Driving support device, on-vehicle unit, driving support method, and driving support program

Abstract

To make alarm modes different from each other when changes occur in a trend of time series data of biological information expressing degrees of fatigue of an occupant, in order to draw the occupant's attention and guide the occupant to safe driving.SOLUTION: A driving support device 20 comprises: an acquisition section 22 for acquiring time series data of biological information expressing degrees of fatigue of an occupant during operation of a vehicle V; and an alarm control section 23 for controlling an alarm output section 15, so as to issue at least one alarm out of an alarm based on an image recognition result with respect to a peripheral image of the vehicle V, and an alarm based on at least either speed or acceleration of the vehicle V. The alarm control section 23 makes an alarm mode different from an ordinary mode, when changes occur in a trend of biological information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device, an in-vehicle device, a driving assistance method, and a driving assistance program. [Background technology]

[0002] Driving management devices such as drive recorders and digital tachographs are equipped with driving assistance functions that use vehicle behavior such as vehicle speed and acceleration, image recognition results from camera images, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fatigue level determination system that uses driver-related information about the driver operating the vehicle to calculate the driver's fatigue level. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-080989 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology of Patent Document 1 calculates the fatigue level of a driver from biological information, but does not propose a technology for using the calculated fatigue level to urge the driver to pay sufficient attention and drive safely.

[0005] The present invention provides a driving assistance device, an in-vehicle device, a driving assistance method, and a driving assistance program that can attract the attention of drivers and guide them to safe driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a driving assistance device according to the present invention has the following features. an acquisition unit that acquires time-series data of biological information that indicates a fatigue level of a driver during operation of the vehicle; an alarm control unit that controls the alarm output unit to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle, the alarm control unit changes the manner of the alarm from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information changes. Driving assistance device.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an in-vehicle device according to the present invention includes the driving assistance device.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a driving assistance method according to the present invention has the following features. Acquire time-series data of biological information that indicates the fatigue level of the driver during vehicle operation, controlling a warning output unit to issue at least one of a warning based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a warning based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; When the trend of the biological information changes, the manner of the warning is changed from a normal manner. Driving assistance methods.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a driving assistance program according to the present invention has the following features. acquiring time-series data of biological information representing a fatigue level of a driver during operation of the vehicle; controlling an alarm output unit to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; a step of changing the manner of the warning from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information has changed; A driving assistance program that causes a computer to execute the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the alarm type is changed when there is a change in the trend of time-series data of biological information that indicates the driver's fatigue level, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding him or her to drive safely.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an outline of the procedure of a driving assistance method implemented by an in-vehicle device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart illustrating a process of changing the mode of an alarm issued by an alarm output unit when a trend in biological information changes in particular. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the procedure of a driving assistance method implemented by an in-vehicle device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart illustrating, in particular, the process of determining the effectiveness of a rest period. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment is a system for supporting safe driving by a driver by issuing a warning to the driver based on the driver's fatigue level. The driving assistance system 1 is operated by a service provider whose clients are businesses (e.g., transportation companies) that manage the operation of vehicles such as trucks, buses, and taxis. The driving assistance system 1 includes an on-board device 10 mounted on the vehicle V, a server 40 which is an operation management device capable of communicating with the on-board device 10, and an administrator PC (personal computer) 50 which is a communication terminal capable of communicating with the server 40.

[0015] The vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted on a vehicle V such as a truck, and collects operational data (so-called digital tachograph data) including the driving conditions of the vehicle V. The collected operational data is used, for example, to create a daily report on one day's operations. Specifically, the vehicle-mounted device 10 is a driving recorder that records the driving speed, driving time, driving distance, etc. of the vehicle V. The vehicle-mounted device 10 also functions as a drive recorder that can capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle V using a camera mounted on the vehicle V. The vehicle-mounted device 10 can be wirelessly connected to a network N such as the Internet, for example, via wireless communication. Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted device 10 can also collect biometric information that indicates the driver's fatigue level.

[0016] The server 40 is a computer device that can communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the network N, and is operated by, for example, a service provider.

[0017] The administrator PC 50 is a communication terminal used by an administrator of a business operator that operates the vehicle V, and is capable of communicating with at least the server 40 via the network N. The communication terminal is not limited to a fixed installation type, and may be a portable device such as a tablet, smartphone, or mobile phone. The administrator PC 50 may be capable of communicating with the vehicle-mounted device 10.

[0018] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 10 according to the embodiment. The vehicle-mounted device 10 includes a biometric information sensor 11, an image acquisition unit 12, a speed sensor 13, an acceleration sensor 14, an alarm output unit 15, an operation unit 16, and a driving assistance device 20. These elements only need to be mounted on the vehicle V, and do not necessarily have to be housed in the same housing.

