Information processing device, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To optimize safe driving education.SOLUTION: An information processing device according to an embodiment comprises a controller configured to estimate driver characteristics of a driver based on information transmitted from a vehicle, generate a safe driving education-related teaching material for drivers according to the driver characteristics, and provide the teaching material to a delivery destination selected according to the driver characteristics.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There is a conventional technique for providing a driver of a vehicle with educational materials related to safe driving. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses providing a driver with educational materials generated based on the driving results of the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-186332 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in optimizing safe driving education. Specifically, the conventional technology does not take into consideration the driver's driving tendencies and optimize the content of the educational material and the terminals to which the educational material is distributed.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method that can optimize safe driving education. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the information processing device of the present invention has a controller, which estimates the driver's driving characteristics based on information transmitted from the vehicle, generates teaching materials related to safe driving education for the driver according to the driver's characteristics, and provides the teaching materials to a distribution destination selected according to the driver's characteristics. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, educational materials are generated according to the driver's characteristics and are provided to the driver via a distribution destination according to the driver's characteristics, thereby optimizing safe driving education. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an information processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of information processing. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an information processing device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of driver information stored in the storage unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the information processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0010] First, an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the information processing system. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system S according to an embodiment is a system that generates and distributes e-learning teaching materials for safe driving instruction and the like. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system S includes an in-vehicle device 50, an information processing device 1, and a student terminal 200. The student terminal 200 corresponds to an example of a "terminal device."

[0011] The information processing device 1 analyzes the vehicle situation when a specific event such as an accident or a near miss is detected based on the vehicle data transmitted from the vehicle. The information processing device 1 also generates teaching materials based on the analysis results.

[0012] The in-vehicle device 50 is a video recording device (drive recorder) mounted on a vehicle C. The in-vehicle device 50 according to the embodiment has an in-camera that captures video images inside the vehicle and an out-camera that captures video images outside the vehicle.

[0013] While the vehicle is running, the in-vehicle device 50 records vehicle data, including images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle captured by the in-camera and the out-camera, in a ring buffer memory in an overwritable manner for a certain period of time. The certain period is, for example, 24 hours. The vehicle data may include various data indicating the status of the vehicle, such as date and time information, location information, vehicle speed, and G-force, in addition to the images of the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

[0014] The in-vehicle device 50 is also configured to be able to detect specific events such as the occurrence of an accident or a near miss. The in-vehicle device 50 detects a specific event when, for example, a change in vehicle speed or a change in G-value satisfies a predetermined event condition corresponding to the occurrence of a pre-set accident or a near miss.

[0015] In the information processing system S according to the embodiment, the information processing device 1 acquires vehicle data transmitted from a vehicle, for example, at a predetermined interval (step S1). The vehicle data includes an in-vehicle image, an outside-vehicle image, date and time information, location information, vehicle speed, G value, etc.

[0016] Next, the information processing device 1 analyzes the vehicle data acquired from the vehicle and generates teaching materials according to the analysis results (step S2). For example, the information processing device 1 estimates the driver's driving tendencies from the in-vehicle video and generates teaching materials according to the driver's tendencies.

[0017] Then, the information processing device 1 provides the generated teaching materials to the student terminal 200 (step S3). The student terminal 200 is a terminal device used by students (equivalent to an example of a "user") taking the e-learning course. The student terminal 200 is realized by a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, or the like. For example, the teaching materials are in the form of questions, and the driver who is the student takes the e-learning course by answering the questions provided as the teaching materials.

[0018] Incidentally, it is desirable to provide learning opportunities optimized for each driver in the information processing system S. For this reason, the information processing device 1 changes the content of the learning material and the distribution destination of the learning material according to the driver's driving characteristics.

[0019] Here, an overview of information processing according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the overview of information processing. For example, the information processing device 1 changes the delivery destination of the educational material depending on the driving frequency. The example shown in Fig. 2 shows a scene in which the in-vehicle device 50 is determined as the delivery destination for drivers who drive frequently, and the student terminal 200 is determined as the delivery destination for drivers who drive infrequently.

[0020] In other words, since drivers who drive frequently spend relatively more time in the car, learning opportunities are provided inside the car, and since drivers who drive infrequently spend relatively less time in the car, learning opportunities are provided outside the car.

