Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing deterioration of cognitive functions of a driver in an information processing apparatus for navigating a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus for navigating a vehicle includes one or more processors, and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, where the one or more processors acquire a driving history of a driver of the vehicle on a predetermined route, execute an evaluation relating to cognitive functions of the driver based on the acquired driving history, and determine a presented item of navigation information to be presented to the driver based on the executed evaluation relating to cognitive functions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, and more particularly to an information processing device that navigates a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Navigation systems that provide vehicle route guidance to drivers are known. Recently, navigation systems have optimized route guidance, and the system often provides the same route from the departure point to the destination, which can lead to problems such as a decline in driver attention due to driver habituation.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a warning notification system that includes a route acquisition unit that acquires travel route information indicating the travel route of a vehicle, a route determination unit that determines whether the travel route is a familiar route, a situation acquisition unit that acquires past travel conditions of the travel route and current travel conditions of the travel route when the route determination unit determines that the travel route is a familiar route, and a warning determination unit that determines whether to issue a warning regarding an event associated with the travel route based on the past travel conditions of the travel route and the current travel conditions of the travel route.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses a vehicle information providing device that is mounted on a vehicle and provides the driver with information according to the driving conditions of the vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: a storage means for storing the driving route of the vehicle; a current position detection means for detecting the current position of the vehicle; a determination means for calculating the current driving route of the vehicle from the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection, and comparing this calculated current driving route of the vehicle with the driving route of the vehicle stored in the storage means to determine whether the past frequency of travel of the current driving route is higher than a predetermined threshold; and an alarm means for outputting an alarm if the past frequency of travel of the current driving route is higher than the predetermined threshold. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 021001 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-268480 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cognitive function of a driver is extremely important for safely driving a vehicle. In recent years, with the aging society, measures to prevent the decline in cognitive function of drivers have been desired, but it is also desirable to prevent the decline in cognitive function of drivers from a young age, even for drivers who are not elderly. The technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can prevent the decline in attention due to driver habituation. However, there is room for improvement in preventing the decline in cognitive function of drivers.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for suppressing a decline in the cognitive function of a driver in an information processing device that navigates a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that navigates a vehicle, and includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors acquire a driving history of the driver of the vehicle along a predetermined route, perform an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function based on the acquired driving history, and determine the items of navigation information to be presented to the driver based on the performed evaluation of the cognitive function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress a decline in the cognitive function of a driver in an information processing device that navigates a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle equipped with an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a first operation example of the information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a second operation example of the information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] <1. First embodiment> (1-1. Overall configuration of the vehicle) An example of the overall configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with an information processing device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] Vehicle 1 is a two-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle in which drive torque output from drive power source 2, which generates drive torque for vehicle 1, is transmitted to the front wheels. Drive power source 2 may include an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, a drive motor, or both an internal combustion engine and a drive motor.

[0014] The combination of drive wheels and the drive method are not limited. For example, vehicle 1 may be a rear-wheel drive vehicle or a four-wheel drive vehicle. Vehicle 1 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with two drive motors, including a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor. Vehicle 1 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with drive motors corresponding to each wheel. If vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle, vehicle 1 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores power supplied to the drive motors, and a motor or a generator such as a fuel cell that generates power to charge the battery.

[0015] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a driving force source 2, an electric steering device 3, and brake devices 4LF, 4RF, 4LR, and 4RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "brake devices 4" unless a distinction is required) as devices used to control the operation of the vehicle 1. The driving force source 2 outputs driving torque that is transmitted to a front-wheel drive shaft 6F via a transmission (not shown) and a differential mechanism 5. The operation of the driving force source 2 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control device 7 that includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Units).

[0016] An electric steering device 3 is provided on the front wheel drive shaft 6F. The electric steering device 3 includes an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown), and is controlled by a vehicle control device 7 to adjust the steering angle of the front wheels. The vehicle control device 7 controls the electric steering device 3 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel by the driver. If the vehicle 1 is a vehicle capable of executing automatic driving control, the vehicle control device 7 controls the electric steering device 3 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel by the driver during manual driving. On the other hand, during automatic driving, the vehicle control device 7 controls the electric steering device 3 based on the steering angle or steering angular velocity set by a publicly known or arbitrary method.

[0017] Brake devices 4LF, 4RF, 4LR, and 4RR apply braking force to the respective wheels. The brake devices 4 may be, for example, hydraulic brake devices. In this case, the vehicle control device 7 controls the drive of a hydraulic unit (not shown) to adjust the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 4. If the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the brake devices 4 are used in combination with regenerative braking using a drive motor.

