Guide information generation device and guide information generation method

Abstract

To appropriately provide guide information related to a rest contributing to safe driving to a driver.SOLUTION: A road information acquisition section 710 acquires a feature of a travel scheduled road and a travel environment state. A physical influence evaluation section 751 performs evaluation on whether a driver is to be drowsy and whether a driver is to be tired when traveling on a travel scheduled road on the basis of the information. Then, when it is evaluated that a driver is to be drowsy, a rest evaluation section 753 evaluates that a rest has to be taken in order to prevent a driver from becoming drowsy before traveling on a travel scheduled road. When it is evaluated that a driver is to be tired, the rest evaluation section 753 evaluates that a rest has to be taken in order to prevent a driver from becoming tired before traveling on a travel scheduled road. An information generation section 754 generates guide information related to a rest with respect to a driver on the basis of an evaluation result of the rest evaluation section 753.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a guidance information generating device, a guidance information generating method, a guidance information generating program, and a recording medium on which the guidance information generating program is recorded. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, technologies have been proposed for providing rest-related information to vehicle drivers in order to contribute to safe driving. One of these proposed technologies provides rest-related information to drivers when they have been driving for a long period of time (see Patent Document 1: hereinafter referred to as the "conventional example").

[0003] In this conventional technology, when a driver has been driving continuously for more than a specified time, the system provides guidance to the driver to take a break. If the driver continues driving for a period longer than the specified time without taking a break, the system sets a nearby facility where the driver can take a rest as a stopover point and guides the driver along a route to the rest point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-052979 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described conventional technology, when a driver is driving continuously for a long period of time, the driver's concentration and attention to driving operations decrease, which may lead to fatigue or drowsiness at the wheel. Therefore, information regarding rest is provided to the driver when the driver is driving continuously for a long period of time. However, factors that cause a decrease in concentration and attention to driving operations are not only related to continuous driving for a long period of time, but also to road conditions. For example, when driving on a road that requires more concentration and attention to driving operations than usual (e.g., an icy road), the driver may become tired and need to take a rest even if the driver has not been driving continuously for a long period of time. Furthermore, when driving on a road that can be driven with monotonous driving operations (e.g., a highway with many straight sections), the driver may become drowsy and need to take a rest even if the driver has not been driving continuously for a long period of time. As a result, the conventional technology may not be able to appropriately provide information regarding rest to the driver. This situation is undesirable from the perspective of safe driving.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for technology that can appropriately provide drivers with guidance information regarding rest stops, thereby contributing to safe driving. Meeting this need is one of the problems that the present invention aims to solve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is a guidance information generation device characterized by comprising: a road information acquisition unit that acquires road driving environment information including characteristics of a road along which a mobile body is scheduled to travel; and a generation unit that generates guidance information regarding rest for the driver of the mobile body when it is evaluated based on the road driving environment information that the driver should take a rest.

[0008] The present invention also provides a guidance information generation method used in a guidance information generation device that includes a road information acquisition unit and a generation unit, the guidance information generation method comprising: a road information acquisition step in which the road information acquisition unit acquires road driving environment information including characteristics of a road along which a mobile object is scheduled to travel; and a generation step in which the generation unit generates guidance information regarding rest for the driver of the mobile object when the generation unit evaluates, based on the road driving environment information, that the driver should take a rest.

[0009] The present invention also provides a guidance information generating program that causes a computer included in a guidance information generating device to execute the above-described guidance information generating method.

[0010] The present invention also provides a recording medium having the above-described guide information generating program recorded thereon so as to be readable by a computer included in a guide information generating device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a guidance information generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a guidance information generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart for explaining a process of generating guidance information regarding rest for a driver, performed by the guidance information generating device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on the evaluation of future effects on the body in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on the evaluation of the current mental and physical state of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Fig. 1. In the following description and drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0013] [composition] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a guidance information generating device 700 according to one embodiment. The guidance information generating device 700 is disposed within a moving object MV. In this embodiment, in addition to the guidance information generating device 700, the moving object MV also includes a storage unit 910, a sound output unit 920, a display unit 930, a position detection unit 950, and a biological information detection unit 970.

[0014] The storage unit 910 is configured to include a nonvolatile storage element. Map information is stored in the storage unit 910. The storage unit 910 is accessible by the guidance information generating device 700.

[0015] Map information includes road shape data that shows road shapes using links and nodes (intersections, etc.), background data that shows buildings, rivers, ground surfaces (features), etc., and POI (Point Of Interest) data. Map information also includes road legal speed limits, gradients, road widths, the presence or absence of traffic lights, etc., and road types that are classified based on these. Here, "road types" include general national highways, expressways, general roads, narrow streets that run through urban areas, mountain roads, etc.

[0016] The sound output unit 920 includes a speaker. The sound output unit 920 receives output sound data sent from the guidance information generating device 700. The sound output unit 920 then reproduces and outputs an output sound corresponding to the output sound data.

[0017] The display unit 930 is configured to include a display device such as a liquid crystal display panel. The display unit 930 receives display data sent from the guidance information generating device 700. Then, the display unit 930 displays an image corresponding to the display data.

[0018] The position detection unit 950 sequentially detects the current position of the moving object MV, and then sends the detected current position of the moving object MV to the guidance information generating device 700.

[0019] The biological information detection unit 970 detects biological information of the driver of the moving body MV. In this embodiment, the biological information detection unit 970 is configured to include a heartbeat sensor and a camera device.

[0020] The heartbeat sensor detects the driver's heartbeat and sends the detected information on the driver's heartbeat to the guidance information generating device 700.

[0021] The camera device also captures an image of the driver's face. The captured image obtained by the camera device is sent to the guidance information generating device 700.

[0022] <Configuration of the guidance information generating device 700> The configuration of the above-mentioned guidance information generating device 700 will be described.

[0023] 1, the guidance information generating device 700 includes a road information acquiring unit 710 and a mental and physical information acquiring unit 720. The guidance information generating device 700 also includes a generating unit 750.

[0024] In this embodiment, the guidance information generating device 700 further includes a search unit (not shown). When the search unit receives a route search command specifying (setting) a destination, it refers to map information stored in the storage unit 910 and searches for a route from the current position of the moving object MV to the destination. The search unit then sets a planned driving section for each road type for roads in the searched route that are planned roads along which the moving object MV is to travel.

