Advice provision device

Abstract

This technology provides driving advice tailored to each individual driver by taking into account their driving preferences. [Solution] The advice-providing device uses a computer to acquire at least one of the following: information on the driver's target driving type and information on their skill level regarding vehicle driving. From among a plurality of browsing sites designated in advance according to the target driving type or skill level, the computer selects a browsing site from which to extract information on advice to be provided to the driver based on the driver's target driving type or skill level, and determines the advice to be provided to the driver.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an advice-providing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for providing advice on driving according to the proficiency of a vehicle driver has been known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving evaluation device including a parking detection means for detecting parking of a vehicle, a starting scene determination means for determining a starting scene of the detected parking, and a driving proficiency determination means for determining driving proficiency for each evaluation viewpoint associated with the starting scene. Specifically, it is disclosed that a starting scene is discriminated, evaluation viewpoints such as driving skills are associated with the discriminated starting scene, appropriate driving proficiency is determined for each evaluation viewpoint, and appropriate driving advice according to the driving proficiency for each evaluation viewpoint is provided.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Among drivers who drive vehicles, there are those who prefer cautious driving and those who prefer aggressive driving, and driving types vary depending on the driver. Also, the information that drivers want to know about their goals regarding their own driving also varies depending on the driver. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, although driving advice based on driving proficiency is given to the driver, the driver's preferences regarding driving are not taken into account, and there is room for improvement in providing advice on driving suitable for individual drivers.

[0006] In light of these circumstances, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology that provides driving advice tailored to individual drivers by taking into account the driver's driving preferences. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer that acquires at least one of the driver's target driving type information and skill level information regarding the driving of a vehicle, selects a browsing site from among a plurality of browsing sites designated in advance according to the target driving type or skill level, extracts information on advice to be provided to the driver based on the driver's target driving type or skill level, and determines the advice to be provided to the driver from the selected browsing site. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, by taking into account the driver's driving preferences, it is possible to provide driving advice tailored to each individual driver. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of an advice provision system to which an advice provision device according to one embodiment of this disclosure can be applied. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a vehicle capable of communicating with an advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows an example configuration of an advice-providing device and a communication-enabled terminal device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating a first example of operation of an advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]This is a flowchart illustrating a second example of operation of an advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating a third example of operation of an advice-providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0011] (1. Advice Provision System) Referring to Figure 1, the advice provision system 1000 comprises a vehicle 10, a terminal device 20, an advice provision device 30, and an external server 40. The vehicle 10, the terminal device 20, the advice provision device 30, and the external server 40 are connected to a public or arbitrary network 50 such as the Internet so as to be able to communicate with each other. Note that the vehicle 10 and the external server 40 do not necessarily have to be able to communicate with each other.

[0012] Vehicle 10 is, for example, an automobile equipped with an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine. However, vehicle 10 is not limited to this, and may also be, for example, an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor. Examples of electric vehicles include BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), and FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle).

[0013] The terminal device 20 is a mobile device such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, or wearable device. However, the terminal device 20 is not limited to these, and may be an in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle 10, or a personal computer. Users, including the driver of the vehicle 10, can obtain advice provided by the advice-providing device 30 via the terminal device 20.

[0014] The advice-providing device 30 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. However, the advice-providing device 30 is not limited to this and may be mounted in the vehicle 10 as an in-vehicle device.

[0015] The external server 40 is a computer such as a server belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system. As will be described in detail later, the external server 40 manages a browsing site for extracting advice provided by the advice provision device 30.

[0016] (2. Websites visited) Here, prior to a detailed description of the vehicle 10, terminal device 20, and advice provision device 30 that constitute the advice provision system 1000, a browsing site for extracting advice provided by the advice provision device 30 will be described. The browsing site may be a website or community site accessible to the user via an application pre-installed on the terminal device 20, and is designated in advance according to the driver's target driving type or skill level, as will be described later. The browsing site may include a first browsing site set up for safety education and a second browsing site set up for improving driving skills. In this case, the external server 40 manages the first and second browsing sites, but may be configured as a separate server for each browsing site under management.

[0017] (2-1. First browsing site) The first browsing site is, for example, a website on the Internet that can be browsed by any user. The user can search for and browse the website via the terminal device 20. The first browsing site may be, for example, a website related to techniques for effectively using the engine brake and foot brake to avoid fade phenomenon or vapor lock phenomenon. Also, the first browsing site may be, for example, a website related to the correct way to hold the steering wheel safely. Also, the first browsing site may be, for example, a website related to precautions for avoiding accidents on curves. However, the first browsing site is not limited to these as long as it is a browsing site set up for safety education.

[0018] In addition, the external server 40 may manage the number of views or update date and time of the first browsing site as history information.

