To provide an incoming call notification device for a vehicle, an incoming call notification method, an incoming call notification program, and an incoming call notification system.

Abstract

To reduce the possibility of hindering safe driving in a scene where an occupant concentrates on driving by performing incoming call notification so as not to disturb the occupant's concentration on driving.SOLUTION: An incoming call notification device 10 for a vehicle that notifies an occupant of a vehicle 1 of an incoming call when the incoming call is received by a communication device 20 includes a lighting unit 12 that notifies the occupant of the incoming call by visually recognizing an optical image generated by light emission when the incoming call is received, a display unit 13 that notifies the occupant of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information when the incoming call is received, and a control unit 14 that controls light emission of a light emission signal by the lighting unit based on an incoming call signal acquired from the communication device and traveling state information acquired from the vehicle. And a control section 11 that individually executes display control of the incoming call information by the display section to make an incoming call notice.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that can notify an occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received by a communication device carried by the occupant. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology related to a vehicle that can be linked with a mobile device. According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a call arrives at the mobile device, the mobile device transmits an image (interrupt image) related to call function interrupt processing to the vehicle, and the vehicle displays the call function interrupt image in the screen area of ​​a display device, thereby notifying a passenger (driver) in the vehicle of the incoming call information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7282208 (see paragraph

[0066] ). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, according to the technology described in Patent Document 1, when an incoming call is received while the vehicle is being driven, the occupant shifts their gaze from the forward field of vision while driving to the display device, and by visually checking the incoming call information displayed on the display device, they are able to identify the call source, which may impede safe driving. In particular, there has been a problem in that the sudden ringtone output while the vehicle is being driven, or checking the incoming call information displayed on the display device, and making a call while driving, can interfere with the occupant's concentration on driving the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that can reduce the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where the occupant is concentrating on driving by notifying the occupant of the incoming call in a way that does not interfere with the occupant's concentration on driving.

[0006] Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by referring to the following exemplary aspects and best modes, as well as the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to facilitate an understanding of the outline of the present invention, the following examples are given of embodiments according to the present invention.

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that notifies an occupant of a vehicle of an incoming call when a communication device receives an incoming call, the incoming call notification device for a vehicle having: an illumination unit that, when the incoming call is received, notifies the occupant of the incoming call by making a light image generated by light emission visible to the occupant; a display unit that, when the incoming call is received, notifies the occupant of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information; and a control unit that, based on an incoming call signal obtained from the communication device and driving state information obtained from the vehicle, separately controls the illumination unit to emit a light emission signal and the display unit to display the incoming call information, thereby notifying the occupant of the incoming call.

[0009] In a first aspect, the control unit performs an incoming call notification by separately controlling the illumination of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit. On the other hand, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a relatively high driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the illumination of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit to change the emission color or pattern of the light, which does not interfere with driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, which would interfere with driving in order to check the incoming call. This makes it possible to provide an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that can reduce the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where the occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0010] In a second aspect dependent on the first aspect, the control unit may determine, based on the driving state information of the vehicle, whether the vehicle is in a first driving state including a stopped state, or a second driving state which places a greater driving load on the occupant than in the first driving state, and if an incoming call is received when it is determined to be in the first driving state, may execute a first notification process to provide an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit.

[0011] Here, the "first driving state" refers to, for example, (1) a state in which the vehicle continues traveling at a constant speed (e.g., 10 km / h) for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more, (2) a state in which the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more without vehicle operation or driving assistance by an Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) and without any vehicle malfunction, or (3) a state in which there is a waiting time at a traffic light for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more. Furthermore, the "second driving state" refers to a driving state other than the first driving state. In the second aspect, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is determined to be in the first driving state, a "first notification process" is executed to notify the incoming call based on an illumination signal emitted by the illumination unit and displaying the incoming call information on the display unit. This allows the occupant to confirm the incoming call based on the presence or absence of illumination by the illumination unit, the illumination pattern, etc., and also allows the occupant to check the details of the incoming call from the incoming call information on the display unit within a range that does not interfere with their concentration on driving.

[0012] In a third aspect dependent on the second aspect, when an incoming call occurs when it is determined based on the driving state information of the vehicle that the vehicle is in the second driving state, the control unit may perform an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, and may not perform an incoming call notification based on the light-emitting signal by the lighting unit, or may perform the incoming call notification for only a predetermined time using the light-emitting signal by the lighting unit, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, may execute a second notification process to store incoming call-related information obtained from the communication device.

[0013] Here, "incoming call-related information" refers to the incoming call history included in the incoming call signal, including, for example, the incoming call time, the call origin, the call origin's phone number, and call attributes (such as the number of calls from the same phone number and whether the call requires an urgent response). In a third aspect, when an incoming call occurs while the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state based on the driving state information, the control unit either does not issue an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit, or issues an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit for a predetermined period of time, and after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, executes a second notification process that stores the incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device. For this reason, the "second notification process" displays, for example, the call origin (caller), the call origin's phone number, and a phone icon, as shown in the incoming call notification screen 50A in FIG. 6, thereby enabling the incoming call notification to be sent in a manner that does not interfere with the occupant's concentration on driving. Furthermore, when the vehicle is in a call-enabled state, the control unit can issue an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit and a display of incoming call information on the display unit based on the stored incoming call-related information.

[0014] In a fourth aspect dependent on the third aspect, when the control unit transitions to the first driving state after executing the second notification process of storing the incoming call related information in the second driving state, the control unit may execute a third notification process of performing an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and an incoming call notification based on a display of the incoming call information by the display unit, based on the stored incoming call related information.

[0015] In the fourth aspect, when the control unit stores the incoming call related information in the second driving state and then transitions to the first driving state, the control unit executes a third notification process based on the stored incoming call related information, in which the control unit issues an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit and the display of the incoming call information from the display unit. For this reason, for example, as shown in missed call notification screen 50B in Fig. 7, the caller (sender), the caller's phone number, a phone icon, incoming call history, and incoming call time are displayed, allowing the occupant to know that there was an incoming call during the notification process.

[0016] In a fifth aspect dependent on the first to fourth aspects, the display unit is arranged below the windshield of the vehicle, and the illumination unit comprises a light source that emits light to a photoreceiver arranged on at least a portion of the windshield, and the occupant may be able to see a light image generated by emitting the light emitted from the light source through the photoreceiver.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, the display unit is disposed below the windshield (cowl), and the illumination unit emits light from a light source toward a photoreceptor disposed in at least a portion of the windshield (cowl), allowing the occupant to view an optical image based on the light emitted from the light source via the photoreceptor. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle incoming call notification device is applied to a motorcycle, a photoreceptor that visually recognizes an optical image based on light from the illumination unit 12 is disposed in the cowl 40 used as the windshield. This allows the occupant to view the optical image emitted by the illumination unit via the photoreceptor while viewing the forward field of view (front) necessary for driving without shifting their line of sight, thereby enabling the occupant to be notified of an incoming call without being distracted from driving. Alternatively, to allow the occupant to view the optical image, the light guided by the photoreceptor may be emitted toward the windshield (cowl) rather than toward the occupant, and the reflected light may be directed toward the occupant, creating a virtual image.