[0019] The biometric sensor 11 acquires time-series data of biometric information representing the fatigue level of the crew member while the vehicle V is in operation. The fatigue level of the crew member while operating the vehicle V may include the fatigue level at the time of roll call (before the day's operation), the fatigue level after the previous operation, the fatigue level continuously acquired during the past operation, the fatigue level continuously acquired during the past week's operation, etc. Furthermore, the biometric information representing the crew member's fatigue level includes the driver's pulse wave, heart rate, drowsiness, stress, attention level, etc., which may be indicators of fatigue level. The biometric sensor 11 may be any sensor capable of acquiring the above-mentioned biometric information, and may be installed on the steering wheel or the driver's seat held by the crew member, or may be directly attached to the driver's arm, etc. The biometric sensor may be a non-contact type or a contact type. For example, the biometric sensor may be composed of a pulse wave sensor or a photographing unit capable of photographing the driver's face, eyes, etc. The biometric sensor 11 may acquire biometric information during breaks.

[0020] The image acquisition unit 12 is mounted on the front and rear ends of the vehicle V, the rearview mirror, etc., and is composed of cameras, etc., for capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle V to obtain surrounding images. The speed sensor 13 is composed of a speedometer, etc., for acquiring the speed of the vehicle V. The acceleration sensor 14 is composed of a piezoelectric element, etc., and detects the magnitude of acceleration applied to the vehicle V in various directions, for example, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the vehicle V (front-rear G, right-left G, up-down G). The alarm output unit 15 is a device for issuing an alarm to the crew, and is composed of a speaker that issues an alarm sound, a display that displays warning information, a lamp that issues a warning signal, etc. The operation unit 16 is composed of switches, buttons, a touch panel, etc., for the crew to operate the in-vehicle device 10, and includes, for example, a break start button, a break end button, etc., and the crew can input their own status to the driving assistance device 20 via the operation unit 16.

[0021] The driving assistance device 20 is a device for supporting safe driving of a driver by issuing a warning to the driver based on biometric information indicating the driver's level of fatigue. The driving assistance device 20 supports safe driving by notifying the driver and issuing a warning using information from the speed sensor 13 and the acceleration sensor 14, the results of image recognition of camera footage acquired from the image acquisition unit 12, and signals such as blinker operation. Incidentally, if a driver experiences a change in their driving behavior, such as accumulated fatigue, it is expected that the driver's driving behavior will change, for example, they will become less attentive or their reaction speed will slow. Therefore, the driving assistance device 20 monitors time-series data of the biometric information indicating the driver's level of fatigue, and if a change in the driver's fatigue, such as accumulated fatigue, i.e., if the trend of the biometric information changes, the driving assistance device 20 does not directly notify the driver of fatigue or drowsiness, but instead issues a warning in a different manner than usual. The driving assistance device 20 includes a control unit 21, an acquisition unit 22, an alarm control unit 23, a timing unit 24, a notification unit 25, an assistance unit 26, a rest determination unit 27, an effect determination unit 28, a suggestion unit 29, a memory unit 30, and a communication unit 31.

[0022] The control unit 21 is an arithmetic processing unit (computer) that mainly controls the driving support device 20. The control unit 21 reads out a program for the driving support device 20 stored in a memory (not shown), a storage unit 30, etc., and causes each unit of the driving support device 20 to execute a predetermined process.

[0023] The acquisition unit 22 acquires time-series data of biological information indicating the fatigue level of the crew member from the biological information sensor 11. The acquisition unit 22 acquires biological information at least before and after the start of a break, but may also acquire biological information during the break.

[0024] The alarm control unit 23 can control the alarm output unit 15 to issue at least one of an alarm based on the image recognition result of the image of the surroundings of the vehicle V acquired by the image acquisition unit 12, and an alarm based on at least one of the speed and acceleration of the vehicle V acquired by the speed sensor 13 and the acceleration sensor 14. As will be described later, the alarm control unit 23 can change the mode of the alarm issued by the alarm output unit 15 from a normal mode when the trend of the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 22 changes. The alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to issue alarms based on the image recognition result, such as a following distance alarm, a lane departure alarm, a stop sign / sign detection alarm, and a red light passing alarm. The alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to issue alarms based on at least one of the speed and acceleration of the vehicle V, such as a sudden start (sudden acceleration), sudden deceleration, a sharp turn, excessive speeding, excessive engine rotation, and excessive continuous driving time.

[0025] The timing unit 24 is configured with a timer or the like that can grasp the continuous driving time of the vehicle V. The timing unit 24 can measure rest times.

