Notification device and program

Abstract

To provide a notification device and program, capable of generating a warning notification before a vehicle actually makes a wide left or right turn.SOLUTION: A notification device according to an aspect of an embodiment comprises a controller. The controller determines whether or not a driver has a tendency to swerve a vehicle in a direction opposite a turning direction before making a left or right turn on the basis of driving history information representing the past driving conditions of the driver while making left and right turns with the vehicle. When it is determined that the driver tends to swerve, the controller generates a warning notification to the driver as soon as the driving condition of the vehicle shows a sign of swerving while making a left or right turn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] When a vehicle makes a right or left turn, the vehicle first veers in the opposite direction to the turn direction and then makes the turn. This vehicular maneuvering is dangerous and affects the driving of other vehicles in the vicinity. Therefore, a technology has been proposed that issues a warning when vehicular maneuvering is detected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4949750 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, the warning is issued after the vehicle actually starts to turn right or left, so the timing of the notification is late.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a notification device and program that can issue a warning before the vehicle actually turns right or left. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the notification device of the present invention includes a controller. The controller determines whether the driver has a tendency to swerve, in which the vehicle swerves in the direction opposite to the turning direction before making the turn, based on driving history information indicating the driver's past driving state when making a right or left turn. If the controller determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve, the controller notifies the driver of a warning when the driving state of the vehicle shows signs of swerve when making a right or left turn. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The controller of the present invention determines whether the driver has a tendency to swerve, based on the driver's driving history information. If the controller determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve, it issues a warning when the vehicle's driving state shows signs of swerve when the vehicle is about to turn right or left. This allows the present invention to issue a warning before the vehicle actually swerves and makes a turn right or left. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining an overview of a notification method according to an embodiment. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining an overview of a notification method according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a notification system including a notification device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the traveling position information. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining items of traveling position information. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the reverse handle information. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of vehicle speed information. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a driving tendency determination process executed by the controller according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a notification process executed by the controller according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an output unit that issues a warning to a driver who is consciously driving with the road swerving. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an output unit that issues a warning to a driver who unconsciously drives with the wheels wide open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of a notification device and a program disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0010] <Notification method overview> First, an overview of a notification method performed by a notification device according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1A and 1B. Figures 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining an overview of a notification method performed by a notification device according to an embodiment.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1A, some drivers of vehicle A may perform a "swerving" maneuver when turning right or left at intersection B, where vehicle A swerves to the opposite side of the turn direction before making the right or left turn. Figure 1A shows an example of a "swerving" maneuver when turning left, where vehicle A swerves to the right, opposite the left turn direction, before making the left turn (see arrows C1 and C2). Although not shown in the figure, a "swerving" maneuver when turning right is a maneuver in which vehicle A swerves to the left, opposite the right turn direction, before making the right turn. This type of "swerving" maneuver is also called "tailgating."

[0012] The notification device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to issue a warning before the vehicle A actually turns right or left.

[0013] More specifically, the notification method according to the embodiment is executed by a notification device 10 mounted on vehicle A. First, the notification device 10 collects information indicating the driving state of vehicle A (step S1). More specifically, the notification device 10 collects the past driving states of the driver when vehicle A turns right or left, and stores the collected information indicating the driving states as driving history information in a memory unit 30 (see FIG. 2).

[0014] Driving history information indicating past driving conditions includes, for example, driving position information, reverse steering information, and vehicle speed information when turning right or left. Driving position information is information indicating where vehicle A was traveling in relation to the left and right lanes before turning right or left. Reverse steering information is information indicating that the steering wheel was turned in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by the turn signal (directional indicator) of vehicle A. Vehicle speed information is information indicating the vehicle speed when vehicle A turned right or left. Each of these pieces of information will be described in detail later.

[0015] Next, the notification device 10 determines whether or not the driver has a tendency to swerve, based on the driving history information (step S2). In other words, the notification device 10 determines whether or not the driver has a tendency to swerve.

