Notification device, notification method, and program

Abstract

To properly perform notification to a center.SOLUTION: In a drive recorder 10, an abnormality state determination unit 78 determines whether or not a state of a crew member is abnormal on the basis of a detection result (state information) detected by a crew member state detection unit 20 when acceleration generated in a vehicle V is less than a first predetermined value and equal to or more than a second predetermined value. A notification unit 80 further transmits emergency information to an emergency notification center C via a communication unit 60 on the basis of a determination that the state of the crew member is abnormal by the abnormal state determination unit 78. Therefore, necessity of notification to the emergency notification center C can be determined on the basis of the state of the crew member without depending on a notification operation, etc. to the emergency notification center C of the crew member. Consequently, the notification to the emergency notification center C can be properly performed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reporting device, a reporting method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a communication terminal (reporting device) that reports to an emergency report center according to the magnitude of acceleration occurring in a vehicle. Specifically, when the acceleration occurring in the vehicle exceeds a first threshold, the communication terminal reports to the emergency report center without receiving a report operation from the user (occupant). This allows for a prompt report to be sent to the emergency report center.

[0003] Furthermore, when the acceleration occurring in the vehicle does not exceed the first threshold value but exceeds the second threshold value, a report button and a non-report button are displayed on the touch panel of the communication terminal. When the user touches the report button, the communication terminal makes a report to the emergency report center, and when the user touches the non-report button, the communication terminal does not make a report to the emergency report center. This allows a report to be made based on the user's intention to make a report.

[0004] Furthermore, in the above communication terminal, when the acceleration occurring in the vehicle does not exceed the first threshold value but exceeds the second threshold value, neither the report button nor the non-report button is touched, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the communication terminal makes a report to the emergency report center (hereinafter, for convenience, this report mode will be referred to as the "emergency report mode"). That is, in this emergency report mode, there is a possibility that an abnormality has occurred in the user and the touch panel cannot be operated, so the communication terminal makes a report to the emergency report center. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-176566 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the above-mentioned communication terminal has room for improvement in the following respects. That is, the above-mentioned communication terminal may send a false report to the emergency call center due to a user's mistake in operating the touch panel, etc. For example, in the above-mentioned emergency call mode, if the user delays operating the touch panel or simply forgets to operate the touch panel, the communication terminal may send a false report to the emergency call center even though the user did not intend to send a report to the emergency call center. Therefore, in this case, the report to the emergency call center is a false report. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem has room for improvement in the above-mentioned communication terminal in terms of properly sending a report to the emergency call center. Therefore, the above-mentioned problem is cited as an example of the problem to be solved by the present invention.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems cited as examples above, and its main purpose is to provide a reporting device, a reporting method, and a program that can properly report to a center. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One or more embodiments of the present invention are a reporting device including an acceleration acquisition unit that acquires the acceleration of a vehicle; an abnormal state determination unit that determines whether the state of an occupant of the vehicle is abnormal based on state information indicating the state of the occupant; and a reporting unit that reports emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and reports the emergency information to the center based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value.

[0009] One or more embodiments of the present invention are a reporting method in a reporting device having an acceleration acquisition unit, an abnormal state determination unit, and a reporting unit, comprising: a first step in which the acceleration acquisition unit acquires the acceleration of the vehicle; a second step in which the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the state of the vehicle occupant is abnormal based on state information indicating the state of the vehicle occupant; and a third step in which, when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center, and, when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value, the reporting unit reports the emergency information to the center based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal.

[0010] One or more embodiments of the present invention are a program for causing a computer to execute a reporting method in a reporting device having an acceleration acquisition unit, an abnormal state determination unit, and a reporting unit, the program causing a computer to execute the following steps: a first step in which the acceleration acquisition unit acquires the acceleration of the vehicle; a second step in which the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the state of the vehicle occupant is abnormal based on status information indicating the state of the vehicle occupant; and a third step in which the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value, the reporting unit reports the emergency information to the center based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic view seen from inside the vehicle compartment, showing a state in which a drive recorder according to this embodiment is attached to a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the drive recorder shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the drive recorder shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] One aspect of the reporting device of this embodiment includes an acceleration acquisition unit that acquires the acceleration of the vehicle, an abnormal state determination unit that determines whether the state of the vehicle occupant is abnormal based on state information indicating the state of the vehicle occupant, and a reporting unit that reports emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and reports the emergency information to the center based on the abnormal state determination unit's determination that the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value.

[0013] According to the notification device having the above configuration, when the acceleration generated in the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value, the notification unit notifies the center of emergency information. Therefore, when a relatively high acceleration occurs in the vehicle, there is a high urgency for the vehicle occupants, so by transmitting the emergency information to the center, the notification to the center can be properly performed.

[0014] Furthermore, when the acceleration generated in the vehicle is less than a first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value, the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the state of the vehicle occupant is abnormal based on state information indicating the state of the occupant. Then, based on the abnormal state determination unit's determination that the state of the occupant is abnormal, the reporting unit reports emergency information to the center. Therefore, whether or not to report to the center can be determined based on the state of the occupant, without depending on the occupant's operation to report to the center, etc. This allows the center to be reported appropriately.

