Information provision device

Abstract

To provide an information provision device capable of delivering content for vehicle drivers.SOLUTION: An information provision device 20 supports the delivery of content for vehicle drivers. The information provision device 20 includes a control unit 21 that is configured to detect the occurrence of congestion on road Rd and identify multiple vehicles 40 that make up the detected congestion. The control unit selects the type of content to be delivered for each vehicle based on vehicle data showing the driving record of drivers U obtained by vehicle from the identified vehicles 40, and provides the selected content to the target vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information providing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a content distribution system that not only obtains the average driving speed of other vehicles that share a content distribution service, but also uses traffic congestion information to predict the average stay time of the vehicle on the driving route, and switches the content of the content distribution service depending on the predicted average stay time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-280702 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There was room for improvement in the technology used to deliver content to vehicle drivers.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for delivering content to vehicle drivers.

[0006] An information providing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: An information providing device that supports distribution of content for vehicle drivers, The system includes a control unit that detects the occurrence of a traffic jam on a road, identifies the multiple vehicles that make up the detected traffic jam, selects the type of content to be distributed for each vehicle based on vehicle data indicating the driver's driving record obtained for each identified vehicle, and provides the selected content to the target vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure provides improvements to techniques for delivering content to vehicle drivers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information providing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] The configuration of a system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0012] The system 1 includes an information providing device 20 and a roadside device 30. Note that there may be a plurality of information providing devices 20 and a plurality of roadside devices 30.

[0013] The information providing device 20 is capable of communicating with the roadside device 30 via the network 50. The information providing device 20 may be capable of directly communicating with a plurality of vehicles 40 via the network 50.

[0014] The information providing device 20 is a computer such as a server that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and is installed in a facility such as a data center. The information providing device 20 may be operated by a government agency or a private business operator.

[0015] The roadside unit 30 is installed in the vicinity of a road Rd. The road Rd is, for example, any road within the service area provided by the system 10 on which the vehicle 40 can travel. The road Rd includes, for example, expressways and general roads.

[0016] Network 50 may include the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or any combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 50 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0017] An overview of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0018] The information providing device 20 supports the distribution of content for drivers of vehicles 40. The driver-oriented content includes, for example, safe driving education content to encourage safe driving. The safe driving education content is, for example, videos created for the purpose of teaching basic knowledge about driving a car, as well as learning traffic etiquette and traffic rules and raising awareness of traffic safety. The driver-oriented content may also include advertisements, relaxation videos, music, etc. The advertisements, relaxation videos, music, etc. included in the driver-oriented content may be of different types depending on the target age group. The information providing device 20 detects a traffic jam on a road Rd and identifies multiple vehicles 40 that make up the detected traffic jam via the roadside device 30. The multiple vehicles 40 include vehicles 401, 402, and 403. The information providing device 20 acquires vehicle data D1 indicating the driving record of driver U from each identified vehicle 40 via the roadside device 30. The information providing device 20 selects the type of content to distribute for each vehicle based on the vehicle data D1 acquired for each vehicle. The information providing device 20 provides the selected content to the target vehicle via the roadside device 30.

[0019] According to this embodiment, multiple vehicles 40 caught in traffic are identified, and the type of content to be delivered can be determined for each vehicle based on the driving records of the drivers U1, U2, and U3 of each vehicle 401, 402, and 403. By delivering content to the drivers of vehicles caught in traffic, the drivers become less irritated when their vehicles are caught in traffic. This allows the drivers to feel more comfortable even while in traffic. Furthermore, by selecting the type of content to be delivered for each vehicle based on the driver's driving record, content tailored to the driver's needs can be delivered. For example, delivering safe driving education content to drivers who are driving recklessly or who have little driving experience to encourage safe driving can reduce accidents and traffic congestion in the future. In this way, technology for delivering content for vehicle drivers is improved.

[0020] Each vehicle 40 may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. Each vehicle 40 includes privately owned vehicles and commercial vehicles. In this embodiment, each vehicle 40 is a privately owned vehicle, but is not limited to this and may be any vehicle. In this embodiment, each vehicle 40 is driven by a driver U, but as long as the driver U is in the driver's seat, the driving may be automated at any level. The level of automation may be, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0021] Instead of identifying the vehicle 40 via the roadside unit 30, the information providing device 20 may identify the vehicle 40 via other devices, such as a road camera. Alternatively, the information providing device 20 may identify the vehicle 40 based on the congestion information D2 and location information indicating the location of each vehicle. The congestion information D2 will be described later. The location information indicating the location of each vehicle can be confirmed, for example, using a GPS or movement information from a base station. "GPS" is an abbreviation for Global Positioning System. Instead of communicating with the vehicle 40 via the roadside unit 30, the information providing device 20 may directly communicate with the vehicle 40 via the network 50 to acquire vehicle data D1 and provide content to the target vehicle. Alternatively, the information providing device 20 may communicate with a mobile device TM, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet, of the driver U via the network 50 and transmit selected content to the mobile device TM to provide the content to the target vehicle.

