Driving diagnostic device and driving diagnostic program

Abstract

To perform appropriate driving diagnostics based on the vehicle's behavior as perceived by multiple occupants. [Solution] The driving diagnostic device 200 includes a communication unit 18 that communicates with a first information terminal 2A held by a first occupant riding in the vehicle and a second information terminal 2B held by a second occupant riding in the vehicle; an acquisition unit 161 that acquires first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the first information terminal 2A and second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the second information terminal 2B via the communication unit 18; a generation unit 162 that generates a driving evaluation value based on the first information and second information acquired by the acquisition unit 161; and a diagnostic unit 163 that performs a driving diagnosis of the first occupant driving the vehicle using the driving evaluation value generated by the generation unit 162.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving diagnosis device and a driving diagnosis program for diagnosing a driver's driving.

Background Art

[0002] As this type of technology, a technology for model-estimating driving behavior based on acceleration information, rotational speed information, etc. obtained from sensors provided in a mobile terminal inside a vehicle is known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional technologies only use information obtained by sensors of a mobile terminal, and do not always perform appropriate driving diagnosis. Appropriate driving diagnosis is expected to greatly contribute to traffic safety.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A driving diagnosis device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with a first information terminal possessed by a first passenger riding in a vehicle and a second information terminal possessed by a second passenger riding in the vehicle, and a first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the first information terminal and a second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the second information terminal via the communication unit. An acquisition unit that acquires the information, a generation unit that generates a driving evaluation value based on the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a diagnosis unit that uses the driving evaluation value generated by the generation unit to perform a driving diagnosis of the first passenger driving the vehicle. Another aspect of the present invention is a driving diagnostic program which causes a computer to perform the following processes: communicating with a first information terminal held by a first occupant riding in a vehicle and a second information terminal held by a second occupant riding in a vehicle; acquiring first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the first information terminal and second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the second information terminal via communication; generating a driving evaluation value based on the acquired first and second information; and performing a driving diagnostic of the first occupant driving the vehicle using the generated driving evaluation value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to perform appropriate driving diagnostics based on the vehicle's behavior as perceived by multiple occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing an example of a vehicle equipped with an IVI system. [Figure 2A] A block diagram illustrating the main components of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 2B] A block diagram illustrating the essential components of a terminal. [Figure 3] A flowchart illustrating the flow of the program-based operational diagnostic process. [Figure 4] A block diagram illustrating the main components of the terminal according to Modification Example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] <Overview> The driving diagnostic device according to the invention diagnoses the driving of a driver operating a vehicle. In the embodiment, while the vehicle is in motion, the driving diagnosis is performed based on information indicating the vehicle's behavior, which is detected by sensors on information terminals such as smartphones held by multiple occupants in the vehicle, including the driver. Generally, driving diagnostics using smartphone sensors are a concern because, for example, the smartphone is not securely fixed to the vehicle body, resulting in lower diagnostic accuracy compared to using information detected by the vehicle's own acceleration sensors. Furthermore, there may be a difference in the detected acceleration between the front seat where the driver sits (driver's seat) and, for example, the rear seat where a passenger sits. In fact, when the seat position is far from the vehicle's center of gravity, differences in acceleration are more likely to occur between multiple seats.

[0009] For the reasons stated above, in this embodiment, multiple pieces of information are acquired from multiple terminals used by multiple occupants, each detected by the sensors on each terminal, and a driving diagnosis is performed based on these pieces of information. For example, if high acceleration is detected by multiple devices, it will be determined that reckless driving occurred, and the driving diagnostic evaluation will be lowered. Also, if high acceleration is detected by only some of the multiple devices, the driving diagnostic will be stopped based on the idea that it is better not to make a false diagnosis, as this may be due to individual factors (such as one of the devices not being fixed to the vehicle).

