Driving skill improvement system

Abstract

To provide a technique for improving a driving skill of a driver by considering an intention to improve the driving skill of the driver.SOLUTION: The driving skill improvement system is a system for improving a driving skill of a vehicle by a driver, and includes one or more processors configured to determine a driving skill of the driver, determine presence or absence of an intention of improving the driving skill of the driver, and notify at least one of the driver, a fellow passenger, and a specific other person of a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driving skill of the driver based on a determination result of the intention of improving the driving skill, and notify the service advertisement to the driver when the intention of improving the driving skill is higher than a predetermined criterion. When the intention to improve the driving skill of the driver is not higher than a predetermined reference, the service advertisement is notified to a fellow passenger or a specific person.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving skill improvement system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Services aimed at improving a driver's vehicle driving skills have been known for some time.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle environmental service system having an in-vehicle information terminal installed in a vehicle, a center server installed in a center, and an operator terminal managed by an affiliated service operator that provides various services to users, wherein the in-vehicle information terminal or the center server has a point calculation means that determines, for each user, whether the user is driving safely and / or driving in an environmentally friendly manner based on predetermined criteria, and calculates the number of points to be awarded based on the determination result, the center server has a database that accumulates the number of points awarded to each user and manages the total number of points, the operator terminal has a service provision means that provides a predetermined service in exchange for a predetermined number of points in the database, and an advertisement generation means that generates advertisement information related to the affiliated service operator, and the in-vehicle information terminal has a means for receiving the advertisement information from the operator terminal directly or via the center server.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a driving diagnosis information providing device including a vehicle information acquiring means for acquiring vehicle information representing the vehicle state, a diagnostic means for diagnosing the driving state of the vehicle based on the vehicle information acquired by the vehicle information acquiring means, and a notification means for notifying the driver of the diagnostic information representing the diagnosis result of the diagnostic means, the driving diagnosis information providing device further including a useful information acquiring means for acquiring at least one of contact information to be notified to the driver and useful information that is information useful for driving, and the notification means is configured to notify the driver of the information acquired by the useful information acquiring means instead of the diagnostic information under predetermined conditions. Patent Document 2 further discloses that the useful information includes notice information such as advertising information and one-line advice such as trivia about driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-293626 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-039640 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the conventional technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a driver's driving skill is judged, and advertising information related to incentives such as coupons or points is notified to the driver. However, since some drivers have a strong desire to improve their driving skills and others have a low desire to do so, simply notifying the driver of advertising information as in the conventional technologies is insufficient to improve the driver's driving skill.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for improving a driver's driving skills by taking into consideration the driver's intention to improve the driving skills. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A driving skill improvement system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a driving skill improvement system that aims to improve a driver's vehicle driving skills, and includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors. The one or more processors perform the following actions: determine the driver's driving skills; determine whether the driver has an intention to improve his or her driving skills; and, based on the determination result of the intention to improve the driving skills, notify at least one of the driver, passengers riding in the vehicle, and specific others of service advertisements that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. If the driver's intention to improve his or her driving skills is higher than a predetermined standard, the service advertisement is notified to the driver, and if the driver's intention to improve his or her driving skills is not higher than a predetermined standard, the service advertisement is notified to the passengers or the specific others. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driver's driving skill can be improved by taking into consideration the driver's intention to improve the driving skill. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving skill improvement system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a server device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a server device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of a server device according to an 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. Configuration of the driving skill improvement system) 1, a driving skill improvement system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle 100, a terminal device 200, and a server device 300. The vehicle 100, the terminal device 200, and the server device 300 can communicate with each other via a publicly known or arbitrary network 400. Note that the number of vehicles 100 and terminal devices 200 included in the driving skill improvement system 1000 may be any number. Furthermore, the server device 300 included in the driving skill improvement system 1000 may be distributed across multiple computers that can communicate with each other.

[0013] (1-1. Vehicles) Vehicle 100 is configured as a front-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle in which driving torque output from driving force source 1, which generates driving torque for vehicle 100, is transmitted to the left and right front wheels. Vehicle 100 may be a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine as driving force source 1. Vehicle 100 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with a driving motor as driving force source 1. Vehicle 100 may also be a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with both an internal combustion engine and a driving motor as driving force source 1.

[0014] The combination of drive wheels and the drive method are not limited. For example, vehicle 100 may be a rear-wheel drive vehicle, a four-wheel drive vehicle, or an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor corresponding to each wheel. If vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, vehicle 100 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores power supplied to the drive motor, and a motor or a generator such as a fuel cell that generates power to charge the battery.