[0019] (2-2. The second browsing site) The second browsing site includes, for example, questions related to the operation of the vehicle 10 and advice on those questions. The second browsing site may be a community site that can be browsed by specific users. The community site includes, for example, a chat room or bulletin board that enables specific users to view information sent and received between each other via the terminal device 20. The user can post comments etc. on the community site via the terminal device 20, and can also view comments etc. posted by third parties on the community site. Also, the user may be able to assign tag information to comments etc. posted by third parties by pressing social buttons such as "Like!" via the terminal device 20. Also, the user can register profile information such as the handle name, password, name, phone number, and email address used on the community site to the external server 40 via the terminal device 20. Examples of the content posted on the community site include the following questions and advice on those questions.

[0020] Question: "I want to make stops in a way that doesn't inconvenience passengers." Advice: "When slowing down at traffic lights or other stops, slightly releasing the pressure on the pedal the moment the car reaches 0 km / h can almost completely eliminate the small jolt when coming to a stop."

[0021] Question: "I want to improve the stability of my steering when driving around curves." Advice: "When driving around a curve, keeping your eyes focused ahead allows you to understand the road conditions ahead, and the steering wheel will naturally move in accordance with your line of sight, resulting in less steering delay."

[0022] Question: "I want to be able to operate the accelerator in a way that doesn't make my passengers carsick." Advice: "Frequent acceleration can be burdensome for passengers. Instead of pressing and releasing the accelerator while driving, you can achieve smoother handling by gradually adjusting the pressure you apply with the sole of your foot."

[0023] Here, on the second browsing site, the actual driving type or skill level of the user who asked a question about driving vehicle 10 or gave advice to that question may be associated with the question or advice. In this case, the external server 40 will manage association information for associating the user's actual driving type or skill level with the question or advice given by the user. The user's actual driving type or skill level may be identified, for example, by the user's self-declaration when the user registers profile information via the terminal device 20, or it may be identified based on the user's answers to a questionnaire about driving vehicle 10. Furthermore, if the external server 40 is linked with a publicly known or arbitrary driving diagnostic system for evaluating the user's driving skills, the user's actual driving type or skill level may be identified based on the diagnostic results of the driving diagnostic system.

[0024] Furthermore, the external server 40 may further associate the aforementioned association information with evaluation information for advice posted on the second browsing site. The evaluation information refers to information indicating the evaluation of advice posted on the second browsing site by a specific user who is able to access the second browsing site. For example, the evaluation information may include information on the clicking of social buttons such as "Like!" which indicate a positive evaluation of the advice posted on the second browsing site.

[0025] (3. Vehicles) Referring to Figure 2, the vehicle 10 is configured as a four-wheeled vehicle that transmits the drive torque output from the drive source 1 to the wheels. The combination of drive wheels and the drive method are not particularly limited, and the vehicle 10 may be a front-wheel drive vehicle, a rear-wheel drive vehicle, or a four-wheel drive vehicle. Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 is configured as an electric vehicle, it may be an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor corresponding to each wheel.

[0026] The vehicle 10 includes, as equipment used for driving control, at least a power source 1, an electric steering device 2, brake devices 3LF, 3RF, 3LR, 3RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "brake device 3" unless otherwise specified), and a vehicle control device 4.

[0027] The drive source 1 outputs drive torque which is transmitted to the front wheel drive shaft 6F via a transmission (not shown) and a differential mechanism 5. The drive of the drive source 1 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control device 4.

[0028] The electric steering system 2 is mounted on the front wheel drive shaft 6F. The electric steering system 2 includes an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown), and adjusts the steering angle of the front wheels by being controlled by the vehicle control device 4. The vehicle control device 4 controls the electric steering system 2 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel set by the driver. When the vehicle 10 is configured to perform automatic driving control, the vehicle control device 4 controls the electric steering system 2 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel set by the driver during manual driving. On the other hand, during automatic driving, the vehicle control device 4 controls the electric steering system 2 based on a steering angle or steering angular velocity set appropriately using known or arbitrary automatic driving technology.

[0029] Brake units 3LF, 3RF, 3LR, and 3RR apply braking force to their respective wheels. Brake unit 3 may be, for example, a hydraulic brake system. In this case, the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake unit 3 is adjusted by controlling the drive of the hydraulic unit 7 by the vehicle control device 4. When the vehicle 10 is configured as an electric vehicle, brake unit 3 is used in conjunction with regenerative braking by the drive motor.

[0030] The vehicle control device 4 includes at least one or more electronic control units (ECUs) that control the drive of the power source 1, the electric steering device 2, and the brake device 3. The vehicle control device 4 may be provided separately for each function.

[0031] In addition, the vehicle 10 is equipped with an ambient environment sensor 11, a vehicle status sensor 12, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 13, a communication device 14, and a notification device 15.

[0032] The ambient environment sensor 11 may include a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera. The front-facing camera captures the area in front of the vehicle 10 and generates image data. The rear-facing camera captures the area behind the vehicle 10 and generates image data. The front-facing camera and the rear-facing camera are equipped with image sensors such as CCD (Charged Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and transmit the generated image data to the vehicle control device 4. The ambient environment sensor 11 may also include one or more distance measuring sensors, such as a radar sensor like LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or millimeter-wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0033] The vehicle state sensor 12 includes at least one sensor that detects the operating state and behavior of the vehicle 10. The vehicle state sensor 12 may include, for example, a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, or an engine speed sensor. The vehicle state sensor 12 may also include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, or an angular velocity sensor. The vehicle state sensor 12 transmits the detection result to the vehicle control device 4.