[0018] The vehicle control device 7 includes one or more electronic control devices that control the driving of the driving force source 2, the electric steering device 3, and the hydraulic unit (not shown). If the vehicle 1 is equipped with a transmission that changes the speed of the output from the driving force source 2 and transmits it to the wheels, the vehicle control device 7 has a function to control the driving of the transmission. Note that if the vehicle 1 is a vehicle that can perform automatic driving control, the vehicle control device 7 is configured to be able to acquire information transmitted from the information processing device 20, etc., and is configured to be able to perform automatic driving control of the vehicle 1.

[0019] The vehicle 1 includes an ambient environment sensor 8, a vehicle state sensor 9, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 10, and a notification device 11 in addition to the vehicle control device 7 described above.

[0020] The surrounding environment sensor 8 includes, for example, front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF and a rear photographing camera 8R. The front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF photograph the area in front of the vehicle 1 and generate image data. The rear photographing camera 8R photographs the area behind the vehicle 1 and generates image data. The front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF and the rear photographing camera 8R are equipped with imaging elements such as CCDs (Charged Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors), and transmit the generated image data to the information processing device 20. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, the front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF are configured as stereo cameras including a pair of left and right cameras, but the front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF may also be monocular cameras. In addition to the front photographing cameras 8LF, 8RF, the surrounding environment sensor 8 may also include one or more ranging sensors selected from a radar sensor such as a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or a millimeter-wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0021] The vehicle state sensor 9 includes at least one sensor that detects the operating state and behavior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle state sensor 9 includes at least one of a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, and an engine rotation speed sensor, for example. The vehicle state sensor 9 also includes at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor, for example. The vehicle state sensor 9 transmits information indicating the detection result to the information processing device 20.

[0022] The GNSS sensor 10 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GNSS sensor 10 transmits position information of the vehicle 1 contained in the received satellite signals to the information processing device 20. Note that the GNSS sensor 10 may be provided with an antenna, in addition to the GPS sensor, that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems that identify the position of the vehicle 1.

[0023] The notification device 11 is driven by the information processing device 207 and notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of various information by means of image display, audio output, or the like. The notification device 11 includes, for example, a display device provided in an instrument panel and a speaker provided in the vehicle 1. The display device may be a display device of a navigation system. The notification device 11 may also include a HUD (Head Up Display) that displays information on the front window of the vehicle 1.

[0024] (1-2. Information processing device) An information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0025] (1-2-1. Configuration example) The information processing device 20 functions as a device for navigating the vehicle 1 by having one or more processors, such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute the operations, described below, that should be performed by the information processing device 20. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 22, described below, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the information processing device 20 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the information processing device 20.

[0026] Recording media for recording computer programs may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Blu-ray (registered trademark), magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, memory elements such as RAMs and ROMs, flash memories such as USB memories and SSDs, and other media capable of storing programs.

[0027] The information processing device 20 is connected to a vehicle control device 7, an ambient environment sensor 8, a vehicle state sensor 9, a GNSS sensor 10, and a notification device 11 via a dedicated line or communication means such as a controller area network (CAN) or local internet (LIN). The information processing device 20 can exchange information with an external server via a publicly known or arbitrary network. Note that the information processing device 20 is not limited to an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle 1, but may be an external server or the like capable of communicating with the vehicle 1 via a publicly known or arbitrary network, or may be a terminal device such as a smartphone or a wearable device. Furthermore, part or all of the configuration of the information processing device 20 may be incorporated into the vehicle control device 7.

[0028] The information processing device 20 includes a processing unit 21 and a storage unit 22 .

[0029] (Processing section) The processing unit 21 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 21 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or may be a program module or the like that is executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.

[0030] (Storage part) The storage unit 22 is configured with one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM connected to the processing unit 21 so as to be able to communicate with the processing unit 21. However, there is no particular limitation on the type and number of the storage units 22. The storage unit 22 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 21, various parameters used in the calculation processing, detection data, and calculation results.

[0031] Map information is stored in advance in the memory unit 22. The memory unit 22 also stores in advance a driving achievement status table indicating that the driver of the vehicle 1 has driven in accordance with the navigation information. The driving achievement status table may include a recommended route from the departure point of the vehicle 1 to the destination, the number of times the vehicle 1 has driven the recommended route (hereinafter also referred to as the "number of times of driving"), and the number of times the driver of the vehicle 1 has driven the recommended route without making any mistakes (hereinafter also referred to as the "number of times of achievement"). The memory unit 22 may also store information on the vehicle width of the vehicle 1.

