In-vehicle monitoring system, safety status monitoring and control program

Abstract

By making effective use of empty seats and encouraging passengers to sit down, we aim to improve safety inside the train. [Solution] The setting conditions require that there are standing passengers and that certain seats are vacant. This allows for proactive announcements encouraging passengers to sit down in priority seats 16A (recognition of manners) and shared seats 16B (sharing with unfamiliar passengers), which passengers tend to hesitate to sit in.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-vehicle monitoring device and a safety situation monitoring control program.

Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle such as a bus where seated passengers and standing passengers are mixed, the crew has an obligation to monitor the interior of the vehicle so that a situation where passengers lose their balance does not occur. In the case of a bus, the driver, who is a crew member, monitors the interior of the vehicle while driving, so the burden is greater than when there is a dedicated monitor. For this reason, it has been proposed to automate the process of monitoring the interior situation of the vehicle.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, high-risk persons such as the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with reduced physical strength who are determined to have a high risk of falling are tracked in the passenger compartment, the state of the high-risk persons in the passenger compartment is individually grasped, and based on the state of each high-risk person, a vehicle control system that restricts the running of the vehicle has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, the vehicle running restriction is continued until the high-risk person sits in the passenger seat, the passengers sitting in the priority seat are guided to vacate the priority seat, and in the period before deceleration, a high-risk person who stands up from the passenger seat is detected and urged to sit down.

[0004] In Patent Document 2, it is described that an announcement is executed based on the relationship between passengers waiting to board at a stop and the vacant seat situation in the vehicle. In Patent Document 2, seat-priority persons are detected, the notification form of seat guidance is changed according to the relationship between the number of vacant seats and the number of seat-priority persons, a display unit is provided for each seat, and the display unit guides that the seat is available for a seat-priority person to sit, and when the number of vacant seats is less than the number of seat-priority persons, a notification is made to the passengers sitting to vacate their seats.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] However, conventional technology does not have a concept for effectively utilizing vacant seats in specific seating areas such as priority seats, double seats, and bench seats at the rear.

[0007] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that makes an announcement to guide high-risk passengers to empty seats and monitors high-risk passengers while the vehicle is in motion, restricting travel if there are high-risk passengers standing. However, it does not include the concept of encouraging able-bodied passengers to sit in seats that are difficult to sit in, such as priority seats.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes an announcement system that makes announcements based on the relationship between passengers waiting to board at a bus stop and the availability of seats inside the vehicle. While it describes the concept of guiding passengers to priority seats, it does not describe, for example, the concept of guiding passengers other than those with priority seating to priority seats.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide an in-vehicle monitoring device and a safety situation monitoring and control program that can improve safety inside the vehicle by effectively utilizing empty seats and encouraging passengers to sit down, taking the above facts into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The in-vehicle monitoring device according to the present invention includes: an in-vehicle state confirmation unit that confirms the state of the vehicle interior, including the seating status of passengers in the seats inside the vehicle; a determination unit that determines, based on the state of the vehicle interior confirmed by the in-vehicle state confirmation unit, whether or not there are any standing passengers and whether or not a specific seat among the seats is vacant, and whether or not the set conditions are met; and a provision unit that, in the determination unit's determination, provides announcement information encouraging passengers to sit in the specific seat if the set conditions are met.

[0011] According to the present invention, the vehicle interior condition confirmation unit confirms the conditions inside the vehicle, including the seating status of passengers in their seats.

[0012] The determination unit determines, based on the conditions inside the vehicle confirmed by the vehicle condition confirmation unit, whether the set conditions are met, at least regarding the presence or absence of standing passengers and whether a specific seat among the seats is vacant or not.

[0013] The service provider provides announcement information encouraging passengers to sit in specific seats if the set conditions are met in the judgment of the judgment unit.

[0014] This allows for improved safety by encouraging passengers to sit down even if they are not designated as seated passengers, when certain seats, such as priority seats, are empty and there are standing passengers.

