System and Program

Abstract

This system provides a mechanism that encourages drivers to continue driving safely by maintaining a strong emotional connection with the characters. [Solution] This system changes the relationship with a character and controls the output of character information according to that relationship. It includes a function to improve the relationship and a function to control the amount of change when the relationship is improved based on information about the vehicle's movement. The function to improve the relationship is controlled so that the longer the time spent with the machine, i.e., the longer the distance traveled, the better the relationship becomes. The function to control the amount of change is controlled so that the amount of change is different from the reference amount that improves the relationship based on the actual time spent with the machine, based on information about the vehicle's movement. As a result, even with the same distance traveled, the relationship may improve quickly or take a long time to improve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a program for outputting character information to a driver.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that changes character information such as the expression and gesture of a character displayed on a display screen according to the situation of a vehicle. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 represents virtual emotions assumed that the vehicle has a personality by the expression of the character. For example, when a driver drives roughly, if the vehicle has emotions, it is considered that the vehicle feels uncomfortable, so the character outputs an angry or sad expression as the virtual emotion of the vehicle. Conversely, if the driver drives carefully and gently, it is considered that the vehicle feels comfortable in the virtual emotion of the vehicle, so the character outputs a happy or energetic expression.

[0003] The above system encourages safe driving for the driver by utilizing emotions such as the driver's awareness of not making the character uncomfortable and the desire to make the character happy.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] For the above system to support safe driving, it is necessary to make the driver feel strong emotions such as wanting to avoid making the character uncomfortable or wanting to please the character. Therefore, the driver needs to strongly empathize with the character, but in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the character's facial expressions are uniformly determined according to the driving state, such as when the driver is driving recklessly or carefully. As a result, the facial expressions and gestures of the character displayed on the screen are monotonous and lack variation, so the driver is likely to get bored of communicating with the character. Consequently, the state of the driver strongly empathizing with the character does not last, and eventually, even if the character's facial expressions and gestures change, the driver may feel nothing. As a result, the above system has the problem of not being able to promote safe driving.

[0006] Furthermore, regardless of whether or not players empathize with the characters, the game's appeal increases if, for example, the output of character information is varied. In that case, the driver will try to drive and operate the vehicle in the desired state in an attempt to clear the game. However, as mentioned above, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem of having little variation in the characters, resulting in low gameplay appeal.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a system and program that can encourage drivers to continue safe driving by maintaining a strong emotional connection with the character. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The system according to the present invention is a system that changes the relationship with a character and controls the output of character information according to the relationship, and comprises a function to improve the relationship and a function to control the amount of change when the relationship is improved based on information about the vehicle's movement.

[0009] This system is implemented using, for example, in-vehicle equipment fixed to the vehicle, or portable equipment brought into the vehicle while driving. By outputting character information while driving, it allows the user to recognize living things such as people or animals as characters. The character information is output from the system using various methods that appeal to the user's five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). For example, the output of character information can be done by displaying an image of the character on a display unit (such as a monitor) or by outputting the character's voice from an audio output unit (such as a speaker).

[0010] This system outputs character information based on the user's relationship with the character. This relationship refers to the degree of connection and interaction between the user and the character, such as intimacy or trust. A good relationship means the user and character have a positive connection, which can be interpreted as a high or strong relationship. By outputting character information based on the user's relationship with the character, the system makes it easier for users to empathize with the character, making them feel as if the character is a real, existing entity.

[0011] Character information, for example, becomes more varied and relatable as the relationship improves, and the user is more likely to feel pleased with certain rewards, so that the user takes actions to improve the relationship. For example, if the system is designed so that the relationship improves the safer the user drives, the user will actively strive to drive safely in order to maintain a good relationship with the character and to further improve it.

[0012] Character information will vary depending on the relationship, resulting in different output formats depending on the degree of goodness. These different output formats may involve changing the output means or medium, such as adding sound to an image initially, or changing from a still image to an animated display, or even using the same output means or medium but with different costumes or animation content.

[0013] The function to improve relationships works by increasing the degree of goodness and strength of the relationship based on predetermined information acquired. Generally, the longer you spend together, the better the relationship should be. Therefore, the predetermined information could be information related to the vehicle's driving, such as mileage, and the system could be controlled so that the relationship improves as the mileage increases. The longer the mileage, the longer the period spent with the user, and the longer the distance driven together, thus improving the relationship. Also, considering that the relationship improves with longer time spent together, the system could be based on, for example, operating time. Operating time could be particularly good if it were the time the engine is running, such as from when the ignition is turned on to when it is turned off, as part of the vehicle information. In this case, operating time can be considered as the time the user and character were in the vehicle together. Thus, the function to improve relationships should be controlled so that the relationship improves as the time spent together increases. The function to improve relationships could also be controlled based on information other than the mileage and operating time exemplified above.

[0014] When comparing distance traveled and operating time as information for controlling relationships to improve them, distance traveled is preferable. This is because, for example, if a vehicle is parked with the engine running, the distance traveled is 0, and if it is driven for the same amount of time it was parked, the distance traveled increases. If relationship improvement control is based on operating time, the relationship will improve to the same degree in both cases, but if the character has a personality, the character will feel happier when the vehicle is actually moving rather than when it is parked, so it is better to base it on distance traveled. Furthermore, when the vehicle is parked, the user (driver) may be asleep with the engine running. In this case, the character will be alone, and it is difficult to say that the emotional relationship with the user will be good. On the other hand, when the vehicle is moving, the user (driver) is guaranteed to be awake and with the character. Considering these points, it is preferable to base it on distance traveled. Also, when driving for the same amount of time, the distance traveled will be longer when driving in the suburbs than when driving in the city, because there are fewer traffic lights and the speed is higher. Furthermore, the distance traveled will be even longer when using highways. When driving in urban areas, the driving is likely to be for typical activities such as commuting or shopping, while when driving in suburban areas or on highways, the driving is likely to be for enjoyable events such as travel. Therefore, it is preferable to use mileage to ensure that these differences result in differences in control that improves the relationship. Furthermore, if operating time is used, for example, if this system is implemented in a portable device that can be removed from the vehicle and carried around, the power supply will be from commercial power rather than the vehicle's battery, and the system can be turned on and operated regardless of driving. In that case, even if the user leaves the portable device while the power is on, the control will be improved by adding the operating time, which is not desirable. Therefore, it is fairer and preferable to perform control that improves the relationship based on mileage.

[0015] The system includes a function to control the amount of change when improving the relationship based on information about the vehicle's movement. Therefore, even if the predetermined information that triggers the control to improve the relationship is the same, if the amount of change based on that information is different, the degree of improvement in the relationship will differ. Thus, even if the input information (the predetermined information acquired above) is the same, the output result may differ, making it an interesting and game-like system. Furthermore, since the control of the amount of change is performed based on information about the vehicle's movement, the amount of change will increase or decrease depending on the driver's actual driving. Therefore, the larger the amount of change, the more efficiently the relationship improves, so the driver, as the user, will strive to drive in a way that increases the amount of change when trying to improve the relationship.

[0016] The amount of change is controlled, for example, by adding a predetermined parameter to the input information that forms the basis for improving the relationship (the predetermined information obtained above). This addition can be done, for example, by multiplying by a parameter (coefficient) or by adding or subtracting a parameter (a predetermined value) each time the input information reaches a certain amount. Alternatively, the amount of change may be changed according to a predetermined function, or according to a predetermined rule.

[0017] (2) The character information should be such that the better the relationship, the more the user will be pleased with the reward. In this way, as mentioned in (1), the user will be more inclined to maintain a good relationship in order to receive the reward, or to perform actions and driving that will make the relationship even better.

[0018] (3) The function for controlling the amount of change may be provided with notification means for notifying the current amount of change. The information regarding the amount of change may be the amount of change itself, or it may be information that corresponds to or identifies the amount of change. In this embodiment, the amount of change corresponds to a correction coefficient. By knowing the current amount of change, the user can immediately understand how the amount of change is changing and reflected depending on the current driving style and driving conditions, and can, for example, know what kind of driving operation will make the amount of change smaller or larger. Therefore, the user can take driving operations that will make the amount of change larger. In addition, by informing the user of the current amount of change, it is possible to motivate the user to maintain the current state or to make the amount of change better.

[0019] (4) The notification means may be provided with a display area that shows information regarding the amount of change. (5) In this case, the display area may be an indicator. Using an indicator system is preferable because the current state of the amount of change can be seen at a glance by its length. The display method of the display area is not limited to an indicator, and may be represented by numerical values ​​or other means.

[0020] (6) Furthermore, the notification means may correspond the character's appearance to the information regarding the amount of change. Changes in the character's appearance should be such that the greater the amount of change, the more relatable and pleasing the user will be, like a kind of reward. Changes in appearance may include, for example, changing the facial expression, changing the animation, changing the size, or changing the display color or transparency of the character. Changes in facial expression may range from "smiling" → "normal" → "sad" → "frowning" in descending order of the amount of change. Animations may be such that the greater the amount of change, the larger and more dramatic the animation, or the character may dance to express happiness or joy. Conversely, the smaller the amount of change, the smaller the movement, the no movement, or the character may look down. By utilizing changes in the character's appearance, unlike notifications using impersonal indicators or numerical values, users are more likely to readily accept the magnitude of the current change. For example, if the character looks sad in a control state with a small change, it becomes one of the factors that motivates the user to drive in a way that results in a control state with a larger change in order to make the character smile. This change in the character's appearance can be done independently, but it is better to link it with notifications from indicators or other display areas. Since it is not possible to stare at the display for a long time while driving, it is better for the character's appearance to change as supplementary information to notifications from indicators and other display areas, as this makes it easier to understand.

[0021] (7) The function for improving the relationship is to perform control that improves the relationship the more time spent with the machine is spent, and the function for controlling the amount of change is to perform control that makes the amount of change different from a reference amount that changes for the better depending on the actual time spent with the machine, based on information about the vehicle's driving.

[0022] This device is the equipment on which this system is implemented. The degree of being with this device is the degree of the user being with this device. The higher the degree of being with this device, for example, the stronger and closer the bond between the user and the character becomes, the higher the trust level from the character, and it can be inferred that the relationship becomes stronger. Therefore, control is performed such that the relationship becomes better as the degree of being with this device increases. The degree of being with this device is determined based on, for example, the travel distance, operation time, driving time, and various driving situations obtained. For example, in the case of the travel distance, control is performed such that the relationship becomes better as the total travel distance increases. In the case of the operation time, control is performed such that the relationship becomes better as the total time during which the power of this device is on increases.

[0023] Assuming that the standard change amount, by which the degree / extent of goodness changes according to the actual degree of being with this device, is the reference change amount, by making the function that controls the change amount a change amount different from the reference change amount, the change in the degree / extent of goodness of the relationship obtained by actually driving the vehicle may be different from the degree / extent of goodness of the relationship obtained based on the actual degree of being with this device, and a sense of game play may emerge.

[0024] (8) It is preferable that the function that controls the change amount performs a plus evaluation process that makes the change amount larger than the reference change amount and a minus evaluation process that makes the change amount smaller than the reference change amount. By doing so, the relationship becomes better than what can be obtained in normal driving, or the growth of the goodness of the relationship is poor, which increases the interest even when viewed as a game. By performing driving that results in a plus evaluation process, the degree of goodness of the relationship can be increased in a short period, and corresponding character information is output. Therefore, even a person who does not drive much can obtain better character information by being careful with the driving operation. Also, as will be described later, even if the relationship is reduced due to some factor, the degree / extent of goodness of the relationship can be recovered in a short period.

[0025] (9) It is preferable that the change amount smaller than the reference process includes negative values. When it becomes negative like this, control will be performed so that the relationship deteriorates more than the current state as driving continues. By providing such negative values, the user will not perform driving operations that result in at least negative values. For example, when performing dangerous driving of a certain degree, or when repeating a state or situation where driving improvement is not seen and the change amount becomes small, it is advisable to set negative values.

[0026] (10) The function for controlling the change amount preferably reduces the change amount when the acquired information regarding the running of the vehicle does not satisfy the set conditions, and returns it to the original magnitude after a predetermined period has elapsed. The predetermined period is, for example, a set predetermined time, or a period until a set predetermined distance has been traveled. The method of returning to the original magnitude may be, for example, gradually returning the reduced change amount with a time constant or the like, or maintaining the reduced change amount for the predetermined period and then returning it all at once. When returning gradually, it may be either continuously or stepwise.

[0027] By doing so, when the set conditions are not satisfied once and the change amount becomes small, even if the set conditions are satisfied immediately thereafter, it does not return immediately, but maintains a state where the change amount is small for a predetermined period. For example, a state of dangerous driving or non-preferred driving such as a traffic violation, if it occurs even instantaneously or for a short time, may cause an accident or the like, so it is preferable not to enter such a state during the driving period. Therefore, the user will be careful to drive in such a way that the set conditions are not violated even instantaneously, which is preferable because it can contribute to safe driving and the like according to the set conditions. Furthermore, once the set conditions are not satisfied even once, even if the driving satisfies the set conditions thereafter, it will not return to the original state until a certain period has elapsed, which serves as a penalty and allows a game element to appear, which is good.

[0028] (11) Based on the invention of (10) above, the function for controlling the change amount preferably increases the change amount when the acquired information regarding the running of the vehicle satisfies the set conditions as the set conditions become stricter.

[0029] Setting stricter conditions has the disadvantage that slight differences in driving operation may cause the conditions to not be met, resulting in a period of small change. However, if the conditions are met, a state of large change will continue, the degree of goodness in the relationship will increase rapidly, and various character information corresponding to the relationship can be obtained. Therefore, it becomes a high-risk, high-reward situation, increasing the gameplay. Furthermore, not only does it simply increase the gameplay, but driving that meets stricter setting conditions is usually a safer driving state, such as safer driving or eco-driving, which is generally good for the vehicle and the environment, and is therefore desirable for the traffic environment.

[0030] The reduction in the amount of change when the set conditions are not met may be constant regardless of how strict the set conditions are, or it may be different depending on the difficulty of the set conditions. Furthermore, when there are multiple sets of vehicle driving information and set conditions, the control of the amount of change when the set conditions are met may be such that, for example, if all the set conditions of all sets are met, the amount of change is the sum of the increases set according to the difficulty of the set conditions of each set, and if even one set condition is not met, the amount of change is reduced. Alternatively, as another method of controlling the amount of change, for example, an increase amount when the set conditions are met and a decrease amount when they are not may be set for each set, and the amount of change may be determined overall by judging whether or not the set conditions of the set are met. Various methods can be adopted.

[0031] (12) Based on the invention of (11) above, an input screen is provided as an interface for inputting the setting conditions, where a relative multi-level screen is specified, and the setting conditions and the amount of change when the setting conditions are met are related to each of the multi-level screens. The user only needs to specify a multi-level screen ranging from "strict (difficult)" to "lenient (easy)," and can intuitively specify the setting conditions. Furthermore, if the current setting conditions are often not met, the setting conditions can be loosened by one or more levels, and conversely, if the setting conditions are always satisfied, the setting conditions can be tightened by one or more levels to increase the amount of change, making it easy to set appropriate conditions.

[0032] (13) Based on the inventions described in (10) to (12) above, it is preferable to set the predetermined period to zero immediately after engine start. By setting the predetermined period to 0, the set standard amount of change can be reached immediately. For example, if the determination of whether or not the set conditions are met during driving is made every unit of time (e.g., 1 second), then the information regarding the driving of the vehicle that is the subject of the determination will be acquired at least every unit of time and the determination process will be performed. Normally, the determination during driving is stored in a volatile memory such as RAM and the determination process is performed as appropriate. Consequently, when the engine is stopped (ignition off), the information regarding the driving of the vehicle immediately before stopping, which was stored in the volatile memory, is not retained, so immediately after engine start, the information regarding the driving of the vehicle may not be available or the set conditions may not be met. Therefore, even if the set conditions are not met, the standard amount of change can be reached immediately by setting the predetermined period to 0.

[0033] For example, if information regarding the vehicle's movement is stored in a non-volatile memory, immediately after starting, the determination process is based on the vehicle's movement information stored in the non-volatile memory, so a function to set the predetermined period to 0 is not necessary. However, as mentioned above, if the vehicle's movement information is updated in short cycle units, the upper limit of the number of rewrites possible in the non-volatile memory will be reached very quickly, making it impractical. Therefore, it is preferable to resolve the problem immediately after engine start-up with a simple process such as setting the predetermined period to 0.

[0034] If the number of rewrite cycles for non-volatile memory units is significantly increased, or if backup power supplies are installed to retain vehicle driving information stored in volatile memory units even when the vehicle's engine stops, then such systems may be used.