[0016] For example, as shown by arrow C1 in FIG. 1A, if the driving history information includes a driving state in which vehicle A moves toward the lane opposite the direction of the turn (here, the right lane Dy) before making a right or left turn, the notification device 10 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. That is, for example, before vehicle A makes a left turn, it is preferable for vehicle A to move toward the lane Dx in the direction of the left turn to prevent a motorcycle from being hit, but a driver who performs swerving often moves vehicle A toward the lane Dy opposite the direction of the left turn. Therefore, the notification device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to determine that the driver has a tendency toward swerving if the driving history information (more precisely, the traveling position information) includes a driving state in which vehicle A moves toward the lane Dy opposite the direction of the left turn. The notification device 10 determines whether the driver has a tendency toward swerving using the above-mentioned reverse steering information and vehicle speed information, which will be described later.

[0017] The notification device 10 issues a warning to a driver determined to have a tendency toward swerving, which will be described with reference to FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B illustrates an example in which vehicle A, driven by a driver determined to have a tendency toward swerving, enters intersection B and turns left. When vehicle A turns left, the notification device 10 issues a warning to the driver at the timing when the driving state of vehicle A shows signs of swerving (step S3). Specifically, when vehicle A moves toward lane Dy on the opposite side of the left turn direction before turning left (see arrow C3), the notification device 10 determines that the driver has shown signs of swerving and issues a warning. Note that such a warning may be, for example, a displayed message warning caution against swerving, such as "Please avoid swerving when turning right or left," or an audio notification, but is not limited thereto.

[0018] As a result, the notification device 10 according to this embodiment can issue a warning before the vehicle A actually turns left or right.

[0019] <Overall configuration of the notification system> Next, the configuration of a notification system 1 including a notification device 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a notification system 1 including a notification device 10 according to an embodiment. Note that the block diagram of Fig. 2 shows only components necessary for explaining the features of the embodiment, and general components are omitted.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the notification system 1 includes a notification device 10, a steering angle sensor 11, a vehicle speed sensor 12, an exterior camera 13, an interior camera 14, a blinker switch (SW) 15, and an output unit 16.

[0021] The steering angle sensor 11 is a sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle A. The steering angle sensor 11 outputs information indicating the detected steering angle of the steering wheel to the notification device 10. The information indicating the steering angle also includes information indicating the steering direction of the steering wheel (specifically, whether the steering wheel is turned to the right or left). The vehicle speed sensor 12 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle A. The vehicle speed sensor 12 outputs a signal indicating the detected vehicle speed of the vehicle A to the notification device 10.

[0022] The exterior camera 13 is installed at an appropriate position on the vehicle A and captures images of the exterior of the vehicle A. In other words, the exterior camera 13 captures images of the area around the vehicle A. The exterior images include, for example, images of lanes (white lines, orange lines, etc.) drawn on the left and right sides of the road on which the vehicle A is traveling. The exterior camera 13 outputs the captured images of the exterior of the vehicle to the notification device 10.

[0023] The in-vehicle camera 14 is installed at an appropriate position in the vehicle A and captures images of the interior of the vehicle A. The in-vehicle images include, for example, an image of the driver's face. The in-vehicle camera 14 outputs the captured images of the interior of the vehicle to the notification device 10. The exterior camera 13 and the in-vehicle camera 14 are cameras equipped with, for example, a lens and an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), but are not limited to this.

[0024] The turn signal switch 15 is connected to the turn signal lever and detects a turn signal input to the turn signal lever by the driver. The turn signal switch 15 outputs a signal indicating the detected turn signal to a vehicle control device (not shown). The vehicle control device flashes the turn signal in response to the signal indicating the turn signal. Specifically, when a signal indicating a right turn signal is input from the turn signal switch 15, the vehicle control device flashes the right turn signal of vehicle A, and when a signal indicating a left turn signal is input, the vehicle control device flashes the left turn signal of vehicle A. Therefore, the signal indicating the turn signal from the turn signal switch 15 can be said to be information on the direction (right turn or left turn) indicated by the turn signal, and the turn signal switch 15 outputs information on the direction indicated by the turn signal to the notification device 10.

[0025] The output unit 16 is communicably connected to the notification device 10. The output unit 16 outputs various information such as a warning notification. For example, the output unit 16 includes at least one of a display unit such as a display and an audio output unit such as a speaker, and outputs various information such as a warning notification to the driver of the vehicle A.