[0015] The present invention is characterized in that the in-vehicle condition confirmation unit confirms the in-vehicle condition, including the position of the specific seat, the position of the passenger, and the seating status of the specific seat, in real time based on images captured by a camera installed in the vehicle.

[0016] It can provide announcements at appropriate times, such as when passengers are boarding or alighting.

[0017] The present invention is characterized in that the specified seat is a priority seat in the vehicle that can be sat in preferentially by a specific passenger.

[0018] Priority seats are often mistaken for reserved seats, and even when empty, able-bodied passengers may feel uncomfortable sitting in them. Making announcements encouraging passengers to sit in these priority seats can improve safety. In this invention, the designated seats are characterized by being shared seats where multiple passengers can sit side-by-side.

[0019] The facing seats include two rows without a boundary, two rows with armrests, etc., and the last bench-type seat, and are seats where it is difficult to sit even if there is an empty seat due to the prior occupancy of others. By executing an announcement to encourage sitting in such facing seats, the safety inside the vehicle can be improved.

[0020] In the present invention, after the providing unit provides the announcement information for sitting in the empty seat at the timing of the passenger getting on the vehicle, if the establishment of the setting condition continues, the announcement information for sitting in the specific seat is provided, which is a feature.

[0021] For example, when the specific seat is a priority seat, it is better to keep the priority seat empty as much as possible. Therefore, by filling the so-called general seats first, it is useful for dealing with passengers who need the priority seat and get on the vehicle later.

[0022] In the present invention, for a plurality of the specific seats, the order of providing the announcement information is preset, which is a feature.

[0023] For example, when comparing the priority seat and the facing seat belonging to the specific seat, it is better to prioritize sitting in the priority seat located structurally in the front of the vehicle, which can expand the space inside the vehicle and also widen the driver's viewing field.

[0024] The safety situation monitoring control program according to the present invention causes a computer to operate as the above-described in-vehicle monitoring device, which is a feature.

Effect of the Invention

[0025] As described above, in the present invention, by effectively using the empty seats and encouraging the passengers to sit, the effect of improving the safety inside the vehicle can be achieved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a bus with the in-vehicle monitoring device according to the present embodiment mounted. [Figure 2](A) is a plan view of the passenger bus according to this embodiment, and (B) is a perspective view showing the interior of a passenger bus with a different seating arrangement than (A). [Figure 3] (A) is a perspective view of the priority seating area as seen from the arrow IIIA in Figure 2, and (B) is a perspective view of the two-seat row as seen from the arrow IIIB in Figure 2. [Figure 4] (A) is a functional block diagram for performing safety status monitoring and control according to this embodiment, and (B) is a table of detailed status lists stored in the detailed status pattern setting unit. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the safety status monitoring and control routine according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Figure 1 is a side view of a passenger bus 12 equipped with the in-vehicle monitoring device 10 (see Figure 4) according to this embodiment. Note that the passenger bus 12 is just one example; the in-vehicle monitoring device 10 can be applied to any vehicle carrying passengers 14. However, a passenger bus is used as an example of a vehicle in which passengers 14 seated in seats 16 and passengers 14 standing are mixed.

[0028] The passenger bus 12 has a driver's seat 18 at the front of the vehicle, and seats 16 for passengers 14 are arranged behind the driver's seat 18. In this configuration, the passenger bus 12 is driven by a driver seated in the driver's seat 18, but it may also be a so-called autonomous bus in which the driver does not directly drive or does not require a driver. An autonomous bus performs various autonomous driving controls on its own, but it is preferable to build a system in which an operator remotely monitors the system.

[0029] The passenger bus 12 is equipped with an entrance / exit 20 at the front of the vehicle and an entrance / exit 21 in the middle of the vehicle. Passengers 14 mainly board through the entrance / exit 20 and alight through the entrance / exit 21, but there are no strict restrictions. In Figure 1, the entrance / exit 20 is shown at the front of the vehicle and the entrance / exit 21 is shown in the middle of the vehicle, but there are also passenger buses that have an entrance / exit at the rear of the vehicle, and the number of entrance / exits (combinations of front, middle, and rear of the vehicle) is not limited.