[0015] In addition to the driving force source 1 described above, the vehicle 100 further includes an electric steering device 2 and brake devices 3LF, 3RF, 3LR, and 3RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "brake devices 3" unless a distinction is required) as equipment used to control the operation of the vehicle 100.

[0016] The driving force source 1 outputs a driving torque that is transmitted to the front wheel drive shaft 5F via a transmission (not shown) and a differential mechanism 4. The driving of the driving force source 1 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control device 7 that includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Units).

[0017] The electric steering device 2 is provided on the front wheel drive shaft 5F. The electric steering device 2 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 2 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 6 by the driver of the vehicle 100. If the vehicle 100 is a vehicle capable of executing automatic driving control, the vehicle control device 7 controls the electric steering device 2 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 6 by the driver during manual driving. On the other hand, during automatic driving, the vehicle control device 7 controls the electric steering device 2 based on the steering angle or steering angular velocity set by a publicly known or arbitrary method.

[0018] Brake devices 3LF, 3RF, 3LR, and 3RR apply braking force to the respective wheels. The brake devices 3 may be, for example, hydraulic brake devices. In this case, the vehicle control device 7 controls the drive of a hydraulic unit 8, thereby adjusting the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 3. If the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the brake devices 3 are used in combination with regenerative braking using a drive motor.

[0019] The vehicle control device 7 mainly includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Units) that control the driving of the driving force source 1, the electric steering device 2, and the brake device 3. The vehicle control device 7 also controls the driving of various devices described below, but each function may be provided independently.

[0020] The vehicle 100 further includes an interior imaging camera 10 , an interior microphone 20 , a vehicle state sensor 30 , a communication device 40 , a notification device 50 , and an input device 60 .

[0021] The in-vehicle image capturing camera 10 is driven by the vehicle control device 7, captures an image of the driver driving the vehicle 100 inside the vehicle 100, and generates image data. The in-vehicle image capturing camera 10 has an image capturing element such as a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and transmits the generated image data to the server device 300 via the communication device 40 and the network 400. Note that the in-vehicle image capturing camera 10 may be capable of capturing images of passengers riding in the vehicle 100 in addition to the driver driving the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle image capturing camera 10 may also be a camera included in a so-called DMS (Driver Monitor System).

[0022] The in-vehicle microphone 20 is driven by the vehicle control device 7, records sounds or voices within the vehicle 100, and generates voice data. The in-vehicle microphone 20 transmits the generated sound or voice data to the server device 300 via the communication device 40 and the network 400. Note that the in-vehicle microphone 20 may be integrated with the in-vehicle imaging camera 10.

[0023] The vehicle state sensor 30 is driven by the vehicle control device 7 and includes at least one sensor that detects the state of the vehicle 100. Examples of the vehicle state sensor 30 include an accelerator position sensor that detects the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal, a brake stroke sensor that detects the amount of operation of a brake pedal, and a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 6, but the present disclosure is not limited to these. The vehicle state sensor 30 may include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, or a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle state sensor 30 may also include a weight sensor that detects the weight of an occupant seated in a seat provided in the vehicle 100. The vehicle state sensor 30 transmits the detection result to the server device 300 via the communication device 40 and the network 400.

[0024] The communication device 40 is driven by the vehicle control device 7 and includes at least one communication interface. As the communication interface, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as the 4th Generation (4G) standard or the 5th Generation (5G) standard or a Local Area Network (LAN) standard can be used. The vehicle 100 transmits and receives various information between the vehicle 100 and the server device 300 via the communication device 40 and the network 400.

[0025] The notification device 50 is driven by the vehicle control device 7 and notifies the driver of the vehicle 100 of various information by means of image or text display, audio output, or the like. The notification device 50 may be a display device provided in a navigation system, or may be a HUD (Head Up Display) that displays information on the front window of the vehicle 100.

[0026] The input device 60 is driven by the vehicle control device 7 and accepts operations by the driver of the vehicle 100 to input various information by means of touch operation, switch operation, voice input, etc. The input device 60 may be provided integrally with a display device provided in the navigation system, or may include switches provided on the steering wheel 6 or its peripheral components.

[0027] In addition, the vehicle 100 may further include surrounding environment sensors (not shown) such as a front imaging camera and a rear imaging camera, and may further include a GNSS sensor (not shown) that detects the location information of the vehicle 100 contained in satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites.

[0028] (1-2. Terminal Device) The terminal device 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Hereinafter, the terminal device 200 carried by the driver may be referred to as "terminal device 200-1," the terminal device 200 carried by a passenger may be referred to as "terminal device 200-2," and the terminal device 200 carried by a specific other person may be referred to as "terminal device 200-3."