[0026] The notification unit 25 is a device that prompts the crew to take a break when the value of the biometric information is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and is composed of, for example, a speaker that emits a sound prompting the crew to take a break, a display that displays information prompting the crew to take a break, a lamp that emits a signal prompting the crew to take a break, etc., similar to the alarm output unit 15. Considering that the biometric information may contain individual differences among crew members, this threshold may not be an absolute threshold, but may be set individually based on the statistical results of past data for the same crew member. In addition, the notification unit 25 functions as an effect notification unit that issues a notification according to the determination result of the effect determination unit 28 (described later), and notifies the crew that their rest was insufficient.

[0027] The support unit 26 is a device that operates either the notification unit 25 or the alarm control unit 23 in accordance with the continuous operation time acquired by the timer unit 24.

[0028] The rest determination unit 27 determines the start and end of a crew member's rest. The rest determination unit 27 determines the start and end of a rest, for example, in accordance with an input from the operation unit 16. The rest determination unit 27 may determine the start of a rest using a stop for a certain period of time (for example, 10 minutes or more) as a trigger, and determine the end of the rest using the start of the subsequent travel as a trigger.

[0029] The effect determination unit 28 compares the biometric information at the start of the break with the biometric information at the end of the break to determine the effectiveness of the break. The effect determination unit 28 calculates the difference in the biometric information before and after the break, and determines that the break was sufficient, for example, if a numerical value (level) representing fatigue, sleepiness, or stress at the end of the break has decreased by a certain amount from the numerical value at the start of the break. The effect determination unit 28 may also determine that the break was sufficient if the biometric information at the end of the break is showing a tendency to recover, such as being lower than the biometric information at the start of the break. The effect determination unit 28 may determine the effectiveness of the break by referring to the biometric information during the break. The difference in the biometric information before and after the break calculated by the effect determination unit 28 may be accumulated for each crew member in, for example, the memory unit 30. Using this accumulated information, it is possible to calculate the correlation between the break duration for each crew member and the difference in the biometric information before and after the break (the amount of reduction in fatigue level). The effect determination unit 28 determines the effect of the break if the biometric information at the start of the break is above a certain value, and does not perform the effect determination if the biometric information does not meet the certain value. This prevents the break from being determined to be insufficiently effective when the person is not tired to begin with, and improves the accuracy of the effect determination.

[0030] The suggestion unit 29 suggests rest times for each crew member based on the accumulated trends of fatigue level reduction due to rest. For example, the suggestion unit 29 calculates the correlation between rest time and the amount of fatigue level reduction before and after the rest from past data of the crew members accumulated in the memory unit 30. The suggestion unit 29 may suggest a rest when biometric information reaches a level requiring a rest while the vehicle V is traveling. For example, the suggestion unit 29 calculates the time required for the crew member to recover based on the correlation between rest time and the amount of fatigue level reduction before and after the break, and announces, for example, "Would you like to take a rest for XX minutes at the nearest rest facility?" The suggestion unit 29 may predict the next rest time based on the level of improvement in the biometric information during travel, and suggest a rest by announcing, for example, "Would you like to take a rest in XX minutes?" Furthermore, the suggestion unit 29 may suggest advice for the break and, after the break, advise whether the break was sufficient. The suggestion unit 29 may make a suggestion regarding a break by referring to the determination result of whether or not the crew member was inside the vehicle during the break, the interior camera image, the crew member's body movements, or whether or not the crew member operated a smartphone. Whether or not the crew member was inside the vehicle during the break can be determined, for example, from the presence or absence of an output from the biometric information sensor 11 installed inside the vehicle V, or the image recognition results of the images taken inside the vehicle V. Whether or not the crew member was inside the vehicle during the break may be determined using a threshold value as to how much of the break time the crew member was outside the vehicle. The presence or absence and degree of the crew member's body movements can be determined from the biometric information acquired by the acquisition unit 22. Whether or not the crew member operated a smartphone, i.e., whether or not the crew member operated a smartphone, can be determined from the image recognition results of the images taken of the crew member.

[0031] The storage unit 30 is a storage device that stores various data and programs. The storage unit 30 may store a driving assistance program that causes the control unit 21 to execute a driving assistance method described below.

[0032] The communication unit 31 functions as a transmitting unit that transmits operational data related to the running state of the vehicle V and biometric information of the crew to the server 40 via the network N, for example, at every predetermined time interval. The communication unit 31 also functions as a receiving unit that receives information from the server 40, the manager's PC 50, etc. Furthermore, the communication unit 31 functions as an effect notification unit that issues a notification according to the determination result of the effect determination unit 28, which will be described later, and notifies the manager's PC 50 that the rest was insufficient.

[0033] For example, at least one of the acquisition unit 22, the alarm control unit 23, the support unit 26, the rest determination unit 27, the effect determination unit 28, and the suggestion unit 29 may be a function realized by software that is realized by a program stored in the memory unit 30, for example.