[0032] (1-2-2. Functional configuration of the processing unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 will be briefly described. The processing unit 21 includes an acquisition unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a determination unit 33, a presentation unit 34, and an update unit 35. Each of these units is a function realized by execution of a computer program by one or more processors such as a CPU. However, some or all of the acquisition unit 31, calculation unit 32, determination unit 33, presentation unit 34, and update unit 35 may be configured using analog circuits.

[0033] (Acquisition Department) The acquisition unit 31 mainly acquires the driving history of the driver of the vehicle 1 along a predetermined route. The driving history may include the number of times the driver of the vehicle 1 has driven a certain route. The driving history may also include the number of times the driver of the vehicle 1 has achieved driving according to the navigation information along a certain route. Here, the driving history may be stored in an external server or the like that can communicate with the information processing device 20 via a publicly known or arbitrary network in association with identification information for identifying the driver of the vehicle 1, in order to prevent the accumulated driving history from being initialized when the driver replaces the vehicle 1. As a result, even if the driver replaces the vehicle 1, the information processing device 20 can communicate with the external server or the like, allowing the acquisition unit 31 to acquire (take over) the driving history of the driver before the driver replaced the vehicle 1. The acquisition unit 31 may acquire the driver's past driving achievement status according to the navigation information for each of multiple routes, as will be described in detail later. The acquisition unit 31 may also acquire the driver's biometric information.

[0034] (Calculation section) The calculation unit 32 performs an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function mainly based on the driving history acquired by the acquisition unit 31. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the calculation unit 32 may perform an evaluation of the cognitive function based on each of the achievement states acquired by the acquisition unit 31. Furthermore, the calculation unit 32 may further use the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 31 when performing an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function.

[0035] (Judgment Department) The determination unit 33 determines the items of navigation information to be presented to the driver mainly based on the evaluation of cognitive functions performed by the calculation unit 32.

[0036] (Presentation part) The presentation unit 34 mainly controls the driving of the notification device 11 to present the navigation information to the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the presentation unit 34 presents the navigation information to the driver of the vehicle 1 by image display, audio output, or the like.

[0037] (Update section) The update unit 35 updates the progress of the travel for the route set by the driver of the vehicle 1. Details will be described later.

[0038] (1-2-3. First Operation Example of Information Processing Device) A first operation example of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart in FIG.

[0039] Here, it is assumed that the driving achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22 of the information processing device 20 is initialized. For example, when the vehicle 1 is purchased, the number of times of driving and the number of times of achievement included in the driving achievement status table are each initialized to "0."

[0040] In step S10, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information on the departure point and destination of the vehicle 1. Specifically, when the driver of the vehicle 1 sets a route to the destination, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information on the departure point of the vehicle 1 based on the position information output from the GNSS sensor 10. The acquisition unit 31 also acquires information on the destination set by the driver via the navigation system. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0041] In step S11, the calculation unit 32 calculates a recommended route from the departure point to the destination based on the departure point information and destination information acquired in step S10. Specifically, the calculation unit 32 uses publicly known or any navigation technology to calculate one or more recommended routes that appropriately optimize arrival time, travel distance, toll fees, congestion avoidance, etc. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0042] In step S11, the calculation unit 32 may take into consideration information about the width of the vehicle 1 when calculating the recommended route. In this case, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the width of the vehicle 1 that is pre-stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the width of the vehicle 1 through an input operation by the driver of the vehicle 1 to the navigation system. The acquisition unit 31 also acquires information about the width of each road included in multiple candidate routes from the current location to the destination, based on map information pre-stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the calculation unit 32 selects, from the multiple candidate routes, a candidate route that allows the vehicle 1 to travel without any trouble on each road included in each candidate route, as the recommended route, based on the information about the width of the vehicle 1 and the information about the road width.