[0030] The floor surface 22 on which the seats 16 are located is stepped due to the vehicle's structure, and the steps rise towards the rear of the vehicle, making it less safe for passengers 14 to move around compared to a flat surface. Even if it were a flat surface (a low-floor bus), the driver 24 seated in the driver's seat 18 has an obligation to monitor the interior of the vehicle using rearview mirrors (not shown) etc., while driving, to prevent situations where passengers 14 might lose their balance. With a stepped floor surface 22, even more attention must be paid to the interior of the vehicle.

[0031] In general, from the standpoint of safety monitoring, passengers 14 seated in seat 16 can be considered "safe," while passengers 14 not seated can be considered "unsafe."

[0032] Here, the passenger bus 12 is equipped with support members such as hand straps 26, support bars 26A that support the hand straps 26, and handrails 28 to prevent standing passengers 14 from losing their balance. By holding onto the support members (by holding on), standing passengers 14 can maintain their posture against the swaying of the bus while it is moving, compared to passengers 14 who are not holding on. Although it is less safe than sitting, standing may be considered safe in some cases. Support members also include assist grips provided at the upper corners of the backrests of seats.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, surveillance cameras 30, which constitute the in-vehicle monitoring system 10, are installed in each of the four corners (front right, front left, rear right, and rear left) of the passenger bus 12.

[0034] Note that Figures 2(A) and (B) each represent a passenger bus 12, but they illustrate different types of seating arrangements. In addition to these, there are various other seating arrangements, such as so-called face-to-face seating, folding seats, and tour bus-type seating. However, in this embodiment, regardless of the seating arrangement, surveillance cameras 30 are installed at least in all four corners to minimize blind spots.

[0035] The surveillance camera 30 is designed to capture the area in which passengers 14 can move within the vehicle without creating blind spots. The surveillance camera 30 may be an existing safety camera installed to monitor the safety situation inside the vehicle, or a new dedicated camera may be installed to determine whether the seats are full or empty. Using an existing safety camera reduces the number of devices, while using a dedicated camera improves the accuracy of the determination; therefore, both may be used in combination, depending on the situation.

[0036] The field of view of surveillance camera 30A on the front right of the vehicle shows that the area to the front right of the passenger bus 12 is being captured. Similarly, the field of view of surveillance camera 30B on the front left of the vehicle shows that the area to the front left of the passenger bus 12 is being captured.

[0037] On the other hand, the field of view of the surveillance camera 30C on the right rear of the vehicle shows that the area to the right rear of the passenger bus 12 is captured. Also, the field of view of the surveillance camera 30D on the left rear of the vehicle shows that the area to the left rear of the passenger bus 12 is captured.

[0038] In this embodiment, the captured image information from the four surveillance cameras 30 is aggregated and used to guide passengers 14 based on predetermined objectives through in-vehicle guidance announcements, etc. Note that the number of surveillance cameras 30 may be 1 to 3, or 5 or more, instead of 4.

[0039] The specified purpose can be broadly categorized into the following two types of examples. However, it is not limited to these two types of examples.

[0040] (Example Objective 1) As shown in Figure 3(A), the objective is to encourage passengers 14 to sit in priority seats 16A, which are designated seats appropriately installed in the vehicle, even if the standing passengers 14 are healthy individuals and not high-risk. According to Example Objective 1, the vehicle can be made even safer.

[0041] (Example of objective 2) In particular, the objective is to encourage people to sit down in situations where they might hesitate to sit down in the designated seat 16B located at the rear of the vehicle (a seat where two passengers 14 can sit side by side) (e.g., when two passengers 14 who appear to be of different ages are sitting on one side, or when luggage is placed on the empty seat). According to Example of objective 2, the empty seat 16 can be used to its fullest potential.

