Vehicle warning system

Abstract

This vehicle warning system reduces driver stress and annoyance by avoiding excessive voice alerts. [Solution] When the microcomputer 3 detects an abnormality in the vehicle, it notifies the driver of this fact by voice. The microcomputer 3 acquires vehicle information related to the driver's driving behavior and, based on the acquired vehicle information, determines whether the vehicle has come to a complete stop and whether the driver intends to stop. If the microcomputer 3 determines that the driver intends to stop, it stops the voice notification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle warning system.

Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, meters, indicators on the instrument panel, and warning lights are the main means of informing the driver of abnormalities or necessary cautions in the vehicle. However, there is a possibility that the driver may overlook just the lighting of the warning light. As a result, it may be reported unintentionally while malfunctioning, and there is a risk of becoming unable to drive.

[0003] To solve this problem, it is conceivable to repeatedly notify by voice until the abnormality of the vehicle is resolved. However, there is a problem that stress and annoyance are caused to the driver by continuously outputting voice even though the driver recognizes that the warning light is lit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle warning system that can solve problems of vehicle warnings (such as deterioration of vehicle troubles due to overlooking or ignoring) and improve the safety and comfort of the driver.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle warning system according to the present invention is characterized by the following. An abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the vehicle, When the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the vehicle, the voice notification unit notifies the vehicle of this fact by voice, An acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to the driver's driving behavior, Based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit determines whether the driver intends to stop the vehicle before it has come to a stop, The system includes an audio stop unit that stops the audio output from the audio notification unit when the determination unit determines that there is an intention to stop, It must be a vehicle warning system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The vehicle warning system according to the present invention solves the problems of vehicle warnings (such as the worsening of vehicle troubles due to overlooking or ignoring warnings) and has the effect of improving driver safety and comfort.

[0008] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by referring to the attached drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the vehicle warning system of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the microcontroller constituting the vehicle warning system in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 illustrates the output operation of the vehicle warning system in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the microcontroller constituting the vehicle warning system in the second embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the vehicle warning system of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0011] (First Embodiment) The vehicle warning system 1 of this embodiment is a system installed in a vehicle that uses a generating AI (Artificial Intelligence) 10 to notify the driver of any abnormalities in the vehicle. The generating AI 10 is composed of, for example, ChatGPT, and when it receives input information S1 consisting of text data, it outputs response information S2 consisting of text data.

[0012] The vehicle warning system 1 comprises a communication module 2, a microcomputer 3 (hereinafter abbreviated as "microcontroller 3"), a speaker 4, multiple warning lights 5, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 6. The communication module 2 is for communicating with the generated AI 10 via an internet communication network (not shown), and consists of circuits and antennas for connecting to the internet communication network. In this embodiment, the communication module 2, the microcontroller 3, and the ROM 6, which will be described later, are mounted on the same control board 100.

[0013] The microcontroller 3 has memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that operates according to the program stored in memory, and is in charge of controlling the entire vehicle warning system 1.

[0014] The microcontroller 3 is connected to multiple warning lights 5. The warning lights 5 are displayed on the meter or instrument panel to indicate vehicle abnormalities. Examples of warning lights 5 include a battery warning light, brake warning light, oil pressure warning light, and water temperature warning light.

[0015] The microcomputer 3 has a voice control unit 31 and a voice synthesis unit 32. The voice control unit 31 receives a warning code S3 (abnormal information) and vehicle information S4. The microcomputer 3 is connected to a computer that monitors and controls sensors and each part of the vehicle (such as a battery, brakes, engine, etc.) via a communication network provided in the vehicle such as a CAN (Controller Area Network). The warning code S3 and the vehicle information S4 are information received via a communication network such as CAN.

[0016] The warning code S3 is information indicating an abnormality of the vehicle, and is information transmitted when a computer that monitors and controls each part of the vehicle detects an abnormality. When the microcomputer 3 receives the warning code S3, it lights up a warning lamp 5 corresponding to the warning code S3 among a plurality of warning lamps 5. The vehicle information S4 is information regarding the driving behavior of the driver, and in this embodiment, includes vehicle speed information, steering wheel steering angle information, and hazard lamp lighting information.

[0017] In the ROM 6, text data predetermined for each warning lamp 5 is stored. The text data indicates the warning content and the countermeasure method of the warning lamp 5. The voice control unit 31 controls the voice synthesis unit 32 to convert the text data corresponding to the warning lamp 5 read from the ROM 6 into voice data and output it from the speaker 4. The voice control unit 31 repeatedly outputs the voice data corresponding to the warning lamp 5 until before the vehicle stops and it is determined that the driver intends to stop based on the vehicle information S4.

