performed by the authentication device 100 according to the first embodiment. Here, the authentication device 100 is an example of an information processing device according to the present disclosure. The authentication device 100 identifies a user who has boarded a vehicle 10, and applies settings associated with the user to on-board equipment, etc. The authentication device 100 also communicates with a database (described later) and applies settings associated with the user. The authentication device 100 is typically realized as an on-board device mounted on the vehicle 10. The authentication device 100 may be controlled by a plurality of on-board devices or a plurality of ECUs mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0027] First, when a user gets into the vehicle 10, the authentication device 100 performs user authentication using one of a plurality of user authentication methods. For example, the user authentication method may be authentication using an electronic key, authentication using a digital key, authentication using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) device, biometric authentication, or the like. and recognition based on user input operations.

[0028] Next, the authentication device 100 selects settings to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc., depending on the user recognition method. For example, the authentication device 100 selects settings with different levels of privacy protection depending on the reliability of the user recognition method. Here, the reliability of the user recognition method refers to a value (i.e., recognition accuracy) that indicates the probability that, when user recognition is performed, a person identified as a user is the person who attempted the user recognition.

[0029] For example, let us consider a case where user authentication is performed using an electronic key. The electronic key is typically a key fob corresponding to the vehicle 10. For example, when multiple people use the vehicle 10, each person may have their own electronic key. In this case, the user who has boarded the vehicle can be estimated based on the identifier of the electronic key, etc. However, an electronic key held by one user may belong to another user. In other words, authentication using an electronic key is a method with low or medium accuracy in identifying the person who has attempted user authentication using an electronic key. When user authentication is performed using an electronic key, the authentication device 100 selects setting items with low privacy protection and setting items with medium privacy protection as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices, etc. Conversely, when user authentication is performed using an electronic key, the authentication device 100 does not select setting items with high privacy protection as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0030] In other words, when user recognition is performed using a recognition method with low or medium reliability, the authentication device 100 does not apply setting items with high privacy concerns among the setting items associated with the user identified by the user recognition to the in-vehicle devices, etc. This is because, when there is a certain degree of possibility that the identified user is not the person who got into the vehicle 10, applying setting items with high privacy concerns to the in-vehicle devices, etc. is undesirable from the perspective of protecting the user's privacy. Then, the authentication device 100 applies the selected setting items to the in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0031] As described above, in the first embodiment, the authentication device 100 is configured to extract setting items with high privacy protection and not apply them to in-vehicle devices, etc., when there is a possibility that the user identified by user recognition is not the person who performed the recognition. Note that the setting items applied to in-vehicle devices, etc., vary depending on the reliability of the method used for user recognition. With this configuration, the authentication device 100 can flexibly select setting items to apply to in-vehicle devices, etc., depending on the reliability of the method for user recognition.

[0032] <Configuration of authentication device> 2 is a diagram illustrating components of the authentication device 100 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the authentication device 100 may be realized by a computer installed in one or more on-board devices installed in the vehicle 10.

[0033] The authentication device 100 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130. The authentication device 100 is mounted on a vehicle 10. The authentication device 100 may be incorporated into a device mounted on the vehicle 10 that can configure settings related to driving assistance for the vehicle 10, provide route guidance, adjust the in-vehicle environment, and the like. The authentication device 100 is mounted on a driver's seat. The authentication device 100 may be a terminal for a car navigation system installed in a vehicle. The authentication device 100 may include a display, an input unit, and an audio output unit. Alternatively, the authentication device 100 may include an audio output unit and a touch panel display to receive input from a user. Alternatively, the authentication device 100 may be any in-vehicle terminal other than a terminal for car navigation.

[0034] The control unit 110 is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 110 includes, as functional modules, a recognition unit 111, a determination unit 112, a selection unit 113, and an application unit 114. These functional modules may be realized by the control unit 110 executing a program.