[0034] 3 is a flowchart showing an outline of the procedure of the safety support method performed by the driving support device 20 according to the embodiment, and in particular, the flowchart is a flowchart explaining the process of changing the mode of the warning issued by the warning output unit 15 when the trend of the biological information changes. When the vehicle V starts traveling, the timing unit 24 starts measuring the continuous driving time of the vehicle V (step S1). The biological information sensor 11 acquires time-series data of the biological information, and the acquisition unit 22 starts acquiring the time-series data of the biological information from the biological information sensor 11 (step S2).

[0035] The alarm control unit 23 determines whether the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 22 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S3). If the biological information is not equal to or greater than the threshold (No in step S3), the alarm control unit 23 continues the determination. If the biological information is equal to or greater than the threshold (Yes in step S3), the support unit 26 determines whether the continuous driving time acquired by the timing unit 24 has a margin up to a predetermined upper limit of continuous driving time (step S4). The upper limit of continuous driving time is, for example, an upper limit of driving time set by law. As an example, if the current continuous driving time is, for example, one hour or more shorter than the upper limit of continuous driving time, the support unit 26 determines that there is a margin up to the upper limit of continuous driving time.

[0036] If the continuous driving time has some margin up to the upper limit of the predetermined continuous driving time (Yes in step S4), the support unit 26 activates the notification unit 25, which then prompts the crew to take a break (step S5), and the process returns to step S3. If the continuous driving time does not reach the upper limit of the predetermined continuous driving time (No in step S4), the support unit 26 activates the alarm control unit 23. Upon receiving the instruction from the support unit 26, the alarm control unit 23 changes the mode of the alarm issued by the alarm output unit 15 to a mode different from the normal mode (step S6).

[0037] In step S6, the change in the mode of the warning by the warning output unit 15 is, for example, the following changes 1) to 3). 1) The alarm output unit 15 is controlled so as to change the alarm determination threshold from the normal threshold. 2) The alarm output unit 15 is controlled so as to output a notification message that is different from the normal notification message. 3) The alarm output unit 15 is controlled to change the volume from normal.

[0038] Furthermore, after the value of the biological information becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value (Yes in step S3), the warning control unit 23 determines whether the fatigue of the crew member has recovered, the value of the biological information has decreased, and the value is now below the threshold value (step S7). If the value of the biological information is not below the threshold value (No in step S7), the process returns to step S4. If the value of the biological information is below the threshold value (Yes in step S7), the warning control unit 23 returns the mode of warning issued by the warning output unit 15, which was changed in step S6, to the normal mode (step S8). If the vehicle has stopped, the control unit 21 ends the process (Yes in step S9), and if the vehicle has not stopped, the process returns to step S3 again (No in step S9).

[0039] During the above-mentioned processing, the alarm output unit 15, under the control of the alarm control unit 23, issues at least one of an alarm based on the image recognition result of the surrounding image acquired by the image acquisition unit 12, and an alarm based on at least one of the speed acquired by the speed sensor 13 and the acceleration acquired by the acceleration sensor 14. This allows the alarm output unit 15 to issue a warning to the crew based on either the image recognition result showing the surrounding environment of the vehicle V, or the speed or acceleration corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle V.

[0040] Furthermore, the alarm control unit 23 can change the alarm mode from the normal mode when the trend of the biological information changes, such as when the time-series data of the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 22 exceeds a predetermined threshold (steps S3 to S6). As a result, the alarm mode is changed when the biological information changes, so that the driver's attention can be attracted and the driver can be guided to drive safely.

[0041] In particular, when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the warning control unit 23 changes the manner of warning issued by the warning output unit 15 from the normal manner as in the above-mentioned 1) to 3) (step S6). In the above-mentioned 1), the warning control unit 23 controls the warning output unit 15 to change the warning determination threshold value. This makes it possible to change the warning determination threshold value at which the warning output unit 15 issues a warning, depending on the fatigue level of the crew.

[0042] For example, when the warning determination threshold of the warning output unit 15 is the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the normal warning determination threshold is 15 m, but when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than the threshold and it is estimated that the level of fatigue is high, the warning control unit 23 changes the warning determination threshold of the warning output unit 15 to 25 m. When the distance between the vehicles becomes within 25 m, the warning output unit issues a warning earlier than usual to highly fatigued crew members, thereby encouraging safer driving.

[0043] The warning control unit 23 may change the warning determination threshold based on the correspondence between the fatigue level indicated in multiple stages and the crew reaction time at each level. This allows the warning output unit 15 to change the warning determination threshold at which the warning is issued based on the crew reaction time at each fatigue level.