[0043] In step S12, the presentation unit 34 presents the recommended route calculated in step S11 to the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the presentation unit 34 controls the driving of the notification device 11 to display one or more recommended routes on a display screen provided in the display device of the navigation system so that the driver can select one or more recommended routes. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0044] In this operation example, it is assumed that one recommended route is set by the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0045] In step S13, the presentation unit 34 presents navigation information (hereinafter also referred to as "navigation information") to the driver of the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 can travel along the recommended route calculated in step S11. Specifically, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the current location of the vehicle 1 based on the position information of the vehicle 1 output from the GNSS sensor 10. Then, based on the information about the current location of the vehicle 1, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information for notifying the driver of the next lane change point, etc. that the vehicle 1 must pass through on the recommended route as navigation information from an external server or the like via a publicly known or arbitrary network. Then, the presentation unit 34 controls the driving of the notification device 11 to present the navigation information acquired by the acquisition unit 31 to the driver by image display or audio output. Note that the navigation information may include, but is not limited to, information about the distance from the current location of the vehicle 1 to the next lane change point, etc., or information about traffic lights or signs from the current location of the vehicle 1 to the next lane change point, etc., and may include any information for navigating the vehicle 1. For example, the navigation information may include, in addition to the information on the course change point, information on the direction of the destination, information on the direction of the course change, information on the lane (driving lane), etc. After that, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0046] In step S14, the determination unit 33 determines whether the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination. Specifically, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the current location of the vehicle 1 based on the position information of the vehicle 1 output from the GNSS sensor 10. Then, the determination unit 33 determines that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination when the current location of the vehicle 1 is within a predetermined range from the destination. If it is determined that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination (step S14: YES), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 1 has not arrived at the destination (step S14: NO), step S14 is repeated until it is determined that the vehicle 1 has arrived at the destination.

[0047] In step S15, the determination unit 33 determines whether the vehicle 1 has traveled in accordance with the navigation information presented in step S13. Specifically, the determination unit 33 determines whether the vehicle 1 has traveled in accordance with the navigation information based on a comparison between the recommended route set by the driver of the vehicle 1 in step S12 and the movement trajectory of the vehicle 1 from the departure point to the destination. The movement trajectory of the vehicle 1 is the change in the position of the vehicle 1 over time from the departure point to the destination, and is the actual movement trajectory of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the acquisition unit 31 acquires, based on the recommended route set by the driver of the vehicle 1, a first traveling direction in which the vehicle 1 should travel immediately after passing each course change point included in the recommended route. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 31 acquires, based on the actual traveling trajectory of the vehicle 1, an actual second traveling direction in which the vehicle 1 should travel immediately after passing each course change point included in the recommended route. Note that "immediately after passing" refers to a certain period of time from when the vehicle 1 passes a course change point to when it passes the next course change point. Then, if the first traveling direction and the second traveling direction match, the determination unit 33 determines that the vehicle 1 has traveled in accordance with the navigation information. By repeating this determination until the vehicle 1 travels from the departure point to the destination, the determination unit 33 determines whether the driver of the vehicle 1 has traveled the vehicle 1 in accordance with the navigation information without making any mistakes from the departure point to the destination. If it is determined that the vehicle 1 has traveled in accordance with the navigation information (step S15: YES), the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 1 has not traveled in accordance with the navigation information (step S15: NO), the process ends.

[0048] Here, in step S15, if the recommended route set by the driver of vehicle 1 is automatically changed by the navigation system to avoid traffic congestion or the like, the automatically changed recommended route may be used after the point where the recommended route is automatically changed, instead of the recommended route originally set by the driver. Note that if the recommended route originally set by the driver is automatically changed by the navigation system because the driver made a mistake at a lane change point or the like, a negative determination may be made in step S15, and the process may end.

[0049] In step S16, the update unit 35 updates the driving achievement status for the recommended route set by the driver of the vehicle 1 in step S12. Specifically, the update unit 35 updates the driving achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22 by incrementing by 1 the number of achievements indicating the status of driving the recommended route set by the driver in step S12. Therefore, if a negative determination is made in step S15, the number of achievements is not incremented. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0050] Thereafter, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 repeats the processes of steps S10 to S16 for the recommended route set based on the departure point and destination each time the driver of the vehicle 1 uses the navigation system to drive the vehicle 1. As a result, if the driver can drive the same recommended route as a recommended route selected by the driver in the past without making any mistakes, the number of times the route has been achieved is incremented.

[0051] Here, when steps S10 to S16 are repeated, the determination unit 33 may determine the items of navigation information to be presented to the driver for the same recommended route as a recommended route previously selected by the driver, in a manner similar to the processing of steps S21 and S22, which will be described in detail later.

[0052] When repeating steps S10 to S16, the processing unit 21 may initialize the driving achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22 at a timing according to the age of the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the processing unit 21 may initialize the driving achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22 when the number of repetitions of steps S10 to S16 reaches a predetermined upper limit value. The predetermined upper limit value may be set lower as the age group of the driver of the vehicle 1 increases.

[0053] (1-2-4. Second Operation Example of Information Processing Device) A second operation example of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described along a flowchart with reference to Fig. 4. The second operation example is performed when the number of repetitions of the first operation example reaches or exceeds a preset threshold, but the present disclosure may not be limited to this.