[0035] The recognition unit 111 recognizes the user who uses the vehicle 10. The recognition unit 111 recognizes the user by one of a plurality of existing recognition methods. Note that the recognition unit 111 may perform user recognition by combining some of the plurality of existing recognition methods. Examples of the plurality of existing recognition methods include recognition by an electronic key, recognition by a digital key, recognition by Bluetooth (registered), and the like. The authentication method may be a digital key, a mobile terminal carried by a user, or a device, a biometric recognition, or an input operation by the user. A digital key is authentication data transmitted to the authentication device 100 from a mobile terminal or the like carried by the user. A mobile terminal is more likely to be carried by the owner, and therefore is considered to be more reliable than an electronic key. A Bluetooth (registered trademark) device may be, for example, a smart The Bluetooth device is an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. Although it is highly likely that the user of the vehicle 10 is carrying a Bluetooth device, the vehicle 10 does not necessarily detect the Bluetooth device carried by the user. The vehicle 10 may detect a Bluetooth® device carried by a person in the vicinity other than the user of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the reliability of a Bluetooth® device is considered to be equivalent to the reliability of an electronic key (low to medium).

[0036] The determination unit 112 determines the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 for recognition. Here, the reliability of the method used for recognition is a value indicating the probability that the recognition unit 111 correctly identifies the person who attempted user recognition. The reliability of the method used for recognition may be the probability that the person who attempted user recognition is correctly identified, or may be a numerical value or a character string representing a multi-level evaluation of the degree to which the person who attempted user recognition is correctly identified. The determination unit 112 makes the above determination by referring to data indicating predetermined reliability for each recognition method that the recognition unit 111 can use for recognition. The determination unit 112 may, for example, refer to data indicating reliability stored in the storage unit 120 or may refer to data indicating reliability stored in the storage unit 320 of the database 300. The determination unit 112 may also refer to data indicating reliability stored in an external storage device other than the above.

[0037] The selection unit 113 selects setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc., depending on the reliability of the recognition method determined by the determination unit 112. For example, when the reliability of the recognition method is high, the selection unit 113 selects setting items with high privacy protection as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc. Conversely, when the reliability of the recognition method is low, the selection unit 113 selects only setting items with low privacy protection as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc.

[0038] The application unit 114 applies the settings indicated by the setting items selected by the selection unit 113 to the in-vehicle devices, etc. The application unit 114 communicates with the in-vehicle devices, etc., transmits information about the setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc., and instructs the in-vehicle devices to apply the settings. The in-vehicle devices may be devices that provide information to the user, such as the in-vehicle terminal 13, or devices that control the vehicle, such as the ECU 12.

[0039] The storage unit 120 is a main storage device such as RAM or ROM, an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or an auxiliary storage device such as removable media. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize functions that match the predetermined purpose of each unit of the control unit 110. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0040] The storage unit 120 stores data and the like used or generated in the processing performed by the control unit 110. The storage unit 120 may also store information such as the reliability of the recognition method, information regarding the level of privacy of the setting items, and information regarding the impact of the setting items on the safety of the vehicle.

[0041] The communication unit 130 is configured with a communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 130 may be, for example, a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 4G (4th Generation) or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 130 may also be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LTE (Long Term Evolution) or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The communication unit 130 may be a communication circuit that performs communication using the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard.

[0042] Next, components other than the authentication device 100 mounted on the vehicle 10 will be described.

[0043] The drive unit 11 is a means for propelling the vehicle 10. The drive unit 11 may include, for example, a motor and inverter for driving the wheels, a brake, and a steering mechanism. The drive unit 11 may be operated by power supplied from a drive battery.

[0044] The ECU 12 is an electronic control unit, which is a computer for realizing various functions required for driving the vehicle 10. A plurality of ECUs 12 may be installed. The ECU 12 may receive an instruction from the authentication device 100 and execute some of the operations performed by the authentication device 100. For example, the ECU 12 may receive an instruction from the determination unit 112 and determine the reliability of the user recognition method. The ECU 12 may be a body ECU or the like that controls devices (e.g., seat actuators) included in the vehicle 10. In this case, the ECU 12 may receive an instruction from the application unit 114 to apply settings indicated by the setting items selected by the selection unit 113 among internal vehicle settings related to driving, such as the position of the driver's seat or the position of the steering wheel, and apply the settings to devices of the vehicle 10 related to the settings.