[0042] The in-vehicle monitoring device 10 (see Figure 4) grasps the current in-vehicle conditions based on the predetermined purpose set as described above, selects a guidance announcement, and executes it.

[0043] (In-vehicle monitoring device 10) Figure 4(A) is a schematic diagram of the in-vehicle monitoring device 10 according to this embodiment, which is installed in a passenger bus 12 (see Figure 1).

[0044] The in-vehicle monitoring device 10 includes n monitoring cameras 30 (where n is a positive integer, and in this embodiment, n=4) and a safety status monitoring control unit 32.

[0045] When installing multiple surveillance cameras 30, the cameras 30 do not need to be the same model or have the same specifications. Instead, the most suitable camera 30 should be used for each specific location, with the optimal specifications (magnification, zoom range, wide-angle range, aperture, shutter speed, pan / tilt angle, etc.).

[0046] Furthermore, the surveillance camera 30 only needs to be able to capture the outlines of the passengers 14, and is not limited to images based on density, but may also be images based on temperature differences using infrared light, etc.

[0047] The surveillance camera 30 is connected to the image acquisition unit 34 of the safety situation monitoring control unit 32.

[0048] The image acquisition unit 34 is connected to the in-vehicle status confirmation unit 36 ​​and sends the acquired image information to the in-vehicle status confirmation unit 36.

[0049] The in-vehicle status confirmation unit 36 ​​uses image recognition technology to identify the seating status of passengers 14 in specific seats (priority seats 16A, shared seats 16B) (in other words, whether or not there are standing passengers 14) and sends the result to the condition success / failure determination unit 38.

[0050] The condition success / failure determination unit 38 is connected to the setting condition storage unit 40. The setting condition storage unit 40 can store setting conditions in advance, and in this embodiment, the condition "standing passengers present AND specific seats are vacant" is stored as an example of a condition.

[0051] The condition success / failure determination unit 38 reads pre-stored setting conditions from the setting condition storage unit 40, compares the setting conditions with the in-vehicle condition confirmation unit 36, and determines whether the setting conditions are met (success or failure). Alternatively, the position of standing passengers 14 may be recognized, and the positional relationship (distance, etc.) between the standing passengers 14 and the priority seats may be taken into consideration to determine whether the setting conditions are met (whether an announcement is necessary).

[0052] When the condition success / failure determination unit 38 determines that the set condition is met, it sends an execution instruction signal to the detailed status pattern type setting unit 42.

[0053] The detailed status pattern type setting unit 42 sets the pattern type based on the pattern type setting table 42A shown in Figure 4(B).

[0054] Table 42A is categorized by specific seat type, specific seat status, and passenger status.

[0055] Examples of specific seat types include priority seat 16A, shared seat 16B (two seats without a boundary, two seats with armrests, and the last seat), etc.

[0056] Examples of specific seating situations include empty seats, seats occupied by non-passengers (such as luggage), and seats occupied by people occupying two seats in a row.

[0057] Examples of passenger conditions include the location of standing passengers and the overall level of crowding.

[0058] For example, if a combination of a specific seat type, specific seat status, and passenger status confirms the detailed situation that "the priority seat is vacant, and there is a standing passenger in front of the priority seat," then pattern type A will be set as the announcement information based on that detailed situation.

[0059] The pattern type set in the detailed status pattern type setting unit 42 is sent to the announcement information selection unit 44.

[0060] The announcement information selection unit 44 is connected to the announcement execution instruction unit 46 and the announcement information storage unit 48.

[0061] When a trigger signal is input to the announcement execution instruction unit 46, the announcement execution instruction unit 46 instructs the announcement information selection unit 44 to select announcement information based on the current congestion status.

[0062] Examples of trigger signals include, but are not limited to, periodic (using a timer), before the vehicle starts moving (just before the doors close), and instructions to stop driving. Preferably, by making an announcement when the passenger bus 12 is stopped, passengers 14 can move around inside the vehicle while it is stopped.