[0021] This allows the information processing device 1 to provide learning opportunities optimized for each driver. Furthermore, since the in-vehicle device 50 is a drive recorder, it is not suitable for displaying educational materials to the driver or requesting answers to questions posed to the driver. Therefore, when delivering educational materials to the in-vehicle device 50, the information processing device 1 delivers educational materials that notify the driver in advance of points that the driver should pay attention to while driving.

[0022] Furthermore, when delivering educational materials to the student terminal 200, it becomes easy to display images (videos) and ask the driver to answer questions. Therefore, when delivering educational materials to the student terminal 200, the information processing device 1 delivers educational materials that make the driver reflect on his or her own driving.

[0023] In this way, the information processing device 1 can optimize the safe driving education by changing the content of the educational material and the distribution destination of the educational material according to the driver's characteristics.

[0024] Next, a configuration example of the in-vehicle device 50 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the in-vehicle device 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the in-vehicle device 50 is connected to an in-camera 101, an out-camera 102, an in-vehicle sensor 103, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) unit 110.

[0025] The in-camera 101 is a camera that captures images inside the vehicle, and mainly captures images of the driver while driving. The out-camera 102 is a camera that captures images outside the vehicle, and captures images in front of the vehicle.

[0026] The on-vehicle sensors 103 include a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a G sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an accelerator sensor, a brake sensor, etc. The on-vehicle sensors 103 are connected to the on-vehicle device 50 via an on-vehicle network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

[0027] The HMI unit 110 includes an input interface that accepts input operations from the driver, etc. The input interface is realized by, for example, a touch panel. The input interface may also be realized by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen tablet, a microphone, etc. The input interface may also be realized by software components. The HMI unit 110 includes an output interface that presents image information and audio information to the driver, etc. The output interface is realized by, for example, a display, a speaker, etc.

[0028] 3, the in-vehicle device 50 has a communication unit 51, a storage unit 52, and a controller 53. The communication unit 51 is realized by a network adapter or the like. The communication unit 51 is connected to a network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information between the information processing device 1 and the student terminal 200 via the network.

[0029] The storage unit 52 is realized by a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a flash memory. The storage unit 52 stores vehicle data and the like. The vehicle data includes various data indicating the status of the vehicle, such as in-vehicle and out-of-vehicle images, date and time information, location information, vehicle speed, and G-value.

[0030] The controller 53 uploads the vehicle data to the information processing device 1 via the communication unit 51. The vehicle data includes an image of the inside of the vehicle, an image of the outside of the vehicle, date and time information, location information, vehicle speed, G value, etc. For example, the controller 53 uploads the vehicle data to the information processing device 1 at a predetermined period.

[0031] Furthermore, when a specific event occurs, the controller 53 may upload vehicle data for a period before and after the event to the information processing device 1. The specific event includes a case where the sensor value of the G sensor exceeds a threshold, i.e., a case where sudden braking or the like is performed.

[0032] Furthermore, when educational materials are distributed from the information processing device 1, the controller 53 notifies the driver of the distributed educational materials. For example, the controller 53 notifies the driver of the educational materials by voice at the timing when a notification condition is satisfied.

[0033] The notification conditions include when the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or when the vehicle is traveling on a straight road with a good view. That is, the controller 3 provides the educational material to the driver when the driver's driving load falls below a threshold. For example, the controller 53 determines whether the notification conditions are met based on the sensor values ​​input from the in-vehicle sensor 103, and notifies the driver of the educational material by voice when it is determined that the notification conditions are met.

[0034] In this way, the controller 53 can provide the educational material to the driver while taking safety into consideration by providing the educational material at a timing when the driver's driving load is low.

[0035] Next, an example of the configuration of the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the information processing device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the information processing device 1 includes a communication unit 2, a controller 3, and a storage unit 4.

[0036] The communication unit 2 is realized by a network adapter etc. The communication unit 2 is connected to a network by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information between the in-vehicle device 50 and the student terminal 200 via the network.

[0037] The storage unit 4 is realized by a storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage unit 4 stores vehicle data transmitted from each in-vehicle device 50, driver information about each driver, etc.

[0038] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of driver information stored in the storage unit 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the driver information includes information on items such as "driver ID," "vehicle data," and "driver characteristics."

[0039] The "driver ID" field stores an identifier for identifying each driver. The driver ID may be an identifier for identifying each in-vehicle device 50, or an identifier for identifying each vehicle.

[0040] The "vehicle data" item stores vehicle data transmitted from the in-vehicle device 50 while the driver identified by the corresponding driver ID is driving. For example, newly acquired vehicle data is added to the "vehicle data" item whenever vehicle data is acquired.