[0018] In a sixth aspect dependent on the second aspect, when the incoming call stops in the first driving state, the control unit may provide an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and an incoming call notification based on a display of the incoming call information by the display unit.

[0019] In the sixth aspect, when an incoming call stops in the first driving state, the control unit notifies the occupant of the incoming call based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, so that even if the occupant does not answer or notice the incoming call, the occupant can know the details of the incoming call based on the incoming call-related information.

[0020] In a seventh aspect dependent on the fifth aspect, when an incoming call is received when the driving state information acquired from the vehicle is determined to be in a first driving state including a stopped state, the control unit may perform an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit, and then perform the incoming call notification based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit.

[0021] In a seventh aspect, if an incoming call occurs when the driving state information acquired from the vehicle is determined to be in a first driving state including a stopped state, the control unit performs an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the lighting unit, and then performs an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit. In other words, because the lighting unit is first made to emit light to notify the incoming call and then the display unit displays the incoming call information, the occupant can check the incoming call by the light emission from the lighting unit with almost no eye movement each time the driving state is changed to the first driving state, and therefore, the occupant is less likely to develop the habit of moving their eyes to the display to check the incoming call, which is likely to hinder safe driving when they are concentrating on driving.

[0022] In an eighth aspect dependent on the fourth aspect, the control unit may transition to the first driving state after executing the second notification process, which stores incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device, and if the incoming call occurs before executing the third notification process, may refer to the stored incoming call-related information and (1) if there are multiple incoming calls, perform control to vary the light color or light pattern based on the light emission signal from the lighting unit executed in the third notification process depending on the number of incoming calls, or (2) if there are multiple incoming calls from the same phone number, perform control to vary the light color or light pattern based on the light emission signal from the lighting unit executed in the third notification process depending on the number of incoming calls.

[0023] In the eighth aspect, when an incoming call occurs after the second notification process has been executed but the third notification process has not yet been completed, the control unit performs control to vary the light emission pattern of the illumination unit 12 executed in the "third notification process (missed call notification)" according to the number of incoming calls (the number of incoming call-related information being three) when there are multiple incoming calls from the incoming call-related information stored in the second notification process, as shown in Fig. 8(a). Also, when there are multiple incoming calls from the same phone number, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the control unit performs control to vary the light emission color of the illumination unit executed in the "third notification process" according to the number of incoming calls. In this way, by controlling the light emission color and light emission pattern of the light emission signal of the illumination unit 12 that notifies of missed calls in the third notification process according to the number of incoming calls, the occupant can easily determine whether the incoming call is urgent or important to him or her.

[0024] In a ninth aspect dependent on the first aspect, the control unit may perform control to customize at least one of whether or not to emit light based on the light emission signal by the lighting unit, the light emission color, and the light emission pattern depending on the caller, based on telephone directory information acquired from the communication device.

[0025] In the ninth aspect, the control unit performs control to customize at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal from the lighting unit depending on the caller, based on the phone book information obtained from the communication device.Therefore, by knowing the customized content, the occupant can identify the caller just by the light emitted by the lighting unit without moving their eyes, which contributes to safe driving in situations where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0026] In a tenth aspect dependent on the second to fifth aspects, when the control unit receives the incoming call and determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state, the control unit may generate a message indicating that the vehicle is driving and transmit the generated message to the caller.

[0027] In the tenth aspect, when an incoming call is received and the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state, the control unit generates a message indicating that the vehicle is driving and automatically sends it to the caller, thereby enabling the caller to recognize the reason why the call cannot be answered, through a "driving state notification function."

[0028] In an eleventh aspect which is dependent on the second to fifth aspects, when the vehicle transitions from the second driving state to a third driving state in which calls can be made, if an incoming call is received during the second driving state, the control unit may perform control to generate a message indicating that calls can be made and send the generated message to the caller.

[0029] Here, the "third driving state in which a call can be made" refers to, for example, a state in which there is no vehicle operation or vehicle malfunction, the vehicle is positioned in a store parking lot or emergency parking zone, and the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more. In the eleventh aspect, when the vehicle transitions from the second driving state to the third driving state in which a call can be made, if there is an incoming call during the second driving state, the control unit executes a "call available state notification function" that generates a message indicating that a call is available and automatically sends it to the caller, thereby allowing the caller (the other party) to know when to call again from the received message.

[0030] In a twelfth aspect that is dependent on the second to fifth aspects, when the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state when the call is received, the control unit may generate a message prompting the caller to reply as to whether the call is urgent or not, and send the message to the caller; and when the reply from the caller is urgent, the control unit may issue an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the lighting unit and a display of the incoming call information by the display unit, regardless of the driving state.

[0031] In the twelfth aspect, when the control unit determines that the vehicle is in the second driving state when an incoming call is received, the control unit generates a message prompting the caller to reply as to whether the incoming call is urgent or not and automatically sends the message to the caller.If the reply from the caller is urgent, the "emergency call notification function" notifies the caller based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and on the display of the incoming call information on the display unit, regardless of the driving state.This allows the caller to be notified of normal incoming calls in a situation that does not interfere with the occupants' concentration on driving, and also allows the occupants to immediately notice urgent incoming calls.

[0032] A thirteenth aspect according to the present invention is an incoming call notification method for notifying an occupant of a vehicle of an incoming call when an incoming call is received on a communication device built into the vehicle or carried by the occupant, the method comprising: an illumination unit that generates a light image by emitting light and makes it visible to the occupant to notify the occupant of the incoming call; and a display unit that, when the incoming call is received, displays incoming call information to notify the occupant, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring driving condition information from the vehicle; acquiring incoming call information from the communication device; and individually performing lighting control of a light emission signal by the illumination unit and display control of the incoming call information by the display unit based on the driving condition information and the incoming call signal to perform the incoming call notification.

[0033] In a thirteenth aspect, an incoming call notification is performed by separately controlling the illumination of an illumination signal by an illumination unit and controlling the display of incoming call information by a display unit based on an incoming call signal acquired from a communication device and driving state information acquired from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of an illumination signal by an illumination unit and controlling the display of incoming call information by a display unit. On the other hand, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, which requires a relatively heavy driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the illumination of an illumination signal by an illumination unit to change the emission color or pattern of light, which does not relatively interfere with concentration on driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, which would interfere with concentration on driving in order to check the incoming call. This makes it possible to provide an incoming call notification method that can reduce the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0034] A fourteenth aspect of the present invention is an incoming call notification program for an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that notifies an occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received on a communication device built into the vehicle or carried by the occupant, the incoming call notification program having an illumination unit that notifies an occupant of an incoming call by making a light image generated by display light visible to the occupant, a display unit that notifies the occupant of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information when the incoming call is received, and a control unit, the incoming call notification program causing a processor in the control unit to execute the following processes: acquiring driving condition information from the vehicle; acquiring incoming call information from the communication device; and individually controlling the illumination unit to emit a light signal and the display unit to display the incoming call information based on the driving condition information and the incoming call signal, thereby performing the incoming call notification.