[0010] In this embodiment, a driving diagnostic device is given as an example of one of the functions of the IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system installed in the vehicle. The driving diagnostic device diagnoses and evaluates the driving characteristics of the vehicle's driver based on multiple acceleration data detected by sensors on multiple terminals used by multiple occupants. In addition, multiple angular velocity data detected by sensors on each terminal are also acquired in order to detect the attitude of each terminal. The information obtained from the driving diagnostic device may be managed by the IVI system for each driver. Such a driving diagnostic device will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <Example of a driver diagnostic system configuration> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a vehicle 100 equipped with an IVI system that includes a driving diagnostic function as one of its features. In the following explanation, the occupant driving vehicle 100 will be referred to as driver P1, and other occupants riding along will be referred to as passengers P2. The IVI system includes an in-vehicle device 14, a group of vehicle sensors 12, a display unit 51, a projection unit 52, and audio playback units 53A to 53D that constitute the output device 50, operation detection units 11A and 11B, and microphones 111A and 111B that constitute the input device 11, a front seat camera 131 and a rear seat camera 132 that constitute the in-vehicle camera 13, a terminal 2A used by the driver P1 in the front seat of the vehicle, and a terminal 2B used by the passenger P2 in the rear seat of the vehicle. Figure 1 illustrates the case where the driver P1 and passenger P2 are seated in the vehicle.

[0012] The in-vehicle device 14 and terminals 2A and 2B are configured to enable, for example, UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication. UWB wireless communication is a communication method that enables high-precision positioning by utilizing an ultra-wideband frequency bandwidth. In this embodiment, the positions of terminals 2A and 2B inside the vehicle can be detected with high precision. The in-vehicle device 14, the output device 50, the input device 11, the vehicle sensor group 12, and the in-vehicle camera 13 are configured to communicate via wired communication using CAN (Controller Area Network) or the like.

[0013] Terminals 2A and 2B consist, for example, of smartphones used by the driver P1 and passenger P2, respectively. Terminals 2A and 2B are fixed to holders (not shown) installed on, for example, the seats in which each person sits. The diagram shows two terminals 2A and 2B for use by the driver P1 and passenger P2, but the actual number of terminals will vary depending on the number of occupants; for example, four terminals may be used for four occupants. Furthermore, the number of cameras constituting the in-vehicle camera 13, the number of operation detection units and microphones constituting the input device 11, and the number of display units, projection units, and audio playback units constituting the output device 50 may also be appropriately changed according to the number of occupants.

[0014] When the IVI system projects or displays an operation menu screen (not shown) on the output device 50 (the projection unit 52 and the display unit 51), and a button corresponding to the driving diagnosis is touched from among a plurality of menu buttons (which may be called icons) displayed on the output device 50, or when a voice corresponding to the driving diagnosis is input from the microphones 111A and 111B that constitute the input device 11, the in-vehicle device 14 starts operating as the driving diagnosis device 200.

[0015] Hereinafter, the functions of the in-vehicle device 14 as the driving diagnosis device 200 will be mainly described. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the configuration examples of each part in FIG. 1. <In-vehicle device> FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating the main configuration of the in-vehicle device 14. The in-vehicle device 14 includes a control unit 16 that substantially functions as the MPU (Micro Processing Unit) of the IVI system, and by reading and executing a predetermined program P stored in the storage unit 17, various information processes, control processes, etc. required in the in-vehicle device 14 are performed. The program P may be downloaded, for example, from a server device 400 connected to the in-vehicle device 14 via the first communication unit 18 and the public communication network 300.

[0016] In FIG. 2A, the in-vehicle device 14 includes a control unit 16, a storage unit 17, and a first communication unit 18. When starting to operate as the driving diagnosis device 200, the control unit 16 reads and executes an application (application program) for the driving diagnosis device 200 among the programs P stored in the storage unit 17, thereby performing various information processes, control processes, etc. required as the driving diagnosis device 200. As a functional configuration for driving diagnosis, the control unit 16 includes an acquisition unit 161, a generation unit 162, a diagnosis unit 163, a position detection unit 164, an inappropriate detection unit 165, an output unit 166, and an input unit 167.

[0017] (Acquisition unit) The acquisition unit 161 acquires first acceleration data from terminal 2A as first information indicating the behavior of vehicle 100 detected by terminal 2A via the first communication unit 18, and also acquires second acceleration data from terminal 2B as second information indicating the behavior of vehicle 100 detected by terminal 2B. The acquisition unit 161 further acquires first angular velocity data from terminal 2A, which is fixed to the holder (not shown), as first attitude information, via the first communication unit 18, and acquires second angular velocity data from terminal 2B, which is second attitude information, as second attitude information, indicating the attitude of terminal 2B.