[0034] The GNSS sensor 13 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GNSS sensor 13 transmits the vehicle's position information, which is included in the received satellite signals, to the vehicle control device 4. In addition to the GPS sensor, the GNSS sensor 13 may also be equipped with an antenna that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems that determine the vehicle's position.

[0035] The communication device 14 includes at least one communication interface. As the communication interface, for example, an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G (4th Generation) or 5G (5th Generation) standards, or a LAN (Local Area Network) standard, can be used. The communication device 14 transmits the detection results of the ambient environment sensor 11, the vehicle condition sensor 12, and the GNSS sensor 13 to various external devices via the network 50. The communication device 14 also receives various information necessary for controlling the vehicle 10 from external devices via the network 50.

[0036] The notification device 15 notifies the driver of the vehicle 10 of various information by means of image or text display or audio output. The notification device 15 may be a display device provided by the navigation system, or it may be a HUD (Head Up Display) that displays on the front windshield of the vehicle 10.

[0037] (4. Terminal devices) Referring to Figure 3, the terminal device 20 comprises a processing unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, and an output unit 25.

[0038] The processing unit 21 comprises one or more processors, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 21 may consist of updatable components such as firmware, or it may be a program module that is executed by instructions from the CPU, etc.

[0039] The storage unit 22 is composed of one or more memory elements such as RAM or ROM that are connected to the processing unit 21 in a communicative manner. However, the type and number of storage units 22 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 22 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 21, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and calculation results.

[0040] The communication unit 23 consists of one or more communication interfaces that are connected to the processing unit 21 in a communicative manner. Examples of communication interfaces include interfaces that support mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G standards, short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth®, or LAN standards. The communication unit 23 transmits various types of information used for the operation of the terminal device 20 and receives various types of information obtained through the operation of the terminal device 20.

[0041] The input unit 24 includes one or more input interfaces. Examples of input interfaces include physical keys, capacitive keys, pointing devices, or touchscreens integrated with a display. The input unit 24 accepts user inputs of information used for the operation of the terminal device 20. Specifically, the input unit 24 accepts user inputs of various information necessary for browsing a first browsing site. The input unit 24 also accepts various operations necessary for posting questions or advice to a second browsing site, or for viewing questions or advice posted to the second browsing site.

[0042] The output unit 25 includes one or more output interfaces. Examples of output interfaces include LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays. The output unit 25 outputs information obtained from the operation of the terminal device 20 to the user. Specifically, the output unit 25 outputs to the user the advice information indicated by link information such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for outputting the advice information received from the advice provision device 30 via the communication unit 23.

[0043] (5. Advice-providing device) The advice-providing device 30 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figure 4.

[0044] (5-1. Example Configuration) The advice device 30 functions as a device that provides advice to the driver of the vehicle 10 by having one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) or other processors execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program that causes the processor to execute the operations that the advice device 30 should perform, as described later. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit 32, as described later, or on a recording medium built into the advice device 30 or on any external recording medium that can be attached to the advice device 30.

[0045] The recording medium for storing computer programs may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Blu-ray®; magneto-optical media such as floppy disks; memory elements such as RAM and ROM; flash memory such as USB memory and SSDs; and other media capable of storing programs.

[0046] The advice-providing device 30 comprises at least a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33.

[0047] The processing unit 31 comprises one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 31 may consist of updatable components such as firmware, or it may be a program module that is executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.

[0048] The memory unit 32 is composed of one or more memory elements such as RAM or ROM that are connected to the processing unit 31 in a communicative manner. However, the type and number of memory units 32 are not particularly limited. The memory unit 32 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 31, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and calculation results.

[0049] The communication unit 33 is composed of one or more communication interfaces that are connected to the processing unit 31 in a communicative manner. Examples of communication interfaces include interfaces that are compatible with mobile communication standards such as 4G or 5G standards, or LAN standards. The advice providing device 30 can send and receive various types of information with the vehicle 10, terminal device 20, and external server 40 via the communication unit 33.

[0050] (5-2. Functional configuration of the processing unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 31 of the advice provision device 30 will now be described. The processing unit 31 comprises an acquisition unit 311, a selection unit 312, an extraction unit 313, and a provision unit 314. Each of these units is a function realized by the execution of a computer program by one or more processors such as a CPU. However, some or all of the acquisition unit 311, selection unit 312, extraction unit 313, and provision unit 314 may be configured using analog circuits.

[0051] (Acquisition Department) The acquisition unit 311 acquires at least one of the following: information on the driver's target driving type and information on their skill level regarding the operation of the vehicle 10. In addition to the information on the driver's target driving type and skill level, the acquisition unit 311 may also acquire other information that the driver would like to know regarding the operation of the vehicle 10.