[0035] (14) Based on the inventions described in (10) to (13) above, there may be multiple sets of information regarding the vehicle's movement and setting conditions, with the setting conditions being set for each individual set. The multiple sets may have different information regarding the vehicle's movement and setting conditions, or one of them may be common. For example, in the case of detecting both sudden acceleration and sudden braking, both can be detected by the acceleration applied in the direction of the vehicle's movement, so the information regarding the vehicle's movement will be a single acceleration and sensor output, but since the positive and negative values ​​of the outputs are opposite, the setting conditions will be different, resulting in two sets. The same applies when detecting sudden steering operations to the left or right.

[0036] For example, depending on various usage conditions such as the user's driving habits, vehicle characteristics, road conditions, and the installation location of the device equipped with this system, it may or may not be possible to easily meet even stringent installation conditions. Therefore, by setting individual settings, it is possible to satisfy all sets of settings while significantly increasing the amount of variation.

[0037] (15) The character information is provided to be output probabilistically, and the relationship is to influence this probability. In this way, the probability of outputting a given character information is influenced by the relationship, which increases the game's appeal and makes it more interesting.

[0038] (16) Based on the invention of (15) above, the probability should be such that it increases as the relationship is better. This is preferable because it encourages users to strive to improve the relationship. The increase in probability may be continuous in accordance with the increase in the degree or extent of the relationship's goodness, or it may be continuous in increments of a predetermined range.

[0039] (17) Based on the inventions of (15) and (16) above, the character information may vary depending on the time of day, and the time of day may consist of a normal operating time and an abnormal (standby) operating time, and it is preferable to output the character information for the normal operating time based on the probability during the abnormal operating time. The time of day may be divided into two parts, such as daytime and nighttime, or it may be further divided into three or more parts. For example, if it is divided into daytime and nighttime, the character sleeps at night, so the daytime is the normal operating time and character information according to the relationship is output, but the nighttime is the abnormal operating time and character information indicating a sleeping state is output regardless of the relationship. In this case, for users who mainly drive at night, it is not interesting because character information indicating a sleeping state is output. In this case, the operating time may be set to be reversed between day and night, but if the system is equipped with a function that allows the character to wake up based on probability and perform normal operations such as outputting character information based on the relationship even during the abnormal operating time, it will work even at night once in a while, which will increase the gameplay and make it more interesting. Furthermore, linking the probability of these actions occurring to relationships enhances the game's appeal. In particular, making the probability higher as the relationship improves is desirable, as it encourages users to strive to improve those relationships.

[0040] (18) When a set condition is met, the character information should not be output until the recovery condition is met. Recovery conditions may include standard conditions such as the passage of a certain amount of time or the driving of a certain distance, or the granting of a specific item. The passage of a certain amount of time may be, for example, the operating time of this system or the elapsed time in the real world. If the character information is not output, the user will feel lonely because they cannot meet the character. Also, even if the character information is temporarily not output, for example, if a standard condition is met, the character information will be output again. However, if the user does not want to wait for the standard condition to be met, the character information will be output by a special recovery condition such as the granting of an item. This will increase the gameplay as the user will take action to obtain the item. Obtaining the item may be done by, for example, actually moving to a designated location, or by accessing a designated server or site and obtaining it for a fee or for free.

[0041] (19) It is preferable to provide a function that performs control that worsens the relationship. As described above, the present invention is based on a configuration that performs control to improve the relationship and controls the amount of change that improves it. Control that worsens the relationship may include, for example, directly deducting points for the degree of goodness of the relationship, thereby rapidly worsening the relationship. For example, if this worsening control is performed when a set penalty condition (exceeding a predetermined speed three times in a row) is met, the relationship that has been built up until then will collapse all at once, so it is expected that the user will make efforts to prevent such a situation from occurring. Therefore, the penalty condition should correspond to driving that is even more undesirable than the conditions for control that reduces the amount of change. Also, as in the invention described in (9) above, making the amount of change negative can also be considered as one form of the function that performs control that worsens the relationship. In that case, the function that controls the amount of change will also serve as the function that performs control that worsens the relationship.

[0042] (20) The function that controls the amount of change should be configured to increase the amount of change when driving safely. (21) The function that controls the amount of change should be configured to decrease the amount of change when driving unsafely. In this way, safe driving can be recommended to the user.

[0043] (22) The function for controlling the amount of change should be based on the driving conditions. Driving conditions include, for example, dangerous driving such as sudden acceleration (when starting or driving), sudden deceleration (when stopped or driving), sudden steering (sudden turns), undesirable driving conditions such as uneconomical driving. When particularly undesirable driving conditions are detected, it is advisable to perform control to reduce the amount of change.

[0044] (23) Based on the invention of (22) above, the operating state may be at least one of the following: rapid acceleration (starting, while driving) determined from the acceleration in the direction of travel of the vehicle, rapid deceleration (stopping, while driving) determined from the acceleration in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and rapid change in direction of travel determined from the acceleration in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0045] (24) Based on the invention of (23) above, it is preferable to distinguish between right turns and left turns when making a sudden change in the direction of travel. For example, if the installation position of the means for detecting acceleration (e.g., acceleration sensor) (the installation position of the unit if it is built into the unit) is shifted to the right or left side of the vehicle, the value of the acceleration will differ depending on the direction of the turn, even if the vehicle turns with the same acceleration at the center of the vehicle. Therefore, by changing the setting conditions according to the installation position, problems caused by such differences in installation position can be resolved.

[0046] (25) The function that controls the amount of change should be configured to reduce the amount of change under certain conditions when a traffic violation occurs. In this way, it can be expected that the user will be more mindful of driving in a manner that avoids traffic violations.

[0047] (26) Based on the invention of (25) above, the aforementioned condition may be the same type of violation at the same location. The same type of violation at the same location may be, for example, a failure to stop at a stop sign at the same location or speeding at the same location. Committing the same type of violation multiple times at the same location shows a lack of attention and can be considered a worse violation than the first time, so the amount of change should be small when repeated multiple times.

[0048] (27) Based on the inventions of (25) and (26) above, the aforementioned condition should be such that the amount of change is not reduced for the first violation. The first violation is given a grace period without reducing the amount of change. This prevents the user's motivation from decreasing due to the amount of change not decreasing, and serves as a reminder to avoid the next violation, thereby promoting safe driving. It is advisable to give a warning or similar at the time of the first violation.

[0049] (28) Based on the inventions in (25) to (27) above, it is advisable to reduce the amount of change after N or more violations under certain conditions. For example, in the case of a violation such as speeding, even if one notices that they are speeding, it is difficult to immediately return to below the speed limit, and suddenly slowing down to below the speed limit would result in a sudden deceleration, which is dangerous. On the other hand, if one continues to speed for a certain period of time, it can be presumed that they have no intention of slowing down and obeying the speed limit, and it is dangerous driving. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the amount of change only after N or more violations. In this case, it is advisable to issue warnings up to [N-1] times.

[0050] (29) The degree to which the amount of change is reduced should be changed according to the degree of the violation in (25) to (28) above. For example, even though speeding is the same speeding violation, the greater the amount of speed exceeding the speed limit, the more dangerous and serious the violation is. Therefore, instead of reducing the amount of change in the same way for the same speeding violation, it is better to reduce the amount of change by a larger amount as the degree of the violation increases. Changing the degree to which the amount of change is reduced means, for example, that the absolute amount by which the amount of change is reduced when a violation occurs should be changed according to the degree of the violation. For example, the greater the degree of the violation, the larger the absolute amount of reduction should be. Another example of changing the degree to which the amount of change is reduced is that even if the amount of reduction in the amount of change when a violation occurs is the same, the time required to return to the normal amount of change should be made longer. For example, the greater the degree of the violation, the longer the time required to recover should be made. Another example is to slow down the increase in the amount of change until it returns to the normal amount of change. These controls should be implemented in combination.

[0051] (30) Based on the premise of (29) above, the degree of the violation is an excess speed that exceeds the first standard speed, and if the second standard speed that exceeds the first standard speed is exceeded, the amount of change corresponding to the excess speed should be reduced by a larger amount than necessary. The first standard speed may be, for example, the speed limit, or it may be the speed obtained by adding a predetermined margin (for example, 20 km / h) to the speed limit. The second standard speed may be, for example, the speed at which a license is immediately suspended (exceeding by 30 km / h). A speed that results in immediate license suspension can be said to be an extremely dangerous driving condition that can lead to a major accident. In such a driving condition, assuming that the character also has a personality, the character's feelings will be, for example, much more frightened than in the case of a minor speeding violation, and the level of intimacy and trust in the user who is the driver may decrease. Therefore, when the second standard speed is exceeded, the amount of change is reduced by a large amount, that is, to a very small value. By setting the speed limit in this way, users will be more careful to avoid such situations, and as a result, safer driving can be encouraged without excessive speeding that exceeds the second speed limit mentioned above.

[0052] (31) Based on the premise of (30) above, the first reference speed should be the speed obtained by adding the set speed to the speed limit. The set speed should be, for example, 20 km / h. When driving in accordance with the speed of surrounding vehicles, one may unknowingly exceed the speed limit. In this case, if one deliberately drives only in compliance with the speed limit, it may actually lead to a dangerous situation. Therefore, by setting the speed so that the change is not small even if there is some speed exceeding, it becomes possible to drive in accordance with the flow of surrounding vehicles.

[0053] (32) In the case of a highway where the speed limit is below a predetermined value, the first reference speed should be a speed faster than the speed obtained by adding the set speed to the speed limit. The predetermined value should be, for example, the speed limit of a typical highway, such as 80 km / h. The faster speed should be, for example, 100 km / h.

[0054] Generally, the speed limit on expressways is 80 km / h or 100 km / h. On the other hand, some expressways, such as the Metropolitan Expressway, have a slower speed limit of 60 km / h. In such cases, surrounding vehicles may be traveling at speeds similar to or close to the speed limit of an expressway (for example, 90-100 km / h). In such situations, while it is important to obey traffic rules, if only your vehicle is traveling at the speed limit of 60 km / h, the speed difference with other vehicles can be as large as 30-40 km / h, which is dangerous. Therefore, by adjusting your speed to match the surrounding vehicles, you can encourage safer driving by ensuring that the difference in speed is not too small.

[0055] (33) Based on the inventions described in (23) to (32) above, it is advisable to provide a warning that the amount of change will decrease if the same type of violation is committed again, and then to actually decrease the amount of change if the same type of violation is committed again. Rather than suddenly decreasing (worsening) the amount of change, a warning can encourage the user not to commit the violation. If the same violation is committed despite the warning, it will be considered that the character's advice was ignored, and control will be implemented to decrease the amount of change. This corresponds, for example, to the control in the modified example where the correction coefficient is not decreased in the first instance of a stop sign violation.

[0056] (34) Based on the inventions described in (23) to (33) above, it is preferable to reduce the amount of change and then restore it to the original amount of change using a predetermined function (algorithm, rule). (35) The predetermined function should delay the recovery as the degree of violation increases. The degree of violation can be the extent of a single violation, such as the magnitude of exceeding the speed limit, or the degree of seriousness, such as repeated violations of the same offense in the same place. The higher the degree of violation, the worse the character's intimacy and trustworthiness towards the user. Therefore, by delaying the recovery, the state in which the change is small enough to improve the relationship continues for a long time, and the increase in the amount of relationship improvement becomes small. In addition, even if it is not a traffic violation, if control is performed to reduce the amount of change based on driving conditions such as acceleration exceeding a threshold, as in the inventions described in (22) to (24), it is preferable to delay the recovery if such conditions are repeated. For example, if the character is repeatedly subjected to rough driving, the user's impression of the character (if it has a personality and emotions) will worsen, and it will take a long time for the character to recover. Therefore, it would be good to make it take a long time for the character to return to its original state.

[0057] (36) The function to control the amount of change should be based on the eco-driving situation. Eco-driving is determined, for example, based on fuel efficiency. For example, control is performed to increase the amount of change if eco-driving is performed, and to decrease the amount of change if not eco-driving. Alternatively, a positive assessment may be made by increasing the amount of change if eco-driving is performed, but the amount of change may not be changed (no negative assessment) if not eco-driving, or conversely, the amount of change may not be changed (no positive assessment) if eco-driving is performed, but a negative assessment may be made by decreasing the amount of change if not eco-driving. Eco-driving is economical because it consumes less fuel, is also environmentally friendly, and results in a more comfortable ride because there are fewer speed fluctuations. If a character has a personality, then the character's emotions will be joyful, and it can be said that the level of intimacy and trust in the user will increase. Therefore, the amount of change is controlled based on the eco-driving situation.

[0058] (37) Placement points for items that affect the state of the character are set on the map, and when a vehicle goes to the location of a placement point, it is good to have a certain probability of obtaining the item. The obtained item may, for example, affect the state of the character when used, and it is good to have the item be able to be saved. The state of the character will affect the output of character information, which is good as it increases the gameplay. The probability may be 100% (always obtained), or it may be less than 100% so that there are situations where the item is not obtained (does not appear), which will further increase the gameplay. This probability may be fixed overall or for each type and location of item, or it may vary depending on the degree of goodness of the relationship at that time.

[0059] The items you can get are: • Improve relationships (e.g., increased relationships, bonus points) • Change amount does not decrease / increases / returns to normal • Reappears on screen after disappearing from it. • The probability of the invention described in (15), etc., increases. These are some examples. "Getting" can be defined as, for example, a process that executes the processes exemplified above, or a process that makes the items available for execution according to their type. A possible example of a process that makes the items available for execution according to their type is a process that stores the type of item that has been obtained. Then, the process related to the stored item type may be executed at a predetermined time.

[0060] (37) The system has a function that allows the vehicle to obtain an item with a set probability when it goes to the location of an item that affects the state of the character, and the acquisition of the item is conditional on the vehicle stopping at the location of the item.

[0061] (38) The program according to the present invention is a program for a computer to implement the functions of the system described in any of (1) to (37). [Effects of the Invention]

[0062] According to the present invention, a system can be provided that encourages drivers to continue safe driving by maintaining a strong emotional connection with the character. Moreover, the character information output is tailored to the relationship with the character, and the amount of change in the relationship is controlled based on information about the vehicle's driving. For example, even if the degree of time spent with the device, such as mileage, is the same, different character information will be output if the vehicle's driving conditions are different. Therefore, the user's driving style will influence the output of character information, increasing the game-like aspect. Furthermore, the system can encourage the user to drive in a way that maximizes the amount of change in the character information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0063] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a radar detector, which is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing a block diagram of a radar detector. [Figure 3] This is a table to explain the display modes of the driver assistance system 4. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in radar standby display mode. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in radar standby display mode. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in OBD display mode. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in MAP display mode - animation mode. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in MAP display mode - live-action mode. [Figure 9]This figure shows an example of the screen displayed in MAP display mode - character mode. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing the information stored in database 19. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the information stored in RAM and EEPROM. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of the main process. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the periodic processing. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart showing the process for identifying the target location. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart showing the process for identifying the operating status. [Figure 16] This flowchart shows the character mode processing. [Figure 17] This diagram illustrates the function for calculating the corrected total mileage. [Figure 18] This figure shows the first example of a static screen displayed based on static screen information. [Figure 19] This figure shows a second example of a static screen displayed based on static screen information. [Figure 20] This is a schematic diagram showing startup information. [Figure 21] This is a schematic diagram showing character voices as part of the startup information. [Figure 22] This is a schematic diagram showing character information. [Figure 23] This is a schematic diagram showing the voice information within the character information. [Figure 24] This is a schematic diagram showing character information. [Figure 25] This figure shows the character images displayed in alarm display mode. [Figure 26] This figure shows the character images displayed in alarm display mode. [Figure 27] This figure shows the character images displayed in alarm display mode. [Figure 28]This figure shows the character images displayed in alarm display mode. [Figure 29] This is an example of a display screen showing a modified version of the present invention (with indicator). [Figure 30] This figure illustrates a modified example of the present invention (with a function to change the acceleration setting conditions). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0064] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These drawings are used to illustrate the technical features that the present invention may adopt. The configuration of the apparatus, the flowcharts of each process, etc., described are not intended to limit the invention to these, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0065] "Basic Configuration of Electronic Devices" Figures 1 and 2 show the configuration of a radar detector, which is a suitable embodiment of the electronic equipment constituting the system of the present invention. The radar detector 1 comprises a thin, rectangular case body 2, and is attached and fixed to the dashboard of a vehicle or the like using a bracket 3 mounted on the lower rear side of the case body 2.

[0066] The front of the case body 2 (the side facing the rear of the vehicle (driver side)) is equipped with a display unit 5. The display unit 5 consists of a 3.2-inch color dot matrix TFT liquid crystal display. Above this display unit 5 is a touch panel 6 that detects which part of the display unit 5 is touched. In addition, volume adjustment buttons 7 are located on the right side of the front of the case body 2, and various operation buttons 8 are located on the left side.