[0029] The terminal device 200 is a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or the like. An application for improving driving skills (hereinafter abbreviated as a "driving skill improvement app") runs on the terminal device 200. Through the driving skill improvement app, a driver can receive driving instruction from an expert, receive a service to have their driving data analyzed, or make a reservation to use these services. The terminal device 200 may be mounted on the vehicle 100, or may be integrated with a car navigation system.

[0030] The terminal device 200 includes a processing unit 210 , a storage unit 220 , a communication unit 230 , an input unit 240 , and an output unit 250 .

[0031] (Processing section) The processing unit 210 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 210 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.

[0032] (Storage part) The storage unit 220 is configured with one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM connected to the processing unit 210 so as to be able to communicate with the processing unit 210. However, there are no particular limitations on the type and number of storage units 220. The storage unit 220 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 210, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and arithmetic results.

[0033] (Communications Department) The communication unit 230 is configured with one or more communication interfaces communicably connected to the processing unit 210. As the communication interface, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as the 4G standard or the 5G standard, a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN standard can be used. The communication unit 230 transmits various types of information used in the operation of the terminal device 200 and receives various types of information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 200.

[0034] (Input section) The input unit 240 includes one or more input interfaces. Examples of the input interface include physical keys, capacitance keys, a pointing device, or a touch screen integrated with a display. The input unit 240 accepts an operation by a user to input information used for the operation of the terminal device 200. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 200, the input unit 240 may be connected to the terminal device 200 as an external output device. Examples of connection methods include USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0035] Here, information received from the user by the input unit 240 will be described. The input unit 240 receives an operation by the user to input user information used in the operation of the driving skill improvement app described above. Examples of the user include the driver of the vehicle 100, a passenger riding in the vehicle 100, or a specific other person. Examples of the specific other person include a person who has been given permission to share the driver's driving skill assessment results, such as the driver's family. Note that the passenger may also include the specific other person. Examples of the user information include any information for identifying the user, such as the user's name, facial image, address, or family composition, as well as any information for identifying the terminal device 200, such as the terminal ID of the terminal device 200 owned by the user. However, the user information in the present disclosure is not limited to these and may be any information as long as it is possible to link the driver of the vehicle 100 with other users. As will be described in detail later, the linking of the driver with other users may be performed based on location information of the vehicle 100 and location information of terminal devices 200 owned by users other than the driver. The linking may also be performed based on image data from an in-vehicle image capturing camera 10 provided in the vehicle 100. The linking may also be performed using an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The linking may also be performed based on the detection results of a weight sensor provided in the vehicle 100.

[0036] (output section) The output unit 250 includes one or more output interfaces. Examples of the output interface include an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The output unit 250 outputs information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 200 to the user. The output unit 250 may be connected to the terminal device 200 as an external output device instead of being provided in the terminal device 200. Examples of the connection method include USB, HDMI (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0037] (1-3. Server device) The server device 300 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] (1-3-1. Configuration example) The server device 300 functions as a device for improving the driver's driving skills of the vehicle 100 by executing a computer program by one or more processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units). The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute operations to be performed by the server device 300, which will be described later. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 320, which will be described later, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the server device 300 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the server device 300.

[0039] 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.

[0040] The server device 300 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. However, an embodiment is also possible in which a part or all of the components of the server device 300 are mounted on the vehicle 100. In this case, a part or all of the components of the server device 300 may be connected to the vehicle control device 7 via a dedicated line or a communication means such as a controller area network (CAN) or a local internet (LIN). Furthermore, a part or all of the components of the server device 300 may be configured to be able to directly communicate with the in-vehicle image capturing camera 10, the in-vehicle microphone 20, the vehicle state sensor 30, the communication device 40, the notification device 50, the input device 60, etc. via a dedicated line or a communication means such as a CAN or a LIN.

[0041] The server device 300 includes a processing unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a communication unit 330.

[0042] (Processing section) The processing unit 310 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 310 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.

[0043] (Storage part) The storage unit 320 is configured with one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM communicably connected to the processing unit 310. However, there are no particular limitations on the type and number of storage units 320. The storage unit 320 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 310, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and arithmetic results.

[0044] Specifically, the storage unit 320 pre-stores information indicating service advertisements that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. The storage unit 320 also pre-stores information that serves as a reference for judging the driver's driving skills, such as model driving data including the accelerator pedal and brake pedal operation amounts and the steering angle of the steering wheel 6 by a model driver. In addition, the storage unit 320 also stores user information used in a driving skill improvement app that runs on the terminal device 200.