[0052] The driver's target driving type and the information they wish to know may be obtained from the driver's driving activities, etc. Specifically, the acquisition unit 311 may acquire information on the target driving type or the information they wish to know based on the browsing history or posting history of multiple browsing sites that can be obtained from the external server 40 via the communication unit 33. The following explanation will use as an example a case in which the multiple browsing sites include a first browsing site set up for safety education and a second browsing site set up for improving driving skills. It should be assumed that the driver is one of the specific users who can browse the community site corresponding to the second browsing site.

[0053] The acquisition unit 311 may acquire information on the driver's target driving type if the number of times a first browsing site is viewed in the browsing history acquired from the external server 40 exceeds a predetermined number of views, and the driver's target driving type is considered to be safety-oriented. The predetermined number of views can be set appropriately by considering, for example, the ratio of the number of times a first browsing site is viewed to the total number of views by the driver over a certain period in the past. The acquisition unit 311 may also acquire information that the driver wants to know from information indicating the content of the first browsing site included in the browsing history acquired from the external server 40, using publicly known or arbitrary natural language processing. The natural language processing may be machine learning-based natural language processing.

[0054] The acquisition unit 311 may acquire information about the driver's target driving type or other desired information by applying publicly known or arbitrary natural language processing to the information of questions previously posted by the driver on a second browsing site included in the posting history acquired from the external server 40. For example, if the number of questions determined to be related to safe driving by natural language processing exceeds a predetermined number, the acquisition unit 311 may assume that the driver's target driving type is safety-oriented and acquire information about the driver's target driving type. Also, if the number of questions determined to be related to improving driving skills by natural language processing exceeds a predetermined number, the acquisition unit 311 may assume that the driver's target driving type is driving skill improvement-oriented and acquire information about the driver's target driving type. The predetermined number can be set appropriately by considering, for example, the total number of posts by the driver over a certain period in the past.

[0055] The acquisition unit 311 may acquire information about the driver's target driving type or other information it wants to know based on event information posted by users other than the driver on a second browsing site included in the posting history acquired from the external server 40. Here, the event information may include tag information for identifying users who are interested in the event indicated by the event information. In this case, if tag information is attached to a post announcing the holding of a safety-related event by, for example, the driver pressing a social button such as "Like!", the acquisition unit 311 may acquire information about the driver's target driving type, assuming that the driver's target driving type is safety-oriented. Alternatively, if tag information is attached to a post announcing the holding of an event related to circuit driving or mountain road driving, for example, by the driver pressing a social button such as "Like!", the acquisition unit 311 may acquire information about the driver's target driving type, assuming that the driver's target driving type is driving skill improvement-oriented.

[0056] The acquisition unit 311 may acquire the driver's answers to questions asking the driver about their target driving type or information they want to know, via the terminal device 20, and acquire information about the target driving type or information they want to know based on the content of the driver's answers. For example, the questions asked to the driver may be multiple-choice questions asking whether their target driving type is safety-oriented or not, or multiple-choice questions asking whether they are driving skill improvement-oriented. Alternatively, the questions asked to the driver may be open-ended questions such as "What kind of driving do you aim for?". In this case, the acquisition unit 311 may determine the driver's target driving type by applying known or arbitrary natural language processing to the driver's answers to the open-ended questions. Alternatively, the questions asked to the driver may be open-ended questions such as "Which driving operation do you want to improve?". In this case as well, the acquisition unit 311 may acquire information the driver wants to know by applying known or arbitrary natural language processing to the driver's answers to the open-ended questions.

[0057] On the other hand, the proficiency level of driving the vehicle 10 is acquired by the acquisition unit 311 from the diagnostic results of a known or arbitrary driving diagnostic system for evaluating the driving skills of the user, including the driver. In this driving diagnostic system, for example, the proficiency level of the user, including the driver, is calculated based on the detection results of a vehicle condition sensor 12 provided in the vehicle 10. Here, the proficiency level may be calculated, for example, by thresholding or frequency analysis of any feature included in the detection results of the vehicle condition sensor 12, or by kernel density estimation images, but this disclosure is not limited to these, and any method for calculating the proficiency level to measure the driving skills of the driver can be applied. The proficiency level may be a continuous value, or it may be a discrete value with multiple levels such as "beginner," "intermediate," and "advanced." Note that the advice providing device 30 may have the same functions as the driving diagnostic system described above, in which case the proficiency level of driving the vehicle 10 is calculated directly by the advice providing device 30.

[0058] In addition, the acquisition unit 311 acquires information on the driver's actual driving type regarding the operation of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the actual driving type is acquired by the acquisition unit 311 from the diagnostic results of a known or arbitrary driving diagnostic system for evaluating the driving skills of the user, including the driver. Here, the actual driving type is classified as either safety-oriented or driving skill improvement-oriented based on driving data from the driver's actual driving. However, if the advice providing device 30 also has the function of a driving diagnostic system, the actual driving type may be directly identified by the advice providing device 30.