[0067] The right side of the case body 2 is provided with a card slot 9 for inserting a memory card as a removable recording medium, and a memory card reader 10 is built into the card slot 9 inside the case body 2. By inserting a memory card 11 through this card slot 9, the memory card 11 is inserted into the card reader 10. The card reader 10 takes in the data stored on the inserted memory card 11. More specifically, the data stored on the memory card 11 includes updated information such as new alarm target information (location information such as latitude and longitude, type information, etc.), and this updated information is stored (downloaded) into the database 19 built into the device via the control unit 18, and the data is updated.

[0068] The database 19 can be implemented using non-volatile memory (such as EEPROM) located within the microcontroller of the control unit 18 or externally connected to the microcontroller. Alternatively, the memory card 11 itself may be configured as part or all of the database 19. The database 19 initially contains map data and information regarding certain alarm targets, and subsequent data updates are performed as described above to include information about newly added alarm targets.

[0069] A GPS receiver 13 is located inside the case body 2, in the upper center of the rear side, and a microwave receiver 14 and a wireless receiver 15 are located next to it. The GPS receiver 13 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites and outputs current position (latitude and longitude) information. The microwave receiver 14 receives microwaves of a predetermined frequency emitted from the speed measuring device. The wireless receiver 15 receives UHF band radio waves used for traffic enforcement communication. A speaker 16 is also built into the lower part of the case body 2. The speaker opening is located on the bottom surface of the case body 2.

[0070] A DC jack 17 is located on the lower rear side of the case body 2. This DC jack 17 is for connecting a cigarette lighter plug cord (not shown), which can be connected to the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket to receive power.

[0071] An acceleration sensor 22 is placed at a predetermined position on the inner surface of the case body 2. The acceleration sensor 22 detects the behavior of the vehicle, with the X axis detecting acceleration in the direction of travel, the Y axis detecting acceleration in the lateral direction, and the Z axis detecting acceleration in the vertical direction. As a result, the X axis detects sudden acceleration and deceleration, the Y axis detects sudden steering, and the Z axis detects predetermined vehicle behaviors such as driving over bumps or falling into potholes.

[0072] The case body 2 is connected to an OBD adapter 21 that can be detachably attached to the OBD-II connector (II is the Roman numeral "2", and hereafter "OBD-II" will be written as "OBD2") installed in the vehicle. The OBD2 connector is also called a fault diagnosis connector and is connected to the vehicle's ECU, outputting various vehicle information periodically. By connecting this OBD adapter 21 to the OBD2 connector on the vehicle body side, the control unit 18 periodically acquires various vehicle information.

[0073] This vehicle information includes vehicle speed, injection time, intake air volume, and remaining fuel. The remaining fuel is the amount of fuel currently in the fuel tank and is output with a resolution of 0.5 liters. Therefore, by periodically acquiring the remaining fuel and recording the timing of any changes between the previous and current remaining fuel readings, it can be said that 0.5 liters of fuel were consumed between the previous change and the current change. In addition, some systems periodically output information related to fuel efficiency (lifetime fuel efficiency, current fuel efficiency, instantaneous fuel efficiency, etc.).

[0074] Furthermore, the OBD adapter 21 is detachably connected to a connection terminal 23 provided on the case body 2. When vehicle information from the OBD2 connector is not needed, the OBD adapter 21 can be removed to prevent wiring from cluttering the dashboard and keep the area around the radar detector neat.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 18 is a microcontroller equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, I / O, etc., and is connected to the above-mentioned parts as shown in Figure 2. The control unit 18 creates information to be notified to the driver based on the information input from the above-mentioned various input devices (touch panel 6, GPS receiver 13, microwave receiver 14, wireless receiver 15, etc.) and outputs the information using output devices (display unit 5, speaker 16, etc.). These basic configurations are basically the same as those of conventional systems.

[0076] The functions of the radar detector 1 in this embodiment are realized by the CPU in the control unit 18 executing firmware stored in the EEPROM of the control unit 18. The firmware stored in the EEPROM can be updated with new firmware stored on a memory card.

[0077] The main information output from the output device of the radar detector 1, which functions as a driver assistance system, is warning information to encourage the driver to drive safely. Warning information is output in the following cases, for example: The control unit 18 calculates the distance between the location (latitude and longitude) of a target object stored as map information in the database 19 and the current location (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle detected by the GPS receiver 13. When the calculated distance falls below a predetermined distance, the control unit 18 outputs warning information from the output device. Also, for example, the control unit 18 outputs warning information from the output device when the microwave receiver 14 detects a signal corresponding to microwaves in the frequency band emitted from the speed measuring device. By outputting warning information, the radar detector 1 makes the driver aware of dangerous locations where traffic accidents are likely to occur. In this way, the radar detector 1 can encourage the driver to drive safely. Note that the above-mentioned warning information is just one example, and in reality, various other types of warning information are output to the driver.

[0078] (Display mode) Figure 3 shows the display modes of the radar detector 1. The control unit 18 displays the screen on the display unit 5 in different ways depending on the set display mode. The control unit 18 has three constant modes: radar standby display mode, OBD display mode, and MAP display mode. The radar standby display mode displays the clock and speed (see Figure 4), the GPS positioning status (see Figure 5), the vehicle's tilt status, the acceleration applied to the vehicle, etc., on the display unit 5. The OBD display mode displays the instantaneous fuel consumption, current fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, vehicle speed coolant temperature, trip meter, national average fuel consumption, general road average fuel consumption, highway average fuel consumption, engine speed, engine load rate, throttle opening, etc. (see Figure 6) on the display unit 5. The MAP display mode displays a map of the area near the vehicle on the display unit 5 (see Figures 7 to 9). Switching between these display modes is performed by pressing the operation button 8. In other words, each time the upper operation button 8 is pressed, the control unit 18 switches the display mode in a predetermined order.

[0079] This section describes the warning display mode, which is the display mode when warning information is output. In the radar standby display mode and the OBD display mode, a ticker indicating the warning information is superimposed on the screen corresponding to the respective constant display mode, and a warning sound is output from the speaker 16. In contrast, in the MAP display mode, the output method of the warning information can be switched between animation mode, real-life mode (hereinafter collectively referred to as non-character mode), and character mode. The control unit 18 switches between character mode and non-character mode alternately when the lower operation button 8 is pressed. As shown in Figure 7, in animation mode, the control unit 18 displays an animation 101 of the target object or speed measuring device superimposed on the map 100, and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 16. As shown in Figure 8, in real-life mode, the control unit 18 displays a real-life image (REALPHOT) 102 of the target object or speed measuring device as warning information superimposed on the map 100, and outputs a warning sound from the speaker 16. As shown in Figure 9, in MAP display mode - character mode, the control unit 18 displays the character 104 superimposed on the map 100. Furthermore, the control unit 18 outputs the voice of the character 104 from the speaker 16. Warning information is notified to the driver through the behavior and voice of the character 104.

[0080] The radar detector 1 in this embodiment, as a driver assistance system, is characterized by its operation in character mode (within the thick border in Figure 3) in MAP display mode. When the radar detector 1 operates in MAP display mode - character mode, character 104 may be displayed on the display unit 5 even when there is no need to notify the driver of warning information. Character 104 behaves as if it were a real person and communicates with the driver by speaking to them. Furthermore, character 104 changes its behavior and voice according to the level of intimacy, which is one example of the relationship with the driver. In this way, the radar detector 1 encourages the driver to strongly empathize with character 104. In addition, character 104 outputs warning information not only for dangerous places where traffic accidents are likely to occur, but also for dangerous driving, reckless driving, driving without concentration, and drowsy driving. Drivers who want to deepen their empathy with character 104 will readily respond to the warnings from the character and actively strive for safe driving. The radar detector 1 can prevent drivers from becoming bored with communicating with the character by developing and maintaining a high level of empathy for the driver towards the character, thereby continuously encouraging safe driving.

[0081] The above-mentioned display modes (always-on display mode and alarm display mode) are merely examples, and the present invention may operate in other display modes. For example, characters may be displayed on the display unit 5 in radar standby display mode or OBD display mode.

[0082] (Information stored in memory unit 19, etc.) Referring to Figure 10, the details of the information stored in database 19 will be explained. Database 19 stores output information, map information, and setting information. Output information is various types of information output from the output device. Output information includes standby information, event information, logo information, static screen information, startup information, and setting screen information. Event information is information output from the output device to notify the driver of various events when the vehicle status or driving status is determined to be in a predetermined state based on information input from the input device (hereinafter referred to as "event occurrence"). Standby information is information output from the output device when no event has occurred (hereinafter referred to as "standby state"). Logo information, static screen information, and startup information are the information that is first output from the output device when the radar detector 1 is started in MAP display mode - character mode. Setting screen information is the screen information displayed on the display unit 5 when the driver performs a setting input operation on the radar detector.

[0083] The standby information and event information include image information displayed on the display unit 5 and audio information output from the speaker 16. The standby information and event information include multiple pieces of information depending on the always-on display mode. Specifically, the standby information includes radar standby information output when operating in radar standby display mode, OBD information output when operating in OBD display mode, and non-character information output when operating in MAP display mode - non-character mode. The event information includes radar standby information output when operating in radar standby display mode, OBD information output when operating in OBD display mode, character information output when operating in MAP display mode - character mode, and non-character information output when operating in MAP display mode - non-character mode.

[0084] Map information is information for displaying map 100 on display unit 5, and includes not only normal map data such as road networks, but also information about target objects, traffic regulations, etc. Information about target objects includes information indicating the type of target object, latitude and longitude indicating the location of the target object, animation or live footage to be displayed on display unit 5, and information associated with sound output from speaker 16. Target locations include fixed speed measuring devices (including speed measuring devices that emit radar waves (microwaves) like radar and speed measuring devices that do not emit radar waves like loop coils), locations of accidents caused by drowsy driving, radar, speed limit change points, enforcement areas, checkpoint areas, parking violation monitoring areas, N-systems, traffic monitoring systems, intersection monitoring points, red light violation prevention systems, police stations, accident-prone areas, car break-in-prone areas, sharp / continuous curves (expressways), branching / merging points (expressways), ETC lane advance notices (expressways), service areas (expressways), parking areas (expressways), highway oases (expressways), smart interchanges (expressways), gas stations within PAs / SAs (expressways), tunnels (expressways), highway radio reception areas (expressways), prefectural border notices, roadside stations, viewpoint parking areas, etc.

[0085] Traffic rule information is information about traffic violations. This includes information about stop signs and speed limits. Information about stop signs includes location information that identifies the place where a stop sign should be placed. The place where a stop sign should be placed must be identified by location information that identifies at least the location where a road sign designating a stop sign is installed. Information about speed limits includes the speed limit and information that identifies the road on which that speed limit is set. This road identification information includes location information that identifies the road's location and the road type (expressway / general road), etc.

[0086] The setting information is information indicating the various operating conditions of the radar detector 1. The control unit 18 determines the operating conditions based on the various setting information stored as setting information, and performs various processes based on the determined operating conditions.

[0087] Referring to Figure 11(a), the details of the information stored in the RAM within the control unit 18 will be described. The RAM stores, for example, the current date and time, vehicle position coordinates, correction information, corrected total mileage, familiarity level, surrounding information, driving status, OBD information, and event flags.

[0088] The current date and time is information indicating the current date and time. The current date and time is determined and stored based on the date and time data contained in the GPS signal from GPS satellites received via the GPS receiver 13. The vehicle position coordinates are coordinates (latitude and longitude) indicating the vehicle's current position. The vehicle position coordinates are determined based on the GPS signal received via the GPS receiver 13. The history since the engine was turned on is stored.

[0089] Correction information consists of various pieces of information used to calculate the corrected total mileage by correcting the actual mileage. This correction information includes a correction coefficient and the mileage over a predetermined period. The correction coefficient is used to calculate the corrected total mileage for determining the intimacy level, which will be described later. This correction coefficient is determined by the control unit 18 based on information regarding the vehicle's operation. Further details will be provided later.

[0090] The corrected total mileage is information obtained by correcting the actual mileage of the vehicle based on predetermined conditions. In this embodiment, the corrected total mileage is calculated based on the actual mileage calculated based on the history of changes in the vehicle's position coordinates and the correction coefficient described above. Furthermore, this corrected total mileage can also be described as a virtual total mileage based on travel in a virtual space in contrast to travel in real space.

[0091] Intimacy is an indicator of the degree of relationship with a character. Character information is output and changes according to the level of intimacy. The higher the intimacy, the more desirable character information, like a reward, the user (driver) will want is output. The system focuses on the distance traveled as the degree to which the user has spent with the radar detector and, by extension, the character. The longer the distance traveled, the greater the degree of time spent together, and the better the relationship between the driver and the character, i.e., the higher the intimacy level. This is because as the total distance traveled increases, the driver has driven for a long time and over a long distance with the character, and the relationship improves. Furthermore, in this invention, the intimacy level corresponding to the total distance traveled is not uniquely determined, for example, by simply increasing by one level when the actual total distance traveled exceeds a set threshold. Instead, the amount of change that improves the relationship based on the increase in actual distance traveled is changed. In other words, intimacy is determined based on the corrected total distance traveled, which is calculated based on the correction coefficient described above. By appropriately controlling and determining the correction coefficient, the corrected total distance traveled can be made longer or shorter than the actual total distance traveled. Details will be described later.

[0092] Surrounding information is information about target objects in the vicinity of the vehicle's current position. Information about target objects includes the type of target object and the distance between the current position and the target object. The type of target object and the distance are determined based on map information stored in database 19 and vehicle position coordinates stored in RAM. Driving status is information indicating the vehicle's driving status. Driving statuses include swerving, sudden acceleration (including speed increase while driving and sudden starts from a stop), sudden deceleration, sudden right steering, sudden left steering, inattentive driving, and drowsy driving. OBD information includes fuel consumption, fuel flow rate, vehicle speed, coolant temperature, engine speed, throttle opening, etc. The control unit 18 turns on the event flag when an event occurs.

[0093] As shown in Figure 11(b), the EEPROM stores not only firmware and other programs, but also the corrected total mileage up to the last time the engine was stopped, the driver's violation status, and other information. When the engine is running and the radar detector 1 is operating, such as when the vehicle is in motion, the corrected total mileage up to that point is stored in the RAM as described above. Then, when the engine is stopped, the corrected total mileage stored in the RAM at that time is stored and retained in the EEPROM. The violation status information is information about violations committed while driving. The control unit 18 stores the content of the violation, the location where the violation occurred, and the number of times the violation occurred, associating them with each other.

[0094] (Functions of the control unit) Figures 12 to 16 show flowcharts illustrating the functions of the control unit 18. The main process begins when the control unit 18 executes the firmware stored in the EEPROM. As shown in Figure 12, once the main process begins, the control unit 18 determines whether it has detected an operation to turn on the power of the radar detector 1 (S11). If it does not detect an operation to turn on the power (S11: NO), the process returns to S11. If it detects an operation to turn on the power, the control unit 18 starts a periodic process, which is an interrupt process that starts at a predetermined interval (S13). Upon starting the periodic process, the control unit 18 reads the corrected total mileage stored in the EEPROM and stores the read corrected total mileage in the RAM.

[0095] (Periodic processing) When the control unit 18 starts the periodic processing in S13 (see Figure 12), it repeatedly executes the periodic processing at a fixed interval (for example, every second). In other words, the control unit 18 executes the main processing and the periodic processing in parallel. This periodic processing is as follows: As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 18 first receives a GPS signal via the GPS receiver 13 (S31). The control unit 18 identifies the current date and time based on the date and time data contained in the received GPS signal and stores the identified current date and time in RAM (S33). The control unit 18 acquires OBD information from the vehicle via the OBD adapter 21 and stores the acquired OBD information in RAM (S35). Next, the control unit 18 executes a process to identify the location of a target object present around the vehicle (target location identification process: see Figure 14) (S37).

[0096] The target location identification process is as shown in Figure 14. Specifically, first the control unit 18 identifies coordinate information indicating the vehicle's position based on GPS signals received from GPS satellites via the GPS receiver 13. The control unit 18 stores the identified coordinate information in RAM as vehicle position coordinates (S51). The control unit 18 refers to the map information stored in the database 19 and determines whether there is a target object in the vicinity of the coordinate information indicating the vehicle's position identified in S51 (for example, within 2 km of the vehicle's current position) (S53). If there is a target object in the vicinity of the vehicle (S53: YES), the control unit 18 associates the type of the target object with the distance between the target object and the vehicle and stores it in RAM as surrounding information (S55).