[0022] The configuration of an information providing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] The information providing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0024] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. An example of the programmable circuit is an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. An example of the dedicated circuit is an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 controls each part of the information providing device 20 and executes processing related to the operation of the information providing device 20.

[0025] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The storage unit 22 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used in the operation of the information providing device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the information providing device 20. The storage unit 22 may store vehicle data D1. The storage unit 22 may also store congestion information D2 indicating traffic volume on road Rd. Furthermore, the storage unit 22 may store driver-oriented content to be provided to the vehicle 40.

[0026] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard, an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN interface. "LTE" is an abbreviation for Long Term Evolution. "4G" is an abbreviation for 4th generation. "5G" is an abbreviation for 5th generation. The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the information providing device 20 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the information providing device 20. In this embodiment, the communication unit 23 communicates with the roadside unit 30. The communication unit 23 may also communicate with the vehicle 40.

[0027] The functions of the information providing device 20 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor serving as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the information providing device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the information providing device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the information providing device 20. That is, the computer functions as the information providing device 20 by executing the operations of the information providing device 20 in accordance with the program.

[0028] The operation of the information providing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This operation corresponds to the information providing method according to this embodiment. That is, the information providing method according to this embodiment includes steps S1 to S5 shown in Fig. 2. Hereinafter, each step in the flowchart will be identified by an S and a number.

[0029] In S1, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects the occurrence of congestion on road Rd. The occurrence of congestion on road Rd may be detected by any procedure, for example, the following procedure. The control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 acquires congestion information D2 indicating traffic volume on road Rd. The congestion information D2 can be acquired by any procedure. For example, the control unit 21 communicates with an external server installed in a traffic information center or the like via the communication unit 23 and acquires the congestion information D2 by receiving the congestion information D2 transmitted from the external server. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may communicate with multiple vehicles 40 on road Rd via the roadside device 30 and determine the traffic volume on each road Rd based on, for example, the traveling speed of each vehicle 40 or the number of vehicles 40 counted per unit time, and acquire the determined result as the congestion information D2. The control unit 21 may communicate directly with each vehicle 40 instead of communicating with each vehicle 40 via the roadside device 30. The control unit 21 may store the acquired congestion information D2 in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the congestion information D2 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 detects the occurrence of congestion on road Rd based on the acquired congestion information D2. Specifically, when the traffic volume indicated by the congestion information D2 exceeds a predetermined traffic volume threshold Th1, the control unit 21 detects the occurrence of congestion on road Rd. The traffic volume threshold Th1 may be set to, for example, the maximum allowable traffic volume on road Rd. Alternatively, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may communicate with the road-side device 30 via the communication unit 23 to monitor the traveling speed, traveling time, etc. of each vehicle 40 traveling on road Rd, and detect the occurrence of congestion on road Rd when the monitored traveling speed remains below speed threshold Th2 for a certain period of time. The speed threshold Th2 may be set to, for example, a value that is X (km / h) lower than the speed limit of road Rd, based on the speed limit of road Rd.

[0030] In S2, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 identifies the multiple vehicles 40 on the road Rd on which the congestion was detected in S1. The vehicles 40 may be identified using any procedure, but for example, the following procedure is used. The control unit 21 communicates with the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 23, and identifies the vehicles 40 by acquiring, from the roadside device 30, identifiers such as registration numbers received by the roadside device 30 from the multiple vehicles 40 on the road Rd on which the congestion was detected in S1. Specifically, the control unit 21 identifies vehicles 401, 402, and 403 on the road Rd as the multiple vehicles 40 that make up the congestion detected in S1.

[0031] In S3, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 acquires vehicle data D1. The vehicle data D1 may be acquired by any procedure, for example, the following procedure. The control unit 21 communicates with the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 23 and acquires, from the roadside device 30, the vehicle data D1 received by the roadside device 30 from each of the vehicles 40 identified in S2. Instead of acquiring the vehicle data D1 via the roadside device 30, the control unit 21 may acquire the vehicle data D1 by directly communicating with each vehicle 40 via the network 50 and receiving the vehicle data D1 from each vehicle 40 via the communication unit 23. In this embodiment, the vehicle data D1 is data indicating the driving records of the drivers U1, U2, and U3 of each vehicle 401, 402, and 403. The driving records of the drivers U are, for example, records of the driving behaviors of the drivers U1, U2, and U3 recorded by a drive recorder or the like installed in each vehicle 401, 402, and 403. The driving record of the driver includes, for example, a record of sudden braking and sudden acceleration. The control unit 21 may store the acquired vehicle data D1 in the storage unit 22.