[0015] Another aspect of the notification device of this embodiment includes an occupant state detection unit that detects the state of an occupant and outputs the detection result to the abnormal state determination unit as the state information.

[0016] According to the notification device having the above configuration, the occupant condition detection unit can directly detect the occupant condition and output the detection result as condition information to the abnormal condition determination unit. This makes it possible to determine whether or not to notify the center based on the directly detected occupant condition. Therefore, notification to the center can be made more appropriately.

[0017] Another aspect of the reporting device of this embodiment is that it is equipped with a collision prediction unit that predicts a vehicle collision and determines whether the vehicle collision has been avoided, and when the vehicle collision has been avoided, the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center based on the abnormal condition determination unit determining that the condition of the occupant is abnormal.

[0018] According to the notification device having the above configuration, even if a vehicle collision is avoided by the activation of the vehicle's automatic brakes, if the condition of the occupants is abnormal, emergency information can be reported to the center. As a result, even when a vehicle collision is avoided, emergency information can be reported to the center depending on the condition of the vehicle occupants.

[0019] Another aspect of the reporting device of this embodiment is that it is equipped with a collision object detection unit that detects an object colliding with the vehicle, and if the collision object detected by the collision object detection unit is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the abnormal condition determination unit determines whether the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle occupant is abnormal, and based on the determination by the abnormal condition determination unit that the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle occupant is abnormal, the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center.

[0020] With the above-described notification device, for example, in the event of a collision between a pedestrian or a bicycle and a vehicle, even if the condition of the vehicle occupant is normal, if the condition of the pedestrian or the bicycle rider is abnormal, emergency information can be reported to the center. This allows the notification to take into account the condition of the pedestrian or the bicycle rider.

[0021] Another aspect of the reporting device of this embodiment is that when the collision object detection unit detects that the colliding object is a pedestrian or a bicycle and the vehicle speed is zero, the abnormal condition determination unit does not determine the condition of the occupant.

[0022] With the above-described notification device, when the collision object is a pedestrian or a bicycle and the vehicle speed is zero, it is estimated that the injury level to the vehicle occupant will be relatively low. Therefore, in this case, the abnormal condition determination unit does not determine the condition of the occupant, which contributes to reducing the processing time of the notification device and also improves the processing speed of the notification device.

[0023] Another aspect of the reporting device of this embodiment is that it includes an outer camera that photographs the situation outside the vehicle and an image storage unit that records the images photographed by the outer camera, and the collision object detection unit detects an object colliding with the vehicle based on the image output from the outer camera.

[0024] According to the notification device having the above configuration, the notification device includes an outer camera and an image storage unit that records images from the outer camera, and the collision object detection unit detects an object colliding with the vehicle based on the image output from the outer camera. Therefore, the notification device can also be configured as a drive recorder.

[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, a reporting method for a reporting device including an acceleration acquisition unit, an abnormal state determination unit, and a reporting unit includes: a first step in which the acceleration acquisition unit acquires vehicle acceleration; a second step in which the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the vehicle occupant's condition is abnormal based on status information indicating the vehicle occupant's condition; and a third step in which the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center when the vehicle acceleration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and when the vehicle acceleration is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value, the reporting unit reports emergency information to the center based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit that the occupant's condition is abnormal. Therefore, by the reporting device executing the reporting method, it is possible to determine whether or not to report to the center based on the occupant's condition, without relying on the occupant's operation to report to the center, etc. This allows the reporting to the center to be performed appropriately.

[0026] In another embodiment of the present invention, a program for causing a computer to execute a reporting method for a reporting device including an acceleration acquisition unit, an abnormal state determination unit, and a reporting unit includes: a first step in which the acceleration acquisition unit acquires the acceleration of the vehicle; a second step in which the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the state of the vehicle occupant is abnormal based on status information indicating the state of the vehicle occupant; and a third step in which the reporting unit reports emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value lower than the first predetermined value, the reporting unit reports the emergency information to the center based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal. Therefore, by causing a computer to execute the reporting method for a reporting device, it is possible to determine whether or not to report to the center based on the state of the occupant, without relying on the occupant's operation to report to the center, etc. This allows the center to be properly notified. [Example]

[0027] Hereinafter, a drive recorder 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the drive recorder 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape and is attached to the windshield glass WS of a vehicle (automobile) V (Fig. 1 illustrates an example in which the drive recorder 10 is attached to the front windshield glass WS of the vehicle V). The drive recorder 10 is configured as a device that captures and records the situation around the vehicle V and the situation inside the vehicle cabin. The drive recorder 10 is also configured as a device that reports emergency information to an emergency notification center C (see Fig. 2) in the event of an emergency such as a traffic accident in the vehicle V. The drive recorder 10 is an example of a "reporting device" in the present invention, and the emergency notification center C is an example of a "center" in the present invention.

[0028] 2, the drive recorder 10 includes a surroundings detection unit 12, an occupant state detection unit 20, a GPS receiver 30, a sensor 32, a notification unit 40, a storage unit 50, a communication unit 60, and a control unit 70. Each component of the drive recorder 10 will be described below.