[0018] (Generation part) The generation unit 162 generates driving evaluation values ​​based on the first acceleration data and first angular velocity data acquired by the acquisition unit 161, and the second acceleration data and second angular velocity data. The generation unit 162 first uses the acceleration data detected by terminals 2A and 2B to score the driving characteristics that characterize the driving style of driver P1. This is based on the idea that the driving style is characterized by the stability of acceleration, the stability of deceleration, the stability of turning, and the stability of straight-line driving as driving characteristics.

[0019] In this embodiment, among the accelerations detected by terminals 2A and 2B, the acceleration relative to the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is associated with the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 100. In addition, among the accelerations detected by terminals 2A and 2B, the acceleration perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is associated with turning. Based on the changes in the direction and magnitude of the acceleration acquired in a time series while the vehicle 100 is in motion, the generation unit 162 scores the acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, and straight-line stability as follows:

[0020] (Acceleration stability) In the generation unit 162, for example, in a three-axis (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) coordinate system, the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is defined as the X-axis, the left-right direction perpendicular to the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis is defined as the Z-axis. When the acceleration of the X-axis component detected by terminals 2A and 2B is positive, it is treated as acceleration, and when the acceleration of the X-axis component detected by terminals 2A and 2B is negative, it is treated as deceleration. Therefore, when evaluating acceleration stability, the generation unit 162 evaluates the magnitude of the acceleration component in the X-axis only when it is positive. It then counts the maximum value of acceleration for each acceleration operation, and the larger the proportion of large accelerations exceeding a predetermined first threshold during a single run, the lower the score for acceleration stability during that run.

[0021] (Stable deceleration) When evaluating the stability of deceleration, the generation unit 162 evaluates the magnitude of the acceleration component in the X-axis only when it is negative. It then counts the maximum absolute value of the acceleration for each deceleration operation, and the larger the proportion of accelerations in a single run whose absolute value exceeds a predetermined second threshold, the lower the score for the stability of deceleration during that run.

[0022] (Turning stability) When evaluating turning stability, the generation unit 162 evaluates the magnitude of the acceleration component of the Y axis regardless of whether it is positive or negative. For each turning motion where the sign of the acceleration component of the Y axis is the same, it counts the maximum absolute value of the acceleration, and the larger the proportion of accelerations in a single run whose absolute value exceeds a predetermined third threshold, the lower the score for turning stability in that run.

[0023] (Straight-line stability) When evaluating straight-line stability, the generation unit 162 evaluates the absence of so-called sudden steering. Since sudden steering increases the acceleration of the Y-axis component in the vehicle 100, the evaluation of the Y-axis acceleration is the same as when evaluating turning stability. However, the maximum value of the absolute value of the Y-axis acceleration is counted only under the condition that there is no acceleration or deceleration for a certain period of time, in other words, the magnitude of the absolute value of the X-axis acceleration remains within a predetermined value for a certain period of time, and is not counted during normal right or left turns (actions where the vehicle decelerates before turning right or left). In the evaluation of straight-line stability, the larger the proportion of accelerations in a single run whose absolute value exceeds a predetermined fourth threshold, the lower the score for straight-line stability in that run.

[0024] (Correction for acceleration data) The generation unit 162 corrects the first acceleration data based on the first angular velocity data, and corrects the second acceleration data based on the second angular velocity data, and then scores the driving characteristics as described above based on the corrected first acceleration data and the corrected second acceleration data. The reason for this is as follows. Generally, the three-axis (X, Y, Z axis) coordinate system related to the movement of the vehicle 100 described above and the three-axis (x, y, z axis) coordinate system of the acceleration sensor used when detecting acceleration with a terminal 2A fixed to the seat or other holder of the vehicle 100 do not coincide in most cases, and a relative discrepancy exists, depending on the orientation in which the terminal 2A is fixed. Therefore, before scoring the driving characteristics, the generation unit 162 uses the first angular velocity data indicating the attitude of terminal 2A to convert the first acceleration data, which is represented by the three axes (x, y, and z axes) of the acceleration sensor of terminal 2A, into first acceleration data represented by the three axes (X, Y, and Z axes) related to the movement of vehicle 100. This conversion may also be called calibration. In other words, in this embodiment, the corrected first acceleration data is synonymous with the calibrated first acceleration data. Similarly, before scoring the driving characteristics, the generation unit 162 uses the second angular velocity data indicating the attitude of terminal 2B to convert the second acceleration data, which is represented by the three axes (x, y, and z axes) of the acceleration sensor of terminal 2B, into second acceleration data represented by the three axes (X, Y, and Z axes) relating to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the corrected second acceleration data is synonymous with the calibrated second acceleration data.