[0054] In step S20, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the past driving achievement status of the driver of the vehicle 1 according to the navigation information for each of the multiple routes. Specifically, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the number of times the route has been driven and the number of times the route has been achieved for each of the multiple recommended routes from the driving achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22. In this operation example, the number of times the route has been driven and the number of times the route has been achieved for a first recommended route from a first departure point to a first destination are acquired. Also, the number of times the route has been driven and the number of times the route has been achieved for a second recommended route from a second departure point to a second destination are acquired. Also, the number of times the route has been driven and the number of times the route has been achieved for a third recommended route from a third departure point to a third destination are acquired. Note that the first to third departure points are different from each other, the first to third destinations are different from each other, and the first to third recommended routes are different from each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and the contents of the departure points and destinations to be used in the cognitive function evaluation described below and the number of sets of departure points and destinations can be arbitrarily set. The process then proceeds to step S21.

[0055] In step S21, the calculation unit 32 evaluates the cognitive function of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the achievement status for each of the multiple routes acquired in step S21. Specifically, the calculation unit 32 calculates an achievement rate for each recommended route by dividing the number of times each recommended route acquired in step S21 has been achieved by the number of times it has been driven. Then, the calculation unit 32 classifies the calculated achievement rates for each recommended route into multiple stages using multiple thresholds, and calculates an evaluation value of cognitive function corresponding to each stage. More specifically, the calculation unit 32 classifies the calculated achievement rates for each recommended route into a first stage in which the achievement rate is equal to or greater than a first threshold, a second stage in which the achievement rate is equal to or greater than a second threshold but less than the first threshold, and a third stage in which the achievement rate is less than the second threshold. Then, the calculation unit 32 evaluates the cognitive function for the first stage as "good," evaluates the cognitive function for the second stage as "normal," and evaluates the cognitive function for the third stage as "requires caution." The evaluation of the cognitive function may be presented to the driver together with the navigation information in step S23, which will be described later, allowing the driver to intuitively grasp the current state of his or her own cognitive function.

[0056] For example, consider a case where the first threshold is preset to 80% and the second threshold is preset to 70%, which is lower than the first threshold. If the achievement rate for the first recommended route is 100%, the achievement rate for the second recommended route is 90%, and the achievement rate for the third recommended route is 95%, the cognitive function is evaluated as "good." If the achievement rate for the first recommended route is 80%, the achievement rate for the second recommended route is 90%, and the achievement rate for the third recommended route is 95%, the cognitive function is evaluated as "normal." If the achievement rate for the first recommended route is 60%, the achievement rate for the second recommended route is 90%, and the achievement rate for the third recommended route is 95%, the cognitive function is evaluated as "requires caution." However, the present disclosure is not limited to these, and the above-mentioned multiple stages do not necessarily have to be three stages, and statistical values ​​(such as average values) of the achievement rates for each recommended route may be used.

[0057] In this way, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 acquires each recommended route that the driver has traveled in the past, which corresponds to the driving history of the driver of the vehicle 1 along a predetermined route, and the number of times each recommended route has been traveled and completed.The processing unit 21 then performs an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function based on each recommended route that corresponds to the acquired driving history, and the number of times each recommended route has been traveled and completed.Then, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0058] In step S22, the determination unit 33 determines the items of navigation information to be presented to the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the evaluation of cognitive function performed in step S21. Specifically, the determination unit 33 determines that the higher the evaluation of cognitive function (e.g., closer to "good"), the fewer the number of items to be presented in the navigation information. Furthermore, the determination unit 33 determines that the lower the evaluation of cognitive function (e.g., closer to "caution required"), the more the number of items to be presented in the navigation information. The presented items may include, but are not limited to, one or more of items for presenting the driver with information about the destination, items for presenting the driver with information about route changes from the departure point to the destination, and items for presenting the driver with information about lanes (driving lanes) from the departure point to the destination.