[0059] "Safety-oriented" refers to a voluntary intention to drive safely. Examples of safety-oriented driving types include driving cautiously and taking time at points requiring attention, such as lane changes, merging, or turning left or right. Other examples of safety-oriented driving types include avoiding driving on roads with heavy pedestrian traffic, such as urban areas, roads with poor visibility, such as mountain roads, narrow roads, or roads with steep inclines as much as possible. Furthermore, an example of a safety-oriented driving type is avoiding driving in severe weather conditions as much as possible. Whether or not a driver is safety-oriented can be determined based on the detection results of one or more of the surrounding environment sensors 11, vehicle condition sensors 12, and GNSS sensors 13 installed in the vehicle 10.

[0060] On the other hand, "driving skill improvement orientation" refers to any orientation that pursues improvement in driving skills, and may include multiple orientations depending on the type of driving skill. Examples of driving types with a driving skill improvement orientation include those that pursue improvement in driving skills to make vehicle behavior smoother or those that pursue improvement in driving skills to make vehicle behavior more aggressive. Other examples of driving types with a driving skill improvement orientation include those that pursue improvement in driving skills to drive as smoothly as possible on roads with heavy pedestrian traffic such as in urban areas, roads with poor visibility such as mountain roads, narrow roads, or roads with steep inclines. Furthermore, an example of a driving type with a driving skill improvement orientation is those that pursue improvement in driving skills necessary for driving in inclement weather.

[0061] Whether or not a driver is geared towards improving their driving skills can be determined based on the detection results of one or more of the surrounding environment sensors 11, vehicle condition sensors 12, and GNSS sensors 13 provided in the vehicle 10. "Smooth" may mean, for example, that the steering operation is smooth, and more specifically, that the rate of change of the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor included in the vehicle condition sensor 12 is below a predetermined reference value. Similarly, "smooth" may mean, for example, that the pedal operation is smooth, and more specifically, that the rate of change of the accelerator pedal or brake pedal detected by the accelerator position sensor or brake stroke sensor included in the vehicle condition sensor 12 is below a predetermined reference value. Furthermore, "aggressive" may mean that the vehicle speed, acceleration, or jerk is relatively high, and more specifically, this can be determined based on the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, or angular velocity sensor included in the vehicle condition sensor 12.

[0062] (Selection section) The selection unit 312 selects a browsing site from among a plurality of browsing sites designated in advance according to the target driving type or skill level of the driver, based on the target driving type or skill level of the driver acquired by the acquisition unit 311, to extract information on advice to be provided to the driver.

[0063] Specifically, the selection unit 312 may select a first or second browsing site as a browsing site for extracting information on advice to be provided to the driver based on the driver's target driving type or skill level. More specifically, the selection unit 312 may select the first browsing site if the driver's target driving type is safety-oriented or if the driver's skill level is below a predetermined standard. On the other hand, the selection unit 312 may select the second browsing site if the driver's target driving type is driving skill improvement-oriented or if the driver's skill level exceeds a predetermined standard. The predetermined standard can be set appropriately considering driving safety, etc.

[0064] (Extraction part) The extraction unit 313 extracts information for providing advice to the driver from the browsing site selected by the selection unit 312.

[0065] Specifically, if the first browsing site is selected by the selection unit 312, the extraction unit 313 may extract information related to the information the driver wants to know from the first browsing site, which has been acquired by the acquisition unit 311. If there are multiple pieces of advice related to the information the driver wants to know, it is preferable for the extraction unit 313 to refer to the browsing history acquired from the external server 40 and extract the information of the advice that has been viewed the most. By narrowing down the information of advice to one, the cognitive load on the driver to recall the advice while driving can be reduced. Therefore, the impact on the cognitive and judgment functions that the driver should be focusing on while driving can also be reduced.

[0066] On the other hand, if a second browsing site is selected by the selection unit 312, the extraction unit 313 may extract information from the second browsing site that relates to the information the driver wants to know, which has been acquired by the acquisition unit 311. It is preferable that the extraction unit 313 extracts information on advice from users who are of the same type as the driver's target driving type and whose skill level is higher than or equal to that of the driver, by referring to the association information managed by the external server 40. More specifically, it is preferable that the extraction unit 313 extracts information on advice posted by users who are of the same type as the driver's target driving type acquired by the acquisition unit 311 and whose skill level is higher than or equal to that of the driver acquired by the acquisition unit 311, by referring to the association information managed by the external server 40. As a result, the driver can obtain information on advice posted by users whose driving type is similar to their own, and therefore can feel satisfied with the content of the advice. Furthermore, since the driver can obtain information on advice posted by users whose skill level is higher than their own, they can improve their own driving skills while matching them to their own driving type.

[0067] Furthermore, if there are multiple pieces of advice related to the information the driver wants to know, it is preferable for the extraction unit 313 to refer to the association information managed by the external server 40 and extract the piece of advice with the highest rating within the second browsing site. By narrowing down the advice information to one, the cognitive load on the driver to recall the advice while driving can be reduced. Therefore, the impact on the cognitive and judgment functions that the driver should be focusing on while driving can also be reduced.