[0045] (Communications Department) The communication unit 330 is configured with one or more communication interfaces communicably connected to the processing unit 310. As the communication interface, for example, an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as the 4G standard or the 5G standard, or a LAN standard, can be used. The communication unit 330 transmits various types of information used in the operation of the vehicle 100 and receives various types of information obtained by the operation of the vehicle 100.

[0046] (1-3-2. Functional configuration of the processing unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 310 of the server device 300 will be described. The processing unit 310 includes a user information acquisition unit 311, a driving data acquisition unit 312, a driving skill assessment unit 313, a notification information setting unit 314, an intention determination unit 315, a notification destination setting unit 316, an improvement promotion determination unit 317, and a notification processing unit 318. 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 user information acquisition unit 311, the driving data acquisition unit 312, the driving skill assessment unit 313, the notification information setting unit 314, the intention determination unit 315, the notification destination setting unit 316, the improvement promotion determination unit 317, and the notification processing unit 318 may be configured using analog circuits.

[0047] (User information acquisition section) The user information acquisition unit 311 acquires user information input by the user via the input unit 240 of the terminal device 200 from the terminal device 200 via the communication unit 330, and stores the user information in the storage unit 320. As described above, the user information is any information for linking the driver of the vehicle 100 with users other than the driver.

[0048] (Operation data acquisition section) The driving data acquisition unit 312 acquires driving data of the vehicle 100 by the driver from the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330. Examples of the driving data include the driver's operation amount of the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal, and the steering angle of the steering wheel 6. However, the driving data in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and may be data related to the behavioral stability of the vehicle 100 that can be determined from the detection results of an acceleration sensor or a yaw rate sensor included in the vehicle state sensor 30. Alternatively, the driving data in the present disclosure may be data for determining whether the vehicle 100 is traveling in accordance with traffic regulations, such as the blinking timing of a turn signal.

[0049] (Driving Skill Assessment Department) The driving skill assessment unit 313 determines whether the driver's driving skill is higher than a predetermined standard based on the driving data acquired by the driving data acquisition unit 312. Specifically, the driving skill assessment unit 313 determines the driver's driving skill based on a comparison between the driving data acquired by the driving data acquisition unit 312 and model driving data pre-stored in the memory unit 320. More specifically, the driving skill assessment unit 313 compares the accelerator pedal and brake pedal operation amounts and the steering angle of the steering wheel 6 included in the driving data with the accelerator pedal and brake pedal operation amounts and the steering angle of the steering wheel 6 included in the model driving data. The driving skill assessment unit 313 then determines the driver's driving skill by calculating a deviation degree for each of the comparison results. Note that the driving skill assessment unit 313 may determine that the lower the average value of the calculated deviation degrees, the higher the driver's driving skill. However, the method for evaluating driving skill in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and any known or arbitrary evaluation method can be adopted.

[0050] (Notification information setting section) The notification information setting unit 314 sets a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills as information to be notified to at least one of the driver, passengers, or specific others based on the driving skill determination result by the driving skill determination unit 313. Here, the service advertisement may be an advertisement for a service that provides driving instruction from an expert, or an advertisement for a service that provides analysis results of the driver's driving data. However, the service advertisement in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and any advertisement for a service that can be used to improve driving skills can be adopted. Note that the service related to the service advertisement may be provided while driving or after driving has finished.

[0051] The notification information setting unit 314 may set, as information to be notified to at least one of the driver, passengers, and specific others, coupons or points that can be used when using the service related to the service advertisement, along with a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. Note that the "coupon" here refers to a ticket that gives the driver the right to purchase the service related to the service advertisement at a discounted price. Also, the "points" here refer to a virtual value unit that can be used to receive a discount or the like equivalent to the points when the driver purchases the service related to the service advertisement.

[0052] The notification information setting unit 314 may set the content of the service related to the service advertisement based on the usage history of a service related to the service advertisement available for improving the driver's driving skills by multiple drivers and the improvement effect of the driving skills of the multiple drivers. Here, the "improvement effect of driving skills" may mean, for example, that the average value of the deviation from the above-mentioned exemplary driving data decreases as the number of times the driver drives the vehicle 100 increases, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, the notification information setting unit 314 may determine the content of the service advertisement based on the ratio of the number of users of the service related to the service advertisement whose driving skills have improved by a predetermined amount to the number of users of the service related to the service advertisement. More specifically, the notification information setting unit 314 may set, as notification information, an effective service advertisement from among the multiple service advertisements, whose ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.5). Furthermore, the notification information setting unit 314 may set, from among the multiple service advertisements, an effective service advertisement whose ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.5) and whose ratio is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, so as to give priority to notification of the effective service advertisement from among the multiple service advertisements. Furthermore, the notification information setting unit 314 may set the notification frequency of the effective service advertisement higher than the notification frequency of the service advertisements other than the effective service advertisement.