[0097] If the target is not in the vicinity of the vehicle, or after processing S55 is performed, the control unit 18 receives a signal via the microwave receiver 14 if there is a signal corresponding to microwaves in the frequency band emitted from a speed measuring device that emits radar waves, such as a mobile radar. The control unit 18 also scans the frequencies of enforcement radio, car location radio, digital radio, low-power radio, local police radio, police telephone, police activity radio, tow truck radio, helicopter telemetry radio, fire helicopter telemetry radio, fire radio, ambulance radio, highway radio, police radio, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "car location radio"). Then, if there is a radio signal at the scanned frequency, the control unit 18 receives the signal via the radio receiver 15 (S57).

[0098] The control unit 18 determines whether there is a target nearby that emits microwave or radio signals (S59). Specifically, the control unit 18 determines whether it has received a signal via the microwave receiver 14 or the radio receiver 15, and whether the received signal level is above a predetermined value. If the received signal level is above a predetermined value, the control unit 18 determines that there is a speed measuring device that output the signal, or a vehicle that outputs a car location radio (hereinafter referred to as a police emergency vehicle, etc.) nearby (S59: YES). The control unit 18 identifies the device that output the signal (speed measuring device or police emergency vehicle, etc.) based on the signal frequency. The control unit 18 stores information indicating the identified target as surrounding information in RAM (S61). This completes the target location identification process (Figure 13: S37), and the process returns to the fixed-cycle processing (Figure 13). The control unit 18 determines that the target object that emitted the signal is not in the vicinity of the vehicle if it has not received a signal via the microwave receiver 14 or the wireless receiver 15, or if the reception level of the received signal is below a predetermined value (S59: NO). As a result, the target location identification process (Figure 13: S37) ends, and the process returns to the fixed-cycle process (Figure 13).

[0099] *Calculation of corrected total mileage, etc. After the above target location identification process (Figure 13: S37) is completed, the control unit 18 calculates the corrected total mileage and stores the calculated corrected total mileage in RAM (S39). That is, the control unit 18 updates the memory area for the corrected total mileage in RAM. Specifically, the control unit 18 determines the mileage traveled between the execution of the previous periodic processing and the execution of the current periodic processing (for example, 1 second) based on the history of changes in the vehicle position coordinates stored in RAM, and also determines the correction coefficient for the current periodic processing. The control unit 18 determines the corrected mileage during the execution cycle of the periodic processing (for example, 1 second) using the following formula. Corrected mileage = Correction coefficient × Mileage

[0100] The control unit 18 then calculates the total corrected mileage that includes the current mileage by adding the calculated corrected mileage to the total corrected mileage stored in RAM, and records the calculated total corrected mileage in RAM. The control unit 18 also stores the calculated correction coefficient in RAM as one of the correction information items.

[0101] As shown in the formula for calculating the corrected mileage described above, when the correction factor is 1, the actual mileage and the corrected mileage are equal (see the "solid line" in Figure 17(a)). Therefore, for example, if you actually travel 1000km, the corrected mileage will be 1000km. On the other hand, if the correction factor is greater than 1, the corrected mileage will be longer than the actual mileage (see the "dashed line" in Figure 17(a)), and if the correction factor is less than 1, the corrected mileage will be shorter than the actual mileage (see the "dotted line" in Figure 17(a)).

[0102] The correction coefficient can be determined, for example, based on the sensor output value (acceleration) of the acceleration sensor 22. For example, the correction coefficient when the acceleration is below a set threshold is set as the normal correction coefficient, and the control unit 18 controls the system to set the correction coefficient to a predetermined value smaller than the normal correction coefficient when the acceleration exceeds the threshold, and then to return to the original normal correction coefficient when the normal state continues for a certain period of time. In this embodiment, the predetermined small value when the acceleration exceeds the threshold is set to "0", and the return to the normal correction coefficient is made to gradually return over a predetermined period of time (see Figure 17(b)). Specifically, the control unit 18 calculates the correction coefficient based on the following formula. Correction factor = (m^2*L) / (mL+d) Here, m is the normal correction coefficient (the value at which the asymptote converges). L represents the distance traveled after the acceleration threshold was exceeded (actual distance traveled). The unit is meters. d is a distance constant. (When the engine is ON: 10 After the accelerometer sensor detects a response: a fixed value greater than 10 (e.g., 100).

[0103] In the above formula, m and d are fixed values ​​and are stored in the correction information of the RAM. Each time the fixed-periodic processing is executed, i.e., every second, the control unit 18 calculates the distance traveled between the previous execution of the fixed-periodic processing and the current execution of the fixed-periodic processing (for example, every second) based on the history of changes in the vehicle position coordinates stored in the RAM. The control unit 18 reads the distance traveled for a predetermined period stored in the correction information storage area of ​​the RAM and adds it to the distance traveled for the current execution to obtain the value of L. The control unit 18 uses the obtained value of L and the values ​​of m and d stored as correction information in the RAM and substitutes them into the above formula to calculate the correction coefficient. The control unit 18 also updates the distance traveled for a predetermined period stored in the correction information storage area of ​​the RAM to the value of L obtained this time.

[0104] When acceleration exceeds a threshold, L is reset to 0, so the correction coefficient becomes 0, and as L increases, the correction coefficient also increases. When "mL" becomes sufficiently large compared to "d", the denominator d in the formula for calculating the correction coefficient can be ignored, so the correction coefficient becomes m, that is, the normal correction coefficient.

[0105] Furthermore, since the value of L is stored in the RAM's correction information memory area, the stored data is erased when the engine is stopped, and when the engine is turned on, the value of L is also reset to 0. Therefore, when the engine is turned on, the value of d is set to 10 so that the value of L becomes sufficiently larger than d immediately after starting to drive, and the correction coefficient quickly returns to the normal correction coefficient m. On the other hand, after the acceleration exceeds the threshold and the correction coefficient becomes 0, the value of d is increased (for example, to 100) to allow time to pass before it returns to the normal correction coefficient.

[0106] In this embodiment, sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, and sudden steering (sudden right steering / sudden left steering) can be detected individually based on the output of the acceleration sensor. A threshold is set for each of these, and the value of L is reset to 0 when the acceleration in at least one detection direction exceeds the threshold.

[0107] Driving that causes acceleration to exceed a threshold corresponds to either sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, or sudden steering, which is not only dangerous driving but also unpleasant and startling for the passenger character, which is mentally detrimental. Therefore, in this embodiment, when driving that causes acceleration to exceed a threshold occurs, the correction coefficient is reduced so that the intimacy level does not increase easily, and the correction coefficient is not returned to the normal level for a certain period of time.

[0108] In this embodiment, once the set condition (in this case, the acceleration threshold) is no longer met and the correction coefficient becomes small, even if the set condition is met again immediately afterward, the correction coefficient is not immediately restored to its low state, but rather maintained for a predetermined period. This is because undesirable driving conditions, such as dangerous driving where the acceleration exceeds the threshold, can lead to accidents even if they occur momentarily or for a short period, so it is desirable to avoid such conditions during driving. Therefore, the driver will be encouraged to drive in a way that does not cause the set condition to be violated, even momentarily, thus contributing to safe driving, which is desirable. Furthermore, once the set condition is not met, even if the driver subsequently drives in a way that meets the set condition, it will not return to normal until a certain period has elapsed, which acts as a penalty and introduces a game element, which is desirable.

[0109] As will be explained later, this increase in corrected total mileage is related to an increase in intimacy. Therefore, if we define the degree of increase in intimacy based on the actual increase in mileage, that is, the amount of change in intimacy when the correction coefficient is 1, as the "baseline change," then the larger the correction coefficient is than 1, the larger the change will be compared to the baseline change, and the smaller the correction coefficient is than 1, the smaller the change in intimacy associated with driving will be compared to the baseline change, resulting in a lower growth rate.

[0110] If the normal correction coefficient is set to a value greater than 1, driving will continue in a way that does not exceed the threshold in acceleration. As a result, the amount of change in intimacy associated with driving will remain greater than the standard change, and intimacy will be increased quickly over a short distance.

[0111] The value of the normal correction coefficient is set to be larger as the threshold is smaller, and conversely, smaller as the threshold is larger. In other words, if the threshold is small, the sensitivity is high, and even small changes in speed (relatively small acceleration) are likely to exceed the threshold and reset L to 0. However, if you can drive below the threshold, you can increase the corrected total driving distance in a shorter period of time and increase intimacy. On the other hand, if the threshold is large, the sensitivity is low, and even slight changes in speed (relatively large acceleration) will not exceed the threshold, so the control of negative assessments where the correction coefficient is lower than the normal correction coefficient for a certain period due to L being reset to 0 does not occur. However, even if you drive below the threshold, the increase in the corrected total driving distance with driving is small because the normal correction coefficient is originally small. Therefore, users should set the threshold according to their own driving situation and the road conditions they are driving on.

[0112] Setting stricter conditions (thresholds) has the disadvantage that minor driving errors may cause the correction coefficient to remain low for a certain period, failing to meet the conditions. Alternatively, if the conditions are met, the correction coefficient will remain high, the degree of goodness in the relationship will increase rapidly, and various character information corresponding to the relationship can be obtained. Therefore, it becomes a high-risk, high-reward situation, increasing the gameplay. Furthermore, it's not just about increasing the gameplay; driving that meets stricter conditions, for example, is usually safer or more eco-friendly, resulting in a safer driving state that is kinder to the vehicle and the environment, which is also beneficial to the traffic environment.

[0113] This setting involves storing information in the database 19 that associates combinations of thresholds for each detection direction corresponding to multiple sensitivity levels with correction coefficients for those levels. For example, for the standard level, a threshold is set for each acceleration sensor output that detects sudden acceleration / deceleration and sudden right / left steering, and a correction coefficient of 1 is associated with it. For levels more sensitive than the standard level, the threshold is set to be smaller than the threshold associated with the standard level, while the correction coefficient is set to a value greater than 1. Conversely, for levels less sensitive than the standard level, the threshold is set to be larger than the threshold associated with the standard level, while the correction coefficient is set to a value less than 1. One or more sensitive and less sensitive levels are provided. The control unit 18 reads a predetermined setting screen from the database 19 and displays it on the display unit 5, recognizes the level specified by the driver based on the signal from the touch panel 6, and sets it.

[0114] * Determining the level of intimacy The control unit 18 determines the intimacy level based on the corrected total mileage (S40). Intimacy level is a parameter determined according to the corrected total mileage. The control unit 18 assumes that the character's intimacy with the driver increases as the vehicle's corrected total mileage increases, and expresses this degree of intimacy as intimacy level. Specifically, intimacy level is determined as follows: If the total mileage from the time the radar detector 1 is first activated is less than the first reference distance (e.g., 100 km), the intimacy level is 0. If the vehicle's total mileage with character mode set is 100 km or more but less than 1000 km, the intimacy level is 1. If the vehicle's total mileage with character mode set is 1000 km or more but less than 2000 km, the intimacy level is 2. If the vehicle's total mileage with character mode set is 2000 km or more, the intimacy level is 3. The control unit 18 stores the determined intimacy level in RAM.

[0115] This intimacy level is an indicator of the degree of relationship with the character, with a higher value indicating a better relationship. In this embodiment, the intimacy level increases in four stages: 0 → 1 → 2 → 3. The intimacy level is a condition for determining the character information output via the output device, as will be described later. The better the relationship, i.e., the higher the intimacy level, the more varied, user-friendly, and pleasing the user will be, like a kind of reward, the character information that is output.

[0116] To improve the relationship, specifically to increase intimacy, the driving distance is used as the basis, and as a general rule, the longer the driving distance, the higher the intimacy. For example, if it is assumed that the character has a personality and emotions, the longer the driving distance, the better the relationship between the driver and the character will become. Therefore, if the system is designed so that the relationship improves the safer the driving, users will actively strive to drive safely in order to maintain a good relationship with the character, and even to further improve it.

[0117] (Identification of driving conditions, etc.) Next, the control unit 18 performs a process to identify the vehicle's driving information (driving state identification process, see Figure 15) (S41). As shown in Figure 15, the control unit 18 acquires the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor and the vehicle speed from the OBD information stored in RAM (S71). Next, the control unit 18 determines whether the vehicle is in a predetermined driving state based on the acquired acceleration and vehicle speed (S73). Specifically, the control unit 18 determines, based on the acceleration and vehicle speed, whether the vehicle is being driven in one of the following driving states: (a) swerving, (b) sudden deceleration, (c) sudden acceleration, (d) sudden right steering, (e) sudden left steering, (f) driving with reduced concentration, or (g) driving while asleep at the wheel. The determination method is as follows.

[0118] The control unit 18 counts the number of times each of the following states occurs: when the vehicle's forward acceleration is 0.3G or more, when the vehicle's rearward acceleration is 0.15G or more, and when the vehicle's lateral acceleration is 0.45G or more. If the total number of occurrences of each state is 15 or more in 15 minutes, the control unit 18 determines that (a) serpentine driving is occurring. The control unit 18 also determines that (b) sudden deceleration has occurred if the vehicle's forward acceleration is 0.3G or more. The control unit 18 determines that (c) sudden acceleration has occurred if the vehicle's rearward acceleration is 1.15G or more. The control unit 18 determines that (d) sudden right steering has occurred if the vehicle's leftward acceleration is 0.45G or more. The control unit 18 determines that (e) sudden left steering has occurred if the vehicle's rightward acceleration is 0.45G or more. Furthermore, the control unit 18 determines that (f) driving with reduced concentration is occurring if the vehicle speed is 55 km / h or higher and the change in vehicle speed is between 5 km / h and 10 km / h for a predetermined period of time or longer. The control unit 18 determines that (g) driving while drowsy is occurring if the vehicle speed is 55 km / h or higher and the change in vehicle speed is 10 km / h or higher. As described above, the control unit can determine the driving state of the vehicle based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle and the vehicle speed.

[0119] If the control unit 18 determines that the vehicle is operating in a predetermined operating state and that any of the above conditions apply (S73:YES), it stores information indicating the corresponding operating state in RAM as the operating state (S75). The operating state identification process then ends, and the process returns to the fixed-cycle process. On the other hand, if the operating state does not apply to any of the above conditions (S73:NO), the control unit 18 ends the operating state identification process, and the process returns to the fixed-cycle process.

[0120] As shown in Figure 13, after the completion of the driving state identification process (S39), the control unit 18 determines in S55 (see Figure 14) and S61 (see Figure 14) whether peripheral information is stored in RAM, or in S75 (see Figure 15) whether the driving state is stored in RAM. If either is stored in RAM, the control unit 18 determines that an event for notifying the driver has occurred (S43: YES). The control unit 18 turns the event flag ON (S45). The periodic processing ends. On the other hand, if neither peripheral information nor the driving state is stored in RAM (S43: NO), no event for notifying the driver has occurred, so the control unit 18 turns the event flag OFF (S47). The periodic processing ends.

[0121] As shown in Figure 12, after starting the periodic processing in S13 (see Figure 13), the control unit 18 refers to the setting information stored in the database and determines the set display mode (S15). If a display mode other than MAP display mode or character mode is set as the display mode (S15: NO), the control unit 18 reads the information corresponding to the set display mode from the output information of the database 19 and outputs it from the output device. As a result, the control unit 18 performs the well-known normal operation (alarm notification, etc.) (S21). The process proceeds to S23. On the other hand, if MAP-character mode is set as the display mode (S15: YES), the control unit 18 executes a process to notify the driver of predetermined information via characters (character mode processing, Figure 16) (S19).

[0122] Referring to Figure 16, the character mode processing will be explained. The control unit 18 reads the logo information stored in the database 19 and displays a logo screen that renders that logo information on the display unit 5 (S81). By displaying the logo screen in this way, the user can confirm that MAP-character mode is set.

[0123] The control unit 18 determines whether the current date and time, etc., have already been determined in the periodic processing initiated in S13 (see Figure 12) and whether that information is stored in RAM (S85). In periodic processing, the current date and time, vehicle location information, and mileage are determined by receiving GPS signals, which are radio signals from GPS satellites. Depending on the radio environment, GPS signals may not be received immediately after startup. Therefore, the time required to determine the current date and time, etc., is not constant and may take some time. If the current date and time, etc., are not stored in RAM, it means that the current date and time, etc., have not yet been determined (S83: NO).

[0124] In this case, the control unit 18 displays a wallpaper screen 73 on the display unit 5 showing the character 104 lying down, as shown in Figure 18 (S85). Since it is not possible to calculate the mileage and, consequently, the total mileage with correction, or to determine the level of intimacy, if the current date and time have not been determined, the control unit 18 displays the wallpaper screen 73 to indicate that the status is undetermined. The process returns to S83. As a result, the control unit 18 continues to display the wallpaper screen 73 until the current date and time have been determined. The current date and time may include the vehicle's location history in addition to the current date and time, but if the current date and time is stored in RAM, a GPS signal can be received, so the decision in S83 may be based solely on the current date and time.