[0035] In a fourteenth aspect, the processor of the control unit reads and sequentially executes the incoming call notification program recorded in the memory, so that the vehicular incoming call notification device can individually control the emission of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit to perform incoming call notification, based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the emission of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit. On the other hand, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, which requires a relatively heavy driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the emission of the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit to change the emission color or pattern of the light, which does not interfere with driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, which would interfere with driving, thereby reducing the possibility of impeding safe driving in a situation where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0036] A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is an incoming call notification system comprising a vehicle electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, a communication device carried by or built into a occupant of the vehicle, and a vehicular incoming call notification device that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when the communication device receives an incoming call, wherein the vehicular incoming call notification device has: an illumination unit that is connected to the communication device by wire or wirelessly and that, when the incoming call is received, notifies the occupant of the incoming call by making a light image generated by light emission visible; a display unit that, when the incoming call is received, notifies the occupant of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information; and a control unit that performs the incoming call notification by individually controlling the illumination unit to emit a light signal and the display unit to display the incoming call information, based on an incoming call signal obtained from the communication device and vehicle driving state information obtained via the vehicle electronic control unit.

[0037] In a fifteenth aspect, the vehicle incoming call notification device performs incoming call notification by separately controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, based on an incoming call signal acquired from a wired or wirelessly connected communication device and vehicle driving state information acquired from the vehicle electronic control unit. Therefore, for example, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit. On the other hand, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, which requires a relatively heavy driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit to change the emission color or pattern of the light, which does not interfere with driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, which would interfere with driving in order to check the incoming call. This makes it possible to provide an incoming call notification system that reduces the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will easily understand that the exemplified embodiments according to the present invention can be further modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mounting structure of components when an incoming call notification system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a motorcycle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an incoming call notification device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control unit of the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of the "first notification process" shown in FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of the "second notification process" shown in FIG. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a flowchart showing a specific procedure of the "third notification process" shown in FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention to execute the "driving state notification function." [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention to execute the "communication status notification function." [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention to execute the "emergency call notification function." [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an incoming call notification screen generated by the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a missed call notification screen generated by the vehicle incoming call notification device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a light emission pattern by the illumination unit of the incoming call notification device for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The best mode described below is used to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and therefore, those skilled in the art should be aware that the present invention is not unduly limited by the mode described below (hereinafter referred to as the present mode).

[0041] (Configuration of the embodiment) Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the mounting structure of components when an incoming call notification system 100 of this embodiment is applied to a motorcycle as a vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the motorcycle is equipped with an incoming call notification device for vehicle 10 of this embodiment, which includes a control unit 11, an illumination unit 12, and a display unit 13. Also, it is assumed that a rider on the motorcycle carries a communication device 20 such as a smartphone, or that the control unit 11 has built-in functions of the communication device 20. When the rider carries the communication device 20, the communication device 20 and the incoming call notification device for vehicle 10 (control unit 11) of this embodiment are connected via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0042] The motorcycle is also equipped with sensors at various locations, such as a speed sensor that detects the riding state and behavior, and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) that detects three-dimensional inertial motion (translational motion and rotational motion in three orthogonal axial directions), and is provided with a plurality of vehicle ECUs 30 that control the drive system, steering system, and braking system based on the detection signals output from these sensors, and is able to output riding state information for the motorcycle by the vehicle ECU 30. The vehicle ECU 30 may also be connected to a GPS (Global Positioning System) that determines the position information of the motorcycle and a navigation device that has map information.

[0043] The incoming call notification system 100 of this embodiment is configured to include the above-described incoming call notification device 10 for a vehicle, a communication device 20, and a vehicle ECU 30.

[0044] The cowl 40, which is attached to the front of the motorcycle as a windshield facing the rider, is manufactured by injection molding using a light-transmitting PC material (light-transmitting resin glass) and is a windbreak provided to rectify the wind while riding. The cowl 40 can ensure forward visibility while controlling the wind blowing on the rider (driver) riding the motorcycle.

[0045] In the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the display unit 13 is disposed below the cowl 40 and provided near the rotation center of the handlebars of the motorcycle. The display unit 13 is, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 13 can be replaced with a pointer-type meter that displays vehicle speed, remaining fuel, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 (described later), when an incoming call is received by the communication device 20, the display unit 13 can display incoming call information including a telephone icon, telephone number, caller, etc. on an incoming call notification screen 50A under display control by the control unit 11. The control unit 11 may be included in the display unit 13.

[0046] When the communication device 20 receives an incoming call, the illumination unit 12 can notify the occupant of the incoming call by making the occupant see a light image generated by light emission (light-emitting signal). The illumination unit 12 is, for example, as shown in (a), made up of a light source 121 that emits light to a light receiver 122 arranged in at least a part of the cowl 40, and is installed in left and right regions so that the directionality can be recognized. The control unit 11 causes the light source 121 to emit or blink in a predetermined emission color, thereby emitting display light toward the light receiver 122, and the occupant (driver) can see a light image based on the light emitted from the light source 121 via the light receiver 122.

[0047] The light source 121 is composed of, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and may be a single light source emitting light of one color tone (emission color), or multiple light sources emitting light of different color tones (emission colors). The color tone may also be changed by combining light sources 121 of three primary colors. The photoreceptor 122 may also be formed in a shape that allows the areas to be distinguished by integrating them, rather than being arranged in separate left and right areas.

[0048] According to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, as shown in (a) in FIG. 1, the photoreceptor 122, which visually recognizes an optical image using the light source 121 of the illumination unit 12, is positioned higher than the display unit 13, so that the occupant (driver) can easily grasp the incoming call information by making the light source 121 emit light or blink. Note that, as shown in (b) in FIG. 1, the illumination unit 12 may not emit the light guided by the photoreceptor 122 toward the occupant, but may instead emit the light toward the cowl 40, and the reflected light may be visually recognized by the occupant as a virtual image. This is described in detail in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6435611.

[0049] Please refer to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment. As described above, the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include the control unit 11, the illumination unit 12, the display unit 13, and the communication unit 14.

[0050] The control unit 11 performs an incoming call notification by individually controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on an incoming call signal acquired via the communication unit 14 from a communication device 20 such as a smartphone connected via a wired or wireless connection, and running state information acquired from the vehicle (vehicle ECU 30) via a CAN (Control Area Network) bus (not shown). The control unit 11 will be described in detail later.

[0051] When an incoming call is received, the illumination unit 12 notifies the occupant by making a light image generated by light emission visible, and when an incoming call is received, the display unit 13 notifies the occupant by displaying the incoming call information. The communication unit 14, for example, serves as an interface between the control unit 11 and the communication device 20 in accordance with a short-range wireless communication standard, and has the function of acquiring call information such as the caller and telephone number from an incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20, or acquiring phone book data, and also transmitting a message generated by the control unit 11 to the communication device 20 of the caller.

[0052] The control unit 11 determines whether the vehicle 1 (motorcycle) is in a first driving state, which includes a stopped state, or a second driving state, which places a greater driving load on the occupant than in the first driving state, based on driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 via the vehicle ECU 30. If an incoming call is received when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the first driving state, the control unit 11 can execute a "first notification process" to notify the incoming call based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and on the display of the incoming call information from the display unit 13. Here, the first driving state refers to, for example, (1) a state in which the vehicle continues to travel at a constant speed (e.g., 10 km / h) for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more, (2) a state in which the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more without vehicle operation or driving assistance by an ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) and without a vehicle malfunction, or (3) a state in which there is a traffic light where the vehicle 1 is stopped, and the waiting time for starting due to the traffic light is a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more. Furthermore, the "second running state" refers to a running state other than the first running state.