[0053] The notification information setting unit 314 may set the content of a coupon or points that can be used when using a service related to a service advertisement that can be used to improve drivers' driving skills, in addition to the service advertisement, based on the usage history of a service related to the service advertisement by multiple drivers and the improvement effect of the driving skills of multiple drivers. Specifically, the notification information setting unit 314 may determine the content of the coupon or points based on the ratio of the number of users of the service related to the service advertisement whose driving skills have improved by a predetermined amount. More specifically, the notification information setting unit 314 may set the coupon or points so that the discount amount of the coupon or the number of points to be awarded increases as the ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.5) and the deviation of the ratio from the predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.5) increases.

[0054] In addition, the notification information setting unit 314 may set as notification information, in addition to service advertisements that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills, information suggesting that the vehicle 100 be retrofitted with a device to prevent sudden acceleration due to, for example, mistaking the brake pedal for the accelerator pedal.

[0055] The notification information setting unit 314 sets a notification (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an "improvement promotion notification") that encourages the driver to improve his driving skills as notification information. Note that, as will be described in detail later, this notification is issued when the driver's driving skills are lower than a predetermined standard, the driver's intention to improve his driving skills is not higher than the predetermined standard, and there is a passenger in the vehicle 100.

[0056] (Intention Judgment Department) The intention determination unit 315 determines whether the driver has an intention to improve his / her driving skills. Specifically, the intention determination unit 315 determines whether the driver's intention to improve his / her driving skills is higher than a predetermined standard. Here, the intention determination unit 315 may make this determination based on the usage history of a service related to a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. For example, if the driver has used the service related to the service advertisement a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined period up to the present, the intention determination unit 315 may determine that the intention is higher than the predetermined standard. Note that the predetermined period is, for example, within the past six months from the present, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be set appropriately. Furthermore, the predetermined number of times is, for example, several times to several tens of times, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be set appropriately. Alternatively, the intention determination unit 315 may determine whether the driver has the intention based on a response from the driver using the input device 60 to a question posed to the driver using the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100.

[0057] (Notification destination setting section) When the intention determination unit 315 determines that the driver's intention to improve his / her driving skills is higher than a predetermined standard, the notification destination setting unit 316 sets the driver as the notification destination of service advertisements that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. On the other hand, when the intention determination unit 315 determines that the driver's intention to improve his / her driving skills is not higher than a predetermined standard, the notification destination setting unit 316 sets the passenger or a specific other person as the notification destination of service advertisements that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. In addition, the notification destination setting unit 316 sets the passenger as the notification destination of the above-mentioned improvement promotion notification.

[0058] (Improvement Promotion Judgment Department) The improvement promotion determination unit 317 determines whether or not a passenger in the vehicle 100 has urged the driver to improve their driving skills. Specifically, the improvement promotion determination unit 317 acquires voice data recorded by the in-vehicle microphone 20 of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330, and performs publicly known or arbitrary voice analysis on the acquired voice data to make this determination. Note that, as will be described in detail later, this determination is made after a notification is sent to the passenger recommending that the driver improve their driving skills.

[0059] (Notification processing unit) The notification processing unit 318 executes a process of notifying the notification destination set by the notification destination setting unit 316 of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314 .

[0060] Specifically, when the notification destination is the driver, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills to the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330. This allows the driver to recognize the service advertisement that is output to the display device provided in the notification device 50.

[0061] Furthermore, when the notification destination is a passenger, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating the service advertisement to the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100 or the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger via the communication unit 330. This allows the passenger to recognize the service advertisement output to the display device provided in the notification device 50 or the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-2.

[0062] Furthermore, when the notification destination is a specific other person, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating the service advertisement to the terminal device 200-3 possessed by the specific other person via the communication unit 330. This allows the specific other person to recognize the service advertisement output to the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-3.

[0063] (1-3-3. Example of server device operation) An example of the operation of the server device 300 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts in FIGS.

[0064] In step S10, the driving skill improvement system 1000 including the server device 300 is started. Then, the process proceeds to step S11. In this operation example, it is assumed that the driver of the vehicle 100 and the passengers or specific other people riding in the vehicle 100 are linked in advance by, for example, the method described above.