[0059] More specifically, if the determination unit 33 determines that the cognitive function evaluation in step S21 is "good," it may determine that the number of navigation information items to be presented to the driver of the vehicle 1 in the next and subsequent trips will be reduced compared to the previous trip. For example, if the navigation information in the previous trip included information on lane change points, the direction of the destination, and information on the direction of the lane change, the determination unit 33 may determine that the navigation information in the next trip will only include information on the lane change points and the direction of the destination. The determination unit 33 may also determine that the navigation information in the trip after that will only include the direction of the destination. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0060] On the other hand, if the determination unit 33 determines that the cognitive function is evaluated as "normal" in step S21, it may determine that the number of navigation information items to be presented to the driver from the previous time onward will not be reduced from the previous time. After that, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0061] On the other hand, if the determination unit 33 determines that the cognitive function evaluation in step S21 is "caution required," it may determine that the number of items to be presented in the navigation information to the driver in the next and subsequent trips will be increased compared to the previous trip. For example, the determination unit 33 may determine that, in the navigation information for the next trip, information on lane change points will be presented to the driver earlier and more frequently than in the previous trip. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0062] In step S23, when the vehicle 1 travels along the recommended route calculated in the same manner as in step S11 from the next time onward, the presentation unit 34 presents navigation information to the driver based on the presentation items determined in step S22. At this time, the cognitive function evaluation value calculated in step S21 may be presented to the driver together with the navigation information. This allows the driver to intuitively grasp the current state of his or her cognitive function. Thereafter, the process ends. The presentation method is the same as the method described above, and the navigation information is presented to the driver by image display or audio output by controlling the driving of the notification device 11.

[0063] (effect) As described above, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 according to the first embodiment acquires the driving history of the driver of the vehicle 1 along a predetermined route. Then, the processing unit 21 performs an evaluation of the driver's cognitive functions based on the acquired driving history. Then, the processing unit 21 determines the presentation items of navigation information to be presented to the driver based on the performed evaluation of the cognitive functions.

[0064] Here, even if a driver is evaluated as having good cognitive function, if he or she continues to drive relying heavily on navigation information, he or she will lose motivation to become familiar with the route, and if this situation continues, this may lead to a decline in cognitive function.In contrast, according to this embodiment, even if a driver is evaluated as having good cognitive function, for example, the number of items in the navigation information presented to the driver is reduced, so that the driver can become familiar with the route, and as a result, the decline in the driver's cognitive function can be suppressed.

[0065] As a modified example, biometric information of the driver of the vehicle 1 may be further used when performing the evaluation of cognitive function in step S21. That is, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 may acquire biometric information of the driver of the vehicle 1, and further use the acquired biometric information when performing the evaluation of the driver's cognitive function. This modified example will be specifically described below. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0066] That is, the driver of the vehicle 1 is assumed to wear a wearable terminal (not shown) equipped with a vital sensor capable of measuring the driver's heart rate. The information processing device 20 is assumed to be capable of communicating with the wearable terminal via a publicly known or arbitrary network. The storage unit 22 of the information processing device 20 is assumed to pre-store a reference heart rate value that is deemed appropriate if the driver's cognitive function is normal, depending on the driving history or driving scene of the vehicle 1. Here, the driving history may include information on the number of times the driver has driven the vehicle 1 in the past, since it is considered that the driver uses his / her cognitive function more than usual, for example. The driving scene may also include a scene in which the driver encountered a near-miss incident due to a pedestrian or the like running into the road, which requires more cognitive function than usual. The reference heart rate value is a value determined by testing, experimentation, or the like that is deemed appropriate if the driver's cognitive function is normal, depending on the driving history or driving scene. The reference heart rate value is set higher when the driver uses his / her cognitive function more than usual.

[0067] The acquisition unit 31 acquires a driving history or a driving scene from the ambient environment sensor 8 or the like in the same manner as in the above-described operation example. The acquisition unit 31 then acquires the driver's heart rate in the acquired driving history or driving scene from the wearable device. The acquisition unit 31 also acquires a reference heart rate value that is considered appropriate if the driver's cognitive function is normal, based on the acquired driving history or driving scene, by referring to the storage unit 22. The determination unit 33 then evaluates the driver's cognitive function based on a comparison between the driver's heart rate and the reference value. Specifically, when classifying the completion rate of each recommended route into multiple stages using multiple thresholds in step S21 described above, the determination unit 33 determines whether to change the multiple thresholds based on a comparison between the driver's heart rate and the reference value. For example, a driver with impaired cognitive function may not experience an increase in heart rate to the level considered appropriate for such a case, even when driving an unfamiliar route or encountering a near-miss incident. Therefore, when the deviation between the driver's heart rate and the reference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the determination unit 33 determines to raise each of the multiple thresholds in step S21 described above, thereby making the evaluation standard for cognitive function stricter for a driver with impaired cognitive function.

[0068] As the biological information, blood pressure or respiratory rate may be used instead of heart rate. Either biological information may be detected by a vital sensor provided on the seat of the vehicle 1, instead of the vital sensor provided on the wearable terminal. Furthermore, as the biological information, pupil size or gaze direction, which can be detected based on an image captured by an in-vehicle camera (not shown), may be used. Note that by monitoring the driver's daily biological information using a wearable terminal or the like, it may be possible to determine whether the biological information is showing an abnormal value due to poor physical condition rather than a decline in cognitive function.