[0044] In the above-mentioned 2), the alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to output a notification message different from a normal notification message when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold. For example, when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold, the alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to change the message of the alarm output by the alarm output unit 15 to a message that calls for stronger attention than the normal message, or to add a message such as a warning about being hit by something when the vehicle V turns right or left. In this way, the alarm output unit 15 is controlled to output a notification message different from a normal notification message when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold, thereby attracting the attention of the driver and guiding the driver to drive safely.

[0045] In the above-mentioned 3), the alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to change the volume when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold. For example, when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold, the alarm control unit 23 controls the alarm output unit 15 to make the volume of the alarm output by the alarm output unit 15 louder than the normal volume. In this way, the alarm output unit 15 is controlled to change the volume when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold, which attracts the attention of the driver and guides the driver to drive safely.

[0046] Furthermore, the timing unit 24 can grasp the continuous driving time (step S1), and the notification unit 25 can urge the crew to take a break when the value of the biometric information is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S5). Here, the support unit 26 can activate either the notification unit 25 or the alarm control unit 23 according to the continuous driving time acquired by the timing unit 24 (step S4). Specifically, if the continuous driving time has a margin up to the upper limit of the predetermined continuous driving time, the support unit 26 activates the notification unit 25 (Yes in step S4 → step S5). On the other hand, if the continuous driving time does not have a margin up to the upper limit of the predetermined continuous driving time, the support unit 26 activates the alarm control unit 23 (No in step S4 → step S6).

[0047] That is, the driving assistance device 20 can switch between prompting the driver to take a break and issuing a warning in a different manner from normal depending on the continuous driving time. Therefore, for example, if the timing at which the fatigue level increases is close to the upper limit of the continuous driving time, the driving assistance device 20 can change the warning manner, and prompt the driver to take a break if there is still time until the upper limit of the continuous driving time, thereby supporting the driver's safe driving according to the situation. If the driver's condition is simply grasped during driving and fatigue or drowsiness is directly notified to the driver, the notification may be ignored depending on the driver's condition. However, the driving assistance device 20 can switch between prompting the driver to take a break and issuing a warning in a different manner depending on the situation, thereby appropriately supporting the driver's safe driving.

[0048] Furthermore, the alarm control unit 23 can return the alarm mode to the normal mode when the value of the biological information becomes equal to or greater than the threshold and then becomes less than the threshold (step S8). Since the alarm mode is returned to the normal mode when the value of the biological information becomes equal to or greater than the threshold and then becomes less than the threshold, it is possible to prevent the crew from being unnecessarily alerted.

[0049] Furthermore, the alarm control unit 23 may differentiate the mode of the alarm from the normal mode, for example, for a pedestrian detection alarm by expanding the detection range or adding an attention-calling sound to alert the driver when a pedestrian outside the alarm target is detected. Also, for a stop (temporary stop) detection alarm, the alarm control unit 23 may differentiate the mode of the alarm from the normal mode by adding an attention-calling sound to urge the driver to check the surroundings when the vehicle is stopped.

[0050] 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the procedure of the safety support method performed by the driving support device 20 according to the embodiment, and in particular, the flowchart is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the effect of a rest. When the vehicle V starts traveling, the biological information sensor 11 starts measuring biological information, and the acquisition unit 22 starts acquiring time-series data of the biological information from the biological information sensor 11 (step S11). The acquired time-series data of the biological information is stored in the storage unit 30, for example.

[0051] The vehicle stops (step S12), and the rest determination unit 27 determines whether the rest has started (step S13), for example, by determining whether the crew member has performed an input operation to start the rest from the operation unit 16. If it is determined that the rest has started (at the start of the rest) (Yes in step S13), the rest determination unit 27 waits for the rest to end. The rest determination unit 27 determines whether the rest has ended (step S14), for example, by determining whether the crew member has performed an input operation to end the rest from the operation unit 16.

[0052] When it is determined that the break has ended (at the end of the break) (Yes in step S14), the effect determination unit 28 compares the biometric information at the start of the break (before the break) with the biometric information at the end of the break (after the break) to determine the effect of the break (step S15).

[0053] If the result of the determination by the effectiveness determination unit 28 is that the break was insufficient (No in step S16), the notification unit 25 notifies the driver by sounding an audio signal or the like (step S17). The notification to the driver may include advice regarding the break, such as "The break was not effective enough, so we recommend you take another break" or "We recommend that you take a walk outside the vehicle during your next break." In step S17, the communication unit 31 may notify the driver by sending a signal to the manager's PC 50. By notifying the manager's PC 50, the manager can understand that the break was insufficient and, for example, can check the video from the in-vehicle camera and provide appropriate guidance. Furthermore, by notifying the manager's PC 50, it is possible to output a message to the driver that the break was insufficient in a daily report. On the other hand, if the break was sufficient (Yes in step S16), the process ends.

