Information providing device, and portable terminal

Abstract

To make it possible to present information in an appropriate way in accordance with a travel state of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information providing device 200 is installed in a vehicle 240. A determination part 202 (1) determines whether or not a traveling state of the vehicle 240 is in an automatic travel state and (2) determines whether or not there is a portable terminal 10 communicably connected to the information providing device 200. An output part 204 outputs output information to the portable terminal 10 when it is determined that the travel state of the vehicle 240 is an automatic travel state and the portable terminal 10 communicably connected to the information providing device 200 exists. The output information includes one or more of information about control of the vehicle 240 and information about ambient environment of the vehicle 240.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing device and a mobile terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, various pieces of information are notified to passengers (particularly the driver). For example, the route to a destination is displayed on the display of a car navigation system. In addition, in the system of Patent Document 1, when the driving mode of the automobile is switched from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode, the positional relationship between the automobile and surrounding automobiles is displayed on a display arranged in the automobile's meter cluster. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-182906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Displays that are pre-installed in vehicles, such as displays in car navigation systems and displays located in meter clusters, are positioned so that they are easily visible to the driver while in a driving position. However, in an autonomously driving vehicle, vehicle occupants do not need to operate the vehicle, and therefore it is highly likely that the occupants will be performing various tasks without being in a driving position. Generally, tasks performed while out and about are often performed using mobile devices such as smartphones and laptops, so it is highly likely that occupants of an autonomously driving vehicle will be performing tasks using their mobile devices.

[0005] In such a situation, if information is output from a display that is pre-installed in the vehicle, it is difficult for the passengers to understand the information.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to present information in an appropriate manner according to the driving state of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One invention is an information providing device that provides information related to a vehicle, comprising: When the vehicle is in an automatic driving state, and an output means for outputting at least one of control information relating to control of the vehicle and environmental information relating to the environment around the vehicle to a terminal that is communicably connected to the information providing device and that presents information to a passenger who is not in a driving position, the control information includes at least one of information relating to control of the speed of the vehicle and information relating to control of the steering of the vehicle; The environmental information includes at least one of information about other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, information about obstacles around the vehicle, and information acquired from other vehicles around the vehicle. It is an information providing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information providing device according to a first embodiment together with its usage environment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information providing device. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing executed by the information providing device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of how speed control information regarding vehicle acceleration is presented on a mobile terminal. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of how speed control information related to deceleration of a vehicle is presented on a mobile terminal. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of how steering control information is presented on a mobile terminal. [Figure 7]10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the timing at which the driving state of a vehicle switches from an automatic driving state to a manual driving state is presented on a mobile terminal. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how other vehicle information is presented on a mobile terminal. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of how obstacle information is presented on a mobile terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, like components are designated by like reference numerals, and their description will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each block in the block diagram represents a functional configuration, not a hardware configuration.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information providing device 200 according to the first embodiment together with its usage environment. The information providing device 200 is installed in a vehicle 240. The vehicle 240 may be any vehicle such as an automobile or a train.

[0011] The driving states that the vehicle 240 can be in include at least a manual driving state and an automatic driving state. The vehicle 240 in the manual driving state drives according to the driver's operation. On the other hand, the vehicle 240 in the automatic driving state drives according to the control of the control device 20 that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 240. The control device 20 that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 240 is realized by, for example, one or more ECUs (Electronic Control Units) mounted on the vehicle 240.

[0012] The information providing device 200 has a determination unit 202 and an output unit 204. The determination unit 202 performs the following two determinations. First, the determination unit 202 determines whether or not the vehicle 240 is in an automatic driving state. Second, the determination unit 202 determines whether or not there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicably connected to the information providing device 200. This mobile terminal 10 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, or notebook PC (Personal Computer) owned by a passenger in the vehicle 240.

[0013] When it is determined that the driving state of the vehicle 240 is an automatic driving state and it is determined that there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicably connected to the information providing device 200, the output unit 204 outputs output information to the mobile terminal 10. The output information includes at least one of information related to the control of the vehicle 240 (hereinafter, control information) and information related to the environment around the vehicle 240 (hereinafter, environmental information).