[0026] 2 shows an example in which the steering angle sensor 11, vehicle speed sensor 12, exterior camera 13, interior camera 14, blinker switch 15, and output unit 16 are configured to be external to notification device 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, part or all of the components from steering angle sensor 11 to output unit 16 may be configured to be included in notification device 10.

[0027] The notification device 10 includes a controller (control unit) 20 and a storage unit 30. The storage unit 30 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 30 stores driving history information 31, various data, various programs, and the like.

[0028] The driving history information 31 is information indicating the past driving state of the driver when turning right or left with the vehicle A. The driving history information 31 includes traveling position information 32, reverse steering information 33, and vehicle speed information .

[0029] The traveling position information 32 is information that indicates the position of the vehicle A relative to the left and right lanes before turning right or left. The traveling position information 32 will now be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling position information 32.

[0030] Here, the traveling position information 32 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling position information 32. As shown in Fig. 3, the traveling position information 32 includes the items "driving close to the lane in the direction of the right or left turn," "no change," and "driving close to the lane in the opposite direction." These items will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the items of the traveling position information 32. Note that the example of Fig. 4 shows a case where vehicle A turns left at intersection B.

[0031] "Driving close to the lane in the direction of the right or left turn" in the driving position information 32 is information that indicates the percentage of times that the driver drove close to the lane in the direction of the right or left turn (lane Dx in this case) before turning right or left in the driver's past driving state when vehicle A turned right or left (see arrow E1 in FIG. 4). In other words, "Driving close to the lane in the direction of the right or left turn" is information that indicates the percentage of times that vehicle A drove close to the lane in the direction of the right or left turn relative to the total number of times that vehicle A turned right or left.

[0032] "No change" in the traveling position information 32 is information that indicates the percentage of traveling times in which there was no change in the traveling position before turning right or left in the driver's past driving state when turning right or left of vehicle A (see arrow E2 in FIG. 4). In other words, "no change" is information that indicates the percentage of traveling times in which there was no change in the traveling position to the total number of times vehicle A turned right or left.

[0033] "Driving close to the lane in the opposite direction" in the driving position information 32 is information that indicates the percentage of times that the driver drove close to the lane on the opposite side of the turning direction (lane Dy in this case) before turning right or left in the driver's past driving state when vehicle A turned right or left (see arrow E3 in FIG. 4). In other words, "driving close to the lane in the opposite direction" is information that indicates the percentage of times that vehicle A drove close to the lane on the opposite side of the turning direction to the total number of times that vehicle A turned right or left.

[0034] In the example shown in Fig. 3, the driving approaching the lane in the direction of the right or left turn is "10%, no change is "40%, and driving approaching the lane in the opposite direction is "50%." Note that although specific numerical values ​​such as "10%" are shown in the driving position information 32 in Fig. 3, the reverse steering information 33 described later, and the vehicle speed information 34, these are merely examples and are not limited to the present invention.

[0035] 2 is information indicating that the steering wheel is turned in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by the blinker of vehicle A. In other words, the reverse steering information 33 is information regarding "reverse steering," in which the steering wheel is turned in the opposite direction to the right / left turn direction when vehicle A makes a right / left turn.

[0036] Here, the reverse steering information 33 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the reverse steering information 33. As shown in Fig. 5, the reverse steering information 33 includes the items "reverse steering" and "when steering in reverse, the turn signal direction and the line of sight are the same".

[0037] "Reverse steering" is information that indicates the percentage of times the driver turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A, i.e., the percentage of times reverse steering was performed, in the driver's past driving state when turning right or left with vehicle A. In other words, "reverse steering" is information that indicates the percentage of times reverse steering was performed with respect to the total number of times vehicle A turned right or left.

[0038] "When steering backward, the turn signal direction and the driver's line of sight are the same" is information about the relationship between the turn signal direction when steering backward and the driver's line of sight, and more specifically, information about unconscious swerving. To be more specific, there are two types of drivers who swerve backward: those who do so consciously (intentionally) and those who do it unconsciously.