[0053] In addition, when an incoming call occurs when it is determined that vehicle 1 is in a second driving state based on the driving state information of vehicle 1, control unit 11 can perform an incoming call notification based on the display of incoming call information by display unit 13, and not perform an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal by lighting unit 12, or perform an incoming call notification for only a predetermined time using an illumination signal by lighting unit 12, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, execute a ``second notification process'' that stores incoming call-related information obtained from communication device 20.

[0054] Here, incoming call related information refers to the incoming call history included in the incoming call signal, including, for example, the time of the incoming call, the call originator, the call originator's telephone number, and the attributes of the incoming call (such as the number of calls from the same telephone number and whether the call requires an urgent response).

[0055] In addition, when the control unit 11 transitions to the first driving state after executing the "second notification process" of storing incoming call related information in the second driving state, the control unit 11 can execute the "third notification process" of performing an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12 and an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the stored incoming call related information.

[0056] In addition, when the incoming call stops (does not continue) in the first driving state, the control unit 11 can notify the incoming call based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit 13.

[0057] In addition, when an incoming call is received when the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 is determined to be in a first driving state including a stopped state, the control unit 11 can perform an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12, and then perform an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13.

[0058] In addition, the control unit 11 transitions to the first driving state after executing the "second notification process" which stores incoming call related information acquired from the communication device 20, and if an incoming call is received before executing the "third notification process", it refers to the stored incoming call related information and (1) if there are multiple incoming calls, controls the illumination color or illumination pattern based on the illumination signal by the illumination unit 12 executed in the "third notification process" to vary depending on the number of incoming calls, and (2) if there are multiple incoming calls from the same phone number, controls the illumination color or illumination pattern based on the illumination signal by the illumination unit 12 executed in the "third notification process" to vary depending on the number of incoming calls.

[0059] In addition, the control unit 11 can control the lighting unit 12 to customize at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal depending on the caller, based on the telephone directory information obtained from the communication device 20.

[0060] In addition, when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state, it can execute a "driving state notification function" that generates a message indicating that the vehicle is driving and sends the generated message to the sender.

[0061] Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 transitions from the second driving state to a third driving state in which communication is possible, the control unit 11 can execute a "communication possible state notification function" that generates a message indicating that communication is possible and sends the generated message to the caller. Here, the "third driving state in which communication is possible" refers to, for example, a state in which there is no operation of the vehicle 1 or vehicle malfunction, the vehicle 1 is located in a store parking lot or emergency parking zone, and the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more.

[0062] In addition, when a call is received while the control unit 11 has determined that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state, the control unit 11 generates and sends to the caller a message informing the caller that the call is being driven and prompting the caller to reply as to whether the call is urgent or not, and if the reply from the caller indicates that the call is urgent, the control unit 11 can execute an "emergency call notification function" that notifies the caller of the call based on a light emission signal from the lighting unit 12 and on the display of the call information on the display unit 13, regardless of the driving state.

[0063] The control unit 11 is equipped with a processor (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including a memory, and the memory is equipped with storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) to which a program area and a work area are allocated, or ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The program area is allocated with an incoming call notification program of the present embodiment executed by the processor, and the work area is allocated with and stores incoming call information generated by the incoming call notification program of the present embodiment, or various setting information such as customized light emission patterns.

[0064] (Operation of the embodiment) Next, reference will be made to Figures 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the control unit 11 of the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, Figure 4A is a flowchart showing specific steps of the "first notification process" shown in Figure 3, Figure 4B is a flowchart showing specific steps of the "second notification process," and Figure 4C is a flowchart showing specific steps of the "third notification process." First, with reference to Figures 3, 4A, 4B, and 4C, the operation of the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 will be described in detail.

[0065] 3, the control unit 11 first detects the start-up of the vehicle 1 (step ST10). Here, the vehicle ECU 30 detects that the ignition switch (IG) is ON (IG-ON) and notifies the control unit 11, thereby enabling the control unit 11 to detect the start-up of the vehicle 1. When the control unit 11 confirms the start-up of the vehicle 1 (step ST10 "YES"), it acquires running state information of the vehicle 1 via the vehicle ECU 30 (step ST11).

[0066] In the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the driving state information includes a "first driving state" and a "second driving state." The "first driving state" refers to, for example, (1) when the vehicle 1 continues to travel at a constant speed (e.g., 10 km / h) for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more, (2) when the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes) or more without the vehicle 1 being operated or without ADAS driving assistance and without any vehicle malfunction, or (3) when the vehicle 1 is stopped at a traffic light and the vehicle 1 is waiting for the traffic light to start moving for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more. The "second driving state" refers to a driving state other than the first driving state. The driving state of the vehicle 1 can be determined by the control unit 11 from the driving speed, vehicle position information, parking brake operation state, etc., acquired by the vehicle ECU 30 from sensors (not shown) mounted in various locations on the vehicle 1.

[0067] When the acquired driving state information indicates a first driving state including a stopped state (step ST12 "YES") and the control unit 11 receives an incoming call signal from the communication device 20 (step ST13 "YES"), the control unit 11 executes a "first notification process" that executes an incoming call notification by controlling the light emission of the illumination unit 12 and the display of the display unit 13. The detailed procedure of the "first notification process" is shown in Fig. 4A.

[0068] 4A, the control unit 11 performs an incoming call notification by transmitting a light emission signal including light emission, light emission color, and light emission pattern to the illumination unit 12 (step ST141). Subsequently, the control unit 11 extracts incoming call information, such as the call origin and the caller's phone number, from the received incoming call signal and controls the display unit 13 to display the information as an incoming call notification screen (see 50A in FIG. 6) (step ST142). An example of the incoming call notification screen 50A displayed on the display unit 13 is shown in FIG. 6. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the incoming call notification screen 50A is allocated and displayed at the top of the screen. Here, in addition to a telephone icon that intuitively notifies the user that there is an incoming call, the call origin (caller) and the caller's phone number based on the phone book information are displayed as incoming call information on the incoming call notification screen 50A. If the call origin is not found in the phone book information, the call origin is set to anonymous.

[0069] Returning to Fig. 3 for the explanation, if the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 is not the first driving state (step ST12 "NO"), that is, if the driving state information indicates a second driving state that requires a greater driving load than the first driving state, and if an incoming call signal is received from the communication device 20 (step ST15 "YES"), the control unit 11 executes "second notification processing" (step ST16). The detailed procedure of the "second notification processing" is shown in Fig. 4B.

[0070] 4B, the control unit 11 determines whether the incoming call signal is continuing (step ST161), and if the incoming call signal is continuing (step ST161 "YES"), performs an incoming call notification based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit 13 (step ST162), and does not perform an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal by the illumination unit 12, or, as shown in the flowchart, transmits a light-emitting signal to the illumination unit 12 to perform an incoming call notification for a predetermined time (steps ST163 and ST164). After the predetermined time has elapsed (step ST164 "YES"), the control unit 11 stops transmitting the light-emitting signal, does not perform an incoming call notification by the illumination unit 12, and performs control to store incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device 20 via the communication unit 14 (step ST165). Note that if the incoming call signal is not continuing (step ST161 "NO"), the control unit 11 stops the light-emitting signal by the illumination unit 12 and performs control to store the incoming call-related information (step ST165).