[0025] For example, if the route found involves sequentially traveling along national highways, expressways, general roads, and mountain roads to reach the destination, the planned travel sections are set as "Planned travel section 1: general national highways," "Planned travel section 2: expressways," "Planned travel section 3: general roads," and "Planned travel section 4: mountain roads."

[0026] Furthermore, if a destination has not been set, the search unit refers to map information stored in the memory unit 910, reads ahead about roads based on changes in the current position of the moving body MV, and predicts a road along the road in the direction of travel as the predicted course. If the road type does not change after traveling a predetermined distance along the predicted course, the search unit sets the predicted course for the predetermined traveling distance as the planned traveling section. If the road type changes while traveling a predetermined traveling distance along the predicted road, the search unit sets the planned traveling section for each road type of the predicted course. Here, the predetermined traveling distance is a traveling distance at which an average driver can maintain concentration and attention on driving operations, and is determined based on experience, etc.

[0027] The search results including the planned driving section obtained by the search unit are sent to the road information acquisition unit 710 and the generation unit 750.

[0028] The road information acquisition unit 710 acquires the current position of the moving body MV sent from the position detection unit 950. Then, the road information acquisition unit 710 refers to the map information stored in the memory unit 910 and the current position of the moving body MV, and acquires the characteristics of the road along which the moving body MV is scheduled to travel for each planned travel section.

[0029] Here, road characteristics include, for example, "roads with short straight sections where steering is required frequently, such as turning right or left," "roads with long straight sections where steering is not required frequently, such as turning right or left," "roads with small gradient changes where braking is not required frequently," "roads with large gradient changes where braking is required frequently," and "roads with continuous S-curves where steering is required frequently." Further, road characteristics include "roads with short intervals between traffic lights," "roads with long intervals between traffic lights," "roads with large changes in scenery," "roads with little change in scenery," "roads with many tunnels," etc.

[0030] Furthermore, the road information acquisition unit 710 receives and acquires the driving environment conditions of the roads along which the vehicle is to travel for each planned travel section from an information server (not shown) via the network. In this embodiment, the driving environment conditions include the weather when the vehicle will travel along the roads along which the vehicle is to travel, the road surface conditions of the roads along which the vehicle is to travel (dry road surface, wet road surface, icy road surface, snow-covered road surface), etc. The road characteristics and driving environment conditions of the planned travel section thus acquired are sent to the generation unit 750 as road driving environment information.

[0031] The mental and physical information acquiring unit 720 acquires information on the heart rate of the driver sent from the heartbeat sensor of the biological information detecting unit 970. The mental and physical information acquiring unit 720 also acquires a captured image of the driver's face sent from the camera device of the biological information detecting unit 970.

[0032] The mental and physical information acquisition unit 720 also acquires the current position of the moving object MV sent from the position detection unit 950. Then, the mental and physical information acquisition unit 720 acquires, as driving time related information, travel history information of the moving object MV, which is information for deriving the driver's rest status, based on the map information stored in the storage unit 910 and changes in the current position of the moving object MV. The thus acquired information on the driver's heart rate and photographed face image, as well as the driving time related information, are sent to the generation unit 750 as information related to the driver's mind and body.

[0033] When the generation unit 750 evaluates that the driver should take a rest based on the road driving environment information and the information on the driver's mind and body, the generation unit 750 generates guidance information for the driver regarding the rest. The generation unit 750 having such a function includes a physical effect evaluation unit 751, a mental and physical state evaluation unit 752, a rest evaluation unit 753, and an information generation unit 754.

[0034] The physical effect assessment unit 751 receives road driving environment information sent from the road information acquisition unit 710. Then, based on the road driving environment information, the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses, for each planned driving section, the future physical effects on the driver when driving on the roads in the planned driving section.

[0035] For example, the physical impact assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will not feel drowsy when traveling on the road in the planned travel section if the road is a "narrow street with a short straight section that requires a lot of steering," the time of day is "daytime," the weather is "sunny," and the road surface condition is "dry."

[0036] Furthermore, the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will feel drowsy when traveling on the road in the planned travel section if, for example, the road in the planned travel section is "a general national highway with a long straight section that does not require much steering, traffic lights are installed at intervals far apart, and the scenery does not change," the time of day is "daytime," the weather is "clear," and the road surface condition is "dry." Also, for example, if the road in the planned travel section is "a general national highway with a long straight section that does not require much steering, and traffic lights are installed at intervals far apart," the time of day is "nighttime," the weather is "clear," and the road surface condition is "dry," the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will feel drowsy when traveling on the road in the planned travel section if, for example, the road in the planned travel section is "a general national highway with a long straight section that does not require much steering, and traffic lights are installed at intervals far apart." Also, for example, if the road on which the driver plans to travel is a "highway with a long straight section that does not require much steering," the time of day is "daytime," the weather is "sunny," and the road surface condition is "dry," the driver is assessed as feeling drowsy when traveling on the road on which the driver plans to travel.

[0037] Furthermore, the physical impact assessment unit 751 assesses that, for example, if the road in the planned travel section is a "general road where steering operation is not normally required," the time of day is "daytime," the weather is "sunny," and the road surface condition is "dry," it assesses that the driver will not experience fatigue when traveling on the road in the planned travel section.

[0038] Furthermore, the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that, for example, if the road in the planned travel section is a "general road with successive S-curves that requires frequent steering" or a "mountain road with large gradient changes that requires frequent braking, etc.," the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will experience fatigue when traveling on the road in the planned travel section, regardless of the time of day, weather, or road surface condition. Also, for example, if the road surface condition in the planned travel section is a "frozen road surface" or a "snow-covered road surface," the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will experience fatigue when traveling on the road in the planned travel section, regardless of the road type.

[0039] The evaluation results obtained by the physical effect evaluation unit 751 in this manner are sent to the rest evaluation unit 753. The evaluation by the physical effect evaluation unit 751 is performed based on evaluation criteria obtained from the driving experience of general drivers, etc. The above-mentioned evaluation examples by the physical effect evaluation unit 751 are merely examples, and for example, when the weather is "rainy" and the road surface condition is "wet road surface," it can be evaluated that the driver will be fatigued.