[0025] (Changing the reference threshold) Next, if the position detection unit 164 detects a terminal in the rear seat, the generation unit 162 changes the reference thresholds (corresponding to the first to fourth thresholds above) used for scoring driving characteristics, as follows, unlike when the terminal is detected in the front seat. Specifically, the first to fourth thresholds used in scoring driving characteristics are corrected to values ​​lower than their initial values. The correction range may be set commonly for the first to fourth thresholds, or it may be set individually for each of the first to fourth thresholds. As an example, the generation unit 162 corrects the first to fourth threshold values ​​for the second acceleration data, which has been detected and calibrated by terminal 2B used by passenger P2 in the rear seat of the vehicle, so that they are smaller than the first to fourth threshold values ​​for the first acceleration data, which has been detected and calibrated by terminal 2A used by driver P1 in the front seat. Due to these first to fourth threshold corrections, the driving characteristic score calculated based on the second acceleration data detected by terminal 2B will be lower than the driving characteristic score calculated based on the first acceleration data detected by terminal 2A, and using the data detected in the rear seat will increase the likelihood of determining that the driving is more aggressive.

[0026] Finally, the generation unit 162 generates a driving evaluation value for driver P1 based on the scores for each driving characteristic (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, straight-line stability) calculated based on the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data after calibration, which are detected and calibrated by the terminals 2A and 2B of multiple occupants of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the driver P1's driving evaluation score may be calculated by dividing the sum of the scores for each driving characteristic (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, straight-line stability) calculated based on detection data detected by terminals 2A and 2B of multiple occupants by the number of occupants. Alternatively, the driving evaluation value may be the sum of the lowest scores for each driving characteristic (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, straight-line stability) calculated based on detection data from terminals 2A and 2B of multiple occupants.

[0027] (Diagnostic Department) The diagnostic unit 163 uses the driving evaluation values ​​generated by the generation unit 162 to perform a driving diagnosis of the driver P1 seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 100.

[0028] In this embodiment, as an example, when the driver P1 and passenger P2 board the vehicle 100, the in-vehicle device 14 speaks to the driver P1 and passenger P2 via the audio playback units 53A to 53D that constitute the output device 50, and the voices of the driver P1 and passenger P2 responding (for example, stating their names) are collected by the microphones 111A and 111B that constitute the input device 11, while the front seat camera 131 and rear seat camera 132 that constitute the in-vehicle camera 13 may capture images of the driver P1 and passenger P2. The in-vehicle device 14 can identify the faces, names, and voices of multiple occupants in the vehicle by linking (or associating) the faces of the driver P1 and passenger P2, the names of the driver P1 and passenger P2, and the frequency components of the voices emitted by the driver P1 and passenger P2. The onboard device 14, acting as a driving diagnostic device 200, records information related to the driver P1's driving diagnosis as a diagnostic result R in the storage unit 17 and manages it as driver P1's driving information. The diagnostic result R can be reviewed by the driver P1 via the output device 50 as a review of their own driving while the vehicle 100 is stopped after completing a run.

[0029] (Position detection unit) The position detection unit 164 detects the positions of terminals 2A and 2B on the vehicle 100. The detection method may be either the first or second example below. (Example 1) The position detection unit 164 detects the positions of terminals 2A and 2B based on the UWB wireless communication radio waves received by the first communication unit 18. (Example 2) The position detection unit 164 detects the positions of terminals 2A and 2B based on images captured by the in-vehicle camera 13, which photographs the occupants inside the vehicle. The control unit 16 identifies a terminal detected near the driver's seat in the front row as terminal 2A, and identifies the occupant using terminal 2A as driver P1 based on the ID information of terminal 2A. It also identifies a terminal detected near a seat other than the driver's seat as terminal 2B, and identifies the occupant using terminal 2B as passenger P2 based on the ID information of terminal 2B.