[0071] Returning to Fig. 3 for the explanation, after executing the "second notification process" for storing the incoming call related information in the second driving state, when the vehicle 1 transitions to the first driving state (step ST17 "YES"), the control unit 11 executes the "third notification process" for performing an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the stored incoming call related information (step ST18). The detailed procedure of the "third notification process" is shown in Fig. 4C.

[0072] According to FIG. 4C, the control unit 11 first acquires the incoming call related information stored when the vehicle transitions to the first driving state after executing the "second notification process" (step ST181). The incoming call related information includes the incoming call history including the incoming call time, the call origin, the call origin's phone number, and the call attributes (such as the number of calls from the same phone number and whether the call requires an urgent response). Next, the control unit 11 performs a missed call notification based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and a missed call notification based on the display of incoming call information on the display unit 13, in accordance with the incoming call related information (step ST182). An example of a missed call notification screen 50B displayed on the display unit 13 is shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b).

[0073] In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), a missed call notification screen 50B is allocated and displayed at the top of the screen of the display unit 13, similar to the incoming call notification screen 50A displayed during the "first notification process." The missed call notification screen 50B displays, as incoming call-related information, a telephone icon that intuitively conveys that there is an incoming call, the caller (sender) based on the phonebook information, the caller's phone number, as well as an incoming call history indicating the number of missed calls (numbers within circles), the time of the call, etc. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the background and frame colors of the missed call notification screen 50B may change depending on the number of missed calls or multiple incoming call notifications from the same phone number. In FIG. 7(b), the color change is indicated by dots within the frame of the missed call notification screen 50B.

[0074] Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 to 4C do not limit the present invention to the processing procedures shown in the flowcharts, and steps may be added, deleted, or the order may be changed within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical concept of the invention.

[0075] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 performs incoming call notification by separately controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle (vehicle ECU 30). Therefore, for example, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle (such as a motorcycle) is traveling at a relatively low speed, including when stopped, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if there is an incoming call while traveling, which requires a relatively heavy driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, or the light pattern of the light signal by the illumination unit 12, which does not interfere with the driver's concentration on driving the vehicle 1, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, which would interfere with the driver's concentration on driving, thereby reducing the possibility of impeding safe driving in a scene where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0076] Furthermore, when an incoming call is received when the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle (motorcycle, etc.) is in the first driving state, the control unit 11 executes a "first notification process" that notifies the occupant of the incoming call based on an illumination signal from the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. This allows the occupant to confirm the incoming call based on the presence or absence of illumination from the illumination unit 12, the illumination pattern, etc., and also allows the occupant to check the details of the incoming call from the incoming call information on the display unit 13 to an extent that does not interfere with their concentration on driving.

[0077] Furthermore, when an incoming call occurs while the control unit 11 determines, based on the driving state information, that the vehicle is in the second driving state, the control unit 11 may either not provide an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit 12, or may provide an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit 12 for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, execute a "second notification process" that stores incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device 20, thereby displaying, for example, the call source (caller), the caller's phone number, and a telephone icon, as shown in Fig. 6 as an incoming call notification screen 50A, thereby enabling the incoming call notification to be provided in a situation that does not interfere with the occupant's concentration on driving. Furthermore, when the vehicle is in a state where a call can be made, the control unit 11 may provide an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the lighting unit 12 and an incoming call notification based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the stored incoming call-related information.

[0078] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 stores the incoming call related information in the second driving state and then transitions to the first driving state, it executes a "third notification process" that performs an incoming call notification based on the stored incoming call related information, such as an illumination signal from the illumination unit 12 and an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. As a result, for example, as shown in missed call notification screen 50B in Figures 7(a) and (b), the caller (sender), the caller's phone number, a phone icon, incoming call history, and incoming call time are displayed, allowing the occupant to know that there has been an incoming call during the notification process.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the display unit 13 is disposed below the cowl 40 used as a windshield, and the illumination unit 12 has a photoreceptor 122 disposed in at least a portion of the cowl 40, and emits light from the light source 121 via the photoreceptor 122, thereby allowing the occupant to view an optical image. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 is applied to a motorcycle, the illumination unit 12 is disposed in the cowl 40, allowing the occupant to view the optical image emitted by the illumination unit 12 via the photoreceptor 122 while viewing the forward field of view (front) necessary for driving, without shifting their line of sight. Therefore, an incoming call notification can be provided without interfering with the occupant's ability to concentrate on driving. Alternatively, to allow the occupant to view the optical image, the light guided by the photoreceptor 122 may be directed toward the cowl 40, rather than being emitted toward the occupant, and the reflected light may be directed toward the occupant, allowing the occupant to view a virtual image.

[0080] Although not shown in the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 to 4C, in the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the incoming call stops in the first driving state, the control unit 11 can notify the incoming call based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12 and based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit 13. Therefore, even if the occupant does not answer the incoming call or does not notice the incoming call, the occupant can know the details of the incoming call based on the incoming call-related information.

[0081] Furthermore, when an incoming call occurs when the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 is determined to be in a first driving state including a stopped state, the control unit 11 can perform an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12, and then perform an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. In other words, since the illumination unit 12 is first made to emit light to notify the incoming call and then the display unit 13 displays the incoming call information, the occupant can check the incoming call by the light emission from the illumination unit 12 with almost no eye movement each time the vehicle enters the first driving state. Therefore, the occupant is less likely to develop the habit of moving their eyes to the display unit 13 to check the incoming call, which is likely to hinder safe driving when they are concentrating on driving.

[0082] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 performs a missed call notification after executing the "second notification process," the control unit 11 can perform control in the "third notification process" to change the light color and light pattern of the illumination unit 12 depending on the number of pieces of incoming call-related information (number of incoming calls) stored in the "second notification process." For example, FIG. 8(a) shows a light emission pattern when there are three pieces of incoming call-related information (three incoming calls). Here, the incoming call notification is performed by flashing the light the number of times equal to the number of incoming calls. Also, when there are multiple calls from the same phone number, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the incoming call notification is performed by changing the light emission color depending on the number of pieces of incoming call-related information (number of incoming calls). In FIG. 8(b), when there are two pieces of incoming call-related information (as shown on the left side of the page), the light is emitted in a relatively gentle orange color, whereas when there are five pieces of incoming call-related information (five incoming calls) (as shown on the right side), the light is emitted in a warning-like red color, allowing the occupant to recognize that the incoming call is an important and urgent call that requires a call back.

[0083] In this way, by controlling the light color and light pattern of the light emitting signal of the lighting unit 12 that notifies of missed calls in the third notification process according to the number of incoming calls, the occupant can easily determine whether the incoming call is of high urgency or importance to him or her.

[0084] Furthermore, the control unit 11 can customize at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 according to the caller, based on the telephone directory information acquired from the communication device 20. Therefore, by knowing the customized content, the occupant can identify the caller only by the light emission from the illumination unit 12 without moving their line of sight, which can contribute to safe driving in situations where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0085] (Application example) In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 is described as an example in which the incoming call notification function of the communication device 20 is realized in cooperation with the vehicle, but it can also execute other functions such as a "driving state notification function," a "call availability status notification function," and an "emergency call notification function." Procedures for realizing these functions will be described in detail below as application examples with reference to Figures 5A to 5C.

