In-vehicle device and method of operating the in-vehicle device

Abstract

To improve the reliability of monitoring inside the vehicle. [Solution] The in-vehicle device has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates using the communication unit, and is mounted on a vehicle. The control unit performs a first operation to send captured images from inside the vehicle to an information processing device when the vehicle has finished transporting passengers, and if the communication status with the information processing device is poor, it performs a second operation to output warning information when it detects a passenger from the captured images.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an in-vehicle device and an operation method of the in-vehicle device.

Background Art

[0002] During driving or parking, techniques have been proposed for taking pictures of vehicles to prevent not only accidents during driving but also incidents around the vehicle. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a system for monitoring the interior of a vehicle to prevent forgetting or confining children or the like inside the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a monitoring system for a parked vehicle sends an imaged image inside the vehicle to a monitoring center, if the communication situation is poor, it may hinder the monitoring. Therefore, there is room for improving the certainty of monitoring the interior of the vehicle.

[0005] Hereinafter, an in-vehicle device and the like that enable improvement in the certainty of monitoring the interior of the vehicle will be disclosed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The in-vehicle device in the present disclosure has a communication unit and a control unit that communicates with the communication unit, and is an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle. When the sending and receiving of passengers by the vehicle is completed, the control unit executes a first operation of sending an imaged image inside the vehicle to an information processing device. When the communication situation with the information processing device is poor, when a passenger is detected from the imaged image, the control unit executes a second operation of outputting information for warning.

[0007] A method for operating an in-vehicle device in another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for operating an in-vehicle device mounted in a vehicle, which includes performing a first operation to send captured images from inside the vehicle to an information processing device when the vehicle has finished transporting passengers, and, if the communication status with the information processing device is poor, performing a second operation to output warning information when a passenger is detected from the captured images. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The in-vehicle devices described in this disclosure will enable improved reliability of monitoring inside the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information provision system. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure for an in-vehicle device. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure for an in-vehicle device. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation procedure for an in-vehicle device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an information provision system in one embodiment. The information provision system 1 has one or more server devices 10, terminal devices 12, and an in-vehicle device 13 mounted on a vehicle 15, all of which are connected to each other via a network 11 so as to be able to communicate information. The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer belonging to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functioning as a server that implements various functions. The terminal device 12 is an information processing terminal that exchanges various information with the server device 10, and is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal device, etc. The vehicle 15 is a bus vehicle that transports passengers such as infants and children, and is configured to charge the battery of the battery device 17 while the engine is running, and is an internal combustion engine vehicle, a hybrid vehicle (HEV; Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV; Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), etc. The in-vehicle device 13 is a computer having communication functions and information processing functions, and is connected to the in-vehicle monitoring system 16 and the battery device 17 so as to be able to communicate, and controls the operation of the monitoring system 16 and the battery device 17. The monitoring system 16 includes one or more cameras 14 positioned to capture images of the interior of the vehicle, along with their control circuits, and a speaker 18 for audio output, along with its control circuit, and operates on power supplied from the battery device 17. The battery device 17 includes a battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, capable of supplying power to various mechanisms of the vehicle 15 and the monitoring system 16, along with a control circuit for controlling its charging and discharging. The network 11 includes, for example, a mobile communication network, the Internet, an ad-hoc network, a LAN (Local Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other networks, or any combination thereof.