[0040] The mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 receives the mental and physical information of the driver sent from the mental and physical information acquisition unit 720. Then, based on the mental and physical information, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates whether the driver is currently feeling drowsy and whether the driver is currently fatigued.

[0041] In this embodiment, when evaluating whether the driver is drowsy, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 first analyzes the captured image included in the mental and physical information of the driver to derive the blinking frequency of the driver. Then, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates whether the driver is drowsy based on the blinking frequency and heart rate of the driver. For example, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 can evaluate the driver as drowsy when the number of blinks per minute of the driver is equal to or greater than the drowsiness threshold number of times or when the driver's heart rate is equal to or less than the drowsiness threshold heart rate. Here, the drowsiness threshold number of times and the drowsiness threshold heart rate are determined in advance based on experiments, simulations, experience, and the like, from the perspective of detecting driver drowsiness.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when evaluating whether the driver is fatigued, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 determines that the driver is resting when the mobile body MV is stopped in a facility parking lot or the like for a predetermined time or longer based on driving time-related information, which is driving history information of the mobile body MV. Here, the predetermined time is determined in advance based on experience or the like, from the viewpoint of determining that the stop is due to a rest rather than a stop due to traffic congestion, and may be, for example, five minutes. Next, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 derives the driver's resting status based on the continuous driving time from the previous rest to the present time and the previous rest time. Then, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates whether the driver is fatigued based on the driver's resting status and heart rate.

[0043] In this embodiment, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates the driver as fatigued when the driver is evaluated as fatigued based on the driver's rest status, or when the driver's heart rate is equal to or lower than the fatigue occurrence reference heart rate regardless of the driver's rest status. When evaluating fatigue based on the driver's rest status, for example, if the continuous driving time is longer than the fatigue occurrence reference time, the driver may be evaluated as fatigued regardless of the length of the previous rest period. Furthermore, even if the continuous driving time is equal to or lower than the fatigue occurrence reference time, the driver may be evaluated as fatigued if the previous rest period is equal to or lower than the rest period. Here, the fatigue occurrence reference time, the rest period, and the fatigue occurrence reference heart rate are determined in advance based on experiments, simulations, experience, and the like, from the perspective of detecting driver fatigue.

[0044] The rest evaluation unit 753 receives the evaluation results sent from the physical effect evaluation unit 751 and the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752. Based on these evaluation results, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates whether the driver should take a rest, taking into account the future physical effects on the driver and the current mental and physical state.

[0045] In assessing whether or not to take such a rest, if the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will become drowsy when traveling on roads in the planned travel section, the rest assessment unit 753 assesses that the driver should take a rest to prevent the driver from becoming drowsy, and sends the assessment result to the information generation unit 754. Also, if the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will become fatigued when traveling on roads in the planned travel section, the rest assessment unit 753 assesses that the driver should take a rest to prevent the driver from becoming fatigued, and sends the assessment result to the information generation unit 754. Also, if the physical effect assessment unit 751 assesses that the driver will not become drowsy and will not become fatigued when traveling on roads in the planned travel section, the rest assessment unit 753 assesses that the driver does not need to take a rest.

[0046] Furthermore, when evaluating whether or not a rest should be taken, if the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates that the driver is currently feeling drowsy, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to relieve drowsiness, and sends the evaluation result to the information generation unit 754. If the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates that the driver is currently feeling fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to recover from fatigue, and sends the evaluation result to the information generation unit 754. If the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates that the driver is not currently feeling drowsy and is not currently fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver does not need to take a rest.

[0047] The information generation unit 754 receives the evaluation result sent from the rest evaluation unit 753. Then, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information for the driver regarding rest according to the content of the evaluation result. The guidance information generated in this manner is sent to the sound output unit 920 and the display unit 930. Details of the processing by the information generation unit 754 will be described later.

[0048] [Operation] The operation of the guidance information generating device 700 configured as above will be described, focusing mainly on the processing by the generating unit 750.

[0049] In the guidance information generating device 700, when a destination is set, a search unit (not shown) searches for a route from the current position of the moving object MV to the destination. The search unit then sets a planned driving section for each road type for roads in the searched route.

[0050] Furthermore, if a destination has not been set, the search unit refers to map information stored in the memory unit 910, reads ahead about roads based on changes in the current position of the moving body MV, and predicts a road that follows the direction of travel as the predicted course. If the road type does not change even after traveling a predetermined distance along the predicted course, the search unit assumes that the predicted course for the predetermined traveling distance is set as the planned traveling section. If the road type changes while traveling along the predicted road for the predetermined traveling distance, the search unit assumes that the search unit sets the planned traveling section for each road type of the predicted course.

[0051] In the guidance information generating device 700, the road information acquiring unit 710 acquires the current position of the moving object MV sent from the position detecting unit 950.

[0052] In the guidance information generating device 700, the mental and physical information acquiring unit 720 acquires the driver's heart rate information and captured images of the face (biometric information) sent from the biometric information detecting unit 970, and sequentially sends the heart rate information and captured images to the mental and physical state evaluating unit 752 of the generating unit 750. The mental and physical information acquiring unit 720 also acquires the current position of the moving object MV sent from the position detecting unit 950. The mental and physical information acquiring unit 720 then derives and acquires driving time related information based on map information and changes over time in the current position of the moving object MV, and sends the driving time related information to the mental and physical state evaluating unit 752.

[0053] In addition, in the guidance information generating device 700, the generating unit 750 is assumed to have acquired the current position of the moving object MV sent from the position detecting unit 950.

[0054] <Generation of guidance information based on evaluation of future physical impact on the driver> First, the process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of the future physical impact on the driver will be described.

[0055] In generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of the future physical impact on the driver, first, the road information acquisition unit 710 identifies the next planned driving section after the currently driving section from the current position of the mobile body MV and map information while the mobile body MV is traveling. Next, the road information acquisition unit 710 refers to the map information to acquire the characteristics of the road of the planned driving section, and sends information on the characteristics of the road to the physical impact assessment unit 751 of the generation unit 750. The road information acquisition unit 710 also acquires the driving environment conditions of the planned driving section from an information server, and sends the driving environment conditions to the physical impact assessment unit 751.