[0041] The "driver characteristics" field stores information about the characteristics of the driver identified by the corresponding driver ID. For example, the driver characteristics are determined by analyzing vehicle data.

[0042] The driver characteristics include, for example, the driving area and frequency in which the driver drives, the driver's tendencies while driving, etc. The tendencies while driving include the tendency to not check the surroundings at intersections properly, the tendency to overlook road signs, etc.

[0043] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 4, the controller 3 will be described. The controller 3 corresponds to a so-called processor. The controller 3 is realized by a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, or the like. The controller 3 executes a program according to an embodiment (not shown) stored in the storage unit 4, using RAM as a work area. The controller 3 can also be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0044] The controller 53 estimates the driver's driving characteristics based on information transmitted from the vehicle, generates educational materials for safe driving education for the driver according to the driver's characteristics, and provides the educational materials to the driver through a distribution destination selected according to the driver's characteristics.

[0045] For example, the controller 3 estimates the driving frequency of each driver as the driver characteristics. The controller 3 counts the number of times each driver has driven, and according to the counting result, classifies the drivers as drivers with a high driving frequency or drivers with a low driving frequency. Note that the driving frequency does not need to be divided into two stages, and may be further subdivided.

[0046] Furthermore, the controller 3 may estimate the driver's characteristics regarding dangerous driving (distracted driving, etc.) by the driver, and the state of checking traffic signals, road signs, etc. For example, in this case, the controller 3 can estimate the driver's characteristics regarding dangerous driving by the driver and the state of checking road signs, etc., based on the driver's line of sight transition, line of sight retention time, etc.

[0047] Then, the controller 3 determines the content of the educational material for safe driving education according to the estimated driver characteristics. For example, the controller 3 determines the educational material content that can be taken on the in-vehicle device 50 for a driver who drives frequently, and determines the educational material content that can be taken on the attendance terminal 200 for a driver who drives infrequently.

[0048] More specifically, for a driver who drives frequently, the controller 3 determines the educational material to call attention in advance, taking into consideration the driver's confirmation status of intersections, road signs, etc. In such a case, for example, when the driver is planning to pass through an intersection and the driver's driving characteristics indicate that the driver does not sufficiently confirm the intersection, the controller 3 generates educational material regarding precautions to take when passing through the intersection.

[0049] Furthermore, for a driver who drives infrequently, the controller 3 determines the educational content to include, for example, a video. More specifically, the controller 3 determines the educational content to be, for example, educational material using driving footage taken while the driver is driving. In this way, the controller 3 is expected to increase the driver's motivation to learn by generating educational material using driving footage taken while the driver is driving.

[0050] The controller 3 then provides the generated educational materials to the driver via a destination selected according to the driver's characteristics. For drivers who drive frequently, the controller 3 distributes the generated educational materials to the in-vehicle device 50, and for drivers who drive infrequently, the controller 3 distributes the generated educational materials to the student terminal 200.

[0051] The controller 3 may also distribute educational materials according to the driver's driving area. For example, when the driver is driving in an area where the driver does not usually drive, the controller 3 generates educational materials related to caution points on the planned driving route. For example, caution points include accident-prone points, points where speeding is likely to occur, etc. Note that the caution points can be arbitrarily set by an administrator of the information processing system S, etc.

[0052] Then, the controller 3 generates educational materials regarding precautions to take at the caution point and distributes them to the in-vehicle device 50. In this way, the controller 3 distributes the precautions to take at the caution point as educational materials, so that the driver can check the precautions in advance. Therefore, the controller 3 can appropriately support the driver's driving at the caution point.

[0053] The processing related to the warning points can also be used as a driving assistance function for inbound tourists. In this case, the controller 3 accepts the language setting by the driver who is a foreign tourist, and generates educational materials related to the warning points in the set language.

[0054] For example, in such a case, a location where there is a sign or the like that is likely to be misread by foreign tourists is set as a warning location, and the controller 3 generates educational materials for the warning location for foreign tourists. Note that the language setting may be set in advance based on the reservation information when accepting a reservation for vehicle rental from a foreign tourist, for example.

[0055] In this way, the controller 3 can provide new services for inbound tourists by generating educational materials in the set language. For example, in such a case, the information processing system S may have a function to accept reservations for rental cars or car sharing services.