[0045] The in-vehicle terminal 13 is a terminal that receives input of settings necessary for driving the vehicle 10 and provides the driver with a car navigation system. The in-vehicle terminal 13 may be equipped with a display. The in-vehicle terminal 13 receives, from the application unit 114, application of various settings in the car navigation system selected by the selection unit 113, air conditioning settings for the vehicle 10, volume settings for the in-vehicle terminal 13, and the like, and reflects these settings in the corresponding devices.

[0046] <Devices other than authentication devices> Next, the database 300 will be described.

[0047] The database 300 is a storage device that stores information indicating setting items for each user, which is referenced by the authentication device 100. The database 300 includes a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a communication unit 330.

[0048] The control unit 310 is realized by a processor such as a CPU or a GPU and a memory. Each functional module included in the control unit 310 may be realized by the control unit 310 executing a program. For example, in response to a request from authentication device 100, control unit 310 acquires setting items corresponding to a designated user from storage unit 320 and transmits them to authentication device 100.

[0049] The storage unit 320 stores the information indicating the setting items for each user, as described above. The storage unit 320 is a main storage device such as RAM or ROM, an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or an auxiliary storage device such as removable media. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, it is possible to realize the functions that match the predetermined purpose of each unit of the control unit 310. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0050] The communication unit 330 is configured with a communication circuit that performs wireless communication. The communication unit 330 may be, for example, a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 4G, or a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using 5G. The communication unit 330 may also be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using LTE, or a communication circuit that performs communication by LPWA. The communication unit 330 may also be a communication circuit that performs wireless communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0051] <Authentication device operation> Next, a specific description will be given of the processing performed by the authentication device 100. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the control unit 110 of the authentication device 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0052] Before the illustrated process is started, the recognition unit 111 of the authentication device 100 is in a standby state and is always ready to detect wireless signals, etc., used for user recognition. When the recognition unit 111 detects a wireless signal, etc., used for user recognition, or when there is some input related to user recognition from an input device mounted on the vehicle 10, the process of step S10 is started.

[0053] First, in step S10, the recognition unit 111 recognizes the user. The recognition unit 111 recognizes the user by using an electronic key, a digital key, or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) device. The recognition unit 111 supports multiple recognition methods, such as wireless recognition, biometric recognition, and recognition based on user input operations. The recognition unit 111 detects wireless signals used in the above recognition methods or input signals from a corresponding input device, and identifies the user who is trying to use the vehicle 10. Note that recognition based on user input operations is a recognition method that identifies a user based on the content entered by the user himself / herself on a predetermined user interface screen.

[0054] Subsequently, in step S11, the recognition unit 111 determines whether or not the user has been identified. The recognition unit 111 determines whether or not the user has been identified as a specific user by recognizing the user in step S10. This step results in a positive determination if the recognition unit 111 determines that the user has been identified.

[0055] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0056] If the determination in this step is negative, the process ends.

[0057] When the process proceeds to step S12, the determination unit 112 determines whether the reliability of the means (recognition method) used by the recognition unit 111 to recognize the user is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, the reliability is a value indicating the degree of certainty that when a certain user recognition method is used to recognize a user, the person undergoing user recognition can be identified without error. The determination unit 112 determines in advance By referring to a predetermined storage area or the like in which the reliability of a determined recognition method is recorded, the determination unit 112 determines whether the reliability of the recognition method is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The determination unit 112 may refer to information on the reliability of the user's recognition method stored in the storage unit 120, or may communicate with the database 300 and refer to information on the reliability of the user's recognition method stored in the storage unit 320 of the database 300. This step results in a positive determination when the determination unit 112 determines that the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 for recognition is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0058] If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0059] If the determination in this step is negative, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a table showing the reliability of the user recognition method according to the first embodiment. As shown in Table 1, for example, the reliability of an electronic key is determined to be medium to low. In the case of user recognition using an electronic key, since there are only a few electronic keys, there is a high possibility that the user identified by the recognition unit 111 is using the electronic key. However, the possibility that a person other than the user identified by the recognition unit 111 is using the electronic key cannot be ruled out. For this reason, the reliability of the electronic key is determined as shown in FIG. 4. Conversely, in the case of biometric authentication, since face, voiceprint, iris, fingerprint, or the like are identified, there is an extremely high probability that the user undergoing user recognition is the user identified by the recognition unit 111. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the reliability of biometric authentication is determined to be high. Recognition methods for other users are also determined based on the same concept as shown in FIG. 4.