[0056] The physical effect assessment unit 751 receives the road characteristics and driving environment conditions (road driving environment information) of the next planned driving section sent from the road information acquisition unit 710, and based on this information, assesses whether the road driving environment will make the driver drowsy when driving on the road of the next planned driving section, and whether the road driving environment will make the driver tired, in terms of the future impact on the driver's body.The physical effect assessment unit 751 then sends the results of this assessment to the rest assessment unit 753.

[0057] The rest evaluation unit 753, which has received the evaluation result from the physical effect evaluation unit 751, evaluates, based on the evaluation result, whether the driver should take a rest before traveling on the road in the next planned travel section. When evaluating whether or not a rest should be taken, if the evaluation result from the physical effect evaluation unit 751 indicates that the driver will become drowsy, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to prevent drowsiness before traveling on the road in the planned travel section. Furthermore, if the evaluation result from the physical effect evaluation unit 751 indicates that the driver will become fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to prevent fatigue before traveling on the road in the planned travel section. Furthermore, if the evaluation result from the physical effect evaluation unit 751 indicates that the driver will not become drowsy or will not become fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver does not need to take a rest. The rest evaluation unit 753 then sends the evaluation result to the information generation unit 754.

[0058] Subsequently, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information for the driver regarding a rest period based on the evaluation result sent from the rest evaluation unit 753. When generating such guidance information, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 indicating that the driver should take a rest period to prevent drowsiness, the information generation unit 754 references the current position of the moving object MV and map information to generate guidance information indicating that the driver should take a rest period to prevent drowsiness before traveling on a road on which the driver plans to travel. The information generation unit 754 then generates output sound data for providing the guidance information and sends it to the sound output unit 920. At this time, the information generation unit 754 also generates display data for providing the guidance information and sends it to the display unit 930. As a result, the sound output unit 920 plays and outputs a guidance sound indicating that the driver should take a rest period to prevent drowsiness during the upcoming travel before traveling on the road on which the driver plans to travel, and the display unit 930 displays a guidance image indicating that the driver should take a rest period to prevent drowsiness before traveling on the road on which the driver plans to travel.

[0059] In this case, for example, if the road in the next planned driving section is an expressway, the information generation unit 754 refers to map information and extracts a parking area at the entrance interchange (entrance facility) of the expressway. Then, the information generation unit 754 can generate guidance information to the effect that "before driving on the expressway (rest timing), you should take a nap (rest mode) for one hour (rest time) at the parking area (rest place)."

[0060] Furthermore, when the information generation unit 754 receives from the rest evaluation unit 753 an evaluation result indicating that a rest should be taken to prevent fatigue, the information generation unit 754 references the current position of the moving object MV and map information, and generates guidance information indicating that a rest should be taken to prevent fatigue before traveling on a road on which the moving object MV is scheduled to travel. The information generation unit 754 then generates output sound data for providing the guidance information and sends it to the sound output unit 920, and also generates display data for providing the guidance information and sends it to the display unit 930. As a result, the sound output unit 920 plays and outputs a guidance sound indicating that a rest should be taken to prevent fatigue in the upcoming travel before traveling on the road on which the moving object MV is scheduled to travel, and the display unit 930 displays a guidance image indicating that a rest should be taken to prevent fatigue before traveling on the road on which the moving object MV is scheduled to travel.

[0061] In this case, for example, if the next planned travel section is a mountain road, the information generation unit 754 refers to map information and extracts roadside stations (rest facilities) just before the mountain road. Then, the information generation unit 754 can generate guidance information to the effect that "before traveling on the mountain road (rest timing), you should take a rest and relax (rest mode) for 20 minutes (rest time) at the roadside station (rest location)."

[0062] Thereafter, as the moving body MV moves and the travel section changes, the process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on the above-mentioned evaluation of the future physical effects on the driver is performed.

[0063] <Generation of Guidance Information Based on Evaluation of Driver's Current Physical and Mental State> Next, a process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of the driver's current physical and mental state will be described.

[0064] In generating guidance information regarding rest based on the evaluation of the driver's current mental and physical state, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates whether the driver is currently feeling drowsy and whether the driver is tired, based on the driver's heart rate information, facial image (biometric information), and driving time related information sent from the mental and physical information acquisition unit 720. Then, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 sends the evaluation result to the rest evaluation unit 753.

[0065] The rest evaluation unit 753, which has received the evaluation result from the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752, evaluates whether the driver should take a rest immediately, based on the evaluation result and the current mental and physical state of the driver. When evaluating whether the driver should take a rest, if the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 receives an evaluation result that the driver is drowsy, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest immediately to relieve drowsiness. Furthermore, if the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 receives an evaluation result that the driver is fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest immediately to recover from fatigue. Furthermore, if the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 receives an evaluation result that the driver is not drowsy or not fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver does not need to take a rest. Then, the rest evaluation unit 753 sends the evaluation result to the information generation unit 754.

[0066] Subsequently, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information for the driver regarding taking a break based on the evaluation result sent from the rest evaluation unit 753. When generating such guidance information, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 indicating that the driver should take a break to relieve drowsiness, the information generation unit 754 references the current position of the moving object MV and map information to generate guidance information indicating that the driver should immediately take a break to relieve drowsiness. The information generation unit 754 then generates output sound data and display data for providing the guidance information and sends them to the sound output unit 920 and the display unit 930. As a result, the sound output unit 920 plays and outputs a guidance sound indicating that the driver should immediately take a break to relieve drowsiness, and the display unit 930 displays a guidance image indicating that the driver should immediately take a break to relieve drowsiness.

[0067] In this case, for example, the information generating unit 754 refers to map information to extract the nearest convenience store, and can generate guidance information such as "take a break at the convenience store (resting place) 100 meters ahead (resting timing), take a nap for one hour (resting time), and then drink coffee (resting mode)."

[0068] Furthermore, when receiving an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 indicating that a rest should be taken to recover from fatigue, the information generation unit 754 references the current position of the moving object MV and map information to generate guidance information indicating that a rest should be taken to recover from fatigue as soon as possible. The information generation unit 754 then generates output sound data and display data for providing the guidance information and sends them to the sound output unit 920 and the display unit 930. As a result, the sound output unit 920 plays and outputs a guidance sound indicating that a rest should be taken to recover from fatigue as soon as possible, and the display unit 930 displays a guidance image indicating that a rest should be taken to recover from fatigue as soon as possible.