[0029] (Regarding the surrounding detection unit 12) The surroundings detection unit 12 is configured by a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an outer camera 16, and the like. The lidar 14 is installed, for example, at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle V. The lidar 14 measures scattered light from pulsed laser light to obtain the distance to the object irradiated with the laser light and the shape of the object, and detects an object (a vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, or obstacle such as a wall or guardrail) that has collided with the vehicle V. The lidar 14 outputs the detection results to a control unit 70, which will be described later.

[0030] The outer camera 16 is configured as a video camera having an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, etc. The outer camera 16 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle V and outputs the captured image data to the control unit 70, which will be described later. The surroundings detection unit 12 may be configured using either the lidar 14 or the outer camera 16.

[0031] (Regarding the occupant state detection unit 20) The occupant state detection unit 20 is composed of an inner camera 22, a microphone 24, a pulse sensor 26, and the like. Like the outer camera 16, the inner camera 22 is configured as a video camera having an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The inner camera 22 captures images of the interior of the vehicle V (mainly the state of the occupants of the vehicle V, such as the driver and passenger in the front seat) (see FIG. 1) to detect the state of the occupants. Furthermore, the inner camera 22 outputs the detection results (image data) to the control unit 70, which will be described later, as state information indicating the state of the occupants.

[0032] The microphone 24 is configured as a device that collects the voices of the occupants of the vehicle V. The microphone 24 converts the input voices of the occupants into electrical signals and outputs the detection results (voice data) to the control unit 70, which will be described later, as status information indicating the status of the occupants.

[0033] Pulse sensor 26 is mounted, for example, on a wrist-mounted terminal worn on the arm of an occupant of vehicle V. Pulse sensor 26 has, for example, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and measures the occupant's pulse by irradiating light onto the occupant's blood vessels from the light-emitting element and detecting the amount of light received by the light-receiving element. Pulse sensor 26 then wirelessly outputs the measurement results (pulse data) to control unit 70 (described later) as status information indicating the occupant's status. Note that pulse sensor 26 may also be a sensor provided on the steering wheel or vehicle seat of vehicle V. The occupant condition detection unit 20 may be configured by any one of the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor .

[0034] (GPS receiver 30) The GPS receiver 30 receives signals from GPS satellites and determines the current position of the vehicle V. The GPS receiver 30 then outputs the determined current position information of the vehicle V to the control unit 70, which will be described later.

[0035] (Regarding sensor 32) The sensor 32 is composed of an acceleration sensor 34, an angular velocity sensor 36, a distance sensor 38, etc. The acceleration sensor 34 detects the acceleration of the vehicle V and outputs the acceleration data to a control unit 70, which will be described later. The angular velocity sensor 36 is composed of, for example, a gyro, and detects the angular velocity of the vehicle when the vehicle V changes direction and outputs the angular velocity data to the control unit 70. The distance sensor 38 measures vehicle speed pulses, which are pulse signals generated by the rotation of the wheels, and outputs distance data to the control unit 70.

[0036] (Regarding the notification unit 40) The notification unit 40 includes a display unit 42 and a speaker 44 . 1, the display unit 42 is provided on the interior surface of the drive recorder 10 and is exposed so as to be visible to the occupants of the vehicle V. The display unit 42 is configured to display marks and the like that call attention to the vehicle V while the vehicle V is traveling.

[0037] The speaker 44 is built into the drive recorder 10. The speaker 44 is configured to output voice messages and the like to call attention to the vehicle V while the vehicle V is traveling.

[0038] (Regarding the storage unit 50) 2, the storage unit 50 is electrically connected to the control unit 70, which will be described later, and includes a first image storage unit 52 and a second image storage unit 54. The first image storage unit 52 stores image data of the surroundings of the vehicle V captured by the outer camera 16. The second image storage unit 54 stores image data of the interior (occupants) of the vehicle V captured by the inner camera 22. The first image storage unit 52 is an example of the "image storage unit" of the present invention.

[0039] (Regarding the communication unit 60) The communication unit 60 is electrically connected to the control unit 70, which will be described later, and is also connected by communication with the emergency notification center C. In the event of an emergency, such as a traffic accident occurring in the vehicle V or a sudden illness of an occupant, a notification unit 80, which will be described later, transmits emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60. Here, examples of emergency information include image data that indicates the state of the surroundings of the vehicle V stored in the first image storage unit 52, image data that indicates the state of the occupant stored in the second image storage unit 54, and current location information of the vehicle V. The emergency notification center C then notifies the police and fire department of the emergency in accordance with the transmitted information.

[0040] (Regarding the control unit 70) The control unit 70 includes a collision prediction unit 72 , an acceleration acquisition unit 74 , a collision object detection unit 76 , an abnormal state determination unit 78 , and a notification unit 80 .

[0041] <About the collision prediction unit 72> The collision prediction unit 72 is configured to predict a collision of the vehicle V from the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V. Specifically, the collision prediction unit 72 calculates the relative distance, relative speed, relative acceleration, etc. between the vehicle V and a colliding object (another vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicycle, an obstacle such as a barrier or guardrail, etc.) based on output information from the surroundings detection unit 12 (the lidar 14 and the outer camera 16) and the sensor 32. Then, the collision prediction unit 72 predicts a collision between the vehicle V and the colliding object from the calculation results.