[0061] When the process proceeds to step S13, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the privacy level of the setting item to be selected to a predetermined value or more. Here, for example, the privacy level may be expressed in three levels, namely, high, medium, and low, or may be expressed in more levels. The selection unit 113 may refer to information on the privacy level of the setting item stored in the storage unit 120. The selection unit 113 may also communicate with the database 300 and refer to information on the privacy level of the setting item stored in the storage unit 320 of the database 300. This allows the selection unit 113 to select setting items with a certain degree of privacy level as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc., when the reliability of the user recognition method is higher than a predetermined value. In other words, the higher the reliability of the user recognition method, the more the selection unit 113 can select setting items that have a greater impact on the user's privacy as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a table showing the level of privacy of setting items according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, items related to personal information are defined as setting items with high privacy protection. As an example, a user name (e.g., the user's name, etc.) and an icon image (e.g., an image of the user's face, etc.) are defined as setting items with high privacy protection. In addition, points stored in the memory of an in-vehicle device that provides a car navigation system, etc. (e.g., the user's favorite points, the user's home, etc.) and the history of points registered as the user's destinations, etc. are also defined as setting items with high privacy protection. In addition, items related to privacy, such as behavioral history or preferences, are defined as setting items with medium privacy protection. As an example, information related to setting a detour route in a car navigation system or information related to setting nearby facilities to be guided at a driving position, etc., are defined as setting items with medium privacy protection. Other items are defined as setting items with low privacy protection. For example, the language setting of the user interface (UI) in the in-vehicle terminal including the authentication device 100, the sound setting (volume or type of sound, etc.), the VICS (registered trademark) in the car navigation system, etc. Information and Communication System) Interrupt The settings such as "privacy" are defined as setting items with low privacy.

[0063] When the process proceeds to step S14, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the privacy level of the setting item to be selected to a predetermined value or less. As a result, the selection unit 113 is prevented from selecting setting items that are more privacy-sensitive than a certain level as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0064] Next, in step S15, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item in accordance with the upper limit of privacy set in step S13 or step S14. That is, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item in accordance with the impact that the setting item has on the user's privacy.

[0065] Next, in step S16, the application unit 114 applies the setting item selected by the selection unit 113 in step S15 to an in-vehicle device or the like (for example, the in-vehicle terminal 13). With respect to the setting item selected by the selection unit 113, the application unit 114 applies the setting content determined for the setting item corresponding to the user identified by the recognition unit 111 to the vehicle equipment or the in-vehicle device or the like.

[0066] As a result, in the first embodiment, the higher the reliability of the user recognition method, the more privacy-sensitive setting items the authentication device 100 can select as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device. In other words, when the reliability of the user recognition method is low, only setting items with low privacy sensitivity can be selected, and when the reliability of the user recognition method is high, setting items with high privacy sensitivity can be selected in addition to setting items with low privacy sensitivity.

[0067] Therefore, the authentication device 100 is more likely to be able to appropriately apply settings for in-vehicle devices, etc., that are individually set for each user, taking privacy into consideration. Therefore, when the reliability of the user's recognition means is low, the authentication device 100 does not uniformly prohibit the selection of setting items with low privacy sensitivity together with setting items with high privacy sensitivity, but allows only setting items with low privacy sensitivity to be selected. In other words, the authentication device 100 can flexibly select setting items to be reflected in in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0068] (Second embodiment) <Selecting settings with safety in mind> In the first embodiment, the authentication device 100 selects, as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices and the like, setting items with higher privacy as the reliability of the user recognition method is higher. However, when the reliability of the user recognition method is not high, not only setting items with high privacy but also setting items that have a great impact on the safety of the vehicle are not suitable as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices and the like. For example, when a seat position or mirror position that does not suit the driver is set, the driving safety of the vehicle may decrease. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the authentication device 100 selects, as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices and the like, setting items that have a greater impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 as the reliability of the user recognition method is higher.