[0014] As described above, in an autonomously traveling vehicle, there is a high possibility that the occupant of the vehicle 240 is not in a driving position. Furthermore, there is a high possibility that the occupant of the vehicle 240 is working using the mobile terminal 10. Therefore, when the traveling state of the vehicle 240 is an autonomous traveling state and there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicably connected to the information providing device 200, the information providing device 200 of this embodiment outputs output information to the mobile terminal 10. This makes it easier for the occupant of the vehicle 240 to understand the content of the output information compared to a case where the content of the output information is presented on a display device that is installed in advance in the vehicle 240.

[0015] The information providing device 200 of this embodiment will be described in further detail below.

[0016] <Example of Hardware Configuration of Information Providing Device 200> Each functional component of the information providing device 200 may be realized by hardware that realizes the functional component (e.g., a hardwired electronic circuit, etc.), or may be realized by a combination of hardware and software (e.g., a combination of an electronic circuit and a program that controls it, etc.). Below, a case where each functional component of the information providing device 200 is realized by a combination of hardware and software will be further described.

[0017] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the information providing device 200. The computer 100 is a computer that realizes the information providing device 200. For example, the computer 100 is an ECU mounted on a vehicle 240. Another example of the computer 100 is a car navigation device provided on the vehicle 240. The computer 100 may be a computer designed specifically for realizing the information providing device 200, or may be a general-purpose computer.

[0018] The computer 100 includes a bus 102, a processor 104, a memory 106, a storage device 108, an input / output interface 110, and a network interface 112. The bus 102 is a data transmission path through which the processor 104, the memory 106, the storage device 108, the input / output interface 110, and the network interface 112 transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of interconnecting the processor 104 and other components is not limited to bus connection. The processor 104 is an arithmetic processing device implemented using a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or the like. The memory 106 is a main storage device implemented using a random access memory (RAM) or the like. The storage device 108 is an auxiliary storage device implemented using a read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or the like. However, the storage device 108 may be configured using hardware similar to that constituting the main storage device, such as RAM.

[0019] The input / output interface 110 is an interface for connecting the computer 100 to peripheral devices. The input / output interface 110 may include an A / D converter that converts an analog input signal into a digital signal, a D / A converter that converts a digital output signal into an analog signal, and the like, as appropriate.

[0020] The network interface 112 is an interface through which the computer 100 communicates with other computers. For example, the mobile terminal 10, which is communicatively connected to the information providing device 200, communicates with the information providing device 200 via the network interface 112. This communication is performed by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0021] Alternatively, for example, the computer 100 is connected to a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication network via the network interface 112. The computer 100 is connected to the control device 20 via this CAN communication network so as to be able to communicate with it.

[0022] The storage device 108 stores program modules for implementing the various functional components of the information providing device 200. The processor 104 reads these program modules into the memory 106 and executes them to implement the functions of the information providing device 200.

[0023] <Processing flow> 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing executed by the information providing device 200 of the first embodiment. The output unit 204 acquires output information (S102). The determination unit 202 determines whether the vehicle 240 is in an autonomous driving state (S104). If the vehicle 240 is not in an autonomous driving state (S104: NO), the output unit 204 outputs the output information from an output device provided in the vehicle 240 (S110). The output device provided in the vehicle 240 is, for example, a display device or a speaker of a car navigation system.

[0024] If the driving state of the vehicle 240 is an automatic driving state (S104: YES), the determination unit 202 further determines whether or not there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicatively connected to the information providing device 200 (S106). If there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicatively connected to the information providing device 200 (S106: YES), the output unit 204 outputs output information to the mobile terminal 10 (S108). Note that existing technology can be used for the technology itself for outputting information to the communicatively connected mobile terminal 10.

[0025] If there is no mobile terminal 10 communicably connected to the information providing device 200 (S106: NO), the output unit 204 outputs the output information from the output device provided in the vehicle 240 (S110).

[0026] In addition, if the vehicle 240 is not in an automatic driving state (S104: NO) or if there is no mobile terminal 10 that is communicatively connected to the information providing device 200 (S106: NO), the output unit 204 does not need to output the output information.

[0027] Furthermore, if the vehicle 240 is in an automatic driving state and there is a mobile terminal 10 that is communicatively connected to the information providing device 200 (S104: YES and S106: YES), the output unit 204 may not only output the output information to the mobile terminal 10 (S108), but may also output the output information from an output device provided in the vehicle 240.