[0042] On the other hand, after the collision prediction unit 72 predicts a collision of the vehicle V, the collision of the vehicle V may be avoided, for example, by the activation of the automatic brakes of the vehicle V or by the driver making a sudden steering operation. For this reason, the collision prediction unit 72 is configured to determine whether or not the collision of the vehicle V has been avoided when the collision of the vehicle V is predicted. For example, the collision prediction unit 72 calculates a collision prediction time (the time from when the prediction occurs to when the predicted collision occurs) and calculates the relative distance between the colliding object and the vehicle V after the collision prediction time. Furthermore, the collision prediction unit 72 determines whether or not the collision of the vehicle V has been avoided based on the calculated relative distance between the colliding object and the vehicle V. The collision prediction unit 72 then outputs information related to the collision prediction result and the collision avoidance result to the reporting unit 80, which will be described later.

[0043] In this embodiment, as described above, the collision prediction unit 72 is configured to predict a collision of the vehicle V based on output information from the surroundings detection unit 12 and the sensor 32, but the method of predicting a collision of the vehicle V in the collision prediction unit 72 is not limited to this. For example, the collision prediction unit 72 may be configured to acquire output information from a collision prediction sensor (millimeter-wave radar or stereo camera) of the vehicle V and predict a collision of the vehicle V based on the output information of the collision prediction sensor. Also, for example, the drive recorder 10 may be connected to an airbag ECU of the vehicle V, and the collision prediction unit 72 may acquire collision prediction information from the airbag ECU.

[0044] <Regarding the acceleration acquisition unit 74> The acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquires the acceleration of the vehicle V from the sensor 32 (acceleration sensor 34) and sets the level of the acquired acceleration. Specifically, if the acquired acceleration is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 sets the acceleration level to "1." If the acquired acceleration is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 sets the acceleration level to "2." If the acquired acceleration is less than the second predetermined value, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 sets the acceleration level to "3."

[0045] Here, the first predetermined value is set to a predetermined value as an acceleration that indicates that a collision accident has occurred in the vehicle V. As an example, the first predetermined value is set to a predetermined value that is estimated to result in a high injury level for an occupant in a collision accident of the vehicle V. On the other hand, the second predetermined value is set to a predetermined value so as not to overlook an emergency situation involving an occupant due to injury, sudden illness, or the like, even if the acceleration input to the vehicle V is smaller than the first predetermined value. The acceleration acquisition unit 74 is configured to output information related to the acquired acceleration level to the abnormal state determination unit 78 and the notification unit 80, which will be described later.

[0046] <About the collision object detection unit 76> The collision object detection unit 76 is configured as a detection unit that detects an object that has collided with the vehicle V. Specifically, the collision object detection unit 76 detects an object that has collided with the vehicle V (another vehicle, a pedestrian, a bicycle, an obstacle such as a barrier or guardrail, etc.) based on the output results (image data) from the surroundings detection unit 12 (the lidar 14 and the outer camera 16). The collision object detection unit 76 then outputs information related to the detected collision object to an abnormal state determination unit 78, which will be described later.

[0047] <Regarding the abnormal state determination unit 78> The abnormal state determination unit 78 is configured as a determination unit that determines whether the state of an occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal or not. The abnormal state determination unit 78 then outputs the determination result to the reporting unit 80, which will be described later.

[0048] Specifically, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on image data output from the inner camera 22 of the occupant state detection unit 20. That is, the abnormal state determination unit 78 has an image recognition function and determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on the recognized image. For example, if the occupant's body (head, arms, etc.) has not moved for a predetermined period of time, if blood is flowing from the occupant's head, or if the occupant's eyes are closed for a predetermined period of time, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the occupant's state is abnormal. Note that, for example, the abnormal state determination unit 78 may issue an audio message from the speaker 44 to prompt the occupant to move their body or line of sight, and if no change is observed in the occupant's body or line of sight within a predetermined period of time, the abnormal state determination unit 78 may determine that the occupant's state is abnormal.

[0049] Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines whether the condition of the occupant is abnormal based on the voice data output from the microphone 24 of the occupant condition detection unit 20. That is, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 has a voice recognition function and determines whether the condition of the occupant is abnormal based on the recognized voice. For example, if the recognized voice is a voice calling for rescue (voices such as "help" or "ambulance"), the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines that the condition of the occupant is abnormal.

[0050] Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines whether the condition of the occupant is abnormal based on the sound quality of the voice output from the microphone 24 of the occupant condition detection unit 20. That is, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 has a sound quality recognition function and determines whether the condition of the occupant is abnormal based on the recognized voice. If the recognized voice is, for example, a trembling voice, a growling voice, a scream, or the like, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines that the condition of the occupant is abnormal.