[0069] In this case, for example, the information generating unit 754 refers to map information to extract the nearest convenience store, and can generate guidance information such as "Take a break at the convenience store (resting place) 200 meters ahead (resting timing) and relax (resting mode) while listening to music for 30 minutes (resting time)."

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the road information acquisition unit 710 acquires the road characteristics and driving environment conditions of the planned travel section and sends them to the physical effect assessment unit 751. Having received the road characteristics and driving environment conditions of the planned travel section, the physical effect assessment unit 751 evaluates, based on this information, whether the driver will feel drowsy and whether the driver will feel fatigued when traveling on the road of the next planned travel section, and sends the evaluation results to the rest assessment unit 753. If the assessment result indicates that the driver will feel drowsy, the rest assessment unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to prevent drowsiness before traveling on the road of the planned travel section. Furthermore, if the assessment result indicates that the driver will feel fatigued, the rest assessment unit 753 evaluates that the driver should take a rest to prevent fatigue before traveling on the road of the planned travel section.

[0071] Then, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information for the driver regarding rest based on the evaluation result of the rest evaluation unit 753. When generating such guidance information, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 that the driver should take a rest to avoid becoming drowsy, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information to the effect that the driver should take a rest to avoid becoming drowsy before traveling on roads in the planned travel section. Furthermore, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 that the driver should take a rest to avoid becoming fatigued, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information to the effect that the driver should take a rest to avoid becoming fatigued before traveling on roads in the planned travel section.

[0072] Therefore, even if the driver is not currently feeling drowsy or fatigued, guidance information regarding rest can be provided that takes into consideration the driver's drowsiness or fatigue while driving. As a result, the occurrence of drowsy driving or fatigued driving can be reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, guidance information regarding rest can be appropriately provided to the driver, contributing to safe driving.

[0073] In this embodiment, the mental and physical information acquisition unit 720 acquires information about the driver's heart rate and a captured image of the face, and sends them to the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752. The mental and physical information acquisition unit 720 also derives and acquires driving time-related information based on map information and changes in the current position of the moving object MV over time, and sends them to the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752. Having received the driver's heart rate information, the captured image of the face, and the driving time-related information, the mental and physical state evaluation unit 752 evaluates whether the driver is currently feeling drowsy and whether the driver is fatigued, based on this information, and sends the evaluation results to the rest evaluation unit 753. If the evaluation result indicates that the driver is feeling drowsy, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should immediately take a break to relieve drowsiness. If the evaluation result indicates that the driver is fatigued, the rest evaluation unit 753 evaluates that the driver should immediately take a break to recover from fatigue.

[0074] Then, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information for the driver regarding taking a break based on the evaluation result of the rest evaluation unit 753. When generating such guidance information, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 that a break should be taken to relieve drowsiness, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information to the effect that a break should be taken to relieve drowsiness as soon as possible. Also, if the information generation unit 754 receives an evaluation result from the rest evaluation unit 753 that a break should be taken to recover from fatigue, the information generation unit 754 generates guidance information to the effect that a break should be taken to recover from fatigue as soon as possible.

[0075] Therefore, if the driver becomes drowsy or fatigued while driving, guidance information regarding rest can be immediately provided. As a result, the occurrence of drowsy driving or fatigued driving can be reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, guidance information regarding rest can be provided to the driver more appropriately, contributing to safe driving.

[0076] [Modification of the embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0077] For example, in the above embodiment, when a destination is set, the planned driving section is set for each road type. However, the planned driving section may be set for each road characteristic or for each predetermined driving distance. Furthermore, the planned driving section may be set to change for each predetermined driving time. Here, the predetermined driving time is a driving time during which a typical driver can maintain concentration and attention on driving operations, and is determined based on experience, etc.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the rest evaluation unit evaluates whether the driver should take a rest based on the evaluation results sent from the physical effect evaluation unit and the evaluation results sent from the mental and physical state evaluation unit. However, the rest evaluation unit may evaluate whether the driver should take a rest based only on the evaluation results sent from the physical effect evaluation unit.

[0079] In the above embodiment, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the future physical effects on the driver," if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver will become drowsy is negative, an evaluation of whether the driver will become fatigued is performed. In contrast, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the future physical effects on the driver," even if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver will become drowsy is positive, an evaluation of whether the driver will become fatigued may be performed.

[0080] In the above embodiment, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the current mental and physical state of the driver," if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver is drowsy is negative, an evaluation of whether the driver is fatigued is performed. In contrast, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the current mental and physical state of the driver," even if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver is drowsy is positive, an evaluation of whether the driver is fatigued may be performed.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the rest-related guidance information generated by the information generating unit includes all of the rest timing, rest duration, rest type, and rest location. However, the rest-related guidance information generated by the information generating unit may include at least one of these.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the driver's heart rate and blinking frequency are used as biological information, but whether the driver is drowsy or fatigued may be evaluated based on biological information such as the driver's blood pressure, body temperature, amount of sweat, amount of eye movement, and brain waves.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the period during which the driver is resting is identified from the travel history of the moving object. However, if the moving object is a vehicle, the period during which the ACC power supply is off may be identified as the period during which the driver is resting.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the guidance information generating device does not include a memory unit, a sound output unit, a display unit, a position detection unit, or a biometric information detection unit. However, if the mobile object does not include any equipment that can be used as a memory unit, a sound output unit, a display unit, a position detection unit, or a biometric information detection unit, the guidance information generating device may include such equipment that is not included in the mobile object.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, all of the components of the guidance information generating device 700 are arranged to be placed on a mobile body, but a server device capable of communicating with a terminal device arranged on a mobile body may be provided with all or some of the components of the guidance information generating device 700.