[0069] As another modified example, the determination unit 33 of the information processing device 20 may determine sections of a predetermined route where an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is to be performed and sections where an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is not to be performed, based on the driving history of the driver of the vehicle 1 along the predetermined route. In this case, the calculation unit 32 of the information processing device 20 performs an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function only for sections where the determination unit 33 determines that an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is to be performed, as in the second operation example described above. Examples of sections where an evaluation of the cognitive function is not to be performed include (i) a section where the driver of the vehicle 1 is pressed for time and driving more hastily than usual, (ii) a section where the driver of the vehicle 1 temporarily deviates from the predetermined recommended route to stop at a rest facility or store due to fatigue, and (iii) a section where the driver of the vehicle 1 is replaced by another driver, but the present disclosure is not limited to these. Note that the section related to (i) above may also be a section where the vehicle speed and acceleration acquired by the acquisition unit 31 from the vehicle speed sensor and acceleration sensor, respectively, of the vehicle 1 are greater than the average vehicle speed and acceleration of the driver of the vehicle 1. The section related to (ii) above can be identified based on the position information of the vehicle 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 31 from the GNSS sensor 10 of the vehicle 1. The section related to (iii) above may be a section in which the driver included in the image captured by the in-vehicle imaging camera provided in the vehicle 1 is a driver other than the pre-registered driver stored in the storage unit 22. The driver of the vehicle 1 may be able to switch, as appropriate, via a navigation system or the like, whether to perform the assessment of cognitive function for all sections or for some sections.

[0070] <2. Second Embodiment> An information processing device 20 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The following mainly describes the differences between the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0071] (2-1. Configuration example of information processing device) An example of the configuration of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

[0072] The processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 includes an acquisition unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a determination unit 33, a presentation unit 34, and an update unit 35, as in the first embodiment, and further includes a map creation unit .

[0073] The map creation unit 36 ​​creates map information that clearly shows the achievement status of the driver's past driving in accordance with the navigation information, based on the driving history of the driver of the vehicle 1. Details will be described later.

[0074] The presentation unit 34 controls the driving of the notification device 11 to present the map information created by the map creation unit 36 ​​to the driver of the vehicle 1. The presentation unit 34 performs the presentation by image display, audio output, or the like.

[0075] In addition to the functions described above in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 may acquire the past driving achievement status of the driver of the vehicle 1 and the driver of another vehicle different from the vehicle 1 in accordance with the navigation information. Note that the past navigation information of the driver of the other vehicle may be stored in an external server or the like, and can be acquired from the external server via a publicly known or any network.

[0076] In addition to the functions described above in the first embodiment, the presentation unit 34 may rank the achievement statuses of the vehicle 1 and the other vehicles based on a comparison between the achievement status of the vehicle 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 31 and the achievement status of the other vehicles, and present the rankings to the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0077] In addition to the various information described above in the first embodiment, the memory unit 22 stores map information created by the map creation unit 36 ​​that clearly shows the driver's past achievements of driving in accordance with the navigation information.

[0078] (2-2. Example of operation of information processing device) An example of the operation of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart in FIG.

[0079] In step S30, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the departure point and destination of the vehicle 1. This step is the same as step S10 described above. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S31.

[0080] In step S31, the calculation unit 32 calculates multiple routes from the departure point to the destination based on the departure point and destination acquired in step S30. This step is the same as step S11 described above. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0081] In step S32, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the achievement status of the driver's past travels according to the navigation information for each of the multiple routes calculated in step S31. Specifically, similar to step S20 described above, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the number of times each recommended route has been achieved from the travel achievement status table stored in the storage unit 22. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0082] In step S33, the map creation unit 36 ​​creates map information for each of the multiple routes calculated in step S31, in which the achievement status acquired in step S32 is clearly displayed. Specifically, the map creation unit 36 ​​creates map information in which the display mode of each route differs depending on the number of achievements acquired in step S32. For example, the map creation unit 36 ​​may create map information that allows each route to be displayed in a different color on the map depending on the number of achievements, such as gold if the number of achievements is equal to or greater than a first threshold, silver if the number of achievements is equal to or greater than a second threshold but less than the first threshold, and bronze if the number of achievements is less than the second threshold. The process then proceeds to step S34. Note that the map creation unit 36 ​​may create map information that displays a number indicating the number of achievements instead of or in addition to the color-coded display, or may create map information in which different symbols or markers are used depending on the number of achievements.