[0039] A driver who consciously engages in swerving knows (is aware) that vehicle A swerves in the opposite direction of the turn when making a right or left turn, and therefore directs his or her gaze in the direction of the swerving to check the surroundings in the direction of the swerving. In other words, a driver who consciously engages in swerving directs his or her gaze in the opposite direction of the turn signal when making a reverse turn. On the other hand, a driver who unconsciously engages in swerving is not aware that vehicle A swerves in the opposite direction of the turn when making a right or left turn, and therefore directs his or her gaze in the direction of the turn without checking the surroundings in the direction of the swerving. In other words, a driver who unconsciously engages in swerving directs his or her gaze in the same direction as the turn signal when making a reverse turn.

[0040] Therefore, the reverse steering information 33's "When steering backward, the turn signal direction and the line of sight are the same" is information indicating that the driver unconsciously performed swerving. Specifically, "When steering backward, the turn signal direction and the line of sight are the same" is information indicating the percentage of times that the turn signal direction and the line of sight were the same when steering backward, turning the steering wheel in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A, in the driver's past driving states when turning vehicle A right or left. In other words, "When steering backward, the turn signal direction and the line of sight are the same" is information indicating the percentage of times that the driver steered backward and the turn signal direction and the line of sight were the same (i.e., the number of times the driver unconsciously performed swerving) out of the total number of times the driver steered backward.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the reverse steering is "70%" and the turn signal direction and the line of sight direction when steering in the reverse direction are "80%".

[0042] Vehicle speed information 34 in FIG. 2 is information regarding the vehicle speed when vehicle A turns right or left, and more specifically, information regarding the vehicle speed of vehicle A driven by a driver who drives wide. Vehicle A driven by a driver who drives wide tends to turn right or left at a higher speed than vehicles driven by a driver who does not drive wide. Therefore, vehicle speed information 34 is information regarding the fact that the vehicle speed when vehicle A turns right or left exceeds a threshold vehicle speed. Note that the threshold vehicle speed is preset to a value (e.g., 20 km) at which it can be assumed that wide driving is occurring, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

[0043] Here, the vehicle speed information 34 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle speed information 34. As shown in Fig. 6, the vehicle speed information 34 includes an item for "excessive vehicle speed."

[0044] "Excessive vehicle speed" is information indicating the percentage of times that the vehicle speed of vehicle A when turning right or left was equal to or greater than the threshold vehicle speed in the driver's past driving state when vehicle A turned right or left. In other words, "excessive vehicle speed" is information indicating the percentage of times that the vehicle speed of vehicle A when turning right or left was equal to or greater than the threshold vehicle speed relative to the total number of times vehicle A turned right or left. Note that the vehicle speed when vehicle A turns right or left is the vehicle speed immediately before the vehicle turns right or left, but is not limited to this, and may be the vehicle speed during the turn or the vehicle speed immediately after the turn. The example shown in FIG. 6 indicates that the excess vehicle speed is "60%".

[0045] Continuing with the explanation of FIG. 2, the controller 20 corresponds to a so-called processor. The controller 20 is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), or the like. The controller 20 executes a program according to an embodiment (not shown) stored in the storage unit 30, using RAM as a work area. Note that the controller 20 may be partially or entirely configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0046] The controller 20 executes a driving tendency determination process for determining whether or not a driver has a tendency to drive with the wheels turned up, and a notification process for a driver who has been determined to have a tendency to drive with the wheels turned up.

[0047] <Driving tendency determination process> First, the driving tendency determination process executed by the controller 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the driving tendency determination process executed by the controller 20 according to the embodiment. Note that the process shown in Fig. 7 is executed while the vehicle A is traveling, but is not limited to this.

[0048] The controller 20 collects information indicating the driving state of the vehicle A when turning right or left (step S101). Specifically, the controller 20 collects information indicating the steering direction of the steering wheel when turning right or left from the steering angle sensor 11. The controller 20 collects information indicating the vehicle speed of the vehicle A when turning right or left from the vehicle speed sensor 12.

[0049] The controller 20 acquires an outside-vehicle image from the exterior camera 13. The controller 20 analyzes the acquired outside-vehicle image using any image analysis method and extracts the lanes drawn on the left and right of the road from the analysis results. The controller 20 then calculates the distance between the vehicle A and the lane when turning right or left. In detail, the controller 20 calculates the distance between the vehicle A and the lane in the direction of the turn when turning right or left, and the distance between the vehicle A and the lane on the opposite side of the turn direction.