[0054] In the above process, the rest determination unit 27 determines the start and end of the rest, and the effect determination unit 28 compares the biological information at the start of the rest with the biological information at the end of the rest to determine the effect of the rest (steps S13 to S15). Therefore, by comparing the biological information before and after the rest, the effect of the rest can be determined, and a more appropriate way of taking a rest can be considered.

[0055] Furthermore, depending on the determination result of the effectiveness determination unit 28, the notification unit 25 or the communication unit 31 can notify the crew member or the manager's PC 50 that the rest was insufficient (steps S16 to S17). This can encourage improvement in the quality of the rest. Furthermore, if the rest was insufficient, particularly if the biometric information after the break worsens (fatigue level increases) compared to before the break, there is a possibility that the crew member is violating the rules by falsely taking a break and performing work such as loading and unloading cargo. By notifying the manager's PC 50, an investigation into the actual state of the rest and work can be encouraged. Therefore, if necessary, the crew member can be subject to guidance, and improvements can be made regardless of whether the violation is due to the crew member's individual judgment, organizational practice, or custom.

[0056] The effect determination unit 28 may determine that the rest is sufficient if the amount of decrease in fatigue level before and after the rest is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and may determine that the rest is insufficient if the amount of decrease in fatigue level is less than the predetermined value. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the rest is sufficient or not depending on the amount of decrease in fatigue level before and after the rest.

[0057] 4, the tendency of fatigue levels to decrease due to rest may be accumulated for each crew member in the storage unit 30, and the proposing unit 29 may propose rest times for each crew member based on the accumulated tendency of fatigue levels to decrease. This allows appropriate rest times to be proposed for each crew member according to the tendency of fatigue levels to decrease for each crew member.

[0058] The process of changing the warning mode shown in Fig. 3 and the process of determining the effectiveness of the rest period shown in Fig. 4 may be executed in parallel. For example, in the process of Fig. 3, after the vehicle has stopped (Yes in step S9), if the crew performs an input operation to start the rest period on the operation unit 16, the process may start from step S13 in Fig. 4.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 is equipped with the driving assistance device 20, and the in-vehicle device 10 mounted on the vehicle V can be utilized as the driving assistance device, and the in-vehicle device 10 performs the processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, at least one of the server 40 or the administrator PC 50 may have the driving assistance device 20, instead of the in-vehicle device 10. In this case, at least one of the server 40 or the administrator PC 50 performs the processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The server 40 or the administrator PC 50 communicates with the in-vehicle device 10 and obtains information from the biometric information sensor 11, the image acquisition unit 12, the speed sensor 13, the acceleration sensor 14, and the operation unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 10, thereby performing the processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0060] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the driving assistance device 20 changes the warning mode from the normal mode when the trend of the biological information changes based on time-series data of the biological information indicating the driver's fatigue level, but the warning mode may also be changed taking into account changes in driving behavior in addition to the trend of the biological information. For example, the driving assistance device 20 may comprehensively determine the driver's mental and physical state from the average and variance of the driver's past driving data, such as if the driver's way of keeping a distance between vehicles is different from normal, or if the degree of swaying is different from normal based on the distance between the vehicle and the lane, and then change the safety assistance mode.

[0062] Furthermore, the driving assistance device 20 may determine the reliability of the biological information collected by the biological information sensor 11 based on the state of the vehicle V, and the warning control unit 23 may determine whether the numerical value of the biological information weighted according to the reliability is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The driving assistance device 20 can determine whether the vehicle V is in an engine-off state, idling state, or running state based on inputs of an ignition signal and engine speed.

[0063] Furthermore, the driving assistance device 20 may estimate the accuracy of the collected biometric information based on the state of the vehicle V or the driver, and may turn on or off a function (service) that changes the warning mode based on the biometric information. Factors that affect the accuracy of the biometric information sensor 11 include, for example, engine on / off (effect of engine vibration), engine speed during idling (change in vibration due to engine speed), a state in which driving vibration is intense, a state in which the driver's body movements are large, and turning on the turn signal (possibility of steering operation). The intensity of driving vibration can be determined from the amplitude, frequency components, variance value, etc. of the G-value of the acceleration sensor 14. Regarding a state in which the driver's body movements are large, whether the body movements associated with steering operation are large can be determined by whether the lateral G-value remains greater than a certain value for a certain period of time or more, and the driver's body movements can be identified from the image recognition results of the video of the driver. The driving assistance device 20 estimates the accuracy of the biometric information collected by the biometric information sensor 11 according to the vibration state of the vehicle V or the driver. For example, when there is a strong vibration during driving, the driving assistance device 20 estimates that the accuracy of the biological information is low and turns off the warning mode change function. By turning off the warning mode change function, it is possible to prevent a warning due to an erroneous judgment and prevent a decrease in the effectiveness of the warning for the driver.