[0068] Here, the storage unit 32 of the advice provision device 30 may pre-store improvement information indicating the degree of improvement in each user's driving skills after providing advice information to each user who uses multiple browsing sites. This improvement information may, for example, associate the advice information provided to each user who uses multiple browsing sites with the driving skills information of each user before the advice information was provided and the driving skills information of each user after the advice information was provided. However, instead of the storage unit 32 of the advice provision device 30, the improvement information may be held by an external server 40 in a manner that can be accessed by the advice provision device 30.

[0069] The extraction unit 313 refers to the improvement information stored in the storage unit 32 to determine the degree of improvement in each user's driving skills after providing advice information to each user who uses multiple browsing sites. The extraction unit 313 then prioritizes extracting advice information that indicates a high degree of improvement in driving skills. For example, the extraction unit 313 prioritizes extracting advice information that indicates a degree of improvement in driving skills exceeding a predetermined standard over advice information that indicates an improvement below the predetermined standard. Here, it is preferable that the advice information indicating a high degree of improvement in driving skills is advice provided to users whose target driving type is similar to that of the driver and whose skill level is equivalent to that of the driver. As a result, the driver can obtain information on advice that was effective for users whose driving type is similar to that of the driver and whose skill level is equivalent to that of the driver, and thus can effectively improve their own driving skills. The degree of improvement can be appropriately calculated based on the degree of increase in skill level after the advice information is provided relative to the skill level before the advice information is provided.

[0070] Here, the improvement information may further include, in addition to the information described above, information on the user's target driving type and information on the user's actual driving type after the advice information has been provided. In this case, the extraction unit 313 may preferentially extract advice information in which the actual driving type of each user after the advice information has been provided to each user using multiple browsing sites matches the user's target driving type. This makes it possible to suppress discrepancies between the user's target driving type and the user's actual driving type.

[0071] The methods for extracting advice using the extraction unit 313 have been described above, but the methods for extracting advice in this disclosure are not limited to these methods. For example, the extraction unit 313 may select information for advice to extract based on the driver's responses to a questionnaire regarding the driving of the vehicle 10, the content of questions asked to the driver within at least one of the multiple browsing sites, or the driver's driving diagnostic results.

[0072] (Provider Department) The providing unit 314 provides the driver with the advice information extracted by the extraction unit 313 via the terminal device 20. Specifically, the providing unit 314 transmits the advice information extracted by the extraction unit 313, or link information such as a URL for outputting the advice information, to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 33. As a result, the advice information is output to the driver from the output unit 25 of the terminal device 20 via screen display or audio output.

[0073] (5-3. First example of operation of the advice-providing device) Referring to Figure 5, a first example of operation of the advice-providing device 30 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to a flowchart.

[0074] In step S10, the acquisition unit 311 acquires information about the driver's target driving type regarding the operation of the vehicle 10. In this example of operation, the target driving type includes safety orientation or driving skill improvement orientation, but these are subjective goals of the driver and are not objectively acquired using the driver's driving data. As mentioned above, the information on the target driving type may be acquired based on the driver's browsing history or posting history of multiple websites, or based on the driver's answers to questions. The process then proceeds to step S11.

[0075] In step S11, the acquisition unit 311 acquires information that the driver wants to know regarding the operation of the vehicle 10. As mentioned above, the information to be wanted may be acquired based on the driver's browsing history or posting history of multiple websites, or it may be acquired based on answers to questions to the driver. For example, suppose the driver has previously browsed a website corresponding to the first browsing site, which is about how to use the brakes to avoid brake fade. In this case, the information that the driver wants to know is identified as being able to drive safely without causing brake fade. Also, suppose the driver has previously posted something like "I want to make the steering smoother" on a community site corresponding to the second browsing site. In this case, the information that the driver wants to know is being able to make the steering smoother. The process then proceeds to step S12.

[0076] The processes in steps S10 and S11 may be performed in parallel, or in the reverse order of the order described above.

[0077] In step S12, the acquisition unit 311 acquires information on the driver's actual driving type and the driver's proficiency level of the vehicle 10. The actual driving type and proficiency level are obtained from the diagnostic results of a publicly known or arbitrary driving diagnostic system, as described above. In this example, the actual driving type includes safety-oriented or driving skill improvement-oriented, and these are objectively determined using the driver's driving data. The process then proceeds to step S13.

[0078] In step S13, the providing unit 314 generates information of the driving skill diagnostic results so that at least the target driving type in step S10 and the actual driving type in step S12 can be displayed in a comparable manner, and transmits it to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 33. This allows the driver to correctly recognize whether the subjective target driving type they are aiming for matches the objective driving type that is in line with the actual driving data. The diagnostic result information may also include information that the driver wants to know in step S11, and may also include information on skill level in step S12.

[0079] (5-4. Second example of the operation of the advice-providing device) Referring to Figure 6, a second example of the operation of the advice-providing device 30 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to a flowchart.

[0080] In step S20, the selection unit 312 determines whether the driver's target driving type acquired in the first operation example is safety-oriented or not. If it is determined to be safety-oriented (step S20: YES), the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if it is not determined to be safety-oriented (step S20: NO), the process terminates.