[0086] Please refer to FIG. 5A. FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment to realize the "driving state notification function." In FIG. 5A, the "driving state notification function" is activated when it is determined that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state. For this purpose, the control unit 11 first determines whether the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state (step ST201). Here, if the vehicle is in the second driving state (step ST201 "YES"), the control unit 11 automatically generates a message indicating that the vehicle 1 is driving (e.g., "I am currently driving my vehicle") (step ST202), and controls to send the generated message to the caller (the other party of the call) via a social networking service (SNS) or the like (step ST203). By using this "driving state notification function" to send a message indicating that the caller is driving to the caller (the other party of the call), the caller can understand the reason why the caller cannot answer the call.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 5B. Figure 5B is a flowchart showing the procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment to execute the "call status notification function." The "call status notification function" is activated when the control unit 11 generates, for example, the missed call notification screen 50B shown in Figures 7(a) and (b) and displays it on the display unit 13 to notify of a missed call, and then the vehicle 1 transitions from the second driving state to a third driving state in which calls are possible. Here, the "third driving state in which calls are possible" refers to, for example, a state in which there is no operation of the vehicle 1 or vehicle malfunction, the vehicle 1 is located in a store parking lot or emergency parking zone, and the parking brake is applied for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) or more.

[0088] In FIG. 5B, the control unit 11 first determines whether the vehicle 1 has transitioned from the second traveling state to a third traveling state in which communication is possible (step ST211). Here, if it is determined that the vehicle 1 has transitioned to the third traveling state and communication is possible (step ST211 "YES"), the control unit 11 generates a message indicating that communication is possible (for example, "You are now in a communication possible state") and transmits it to the communication device 20 via the communication unit 14 (step ST212). In response to this, the communication device 20 transmits the message to the caller (the called party). This "call possible state notification function" allows the caller to know the timing to make another call from the received message.

[0089] Please refer to FIG. 5C. FIG. 5C is a flowchart showing a procedure for the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment to execute the "emergency call status notification function." The "emergency call status notification function" is activated when it is determined that the vehicle (such as a motorcycle) is in the second running state (driving) and an incoming call is received. In FIG. 5C, the control unit 11 first determines whether the vehicle 1 is in the second running state (step ST221). If it is determined that the vehicle 1 is in the second running state (step ST221 "YES"), the control unit 11 generates a message informing the user that the vehicle 1 is driving and prompting the user to reply regarding whether the incoming call is urgent (for example, "We are currently driving. If it is an emergency, please press "0." We will contact you as soon as we are able to make a call") and transmits the message to the communication device 20 (step ST "222"). In response to this, the communication device 20 transmits the generated message to the caller (the called party).

[0090] Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the incoming call is urgent or not based on the reply from the caller (step ST223), and if the reply is urgent (step ST223 "YES"), the control unit 11 performs an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and a display of incoming call information by the display unit 13 (missed call notification screen 50B) regardless of the driving state (step ST224). On the other hand, if the reply does not require urgency (step ST223 "NO"), a process of storing the incoming call information is performed (step ST225).

[0091] In this way, when an incoming call is received while the vehicle is in the second driving state, the control unit 11 automatically generates a message prompting the caller to reply as to whether the call is an emergency or not and sends it to the caller. If the reply from the caller is that the call is an emergency, the "emergency call notification function" notifies the caller based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12 and on the display of the incoming call information from the display unit 13, regardless of the driving state. This makes it possible to notify the occupant of a normal incoming call in a situation that does not interfere with their concentration on driving, and also makes it possible for the occupant to immediately notice an emergency call.

[0092] Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 5A to 5C do not limit the present invention to the processing procedures shown in the flowcharts, and steps may be added, deleted, or the order may be changed within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit and technical concept of the invention.

[0093] (summary) As described above, the incoming call notification device 10 for a vehicle according to this embodiment is, for example, as shown in Fig. 1 , an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that notifies a passenger in the vehicle 1 of an incoming call when a call is received by the communication device 20. The incoming call notification device 10 for a vehicle includes an illumination unit 12 that, when a call is received, notifies the passenger of the incoming call by making a light image generated by light emission visible to the passenger, a display unit 13 that, when a call is received, notifies the passenger of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information, and a control unit 11 that performs the incoming call notification by individually controlling the illumination unit 12 to emit a light-emitting signal and the display unit 13 to display the incoming call information, based on an incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 and running state information acquired from the vehicle 1.

[0094] According to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 performs incoming call notification by separately controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1. Therefore, for example, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is driving at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is driving at a relatively high driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the presence or absence of light, the light color, or the light pattern of the light signal by the illumination unit 12, which does not relatively interfere with concentration on driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, which would interfere with concentration on driving, thereby reducing the possibility of impeding safe driving in a scene where the occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0095] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when an incoming call is received when the vehicle 1 is determined to be in the first driving state, the "first notification process" is executed to notify the incoming call based on an illumination signal from the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, thereby allowing the occupant to confirm the incoming call based on the presence or absence of illumination by the illumination unit 12, the illumination pattern, etc., and also to check the details of the incoming call content from the incoming call information on the display unit 13 to an extent that does not interfere with concentration on driving.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when an incoming call occurs while the control unit 11 determines, based on the driving state information, that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state, the control unit 11 either does not issue an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the illumination unit 12, or issues an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the illumination unit 12 for a predetermined period of time, and after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, executes a "second notification process" that stores incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device 20. Therefore, the "second notification process" displays, for example, the call source (caller), the call source's telephone number, and a telephone icon, as shown in the incoming call notification screen 50A in FIG. 6, thereby enabling the incoming call notification to be issued in a manner that does not interfere with the occupant's concentration on driving. Furthermore, when the vehicle 1 is in a call-enabled state, the control unit 11 can issue an incoming call notification based on a light-emitting signal from the illumination unit 12 and the display of incoming call information on the display unit 13, based on the stored incoming call-related information.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the control unit 11 stores the incoming call related information in the second driving state and then transitions to the first driving state, it executes a "third notification process" that performs an incoming call notification based on the light emission signal from the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information on the display unit 13, based on the stored incoming call related information. For this reason, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, the missed call notification screen 50B displays the caller (sender), the caller's phone number, a phone icon, the incoming call history, and the incoming call time, which allows the occupant to know that there has been an incoming call during the notification process.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the display unit 13 is disposed below the cowl 40 used as a windshield, and the illumination unit 12 has a photoreceptor 122 disposed in at least a portion of the cowl 40, and emits light from a light source 121 via the photoreceptor 122, thereby allowing the occupant to view an optical image. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment is applied to a motorcycle as the vehicle 1 as shown in FIG. 1 , by disposing the illumination unit 12 on the cowl 40, the occupant can view the optical image emitted by the illumination unit 12 via the photoreceptor 122 while viewing the forward visibility required for driving without shifting their line of sight, thereby enabling the occupant to be notified of an incoming call without being distracted from driving. Note that, in order to allow the occupant to view the optical image, the light guided by the photoreceptor 122 may be emitted toward the cowl 40 rather than toward the occupant, and the reflected light may be directed toward the occupant to view a virtual image.