[0125] If the current date and time, vehicle location information, etc. are identified during the periodic processing and this information is stored in RAM (S83:YES), the control unit 18 reads the still image information stored in the database 19 and displays it on the display unit 5 (S86). As a result, for example, as shown in Figure 19, a still image 72 showing character 104 wearing formal attire is displayed on the display unit 5. The still image information includes a total of 12 still images, each different for each month. Each still image reflects a seasonal scene. When reading a still image, the control unit 18 extracts the current month from the current date and time information, selects the still image for the month corresponding to the extracted month from the still image information stored in the database 19, and displays it on the display unit 5.

[0126] In this way, the radar detector 1 prevents the driver from becoming bored with the static screen displayed on the display unit 5 by switching the static screen displayed on the display unit 5 according to the date and time. The radar detector 1 also makes the driver want to see new static screens. For example, the control unit 18 may control the display unit 5 so that a new static screen is not displayed if the driver engages in dangerous driving. This encourages the driver to drive safely in order to display a new static image on the display unit 5. In this way, the radar detector 1 can effectively guide the driver toward safe driving.

[0127] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the static screen was displayed on the display unit 5, the control unit 18 reads the startup screen included in the startup information stored in the database 19 and displays it on the display unit 5 (S87). The control unit 18 also reads the startup sound included in the startup information and outputs it from the speaker 16 (S87).

[0128] Refer to Figures 20 and 21 for a detailed explanation of the startup information. Startup information is the information output to the output device when the MAP display mode - character mode is started. As shown in Figure 20, the startup information includes information for displaying a character image on the display unit 5 (hereinafter referred to as the character image) and information for outputting the character's voice from the speaker 16 (hereinafter referred to as the character voice). The character image and character voice are classified by intimacy level (0-3) and time period (0:00-5:00, 5:00-7:00, 7:00-10:00, 10:00-17:00, 17:00-22:00, 22:00-0:00). The time period indicates the time when the power of the radar detector 1 was turned ON. Multiple character images and character voices are provided for each intimacy level and time period so that the character can communicate with the driver in various forms of expression.

[0129] Figure 21 shows in detail the character voices corresponding to the time period from 7:00 to 10:00. When the intimacy level stored in RAM is 1, the character voice is somewhat distant, such as "Good morning. How are you?", "Now, do your best at work. I'll do my best too," and "Good morning. Drive safely today." The character's manner of speaking to the driver is like meeting for the first time. On the other hand, when the intimacy level is 2, the character voice is more intimate compared to when the intimacy level is 1, such as "Good morning. How are you?", "Every day isn't always fun, but let's do our best," and "Good morning. Drive carefully today." The character's manner of speaking to the driver is like that of a normal friend. Furthermore, when the intimacy level is 3, the character's voice becomes even more intimate compared to when the intimacy level is 1 or 2, with lines like, "Good morning! Hey, I've been waiting for you ever since I woke up!", "Yay! We can be together again today~ I'm so happy!", and "Good morning! You look stylish today? I want some new clothes too~". The character's way of speaking to the driver becomes more casual and friendly.

[0130] In this way, the radar detector 1 increases the character's intimacy with the driver in proportion to the level of intimacy by outputting more intimate character voices as the level of intimacy increases. As the driver senses the character's intimacy gradually increasing, their affection for the character gradually grows, and they strongly empathize with the character.

[0131] Although not shown in the diagram, the character's voice for the time period between 5:00 and 7:00 is compared for each level of intimacy. At intimacy level 1, the character's voice is like, "Good morning~ yawn, excuse me," "Good morning. I'll do my best with the alarms today," and "You're up early. I'm impressed." At intimacy level 2, the character's voice is like, "Huh? Is it morning already?", "Not yet! I'm still sleepy," and "Thanks for getting up early." At intimacy level 3, the character's voice is like, "Good morning~ yawn, sorry," "Yawn, I'm still sleepy. Just one more minute," and "Good morning. I have to do my best with the alarms today. For you." By hearing the character's sleepy voice, the driver comes to feel as if the character is a real living being. Furthermore, the driver feels sorry for waking the character. Radar detector 1 further enhances the degree of empathy for the driver's character by evoking these kinds of emotions in the user.

[0132] As explained above, the character voice is switched according to the time of day, but the character image can also be switched according to the time of day. For example, from 0:00 to 5:00, the character image is associated with a depiction of the character sleeping in bed. By seeing the character sleeping, the driver develops feelings of closeness to the character. Radar detector 1 further enhances the degree of empathy the driver has for the character by evoking these kinds of emotions in the driver.

[0133] As described above, the radar detector 1 outputs character voices that switch depending on the activation time, making the character seem as if it were a real living creature. This makes the driver feel as if the character is real. In this way, the radar detector 1 can increase the degree of the driver's emotional connection with the character. Moreover, as the level of intimacy increases, the character information output becomes more varied and contains content that is relatable and pleasing to the driver, like a kind of reward. Therefore, the driver is more inclined to maintain a good relationship in order to receive rewards, or to perform actions and driving in a way that improves the relationship. Thus, it can be expected that the driver will drive in a way that increases the level of intimacy. In other words, in this embodiment, the increase in intimacy is not simply due to an increase in driving distance, but is controlled by changing the amount of change to a predetermined driving distance based on information related to the vehicle's driving, such as whether or not the acceleration exceeds a threshold, and if the vehicle is driven in a way that the acceleration exceeds a set threshold, the increase in the corrected total driving distance that determines the level of intimacy is reduced for a certain period of time. Therefore, the driver will be inclined to drive in a way that the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 22 is below the set threshold. Therefore, the radar detector 1 of this system contributes to safe driving.

[0134] Furthermore, in order to increase intimacy, i.e., the corrected total mileage, it is not simply a matter of increasing the mileage; information regarding the vehicle's movement (in this embodiment, acceleration) is also taken into account, which adds a game-like element. For example, if the correction coefficient never exceeds the threshold during driving and the correction coefficient never becomes zero, the corrected total mileage is increased, and a sense of mission completion is obtained, which is desirable. Completing such a mission is not merely a game in a virtual space, but a new kind of game that occurs in conjunction with actual driving. And even if a game-like element is added to the actual driving of the vehicle, completing the mission requires safe driving, such as avoiding speed changes (increase or decrease in speed) or sudden changes in direction that would cause the acceleration value to fall below the threshold, so there are no problems from a social perspective. The same applies to the output of character information based on intimacy, as shown below.

[0135] Note that in the startup information shown in Figure 20, character voices are not associated with a familiarity level of 0. When the familiarity level is 0, the radar detector 1 displays the character image on the display unit 5, and does not output character voices from the speaker 16. In this case, the driver recognizes not only the character image but also the character voice, and their expectation of wanting to start intimate communication with the character as soon as possible grows. The radar detector 1 increases the degree of the driver's emotional connection to the character by utilizing this psychology of the driver.

[0136] As shown in Figure 16, after outputting startup information (S87), the control unit 18 reads character information from the standby information in the database 19 and outputs it from the output device (S91). Character information is information output from the output device when the radar detector 1, which operates in MAP display mode - character mode, is in standby mode. Refer to Figures 22 and 23 for a detailed explanation of the character information. As shown in Figure 22, the character information includes character images and character sounds. The character images and character sounds are classified by intimacy level. In Figure 22, "Intimacy Level 1-3" indicates that different character images and character sounds are associated with each intimacy level.

[0137] Multiple character images and voices are provided for each expression mode, allowing the character to communicate with the driver in various ways. Specifically, the character information includes character images and voices corresponding to each of the following expression modes: (1) blinking and lip-syncing, (2) blinking only, (3) walking, and (4) stretching. For example, when the character image corresponding to (1) blinking and lip-syncing is displayed on the display unit 5, the character blinks and moves its mouth as if speaking. Also, when the character image corresponding to (3) walking is displayed on the display unit 5, the character walks freely within the display area of ​​the display unit 5. Also, when the character image corresponding to (4) stretching is displayed on the display unit 5, the character stretches. In addition, the character voice corresponding to each expression mode is output from the speaker 16.

[0138] Figure 23 shows in detail the character voices corresponding to (1) blinking and lip-syncing. When the intimacy level is 1, the character voices are somewhat friendly, such as "Do you like driving? I don't dislike your driving." and "Um, thank you for bringing me to your car!" On the other hand, when the intimacy level is 2, the character voices are more intimate compared to intimacy level 1, such as "Hey, do you like me? I like you too!" and "You look pretty serious when you're driving, hehe." Furthermore, when the intimacy level is 3, the character voices are even more intimate compared to intimacy levels 1 and 2, such as "I'm happy every day because you listen to me!" and "You know, I actually want to talk more. I want to get to know you better." When character voices are output from speaker 16, one of the multiple character voices corresponding to intimacy levels 1, 2, and 3 is randomly selected and output. Therefore, even when the level of intimacy is the same, a different character voice is output from speaker 16 each time.

[0139] In this way, the radar detector 1 increases the character's intimacy with the driver in proportion to the level of intimacy by outputting more intimate character voices as the level of intimacy increases. As the driver feels the character's intimacy with them gradually increasing, their sense of familiarity with the character gradually grows, and they strongly empathize with the character.

[0140] Furthermore, the radar detector 1 constantly displays the character on the display unit 5, and even in a standby state where no events occur, it outputs the character's voice from the speaker 16 as if the character were speaking to the driver. In this way, the driver assistance system 4 makes the driver feel as if the character is a real living creature and is always by their side. As the driver develops a sense of closeness to the character, the degree of the driver's emotional connection to the character is further enhanced.

[0141] Furthermore, the radar detector 1 prepares multiple character images and character voices, and randomly selects and outputs them from the output device. This prevents the character-based communication from becoming monotonous and prevents the driver from getting bored of communicating with the characters.

[0142] In Figure 22, only the character image is associated with a familiarity level of 0, and the character voice is not associated. Therefore, when the familiarity level is 0, the character image is displayed on the display unit 5, and the character voice is not output from the speaker 16. When the familiarity level is low, the driver cannot hear the character voice, so they expect to recognize not only the character image but also the voice. The radar detector 1 takes advantage of this driver psychology to increase the degree of the driver's emotional connection to the character.

[0143] As shown in Figure 16, after the control unit 18 outputs character information corresponding to the standby state from the output device in S91, the control unit 18 determines whether it is time to output character information (see Figure 24, described later) (S93). Character information is information output to the output device when an event occurs in radar 1 operating in MAP display mode - character mode. Details of the determination method and the information to be output will be described later. If the control unit 18 determines that it is time to output character information (S93: YES), it outputs the character information from the output device (S95), and the process proceeds to S97. On the other hand, if the control unit 18 determines that it is not time to output character information (S93: NO), the process proceeds to S97.

[0144] The method for determining whether or not to output character information in this event information, and the character information that is output, are as follows. Figure 24 shows the details of the character information in the event information. The character information includes a character image and character voice. Multiple character images and character voices are available for each expression mode. In Figure 24, character images and character voices corresponding to (1) going to sleep, (2) waking up, (3) talking in sleep, (4) warning about speeding, (5) getting carsick, (6) sudden deceleration, (7) sudden acceleration, (8) sudden right steering, (9) sudden left steering, (10) getting angry and disappearing if it goes too far, (11) anger subsides and returning, (12) dozing off, (13) waking up, (14) decreased concentration, (15) drowsy driving, (16) speed camera, enforcement, checkpoint warning, (17) radar, car location reception warning, and (18) other target objects are associated with intimacy levels 1-3. Note that, similar to the character information in the standby information shown in Figure 22, the character voice corresponding to intimacy level 0 is not included in the character information in this event information. Therefore, when the intimacy level is 0, the control unit 18 outputs the character image from the output device, but does not output the character voice from the speaker 16.

[0145] For example, the character information corresponding to "(1) Go to sleep" is information that is output when the radar detector 1 is activated between 22:00 and 0:00. When the character image is displayed on the display unit 5, the character goes to sleep one minute after the radar detector 1 is activated. The control unit 18 selects a voice message to inform the driver that the character is going to sleep (e.g., "Today was fun, take me for a drive again tomorrow," "I'm going to sleep now. You need to get some sleep too. Goodnight") according to the level of intimacy and outputs it as character voice from the speaker 16. After the character goes to sleep, the control unit 18 also periodically outputs the character's breathing as character voice from the speaker 16.

[0146] For example, the character information corresponding to "(2) Wake up" is the information that is output when the radar detector 1 is activated between 5:00 and 7:00. When the character image is displayed on the display unit 5, the character wakes up one minute after the radar detector 1 is activated. The control unit 18 selects a voice message to inform the driver of this wake-up time (e.g., "Good morning. Alarm restarting," "Good morning. We can be together again today! I'm so happy!") according to the level of familiarity and outputs it as character voice from the speaker 16.

[0147] For example, the character information corresponding to "(3) Sleep-talking" is information that the character randomly outputs in 5-minute cycles over a 10-30 minute period while the character is asleep. When the character image is displayed on the display unit 5 as information representing sleep-talking, the control unit 18 performs an animation in which the character moves its mouth. The control unit 18 also selects sleep-talking phrases ("The stars are beautiful," "A regular full tank, please," etc.) according to the level of intimacy, and outputs them as character voices from the speaker 16 at the moment the character moves its mouth.

[0148] As described above, this system outputs character information in a manner that makes the characters appear as if they were real living beings. Drivers will come to feel as if the characters are real. In this way, this system can increase the degree of emotional connection that drivers feel with the characters.

[0149] For example, the character information corresponding to "(4) Warning about exceeding the speed limit" is information that is output when the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit. The control unit 18 identifies the vehicle speed based on the OBD information stored in RAM and determines the speed limit based on the vehicle position coordinates stored in RAM and the map information stored in the database. The speed limit is the speed limit of the road currently being driven on or the speed limit of the locations where speed measuring devices are installed in the surrounding area. The control unit 18 compares the value obtained by adding a predetermined driving speed (e.g., 10 km / h) to the determined speed limit with the vehicle speed, and if the vehicle speed is faster, it outputs character information warning about exceeding the speed limit. When a character image is displayed on the display unit 5 as information representing this warning about exceeding the speed limit, the control unit 18 outputs an animation in which, for example, the character notifies the driver of the current vehicle speed and the speed limit and urges them to slow down. Furthermore, the control unit 18 selects a voice message to notify the driver of exceeding the speed limit (e.g., "Hey! Aren't you going too fast? That's dangerous!", "Hey, I'm going to start to dislike people who speed!") according to the level of familiarity with the character, and outputs it as a character voice from the speaker 16. This allows the driver to easily recognize that the vehicle's speed exceeds the speed limit. Because the driver's level of empathy for the character is high, the driver will readily respond to the character's notification and slow down, thereby paying attention to safe driving.

[0150] For example, the character information corresponding to "(5) Get carsick" is output when the event flag stored in RAM is ON and information indicating erratic driving is stored as the driving state. This is because in such cases, there is a high probability that the car is driving on a road with a series of curves.

[0151] When a character image is displayed on the display unit 5, the control unit 18 outputs an animation in which the character behaves as if it is carsick and feeling unwell. The control unit 18 also selects distressed sounds from the character ("Mmm, mmmm, I'm feeling a little sick, sorry," "That's what you're doing driving like that, I'm sick," etc.) according to the level of familiarity with the character and outputs them as character voices from the speaker 16. As a result, the driver feels sorry for the character's carsick state and tries to drive more carefully and at a slower speed. In this way, the system can encourage drivers to drive carefully.

[0152] For example, character information corresponding to "(6) sudden deceleration, (7) sudden acceleration, (8) sudden right steering, (9) sudden left steering" is output when the event flag stored in RAM is ON and information indicating sudden deceleration, sudden acceleration, sudden right steering, and sudden left steering is stored as the driving state. This is because if the driver drives in such a manner, the likelihood of the vehicle causing a traffic accident increases. When the character image is displayed on the display unit 5, the control unit 18 outputs an animation in which the character loses balance and stumbles in the direction of the detected acceleration. The system also selects voice prompts for driving behavior (such as: sudden deceleration: "Ah! You almost fell over. I'll be angry if you do that again!", "Are you even looking ahead while driving? Don't look away!", sudden acceleration: "Ouch! I hit my head! Did you see that!", "Sudden acceleration is dangerous! You won't do it again, right?", "Hey, you didn't accidentally mix up the brake and accelerator, did you?", right and left curves: "Turn the steering wheel a little slower—I'm getting dizzy!", "Ah! Nooo! Were you even looking ahead? I thought you were going to fall off!", "I can't believe it! You're such a bad driver!") according to the level of familiarity with the driver, and outputs them as character voices from speaker 16. Through these prompts, the driver will become aware of reckless and dangerous driving behavior and will strive to drive more carefully. By providing these warnings, the system can prevent traffic accidents from occurring.