[0028] <Regarding control information> The output information output by the output unit 204 includes, for example, control information. The control information includes, for example, one or more of information relating to control of the speed of the vehicle 240 (hereinafter referred to as speed control information), information relating to control of the steering of the vehicle 240 (hereinafter referred to as steering control information), and information relating to control of the running state of the vehicle 240 (hereinafter referred to as running state control information). Each of these three types of information will be described below.

[0029] <<Speed ​​control information>> In the autonomous driving state, for example, the control device 20 controls the speed (controls acceleration and deceleration) of the vehicle 240. Therefore, for example, the output unit 204 acquires speed control information as control information.

[0030] The speed control information indicates, for example, the speed of the vehicle 240 after acceleration (to what km / h the vehicle 240 is accelerated) or the speed of the vehicle 240 after deceleration (to what km / h the vehicle 240 is decelerated). In this case, the speed control information may also indicate the time required for acceleration or deceleration. In addition, for example, the speed control information indicates a future change in the speed of the vehicle 240 (the speed of the vehicle 240 after acceleration or deceleration from the current speed of the vehicle 240). Furthermore, the information indicated by the speed control information is not limited to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle 240. For example, the speed control information may indicate that the vehicle 240 is to be stopped.

[0031] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating how speed control information related to the acceleration of the vehicle 240 is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 4A, the speed control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the vehicle 240 will accelerate to 60 km / h." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating "accelerate to 60 km / h" is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0032] 4(b), the speed control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates a change in the speed of the vehicle 240 over the next five seconds. Therefore, a graph showing the change in the speed of the vehicle 240 over the next five seconds is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0033] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating how speed control information related to deceleration of the vehicle 240 is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 5A, the speed control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the vehicle 240 will be decelerated to 30 km / h." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating "slowing down to 30 km / h" is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0034] 5(b), the speed control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates a change in the speed of the vehicle 240 over the next five seconds. Therefore, a graph showing the change in the speed of the vehicle 240 over the next five seconds is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0035] As in the above example, by providing the passengers of vehicle 240 with information regarding the control of the speed of vehicle 240, the passengers of vehicle 240 can easily understand how the speed of vehicle 240 will change in the future. This can prevent problems such as the passengers of vehicle 240 feeling uneasy due to unexpected acceleration or deceleration, allowing the passengers of vehicle 240 to ride in vehicle 240 with peace of mind.

[0036] <<Steering control information>> In the autonomous driving state, the control device 20 controls the steering of the vehicle 240. Therefore, for example, the output unit 204 acquires steering control information as the control information.

[0037] Steering control is performed for purposes such as turning at a curve or intersection, changing lanes, or performing emergency avoidance (for example, to avoid an obstacle). Steering control information related to a curve or intersection indicates, for example, which curve or intersection to turn at, whether to turn left or right, and the timing at which control will be performed. Steering control information related to lane changes indicates, for example, which lane to move to, left or right, and the timing at which control will be performed. Steering control information related to emergency avoidance indicates, for example, whether to move left or right, information about an obstacle, and the timing at which control will be performed.

[0038] 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating how steering control information is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 6A, the steering control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "vehicle 240 will turn left at intersection A in 5 seconds." Therefore, a notification 30 representing this steering control information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0039] 6(b), the steering control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the vehicle 240 will change lanes in 3 seconds and move to the right lane." Therefore, the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10 displays a notification 30 indicating this steering control information.

[0040] 6(c), the steering control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the vehicle 240 will move to the right in one second to avoid the person." Therefore, the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10 displays a notification 30 indicating this steering control information.

[0041] If the vehicle 240 unexpectedly performs an action such as turning at an intersection or curve, changing lanes, or performing an emergency avoidance, the occupants of the vehicle 240 may feel uneasy. As in the above example, by providing the occupants of the vehicle 240 with information related to the steering control of the vehicle 240, the occupants of the vehicle 240 can easily understand how the behavior of the vehicle 240 (particularly the driving route) will change. This can prevent the problem of the occupants feeling uneasy due to unexpected behavior of the vehicle 240, and allows the occupants of the vehicle 240 to ride in the vehicle 240 with peace of mind.