[0086] The road information acquisition unit, mental and physical information acquisition unit, generation unit (physical effect assessment unit, mental and physical state assessment unit, rest assessment unit, information generation unit), and search unit of the guidance information generation device in the above embodiments may be configured as a computer serving as calculation means including a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), etc., and some or all of the functions of the generation unit and control unit in the above embodiments may be realized by executing a pre-prepared program on the computer. This program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, CD-ROM, or DVD, and is read from the recording medium and executed by the computer. This program may also be obtained in the form of being recorded on a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD, or may be obtained in the form of distribution via a network such as the Internet. [Example]

[0087] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. In the following description and drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0088] [composition] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a guidance information generating device 100 according to an embodiment. The guidance information generating device 100 is one aspect of the guidance information generating device 700 (see FIG. 1) according to the embodiment described above.

[0089] The guidance information generating device 100 is disposed in a vehicle CR corresponding to a moving object MV. In this embodiment, the vehicle CR is provided with a storage unit 210, a sound output unit 220, a display unit 230, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 250, a wireless communication unit 260, a heartbeat sensor unit 270, and a camera unit 280, which are connected to the guidance information generating device 100.

[0090] The storage unit 210 is configured to include a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk drive, and stores various information data used by the guidance information generation device 100. Such information data includes map information MPI and the like. The storage unit 210 is accessible by the guidance information generation device 100. In other words, the storage unit 210 fulfills the function of the storage unit 910 described above.

[0091] The map information MPI includes road shape data that shows road shapes using links and nodes (intersections, etc.), background data that shows buildings, rivers, and ground features, and POI (Point Of Interest) data. The map information MPI also includes road speed limits, gradients, road widths, the presence or absence of traffic lights, and road types that are classified based on these. Here, "road types" include national highways, expressways, general roads, narrow streets that run through urban areas, mountain roads, etc.

[0092] The sound output unit 220 is configured to include a speaker. The sound output unit 220 receives output sound data sent from the guidance information generation device 100. The sound output unit 220 then outputs an output sound corresponding to the output sound data. In other words, the sound output unit 220 fulfills the function of the sound output section 920 described above.

[0093] The display unit 230 is configured to include a display device such as a liquid crystal display panel. The display unit 230 receives display data sent from the guidance information generating device 100. The display unit 230 then displays an image corresponding to the display data. In other words, the display unit 230 fulfills the function of the display unit 930 described above.

[0094] The GPS receiving unit 250 calculates the current position of the vehicle CR based on the results of receiving radio waves transmitted from multiple GPS satellites. The GPS receiving unit 250 also measures the current time based on date and time information transmitted from the GPS satellites. This information on the current position and current time is sent to the guidance information generating device 100 as GPS data. Here, the GPS receiving unit 250 fulfills the function of the position detection unit 950 described above.

[0095] The wireless communication unit 260 is configured to include an antenna (not shown) and the like. The wireless communication unit 260 processes a signal received by the antenna and converts it into a digital data signal that can be processed by the guide information generation device 100. The wireless communication unit 260 also processes a transmission signal sent from the guide information generation device 100, converts it into a signal corresponding to a wireless signal, and sends it to the antenna.

[0096] Using the wireless communication unit 260, the driving environment conditions of the road along which the vehicle is to travel are received for each planned travel section from an information server (not shown). Here, the driving environment conditions include the time and weather when the vehicle will travel along the planned road, as well as the road surface condition of the planned road. The information on the driving environment conditions received in this manner is sent to the guidance information generating device 100.

[0097] The heartbeat sensor unit 270 is configured to include a heartbeat sensor (not shown). The heartbeat sensor is worn, for example, on the driver's arm and detects the driver's heartbeat. The detection result by the heartbeat sensor is sent to the guidance information generating device 100 as heartbeat data. Here, the heartbeat sensor unit 270 fulfills part of the function of the biological information detection unit 970 described above.

[0098] The camera unit 280 is configured to include a camera device (not shown) and a data processing unit (not shown). The camera device is disposed, for example, at an upper front position inside the vehicle cabin. The camera device captures an image of the driver's face. The data processing unit converts the image captured by the camera device into digital image data. The digital image data of the image of the driver's face captured in this manner is sent to the guidance information generation device 100 as the captured image. Here, the camera unit 280 performs part of the functions of the biometric information detection unit 970 described above.

[0099] <Configuration of guidance information generating device 100> Next, the configuration of the above-mentioned guidance information generating device 100 will be described.

[0100] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a guidance information generating device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG.

[0101] The processing control unit 110 controls the entire guidance information generation device 100 and executes various processes. The processing control unit 110 is configured to include a central processing unit (CPU) as a computing means, a digital signal processor (DSP), and their peripheral circuits. The processing control unit 110 executes various programs to realize various functions of the guidance information generation device 100. These functions include the functions of the road information acquisition unit 710, mental and physical information acquisition unit 720, generation unit 750 (physical effect assessment unit 751, mental and physical state assessment unit 752, rest assessment unit 753, information generation unit 754), and search unit in the above-mentioned embodiment. Details of the processes executed by the processing control unit 110 will be described later.

[0102] The program executed by processing control unit 110 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD, etc., and is loaded and executed from the recording medium. The program may also be obtained in a form recorded on a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD, or may be obtained in a form distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0103] [Operation] The operation of the guidance information generating device 100 configured as above will be described, focusing mainly on the process of generating guidance information for the driver regarding rest periods by the processing control unit 110.

[0104] It is assumed that the processing control unit 110 is searching for a route from the current location to the destination, and that the processing control unit 110 has set a planned driving section for each road type for the roads in the searched route.

[0105] It is also assumed that the GPS receiving unit 250 sends information relating to the current position of the vehicle CR and the current time to the processing control unit 110 as GPS data.

[0106] It is also assumed that the heart rate sensor unit 270 transmits the driver's heart rate as heart rate data to the processing control unit 110. It is also assumed that the camera unit 280 photographs the driver's face, converts the photographed result into digital image data, and transmits it to the processing control unit 110. It is also assumed that the processing control unit 110 analyzes the digital image data to derive the blinking frequency of the driver. It is also assumed that the processing control unit 110 derives driving time related information, which is driving history information of the vehicle CR, based on the map information MPI in the storage unit 210 and changes over time in the current position of the vehicle CR, and derives the driver's rest status from the driving time related information.

[0107] In the process of generating guidance information regarding rest for the driver, first, in step S11, the processing control unit 110 determines whether or not there is a planned travel section following the travel section in which the vehicle CR is traveling, as shown in Fig. 3. If the result of this determination is negative (step S11: N), the process proceeds to step S14, which will be described later.