[0064] Regarding the above-mentioned on / off of the alarm mode change function according to the vibration state of the vehicle V, even if the driving vibration is severe, if the state continues for a certain period of time or more and the range of statistical variation of the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 22 is within a certain range, the alarm mode change function may be turned on as a quasi-service state. In the quasi-service state, the alarm threshold is set to, for example, an intermediate value between the threshold used in the normal state and the threshold used when the biological state deteriorates.

[0065] Furthermore, the driving assistance device 20 may perform processing on the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 22 from the biological information sensor 11 to cancel the influence of the vibration component of the biological information sensor 11 itself, using a vibration waveform based on the output of the acceleration sensor 14. This processing can reduce the influence of the vibration of the vehicle V on the biological information, thereby improving the accuracy of the biological information.

[0066] Here, the features of the embodiments of the driving assistance device, the in-vehicle device, the driving assistance method, and the driving assistance program according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to

[14] .

[0067] [1] An acquisition unit (22) that acquires time-series data of biological information representing a fatigue level of a driver during operation of a vehicle (V); an alarm control unit (23) that controls the alarm output unit (15) to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of the speed and acceleration of the vehicle; the alarm control unit changes the manner of the alarm from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information changes. Driving assistance device (20).

[0068] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration described in [1] above, the type of warning is changed when the trend of the time-series data of the biometric information representing the driver's fatigue level changes, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding them to drive safely.

[0069] [2] The alarm control unit controls the alarm output unit to change the alarm determination threshold when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold. The driving assistance device according to [1] above.

[0070] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration [2] above, the warning determination threshold at which the warning output unit issues a warning can be changed according to the driver's fatigue level.

[0071] [3] The alarm control unit controls the alarm output unit to output a notification message different from a normal notification message when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The driving assistance device according to [1] or [2] above.

[0072] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration [3] above, the alarm output unit is controlled to output a notification message that is different from the normal notification message when the value of the biometric information is equal to or greater than a threshold value, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding them to drive safely.

[0073] [4] The alarm control unit controls the alarm output unit to change the volume when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold. A driving assistance device according to any one of [1] to [3] above.

[0074] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration [4] above, the alarm output unit is controlled to change the volume when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than the threshold, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding them to drive safely.

[0075] [5] A timing unit (24) for measuring the continuous operation time; a notification unit (25) that prompts the crew member to take a break when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and a support unit (26) that operates either the notification unit or the alarm control unit in accordance with the continuous operation time. A driving assistance device according to any one of [1] to [4] above.

[0076] According to the driving support device configured as in [5] above, it is possible to switch between urging the driver to take a break and issuing a warning in a different manner from normal depending on the continuous driving time. Therefore, for example, if the timing at which the fatigue level rises is close to the upper limit of the continuous driving time, the warning manner is changed, and if there is still time until the upper limit of the continuous driving time, the driver is urged to take a break, thereby supporting the safe driving of the driver according to the situation.

[0077] [6] The alarm control unit returns the alarm mode to the normal mode when the value of the biological information becomes equal to or greater than a threshold and then becomes less than the threshold. A driving assistance device according to any one of [1] to [5] above.

[0078] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration of [6] above, when the value of the biometric information becomes equal to or greater than the threshold and then becomes less than the threshold, the alarm mode is returned to the normal mode, thereby preventing the driver from being unnecessarily alerted.

[0079] [7] The warning control unit changes the warning determination threshold based on a correspondence between a level indicating the degree of fatigue in multiple stages and the reaction time of the crew at each level. The driving assistance device according to [2] above.

[0080] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration [7] above, the warning determination threshold at which the warning output unit issues a warning can be changed based on the driver's reaction time at each level of fatigue.

[0081] [8] A rest determination unit (27) that determines the start and end of a rest period; and an effect determination unit (28) that compares the biological information at the start of the break with the biological information at the end of the break to determine the effect of the break. A driving assistance device according to any one of [1] to [7] above.

[0082] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration described above in [8], the effectiveness of the rest can be determined by comparing the biological information before and after the rest, so that a more appropriate way of taking a rest can be considered.

[0083] [9] Further provided is an effect notification unit (notification unit 25, communication unit 31) that notifies in accordance with the determination result of the effect determination unit. The driving assistance device according to [8] above.

[0084] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration described in [9] above, a notification is given in accordance with the determination result, so that it is possible to encourage improvement in the quality of rest.