[0042] <<Driving state control information>> In the automatic driving state, the control device 20 may perform control to switch the driving state of the vehicle 240 to a manual driving state. For example, such control is performed when the vehicle 240 must pass through an area where automatic driving is prohibited. When the driving state of the vehicle 240 is switched to the manual driving state, the driver of the vehicle 240 must drive the vehicle 240 himself.

[0043] Therefore, for example, the output unit 204 acquires, as the control information, driving state control information indicating the timing at which the driving state of the vehicle 240 switches from an automatic driving state to a manual driving state. By providing this information to the driver of the vehicle 240, the driver of the vehicle 240 can prepare for driving with ample time to spare.

[0044] The timing at which the driving state of the vehicle 240 switches to the manual driving state is specified by, for example, time or location. In the former case, the driving state of the vehicle 240 switches to the manual driving state at a specific time. In the latter case, the driving state of the vehicle 240 switches to the manual driving state at a specific location (for example, an intersection).

[0045] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a state in which the timing at which the driving state of the vehicle 240 will switch from an automatic driving state to a manual driving state is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 7A, the control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the driving state of the vehicle 240 will switch to a manual driving state in one minute." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating this control information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0046] 7(b), the control information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "the driving state of the vehicle 240 will be switched to a manual driving state at intersection A." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating this control information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0047] <<Control information acquisition method: S102>> The output unit 204 acquires the control information from the control device 20 (S102). The acquisition method is arbitrary. For example, the output unit 204 acquires the control information by receiving the control information transmitted from the control device 20. Alternatively, for example, the output unit 204 acquires the control information by accessing the control device 20.

[0048] <Environmental Information> The output information output by the output unit 204 includes, for example, environmental information. As described above, the environmental information indicates the environment around the vehicle 240. By presenting the environmental information to the passengers of the vehicle 240, the passengers of the vehicle 240 can easily understand the current state of the surrounding environment and future changes. This allows the passengers of the vehicle 240 in an autonomous driving state to feel more secure while riding in the vehicle 240.

[0049] The environmental information is, for example, information about other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 240 (hereinafter referred to as other vehicle information) and information about obstacles around the vehicle 240 (hereinafter referred to as obstacle information). These two types of information will be described below.

[0050] <<Other car information>> The other vehicle information indicates, for example, the presence of another vehicle approaching the vehicle 240. If another vehicle (especially a large vehicle) approaches the vehicle 240 unexpectedly, the passengers of the vehicle 240 may feel uneasy. Furthermore, if it is unclear whether the control device 20 that controls the operation of the vehicle 240 has correctly detected the presence of such another vehicle, the passengers may feel uneasy. Therefore, by notifying the passengers of the approach of another vehicle, the passengers are prevented from feeling uneasy.

[0051] 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating how other vehicle information is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 8A, the other vehicle information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "a vehicle traveling ahead in the lane immediately to the right of the lane in which the vehicle 240 is traveling is changing lanes into the lane in which the vehicle 240 is traveling." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating this other vehicle information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0052] 8(b), the other vehicle information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "a large vehicle is approaching from behind in the lane to the left of the lane in which the vehicle 240 is traveling." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating this other vehicle information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0053] The other vehicles that are the subject of the other vehicle information may or may not be limited to large vehicles (e.g., dump trucks). Whether or not to limit the other vehicles to large vehicles may be set in advance in the information providing device 200, or may be set by a passenger in the vehicle 240.

[0054] <<Obstacle Information>> The obstacle information indicates, for example, the positions of cars parked or stopped on the driving lane of the vehicle 240, or of people or obstacles (such as fallen trees) that are present on the driving lane of the vehicle 240. If such an obstacle appears unexpectedly, the passengers of the vehicle 240 may feel uneasy. Furthermore, if it is unclear whether the control device 20 that controls the operation of the vehicle 240 has correctly detected the presence of such an obstacle, the passengers may feel uneasy. Therefore, by notifying the passengers of the presence of an obstacle, the passengers are prevented from feeling uneasy.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of how obstacle information is presented on the mobile terminal 10. In the case of Fig. 9, the obstacle information output to the mobile terminal 10 indicates that "there is a person 100 m ahead of the vehicle 240." Therefore, a notification 30 indicating this obstacle information is displayed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0056] <<How to obtain environmental information: S102>> The output unit 204 acquires environmental information (S102). The acquisition method is arbitrary. For example, the output unit 204 acquires the environmental information from the control device 20. The control device 20 detects other vehicles, obstacles, etc. to control the automatic driving of the vehicle 240. Therefore, environmental information related to the detected other vehicles and obstacles is provided from the control device 20 to the information providing device 200. Note that the output unit 204 may acquire the environmental information by receiving the environmental information transmitted from the control device 20, or may acquire the environmental information by accessing the control device 20.