[0153] For example, the character information corresponding to "(16) Speed ​​camera, enforcement, checkpoint warning" is output when the event flag stored in RAM is ON, information indicating radar speed cameras, H systems, LH systems, and loop coils (hereinafter collectively referred to as speed cameras) is stored in RAM as surrounding information, and furthermore, information indicating the distance between the speed camera and the vehicle is a predetermined distance (e.g., 2100m, 1100m, 600m). Alternatively, it is output when the event flag 38 stored in RAM is ON, and information indicating enforcement or a checkpoint is stored as surrounding information.

[0154] For example, the character information corresponding to "(17) Radar, car location reception warning" is output when the event flag stored in RAM is ON and information indicating a speed measuring device or police emergency vehicle is stored in RAM as surrounding information.

[0155] The character images corresponding to these "(16) Speed ​​camera, enforcement, and checkpoint warnings" or "(17) Radar and car location reception warnings" are displayed on the display unit 16 as follows. As shown in Figures 25 and 26, first, the clothing of character 104 changes from white (Figure 25) to black (Figure 26). This change signifies that character 104 has transformed. It is also advisable to change the character's clothing and animation actions before and after the transformation according to priority.

[0156] As shown in Figure 27, the transformed character 104 is displayed overlaid on the map 100 display screen showing the surrounding target objects 105, and as shown in Figure 28, it provides the driver with information 74 indicating one of the following: speed cameras, enforcement stations, checkpoints, speed measuring devices, and police emergency vehicles, as well as the distance 75 between the vehicle and the object. In addition, voice messages to notify the driver of the displayed content ("Emergency! Radar speed camera detected 2000 meters ahead.", "Close to 1000 meters! It's a radar speed camera.", "Only 500 meters left! Don't get your picture taken!" etc.) are selected according to the level of familiarity with the character and output as character voices from the speaker 16.

[0157] As described above, the radar detector 1, as a driver assistance system, can recognize when a traffic monitoring target is near the vehicle by receiving a radio signal transmitted from the target. Traffic monitoring devices are often installed in places where traffic accidents are likely to occur or in places where accidents have occurred in the past. Therefore, by notifying the driver that a traffic monitoring target is near the vehicle, the radar detector 1 can make the driver aware of places where traffic accidents are likely to occur and encourage them to drive especially safely in such places.

[0158] Furthermore, the change in Character 104's attire allows drivers to easily and clearly recognize at a glance that the distance between the vehicle and the object being monitored for traffic has decreased. Drivers can accurately identify high-risk areas for traffic accidents in advance and drive with traffic safety in mind.

[0159] Furthermore, since the driver is notified by a character voice when the distance between the vehicle and the object being monitored for traffic is decreasing, the radar detector 1 can reliably make the driver aware that the vehicle is approaching a speed camera or similar object, even if the driver is not looking at the display unit 5. While I will omit the specific details, character information corresponding to the level of intimacy will also be output for other forms of expression.

[0160] As shown in Figure 16, the control unit 18 determines whether it has detected a setting operation performed by the driver on the radar detector 1 (S97). If the control unit 18 detects that the driver has touched the display unit 5 in the standby state via the touch panel 6, it determines that the driver has performed a setting operation (S97: YES). The control unit 18 then displays the setting screen on the display unit 5 based on the setting screen information stored in the database 19. The control unit 18 also sequentially switches the setting screen displayed on the display unit 5 according to the content of the setting operation performed by the driver, and sets the setting information by storing the setting information set by the setting operation in the database 19 (S99). The radar detector 1 operates according to the driver's settings as the control unit 18 executes processing based on the setting information. The process proceeds to S101. On the other hand, if no setting operation by the driver is detected (S97: NO), the process proceeds to S101.

[0161] The control unit 18 determines whether it has detected an operation to turn off the power of the radar detector 1 (S101). If the control unit 18 detects an operation to turn off the power (S101: YES), it terminates the character mode processing and returns to the main processing (Figure 12). On the other hand, if the control unit 18 does not detect an operation to turn off the power (S101: NO), it returns to the processing S91.

[0162] (Example with indicator) Figure 29 shows an example of a display screen illustrating a modified version of the present invention. In this modified version, a display area for displaying the current correction coefficient is provided. Specifically, as shown in Figure 29(a), a correction coefficient display area 81 is provided on the left side of the main area for displaying the map 100 and character 104. This correction coefficient display area 81 is an indicator whose light-emitting area expands and contracts vertically. In this illustrated indicator, the approximate center position in the vertical direction of the correction coefficient display area 81 is "0," and the indicator expands upward as the value of the correction coefficient increases. The maximum value is set to 4 here. Furthermore, as will be explained in another modified version later, when the correction coefficient takes a negative value, the light-emitting area of ​​the indicator expands downward from the center position where the correction coefficient value is 0. In other words, the indicator takes the form shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 29(b).

[0163] Furthermore, especially when the correction coefficient can take on negative values, for example, the length of the illuminated area is the same for both "1" and "-1," and since that length is short and located near the center in the vertical direction, it is difficult to tell which value is which at a glance. In particular, drivers who are driving cannot stare at the display unit 5 for a long time, and also need to check the displayed content of the map 100 and character 104 in a short amount of time. Combined with the fact that the display area of ​​the correction coefficient display area 81 itself is small, it becomes even more difficult to recognize the current correction coefficient.

[0164] Therefore, the illumination color was made different depending on whether the correction coefficient was positive or negative. For example, when the correction coefficient is a positive value, the display color is a cool color such as blue or light blue, and when the correction coefficient is a negative value, the display color is a warm color such as red or pink. In this way, even if a short illuminated area is displayed near the center in the vertical direction, the driver can intuitively understand from the color whether the current correction coefficient is positive and in a reasonable state, or negative and in a very bad state. Also, red means "stop" in traffic lights and often means "prohibition" in traffic signs, while blue means "go" in traffic lights and does not particularly mean "prohibition" in traffic signs. Therefore, drivers who know the traffic rules can reflexively understand that red is an undesirable state.

[0165] The control unit 18 operates as follows to perform a function to notify the correction coefficient using the indicator. The control unit 18 periodically reads the correction coefficient stored in RAM and displays the indicator so that the light-emitting area of ​​a predetermined color reaches the level corresponding to the value of the read correction coefficient. In the example in Figure 29(a), the light-emitting area of ​​the indicator is displayed in blue.

[0166] The timing and period for reading the data should be short (for example, 1 second). This is because it allows the driver to understand the impact of the current driving situation on the correction coefficient. For example, if the indicator remains in the positive direction for a certain period of time, it confirms that the current driving is being performed correctly. When the indicator's illuminated area disappears after pressing the accelerator or brake pedal, or turning the steering wheel for right or left turns or lane changes, the driver knows that the acceleration has exceeded the threshold and the correction coefficient has become 0. They can also understand which action caused the correction coefficient to become 0 based on the previous driving situation. Therefore, the driver can understand their own driving habits (tendency to accelerate suddenly, brake suddenly, or make sudden turns, etc.), reflect on which driving operations to be particularly careful about, and take measures to prevent the correction coefficient from decreasing. Furthermore, once the correction coefficient becomes 0, as shown in Figure 17(b), the correction coefficient gradually increases and returns to the normal correction coefficient. By updating the indicator display at short intervals, the illuminated area of ​​the indicator gradually extends, and it can be seen that it is gradually returning to the normal correction coefficient. Therefore, it is desirable for the driver to be pleased to confirm this condition and to continue driving carefully to ensure that the acceleration does not exceed the threshold.

[0167] In contrast, taking averages over long periods makes it difficult to achieve the above effects. That is, even if the correction coefficient drops to zero, this state may not be immediately apparent, and the driver may not understand which driving operation caused the acceleration to exceed the threshold, or it may be masked by the previous high correction coefficient, making it difficult to recognize that safe driving was not performed because the correction coefficient did not drop to zero. Furthermore, even if the correction coefficient drops once, it may return to its original value when the indicator display is updated next, making it difficult to recognize that it is gradually recovering.

[0168] Furthermore, the update cycle of this indicator should ideally match that of the fixed-cycle processing cycle. This is because the correction coefficient is updated each time the fixed-cycle processing is executed, affecting the corrected mileage, and therefore the current correction coefficient can be known. The display processing of this indicator can be performed separately from the fixed-cycle processing, in parallel, or as part of the fixed-cycle processing.

[0169] In the above-described embodiment, the degree of intimacy is determined based on the corrected total distance traveled, which is obtained by correcting the actual distance traveled based on a correction coefficient, and character information corresponding to that degree of intimacy is output. According to the above-described embodiment, the driver can efficiently increase the corrected total distance traveled and increase the degree of intimacy by driving in a way that does not cause the acceleration to exceed a threshold. On the other hand, if the acceleration exceeds the threshold, the correction coefficient will decrease for a certain period of time, and the rate of increase of the corrected total distance traveled with driving will decrease. However, the driver cannot accurately know whether the correction coefficient is maintaining a high value in the current driving, or whether the acceleration has exceeded the threshold and the correction coefficient is low.

[0170] Therefore, as in this modified example, the current correction coefficient is notified using a correction coefficient display area 81 (for example, an indicator), so the driver can know the current correction coefficient and immediately understand how the amount of change is changing and reflected depending on the current driving style and driving conditions. Thus, the driver can know, for example, what kind of driving operation will make the correction coefficient smaller or larger. As a result, the driver can take driving operations that do not make the correction coefficient smaller or larger. In addition, by informing the driver of the current correction coefficient, it is possible to motivate the driver to maintain the current state or to make the correction coefficient better.

[0171] Furthermore, in this modified example, the current correction coefficient is indicated using an indicator, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may also be expressed indirectly by means other than numbers, such as representing it numerically or by gradually changing the color like a gradient.

[0172] Furthermore, instead of simply notifying the correction factor itself, the character's appearance could be changed according to the correction factor. While specific illustrations are omitted, for example, the character's facial expression could be changed. One example of such a change would be "smiling" → "normal" → "sad" → "frowned," and the degree of smiling could be further divided into multiple stages. If facial expression alone is difficult to understand, animation could be added. In any case, the character information corresponding to a larger correction factor should be something that is user-friendly and pleasing, like a kind of reward. This correction factor notification function using the character's appearance can be executed independently or in combination with other notifications such as indicators.

[0173] (A modified version with an acceleration adjustment setting function) In the embodiment described above, the value of the normal correction coefficient is set to be larger as the threshold is smaller and smaller as the threshold is larger. This setting allows the user to select a set of predetermined threshold combinations and normal correction coefficients by specifying "sensitive-standard-insensitive". In contrast, this modified version allows the user to individually set thresholds (detection sensitivity) for each of the four accelerations that detect sudden acceleration / deceleration, sudden right turn / sudden left turn.

[0174] The specific settings are made by the control unit 18 using internal data (Figures 30(a) and 30(b)) as shown in Figure 30, and an input screen (Figure 30(c)) which is an interface for inputting setting conditions. Specifically, the internal data includes a table that associates the sensitivity shown in Figure 30(a) with the acceleration thresholds for each of the four detection target combinations: rapid acceleration / deceleration and sudden right steering / sudden left steering, and a table that associates the sensitivity shown in Figure 30(b) with the asymptote values ​​for each of the four detection target combinations. In this example, rapid acceleration / deceleration is divided into six sensitivity levels, and sudden left / right steering is divided into four sensitivity levels. The database 19 also stores screen information in the matrix structure shown in Figure 30(c) as the input screen.

[0175] For example, when the control unit 18 detects that the driver has touched the display unit 5 in standby mode, it first displays the main menu screen (not shown) on the display unit 5. When the control unit 18 detects that the acceleration sensor sensitivity selection button on the main menu screen has been touched, it reads the setting screen shown in Figure 30(c) and displays it on the display unit 5. The button area for the current setting conditions is displayed in a different color from the other button areas. In the illustrated example, the sensitivity for sudden acceleration and sudden deceleration is set to 4, and the sensitivity for sudden right steering and sudden left steering is set to 3.

[0176] In this settings screen, each button area identified by sensitivity and the four detection targets is associated with the numerical values ​​set in the corresponding areas of the acceleration sensor threshold (Figure 30(a)) and the asymptote value (Figure 30(b)). For example, in the current selection state, sensitivity 4 for rapid acceleration is associated with an acceleration sensor threshold of 0.4 and an asymptote value of 0.2. Similarly, sensitivity 4 for rapid deceleration is associated with an acceleration sensor threshold of 0.4 and an asymptote value of 0.2, and sensitivity 3 for left / right sharp steering is associated with an acceleration sensor threshold of 0.5 and an asymptote value of 0.3. Under these settings, if the acceleration in the forward / backward direction exceeds the threshold (0.4) in either direction, the correction coefficient becomes 0, and if the acceleration in the left / right direction exceeds the threshold (0.5) in either direction, the correction coefficient becomes 0. In other words, if the acceleration in all four directions does not exceed the corresponding threshold, the set normal correction coefficient is maintained. This normal correction coefficient is the sum of the asymptote values. In other words, in this example, the normal correction coefficient is 1, calculated as 0.2 + 0.2 + 0.3 + 0.3. Therefore, under these settings, when acceleration is below the threshold, the increase in mileage and the corrected total mileage will be the same.

[0177] In contrast, in this modified example, the sensitivity can be set individually for each of the four detection targets. For example, when it detects that a button area with a low sensitivity for sudden acceleration (e.g., 2) has been touched, the control unit 18 accesses the internal data of the acceleration sensor threshold shown in Figure 30(a) and the asymptote value shown in Figure 30(b), obtains the acceleration sensor threshold (0.5) and asymptote value (0.1) associated with the touched sudden acceleration sensitivity 2, and sets them in the corresponding area of ​​RAM. As a result, the acceleration threshold for sudden acceleration is changed from 0.4 to 0.5, so the probability of exceeding the threshold decreases, and the probability of the correction coefficient being reset to 0 decreases. On the other hand, under these settings, the normal correction coefficient is 0.9, so even if the driving does not exceed the threshold, the corrected driving distance will be shorter than the driving distance, and the distance will not increase. Meanwhile, if the sensitivity for sudden right steering is increased to 4 from the state shown in Figure 30, the control unit 18 accesses the internal data in the same way as above and updates the threshold and asymptote values ​​stored in RAM. As a result, the threshold decreases from 0.5 to 0.45, increasing the likelihood of exceeding the threshold. However, if driving continues without exceeding the threshold, the correction coefficient becomes 1.1, and the corrected mileage becomes greater than the actual mileage. Furthermore, if the asymptote values ​​are set as shown in Figure 30(b), the normal correction coefficient will have a maximum of 1.8 and a minimum of 0.2.

[0178] The input interface displayed to the driver is an input screen that allows specifying each sensitivity in multiple relative levels, as shown in Figure 30(c). Therefore, even if the specific numerical values ​​of the internal data (thresholds and asymptotes) shown in Figures 30(a) and (b) are changed, the input screen seen by the driver does not need to be changed. Thus, the user interface does not change, and good operability can be maintained. The driver only needs to specify one of several levels from "strict (difficult)" to "lenient (easy)," allowing for intuitive setting of the conditions. Furthermore, if the current settings often fail to meet the conditions, the settings can be loosened by one or more levels, and conversely, if the settings are always satisfied, the settings can be tightened by one or more levels to increase the amount of change, making it easy to set appropriate conditions.

[0179] Because thresholds can be set individually in this way, drivers can set thresholds in a combination that allows them to obtain a high score (high normal-condition correction coefficient) while driving in a way that does not exceed the threshold in acceleration in any direction.

[0180] For example, depending on various usage conditions such as the user's driving habits, vehicle characteristics, road conditions, and the installation location of the unit equipped with this system, it may or may not be possible to easily meet even strict installation conditions. Therefore, by setting individual settings, it is possible to increase the normal correction coefficient while satisfying all sets of setting conditions for the four detection targets. In the case of a driver who makes sudden lane changes but does not change speed much, the settings for sudden acceleration and sudden deceleration should be sensitive (e.g., 5 or 6), and the settings for sudden left and right steering should be insensitive (e.g., 1).

[0181] Furthermore, regarding vehicle characteristics, for example, manual transmission vehicles tend to accelerate quickly, so the detection of sudden acceleration should be made less sensitive, while other characteristics should be standard or sensitive. Also, regarding the installation position of the radar detector 1, if the installation position of the acceleration sensor 22 within the vehicle is in the center in the width direction of the vehicle, the sensitivity for sudden steering on both the left and right should be the same. However, if the installation position is shifted to either the left or right, the lateral force acting on the acceleration sensor will differ when turning right and when turning left, so it is best to make the sensitivity of one side more sensitive and the sensitivity of the other side less sensitive.