[0065] In step S11, the driving data acquisition unit 312 of the server device 300 acquires driving data of the vehicle 100 by the driver from the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the driving data of the vehicle 100 by the driver may be, for example, past data accumulated in the memory unit 320. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0066] In step S12, the driving skill determination unit 313 of the server device 300 determines whether the driver's driving skill is lower than a predetermined standard based on a comparison between the driving data acquired in step S11 and, for example, exemplary driving data pre-stored in the memory unit 320. If it is determined that the driving skill is lower than the predetermined standard (step S12: YES), the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the driving skill is lower than the predetermined standard (step S12: NO), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0067] In step S13, the intention determination unit 315 of the server device 300 determines whether the driver's intention to improve his / her driving skills is higher than a predetermined standard. If it is determined that the intention is higher than the predetermined standard (step S13: YES), the process proceeds to step S14. If it is not determined that the intention is higher than the predetermined standard (step S13: NO), the process proceeds to step S16 shown in Fig. 5. In this determination, as described above, for example, the usage history of a service related to a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills may be used, or the driver's response to a question posed to the driver may be used.

[0068] In step S14, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 sets, as notification information, a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skill. In addition, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 sets the driver as the notification destination of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0069] Here, in step S14, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 may set, together with a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills, coupons or points that can be used when using a service related to the service advertisement as notification information for the driver. This increases the advertising effectiveness of the service advertisement. Furthermore, together with the service advertisement, the notification information setting unit 314 may set, as notification information for the driver, information suggesting that the vehicle 100 be retrofitted with a device that suppresses sudden acceleration due to, for example, misapplication of the brake pedal instead of the accelerator pedal.

[0070] Furthermore, in step S14, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 may set the content of the service related to the service advertisement, which can be used to improve the driving skills of drivers, based on the usage history by multiple drivers of the service related to the service advertisement and the improvement effect of the driving skills of the multiple drivers, as described above. Furthermore, the notification information setting unit 314 may set the content of a coupon or points that can be used when using the service related to the service advertisement, together with the service advertisement, based on the usage history by multiple drivers of the service related to the service advertisement and the improvement effect of the driving skills of the multiple drivers, as described above.

[0071] In step S15, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the driver of the vehicle 100 of the notification information set in step S14. Specifically, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills to the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330. As a result, a driver whose driving skills are lower than a predetermined standard and whose intention to improve their driving skills is higher than the predetermined standard can recognize the service advertisement output on a display device or the like provided in the notification device 50. Therefore, the driver can improve their driving skills of the vehicle 100 by using a service related to the service advertisement. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0072] 5, when the process proceeds from step S13 to step S16 (i.e., when the intention is not higher than a predetermined standard), in step S16, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 determines whether or not there is a fellow passenger riding in the vehicle 100. Specifically, the notification destination setting unit 316 acquires the location information of the terminal device 200 carried by a person other than the driver and the location information of the vehicle 100 from the terminal device 200 and the vehicle 100, respectively, via the communication unit 330. Then, when the acquired location information of the terminal device 200 and the location information of the vehicle 100 match within a range where the terminal device 200 can be considered to be located inside the vehicle 100, the notification destination setting unit 316 determines that there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle 100. When it is determined that there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle 100 (step S16: YES), the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there is a passenger in the vehicle 100 (step S16: NO), the process proceeds to step S22.

[0073] However, in the present disclosure, the method of determining whether or not there is a passenger in the vehicle 100 is not limited to the above-described method. For example, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 may acquire image data from the interior image capturing camera 10 of the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330 and perform publicly known or arbitrary image processing on the image data to determine whether or not there is a passenger in the vehicle 100. Note that, when a facial image of the passenger recognized by the image processing matches a facial image stored in advance in the storage unit 320, the notification destination setting unit 316 can identify the terminal device 200 associated with the facial image stored in advance in the storage unit 320 as the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger. Alternatively, when it is detected that a terminal device 200 other than the terminal device 200-1 carried by the driver has been connected to the vehicle 100 using an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), the notification destination setting unit 316 may determine that the terminal device 200 is the terminal device 200-2 carried by a fellow passenger, and determine that there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the notification destination setting unit 316 may acquire a detection result of a weight sensor included in the vehicle state sensor 30 via the communication unit 330, and determine whether there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle 100 based on the detection result.

[0074] In step S17, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 sets a notification (hereinafter referred to as an "improvement promotion notification") encouraging the driver to improve his driving skills as notification information. In addition, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 sets the passenger as the notification destination of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314. In other words, if the driver's driving skills are lower than a predetermined standard, the driver's intention to improve his driving skills is not higher than the predetermined standard, and there is a passenger in the vehicle 100, a notification encouraging the driver to improve his driving skills is sent to the passenger. Then, the process proceeds to step S18.