[0030] (Unsuitability detection unit) The unsuitability detection unit 165 detects whether at least one of terminals 2A and 2B is in an unsuitable condition for acquiring first acceleration data and second acceleration data that indicate the behavior of the vehicle 100. An unsuitable situation includes cases where the designated application for detecting driving behavior is not running on terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B. Unsuitable situations include, for example, cases where the first communication unit 18 cannot communicate wirelessly with terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B. Furthermore, this may include cases where the battery level of terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B is lower than a predetermined value. Furthermore, the first angular velocity data as first attitude information acquired by the first communication unit 18, and / or the second angular velocity data as second attitude information acquired by the first communication unit 18, may also include cases where terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B are not held in the holder (not shown).

[0031] (Output section) When the driver P1 wants to view the diagnostic result R visually, the output unit 166 outputs a video signal displaying the diagnostic result R to the output device 50 upon instruction from the driver P1. As a result, the video based on the video signal output from the output unit 166 is displayed on the display unit that makes up the output device 50. Furthermore, when the driver P1 confirms the diagnostic result R by voice, the output unit 166 outputs a playback signal to the output device 50 informing the driver P1 of the diagnostic result R by voice, upon receiving instructions from the driver P1. As a result, the audio based on the playback signal output from the output unit 166 is played back by the speaker or other components of the output device 50.

[0032] (Input section) The input unit 167 receives the voices of the driver P1 and the passenger P2. More specifically, it receives the voice signal of the driver P1, which is picked up by microphone 111A, and the voice signal of the passenger P2, which is picked up by microphone 111B.

[0033] (First Communications Department) The first communication unit 18 includes a short-range wireless communication module (not shown) that performs wireless communication with terminals 2A and 2B, and a wired communication module (not shown) that performs wired communication using CAN or the like. The short-range wireless communication module may employ the UWB wireless communication method described above.

[0034] The vehicle sensor group 12, the in-vehicle camera 13, the input device 11, and the output device 50 shown in Figure 2A will be briefly explained. (Vehicle sensor group) The vehicle sensor group 12 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a positioning sensor, a camera, etc. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 14 is configured to obtain vehicle speed information of the vehicle 100 detected by the vehicle speed sensor.

[0035] (In-car camera) The in-vehicle camera 13 includes a front seat camera 131 and a rear seat camera 132. The front seat camera 131 captures the upper body of the driver P1 sitting in the front seat and outputs the subject image data as image information to the in-vehicle device 14. The rear seat camera 132 captures the upper body of the passenger P2 sitting in the rear seat and outputs the subject image data as image information to the in-vehicle device 14.

[0036] (Input device) The input device 11 includes operation detection units 11A and 11B, and microphones 111A and 111B. The operation detection unit 11A is operated by the driver P1 in the front seat and outputs an operation signal to the in-vehicle device 14. The operation detection unit 11A may be configured as a pointing device that works in conjunction with the projected image projected by the projection unit 52, which will be described later. The operation detection unit 11B is provided on the display surface of the display unit 51. The operation detection unit 11B is operated by the passenger P2 in the rear seat and outputs an operation signal indicating the touch position to the in-vehicle device 14.

[0037] Microphone 111A collects the voice of the driver P1 in the front seat and outputs the audio signal to the in-vehicle device 14. Microphone 111B collects the voice of the passenger P2 in the rear seat and outputs the audio signal to the in-vehicle device 14.

[0038] (Output device) The output device 50 includes a display unit 51, a projection unit 52, and an audio playback unit 53. The output device 50 is used, for example, to display an operation menu screen or to play back diagnostic results R. The display unit 51 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display and displays image information based on display signals output from the in-vehicle device 14. The image information includes the operation menu screen, the diagnostic result R image, and so on. The projection unit 52 is composed of a head-up display (HUD) that projects onto, for example, the windshield, and projects image information based on the projection signal output from the in-vehicle device 14. The image information includes the operation menu screen, the diagnostic result R image, and so on. The audio playback units 53A to 53D are configured as speakers that output audio and other sounds, and reproduce audio and other sounds based on the playback signal output from the in-vehicle device 14. An audio output unit that outputs the audio playback signal to headphones or the like (not shown) may also be provided.