[0012] Information provision system 1 supports the provision of information to supervisors, guardians, etc., to prevent passengers from being left behind or trapped in vehicle 15. When vehicle 15 has finished dropping off or picking up passengers and parked in a designated parking area such as a garage (hereinafter referred to as a waiting area), the monitoring system 16, under the control of the in-vehicle device 13, takes images of the interior of the vehicle using a camera 14, and the in-vehicle device 13 acquires the images from the camera 14 and sends them to the server device 10 via the network 11. The server device 10 sends the images to terminal devices 12 for supervisors at the monitoring center, supervisors of infants and children, guardians, etc. This makes it possible for supervisors, etc., to grasp the situation inside the vehicle 15 and sense the probability of passengers being left behind or trapped. Furthermore, when supervisors, etc., sense that passengers have been left behind or trapped, they send a warning sound output instruction from the terminal device 12 to the in-vehicle device 13, and the speaker 18 of the monitoring system 16 can output a warning sound directed to the crew or workers around vehicle 15. In this case, if the communication status of the in-vehicle device 13 is poor, it may not be able to receive instructions from the supervisor and may not be able to issue appropriate warnings. However, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 13 operates in such a way that it can issue appropriate warnings even if the communication status is poor.

[0013] The in-vehicle device 13 of this embodiment is installed in a vehicle 15 used for transporting passengers. When the transport of passengers by the vehicle 15 is completed, the in-vehicle device 13 performs a first operation (hereinafter referred to as normal monitoring operation) in which it sends captured images from inside the vehicle 15 to an information processing device, such as a server device 10. If the communication status with the server device 10 is poor, it performs a second operation (hereinafter referred to as preliminary monitoring operation) in which it detects a passenger from the captured image and outputs warning information. After the transport is completed, that is, after the vehicle 15 is parked and the engine is turned off, the in-vehicle device 13 performs the normal monitoring operation by having the monitoring system 16 perform imaging using power supplied from the vehicle battery or the built-in battery of the in-vehicle device 13. Here, if the communication status with the server device 10 is poor, the in-vehicle device 13 ensures the reliability of monitoring by performing the preliminary monitoring operation. Thus, it is possible to improve the reliability of monitoring inside the vehicle.

[0014] Figure 2 shows an example configuration of the in-vehicle device 13. The in-vehicle device 13 includes a communication unit 131, a storage unit 132, a control unit 133, a positioning unit 134, an input unit 135, an output unit 136, and a detection unit 137. These may be configured as a single control device, or as two or more control devices, or as a control device and other devices such as a communication device. The control device includes, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The communication device includes, for example, a DCM (Data Communication Module). Each unit is connected to each other or to the equipment of the vehicle 15 via an in-vehicle network compliant with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The in-vehicle device 13 may also include some equipment equivalent to that of the terminal device 12. The in-vehicle device 13 operates by receiving power from a built-in battery or a battery device 17.

[0015] The communication unit 131 includes modules that support mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation), and modules that support in-vehicle LANs such as CAN. The in-vehicle device 13 is connected to the network 11 via the communication unit 131 through a nearby router device or a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with other devices via the network 11, or communicates information with the monitoring system 16 and the battery device 17 via the in-vehicle LAN.

[0016] The storage unit 132 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. Semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). RAM is, for example, SRAM (Static RAM) or DRAM (Dynamic RAM). ROM is, for example, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The storage unit 132 functions, for example, as a main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The storage unit 132 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 133 and information obtained through the operation of the control unit 133.

[0017] The control unit 133 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processors are general-purpose processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units) or dedicated processors such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuits are, for example, FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). The control unit 133 controls each part of the in-vehicle device 13 and performs information processing related to the operation of the in-vehicle device 13.

[0018] The functions of the control unit 133 are realized by executing a control / processing program on the processor included in the control unit 133. The control / processing program is a program that causes the computer to execute the processing steps included in the operation of the control unit 133, thereby realizing the functions corresponding to the processing of those steps. In other words, the control / processing program is a program that causes the computer to function as the control unit 133. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control unit 133 may be realized by dedicated circuits included in the control unit 133.

[0019] The positioning unit 134 includes one or more GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. GNSS includes, for example, at least any one of GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. The positioning unit 134 sends the positioning result to the control unit 133, and the control unit 133 obtains the position information of the in-vehicle device 13.

[0020] The input unit 135 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a microphone for receiving voice input, a physical key, a capacitance key, a pointing device, a touch screen provided integrally with a display, and the like. The input unit 135 receives an operation for inputting information used for the operation of the control unit 133, and sends the input information to the control unit 133.