[0069] Similar to step S12 described in FIG. 3, the determination unit 112 determines whether or not the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 for user recognition is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The reliability is determined based on, for example, the reliability of the recognition method shown in FIG. 4. When the determination unit 112 determines that the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 for user recognition is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 of the setting items to be selected to be equal to or greater than the predetermined value. Here, for example, the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 may be represented in three levels of large, medium, and small, or may be represented in more levels. The selection unit 113 may refer to information regarding the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 of the setting items stored in the storage unit 120. Further, the selection unit 113 may communicate with the database 300 and refer to information regarding the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 of the setting items stored in the storage unit 320 of the database 3 00. Thereby, the selection unit 113 can select, as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices and the like, setting items that have a great impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 up to a certain extent. That is, the selection unit 113 can select, as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices and the like, setting items that have a greater impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 as the reliability of the user recognition method is higher.

[0070] FIG. 6 is a table showing the degree of influence of setting items on vehicle safety according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, items that are likely to affect driving operations and decisions are defined as setting items that have a large influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. As an example, information indicating the position of driving equipment, such as the position of the driver's seat or the position of the steering wheel, in the vehicle 10 is defined as a setting item that has a large influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. In addition, driving assistance functions, such as turning on / off a function that warns of deviation from a driving lane or turning on / off a collision prevention function, are also defined as setting items that have a large influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. In contrast, items related to driving guidance are defined as setting items that have a medium influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. As an example, settings related to map display in a car navigation system, or settings related to guidance items such as turning on / off stop line guidance or railroad crossing guidance, are defined as setting items that have a medium influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. The other items are defined as setting items that have a small influence on the safety of the vehicle 10. For example, various settings such as the temperature and air volume of the air conditioner, and settings related to charging the vehicle 10 are determined as setting items that have little impact on the safety of the vehicle 10.

[0071] When the determination unit 112 determines that the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 to recognize the user is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the magnitude of the influence of the setting item to be selected on the safety of the vehicle 10 to equal to or lower than the predetermined value. This prevents the selection unit 113 from selecting, as a setting item to be applied to in-vehicle devices, setting items that have a certain degree of influence or more on the safety of the vehicle 10.

[0072] Next, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item according to the set upper limit of the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10. In other words, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item according to the magnitude of the impact that the setting item has on the safety of the vehicle 10 of the user.

[0073] Next, the application unit 114 applies the selected setting item to the in-vehicle device, etc. With regard to the setting item selected by the selection unit 113, the application unit 114 applies the content of the setting determined for the setting item corresponding to the user identified by the recognition unit 111 to the vehicle equipment or the in-vehicle device, etc.

[0074] As a result, in the second embodiment, the higher the reliability of the user's recognition method, the more the authentication device 100 can select, as the setting item to be applied to the in-vehicle device, the setting item that has a greater impact on the safety of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the authentication device 100 is more likely to be able to appropriately apply the settings of the in-vehicle device and the like that are individually set for each user, taking into consideration the safety of the vehicle 10.

[0075] (Third embodiment) <Selecting settings that take into consideration both privacy and security> In the first embodiment, the authentication device 100 considers the privacy level of the setting item as a criterion for selecting a setting item. In the second embodiment, the authentication device 100 considers the impact of the setting item on the safety of the vehicle 10 as a criterion for selecting a setting item. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the authentication device 100 considers the following as a criterion for selecting a setting item: Both the level of privacy of the setting item and the extent of its impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 are taken into consideration comprehensively.

[0076] Similar to step S12 described with reference to FIG. 3, the determination unit 112 determines whether the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 to recognize the user is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The reliability is determined, for example, based on the reliability of the recognition method shown in FIG. 4. If the determination unit 112 determines that the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 to recognize the user is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the evaluation value of the setting item to be selected to equal to or greater than the predetermined value. Here, the evaluation value is a value obtained by evaluating a setting item taking into consideration both the level of privacy of the vehicle 10 and the magnitude of the impact on safety. The evaluation value is largest when the privacy is high and when the impact on safety of the vehicle 10 is large. For example, the magnitude of the evaluation value may be expressed in three levels, high, medium, and low, or may be expressed in more levels.