[0051] Furthermore, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on the pulse data output from the pulse sensor 26 of the occupant state detection unit 20. For example, upper and lower limit values ​​for the pulse rate are set based on the occupant's pulse under normal circumstances, and if the occupant's pulse rate exceeds the upper limit value or falls below the lower limit value, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the occupant's state is abnormal. Furthermore, for example, if the occupant's pulse rate is extremely low or absent, the occupant is likely to have developed heart failure or the like, and therefore the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the occupant's state is abnormal. Furthermore, for example, if the occupant's pulse rate is high (for example, if the occupant's pulse rate is tachycardia (pulse rate of 100 beats per minute or more)), the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the occupant's state is abnormal.

[0052] The abnormal condition determination unit 78 may determine the state of the occupant based on the output result of at least one of the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26. In other words, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 may determine the state of the occupant based on a combination of the output results of the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 is configured to determine the state of the occupant based on the output results from the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26 until a predetermined time has elapsed since the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquired an acceleration of level 2.

[0053] Furthermore, when the collision object detection unit 76 detects that the collision object is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the condition of the detected pedestrian or bicycle rider is abnormal or not. The abnormal state determination unit 78 then outputs the determination result to the reporting unit 80, which will be described later.

[0054] Specifically, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines the state of the pedestrian or cyclist based on the image data output from the surroundings detection unit 12 (the lidar 14 and the outer camera 16). Then, for example, if the pedestrian or cyclist is slumped on the road or on the hood of the vehicle V and has not been seen moving for a predetermined period of time, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the state of the pedestrian or cyclist is abnormal.

[0055] In addition, the abnormal state determination unit 78 is configured to determine the state of a pedestrian or cyclist based on the output results from the surroundings detection unit 12 until a predetermined time has elapsed since the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquired level 2 acceleration.

[0056] <About the Reporting Unit 80> The reporting unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency reporting center C via the communication unit 60 based on the output results of the acceleration acquisition unit 74 and the abnormal state determination unit 78.

[0057] In detail, when a collision of the vehicle V is avoided and the notification unit 80 obtains a judgment result from the abnormal condition judgment unit 78 that the condition of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal, the notification unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60.

[0058] Furthermore, when the notification unit 80 obtains an output result from the acceleration acquisition unit 74 indicating that the level of acceleration occurring in the vehicle V is 1, the notification unit 80 transmits emergency information, etc. to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60 regardless of the judgment result of the abnormal state judgment unit 78.

[0059] In addition, when the level of acceleration occurring in the vehicle V is 2 and the notification unit 80 obtains a judgment result from the abnormal state judgment unit 78 that the condition of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal, the notification unit 80 is configured to transmit emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60.

[0060] In addition, when the level of acceleration occurring in the vehicle V is 2 and the notification unit 80 obtains a judgment result from the abnormal condition judgment unit 78 that the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle occupant who collided with the vehicle V is abnormal, the notification unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60.

[0061] Furthermore, when the notification unit 80 acquires information from the acceleration acquisition unit 74 that the level of acceleration occurring in the vehicle V is 3, the notification unit 80 is configured not to transmit emergency information, etc. to the emergency notification center C.

[0062] (Action and effect) Next, the operation of the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3, and the functions and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0063] First, in the drive recorder 10, the collision prediction unit 72 monitors the prediction of a collision of the vehicle V based on the output result from the surroundings detection unit 12 (step S1). Then, in step S1, when the collision prediction unit 72 predicts a collision of the vehicle V, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0064] In step S2, the collision prediction unit 72 determines whether or not a collision of the vehicle V has been avoided. Then, for example, if the collision prediction unit 72 determines that the automatic brake of the vehicle V has been activated and the collision of the vehicle V has been avoided (if "Yes" in step S2), the process proceeds to step S3.

[0065] In step S3, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the state of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal. Specifically, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on the output results from the occupant state detection unit 20 (the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26). If the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the state of the occupant is abnormal ("Yes" in step S3), the abnormal state determination unit 78 outputs the determination result that the state of the occupant is abnormal to the notification unit 80, and proceeds to step S6. The processing of step S6 will be described later.

[0066] On the other hand, if the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines in step S3 that the state of the occupant is not abnormal ("No" in step S3), the process returns to step S1.

[0067] Returning to the explanation of the processing in step S2, if the collision prediction unit 72 determines in step S2 that the collision of the vehicle V has not been avoided ("No" in step S2), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0068] In step S4, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquires the acceleration of the vehicle V from the sensor 32 (acceleration sensor 34). After the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquires the acceleration of the vehicle V, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0069] In step S5, it is determined whether the level of the acceleration of the vehicle V acquired by the acceleration acquisition unit 74 is 1. Specifically, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines whether the acceleration of the vehicle V is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value. Then, in step S5, if the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines that the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 1 (if the answer is "Yes" in step S5, i.e., if a collision accident has occurred in the vehicle V), the process proceeds to step S6.

[0070] In step S6, the reporting unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency reporting center C via the communication unit 60. Specifically, the communication unit 60 transmits emergency information such as image data showing the situation outside the vehicle V at the time of the traffic accident, image data showing the status of the occupants of the vehicle V, and current location information of the vehicle V to the emergency reporting center C. Then, after processing in step S6, the reporting process in the drive recorder 10 is terminated.