[0018] Next, the operation of the vehicle warning system 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. When the microcomputer 3 receives the warning code S3, it functions as an abnormality detection unit and starts processing. First, the microcomputer 3 lights up a warning lamp 5 corresponding to the received warning code S3 (Sp1). For example, if the warning code S3 indicates an abnormality of the battery, as shown in FIG. 3(A), the battery warning lamp lights up.

[0019] Next, the microcomputer 3 functions as an audio notification unit, reads text data corresponding to the illuminated warning light 5 from the ROM 6, converts it into audio data, and outputs it from the speaker 4 (Sp2). As a result, the warning content is announced audibly. For example, when the battery warning light is illuminated, as shown in Fig. 3(B), an audio message such as "The battery warning light has come on. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and consult a dealer" is output.

[0020] Thereafter, the microcomputer 3 functions as an acquisition unit and acquires vehicle information S4 (Sp3). Next, the microcomputer 3 functions as a determination unit and generates a prompt (text data) that instructs to determine whether the driver intends to stop before the vehicle stops based on the acquired vehicle information S4 (Sp4). The prompt includes the vehicle information S4 acquired in Sp3. The microcomputer 3 transmits the generated prompt to the generation AI 10 (Sp5). The generation AI 10 receives the prompt from the microcomputer 3 and transmits response information S2 corresponding to the prompt. The microcomputer 3 receives the response information S2 from the generation AI 10 (Sp6).

[0021] If the response information S2 does not indicate an intention to stop (N in Sp7), the microcomputer 3 outputs the same audio data as in Sp2 from the speaker again (Sp8) and then returns to Sp3. On the other hand, if the response information S2 indicates an intention to stop (Y in Sp7), the microcomputer 3 functions as an audio stop unit and immediately ends the process without repeating the output of the audio data.

[0022] According to the above-described embodiment, when the microcomputer 3 is determined by the generation AI 10 not to have an intention to stop, it repeats the output of the audio data corresponding to the illuminated warning light 5. Also, when the microcomputer 3 is determined by the generation AI 10 to have an intention to stop, it stops the output of the audio data corresponding to the illuminated warning light 5. As a result, it is possible to prevent overlooking the warning light 5, reduce stress caused by excessive notifications, reduce the risk of vehicle failure and accidents, and improve the safety and comfort of the driver.

[0023] According to the embodiment described above, the microcontroller 3 includes vehicle speed information, steering wheel angle information, and hazard light illumination information in the vehicle information S4, and causes the generating AI 10 to determine whether or not the driver intends to stop based on this information. This makes it possible to determine the intention to stop with high accuracy.

[0024] According to the embodiment described above, the microcontroller 3 has the generating AI 10 make the determination of whether the vehicle intends to stop. This reduces the processing load on the microcontroller 3 and allows for a more accurate determination of whether the vehicle intends to stop.

[0025] (Second Embodiment) Next, the vehicle warning system 1 of the second embodiment will be described. The configuration of the vehicle warning system 1 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here. The differences between the first and second embodiments will be explained. In the first embodiment, in Sp2, the microcontroller 3 reads text data corresponding to the warning light 5 from the ROM 6, converts the read text data into audio data, and outputs it from the speaker 4. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the microcontroller 3 uses the generation AI 10 to acquire audio data corresponding to the warning light 5.

[0026] Next, the operation of the vehicle warning system 1 with the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 4. In Figure 4, the same reference numerals are used for operations that are the same as those shown in the flowchart of Figure 2, which was already explained in the first embodiment described above, and their detailed explanations are omitted.

[0027] When the microcontroller 3 receives the warning code S3, it starts processing in the same manner as in the first embodiment. First, the microcontroller 3 illuminates the warning light 5 corresponding to the received warning code S3 (S1). Next, the microcontroller 3 generates a prompt (text data) based on the warning code, instructing the system to respond with the name of the warning light, details of the fault location, and the action the driver should take (Sp21). The microcontroller 3 sends the generated prompt to the generating AI 10 (Sp22).

[0028] The generating AI 10 searches a pre-registered database for the name of the warning light, details of the fault location, and the action the driver should take, corresponding to the warning code, using technologies such as RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation). The generating AI 10 converts the search results into text data and transmits it as response information S2. When the microcontroller 3 receives the response information S2 (Sp23), it converts the text data response information S2 into audio data and outputs the audio data from the speaker 4 (Sp2). After that, the microcontroller 3 executes Sp3 to Sp8 as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0029] According to the embodiment described above, the microcontroller 3 inputs input information S1 to the generating AI 10, which instructs the driver on what action to take based on the warning code, and converts the response information S2 from the generating AI 10 into speech and outputs it. This reduces the processing load on the microcontroller 3 and allows for appropriate speech output of the action the driver should take. In addition, the driver can accurately understand what is happening in the car.