[0077] The selection unit 113 may refer to information on the evaluation values ​​of the setting items stored in the storage unit 120, or may communicate with the database 300 and refer to information on the evaluation values ​​of the setting items stored in the storage unit 320 of the database 300. This allows the selection unit 113 to select setting items that are relatively privacy-conscious and that have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc. In other words, the higher the reliability of the user's recognition method, the more the selection unit 113 can select setting items that are relatively privacy-conscious and that have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle devices, etc.

[0078] If the determination unit 112 determines that the reliability of the method used by the recognition unit 111 to recognize the user is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the selection unit 113 sets the upper limit of the evaluation value of the setting item to be selected to equal to or lower than the predetermined value. This prevents the selection unit 113 from selecting, as setting items to be applied to in-vehicle devices, setting items that are more or less private than a certain level and setting items that have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle 10.

[0079] Next, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item according to the upper limit of the evaluation value set as described above. That is, the selection unit 113 selects a setting item according to the level of privacy of the setting item and the impact that the setting item has on the safety of the user's vehicle 10.

[0080] Next, the application unit 114 applies the selected setting item to the in-vehicle device, etc. With regard to the setting item selected by the selection unit 113, the application unit 114 applies the content of the setting determined for the setting item corresponding to the user identified by the recognition unit 111 to the vehicle equipment or the in-vehicle device, etc.

[0081] As a result, in the third embodiment, the higher the reliability of the user recognition method, the more the authentication device 100 can select setting items with higher privacy concerns and setting items with greater impact on the safety of the vehicle 10 as setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle devices. Therefore, the authentication device 100 is more likely to be able to appropriately apply the settings of the in-vehicle devices, etc., that are individually set for each user, taking into consideration both privacy and safety.

[0082] (Other variations) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure.

[0083] The privacy level of the setting item, the magnitude of the impact on the safety of the vehicle 10, and the evaluation value that takes these into consideration do not have to be fixed values. When these values ​​are changed according to the situation, the user can communicate with an external server device via the communication unit 130 of the authentication device 100. The authentication device 100 may communicate with the authentication server 100 (typically the database 300) and download information about the changed values. Alternatively, the user may install information about the changed values ​​into the authentication device 100 from an external medium (such as a USB memory).

[0084] In the above embodiment, the reliability of the user recognition method is determined when the authentication device 100 recognizes the user for the first time, but the determination of the reliability of the user recognition method is not limited to the first time the user is recognized. User recognition may be repeated periodically at predetermined intervals while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and if the user is recognized by a method different from the previous time, the determination of the reliability of the user recognition method may also be updated.

[0085] Alternatively, when a user attempts to apply a specific setting item to an in-vehicle device, user authentication may be performed again, and setting items that can be applied to the in-vehicle device, etc. may be reselected based on the reliability of the user's recognition method. Here, the specific setting items are items that are highly sensitive to privacy, items that have a large impact on the safety of the vehicle 10, or setting items that have a high evaluation value taking these into consideration.

[0086] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10. Vehicle 11. Drive unit 12 ECU 13. In-vehicle terminal 100 Authentication device 110, 310... Control unit 111...Recognition section 112...Judgment section 113...Selection section 114...Applicable part 120, 320...Storage section 130, 330... Communications Department 300···Database

Claims

1. An information processing device that applies user-related settings to an in-vehicle device, Recognizing the user in one of a plurality of different types of recognition methods; and selecting, according to the type of the recognition method used to recognize the user, the setting item to be applied to the in-vehicle device from among a plurality of setting items indicating the setting related to the user. Information processing device.

2. Each of the plurality of different recognition methods is associated with a reliability when the recognition method is used to recognize the user; and The control unit selecting the setting items to be applied to the in-vehicle device from among the plurality of setting items based on the reliability of the recognition method; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit determining, as the reliability of the recognition method is higher, to apply to the in-vehicle device a setting item among the plurality of setting items that has a greater impact on the privacy of the user; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit determining, as the reliability of the recognition method is higher, to apply to the in-vehicle device a setting item among the plurality of setting items that has a greater impact on the safety of a vehicle in which the in-vehicle device is installed; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

5. The recognition method is recognition by electronic key, recognition by digital key, Bluetooth (registered trademark) The recognition is one of recognition by a target device, biometric recognition, and recognition based on an input operation by the user. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

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