[0083] In step S34, the presentation unit 34 presents the map information created in step S33 to the driver of the vehicle 1. Here, the presentation unit 34 may present to the driver, by screen display or audio output, a message encouraging the driver to take a route with a number of travel times less than a reference value among the multiple routes. In this case, the presentation unit 34 may select and present a route to be encouraged to take among the multiple routes, depending on the evaluation of the driver's cognitive function. For example, if the evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is "good," the presentation unit 34 may present a message encouraging the driver to take a route with a number of travel times less than a first threshold. Furthermore, if the evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is "fair," the presentation unit 34 may present a message encouraging the driver to take a route with a number of travel times greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold. Furthermore, if the evaluation of the driver's cognitive function is "requires caution," the presentation unit 34 may present a message encouraging the driver to take a route with a number of travel times greater than or equal to a second threshold from the perspective of safety.

[0084] As described above, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 according to the second embodiment creates map information that clearly indicates the achievement status of past driving according to the navigation information of the driver of the vehicle 1, based on the driving history. Then, the processing unit 21 presents the created map information to the driver.

[0085] With this configuration, a driver who views map information displaying his or her own driving achievement status can be encouraged to drive a route that is different from the usual route, for example, a route that has not been achieved many times. As a result, when the driver drives a route that is different from the usual route, it leads to familiarization of the route that is different from the usual route, and as a result, it is possible to suppress a decline in the driver's cognitive function.

[0086] As a modified example, the above-described achievement statuses may be ranked among the drivers. That is, the processing unit 21 of the information processing device 20 acquires the past achievement statuses of the drivers of the vehicle 1 and other vehicles different from the vehicle 1 when driving in accordance with the navigation information. Then, the processing unit 21 ranks the achievement statuses of the vehicle 1 and other vehicles based on a comparison between the acquired achievement statuses of the vehicle 1 and the other vehicles, and presents the rankings to the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, when creating map information in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the map creation unit 36 ​​creates map information including information on the ranking of the achievement status compared to the drivers of the other vehicles. Then, when presenting map information in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the presentation unit 34 presents map information to the driver of the vehicle 1, to which the ranking of the achievement status compared to the drivers of the other vehicles is added.

[0087] This can motivate drivers who view map information that displays their own driving achievements in a ranking format compared to drivers of other vehicles to increase the number of times they achieve these achievements. As a result, when a driver drives a route that is different from their usual route, it can lead to familiarization of the route, and as a result, it can prevent a decline in the driver's cognitive function.

[0088] As a modified example, the determination unit 33 may determine to increase the evaluation of cognitive function by a predetermined level when it determines, in the same manner as in step S15 described above, that the driver was able to travel without making any mistakes on a route presented in step S34 for which the number of times traveled is less than a reference value. Furthermore, the determination unit 33 may determine to decrease the evaluation of cognitive function by a predetermined level when it determines, in the same manner as in step S15 described above, that the driver was unable to travel without making any mistakes on a route for which the number of times traveled is equal to or greater than a reference value.

[0089] Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0090] The technology disclosed herein can also be realized as a vehicle 1 equipped with the information processing device 20 described in the above-mentioned embodiment, a control method executed by the information processing device 20, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above-mentioned information processing device 20, and a non-temporary tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1: vehicle, 20: information processing device, 21: processing unit, 22: storage unit, 31: acquisition unit, 32: calculation unit, 33: determination unit, 34: presentation unit, 35: update unit, 36: map creation unit

Claims

1. An information processing device for navigating a vehicle, one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: obtaining a driving history of the driver of the vehicle along a predetermined route; Based on the acquired driving history, an evaluation is performed on the cognitive function of the driver; determining items of navigation information to be presented to the driver based on the assessment of the cognitive function that has been performed; Information processing device.

2. the one or more processors: Acquire the driver's past achievements of driving according to the navigation information for each of a plurality of routes; performing an assessment of the cognitive function based on each of the acquired achievement states; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the one or more processors: acquiring biometric information of the driver; The acquired biological information is further used in performing an evaluation of the driver's cognitive function.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the one or more processors: creating map information that clearly indicates the driver's past achievements of driving in accordance with the navigation information based on the driving history; presenting the created map information to the driver; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the one or more processors: Acquire past driving achievement statuses of the drivers of the vehicle and another vehicle different from the vehicle in accordance with the navigation information, ranking the achievement states of the vehicle and the other vehicles based on a comparison between the acquired achievement states of the vehicle and the other vehicles, and presenting the rankings to the driver of the vehicle; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

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