[0030] According to the embodiment described above, the microcontroller 3 collected operational information on the air conditioner / heater and navigation system as in-vehicle equipment, but it is not limited to these. The microcontroller 3 can collect operational information on any in-vehicle equipment installed in the vehicle, and may also collect operational information on audio equipment.

[0031] According to the embodiment described above, in the vehicle warning system 1 shown in Figure 1, the generating AI 10 communicates with the vehicle warning system 1 via an internet communication network, but this is not the only option. As in the vehicle warning system 1B shown in Figure 5, the generating AI 10B, which consists of a microcontroller, may be mounted on the control board 100. According to the vehicle warning system 1B shown in Figure 5, warnings can be issued even in poor communication environments.

[0032] Herein, the features of the embodiments of the vehicle warning system according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4].

[0033] [1] An abnormality detection unit (3) for detecting abnormalities in the vehicle, When the abnormality detection unit (3) detects an abnormality in the vehicle, the voice notification unit (3) notifies the vehicle of this fact by voice, An acquisition unit (3) that acquires vehicle information related to the driver's driving behavior, Based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit (3), the determination unit (3) determines whether the driver intends to stop the vehicle before it has stopped, The system includes an audio stop unit (3) that stops the audio output from the audio notification unit (3) when the determination unit (3) determines that there is an intention to stop, Vehicle warning system (1).

[0034] According to the configuration described in [1] above, excessive voice notifications can be avoided, thereby reducing stress and annoyance for the driver.

[0035] [2] In the vehicle warning system described in [1], The acquisition unit (3) acquires vehicle speed information, steering wheel angle information, and hazard lamp illumination information as vehicle information. The determination unit (3) makes the determination based on the vehicle speed information, the steering angle information, and the illumination information of the hazard lamps. Vehicle warning system (1).

[0036] According to the configuration described in [2] above, the intention to stop can be determined with high accuracy.

[0037] [3] In the vehicle warning system (1) described in [1], The determination unit (3), upon receiving input information consisting of text data, inputs the input information to a generating AI that outputs response information consisting of text data, instructing the AI ​​to determine whether or not the driver intends to stop based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit, and makes the determination based on the response information from the generating AI. Vehicle warning system (1).

[0038] According to the configuration described in [3] above, the intention to stop can be determined with high accuracy.

[0039] [4] In the vehicle warning system (1) described in [1], The voice notification unit (3), upon receiving input information consisting of text data, inputs the input information instructing the generating AI, which outputs response information consisting of text data, on the action the driver should take based on the abnormal information detected by the abnormality detection unit, and converts the response information from the generating AI into voice and outputs it. Vehicle warning system (1).

[0040] According to the configuration described in [4] above, the appropriate actions that the driver should take can be outputted via voice. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1. Vehicle warning system 3. Microcontroller (anomaly detection unit, voice notification unit, acquisition unit, decision unit, voice stop unit) 10 Generation AI

Claims

1. An abnormality detection unit that detects abnormalities in the vehicle, When the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the vehicle, the voice notification unit notifies the vehicle of this fact by voice, An acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information related to the driver's driving behavior, Based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit, a determination unit determines whether the driver intends to stop the vehicle before it has come to a stop, The system includes an audio stop unit that stops the audio output from the audio notification unit when the determination unit determines that there is an intention to stop, Vehicle warning system.

2. In the vehicle warning system according to claim 1, The acquisition unit acquires vehicle speed information, steering wheel angle information, and hazard lamp illumination information as vehicle information. The determination unit makes the determination based on the vehicle speed information, the steering angle information, and the illumination information of the hazard lamps. Vehicle warning system.

3. In the vehicle warning system according to claim 1, The determination unit, upon receiving input information consisting of text data, inputs the input information to a generating AI that outputs response information consisting of text data, instructing the AI ​​to determine whether or not the driver intends to stop based on the vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit, and performs the determination based on the response information from the generating AI. Vehicle warning system.

4. In the vehicle warning system according to claim 1, The voice notification unit, upon receiving input information consisting of text data, inputs the input information, which instructs the generating AI (which outputs response information consisting of text data) on the action the driver should take based on the abnormal information detected by the abnormality detection unit, and converts the response information from the generating AI into voice and outputs it. Vehicle warning system.

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