[0039] <Terminal> Figure 2B is a block diagram illustrating the main components of terminal 2A. The configuration of terminal 2B is the same as that of terminal 2A, so it is not shown. Terminal 2A has a processing unit 21 such as an MPU, and by reading and executing a predetermined program P (which may also be called an application) stored in a memory unit not shown, it performs various information processing, control processing, etc. necessary for the functional configuration described below. Terminal 2A includes, as a functional configuration, an acceleration detection unit 22, an attitude detection unit 23, a battery level detection unit 24, and a second communication unit 25. While smartphones generally have a display unit 26, an input unit 27, an audio playback unit 28, etc., a detailed explanation of these will be omitted. Furthermore, terminal 2A may be combined with other devices, such as a smartwatch, to share functions.

[0040] (Acceleration detection unit) The acceleration detection unit 22 detects acceleration in each of the three axes (corresponding to the x, y, and z axes mentioned above) and sends the respective detection signals as a set of first acceleration data to the in-vehicle device 14 via the second communication unit 25.

[0041] (Attitude detection unit) The attitude detection unit 23 is composed of, for example, a gyro sensor. The attitude detection unit 23 detects the angular velocity of rotation in each of the three axes (corresponding to the x, y, and z axes mentioned above) and sends the respective detection signals as a set of first angular velocity data to the in-vehicle device 14 via the second communication unit 25. Since the attitude of the terminal 2A can be calculated using the first angular velocity data, the first angular velocity data is sometimes referred to as first attitude information. The first attitude information is essential information for calibrating the first acceleration data mentioned above.

[0042] (Battery level detection unit) The battery level detection unit 24 detects the remaining charge of the battery (not shown) that supplies power consumed by terminal 2A, and sends a detection signal to the in-vehicle device 14 via the second communication unit 25.

[0043] (Second Communications Department) The second communication unit 25 includes a UWB wireless communication module (not shown) that communicates wirelessly with the in-vehicle device 14.

[0044] <Explanation of the flowchart> Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a driving diagnostic process performed by a program executed by the MPU (control unit 16) of the in-vehicle device 14. When the "Driving Diagnostic" button is pressed on, for example, the operation menu screen (not shown), the control unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 14 executes a program that enables the IVI system to function as a driving diagnostic device 200.

[0045] In step S10 of Figure 3, the control unit 16 initiates communication with the terminal 2A or the like inside the vehicle via the first communication unit 18 and proceeds to step S20.

[0046] In step S20, the control unit 16 detects whether the situation is unsuitable for acquiring first acceleration data, etc., that indicate the behavior of the vehicle 100. If the situation is unsuitable, the control unit 16 affirms step S20 and proceeds to step S120. In this case, the driving diagnostic process is stopped based on the idea that it is preferable to stop the diagnosis rather than obtain incorrect diagnostic values. If the situation is not unsuitable, the control unit 16 negates step S20 and proceeds to step S30.

[0047] In step S30, the control unit 16 uses the position detection unit 164 to detect the location of a communication-enabled terminal 2A or the like inside the vehicle and proceeds to step S40. Based on the ID information of the terminal 2A detected, for example, near the driver's seat in the front row, the control unit 16 identifies the occupant using the terminal 2A as the driver P1.

[0048] In step S40, the control unit 16 detects the attitude of terminals 2A and other devices inside the vehicle via the first communication unit 18 and proceeds to step S50. In this embodiment, first angular velocity data and second angular velocity data are acquired as attitude information from each terminal 2A and 2B.

[0049] In step S50, the control unit 16 changes the reference threshold and proceeds to step S60. Changing the reference threshold, as described above, means correcting the reference threshold (corresponding to the 1st to 4th thresholds) used for scoring driving characteristics based on detection data from the terminal when a terminal is detected in the rear seat, to a value lower than the initial value.

[0050] In step S60, the control unit 16 acquires first acceleration data and second acceleration data as acceleration information from each terminal 2A and 2B inside the vehicle via the first communication unit 18 and proceeds to step S70.

[0051] In step S70, the control unit 16 uses the generation unit 162 to score the driving characteristics (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, and straight-line stability) and proceeds to step S80. As described above, the scoring of the driving characteristics is performed based on the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data after calibration.

[0052] In step S80, the control unit 16 generates a driving evaluation value for driver P1 based on the scores for each driving characteristic (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, and straight-line stability) using the generation unit 162, and proceeds to step S90.

[0053] In step S90, the control unit 16 uses the driving evaluation values ​​generated by the generation unit 162 to perform a driving diagnosis of driver P1 using the diagnostic unit 163, and then proceeds to step S100.