[0050] The controller 20 detects the driver's line of sight using the in-vehicle image captured by the in-vehicle camera 14. Specifically, the controller 20 acquires the in-vehicle image from the in-vehicle camera 14. The controller 20 analyzes the in-vehicle image using any image analysis method to acquire information on the driver's eye feature points (iris, inner corner of the eye, outer corner of the eye, etc.). The controller 20 detects the driver's line of sight (direction of gaze) from the acquired information on the eye feature points. The controller 20 collects information on the direction indicated by the turn signal from the turn signal switch 15.

[0051] Next, the controller 20 generates traveling position information 32 (see FIG. 3) using the collected various information (step S102). Specifically, the controller 20 uses the calculated distance between vehicle A and the lane to calculate the number of times vehicle A has pulled over to the lane in the direction of the turn, the number of times it has driven without changing its traveling position, and the number of times it has driven over to the lane opposite the direction of the turn, when vehicle A has made a right or left turn. Then, the controller 20 calculates the ratio of the number of times it has driven over to the lane in the direction of the turn, the number of times it has driven without changing its traveling position, and the number of times it has driven over to the lane opposite the direction of the turn, to the total number of times it has made a right or left turn, and stores the calculated information in the storage unit 30 as traveling position information 32.

[0052] Next, the controller 20 generates reverse steering information 33 (see FIG. 5) using the collected various information (step S103). Specifically, the controller 20 uses information on the direction indicated by the blinker when vehicle A turns right or left and information on the steering direction when turning right or left to calculate the number of times the steering wheel is turned in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the blinker of vehicle A (number of reverse steering). Then, the controller 20 calculates the ratio of the number of reverse steering to the total number of right or left turns, and stores the ratio in the storage unit 30 as reverse steering information 33.

[0053] Furthermore, the controller 20 uses information on the driver's line of sight when steering backward and information on the direction indicated by the blinker to calculate the number of times the blinker direction and the line of sight were the same when steering backward. The controller 20 then calculates the ratio of the number of times the blinker direction and the line of sight were the same when steering backward to the total number of times steering backward, and stores this in the storage unit 30 as reverse steering information 33.

[0054] Next, the controller 20 generates vehicle speed information 34 (see FIG. 6) using the collected various information (step S104). Specifically, the controller 20 uses information indicating the vehicle speed of vehicle A when turning right or left to calculate the number of times that the vehicle speed when vehicle A turns right or left was equal to or greater than a threshold vehicle speed. Then, the controller 20 calculates the ratio of the number of times that the vehicle speed was equal to or greater than the threshold vehicle speed to the total number of times that vehicle A turned right or left, and stores the calculated ratio in the storage unit 30 as vehicle speed information 34.

[0055] By the processing of steps S102 to S104 described above, the storage unit 30 stores the driving history information 31 including the traveling position information 32, the reverse steering information 33, and the vehicle speed information .

[0056] Next, the controller 20 determines whether the driver has a tendency of swerving, based on the driving history information 31 (step S105). Specifically, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency of swerving, when the traveling position information 32, the reverse steering information 33, and the vehicle speed information 34 of the driving history information 31 all indicate a tendency of swerving.

[0057] In the above description, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve when the traveling position information 32, the reverse steering information 33, and the vehicle speed information 34 all indicate a tendency to swerve, but this is not limited to this. That is, the controller 20 may determine that the driver has a tendency to swerve when at least one of the traveling position information 32, the reverse steering information 33, and the vehicle speed information 34 indicates a tendency to swerve.