[0071] On the other hand, if in step S5 the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines that the level of acceleration of the vehicle V is other than 1 (if "No" in step S4 and the acceleration of the vehicle V is less than the first predetermined value), the process proceeds to step S7.

[0072] In step S7, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines whether the acquired acceleration level of the vehicle V is 2. More specifically, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines whether the acceleration of the vehicle V is less than a first predetermined value and greater than or equal to a second predetermined value. Then, in step S7, if the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines that the acceleration level of the vehicle V is other than 2 (if "No" in step S7, that is, if the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 3), the process returns to step S1 and the above processing is repeated. That is, in this case, emergency information is not transmitted from the notification unit 80 to the emergency notification center C, and the process returns to step S1.

[0073] On the other hand, if the acceleration acquisition unit 74 determines in step S7 that the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 2 (if the answer is "Yes" in step S7, that is, if the collision of the vehicle V is a minor collision, etc.), the process proceeds to step S8.

[0074] In step S8, similarly to step S3, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether or not the state of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal. That is, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether or not the state of the occupant is abnormal based on the output result from the occupant state detection unit 20 (the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26). Then, if the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the state of the occupant is abnormal (in the case of "Yes" in step S8), the abnormal state determination unit 78 outputs the determination result that the state of the occupant is abnormal to the notification unit 80, and the process proceeds to step S6. Then, in step S6, the notification unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60.

[0075] On the other hand, if the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines in step S8 that the state of the occupant is not abnormal ("No" in step S8), the process proceeds to step S9.

[0076] In step S9, the collision object detection unit 76 determines whether the collision object is a pedestrian or a bicycle. If the collision object detection unit 76 determines in step S9 that the collision object is not a pedestrian or a bicycle but an obstacle such as a wall ("No" in step S9), the process returns to step S1 and the above processing is repeated. That is, in this case, emergency information is not transmitted from the notification unit 80 to the emergency notification center C, and the process returns to step S1.

[0077] On the other hand, if the colliding object detection unit 76 determines in step S9 that the colliding object is a pedestrian or a bicycle ("Yes" in step S9), the process proceeds to step S10.

[0078] In step S10, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines whether the condition of the pedestrian or cyclist is abnormal. Specifically, the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines whether the condition of the pedestrian or cyclist is abnormal based on the output result of the surroundings detection unit 12 (lidar 14, outer camera 16). Then, if the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines that the condition of the pedestrian or cyclist is abnormal ("Yes" in step S10), the abnormal condition determination unit 78 outputs the determination result that the condition of the pedestrian or cyclist is abnormal to the reporting unit 80, and the process proceeds to step S6. Then, in step S6, the reporting unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency report center C via the communication unit 60.

[0079] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines in step S10 that the condition of the pedestrian or bicyclist is not abnormal ("No" in step S10), the process returns to step S1 and the above processing is repeated. That is, in this case, emergency information is not transmitted from the notification unit 80 to the emergency notification center C, and the process returns to step S1.

[0080] As described above, in the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment, when the acceleration occurring in the vehicle V is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value (i.e., when the acceleration level is 1), the reporting unit 80 reports emergency information to the emergency reporting center C. At this time, it is estimated that the injury level to the occupants of the vehicle V in the event of a traffic accident is high, so by transmitting the emergency information to the emergency reporting center C, the report to the emergency reporting center C can be made appropriately.

[0081] Furthermore, when the acceleration generated in the vehicle V is less than the first predetermined value and greater than or equal to the second predetermined value (i.e., when the acceleration level is 2), the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines whether the state of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal based on the detection result (state information) detected by the occupant state detection unit 20 (the inner camera 22, the microphone 24, and the pulse sensor 26). Furthermore, based on the determination by the abnormal state determination unit 78 that the state of the occupant is abnormal, the notification unit 80 transmits emergency information to the emergency notification center C via the communication unit 60. Therefore, whether or not to notify the emergency notification center C can be determined based on the state of the occupant, without depending on the occupant's operation to notify the emergency notification center C, etc. Therefore, compared to the notification device described in the background art (hereinafter, this notification device will be referred to as the "comparative notification device"), the notification to the emergency notification center C can be performed more appropriately.

[0082] That is, the notification device of the comparative example determines whether or not a notification to the emergency notification center is necessary based on whether or not a notification operation is performed on the notification device and the time until the notification operation is performed. Therefore, with the notification device of the comparative example, a notification to the emergency notification center may be made even if the occupant's condition is not abnormal and the occupant has no intention of making a notification. For example, if the occupant checks the situation around the vehicle and delays the notification operation on the notification device, a notification to the emergency notification center may be made. In this case, the notification to the emergency notification center will be a false alarm. In addition, in the notification device of the comparative example, for example, when there are multiple occupants (for example, a driver and a passenger in the front passenger seat) in the vehicle, if the driver operates the device not to notify the emergency notification center even though there is something wrong with the passenger in the front passenger seat, the processing of the notification device stops. In this case, there is a possibility that a delay will occur in notifying the emergency notification center.