[0081] In step S20, the selection unit 312 may determine whether the driver proficiency acquired in the first operation example is below a predetermined standard. If it is determined that the proficiency is below the predetermined standard, the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the proficiency is below the predetermined standard, the process terminates.

[0082] In step S21, the selection unit 312 selects a first browsing site as a browsing site from which to extract information for advice to be provided to the driver. In this example of operation, the first browsing site is one or more websites on the internet set up for safety education. In this way, the first browsing site corresponding to the driver's target driving type, which is safety orientation, is specified by the advice providing device 30. The process then proceeds to step S22.

[0083] In step S22, the extraction unit 313 extracts information from the first browsing site selected in step S21 that provides advice related to the information the driver wants to know, obtained in the first example of operation. For example, suppose that in the first example of operation, the information the driver wants to know is to drive safely without causing brake fade. In this case, the extraction unit 313 extracts information from the first browsing site to provide advice on how to use the brakes to avoid brake fade. The process then proceeds to step S23.

[0084] In step S22, it is preferable that the extraction unit 313 prioritizes extracting information on advice that has significantly improved the driving skills of each user after providing them with advice information for using the first browsing site. Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the extraction unit 313 prioritizes extracting information on advice provided to users whose target driving type is safety-oriented and whose skill level is equivalent to that of the driver, among users whose driving skills have improved significantly. This allows the driver to obtain information on advice that was effective for users whose driving type is similar to their own and whose skill level is equivalent to theirs, thereby effectively improving their own driving skills.

[0085] In step S23, the extraction unit 313 determines whether there are multiple pieces of advice information extracted in step S22. If it is determined that there are multiple pieces of advice information (step S23: YES), the process proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there are multiple pieces of advice information (step S23: NO), the process proceeds to step S25.

[0086] In step S24, the extraction unit 313 extracts the information of the advice with the most views from the first browsing site where multiple pieces of advice are posted. By narrowing down the information of advice to one in this way, the cognitive load on the driver to recall the advice while driving can be reduced. Therefore, the impact on the cognitive and judgment functions that the driver should be focusing on while driving can also be reduced. As mentioned above, this extraction can be performed using the browsing history obtainable from the external server 40 that manages the first browsing site. The process then proceeds to step S25.

[0087] The extraction unit 313 may also extract one piece of advice from the first browsing site where each of the multiple pieces of advice is posted, which is related to the information the driver wants to know and has the most recent update date. Alternatively, the extraction unit 313 may randomly extract one piece of advice from the first browsing site where each of the multiple pieces of advice is posted, which is related to the information the driver wants to know.

[0088] In step S25, the providing unit 324 transmits link information, such as a URL, to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 33 for outputting the advice information extracted by the extraction unit 313. When the driver inputs the URL indicated by the link information via the input unit 24 of the terminal device 20, the driver can obtain the advice information posted on the first browsing site specified by the URL via the output unit 25 of the terminal device 20. In this way, the driver can obtain advice information that matches the driving type they want to aim for and the information they want to know. The process then ends.

[0089] (5-5. Third example of operation of the advice-providing device) Referring to Figure 7, a third example of the operation of the advice-providing device 30 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to a flowchart.

[0090] In step S30, the selection unit 312 determines whether the driver's target driving type acquired in the first operation example is geared towards improving driving skills. If it is determined to be geared towards improving driving skills (step S30: YES), the process proceeds to step S31. On the other hand, if it is not determined to be geared towards improving driving skills (step S30: NO), the process terminates.

[0091] In step S30, the selection unit 312 may determine whether the driver proficiency acquired in the first operation example exceeds a predetermined standard. In this case, if it is determined that the proficiency exceeds the predetermined standard, the process proceeds to step S31. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the proficiency exceeds the predetermined standard, the process terminates.

[0092] In step S31, the selection unit 312 selects a second browsing site as a browsing site from which to extract information for advice to be provided to the driver. In this example of operation, the second browsing site is a community site that includes information on questions related to driving the vehicle 10 and advice for those questions, and which can be viewed by a specific user. As mentioned above, there may be multiple community sites, each corresponding to a different type of driving skill. In this case, the selection unit 312 selects a second browsing site that corresponds to a community site corresponding to a different type of driving skill. In this way, the advice providing device 30 designates a second browsing site that corresponds to the driver's target driving type, which is their desire to improve their driving skills. The process then proceeds to step S32.

[0093] In step S32, the extraction unit 313 extracts information related to the information the driver wants to know, obtained in the first operation example, from the second browsing site selected in step S31. For example, suppose that in the first operation example, smoothing the steering operation was identified as information the driver wanted to know. In this case, the extraction unit 313 extracts information related to advice on how to smooth the steering operation. The process then proceeds to step S33.

[0094] In step S32, it is preferable that the extraction unit 313 extracts information on advice from users whose target driving type is the same as the driver's and whose skill level is higher than or equal to the driver's. Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the extraction unit 313 extracts information on advice from the user with the highest skill level among users whose target driving type is the same as the driver's and whose skill level is higher than or equal to the driver's. As a result, the driver can obtain information on advice posted by users whose driving type is the same as their own, and thus be able to find the content of the advice convincing. Moreover, since the driver can obtain information on advice posted by users whose skill level is higher than their own, they can improve their own driving skills while matching them to their own driving type.