[0056] Next, a processing procedure executed by the information processing device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 1. The processing shown below is repeatedly executed by the controller 3 at a predetermined cycle.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6, first, the controller 3 acquires vehicle data from the on-board device 50 installed in each vehicle (step S101), and estimates the driver characteristics of each driver (step S102).

[0058] The controller 3 estimates driver characteristics by analyzing the accumulated vehicle data. The driver characteristics are a concept that includes driving frequency, driving tendencies, etc. The driving tendencies include, for example, tendencies regarding vehicle speed while driving, tendencies regarding braking, tendencies regarding line of sight while driving, etc.

[0059] Next, the controller 3 determines the content of the educational material according to the driver's characteristics (step S103). The controller 3 determines the content of the educational material according to the driving frequency and driving tendencies. Next, the controller 3 determines the delivery destination of the educational material according to the driver's characteristics (step S104).

[0060] For example, the controller 3 sets the distribution destination for a driver who drives frequently to the in-vehicle device 50, and the distribution destination for a driver who drives infrequently to the student terminal 200. Next, the controller 3 generates teaching materials according to the content of the teaching materials and the distribution destination according to the driver characteristics (step S105).

[0061] Then, the controller 3 distributes the educational material to the distribution destination determined according to the driving frequency (step S106), and ends the process.

[0062] Next, the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the in-vehicle device 50. Note that, here, a series of processing procedures executed by the controller 53 when learning materials are received from the information processing device 1 will be described.

[0063] 7, when controller 53 receives educational material for drivers from information processing device 1 (step S201), controller 53 determines whether the current location is within the notification area of ​​the educational material (step S202). For example, in the case of educational material related to an intersection, controller 53 determines that the current location is within the notification area if the current location has not yet passed the intersection, and determines that the current location is outside the notification area if the current location has already passed the intersection.

[0064] When it is determined that the vehicle is within the notification area (step S202: Yes), the controller 53 determines whether the driver's driving load is less than a threshold (step S203). For example, when the vehicle is stopped or traveling on a straight road with good visibility, the controller 53 determines that the driver's driving load is less than the threshold, and in other situations, determines that the driver's driving load is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0065] When the controller 53 determines that the driving load is less than the threshold value (step S203: Yes), it notifies the driver of the content of the educational material received from the information processing device 1 (step S204), and ends the process.

[0066] If the controller 53 determines in step S202 that the vehicle is outside the notification area (step S202: No), the controller 53 ends the process. If the controller 53 determines in step S203 that the driving load is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S203: No), the controller 53 proceeds to the process of step S202.

[0067] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Information processing equipment 2. Communications Department 3 Controller 4 Storage section 50 Onboard equipment 51 Communications Department 52 Storage section 53 Controller 101 In-camera 102 Outer Camera 103 In-vehicle sensors 200 student terminals C vehicle S Information Processing System

Claims

1. a controller; The controller Estimating the driver's driving characteristics based on information transmitted from the vehicle; generating educational materials for safe driving education for the driver in accordance with the driver characteristics; The educational material is provided to a distribution destination selected according to the driver characteristics. Information processing device.

2. The controller Estimating a driving frequency of the driver as the driver characteristic; For the driver whose driving frequency exceeds the threshold, the educational material is provided to an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The controller When providing the educational material to the in-vehicle device, the educational material is generated to call the driver's attention in advance. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The controller When providing the educational material to the in-vehicle device, the educational material is generated regarding a warning point on the planned driving route. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The controller When the driving load of the driver is equal to or lower than a threshold, the educational material is provided to the in-vehicle device. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

6. The controller Accepting the language setting by the driver and generating the teaching material in the set language The information processing device according to claim 4 .

7. The controller For the driver whose driving frequency is equal to or less than the threshold, the educational material is provided to the terminal device of the driver. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

8. The controller When providing the educational material to the terminal device of the driver, the educational material is generated using a driving video captured while the driver is driving. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. The system includes an information processing device, an in-vehicle device, and a terminal device, The information processing device includes: Estimating the driver's characteristics based on the information transmitted from the in-vehicle device; generating educational materials for safe driving education for the driver in accordance with the driver characteristics; The in-vehicle device or the terminal device is selected as a distribution destination according to the driver characteristics, and the educational material is provided to the driver. Information processing system.

10. An information processing method executed by a controller, an estimation step of estimating a driver characteristic of a driver based on information transmitted from the vehicle; a generating step of generating educational materials for safe driving education for drivers in accordance with the driver characteristics; a providing step of providing the educational material to a distribution destination selected according to the driver characteristics; An information processing method including:

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