[0083] In contrast to this, as described above, the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment can determine whether or not a notification to the emergency notification center C is necessary based on the state of the occupant, without depending on the occupant's operation to notify the emergency notification center C. Therefore, for example, when the condition of the occupant is not abnormal, it is possible to prevent a report from being sent to the emergency report center C. This makes it possible to prevent false reports from being sent to the emergency report center C. Also, for example, if the condition of the occupant is abnormal, a prompt report is sent to an emergency call center. As described above, according to the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment, a report to the emergency report center C can be made properly.

[0084] In addition, the occupant state detection unit 20 (inner camera 22, microphone 24, and pulse sensor 26) detects the state of the occupant of the vehicle V and outputs the detection result to the abnormal state determination unit 78 as state information indicating the state of the occupant of the vehicle V. Therefore, the occupant state detection unit 20 can directly detect the state of the occupant and output the detection result to the abnormal state determination unit 78.

[0085] The occupant state detection unit 20 is configured to include an inner camera 22, a microphone 24, and a pulse sensor 26. Therefore, the abnormal state determination unit 78 can determine the state of the occupant based on the image data, voice data, and pulse data of the occupant from the occupant state detection unit 20. Therefore, the state of the occupant can be determined effectively. Furthermore, the occupant state detection unit 20 can continuously detect (monitor) the state of the occupant until a predetermined time has elapsed since the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquired level 2 acceleration.

[0086] The drive recorder 10 also has a collision prediction unit 72 that predicts a collision of the vehicle V. When the collision prediction unit 72 predicts a collision of the vehicle V, the collision prediction unit 72 determines whether the collision of the vehicle V has been avoided. When the collision prediction unit 72 determines that the collision of the vehicle V has been avoided, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines the state of the occupant of the vehicle V. When the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines that the state of the occupant of the vehicle V is abnormal, the notification unit 80 notifies the emergency notification center C of emergency information. Therefore, even if the collision of the vehicle V is avoided by, for example, the automatic braking of the vehicle V or the driver performing an abrupt steering operation, if the state of the occupant is abnormal (for example, if the injury level to the occupant due to whiplash or the like is high), the emergency information can be notified to the emergency notification center C. As a result, even if the collision of the vehicle V is avoided, the emergency information can be notified to the emergency notification center C depending on the state of the occupant of the vehicle V.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the collision prediction unit 72 predicts a collision of the vehicle V, the acceleration acquisition unit 74 acquires the acceleration of the vehicle V from the sensor 32. This eliminates the need for the acceleration acquisition unit 74 to constantly acquire acceleration from the sensor 32. This therefore reduces the number of steps required for reporting processing in the drive recorder 10.

[0088] The drive recorder 10 also has a collision object detection unit 76 that detects an object that has collided with the vehicle V. Furthermore, if the collision object detection unit 76 determines that the collision object is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle rider is determined by an abnormal condition determination unit 78. When the abnormal condition determination unit 78 determines that the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle rider is abnormal, a notification unit 80 notifies the emergency notification center C of emergency information. Therefore, it is possible to make a notification that takes into consideration the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle rider that is the collision object.

[0089] Furthermore, when the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 2 and the condition of the occupant of the vehicle V is not abnormal, the collision object detection unit 76 determines whether there is a collision object. Then, as described above, when the collision object is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the collision object detection unit 76 determines the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle occupant by the abnormal condition determination unit 78. Therefore, even when the condition of the occupant of the vehicle V is not abnormal, if the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle occupant is abnormal, emergency information can be reported to the emergency notification center C.

[0090] The drive recorder 10 also includes an outer camera 16 that captures images of the situation outside the vehicle, and a first image storage unit 52 that records images captured by the outer camera 16. The collision object detection unit 76 detects an object colliding with the vehicle V based on the image output from the outer camera 16. Therefore, the outer camera 16 mounted on the drive recorder 10 can be used to detect an object colliding with the vehicle V.

[0091] Furthermore, the emergency information transmitted by the reporting unit 80 to the emergency reporting center C includes image information showing the occupants of the vehicle V and image data showing the situation outside the vehicle V. This allows the emergency reporting center C to clearly understand the condition of the occupants and the condition of the pedestrian or cyclist who was hit.