[0095] Furthermore, in step S32, it is preferable for the extraction unit 313 to prioritize extracting information on advice that has significantly improved the driving skills of each user after providing them with advice information for using the second browsing site. Moreover, it is even more preferable for the extraction unit 313 to prioritize extracting information on advice provided to users whose target driving type is driving skill improvement oriented and whose skill level is equivalent to that of the driver, among users whose driving skills have improved significantly. As a result, the driver can obtain information on advice that was effective for users whose driving type is similar to their own and whose skill level is equivalent to theirs, thereby effectively improving their own driving skills.

[0096] In step S33, the extraction unit 313 determines whether there are multiple pieces of advice information extracted in step S32. If it is determined that there are multiple pieces of advice information (step S33: YES), the process proceeds to step S34. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there are multiple pieces of advice information (step S33: NO), the process proceeds to step S35.

[0097] In step S34, the extraction unit 313 extracts the information of the advice with the most positive ratings from among the multiple pieces of advice posted on the second browsing site. By narrowing down the information of advice to one in this way, the cognitive load on the driver to recall the advice while driving can be reduced. Therefore, the impact on the cognitive and judgment functions that the driver should be focusing on while driving can also be reduced. As mentioned above, this extraction can be performed using information on the clicks of social buttons such as "Like!" on the advice posted on the second browsing site. The process then proceeds to step S35.

[0098] However, the extraction unit 313 may randomly extract one piece of advice related to the information the driver wants to know from among the second browsing site where multiple pieces of advice have been posted.

[0099] In step S35, the providing unit 314 transmits link information, such as a URL, to the terminal device 20 via the communication unit 33 for outputting the advice information extracted by the extraction unit 313. When the driver inputs the URL indicated by the link information via the input unit 24 of the terminal device 20, the driver can obtain the advice information posted on the second browsing site specified by the URL via the output unit 25 of the terminal device 20. In this way, the driver can obtain advice information that matches the type of driving they want to achieve and the information they want to know. The process then ends.

[0100] (5. Summary) As described above, the processing unit 31 of the advice provision device 30 according to this embodiment acquires at least one of the following: information on the driver's target driving type and information on their skill level regarding the driving of the vehicle 10. The processing unit 31 then selects a browsing site from among a plurality of browsing sites designated in advance according to the target driving type or skill level, based on the driver's target driving type or skill level, from which it extracts information on advice to be provided to the driver. The processing unit 31 then determines the advice to be provided to the driver from the selected browsing site. With this configuration, a browsing site is selected from which information on advice to be provided to the driver is extracted based on the driver's target driving type or skill level. Therefore, the driver's preferences regarding driving are taken into account, and driving advice suitable for each individual driver can be provided.

[0101] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these will naturally also be understood to fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided into two.

[0102] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can also be realized as a vehicle 10 equipped with the advice-providing device 30 described in the above-described embodiment, an advice-providing method executed by the advice-providing device 30, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above-described advice-providing device 30, and a non-temporary tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1000: Advice provision system, 10: Vehicle, 20: Terminal device, 21: Processing unit, 22: Storage unit, 23: Communication unit, 24: Input unit, 25: Output unit, 30: Advice provision device, 31: Processing unit, 32: Storage unit, 33: Communication unit, 311: Acquisition unit, 312: Selection unit, 313: Extraction unit, 314: Provision unit, 40: External server, 50: Network

Claims

1. Computers Obtain at least one of the following regarding the driver's target driving type and skill level related to vehicle operation: From among a number of browsing sites designated in advance according to the target driving type or skill level, a browsing site is selected that extracts information for advice to be provided to the driver based on the driver's target driving type or skill level. Determine the advice to provide to the driver from the selected browsing site. An advice-providing device.

2. The aforementioned multiple browsing sites include a first browsing site set up for safety education and a second browsing site set up for improving driving skills. The aforementioned computer, Based on the driver's target driving type or skill level, the first browsing site or the second browsing site is selected as a browsing site from which information on advice to be provided to the driver is extracted. The advice-providing device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned computer, If the driver's target driving type is safety-oriented, or if the driver's skill level is below a predetermined standard, the first browsing site is selected. If the driver's target driving type is geared towards improving driving skills, or if the driver's skill level exceeds the predetermined standard, the second browsing site is selected. The advice-providing device according to claim 2.

4. The second browsing site includes information on questions and advice regarding the driving of the vehicle, and the actual driving type or skill level of the user who asked the question or gave the advice is associated with the question or advice. The aforementioned computer, When extracting the advice information from the second browsing site, the information extracted is from users whose target driving type is the same as that of the driver and whose skill level is equal to or higher than that of the driver. The advice-providing device according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned computer, After providing the advice information to each user who uses the aforementioned multiple browsing sites, the degree of improvement in each user's driving skills is determined. Prioritize extracting information on advice that indicates a high degree of improvement in the aforementioned driving skills. The advice-providing device according to claim 1.

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