[0085]

[10] The effect determination unit determines that the rest is sufficient when the amount of fatigue level reduction before and after the rest is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the rest is insufficient when the amount of fatigue level reduction after the rest is less than the predetermined value. The driving assistance device according to [8] or [9] above.

[0086] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration of

[10] above, it is possible to determine whether the rest is sufficient or not based on the amount of decrease in fatigue level before and after the rest.

[0087]

[11] A proposal unit (29) that proposes rest times for each crew member based on an accumulation of a tendency for fatigue levels to decrease due to rest, A driving assistance device according to any one of [8] to

[10] above.

[0088] According to the driving assistance device having the configuration described in

[11] above, it is possible to propose appropriate rest periods for each driver according to the tendency of fatigue levels to decrease.

[0089]

[12] An on-board device equipped with the driving assistance device according to any one of [1] to

[11] and mounted on the vehicle.

[0090] According to the in-vehicle device having the configuration described above in

[12] , the in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle can be used as a driving assistance device.

[0091]

[13] Acquire time series data of biometric information representing the fatigue level of the driver during vehicle operation; controlling a warning output unit to issue at least one of a warning based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a warning based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; When the trend of the biological information changes, the manner of the warning is changed from a normal manner. Driving assistance methods.

[0092] According to the driving support method configured as described above in

[13] , the alarm type is changed when the trend of the time-series data of the biological information that indicates the fatigue level of the driver changes, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding them to drive safely.

[0093]

[14] A step of acquiring time series data of biological information representing a fatigue level of a driver during operation of a vehicle; controlling an alarm output unit to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; a step of changing the manner of the warning from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information has changed; A driving assistance program that causes a computer to execute the above.

[0094] According to the driving assistance program configured as described above in

[14] , the alarm type is changed when the trend of the time-series data of the biological information that indicates the driver's fatigue level changes, thereby attracting the driver's attention and guiding them to drive safely. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. Driving assistance systems 10 Onboard equipment 11 Biometric information sensors 12 Image acquisition unit 13 Speed ​​sensor 14 Acceleration sensor 15 Alarm output section 16 Control section 20 Driving assistance devices 21 Control section 22 Acquisition Department 23 Alarm control section 24 Timing section 25 Notification Department 26 Support Department 27 Break Judgment Section 28 Effect Assessment Section 29 Proposal Department 30 Storage section 31 Communications Department 40 servers 50 Administrator PC V vehicle

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires time-series data of biological information that indicates a fatigue level of a driver during operation of the vehicle; an alarm control unit that controls the alarm output unit to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle, the alarm control unit changes the manner of the alarm from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information changes. Driving assistance device.

2. the warning control unit controls the warning output unit to change a warning determination threshold when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

3. the alarm control unit controls the alarm output unit to output a notification message different from a normal notification message when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

4. the alarm control unit controls the alarm output unit to change the volume when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

5. A timing unit that keeps track of continuous operation time, a notification unit that prompts the crew member to take a break when the value of the biological information is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and a support unit that operates either the notification unit or the alarm control unit according to the continuous operation time. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

6. the alarm control unit returns the mode of the alarm to the normal mode when the value of the biological information becomes equal to or greater than a threshold and then becomes less than the threshold; The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

7. the warning control unit changes the warning determination threshold based on a correspondence relationship between a level indicating a fatigue degree in a plurality of stages and a reaction time of the crew member at each level. The driving assistance device according to claim 2 .

8. a rest determination unit that determines the start and end of a rest; and an effect determining unit that determines an effect of the rest by comparing the biological information at the start of the rest with the biological information at the end of the rest. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

9. further comprising an effect notification unit that notifies the user in accordance with the determination result of the effect determination unit; The driving assistance device according to claim 8.

10. The effect determination unit determines that the rest is sufficient when the amount of decrease in fatigue level before and after the rest is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the rest is insufficient when the amount of decrease in fatigue level is less than the predetermined value. The driving assistance device according to claim 8.

11. The system further includes a proposal unit that proposes rest times for each crew member based on an accumulation of a tendency for fatigue levels to decrease due to rest. The driving assistance device according to claim 8.

12. An in-vehicle device comprising the driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. Acquire time-series data of biological information that indicates the fatigue level of the driver during vehicle operation, controlling a warning output unit to issue at least one of a warning based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and a warning based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; When the trend of the biological information changes, the manner of the warning is changed from a normal manner. Driving assistance methods.

14. acquiring time-series data of biological information representing a fatigue level of a driver during operation of the vehicle; controlling an alarm output unit to issue at least one of an alarm based on an image recognition result for an image of the surroundings of the vehicle and an alarm based on at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the vehicle; a step of changing the manner of the warning from a normal manner when a trend of the biological information has changed; A driving assistance program that causes a computer to execute the above.

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