[0058] Specifically, when the driving history information 31 (more precisely, the traveling position information 32) includes a driving state in which the vehicle A moves toward the lane opposite the turning direction before making a right or left turn, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. More specifically, when the traveling position information 32 of the driving history information 31 includes a percentage of the number of times the vehicle A has moved toward the lane opposite the turning direction, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. Note that the first threshold is set in advance to a value (for example, 50%) at which it can be estimated that the driver has a tendency toward swerving, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

[0059] In addition, the controller 20 may determine that the driver has a tendency to drive erratically if the value obtained by adding the percentage of times the driver drove in the lane opposite the direction of the right or left turn and the percentage of times the driver drove without changing his or her driving position is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

[0060] Furthermore, when vehicle A makes a right or left turn, if the driving history information 31 (more precisely, the reverse steering information 33) includes a driving state in which the steering wheel is turned in a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. More specifically, if the reverse steering information 33 of the driving history information 31 includes a percentage of times the steering wheel is turned in a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A that is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. Note that the second threshold is preset to a value (for example, 50%) at which it can be estimated that the driver has a tendency toward swerving, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

[0061] Furthermore, if the driving history information 31 (more precisely, the vehicle speed information 34) includes a driving state in which the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the threshold speed when vehicle A makes a right or left turn, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. More specifically, if the vehicle speed information 34 of the driving history information 31 indicates that the percentage of times when vehicle A's vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the threshold speed when making a right or left turn is equal to or greater than a third threshold, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. The third threshold is preset to a value (e.g., 50%) that allows estimation that the driver has a tendency toward swerving, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value. The first threshold, second threshold, and third threshold described above may be the same value or different values.

[0062] If the controller 20 determines that the driver does not have a tendency to swerve (step S105, No), it skips the subsequent processing. On the other hand, if the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve (step S105, Yes), it determines whether the swerve is unconscious (step S106).

[0063] Specifically, when the driving history information 31 (more precisely, the reverse steering information 33) includes a driving state in which the direction of the turn signal and the direction of the driver's line of sight are the same when steering backward, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously drive with the wheels turned wider. More specifically, when the vehicle A turns right or left, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously drive with the wheels turned wider in a driving state in which the direction indicated by the turn signal and the direction of the driver's line of sight are the same and the driver turns the steering wheel in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal. As an example, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously drive with the wheels turned wider in a driving state in which the direction indicated by the turn signal is the "left turn direction", the driver's line of sight is the "left turn direction", and the steering wheel is turned in the "right turn direction". As another example, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously drive with the wheels wide open when the driving condition includes a condition in which the direction indicated by the turn signal is a "right turn direction," the driver's line of sight is a "right turn direction," and the direction in which the steering wheel is turned is a "left turn direction."

[0064] Furthermore, the controller 20 may determine that there is a tendency for the driver to unconsciously drive with the steering wheel turned wide when the proportion of the turn signal direction and the line of sight direction that are the same when steering in the opposite direction is equal to or greater than a fourth threshold value in the reverse steering information 33 of the driving history information 31. The fourth threshold value is preset to a value (e.g., 50%) at which it can be estimated that there is a tendency for the driver to unconsciously drive with the steering wheel turned wide, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

[0065] If the controller 20 determines that the driver's swerving is not unconscious (step S106, No), it determines that the driver has a tendency to consciously swerve (step S107). On the other hand, if the controller 20 determines that the driver's swerving is unconscious (step S106, Yes), it determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously swerve (step S108).

[0066] <Notification processing> Next, the notification process executed by the controller 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the notification process executed by the controller 20 according to the embodiment. Note that the process shown in Fig. 8 is repeatedly executed while the vehicle A is traveling, but is not limited to this.

[0067] 8, the controller 20 determines whether or not the driver has been determined to have a tendency to drive erratically in the driving tendency determination process described above (step S201). If the driver does not have a tendency to drive erratically (step S201, No), the controller 20 skips the subsequent processes. That is, the controller 20 does not issue a warning notice, which will be described later.

[0068] On the other hand, if the driver has a tendency to drive with the wheels turned sideways (step S201, Yes), the controller 20 determines whether the driving state of the vehicle A shows signs of driving with the wheels turned sideways when the vehicle A turns right or left (step S202).

[0069] Specifically, when information on the direction indicated by the turn signal is input from the turn signal switch 15, the controller 20 analyzes the outside-of-vehicle image to calculate the distance between vehicle A and the lane when turning right or left. Using the calculated distance between vehicle A and the lane, the controller 20 determines that a symptom of swerving has been exhibited when vehicle A begins to move toward the lane on the opposite side of the turning direction (see FIG. 1B). Specifically, the controller 20 determines that a symptom of swerving has been exhibited when the distance between vehicle A and the lane on the opposite side of the turning direction gradually decreases and vehicle A begins to move toward the opposite lane.