[0021] The output unit 136 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a speaker or a display. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 136 outputs the information obtained by the operation of the control unit 133.

[0022] The detection unit 137 is an interface with one or more sensors for detecting the state of each part of the vehicle 15, or has one or more sensors. The sensors include sensors for detecting the on / off of the accessory power supply of the vehicle 15, the start / stop of the engine, etc., and a vehicle speed sensor. The detection unit 137 sends various information obtained by the sensors to the control unit 133.

[0023] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are flowchart diagrams for explaining the operation procedure of the in-vehicle device 13 in this embodiment. Each step in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a step of information processing executed by the control unit 133.

[0024] The procedure shown in Figure 3 is executed at arbitrary intervals, for example, tens of microseconds to several seconds, when the accessory power of the vehicle 15 is turned on and the control unit 133 detects that the engine has started.

[0025] In S300, the control unit 133 acquires the current position and current time of the vehicle 15. The control unit 133 acquires the current position from the positioning unit 134. The control unit 133 also acquires the current time, for example, from the clock function of the processor.

[0026] In S301, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the pick-up / drop-off service has started. In a later step, the control unit 133 determines whether the pick-up / drop-off service has started according to the conditions. If the start of the pick-up / drop-off service has already been determined since the start of the procedure in Figure 3, it determines that the pick-up / drop-off service has started (Yes) and proceeds to step S305. If the start of the pick-up / drop-off service has not yet been determined, it determines that the pick-up / drop-off service has not started (No) and proceeds to step S302.

[0027] In S302, the control unit 133 determines whether the vehicle 15 is located at a distance greater than or equal to a reference distance from the waiting point. The control unit 133 uses the current location and map information to compare the distance from the waiting point on the map to the current location with an arbitrary reference distance. The reference distance is an arbitrary distance at which it is estimated that the vehicle 15 is moving, for example, several tens of meters to several hundred meters. If the control unit 133 determines that the vehicle is at a distance greater than or equal to the reference distance (Yes), it proceeds to step S303; if it determines that the vehicle is not at a distance greater than or equal to the reference distance (No), it terminates one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0028] In S303, the control unit 133 determines whether the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has arrived. The scheduled pick-up / drop-off time is stored in the storage unit 132 in advance. If the control unit 133 determines that the current time has reached the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time (Yes), it proceeds to step S304. If it determines that the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has not reached (No), it terminates one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0029] In S304, the control unit 133 determines whether to start the shuttle service. The determination result is stored in the storage unit 132. Then, the control unit 133 completes one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0030] If it is determined in S301 that the pick-up / drop-off has started, in step S305 the control unit 133 determines whether the pick-up / drop-off has finished or not. The control unit 133 determines the end of the pick-up / drop-off procedure in a later step, but if it has already determined the end of the pick-up / drop-off procedure since the start of the procedure in Figure 3, it determines that the pick-up / drop-off has finished (Yes) and proceeds to step S309. If it has not yet determined the end of the pick-up / drop-off procedure, that is, after the pick-up / drop-off has started but while the pick-up / drop-off is still continuing, it determines that the pick-up / drop-off has not finished (No) and proceeds to step S306.

[0031] In S306, the control unit 133 determines whether the vehicle 15 is located at or below a reference distance from the waiting point. The control unit 133 uses the current position and map information to compare the distance from the waiting point on the map to the current position with an arbitrary reference distance. The reference distance is an arbitrary distance at which it is estimated that the vehicle 15 has returned, for example, several tens of meters to several hundred meters. This reference distance may be the same as the reference distance used in step S302, or it may be a different value. If the control unit 133 determines that the vehicle is approaching the waiting point to or below the reference distance (Yes), it proceeds to step S307; if it determines that the vehicle is not approaching to or below the reference distance (No), it terminates one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3. Note that the waiting point used for determination in step S306 may be the same as the waiting point used for determination in step S302, or it may be a different point.