[0092] The drive recorder 10 of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the drive recorder 10 on a recording medium that can be read by a computer system, and having the drive recorder 10 read and execute the program recorded on this recording medium. The computer system here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0093] Furthermore, if a WWW (World Wide Web) system is used, the "computer system" may also include the homepage provision environment (or display environment). The above program may be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0094] The program may also be a program for implementing some of the above-mentioned functions, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive recorder 10 is provided with the collision prediction unit 72, which is configured to predict a collision of the vehicle V, but the collision prediction unit 72 may be omitted from the drive recorder 10. In this case, the operation processing of the drive recorder 10 is an operation processing in which steps S1, S2, and S3 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 3 are omitted. Also, in this case, the periphery detection unit 12 may be configured to omit the lidar 14 and detect the situation outside the vehicle V using the outer camera 16.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 2, the abnormal state determination unit 78 determines the state of the occupant of the vehicle V. Alternatively, when the speed of the vehicle V is zero and the collision object detection unit 76 detects that the object that collided with the vehicle V is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the abnormal state determination unit 78 may not determine the state of the occupant of the vehicle V. In this case, since it is estimated that the injury level to the occupant of the vehicle V is relatively low, the abnormal state determination unit 78 may omit the state determination of the occupant of the vehicle V. This can contribute to a reduction in the number of notification processing steps in the drive recorder 10 and can improve the processing speed of the drive recorder 10.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the emergency information transmitted by the reporting unit 80 to the emergency reporting center C includes current location information of the vehicle V, image information showing the occupants of the vehicle V, and image data showing the situation outside the vehicle V, but the emergency information transmitted to the emergency reporting center C is not limited to this. For example, the detection result detected by the occupant state detection unit 20 may also be transmitted to the emergency reporting center C by the reporting unit 80.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reporting unit 80 transmits the emergency information to the emergency report center C via the communication unit 60, but the reporting unit 80 may also transmit the emergency information to the police, fire department, or the like via the communication unit 60. That is, the reporting unit 80 may report to the police, fire department, or the like, and directly request an ambulance, etc. Furthermore, in this case, for example, the reporting destination when the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 1 may be the emergency report center C, and the reporting destination when the acceleration level of the vehicle V is 2 may be the police, fire department, or the like. That is, the "center" of the present invention includes the police, fire department, etc.

[0099] In addition, in the drive recorder 10 of this embodiment, all or part of each of the components of the surrounding detection unit 12, occupant state detection unit 20, GPS receiver 30, sensor 32, notification unit 40, and memory unit 50 may be provided outside the drive recorder 10, and these components may be mounted on the vehicle V.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive recorder 10 has been described as an example of the "notification device" of the present invention, but any device including at least the control unit 70 may also be the "notification device" of the present invention.

[0101] That is, for example, the control unit 70 may be configured to acquire image data outside the vehicle V from external devices such as a camera mounted on the vehicle V, or the control unit 70 may be configured to acquire image data inside the cabin of the vehicle V and voice data of the occupants from external devices such as a camera and microphone mounted on the vehicle V. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 70 may be configured to acquire current position information of the vehicle V from an external device such as a navigation device of the vehicle V, or the control unit 70 may be configured to acquire acceleration data, angular velocity data, and distance data of the vehicle V from external sensors such as an acceleration sensor, angular velocity sensor, and distance sensor of the vehicle V. Also, for example, image data of the surroundings of the vehicle V and image data of the interior of the vehicle V may be stored in a memory unit of an external device such as a navigation device of the vehicle V, and the control unit 70 may acquire the image data. Further, for example, the control unit 70 (reporting unit 80) may be configured to report to the emergency notification center C using an external device such as a communication device mounted on the vehicle V. Furthermore, in this case, for example, the control unit 70 may be incorporated into the control unit of the vehicle V as a functional component. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 Drive recorder (notification device) 16 Outer Camera 20 Occupant state detection unit 52 First image storage unit (image storage unit) 72 Collision Prediction Unit 74 Acceleration acquisition section 76 Collision detection unit 78 Abnormal state determination unit 80 Reporting Department C Emergency Call Center (Center)

Claims

1. an acceleration acquisition unit that acquires the acceleration of the vehicle; an occupant abnormal state determination unit that determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on at least one of image data of the occupant of the vehicle and biometric information of the occupant of the vehicle; a reporting unit that reports emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and that reports the emergency information to the center in accordance with a determination result made by the occupant abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value; A reporting device equipped with the above.

2. 2. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the occupant abnormal state determination unit determines whether the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value.

3. a collision object detection unit that detects an object colliding with the vehicle, The notification device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the collision object detected by the collision object detection unit is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the notification unit reports the emergency information to the center depending on the result of a determination as to whether the condition of the pedestrian or the bicycle rider is abnormal.

4. a collision-person abnormality determination unit that determines whether the state of the pedestrian or the bicycle rider is abnormal based on image data of the vehicle; The notification device according to claim 3, characterized in that the notification unit reports the emergency information to the center when the collision person abnormality determination unit determines that the condition of the pedestrian or bicycle rider is abnormal, even if the occupant abnormality determination unit determines that the condition of the occupant is not abnormal.

5. A notification method executed by a notification device, an acceleration acquisition step of acquiring an acceleration of the vehicle; an occupant abnormal state determination step of determining whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on at least one of image data of the occupant of the vehicle and biometric information of the occupant of the vehicle; a reporting step of reporting emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and reporting the emergency information to the center in accordance with a determination result by the occupant abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value; A reporting method that includes:

6. On the computer, an acceleration acquisition step of acquiring an acceleration of the vehicle; an occupant abnormal state determination step of determining whether the state of the occupant is abnormal based on at least one of image data of the occupant of the vehicle and biometric information of the occupant of the vehicle; a reporting step of reporting emergency information to a center when the acceleration of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and reporting the emergency information to the center in accordance with a determination result by the occupant abnormal state determination unit that the state of the occupant is abnormal when the acceleration of the vehicle is less than the first predetermined value and equal to or greater than a second predetermined value that is lower than the first predetermined value; A program to execute.

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