[0070] In the above example, the controller 20 detects signs of warping driving according to the traveling position of the vehicle A, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the controller 20 may detect signs of warping driving according to the vehicle speed before the vehicle makes a right or left turn, in addition to or instead of the traveling position of the vehicle A. Specifically, the controller 20 determines that signs of warping driving have been exhibited when the vehicle speed before (immediately before) the vehicle A makes a right or left turn is equal to or greater than a pre-turn threshold. The pre-turn threshold is set in advance to a value (e.g., 20 km) at which warping driving is predicted, but is not limited to this and can be set to any value. The pre-turn threshold and the threshold vehicle speed may be the same value or different values.

[0071] When the controller 20 determines that the vehicle A does not show signs of swerving when turning right or left (step S202, No), the controller 20 skips the subsequent processing. That is, the controller 20 does not issue a warning notice, which will be described later.

[0072] On the other hand, if the controller 20 determines that the vehicle A exhibits signs of wide-open driving when turning right or left (Yes in step S202), the controller 20 issues a warning to the driver (step S203).

[0073] Here, the controller 20 may change the content of the warning for a driver who consciously drives with the wheels wide open and a driver who unconsciously drives with the wheels wide open, based on the determination results in steps S106 to S108. Such a warning notification will be described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the output unit (display unit) 16 that has issued a warning notification to a driver who consciously drives with the wheels wide open. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the output unit (display unit) 16 that has issued a warning notification to a driver who unconsciously drives with the wheels wide open.

[0074] 9, since the driver is consciously driving with the road swerving, the controller 20 displays a notice urging caution against driving with the road swerving in the display field 16a of the output unit (display unit) 16. In the display field 16a, a message urging caution against driving with the road swerving, such as "Please avoid driving with the road swerving when turning right or left. Pull over to the lane in the direction of the turn and slow down," is displayed.

[0075] On the other hand, for a driver who unconsciously drives with the wheels wide open, as shown in Fig. 10, the controller 20 displays a notice urging caution against unconscious driving with the wheels wide open in the display field 16b of the output unit (display unit) 16. In the display field 16b, a message urging caution against unconscious driving with the wheels wide open, such as "Please do not unconsciously drive with the wheels wide open when turning right or left. Pull over to the lane in the direction of the turn and slow down," is displayed.

[0076] This makes it possible to issue a warning appropriate for the type of driver who drives with the wheels wide open (a type who drives with the wheels wide open consciously or a type who drives with the wheels wide unconsciously). Note that in addition to or instead of displaying the above-mentioned message, the controller 20 may output a voice message from the output unit (voice output unit) 16 to warn the driver against driving with the wheels wide open.

[0077] As described above, the notification device 10 according to the embodiment includes the controller 20. The controller 20 determines whether the driver has a tendency to swerve, in which the vehicle A swerves in the direction opposite to the direction of the turn, and then turns right or left, based on driving history information 31 indicating the driver's past driving state when the vehicle A turns right or left. If the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve, the controller 20 issues a warning to the driver when the driving state of the vehicle A shows signs of swerve when the vehicle A turns right or left. As described above, in the present embodiment, the controller 20 determines whether the driver has a tendency to swerve, based on the driver's driving history information 31. If the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to swerve, the controller 20 issues a warning to the driver when the driving state of the vehicle A shows signs of swerve when the vehicle A turns right or left this time. As a result, in the present embodiment, the warning can be issued before the vehicle A actually swerves and turns right or left.

[0078] Furthermore, if the driving history information 31 includes a driving state in which the vehicle A moves toward the lane opposite the turning direction before making a right or left turn, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. As described above, the controller 20 according to this embodiment uses information (travel position information 32) indicating the position of the vehicle A relative to the left and right lanes before making a right or left turn, and can therefore accurately determine that the driver has a tendency toward swerving.

[0079] Furthermore, when vehicle A makes a right or left turn, if the driving history information 31 includes a driving state in which the steering wheel is turned in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal (directional indicator) of vehicle A, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency toward swerving. In this way, the controller 20 according to this embodiment uses information (reverse steering information 33) indicating that the steering wheel has been turned in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A, and therefore can accurately determine that the driver has a tendency toward swerving.