[0032] In S307, the control unit 133 determines whether the scheduled end time for pick-up and drop-off has arrived. The scheduled end time for pick-up and drop-off is stored in the storage unit 132 in advance. If the control unit 133 determines that the current time has reached the scheduled end time for pick-up and drop-off (Yes), it proceeds to step S308. If it determines that the scheduled end time for pick-up and drop-off has not been reached (No), it terminates one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0033] In S308, the control unit 133 determines that the pick-up / drop-off process is complete. The determination result is stored in the storage unit 132. Then, the control unit 133 completes one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0034] In S301, if it is determined that the pick-up / drop-off service has ended, the conditions for supplying power to the monitoring system 16 (hereinafter referred to as the power supply conditions) are met. The power supply conditions are that the pick-up / drop-off service has started and has ended. The conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started are met when the vehicle 15 has moved more than a standard distance from the waiting point and the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has arrived. The conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has ended are met when, after the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started, the vehicle 15 has returned to a distance below the standard distance from the waiting point and the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has arrived. In the modified version, the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started may be met when the vehicle 15 has moved more than a standard distance from the waiting point or the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has arrived. In the modified version, the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started may be met when, after the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started, the vehicle 15 has returned to a distance below the standard distance from the waiting point or the scheduled pick-up / drop-off time has arrived. Furthermore, the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started in this embodiment may be combined with the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has ended in the modified version, or the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has started in the modified version may be combined with the conditions after the pick-up / drop-off service has ended in this embodiment.

[0035] In S309, the control unit 133 decides whether to supply power from the battery device 17 to the monitoring system 16. The decision is stored in the memory unit 132. Then, the control unit 133 completes one processing cycle as shown in Figure 3.

[0036] As the procedure shown in Figure 3 is executed periodically, the conditions for starting and ending the pick-up / drop-off service are sequentially met in accordance with the movement of vehicle 15 and the passage of time.

[0037] The procedure shown in Figure 4 is executed by the control unit 133 when it detects that the engine of the vehicle 15 has been stopped and the accessory power supply has been cut off.

[0038] In step S40, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the power supply from the battery device 17 to the monitoring system 16 has been decided. If it has been decided (Yes), the control unit 133 proceeds to step S41 and outputs a power supply instruction to the battery device 17. Upon receiving this, the battery device 17 begins discharging to the monitoring system 16. On the other hand, if it has not been decided (No), the control unit 133 terminates the procedure shown in Figure 4.

[0039] In a modified example, the control unit 133 may, instead of sending a power supply instruction to the battery device 17, or in addition to doing so, perform control to supply power from the built-in battery of the on-board device 13 to the monitoring system 16.

[0040] In another modification, the control unit 133 takes into account the transportation schedule information and changes the scheduled start time of transportation in step S303 and the scheduled end time of transportation in step S307. The transportation schedule is information that identifies the date and time when transportation will be carried out, and includes information such as the day of the week, time of day, and long holidays. The transportation schedule information is stored in the storage unit 132 in advance. The transportation schedule information may be set in the in-vehicle device 13 by the user inputting it into the in-vehicle device 13 or by the user setting it in the in-vehicle device 13 via the server device 10 using the terminal device 12. For example, the control unit 133 refers to the transportation schedule information, determines whether there is a transportation schedule for the day, and if there is a transportation schedule, determines the scheduled start time and end time of transportation for that day. According to this modification, the power supply conditions can be determined more precisely, and the power supply in the vehicle 15 monitoring system 16 can be controlled more reliably.

[0041] Figure 5 shows an example of the procedure that the control unit 133 executes after the monitoring system 16 starts operating. The procedure in Figure 5 is executed at any interval, for example, a period of several tens of microseconds to several tens of seconds.

[0042] In S51, the control unit 133 acquires captured images from the monitoring system 16. The monitoring system 16 captures images of the vehicle interior using the camera 14 at an arbitrary frame rate. The control unit 133 acquires one or more arbitrary frames of captured images.