[0108] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S11 is affirmative (step S11: Y), the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the processing control unit 110 determines whether or not the impact on the driver's body of traveling on the road of the planned traveling section next to the traveling section on which the vehicle CR is currently traveling has been evaluated.

[0109] If the result of this determination is positive (step S12: Y), the process proceeds to step S14, which will be described later. If the result of the determination in step S12 is negative (step S12: N), the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the processing control unit 110 performs a "process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of future effects on the body." The process of step S13 will be described in detail later. Then, when the process of step S13 ends, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0110] In step S14, the processing control unit 110 performs "processing to generate guidance information related to rest based on evaluation of the current mental and physical state." Details of the processing of step S14 will be described later. Then, when the processing of step S14 ends, the processing proceeds to step S15.

[0111] In step S15, the processing control unit 110 refers to the current position of the vehicle CR and the map information MPI to determine whether the vehicle CR has reached the destination. If the result of this determination is negative (step S15: N), the processing returns to step S11. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S15 is positive (step S15: Y), the processing for generating guidance information regarding rest for the driver ends.

[0112] <Generation of rest guidance information based on assessment of future physical effects> The "processing for generating guidance information regarding rest based on the evaluation of future effects on the body" in step S13 described above will now be described.

[0113] 4, in this "processing for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an assessment of future physical effects," first, in step S21, the processing control unit 110 acquires the road characteristics of the planned section following the currently traveled section by referring to the map information MPI stored in the storage unit 210, and also acquires the driving environment conditions of the next planned section from the information server. After this, the processing proceeds to step S22.

[0114] Subsequently, in step S22, the processing control unit 110 evaluates the future physical impact on the driver based on the characteristics of the road of the next planned travel section and the driving environment situation, that is, evaluates whether the road driving environment will make the driver drowsy when traveling on the road of the next planned travel section, and evaluates whether the road driving environment will make the driver fatigued. After this, the processing proceeds to step S23.

[0115] In step S23, the processing control unit 110 determines whether or not the driver is evaluated as feeling drowsy in step S22. If the result of this determination is affirmative (step S23: Y), the process proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the processing control unit 110 generates first type of guidance information to advise the driver to take a rest to prevent drowsiness before traveling on the next road planned for travel. When generating the first type of guidance information, for example, if the road in the next planned travel section is an expressway, the processing control unit 110 references the map information MPI stored in the storage unit 210 and extracts a parking area at an entrance interchange (entrance facility) for the expressway. Then, the processing control unit 110 may generate first type of guidance information to advise the driver to take a one-hour nap and rest in the parking area before traveling on the expressway, for example.

[0116] Subsequently, the processing control unit 110 generates display data and output sound data corresponding to the content of the first type of guidance information, and then sends the display data to the display unit 230 and the output sound data to the sound output unit 220.

[0117] As a result, an image of the guidance information corresponding to the display data is displayed on the display unit 230. Furthermore, an output sound of the guidance information corresponding to the output sound data is output from the sound output unit 220. Once the guidance information has been output in this manner, the processing of step S24 ends. Once the processing of step S24 ends, the processing of step S13 ends. Then, the processing proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 3 described above.

[0118] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S23 is negative (step S23: N), the process proceeds to step S25. In step S25, it is determined whether or not the driver was evaluated to be fatigued in step S22. If the result of this determination is positive (step S25: Y), the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the processing control unit 110 generates second-type guidance information to advise the driver to take a rest to prevent fatigue before traveling on the next road planned for travel. When generating the second-type guidance information, for example, if the next planned travel section is a mountain road, the processing control unit 110 refers to the map information MPI and extracts roadside stations just before the mountain road. Then, the processing control unit 110 may generate second-type guidance information to advise the driver, for example, to "take a 20-minute relaxation rest at the roadside station before traveling on the mountain road."

[0119] Subsequently, the processing control unit 110 generates display data and output sound data corresponding to the content of the second type of guidance information, and then sends the display data to the display unit 230 and the output sound data to the sound output unit 220.

[0120] As a result, an image of the guidance information corresponding to the display data is displayed on the display unit 230. Furthermore, an output sound of the guidance information corresponding to the output sound data is output from the sound output unit 220. Once the guidance information has been output in this manner, the process of step S26 ends. Once the process of step S26 ends, the process of step S13 ends. Then, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 3 described above.

[0121] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S25 is negative (step S25: N), the process of step S13 ends, and the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG.

[0122] <Generation of rest guidance information based on evaluation of current mental and physical state> The "processing for generating guidance information regarding rest based on evaluation of the current mental and physical state" in step S14 described above will now be described.

[0123] 5, in this "process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of the current mental and physical state," first, in step S32, the processing control unit 110 evaluates whether the driver is currently feeling drowsy based on the driver's heart rate and blinking frequency, and evaluates whether the driver is currently tired based on the driver's heart rate and the driver's resting state. After this, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0124] In step S33, the processing control unit 110 determines whether or not the driver was evaluated as drowsy in step S32. If the result of this determination is affirmative (step S33: Y), the process proceeds to step S34. In step S34, the processing control unit 110 immediately generates third-type guidance information to advise the driver to take a break to relieve drowsiness. When generating this third-type guidance information, for example, the processing control unit 110 references map information MPI to extract the nearest convenience store. Then, the processing control unit 110 may generate, for example, third-type guidance information to advise the driver to "take a one-hour nap at the convenience store 100 meters away and then take a break to have a coffee."

[0125] Next, the processing control unit 110 generates display data and output sound data corresponding to the content of the third type of guidance information, and then sends the display data to the display unit 230 and the output sound data to the sound output unit 220.

[0126] As a result, an image of the guidance information corresponding to the display data is displayed on the display unit 230. Furthermore, an output sound of the guidance information corresponding to the output sound data is output from the sound output unit 220. Once the guidance information has been output in this manner, the processing of step S34 ends. Once the processing of step S34 ends, the processing of step S14 ends. Then, the processing proceeds to step S15 in FIG. 3 described above.