[0075] In step S18, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the passenger of the notification information set in step S17. Specifically, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating the improvement prompt notification to the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger via the communication unit 330. This allows the passenger to recognize the improvement prompt notification output to the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-2. This ensures an opportunity for the driver to improve the driving skill of the vehicle 100 with the cooperation of the passenger. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S19. Note that the improvement prompt notification may be output so as to be recognizable by the passenger on a display device provided in the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100, instead of on the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger.

[0076] In step S19, the improvement promotion determination unit 317 of the server device 300 determines whether the passenger who received the improvement promotion notification in step S18 urged the driver to improve his / her driving skills. In other words, after the passenger was notified to encourage the driver to improve his / her driving skills, it is determined whether the passenger urged the driver to improve his / her driving skills. Specifically, the improvement promotion determination unit 317 acquires voice data recorded by the in-vehicle microphone 20 of the vehicle 100 from the vehicle 100 via the communication unit 330. Then, the improvement promotion determination unit 317 performs publicly known or arbitrary voice analysis on the acquired voice data to determine whether the passenger urged the driver to improve his / her driving skills. If it is determined that the driver was urged (step S19: YES), the process proceeds to step S14 shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, if it is determined that the driver was not urged (step S19: NO), the process proceeds to step S20.

[0077] In step S20, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 sets, as notification information, a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. In addition, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 sets the passenger as the notification destination of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S21.

[0078] In step S21, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the passenger of the vehicle 100 of the notification information set in step S20. Specifically, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skill to the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger via the communication unit 330. Thereafter, the process ends. Note that the service advertisement may be output so as to be recognizable by the passenger on a display device provided in the notification device 50 of the vehicle 100, instead of on the terminal device 200-2 carried by the passenger.

[0079] This allows the passenger to recognize the service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills, which is output to the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-2 or the notification device 50. Therefore, even if the driver is not motivated to improve his driving skills, the service advertisement notified to him serves as motivation for the passenger, making it easier to encourage the driver to improve his driving skills.

[0080] If the process proceeds from step S16 to step S22 (i.e., if there is no passenger), in step S22, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 sets a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills as notification information. In addition, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 sets a specific other person as the notification destination of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314. In other words, if the driver's driving skills are lower than a predetermined standard, the driver's intention to improve their driving skills is not higher than the predetermined standard, and there is no passenger in the vehicle 100, the service advertisement is notified to the specific other person. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S23.

[0081] In step S23, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the specific other person of the notification information set in step S22. Specifically, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skill to the terminal device 200-3 possessed by the specific other person via the communication unit 330. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0082] This allows the specific other person to recognize the service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills and is output to the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-3. Therefore, even if the driver is not motivated to improve his driving skills, the service advertisement notified to the specific other person will motivate him and make it easier for him to encourage the driver to improve his driving skills.

[0083] Returning to Fig. 4, if the process proceeds from step S12 to step S24 (i.e., if the driving skill is not lower than the predetermined standard), in step S24, the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 sets the judgment result of the driver's driving skill as notification information. Also, the notification destination setting unit 316 of the server device 300 sets a specific other person as the notification destination of the notification information set by the notification information setting unit 314. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0084] In step S25, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the specific other person of the notification information set in step S24. Specifically, the notification processing unit 318 transmits information indicating the judgment result of the driver's driving skill to the terminal device 200-3 carried by the specific other person via the communication unit 330. Thereafter, the process ends. This allows the specific other person to recognize that the driver's driving skill is higher than a predetermined standard via the output unit 250 of the terminal device 200-3. Therefore, the specific other person can feel reassured about the driver's driving skill.

[0085] Note that, when the process proceeds from step S12 to step S24 (i.e., when the driving skill is not lower than the predetermined standard), the notification information setting unit 314 of the server device 300 may set a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skill as notification information to the driver in parallel with steps S24 and S25. Then, the notification processing unit 318 of the server device 300 executes a process of notifying the driver of the vehicle 100 of the notification information set in the same manner as in step S15. As a result, a driver whose driving skill is higher than the predetermined standard can further improve his or her driving skill by using a service related to the service advertisement.

[0086] (2. Summary) As described above, the driving skill improvement system 1000 according to this embodiment is a system for improving the driving skill of a driver of a vehicle 100. Specifically, the processing unit 310 of the server device 300 included in the driving skill improvement system 1000 determines the driving skill of the driver. The processing unit 310 also determines whether the driver intends to improve his or her driving skill. Based on the determination result of the intention to improve the driving skill, the processing unit 310 notifies at least one of the driver, a fellow passenger riding in the vehicle 100, and a specific other person of a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skill. In particular, if the driver's intention to improve his or her driving skill is higher than a predetermined standard, the processing unit 310 notifies the driver of the service advertisement, and if the driver's intention to improve his or her driving skill is not higher than the predetermined standard, the processing unit 310 notifies the fellow passenger or a specific other person of the service advertisement.