[0182] (Modified version to restore the correction coefficient: particularly using the distance constant d) In the embodiment described above, the distance constant d is set to 10 when the engine is turned on. However, if the system is configured to remember the mileage L up to that point even when the engine is turned off, then L is already a predetermined large value from the time the engine is turned on, so it is not necessary to set it to 10.

[0183] Furthermore, while L is a fixed value when acceleration exceeds the threshold and L is reset to 0, in the embodiment described above, one fixed value (e.g., 100) was used. However, it is desirable to increase the distance constant d as the number of times acceleration exceeds the threshold increases. For example, d can be set to 100 after the first time the threshold is exceeded, 500 for the second time, 1000 for the third time, 5000 for the fourth time, and 10000 for the fifth time and beyond. By changing d, if the violation is repeated and serious, the time required to return to the normal correction coefficient (in this case, the distance traveled) will also increase. In this way, the more times acceleration exceeds the threshold, the longer the distance traveled required to return to the normal correction coefficient becomes, resulting in a lower correction coefficient for a longer period of time, and a worse increase (change in increase) in the total corrected distance traveled. Therefore, it can be expected that drivers who have driven in a way that exceeds the acceleration threshold will drive carefully to avoid exceeding the acceleration threshold again.

[0184] This means that when acceleration exceeds a threshold, a character, such as a passenger, might feel startled, uncomfortable, or experience a decline in mood. Furthermore, if this condition occurs repeatedly, the user's perception of the character (if they were given personality and emotions) will worsen, and it will take longer for them to recover. Increasing the above d also reflects the change in the character's perception.

[0185] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above and in this modified example, the distance traveled to return to the normal correction coefficient is determined by d, and the correction coefficient is set to gradually increase according to a predetermined function until that distance is reached. The present invention is not limited to this, and the coefficient may increase in a stepwise or discrete manner, or a lower correction coefficient may be used for a predetermined period (for example, traveling a certain distance), and then returned to the normal correction coefficient all at once after the predetermined period has elapsed. The certain distance traveled may be fixed, or it may be increased as the number of times the acceleration exceeds a threshold increases, as in this modified example.

[0186] (Variation 1 of the adjustment of the correction coefficient: Adjustment due to speeding, part 1) In the embodiment described above, acceleration was used as information related to the vehicle's movement to perform a negative assessment that reduces the correction coefficient. However, in this embodiment, vehicle speed is also added as one of the conditions. Specifically, if a vehicle is traveling at a speed exceeding the speed limit while driving in a location where a speed limit is set, a negative assessment is performed to reduce the correction coefficient because this is a violation of the speed limit of the traffic regulations. In this case, it is common to slightly exceed the speed limit, and it is actually dangerous to drive at the speed limit against the flow of surrounding traffic. Therefore, in this modified example, the first reference speed used as the criterion for determining whether or not speeding is occurring is not the speed limit itself, but a set speed that is slightly higher than the speed limit. In other words, if the current vehicle speed exceeds the first reference speed, a negative assessment is performed to reduce the correction coefficient, and even if the speed exceeds the speed limit, if it is below the first reference speed, no negative assessment is performed for speeding. The set speed can be set to, for example, 20 km / h. For example, exceeding the speed limit by a few km / h is likely to occur when going downhill or when the speed of surrounding vehicles generally increases. Furthermore, if the surrounding vehicles are generally traveling above the speed limit, and only your vehicle is adhering to the speed limit, it can actually create a dangerous situation. Therefore, by setting the system so that a slight speeding violation does not result in a negative assessment of the correction coefficient, it becomes possible to drive in line with the flow of surrounding vehicles. On the other hand, speeds exceeding 20 km / h are less likely to cause such situations, but the degree of danger increases. This is because exceeding the speed limit by 20 km / h results in 2 penalty points for traffic violations, indicating an increased level of danger. Therefore, the set speed is set to 20 km / h for negative assessment.

[0187] Furthermore, while the control that reduces the correction coefficient based on acceleration uniformly lowers the correction coefficient to a predetermined value (e.g., 0) regardless of the value of the correction coefficient at the time or the degree to which the threshold is exceeded when the threshold is exceeded, the adjustment control associated with speeding in this modified example changes the effect of reducing the correction coefficient according to the magnitude of the excess speed. This is because, even though speeding is the same violation, the greater the excess speed from the speed limit, the more dangerous and serious the violation is considered to be. Therefore, the greater the degree of violation (excess speed), the less the effect of the reduction in the correction coefficient, that is, the lower the rate of increase in the total corrected mileage associated with actual driving. Specifically, the control unit 18 obtains the current location information of the vehicle stored in RAM, obtains the speed limit set for the current location from the map information stored in the database 19, and calculates the first reference speed (speed limit + set speed). The control unit 18 also obtains the vehicle speed from the OBD information recorded in RAM and determines whether the vehicle speed has exceeded the first reference speed. If the first reference speed has been exceeded, the control unit 18 calculates the correction coefficient based on the following equation (1). Correction factor = -(M^2*L) / (ML+d) …(1) M = (k - (m / 1000)) * v^2 Here, m is the normal correction coefficient (the value at which the asymptote converges). L represents the distance traveled after the acceleration threshold was exceeded (actual distance traveled). The unit is meters. d is a distance constant. (When the engine is ON: 10 After the accelerometer sensor detects a response: a fixed value greater than 10 (e.g., 100). k is the velocity coefficient (e.g., 0.0025). v represents the excess speed (vehicle speed - first reference speed).

[0188] On the other hand, if the vehicle speed does not exceed the first reference speed, or if the speed limit information is not registered, the control unit 18 calculates a correction coefficient based on the following formula (2). The calculation of this correction coefficient is the same as in the basic embodiment described above. Correction factor = (m^2*L) / (mL+d) …(2)

[0189] For example, if you are driving at 81 km / h in a location where the speed limit is set at 60 km / h, you are exceeding the first reference speed, so you can use equation (1) above to find the correction coefficient. In this case, the excess speed v is 1 km / h, so the value of M is "k - (m / 1000)". Also, if you are driving at 85 km / h in the same location, the excess speed v is 5 km / h, so the value of M is "(k - (m / 1000)) * 25". The correction coefficient obtained by equation (1) will be approximately equal to the value of M if L is sufficiently large, so the larger the excess speed v, the larger the absolute value of the correction coefficient. If the value of L is not sufficiently large, although the absolute value is smaller than M, similar to the acceleration in the embodiment described above, the tendency is the same: the larger the excess speed v, the larger the absolute value of M.

[0190] Furthermore, since the correction coefficient takes a negative value, the further you drive above the first reference speed, the more the corrected total distance traveled decreases. Also, since the correction coefficient is calculated taking into account the excess speed v, the reduction in the corrected total distance traveled for the same distance is greater when the excess speed v is 5 km / h than when it is 1 km / h. And since the value of M increases exponentially with the magnitude of the excess speed, the greater the excess speed, the greater the penalty.

[0191] On the other hand, for example, if the vehicle speed is 70 km / h, the vehicle speed is below the first reference speed, so the control unit 18 calculates a correction coefficient based on equation (2) above. Since this correction coefficient takes a positive value, the total corrected mileage associated with driving at speed will always increase. Therefore, the driver should make an effort to drive at or below the first reference speed in order to prevent the correction coefficient from becoming negative.

[0192] Furthermore, in the above modified example, 20 km / h was shown as an example of a set speed. This set speed can be a fixed value, or it can be switched according to other conditions. Another condition is, for example, the speed limit of a highway. On a typical highway, the speed limit is 80 km / h or 100 km / h, so the first reference speed in such cases would be 100 km / h or 120 km / h. In contrast, on a highway with a speed limit of less than 80 km / h, the set speed is increased (for example, 30 km / h or 40 km / h). Alternatively, instead of adding the set speed to the speed limit, the first reference speed may be set to a speed faster than the speed obtained by adding the set speed to the speed limit, regardless of the speed limit. This faster speed could be, for example, 100 km / h.

[0193] This refers to situations where some expressways, such as the Metropolitan Expressway, have a slower speed limit of 60 km / h compared to other expressways. On such expressways with slower speed limits, surrounding vehicles may travel at speeds similar to, or close to, the speed limit of other expressways (for example, 90-100 km / h). In such cases, while it is important to obey traffic rules, if only one vehicle is traveling at the 60 km / h speed limit, the speed difference with other vehicles can be as large as 30-40 km / h, which is dangerous. Therefore, by ensuring that drivers do not receive negative assessments for speeding even when they are driving at a speed that matches the surrounding traffic, safer driving can be encouraged.

[0194] (Example 2 of adjusting the correction coefficient: Adjustment due to a stop sign violation) In this modified version, the amount of change, or correction coefficient, is reduced under certain conditions when a traffic violation occurs. The traffic violation targeted is failure to stop at a stop sign. When a stop sign violation occurs, the control unit 18 subtracts a predetermined value from the current correction coefficient to obtain a correction coefficient. Because a predetermined value is subtracted, the obtained correction coefficient may be negative. Furthermore, if a stop sign violation occurs multiple times at the same location, the predetermined value to be subtracted is increased. Committing the same type of violation multiple times at the same location indicates a lack of attention and can be considered a worse violation than the first time, so when it is repeated multiple times, the correction coefficient is reduced to a small value, and the increase in the corrected total mileage with increasing mileage is made less efficient. In this way, it is expected that the user will drive with care to avoid traffic violations.

[0195] Furthermore, for the first instance of failing to stop at a stop sign, a grace period is given without reducing the correction factor, even though a warning is issued. This means that the correction factor does not decrease for the first violation, so the driver's motivation is not lowered, and it can serve as a reminder to avoid future violations, ultimately promoting safe driving. In addition, for the first violation, it would be good to output voice information such as "You didn't stop last time, please stop next time" immediately after failing to stop at a stop sign, or if the driver subsequently goes to a place where they did not stop at a stop sign, it would be good to output a voice warning from speaker 16 before reaching that place, for example, "You didn't stop last time, please stop next time." It would also be good to change the voice warning message output according to the level of familiarity with the driver.

[0196] Instead of immediately lowering the correction factor after the first instance of a stop sign violation, it's better to issue a warning that the correction factor will be lowered if the same type of violation occurs again, and then lower the correction factor upon subsequent violations. By issuing a warning rather than suddenly lowering the correction factor, you can encourage users to avoid making the same mistake. If the user repeats the same violation despite the warning, it will be considered that they ignored the character's advice, and the correction factor should be lowered accordingly.

[0197] Specifically, the control unit 18 obtains the current location information from the vehicle position coordinates stored in RAM, accesses the map information stored in the database 19 based on the obtained location information, and identifies nearby stop locations. The control unit 18 also obtains the vehicle speed included in the OBD information stored in RAM and determines whether the vehicle properly stopped at the stop location. The determination of whether the vehicle speed was maintained is made by checking whether the vehicle speed remained at 0 for multiple cycles, as the periodic processing is performed every second.

[0198] If the vehicle did not stop, the control unit 18 searches the EEPROM for the violation status, determines whether there is a previous violation of the stop sign at the same location, and if there is no previous violation, determines that this is the first violation at the same location and stores the location information of the place where the vehicle did not stop and the number of violations (1). If there is a record of a stop sign violation at the same location, the control unit 18 reads the associated number of violations, increments it by 1, and updates the number of violations in the EEPROM to the new number.

[0199] The control unit 18 then determines the number of violations obtained (1 if it is the first time, or the number of violations read from the EEPROM incremented by 1 if there is a history of violations in the past) and calculates a correction coefficient based on the following formula. Correction factor=(m^2*L) / (mL+d)-s|1-(t^2 / τ^2)| Here, m is the normal correction coefficient (the value at which the asymptote converges). L represents the distance traveled after the acceleration threshold was exceeded (actual distance traveled). The unit is meters. d is a distance constant. (When the engine is ON: 10 After the accelerometer sensor detects a response: a fixed value greater than 10 (e.g., 100). 's' is the penalty coefficient for stopping at a stop sign. Number of violations at the same location (1st time): 0 Number of violations at the same location (2nd time): 0.5 Number of violations at the same location (3rd time): 1 Four or more violations at the same location: 2 τ is the mood recovery time constant, 600 (mood fully recovers in 10 minutes). t is the elapsed time (in seconds) since the stop sign violation.

[0200] In the above formula, the first term is the control of the correction coefficient based on acceleration, as in the embodiment, and the second term is the control of penalty points for failing to stop at a stop sign. In the case of the first violation, the penalty coefficient s for failing to stop at a stop sign is 0, so no points are deducted. Since t is 0 at the time of the stop sign violation, the penalty coefficient s for failing to stop at a stop sign is subtracted from the current correction coefficient. As the number of violations increases, the penalty coefficient s for failing to stop at a stop sign becomes larger, so the correction coefficient is also subtracted larger and becomes smaller. For example, even if the normal correction coefficient is set to the standard 1 or 1.2, if the number of violations at the same location is 4 or more, the penalty coefficient s for failing to stop at a stop sign is 2, so the correction coefficient suddenly becomes negative. Also, even if the number of violations at the same location is 3, if the normal correction coefficient is set to a low value such as 0.8, the correction coefficient will become a negative value. Furthermore, even if it is the second violation, if the stop sign violation occurs in a section where the correction coefficient is small due to the acceleration-based control by the first term, the value of the correction coefficient will become negative.

[0201] This negative section represents a significant penalty, as the corrected total distance traveled decreases as the total distance traveled increases. Therefore, drivers should make sure to come to a complete stop at stop signs and drive safely.

[0202] The duration for which penalty points for failing to stop at a stop sign are in effect is determined by the elapsed time τ. As can be seen from the second paragraph, in this modified example, t=τ is fixed at 600 seconds = 10 minutes, but τ may also be changed depending on the number of violations. For example, it may take 10 minutes to recover after the second violation, 30 minutes after the third, and 60 minutes after the fourth.

[0203] (Modification of the correction coefficient adjustment 3: Adjustment due to speeding, part 2) In the above modified example 1, the correction coefficient takes a negative value when the first reference speed is exceeded. Therefore, when traveling at or below the first reference speed, the correction coefficient is a positive value, but if the first reference speed is exceeded by even 1 km / h, the correction coefficient drops sharply to a negative value. In contrast, in this modified example 3, control is performed to reduce the correction coefficient when the first reference speed is exceeded, but the value is kept positive. As a control to reduce this correction coefficient within a positive range, for example, L in the formula for calculating the correction coefficient in the above embodiment (formula (2) in modified example 1) is set to an appropriate value according to the excess speed v. In this way, when the acceleration exceeds the threshold, the correction coefficient is reset to 0, but in the case of a penalty for speeding, it restarts from the value of the correction coefficient corresponding to L according to the excess speed v and gradually increases. Alternatively, a separate term for penalty for speeding may be provided, similar to the penalty for stopping in modified example 2.

[0204] Furthermore, a second speed limit should be set that exceeds the first speed limit. If the second speed limit is exceeded, the correction coefficient should be reduced more significantly than the reduction in the correction coefficient for exceeding the first speed limit. In this case, the second speed limit should be, for example, the speed at which a driver's license is immediately suspended (exceeding 30 km / h). This speeding, which results in immediate license suspension, is an extremely dangerous driving condition that can lead to serious accidents. In such driving conditions, the correction coefficient should be reduced significantly, that is, to a very small value (for example, a negative value). By setting it this way, drivers will be more careful to avoid such situations, and as a result, excessive speeding exceeding the set speed will not occur, thus promoting safe driving.

[0205] (A modified version equipped with a control function that worsens relationships (intimacy)) The embodiments and modifications described above control the value of the correction coefficient to ultimately influence the increase in intimacy, which indicates the relationship. However, this modification includes a control function that drastically reduces and penalizes the total correction mileage, which is directly linked to the determination of intimacy, as a function to worsen the relationship. If this worsening control is performed when the set penalty conditions are met, the relationship that has been built up until then will collapse all at once, so it is expected that the user will make efforts to prevent such a situation from occurring.

[0206] The severity of the penalty is significantly greater than that of the correction coefficient control based on exceeding the first standard speed, and therefore this penalty condition should be made more serious. Taking speeding as an example, it would be good to set the penalty for exceeding a third standard speed, which is even faster than the first standard speed. This third standard speed could be set at, for example, 30 km / h above the speed limit that results in immediate license suspension. A state of speeding that results in immediate license suspension is an extremely dangerous driving state that can lead to a major accident. In such a driving state, assuming that the character also has a personality, it can be predicted that the driver will be very frightened compared to when they are only slightly speeding, and their familiarity with and trust in the user (the driver) will decrease. Therefore, the total corrected mileage should be significantly reduced. This reduction should be set to an excessive amount, for example, in units of 1000 km. Conversely, the user will drive carefully to avoid causing such a situation, and as a result, it will be possible to encourage safe driving without excessive speeding that exceeds the above set speed. Furthermore, while the example of this third reference speed (over 30 km / h) is the same speed as the second reference speed shown in the above-mentioned modified example 3, the specific speed may be the same or different. It should be set appropriately depending on the purpose.