[0127] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S33 is negative (step S33: N), the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, it is determined whether or not the driver was evaluated to be fatigued in step S32. If the result of this determination is positive (step S35: Y), the process proceeds to step S36. In step S36, the processing control unit 110 immediately generates fourth type guidance information to advise the driver to take a break to recover from fatigue. When generating this fourth type of guidance information, for example, the processing control unit 110 references map information MPI to extract the nearest convenience store. Then, for example, the processing control unit 110 generates fourth type guidance information to advise the driver to "take a 30-minute break at the convenience store 200 meters away, listening to music and relaxing."

[0128] Next, processing control unit 110 generates display data and output sound data corresponding to the content of the fourth type of guidance information, and then sends the display data to display unit 230 and the output sound data to sound output unit 220.

[0129] As a result, an image of the guidance information corresponding to the display data is displayed on the display unit 230. Furthermore, an output sound of the guidance information corresponding to the output sound data is output from the sound output unit 220. Once the guidance information has been output in this manner, the processing of step S36 ends. Once the processing of step S36 ends, the processing of step S14 ends. Then, the processing proceeds to step S15 in FIG. 3 described above.

[0130] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S35 is negative (step S35: N), the process of step S14 ends, and the process proceeds to step S15 in FIG.

[0131] As described above, in this embodiment, the processing control unit 110 acquires the characteristics of the roads in the planned travel section and the driving environment conditions. Next, based on this information, the processing control unit 110 evaluates whether the driver will feel drowsy and whether the driver will feel fatigued when traveling on the roads in the planned travel section. If the processing control unit 110 subsequently evaluates that the driver will feel drowsy, the processing control unit 110 generates guidance information to advise the driver to take a break to prevent drowsiness before traveling on the roads in the planned travel section. If the processing control unit 110 evaluates that the driver will feel fatigued, the processing control unit 110 generates guidance information to advise the driver to take a break to prevent fatigue before traveling on the roads in the planned travel section.

[0132] Therefore, even if the driver is not currently feeling drowsy or fatigued, guidance information regarding rest can be provided that takes into consideration the driver's drowsiness or fatigue while driving. As a result, the occurrence of drowsy driving or fatigued driving can be suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, guidance information regarding rest can be appropriately provided to the driver, contributing to safe driving.

[0133] In this embodiment, the processing control unit 110 also acquires information about the driver's heart rate and a captured image of the driver's face. The processing control unit 110 also derives and acquires driving time-related information based on the map information MPI and changes over time in the current position of the vehicle CR. Based on this information, the processing control unit 110 then evaluates whether the driver is currently feeling drowsy and whether the driver is fatigued. If the processing control unit 110 subsequently evaluates that the driver is feeling drowsy, it generates guidance information that advises the driver to immediately take a break to overcome drowsiness. If the processing control unit 110 evaluates that the driver is fatigued, it generates guidance information that advises the driver to immediately take a break to recover from fatigue.

[0134] Therefore, if the driver becomes drowsy or fatigued while driving, guidance information regarding rest can be immediately provided. As a result, the occurrence of drowsy driving or fatigued driving can be suppressed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, guidance information regarding rest can be provided to the driver more appropriately, contributing to safe driving.

[0135] [Modification of the embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0136] For example, in the above embodiment, the planned driving section is set for each road type, assuming that the destination has been set. However, the planned driving section may be set for each road characteristic or for each predetermined driving distance. Furthermore, the planned driving section may be set so as to change for each predetermined driving time.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the processing control unit searches for a route from the current location to the destination and sets the planned driving section for roads on the searched route. In contrast, if a destination has not been set, the processing control unit references map information stored in the storage unit, predicts roads based on changes in the current location of the vehicle CR, and predicts roads that follow the direction of travel as the predicted route. If the road type does not change after traveling a predetermined distance on the predicted route, the processing control unit may set the predicted route for the predetermined distance as the planned driving section. Furthermore, if the road type changes while traveling a predetermined distance on the predicted road, the processing control unit may set the planned driving section for each road type on the predicted route.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the processing control unit performs both "a process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of future effects on the body" and "a process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of the current mental and physical state." Alternatively, the processing control unit may perform only "a process of generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of future effects on the body."

[0139] In the above embodiment, the "process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of future effects on the body" is not performed for the first planned travel section. However, the "process for generating guidance information regarding rest based on an evaluation of future effects on the body" may be performed for the first planned travel section before the vehicle starts traveling.

[0140] In the above embodiment, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the future physical effects on the driver," if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver will become drowsy is negative, an evaluation of whether the driver will become fatigued is performed. On the other hand, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the future physical effects on the driver," even if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver will become drowsy is positive, an evaluation of whether the driver will become fatigued may be performed.

[0141] In the above embodiment, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the current mental and physical state of the driver," if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver is drowsy is negative, an evaluation of whether the driver is fatigued is performed. On the other hand, in the "process for generating guidance information based on the evaluation of the current mental and physical state of the driver," even if the result of the evaluation of whether the driver is drowsy is positive, an evaluation of whether the driver is fatigued may be performed.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the driver's heart rate and blinking frequency are used as biological information, but the driver's drowsiness and fatigue may be evaluated based on biological information such as the driver's blood pressure, body temperature, sweat rate, eye movement fluctuation, and brain waves.

[0143] In the above embodiment, the period during which the driver is resting is identified from the vehicle's driving history. However, the period during which the ACC power supply of the vehicle is turned off may be identified as the period during which the driver is resting.

[0144] Furthermore, the above examples can be appropriately modified in the same manner as the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 100 ... Guidance information generating device 110 ... Processing control unit (road information acquisition unit, mental and physical information acquisition unit, generation unit (physical influence Evaluation section, break evaluation section, information generation section) 700 ... Guidance information generating device 710 … Road information acquisition department 720 … Mental and physical information acquisition department 750 … Generation section 751 ... Physical Impact Assessment Division 752 ... Mental and Physical Status Assessment Department 753 ... Break Evaluation Department 754 … Information generation section

Claims

[Claim 1] a road information acquisition unit that acquires road driving environment information including characteristics of a road along which the mobile object is scheduled to travel; a generating unit that generates guidance information regarding a rest period for the driver of the mobile object when the driver of the mobile object evaluates that the driver should take a rest period based on the road driving environment information; A guidance information generating device comprising:

Images