[0063] The announcement information selection unit 44 selects the appropriate announcement information from the announcement information storage unit 48 based on the acquired pattern type and sends it to the announcement execution unit 50.

[0064] The announcement execution unit 50 controls output devices (speakers, monitors, etc.) pre-installed on the passenger bus 12 to output announcements (audio output, image display).

[0065] The operation of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0066] The program in the flowchart of Figure 5 is activated, for example, when the passenger bus 12 begins its service. However, the program may also be activated when the engine starts, when it leaves the depot, or by manual operation by the driver.

[0067] In step 100, images captured by the surveillance camera 30 are imported, then the system proceeds to step 102 to check the conditions inside the vehicle (passenger positions, seating status in specific seats), and then proceeds to step 104.

[0068] In step 104, the settings are read, and then the process moves to step 106 to compare the in-vehicle conditions with the settings.

[0069] In the next step, 108, it is determined whether the condition is met based on the results of the comparison. If the result is negative, the process returns to step 100 and the above steps are repeated. If the result in step 108 is positive, the process proceeds to step 110, where the pattern type is set based on the detailed circumstances (see Figure 4(B)).

[0070] In the next step, 112, it is determined whether or not an announcement instruction was given. Examples of announcement instructions include periodic announcements, announcements before the vehicle starts moving (just before the doors close), and driver instructions. In addition, announcement instructions may be set as needed, such as when passing through curves with a radius of curvature less than a specified radius, when turning right or left, or during sudden acceleration or deceleration.

[0071] If a negative result (no announcement instructions) is obtained in step 112, return to step 100 and repeat the above process.

[0072] Furthermore, if a positive result (announcement instruction given) is obtained in step 112, the process proceeds to step 114, where announcement information is selected from the announcement information storage unit 52 based on the pattern type, and the process proceeds to step 116. In step 116, a guidance announcement is made based on the selected announcement information.

[0073] In the next step, 118, it is determined whether the operational operation has finished (similar to the startup conditions of this program, this may also be determined by whether other conditions are met). If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 100 and the above steps are repeated. If the determination in step 118 is positive, this routine terminates.

[0074] As explained above, in this embodiment, the setting conditions require that there are standing passengers and that specific seats are vacant, and it is possible to actively make announcements encouraging passengers to sit down in priority seats 16A (recognition of manners) and shared seats 16B (sharing with unfamiliar passengers), which passengers tend to hesitate to sit in.

[0075] If there is an empty seat in priority seat 16A, when a standing passenger 14 is detected in the train car, an announcement such as "If there are no other passengers around who require priority, please feel free to sit in the priority seat" will be displayed on the screen and given via audio guidance, making the passenger think that "it is okay to sit in the priority seat."

[0076] When there is an empty seat in a shared seating arrangement (16B, for example, a two-seat row) and the system detects a standing passenger (14) in the vehicle, an announcement such as "Passengers seated in two-seat rows, please be considerate of other passengers so that they can sit next to you. Standing passengers, please be considerate of the person next to you when choosing a seat" can be displayed on the screen and given via audio guidance, creating an atmosphere where passengers feel they have no choice but to sit down because the system is directing them. Note that a two-seat row is just one example of a shared seating arrangement (16B).

[0077] Furthermore, it is preferable to make a detailed determination of whether seat 16B is sufficiently vacant and to decide whether or not to make an announcement encouraging seating (details below).

[0078] Furthermore, although this embodiment does not specifically mention the risks to the person(s) who will receive the announcement (standing passengers 14), it may be a condition that there are no high-risk individuals who preferentially sit down, and that a healthy person is standing in front of priority seat 16A. [Examples]

[0079] The in-vehicle monitoring device 10 of this embodiment makes it possible to implement the following embodiments under various conditions inside the passenger bus 12.