[0087] According to this configuration, a driver who is more willing to improve his / her driving skills than a predetermined standard can further improve his / her driving skills by using a service related to a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driver's driving skills. On the other hand, a driver who is not more willing to improve his / her driving skills than the predetermined standard is more likely than before to use a service related to the service advertisement with the cooperation of a passenger or a specific other person, which may lead to an improvement in his / her driving skills. Therefore, by taking into account the driver's will to improve his / her driving skills, it is possible to improve the driver's driving skills.

[0088] 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.

[0089] As a modification, in the above-described embodiment, the improvement promotion determination unit 317 can be omitted. Also, the process of notifying the passenger to encourage the driver to improve their driving skills can be omitted. Specifically, in the above-described embodiment, the processes of steps S17 to S19 can be omitted.

[0090] As a modification, in the above-described embodiment, the processing unit 310 of the server device 300 may notify the passenger or the specific other person of a service advertisement that is different from the service available for improving the driver's driving skills and includes any coupons, points, or the like that the passenger or the specific other person can use. In this case, information indicating the service advertisement is pre-stored in the storage unit 320. Note that the service advertisement is notified in addition to or instead of the service advertisement notified to the passenger or the specific other person in the above-described embodiment.

[0091] Furthermore, the processing unit 310 of the server device 300 may notify the passenger or a specific other person that a service related to the service advertisement, which is different from the service available for improving the driver's driving skill and includes any coupons or points that the passenger or a specific other person can use, will become available on the condition that the passenger encourages the driver to improve their driving skill or on the condition that the driver improves the driving skill of the vehicle 100. Here, whether the passenger encouraged the driver to improve their driving skill can be determined in the same manner as in step S19. Furthermore, whether the driver's driving skill has improved can be determined based on a comparison of driving data from the driver's next trip with driving data from the previous trip. Note that the "coupon" here refers to a ticket that gives the passenger or a specific other person the right to purchase the service related to the service advertisement at a discounted price. Furthermore, the "point" here refers to a virtual value unit that allows the passenger or a specific other person to receive a discount or the like equivalent to the point when purchasing the service related to the service advertisement.

[0092] The technology of the present disclosure can also be realized as a vehicle 100 having some or all of the functions of the server device 300 described in the above-mentioned embodiment, a driving skill improvement method executed by the server device 300, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above-mentioned server device 300, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1000: driving skill improvement system, 100: vehicle, 200: terminal device, 210: processing unit, 220: memory unit, 230: communication unit, 240: input unit, 250: output unit, 300: server device, 310: processing unit, 311: user information acquisition unit, 312: driving data acquisition unit, 313: driving skill determination unit, 314: notification information setting unit, 315: intention determination unit, 316: notification destination setting unit, 317: improvement promotion determination unit, 318: notification processing unit, 320: memory unit, 330: communication unit, 400: network

Claims

1. A driving skill improvement system for improving a driver's vehicle driving skill, one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; the one or more processors: determining the driving skill of the driver; Determining whether the driver has an intention to improve their driving skills; Based on the determination result of the intention to improve the driving skill, notifying at least one of the driver, a fellow passenger riding in the vehicle, and a specific other person of a service advertisement that can be used to improve the driving skill of the driver; If the driver's intention to improve the driving skill is higher than a predetermined standard, notify the driver of the service advertisement, and if the driver's intention to improve the driving skill is not higher than a predetermined standard, notify the passenger or the specified other person of the service advertisement. Driving skill improvement system.

2. the one or more processors: When the driving skill of the driver is lower than a predetermined standard, the driver's intention to improve the driving skill is not higher than a predetermined standard, and there is a passenger in the vehicle, a notification is sent to the passenger recommending that the driver improve the driving skill. The driving skill improvement system according to claim 1 .

3. the one or more processors: After notifying the passenger to encourage the driver to improve the driving skill, it is determined whether the passenger has encouraged the driver to improve the driving skill; notifying the passenger of the service advertisement if it is determined that the passenger has not encouraged the driver to improve the driving skill; The driving skill improvement system according to claim 2 .

4. the one or more processors: notifying the specific other person of the service advertisement when the driving skill of the driver is lower than a predetermined standard, the driver's intention to improve the driving skill is not higher than a predetermined standard, and there is no passenger in the vehicle; The driving skill improvement system according to claim 1 .

5. the one or more processors: setting the content of the service related to the service advertisement based on a usage record of the service related to the service advertisement by a plurality of drivers and an effect of improving driving skills of the plurality of drivers; The driving skill improvement system according to claim 1 .

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