[0057] Alternatively, for example, environmental information may be provided by other vehicles traveling around vehicle 240 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. By acquiring environmental information from other vehicles in this way, it becomes possible to acquire information about obstacles (for example, obstacles located in the blind spots of cameras or sensors) that are difficult to detect using cameras or sensors (radar, lidar, etc.) installed in vehicle 240. Note that existing technology can be used for the technology itself for exchanging information between vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0058] Alternatively, for example, the information providing device 200 may generate environmental information using a camera or a sensor installed in the vehicle 240. The technology itself for grasping the surrounding environment using a camera or a sensor can be an existing technology.

[0059] In each of the above examples, the presentation of information based on the output information is performed on the display device 12 of the mobile terminal 10. However, the method by which the mobile terminal 10 performs output based on the output information is not limited to display using the display device 12. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may perform output based on the output information from a speaker. For example, as in the case of FIG. 6(a), when the mobile terminal 10 acquires steering control information indicating that "the vehicle 240 will turn left at intersection A in 5 seconds," the mobile terminal 10 outputs a voice notification saying "turn left at intersection A in 5 seconds" from the speaker.

[0060] <Timing at which the information providing device 200 executes processing> The information providing device 200 may execute the series of processes shown in Fig. 3 at various times. For example, the information providing device 200 executes the processes from S104 onward when it receives output information transmitted from the control device 20 or another vehicle. Alternatively, for example, the information providing device 200 may periodically (for example, once every 100 msec) access the control device 20 or another vehicle to attempt to acquire the output information. Then, if the output information is acquired, it executes the processes from S104 onward.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and it is also possible to adopt combinations of the above-described embodiments or various other configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Mobile devices 12 Display device 20 Control device 30 notifications 100 calculator 102 Bus 104 processors 106 memory 108 Storage Devices 110 Input / Output Interface 112 Network Interface 200 Information provision device 202 Judgment section 204 Output section 240 vehicles

Claims

1. An information providing device that provides information related to a vehicle, When the vehicle is in an automatic driving state, an output means for outputting at least one of control information relating to control of the vehicle and environmental information relating to the environment around the vehicle to a terminal that is communicatively connected to the information providing device and that presents information to a passenger who is not in a driving position; the control information includes at least one of information relating to control of the speed of the vehicle and information relating to control of the steering of the vehicle; The environmental information includes at least one of information about other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, information about obstacles around the vehicle, and information acquired from other vehicles around the vehicle. Information provision device.

2. 2. The information providing device according to claim 1, The information providing device, wherein the terminal is a mobile terminal.

3. 3. The information providing device according to claim 1, The output means outputs the control information based on information acquired from a control device that controls the vehicle.

4. 4. The information providing device according to claim 1, The output means outputs the environmental information based on information acquired from a control device that controls the vehicle.

5. 5. The information providing device according to claim 1, The information providing device is mounted on the vehicle.

6. A mobile terminal that presents information related to a vehicle to a passenger of the vehicle who is not in a driving position, When the vehicle is in an automatic driving state, acquiring, from the information providing device, at least one piece of information output from the information providing device, which is control information relating to control of the vehicle and environmental information relating to the environment around the vehicle, and presenting the information; the control information indicates content of control to be performed on the vehicle, and includes at least one of information regarding control of the speed of the vehicle and information regarding control of the steering of the vehicle; The environmental information includes at least one of information about other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, information about obstacles around the vehicle, and information acquired from other vehicles around the vehicle. Mobile device.

7. 7. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, The information providing device is a mobile terminal that outputs the control information based on information acquired from a control device that controls the vehicle.

8. 8. The mobile terminal according to claim 6 or 7, The information providing device is a mobile terminal that outputs the environmental information based on information acquired from a control device that controls the vehicle.

9. 9. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, The information providing device is a mobile terminal mounted on the vehicle.

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