[0043] In S52, the control unit 133 measures the communication status. The control unit 133 analyzes the signal received by the communication unit 131 and measures the communication status using an arbitrary indicator. More specifically, the control unit 133 measures whether or not it is possible to send and receive information with the server device 10 using the communication unit 131.

[0044] In step S53, the control unit 133 determines whether the communication status is good or bad. If it is possible to send and receive information with the server device 10, the control unit 133 determines that the communication status is good (Yes) and proceeds to step S54. If it is not possible to send and receive information with the server device 10, the control unit 133 determines that the communication status is not good, i.e., bad (No) and proceeds to step S55.

[0045] In step S54, the control unit 133 sends the captured images to the server device 10. The control unit 133 can send any number of captured images. Step S54 corresponds to normal monitoring operation. Then, the control unit 133 completes one processing cycle of the procedure in Figure 5.

[0046] In S55, the control unit 133 determines whether the battery level is above a certain standard. The battery level is the battery level of the battery in the battery device 17, the battery level of the battery in the on-board device 13, or the sum of these. The control unit 133 obtains the battery level by acquiring battery level information from the battery device 17 or by detecting the battery level of the battery in the on-board device 13, and compares it with an arbitrary standard. The standard is an arbitrary SOC (State of Charge) value that allows for preliminary monitoring operation, for example, 30% to 50%. The standard information is stored in the storage unit 132 in advance. If the battery level is above the standard (Yes), the control unit 133 proceeds to step S56; if it is below the standard (No), it proceeds to step S58.

[0047] In S56, the control unit 133 performs image processing on the captured images for person detection. The control unit 133 detects people, i.e., passengers, from any number of captured images by image processing such as pattern matching.

[0048] In S57, the control unit 133 determines whether or not a person has been detected in the captured image. If a person is detected (Yes), the control unit 133 proceeds to step S58; otherwise, if no person is detected (No), it terminates one processing cycle of the procedure in Figure 5.

[0049] In S58, the control unit 133 outputs warning information. The warning is an audio output from the speaker 18 of the monitoring system 16, and includes a warning sound, cautionary words, etc. The warning information includes instructions for the monitoring system 16 to output a warning. The control unit 133 outputs the warning information to the monitoring system 16. In response, the monitoring system 16 outputs a warning, making it possible to notify passengers, crew members, or workers around the vehicle 15 of the possibility of passengers being left behind or trapped and to draw their attention. Then, the control unit 133 completes one processing cycle of the procedure in Figure 5.

[0050] Furthermore, if the battery level falls below the standard in step S55, information for the warning in step S58 will be output. In this case, the output of the warning makes it possible to alert the crew or workers around the vehicle 15. If the battery level is relatively low, there is a risk that monitoring will become impossible as the battery is depleted. Regardless of the possibility of passengers being left behind or trapped, alerting the surroundings provides an opportunity to inspect the vehicle interior. Furthermore, the warning sound and wording may be changed depending on whether the result in step S57 is Yes or step S55 is No. For example, in the former case, the wording could be "Please be careful as there is a possibility that passengers have been left behind," and in the latter case, the wording could be "Monitoring will soon be impossible, so please inspect the vehicle interior."

[0051] In the modified example, even if the battery level is below the standard in step S55, warning information is output in step S58. In this case, the output of the warning makes it possible to alert the crew or workers around the vehicle 15. If the battery level is relatively low, there is a risk that monitoring will become impossible as the battery is depleted. Regardless of the possibility of passengers being left behind or trapped, alerting the surroundings provides an opportunity to inspect the vehicle interior. The warning sound and wording may be changed depending on whether the result in step S57 is Yes or in step S55 is No. For example, in the former case, the wording could be "Please be careful as there is a possibility that passengers have been left behind," and in the latter case, the wording could be "Monitoring will soon be impossible, so please inspect the vehicle interior."