[0080] (Example 1) Timing of announcement execution In this embodiment, the trigger signal for executing the announcement prioritizes the safety of passengers 14 and is set to a situation where the bus 12 is stopped (periodically, before the vehicle starts moving, at the driver's instruction). However, this does not preclude the driver from making an announcement to ask standing passengers to sit down while the bus is in motion. For example, it is effective to make an announcement to passenger 14 standing directly in front of an empty priority seat 16A.

[0081] (Example 2) Announcement example for priority seat 16A When making an announcement, first, without mentioning the type of seat or passenger, an announcement such as "If there are empty seats, please feel free to sit down" is made. If there are still standing passengers 14, then, based on the conditions set in this embodiment, an announcement such as "There are empty priority seats, so please feel free to sit down" is made.

[0082] By executing such chronological announcements, passenger 14 can be smoothly guided to their seats.

[0083] (Example 3) Multiple conditions met simultaneously Furthermore, multiple setting conditions may be met simultaneously. In this case, the solution is to pre-determine the priority of the setting conditions.

[0084] For example, the announcement will be made in the following order: priority seat 16A located on the left side in the direction of travel at the front of the vehicle → shared seat 16B (two seats) → shared seat 16B (last seat).

[0085] In this case, when comparing priority seat 16A and shared seat 16B, prioritizing seating in priority seat 16A, which is structurally located at the front of the vehicle, would allow for more space inside the vehicle and also broaden the driver's field of vision.

[0086] (Example 4) Follow-up after seating guidance announcement If, for example, an announcement leads a person with normal physical abilities to sit in priority seat 16A, which presents a significant psychological hurdle for such a person, a thank-you announcement may be made. This thank-you announcement may be based on analysis of images captured by surveillance camera 30, or it may be a direct verbal announcement by the driver based on visual observation.

[0087] On the other hand, even if a healthy person has kindly taken a seat in priority seat 16A, circumstances may change and a high-risk person such as an elderly person may board the train. In this case, it is preferable to make an announcement such as, "We are sorry, but please give up your priority seat."

[0088] (Example 5) Announcement example regarding shared seat 16B From the perspective of someone who is already seated, there are times when they do not want to share a seat. Specifically, this could be the case if they are large in stature and the empty space on their side is smaller than usual.

[0089] Therefore, the in-car condition confirmation unit 36 ​​(see Figure 4(A)) may check specific attributes (physique, gender, demeanor, etc.) of the person sitting in a seat where shared seating is possible, and if the person matches the specific attributes, the announcement may be canceled even if the set conditions are met.

[0090] (Example 6) Announcement format Announcements encouraging people to take seats can either directly indicate the location of empty seats, or, if there are empty seats, an indirect announcement such as "There are seats available" would suffice.

[0091] In the case of the priority seat 16A, by making an announcement, there is an effect of breaking through the concept of courtesy. In particular, as the announcement content, including content that lowers the judgment criterion value for hesitation to sit, such as "There doesn't seem to be any passengers in the vehicle who need the priority seat. For the sake of safety first, please sit down without hesitation.", the seating rate can be increased.

[0092] In the case of the companion seat 16B, by making an announcement, it is easy to sit because there is an announcement prompting sitting even though there is a stranger sitting.

[0093] Also, in the companion seat 16B, there may be a case where one seat is actually empty and a case where there is luggage placed. The announcement content may be changed according to the situation.

[0094] (Example 7) Empirical evidence by statistics For the passenger 14 standing in front of the priority seat 16A, within a certain period of time, statistically aggregate the information on the seating rate A when no announcement is made and the seating rate B when an announcement is made. When statistically A < B, it can be proven that the announcement is effective. By constructing big data, regarding the timing and content of the announcement, it is possible to make it more accurate in terms of timing and content. For example, depending on the season, time zone, route, weather, etc., it is possible to automatically discriminate the area in the vehicle where monitoring is strengthened and make control measures such as concentrating on improving the image processing accuracy in the strengthened area. Also, with big data, it is possible to make predictive announcements such as executing appropriate announcements at appropriate times based on the season, time zone, route, weather, etc. without directly monitoring with the monitoring camera 30.