[0099] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when an incoming call stops in the first driving state, the control unit 11 issues an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12 and an incoming call notification based on the display of incoming call information by the display unit 13. Therefore, even if the occupant does not answer the incoming call or does not notice the incoming call, the occupant can know the details of the incoming call based on the incoming call-related information.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, if an incoming call occurs when the control unit 11 determines that the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1 is in a first driving state including a stopped state, the control unit 11 performs an incoming call notification based on a light emission signal from the lighting unit 12, and then performs an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information on the display unit 13. In other words, since the lighting unit 12 is first made to emit light to notify the incoming call and then the display unit 13 displays the incoming call information, the occupant can check the incoming call by the light emission from the lighting unit 12 with almost no eye movement each time the vehicle enters the first driving state, and therefore, the occupant is less likely to develop the habit of moving their eyes to the display unit 13 to check the incoming call, which is likely to hinder safe driving when they are concentrating on driving.

[0101] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when an incoming call occurs after the second notification process has been executed but the third notification process has not yet been completed, the control unit 11 controls the lighting unit 12 to change the light emission pattern executed in the "third notification process (missed call notification)" in accordance with the number of incoming calls (the number of incoming call-related information being three) based on the incoming call-related information stored in the second notification process, for example, as shown in Fig. 8(a) if there are multiple incoming calls, and controls the lighting unit 12 to change the light emission color executed in the "third notification process" in accordance with the number of incoming calls, as shown in Fig. 8(b) if there are multiple incoming calls from the same phone number. In this way, by controlling the light emission color and light emission pattern of the light emission signal of the lighting unit 12 that notifies of missed calls in the third notification process in accordance with the number of incoming calls, the occupant can easily determine whether the incoming call is urgent or important to him or her.

[0102] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 11 controls the illumination unit 12 to customize at least one of the presence or absence of light emission, the color of light emission, and the light emission pattern based on the light emission signal according to the caller, based on the phone book information acquired from the communication device 20. Therefore, by understanding the customized content, the occupant can identify the caller without moving their line of sight, just by the light emitted by the illumination unit 12. This contributes to safe driving in situations where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0103] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when an incoming call is received and the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the "second driving state," the control unit 11 generates a message indicating that the vehicle is driving and automatically sends it to the caller, thereby enabling the caller to recognize the reason why the call cannot be answered.

[0104] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 transitions from the second driving state to the third driving state in which calls are possible, if there is an incoming call during the second driving state, the control unit 11 has a "call available state notification function" that generates a message indicating that calls are possible and automatically sends it to the caller, allowing the caller (the other party) to know when to call again from the received message.

[0105] Furthermore, according to the vehicle incoming call notification device 10 of this embodiment, if the control unit 11 determines that the vehicle 1 is in the second driving state when an incoming call is received, the control unit 11 generates a message prompting the caller to reply as to whether the incoming call is urgent or not, and automatically sends the message to the caller.If the reply from the caller is urgent, the "emergency call notification function" notifies the caller based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit 12 and on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, regardless of the driving state.This makes it possible to notify the caller of normal incoming calls in a situation that does not interfere with the occupants' concentration on driving, and also makes it possible for the occupants to immediately notice incoming calls that are urgent.

[0106] 1, the incoming call notification method of this embodiment includes an illumination unit 12 that notifies an occupant of a vehicle 1 of an incoming call by making a light image generated by light emission visible, and a display unit 13 that notifies the occupant of an incoming call by displaying incoming call information when an incoming call is received, and is a method for notifying an occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received in a communication device 20 that is built into the vehicle 1 or carried by the occupant. As shown in FIG. 3, the incoming call notification method includes, for example, a step (ST11) of acquiring driving state information from the vehicle 1, steps (ST13, ST15) of acquiring incoming call information from the communication device 20, and steps (ST14, ST16, ST18) of individually executing light emission control of the illumination unit 12 to emit a light-emitting signal and display control of the display unit 13 to display the incoming call information based on the driving state information and the incoming call signal to perform an incoming call notification.

[0107] According to the incoming call notification method of this embodiment, incoming call notification is performed by separately controlling the illumination of the light emitting signal by the illumination unit 12 and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle 1. Therefore, for example, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is driving at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light emitting signal by the illumination unit 12 and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is driving at a relatively high driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, or the light pattern of the light emitting signal by the illumination unit 12, which does not relatively interfere with concentration on driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, which would interfere with concentration on driving in order to check the incoming call. This makes it possible to provide an incoming call notification method that can reduce the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where the occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0108] 1, the incoming call notification program of the present embodiment is an incoming call notification program for a vehicle incoming call notification device 10 that includes an illumination unit 12 that emits light to visually recognize an optical image to notify an occupant of an incoming call in the vehicle 1, a display unit 13 that displays incoming call information to notify the occupant when an incoming call is received, and a control unit 11, and that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received in a communication device 20 that is built into the vehicle 1 or carried by the occupant. As shown in FIG. 3, the incoming call notification program causes a processor included in the control unit 11 to execute a process of acquiring driving state information from the vehicle 1 (step ST11), a process of acquiring incoming call information from the communication device 20 (steps ST23 and ST15), and a process of individually controlling the illumination unit 12 to emit a light-emitting signal and the display unit 13 to display the incoming call information, based on the driving state information and the incoming call signal, to perform an incoming call notification (steps ST14, ST16, and ST18).

[0109] According to the incoming call notification program of the present embodiment, the processor of the control unit 11 reads and sequentially executes the incoming call notification program recorded in the memory, whereby the vehicular incoming call notification device 10 can individually control the emission of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13 to perform an incoming call notification, based on the incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 and the driving state information acquired from the vehicle. Therefore, for example, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a relatively low speed, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the emission of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if there is an incoming call while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a relatively high driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the emission of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 to change the emission color or pattern of the light, which does not interfere with driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, which would interfere with driving in order to check the incoming call, thereby reducing the possibility of impeding safe driving in a scene where the occupant is concentrating on driving.

[0110] 1, the incoming call notification system of this embodiment is an incoming call notification system 100 including a vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30) mounted on a vehicle 1, a communication device 20 carried by or built into a passenger in the vehicle 1, and an incoming call notification device for vehicle 10 that notifies the passenger of an incoming call when the communication device 20 receives an incoming call. In the incoming call notification system 100, the incoming call notification device for vehicle 10 is connected to the communication device 20 by wire or wirelessly, and includes an illumination unit 12 that, when an incoming call is received, notifies the passenger of the incoming call by making a visually recognizable light image generated by light emission, a display unit 13 that, when an incoming call is received, notifies the passenger of the incoming call by displaying incoming call information, and a control unit 11 that performs incoming call notification by individually controlling the illumination unit 12 to emit a light-emitting signal and controlling the display unit 13 to display the incoming call information, based on an incoming call signal obtained from the communication device 20 and running state information of the vehicle 1 obtained via the vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30).