[0080] Furthermore, when vehicle A makes a right or left turn, if the driving history information 31 includes a driving state in which the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a threshold speed, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to drive erratically. In this way, the controller 20 according to this embodiment uses information indicating the vehicle speed when vehicle A makes a right or left turn (vehicle speed information 34), and can therefore accurately determine that the driver has a tendency to drive erratically.

[0081] When vehicle A turns right or left, if the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A is the same as the direction of the driver's line of sight, and if the driving history information 31 includes a driving state in which the steering wheel is turned in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn signal of vehicle A, the controller 20 determines that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously drive with the wheels turned sloping. This makes it possible to accurately determine whether the driver is consciously driving with the wheels turned sloping or unconsciously. It also becomes possible to issue a warning that is appropriate for the type of driver who drives with the wheels turned sloping (a type that consciously drives with the wheels turned sloping or a type that unconsciously drives with the wheels turned sloping).

[0082] The controller 20 determines that the vehicle A exhibits signs of warping driving when the vehicle A moves toward the lane opposite the direction of the turn before making a right or left turn. In this way, the controller 20 according to this embodiment can accurately determine that the vehicle A exhibits signs of warping driving by using information indicating the position of the vehicle A relative to the left and right lanes before making a right or left turn.

[0083] The controller 20 determines that the vehicle A exhibits signs of warping when the vehicle speed before the vehicle A makes a right or left turn is equal to or greater than the pre-turn threshold. In this way, the controller 20 according to this embodiment can accurately determine that the vehicle A exhibits signs of warping by using information indicating the vehicle speed before the vehicle A makes a right or left turn.

[0084] Although the above example shows that the notification device 10 mounted on the vehicle A executes the driving tendency determination process and the notification process, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a server device may execute part or all of the driving tendency determination process and the notification process, and the server device may function as the notification device.

[0085] 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]

[0086] 10 Notification device 20 Controller

Claims

1. determining whether the driver has a tendency to swerve in a direction opposite to the direction of the turn and then turn right or left, based on driving history information indicating the driver's past driving states when turning right or left; a controller that, when it is determined that the driver has a tendency of the erratic driving, issues a warning to the driver at a timing when the driving state of the vehicle shows signs of the erratic driving when the vehicle is turning right or left; A notification device comprising:

2. The controller If the driving history information includes a driving state in which the vehicle moves toward a lane on the opposite side of the turning direction before making a right or left turn, it is determined that the driver has a tendency to drive erratically. The notification device of claim 1 .

3. The controller When the driving history information includes a driving state in which the driver turns the steering wheel in a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn indicator of the vehicle when the vehicle makes a right or left turn, it is determined that the driver has a tendency to engage in the erratic driving. The notification device of claim 1 .

4. The controller When the vehicle turns right or left, if the driving history information includes a driving state in which the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a threshold speed, it is determined that the driver has a tendency to drive erratically. The notification device of claim 1 .

5. The controller When the vehicle turns right or left, if the direction indicated by the turn indicator of the vehicle and the direction of the driver's line of sight are the same, and if the driving history information includes a driving state in which the steering wheel is turned in a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the turn indicator of the vehicle, it is determined that the driver has a tendency to unconsciously perform the above-mentioned lateral driving. The notification device of claim 1 .

6. The controller If the vehicle moves toward the lane opposite to the direction of the turn before making a right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle exhibits a sign of swerving. The notification device of claim 1 .

7. The controller If the vehicle speed before the vehicle makes a right or left turn is equal to or greater than a threshold value before the right or left turn, it is determined that the vehicle exhibits a sign of erratic driving. The notification device of claim 1 .

8. determining whether the driver has a tendency to swerve in a direction opposite to the direction of the turn and then turn right or left, based on driving history information indicating the driver's past driving states when turning right or left; When it is determined that the driver has a tendency to drive with the vehicle swerving, a warning is issued to the driver at a timing when the driving state of the vehicle shows signs of the driving with the vehicle swerving when the vehicle is turning right or left. A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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