[0207] Furthermore, a penalty condition that significantly reduces the corrected total mileage will be to commit violations N or more times (for example, three times consecutively). For example, in the case of a violation such as speeding, even if one realizes they are speeding, it is difficult to immediately return to below the speed limit, and suddenly decelerating to get below the speed limit is dangerous. On the other hand, if one continues to speed for a certain period of time, it can be presumed that there is no intention to slow down and obey the speed limit, and this constitutes dangerous driving.

[0208] During this time, warnings will be given via voice or other means up to [N-1] times. As a warning, for example, the user will be informed that their reliability will decrease if they commit the same type of violation again, and if they continue to commit the same type of violation, the total corrected mileage due to intimacy will be significantly reduced. Rather than reducing it abruptly, warnings can encourage the user to slow down. If the user commits the same violation despite the warning, it will be considered that they ignored the character's advice, and control will be taken to reduce the total corrected mileage.

[0209] Specifically, the control unit 18 periodically (for example, every 1 second) acquires the vehicle speed contained in the OBD information in RAM and determines whether it exceeds the third reference speed. If it is below the third reference speed, the current determination is terminated. If it exceeds the third reference speed, the control unit 18 issues the first warning. After that, it continues to periodically determine whether it exceeds the third reference speed. If the vehicle speed falls below the third reference speed at any point during continuous monitoring, the control unit 18 considers the current series of speeding conditions to have been resolved. If the vehicle speed subsequently exceeds the third reference speed, it issues the first warning again. Furthermore, if the condition of exceeding the third reference speed continues for a certain period of time (for example, 3 minutes), the control unit 18 issues a second warning. The control unit 18 then continues to periodically acquire the vehicle speed and compare it with the third reference speed. If the vehicle speed falls below the third reference speed at any point, the control unit 18 considers the current series of speeding conditions to have been resolved. Therefore, if the vehicle speed subsequently exceeds the third reference speed, the control unit 18 issues the first warning again. On the other hand, if the vehicle continues to exceed the third standard speed for a certain period of time (for example, 3 minutes) after the second warning, the control unit 18 subtracts a predetermined distance (for example, 1000 km) from the corrected total mileage. If the vehicle continues to drive at a speed exceeding the third standard speed for 6 minutes, it shows a lack of willingness to abide by the speed limit and disregards the character's requests, resulting in a significant decrease in the character's affection level.

[0210] Furthermore, if the vehicle is driven at a speed exceeding the third standard speed for six minutes, it would be good to also implement a system that outputs character information (does not display the character) that makes the character angry and disappear. In this way, the driver will see a significant reduction in the corrected total mileage and a decrease in intimacy, and the character information will not be displayed as if the character has run away from home, making the driver feel lonely because they cannot meet the character. Therefore, the driver will be motivated to drive in a way that does not meet the set conditions, and as shown in this modified example, if the set conditions are such as extremely dangerous driving or other undesirable driving, the driver will drive appropriately, which is good.

[0211] (A modified version equipped with probabilistically output character information (night drive mode)) As explained in the embodiment, the control unit 18 extracts and outputs the relevant character information from the internal data shown in Figures 20 to 24 based on the OBD information, location information, map information, etc. that it has acquired. In this modified version, the character information includes elements that are output probabilistically, and the relationship between the elements influences this probability. This makes the game more interesting because the probability of outputting a given character information depends on the relationship between the elements.

[0212] The character information that appears based on this probability is the Night Drive mode, which is output during nighttime hours. In other words, as explained in the embodiment, "(3) Sleep Talk During Sleep" (Figure 24) outputs character information that speaks in sleep at 5-minute intervals every 10 to 30 minutes during nighttime hours. That is, since the character is a living thing and sleeps during nighttime hours, it does not notify the presence of the target object in question, even if there is a target object in the surrounding area, as it does during daytime hours. To put it another way, the content of the character information output differs depending on the time of day, with daytime being the normal operating time when the character is awake and makes various notifications, and nighttime being an abnormal (standby) operating time when the character is sleeping and does not perform any major activities (speaks in sleep).

[0213] For example, if the driver primarily drives at night, the character information displayed will indicate that the character is asleep, like sleep-talking, which lacks appeal. In such cases, one could reverse the operating time between day and night, but having the character be active at night and sleeping during the day would diminish their human-like qualities, which is undesirable. Therefore, in this modified version, a drive mode is provided that, based on probability, allows the character to wake up and perform normal actions, such as outputting daytime character information based on the relationship (intimacy level), even during nighttime hours. This means that the character will occasionally be active at night, increasing the game's appeal and making it more interesting. Moreover, it's a nice touch that the sleeping character wakes up for you and performs normal daytime actions, such as notifying you of the presence of a target.

[0214] Furthermore, linking the probability of the action occurring to the relationship (intimacy level) enhances the game's appeal. In particular, making the probability of the action increasing as the relationship improves is desirable, as it encourages users to strive to improve their relationships.

[0215] Specifically, the trigger for night drive operation is that when the display unit 5 is touched twice during the nighttime hours, the control unit 18 decides with a predetermined probability whether or not to perform daytime operation. Touching twice represents the action of lightly tapping, like "poking" or "tapping," to wake someone who is sleeping. The probability of whether or not this night drive mode is activated increases according to the level of relationship and intimacy. In the embodiment described above, intimacy is divided into four levels from 0 to 3, so for example, if the intimacy level is 0, the probability is 1 / 4; if the intimacy level is 1, the probability is 1 / 2; if the intimacy level is 2, the probability is 3 / 4; and if the intimacy level is 3, the probability is 1 / 1 (100%).

[0216] Furthermore, instead of such a rough division as four levels, it would be fine to divide it more finely. For example, the intimacy level for night drive mode Level = Corrected total mileage / 10000 Toshi (level increases by 1 every 10km), Level * 0.25 [%] With a certain probability, the character will respond to the invitation and activate drive mode, outputting various character information. In this way, once the distance exceeds 4000km, the probability will exceed 100%, causing it to activate constantly.

[0217] Additionally, characters operating in Night Drive mode should be wearing dressed-up Night Drive-specific clothing.

[0218] (Example 4 of adjusting the correction coefficient: Adjustment based on eco-driving conditions) This modified version utilizes eco-driving conditions as information when adjusting the correction coefficient. Eco-driving is determined, for example, based on fuel efficiency. Then, if the control unit 18 determines that eco-driving is occurring, it performs a positive assessment and increases the correction coefficient by a predetermined value.

[0219] The OBD information includes current fuel consumption, which is the average fuel consumption since the engine was turned on; instantaneous fuel consumption (every 200ms); and lifetime fuel consumption, which is the average fuel consumption including past driving. Since this fuel consumption information is stored in the RAM's OBD information, the control unit 18 reads and compares the instantaneous fuel consumption and current fuel consumption stored in RAM. If the instantaneous fuel consumption is greater (better fuel consumption), it is determined that eco-driving is occurring, and a predetermined increase value (e.g., 0.5) is added to the correction coefficient. For example, if the normal correction coefficient is 2, the correction coefficient will increase to 2.5 while eco-driving is in progress.

[0220] This fuel efficiency is the average of the instantaneous fuel efficiency history since the engine was turned on. Therefore, if the instantaneous fuel efficiency is high, it will be reflected in the current fuel efficiency, and if the instantaneous fuel efficiency is low, it will be reflected in the current fuel efficiency, resulting in a lower current fuel efficiency. Consequently, it is not possible to maintain an eco-friendly state where the instantaneous fuel efficiency is always higher than the current fuel efficiency; the instantaneous fuel efficiency will alternately exceed and fall below the current fuel efficiency. Since both states occur, only positive results were used in the assessment.

[0221] In particular, during periods when the accelerator pedal is not pressed and the foot brake or engine brake is used, such as when stopped, instantaneous fuel consumption will be higher, so it is good to create a situation where this occurs. This also allows for a quick evaluation of the current driving (whether or not you are driving economically).

[0222] Drivers, in an effort to receive a higher appraisal, are more likely to actively practice eco-driving. Eco-driving is desirable because it consumes less fuel, is economical, is environmentally friendly, and results in a more comfortable ride due to less speed fluctuation.

[0223] (Variations regarding the output of character information) In this modified version, the control unit has a function that prevents the output of character information until the recovery condition is met, once a set condition (runaway condition) is met. Runaway conditions include, for example, reckless driving or not listening to the character. Reckless driving may occur, for example, when driving beyond a predetermined speed (for example, the third reference speed) or when the acceleration exceeds a threshold multiple times over a certain period of time. Not listening to the character may occur when driving continues despite being warned.

[0224] The conditions for character recovery include standardized conditions such as the passage of a certain amount of time or the driving distance, as well as the granting of specific items, as described later. The passage of a certain amount of time could be, for example, the operating time of this system or the elapsed time in the real world. If character information is not displayed, the user will feel lonely because they cannot meet that character. Therefore, the user will try to drive in a way that does not meet the set conditions, so if the set conditions are such as extremely dangerous driving or other undesirable driving, the user will drive appropriately, which is good. Also, even if character information is not displayed for a while, for example, if standardized conditions are met, the character information will be displayed again. However, if the user does not wait for these standardized conditions to be met, a mechanism can be incorporated in which character information is displayed through special recovery conditions, such as the granting of an item, so that the user will take action to obtain the item, increasing the gameplay. Items can be obtained, for example, by actually moving to a designated location, or by accessing a designated server or site and obtaining them for a fee or for free.

[0225] (A modified version with an item acquisition function) The game allows you to set item placement points on a map that affect the character's state. When a vehicle reaches one of these placement points, there is a certain probability that it will obtain the item. Suitable placement points could include service areas (SAs) and parking areas (PAs) on highways, scenic viewpoint parking lots, roadside rest stops (Michi-no-Eki), and highway oases. In this case, stopping at one of these parking lots should be a condition for obtaining the item.

[0226] Since all of these facilities include parking, drivers may stop by for a break during their journey, and it is desirable that they can use these parking facilities to give drivers a rest. The requirement to stop in the parking lot is to prevent drivers from simply passing by service areas, etc.

[0227] Items obtained can be saved and used to affect the character's state. The character's state affects the output of character information, which enhances the gameplay, so this is a good thing.

[0228] Items include, for example, items to improve relationships (intimacy) (such as adding a predetermined distance to the total corrected mileage stored in RAM), items that prevent the correction coefficient from decreasing for a certain period, items that increase the correction coefficient for a certain period, items that return the correction coefficient to the normal correction coefficient, items that bring back characters that have disappeared from the screen (make them appear on the screen), and items that increase the probability of activating Night Mode.

[0229] For example, an item that prevents the correction coefficient from decreasing is motion sickness drink. When a person drinks motion sickness drink, the acceleration sensor does not react for a certain period of time (time, distance traveled, etc.), meaning that even if the acceleration exceeds the threshold, the correction coefficient does not decrease. In other words, the control unit 18 continues to add L without resetting it even if the acceleration exceeds the threshold. This allows the driver to drive without worrying about acceleration, even on winding mountain roads where lateral acceleration is likely to exceed the threshold. It is best to give this motion sickness drink before driving on mountain roads, so it would be good to install it at a roadside rest area at the foot of the mountain, for example.

[0230] Items that can bring a character back (make them appear on the screen) after they have disappeared include, for example, gift items. Specifically, if the conditions for running away from home are met, such as exceeding the third standard speed three times in a row, the character will disappear. In such cases, if the predetermined recovery conditions are met, such as 24 hours passing, the character will reappear on the display, but giving the character a gift item will improve their mood and cause them to immediately reappear on the display and return.

[0231] To obtain this character, the control unit 18 first reads the vehicle's position coordinates stored in RAM to recognize its current location, and then determines from the map information stored in the database 19 whether there are any item placement locations nearby. If there are locations, it then determines, based on a set probability, whether the item set for that location is available. When the item becomes available, the control unit 18 speaks an item acquisition flag phrase and guides the user to that location. Such guidance may include information that identifies the location where the item is set (such as location information or the name of the facility (e.g., XX Service Area)). This guidance may be voice-only, or the character may perform a predetermined animation on the display unit, or the icon of the corresponding facility displayed on the display unit may be made more prominent.

[0232] The conditions for an item to become available are that, in addition to being selected as available based on the above probability, the correction coefficient must be above a certain threshold (safe driving state). Furthermore, since service areas (SAs) and parking areas (PAs) are located on highways, if the vehicle's current location is not identified as a highway, the item acquisition phrase will not be uttered even if the vehicle is nearby.

[0233] When the driver learns of the presence of a designated item in the vicinity through an item acquisition flag phrase, etc., they determine whether it is an item they need and, if so, move to the target location. By stopping at the target location (parking lot), they can acquire the item. Acquired items can be stored in RAM or EEPROM, for example. Also, since roadside rest areas are located on public roads, it is relatively easy to stop by multiple times. Therefore, the acquisition of items from the same location is limited to one per day.

[0234] (Other variations) The reduction in the amount of change when the setting conditions are not met may be constant regardless of how strict the setting conditions are, or it may be different depending on the difficulty of the setting conditions. In the embodiments and modifications described above, the change due to intimacy was limited to the character's voice, but the character image may also be changed. In addition, the vehicle speed was obtained using the vehicle speed information included in the OBD information, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the speed may be calculated based on the history of location information. Furthermore, the number and frequency of times the character outputs voice and talks should increase as the intimacy level increases. Also, the control to improve intimacy may be based on the driving speed, or on the power-on time, etc.

[0235] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the system of the present invention was described using a radar detector that is fixedly installed by attaching it to a predetermined location in the vehicle, such as the dashboard, using a bracket 3. However, it can also be applied to a mirror-type radar detector that is attached to the rearview mirror. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to radar detectors and can be implemented as a function of various in-vehicle electronic devices. For example, it may be incorporated as a function of a navigation system or the like.

[0236] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the device is equipped with a database 19 that stores various types of information, and the control unit 18 accesses the database 19 to read the necessary information and perform various processes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, some or all of the information to be registered in the database 19 is registered in a server. The radar detector and other electronic devices and equipment are equipped with a function to communicate with the server, and the control unit 18 may be configured to access the server as appropriate, obtain the necessary information, and execute processing. Some or all of the control unit may be implemented in the server, and some of the processing may be performed on the server side, with the in-vehicle device obtaining the results and displaying them as prescribed. Furthermore, the display device may be one of another in-vehicle device or a device installed in the vehicle.

[0237] While the embodiments include a built-in GPS receiver for detecting current location information, the present invention does not require a GPS receiver. It may also acquire current location information from the vehicle or another in-vehicle device and use that information to determine whether or not there is a proximity relationship with the alarm target. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0238] 5 Display 6 Touch panel 7. Volume control buttons 8. Work Buttons 10. Memory card reader 11 Memory card 13 GPS receiver 14 Microwave receiver 15 Wireless receiver 16 speakers 18 Control Unit 19 Databases 21 OBD adapters 22 Accelerometer

Claims

1. A system that has a function to output character information corresponding to a target object for monitoring traffic, The system has a function to change the character's clothing from white to black when it determines that it is time to output character information corresponding to the target object whose traffic is being monitored. system.

2. The system includes a function to provide the driver with information indicating a target object to monitor the traffic, and the distance between the target object and the vehicle. The system according to claim 1.

3. When outputting the aforementioned character information, the system includes a function to display the character's clothing in white as their pre-transformation attire, and then change the character's clothing to black as their post-transformation attire. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The character information corresponding to the target object that monitors the aforementioned traffic is output when the event flag is ON and information indicating enforcement or a checkpoint is stored as surrounding information, or when the event flag is ON and information indicating a speed measuring device or police emergency vehicle is stored as surrounding information. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The character information corresponding to the target object for monitoring the aforementioned traffic is output when the event flag is ON, information indicating at least one of the following is stored as surrounding information: radar speed camera, H system, LH system, and loop coil, and information indicating the distance to the vehicle is output when it is a predetermined distance. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The display unit is equipped with a function to display a static screen. If the current date and time, vehicle location information, etc. are identified, still image information will be read. The system includes a function to extract the current month from the current date and time information, select a still image of the month corresponding to the extracted month from the still image information, and display it on the display unit. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The display unit is equipped with a function to switch static screens depending on the date and time. The system includes a function to prevent a new static screen from being displayed on the display unit if the driver engages in dangerous driving or other similar behavior. The system according to claim 6.

8. A program for a computer to implement the functions of the system described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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