[0111] According to the incoming call notification system 100 of this embodiment, the vehicular incoming call notification device 10 individually controls the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13 to perform an incoming call notification, based on an incoming call signal acquired from the communication device 20 connected by wire or wirelessly and driving state information of the vehicle 1 acquired from the vehicle electronic control unit (vehicle ECU 30). Therefore, for example, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a low speed, which is a relatively low driving load, including a stopped state, the incoming call notification is performed by controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit 12 and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13. On the other hand, if an incoming call is received while the vehicle 1 is traveling at a relatively high driving load, the incoming call notification is performed only by controlling the presence or absence of light emission, the light color, or the light pattern of the light signal by the illumination unit 12, which does not interfere with concentration on driving, without controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit 13, which would interfere with concentration on driving, thereby providing an incoming call notification system 100 that can reduce the possibility of impeding safe driving in situations where the occupants are concentrating on driving.

[0112] The present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to easily modify the above-described exemplary embodiments to the extent that they fall within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 Vehicle, 10 Incoming call notification device for vehicle, 11 Control unit, 12 Lighting unit, 13 Display unit, 14 Communication unit, 20 Communication device, 30 Vehicle ECU, 40 Cowl (windshield), 50A Incoming call notification screen, 50B Missed call notification screen, 100 Incoming call notification system, 121 Light source, 122 Light receiver

Claims

1. An incoming call notification device for a vehicle that notifies a passenger in a vehicle of an incoming call when a communication device receives an incoming call, an illumination unit that, when there is an incoming call, causes the occupant to visually recognize a light image generated by light emission, thereby notifying the occupant of the incoming call; a display unit that displays incoming call information and notifies the occupant of the incoming call when the incoming call is received; and a control unit that performs the notification of the incoming call by individually controlling the illumination of the light signal by the illumination unit and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device and driving state information obtained from the vehicle.

2. The control unit 2. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 1, further comprising: a determining unit configured to determine, based on the driving state information, whether the vehicle is in a first driving state including a stopped state, or a second driving state which places a greater driving load on the occupant than the first driving state; and, if the vehicle is determined to be in the first driving state and an incoming call is received, a first notification process is executed to notify the occupant of the incoming call based on an illumination signal from the lighting unit and a display of the incoming call information from the display unit.

3. The control unit 3. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 2, wherein, when the incoming call occurs when the vehicle is determined to be in the second driving state based on the driving state information, the device performs an incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit, and does not perform an incoming call notification based on the light-emitting signal by the lighting unit, or performs the incoming call notification for only a predetermined time using the light-emitting signal by the lighting unit, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, executes a second notification process to store incoming call-related information obtained from the communication device.

4. The control unit 4. The incoming call notification device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, when the vehicle transitions to the first driving state after executing the second notification process for storing the incoming call-related information in the second driving state, a third notification process is executed for performing an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal from the illumination unit and an incoming call notification based on a display of the incoming call information by the display unit, based on the stored incoming call-related information.

5. The display unit Located below the windshield of the vehicle, The illumination unit includes:

5. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 1, further comprising a light source that emits light to a photoreceptor disposed in at least a portion of the windshield, and a light image generated by emitting the light from the light source through the photoreceptor is visually recognized by the occupant.

6. The control unit 3. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 2, wherein when the incoming call stops in the first driving state, the incoming call notification is performed based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit and based on the display of the incoming call information by the display unit.

7. The control unit 6. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 5, wherein, when an incoming call occurs while the driving state information acquired from the vehicle is determined to be in a first driving state including a stopped state, the lighting unit issues an incoming call notification based on an illumination signal, and then the display unit issues the incoming call notification based on the display of the incoming call information.

8. The control unit 5. The incoming call notification device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the vehicle transitions to the first driving state after executing the second notification process, which stores incoming call-related information acquired from the communication device; if the incoming call occurs before executing the third notification process, the stored incoming call-related information is referenced; and (1) if there are multiple incoming calls, the vehicle performs control to change the light color or light pattern based on the light emission signal from the lighting unit executed in the third notification process depending on the number of incoming calls; and (2) if there are multiple incoming calls from the same phone number, the vehicle performs control to change the light color or light pattern based on the light emission signal from the lighting unit executed in the third notification process depending on the number of incoming calls.

9. The control unit 2. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 1, wherein the device controls the illumination unit to customize at least one of whether or not to emit light based on the light emission signal, the color of the light emission, and the light emission pattern depending on the caller, based on telephone directory information acquired from the communication device.

10. The control unit 3. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 2, wherein when the incoming call is received and it is determined that the vehicle is in the second driving state, a message indicating that the vehicle is in the second driving state is generated and the generated message is sent to the caller.

11. The control unit 3. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 2, wherein when the vehicle transitions from the second driving state to a third driving state in which calls are possible, if an incoming call is received during the second driving state, the device generates a message indicating that calls are possible and transmits the generated message to the caller.

12. The control unit 3. The vehicle incoming call notification device according to claim 2, wherein, when it is determined that the vehicle is in the second driving state when the incoming call is received, a message prompting a reply as to whether the incoming call is urgent or not is generated and transmitted to the caller, and when the reply from the caller is urgent, the device notifies the call based on a light emission signal from the illumination unit and a display of the incoming call information by the display unit, regardless of the driving state.

13. An incoming call notification method for notifying an occupant of a vehicle of an incoming call when an incoming call is received by a communication device built in or carried by the occupant, the method comprising: an illumination unit for visually notifying an occupant of an incoming call by generating a light image by emitting light; and a display unit for displaying incoming call information to notify the occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received by a communication device built in the vehicle or carried by the occupant, the method comprising: acquiring driving state information from the vehicle; acquiring incoming call information from the communication device; and performing the incoming call notification by separately controlling the illumination of an illumination signal by the illumination unit and controlling the display of the incoming call information by the display unit based on the driving condition information and the incoming call signal.

14. An incoming call notification program for a vehicle incoming call notification device that includes: an illumination unit that notifies an occupant of a vehicle of an incoming call by making a light image generated by a display light visible to the occupant; a display unit that notifies the occupant of an incoming call by displaying incoming call information when the incoming call is received; and a control unit, and that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when the incoming call is received in a communication device that is built into the vehicle or that is carried by the occupant, A processor included in the control unit A process of acquiring driving state information from the vehicle; A process of acquiring incoming call information from the communication device; and an incoming call notification program that executes a process of individually controlling the illumination of an illumination signal by the illumination unit and the display of the incoming call information by the display unit based on the driving condition information and the incoming call signal, thereby performing the incoming call notification.

15. An incoming call notification system comprising a vehicle electronic control unit mounted on a vehicle, a communication device carried by or built into a vehicle occupant, and an incoming call notification device for a vehicle that notifies the occupant of an incoming call when an incoming call is received by the communication device, The vehicle incoming call notification device includes: connected to the communication device by wire or wirelessly, an illumination unit that, when there is an incoming call, causes the occupant to visually recognize a light image generated by light emission, thereby notifying the occupant of the incoming call; a display unit that displays incoming call information and notifies the occupant of the incoming call when the incoming call is received; and a control unit that performs the incoming call notification by individually controlling the illumination unit to emit an illumination signal and the display unit to display the incoming call information, based on the incoming call signal obtained from the communication device and the vehicle's running state information obtained via the vehicle electronic control unit.

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