[0095] [Supplementary Note] (Supplementary Note 1) An in-vehicle state confirmation unit that confirms the state of the vehicle including the seating status of the seats where passengers sit in the vehicle, A determination unit that determines, from the state of the vehicle confirmed by the in-vehicle state confirmation unit, whether at least the condition for the presence or absence of standing passengers and whether a specific seat among the seats is an empty seat is satisfied. In the determination by the determination unit, if the setting conditions are met, the providing unit provides announcement information to encourage the person to sit in the specific seat, An in-vehicle monitoring device having the following features.

[0096] (Note 2) The in-vehicle monitoring device according to Appendix 1, wherein the in-vehicle condition confirmation unit confirms the condition of the vehicle interior in real time, including the position of the specific seat, the position of the passenger, and the seating status of the specific seat, based on images captured by a camera installed inside the vehicle.

[0097] (Note 3) The in-vehicle monitoring device according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the specified seat is a priority seat in the vehicle where a specific passenger may sit with priority.

[0098] (Note 4) An in-vehicle monitoring device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, wherein the specified seat is a shared seat where multiple passengers can sit side by side.

[0099] (Note 5) The aforementioned supply unit, An in-vehicle monitoring device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 4, which, at the time the aforementioned passenger boards, provides information informing the passenger to sit in the aforementioned empty seat, and if the aforementioned setting conditions remain met, provides information informing the passenger to sit in the aforementioned specific seat.

[0100] (Note 6) An in-vehicle monitoring device as described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 5, wherein the order in which announcement information is provided to multiple specified seats is predetermined.

[0101] (Note 7) Computers, It will be operated as an in-vehicle monitoring device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6. Safety status monitoring and control program. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 10 In-vehicle monitoring device, 12 Passenger bus, 14 Passenger, 16 Seat, 18 Driver's seat, 20 Entrance / exit, 21 Entrance / exit, 22 Floor surface, 24 Driver, 26 Handrail, 26A Support bar, 28 Handrail, 30 Surveillance camera 30(A~D), 32 Safety status monitoring control unit, 34 Image acquisition unit, 36 In-vehicle status confirmation unit, 38 Condition success / failure determination unit (determination unit), 40 Setting condition storage unit, 42 Detailed status pattern type setting unit, 42A Pattern type setting table, 44 Announcement information selection unit (announcement provision unit), 46 Announcement execution instruction unit (announcement provision unit), 48 Announcement information storage unit (announcement provision unit), 50 Announcement execution unit (announcement provision unit)

Claims

1. A vehicle interior condition confirmation unit that confirms the conditions inside the vehicle, including the seating status of passengers in the seats inside the vehicle, A determination unit determines, based on the conditions inside the vehicle confirmed by the vehicle interior condition confirmation unit, whether or not the conditions for setting whether or not there are standing passengers and whether or not a specific seat among the seats is vacant are met. In the determination by the determination unit, if the setting conditions are met, the providing unit provides announcement information to encourage the person to sit in the specific seat, An in-vehicle monitoring device having the following features.

2. The in-vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the in-vehicle condition confirmation unit confirms the state of the interior of the vehicle in real time, including the position of the specific seat, the position of the passenger, and the seating status of the specific seat, based on images captured by a camera installed inside the vehicle.

3. The in-vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the specified seat is a priority seat in the vehicle where a specific passenger may sit first.

4. The in-vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the specified seat is a shared seat on which multiple passengers can sit side by side.

5. The aforementioned supply unit, The in-vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, which, at the time of the passenger's boarding, provides announcement information for the passenger to sit in the empty seat, and if the set conditions remain met, provides announcement information for the passenger to sit in the specific seat.

6. The in-vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein an order for providing announcement information to a plurality of the aforementioned specific seats is predetermined.

7. Computers, To be operated as an in-vehicle monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, Safety status monitoring and control program.

Images