[0052] In another modified version, in step S55, the control unit 133 may change the reference value of the battery level according to the elapsed time since step S53 first determined that the communication status was poor and started the preliminary monitoring operation. For example, the longer the elapsed time, the smaller the reference value can be set. For example, information that divides the elapsed time into multiple stages and associates a different reference value with each stage is stored in the storage unit 132 in advance. In the periodic processing cycle of the procedure in Figure 5, the control unit 133 starts timing when it first determines that the communication status is poor. Then, the control unit 133 refers to the information in the storage unit 132 and executes step S53 using the reference value corresponding to the elapsed time. If a passenger is left behind or trapped, it is desirable to output a warning at an earlier timing as the elapsed time increases. According to the modified version, by using a smaller reference value, it is possible to output a warning earlier.

[0053] As described above, embodiments have been explained based on various drawings and examples, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each means, each step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple means, steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Information Provision System 10 Server devices 11 Network 12 Terminal devices 13 Vehicle Equipment 14 Cameras 15 vehicles 16. Monitoring System 17 Battery device 18 speakers 131 Communications Department 132 Storage section 133 Control Unit 134 Positioning Unit 135 Input section 136 Output section 137 Detection unit

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a communication unit and a control unit that performs communication using the communication unit, The control unit, upon completion of transporting passengers by the vehicle, performs a first operation to send captured images from inside the vehicle to an information processing device. If communication with the information processing device is poor, the control unit detects a passenger from the captured images and performs a second operation to output warning information, causing a device that receives the warning information to output a warning. In-vehicle device.

2. An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a communication unit and a control unit that performs communication using the communication unit, The control unit, upon completion of transporting passengers by the vehicle, performs a first operation to send captured images from inside the vehicle to an information processing device, and if communication with the information processing device is poor, it detects a passenger from the captured images and performs a second operation to output warning information. In-vehicle device.

3. In claim 2, The control unit performs the second operation on the condition that the remaining battery charge of the vehicle is above a certain level. In-vehicle device.

4. In claim 2, Even if the passenger is not detected from the captured image in the second operation, the control unit outputs the warning information if the remaining battery level of the vehicle is below a certain standard. In-vehicle device.

5. In claim 4, The control unit reduces the reference according to the elapsed time since the start of the second operation. In-vehicle device.

6. In claim 2, The control unit determines the end of the vehicle's transportation service based on either or both the position and time of the vehicle from the time the vehicle's engine is started until it is stopped. In-vehicle device.

7. In claim 6, The control unit determines the completion of the pick-up / drop-off service by the vehicle, taking into account the pick-up / drop-off schedule. In-vehicle device.

8. In claim 6, The control unit sets the pick-up / drop-off schedule based on the input information. In-vehicle device.

9. A method for operating an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, When the passenger transport by the vehicle is completed, a first operation is performed to send the captured images from inside the vehicle to an information processing device, and if the communication status with the information processing device is poor, a second operation is performed to output warning information when a passenger is detected from the captured images. How the in-vehicle device operates.

10. In claim 9, The second operation is performed on the condition that the remaining battery charge of the vehicle is above a certain level. How the in-vehicle device operates.

11. In claim 9, Even if the passenger is not detected from the captured image in the second operation described above, if the remaining battery level of the vehicle is below a certain threshold, the warning information will be output. How the in-vehicle device operates.

12. In claim 11, The criterion is reduced according to the elapsed time since the start of the second operation. How the in-vehicle device operates.

13. In claim 9, The completion of the vehicle's transportation service is determined based on either or both the vehicle's position and / or time from the start of the vehicle's engine until it is stopped. How the in-vehicle device operates.

14. In claim 13, The completion of transportation by the aforementioned vehicle is determined by taking into account the scheduled transportation schedule. How the in-vehicle device operates.

15. In claim 14, The transportation schedule is set based on the information entered. How the in-vehicle device operates.

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