[0032] In S4, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 selects the type of content to be distributed for each vehicle based on the vehicle data D1 acquired in S3. As an example, assume that the driver's driving record indicated by the vehicle data D1 includes records of sudden braking and sudden acceleration. In this case, the control unit 21 counts the number of sudden braking and sudden acceleration indicated by the vehicle data D1. If the counted number of sudden braking and sudden acceleration is equal to or greater than a danger threshold Th3, the control unit 21 selects safe driving education content as the type of content to be distributed. The danger threshold Th3 can be set to, for example, a value calculated as the average number of sudden braking and sudden acceleration per unit period by a typical driver.

[0033] In S5, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 provides the content selected in S4 to the target vehicle. As an example, assume that the driver's driving record indicated by the vehicle data D1 includes records of sudden braking and sudden acceleration, and the number of sudden braking and sudden acceleration indicated by the vehicle data D1' acquired from the vehicle 401 is equal to or greater than the danger threshold Th3. In this case, the control unit 21 determines the vehicle 401 as the target vehicle and provides the safe driving education content to the vehicle 401 as the content selected in S4. Specifically, the control unit 21 communicates with the roadside device 30 via the communication unit 23 and transmits the safe driving education content from the roadside device 30 to the vehicle 401. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may directly communicate with the vehicle 401 via the communication unit 23 and transmit the safe driving education content to the vehicle 401. The vehicle 401 outputs the content transmitted from the information providing device 20. Specifically, the vehicle 401 outputs the received content by displaying it on a display of an in-vehicle device in the vehicle 401. The in-vehicle device is, for example, a car navigation device. In this way, the content provided from the information providing device 20 to the vehicle 401 is viewed by the driver U1 of the vehicle 401. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may communicate with the mobile device TM1 of the driver U1 of the vehicle 401 via the communication unit 23 and transmit the safety education content to the mobile device TM1. Then, the driver U1 may view the content displayed on the screen of the mobile device TM1.

[0034] As described above, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 detects the occurrence of a traffic jam on road Rd, identifies the multiple vehicles 40 that make up the detected traffic jam, selects the type of content to be distributed for each vehicle based on the vehicle data D1 indicating the driver's driving record obtained for each identified vehicle 40, and provides the selected content to the target vehicle.

[0035] The present embodiments provide an improved technique for delivering content to vehicle drivers.

[0036] As a variation of this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the information providing device 20 may acquire attribute data D3 indicating the attributes of the driver of each vehicle 40, instead of or in addition to acquiring the vehicle data D1 in S3. Then, in S4, the control unit 21 may select the type of content to be delivered based on the attribute data D3. The attribute data D3 includes information such as the driver's age, driver's license rank, and driving history. The driver's license rank is determined, for example, by the number of years the driver has been accident-free and without any violations. If the attribute data D3′ acquired from the vehicle 402 indicates that the driver U2 is elderly, the control unit 21 may select advertisements, relaxing videos, and / or music for elderly drivers as driver-oriented content and provide the selected content to the vehicle 402. Alternatively, if the attribute data D3'' acquired from the vehicle 403 suggests that the driver U3 has little driving experience, the control unit 21 may select safe driving education content as content for the driver and provide it to the vehicle 403. The procedure for providing the selected driver content to the target vehicle is the same as S5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, multiple blocks shown in the block diagrams may be integrated, or a single block may be divided. Instead of executing multiple steps shown in the flowcharts in chronological order as described, steps may be executed in parallel or in a different order depending on the processing capabilities of the device executing each step, or as needed. Other modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10 Systems 20 Information provision device 21 Control Unit 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 30 Roadside unit 40,401,402,403 vehicles 50 Network U1, U2, U3 drivers Rd road

Claims

[Claim 1] An information providing device that supports distribution of content for vehicle drivers, An information providing device that detects the occurrence of traffic congestion on a road, identifies multiple vehicles that make up the detected traffic congestion, selects the type of content to be distributed for each vehicle based on vehicle data indicating the driver's driving record obtained for each identified vehicle, and provides the selected content to the target vehicle.

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