[0054] In step S100, the control unit 16 updates and records the diagnostic values ​​(diagnosis results) for driver P1 and proceeds to step S110. The control unit 16 records, for each driver, as driving information, such as when and where driver P1 of vehicle 100 drove, what kind of driving characteristics they had, what score they received for those driving characteristics, and what the diagnostic values ​​were, as diagnostic results R in the storage unit 17 within the control unit 16. In step S100, an update record is made to add the latest driving information to this driver-specific driving information.

[0055] In step S110, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the operation has ended. If a predetermined termination operation is performed, the control unit 16 affirms step S110 and proceeds to step S120. If no termination operation is performed, the control unit 16 negates step S110 and returns to step S20. If it returns to step S20, the control unit 16 repeats the process described above.

[0056] In step S120, the control unit 16 performs a predetermined termination process to end the process shown in Figure 3. The termination process includes, for example, the termination of the acquisition of acceleration information and the termination of wireless communication between the first communication unit 18 and terminals 2A and 2B. However, the wireless communication between the first communication unit 18 and terminals 2A and 2B does not need to be terminated if it is required for processes other than the driving diagnosis process.

[0057] According to the embodiments described above, the following effects and advantages are achieved. (1) The driving diagnostic device 200 includes a first communication unit 18 that communicates with a terminal 2A, which is a first information terminal held by a driver P1, who is a first occupant of the vehicle 100, and a terminal 2B, which is a second information terminal held by a passenger P2, who is a second occupant of the vehicle 100; an acquisition unit 161 that acquires first acceleration data, which is first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 100 detected by terminal 2A, and second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by terminal 2B, via the first communication unit 18; a generation unit 162 that generates a driving evaluation value based on the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data acquired by the acquisition unit 161; and a diagnostic unit 163 that performs a driving diagnosis of the driver P1 who is driving the vehicle 100 using the driving evaluation value generated by the generation unit 162. With this configuration, it becomes possible to perform appropriate driving diagnoses based on the behavior of vehicle 100 as perceived by multiple occupants. For example, by using the acceleration detected by terminals 2A and 2B used by each occupant, it becomes possible to perform driving diagnoses that are in line with the acceleration actually felt by each occupant. Furthermore, by using the acceleration detected by terminal 2B of passenger P2 other than the driver P1, it becomes possible to make the driver P1 aware of rough driving that may be difficult for the driver to recognize themselves.

[0058] (2) The driving diagnostic device 200 described in (1) above is further equipped with a position detection unit 164 that detects the first position of terminal 2A and the second position of terminal 2B on the vehicle 100, and terminals 2A and 2B respectively detect the behavior of the vehicle 100 at the first position and second position detected by the position detection unit 164, and output first acceleration data and second acceleration data to the first communication unit 18. With this configuration, detailed driving diagnostics become possible depending on the difference in acceleration data detected by terminal 2A and terminal 2B. More specifically, the driving diagnostic device 200 can perform diagnostics using the acceleration data detected by terminal 2A and terminal 2B at their respective locations within the vehicle cabin.

[0059] (3) In the driving diagnostic device 200 described in (2) above, the diagnostic unit 163 lowers the standard threshold for evaluation during driving diagnosis when the second position corresponds to the rear seat position, compared to when the second position corresponds to the front seat position. With this configuration, for example, the driving characteristic score calculated based on the second acceleration data detected by terminal 2B located in the rear seat will be lower than the driving characteristic score calculated based on the first acceleration data detected by terminal 2A located in the front seat. This increases the likelihood that using the data detected in the rear seat will result in a judgment of rougher driving.

[0060] (4) The driving diagnostic device 200 described in (2) above is further equipped with an in-vehicle camera 13 that captures images of the driver P1 and passenger P2, and the position detection unit 164 detects the first position and the second position based on the images captured by the in-vehicle camera 13. With this configuration, the positions of both terminals can be directly determined from images showing the driver P1 (terminal 2A) and the passenger P2 (terminal 2B).

[0061] (5) In the driving diagnostic device 200 described in (2) above, the first communication unit 18 transmits and receives signals compliant with the UWB wireless communication standard between terminals 2A and 2B, and the position detection unit 164 detects the first position and the second position based on the radio waves received by the first communication unit 18. With this configuration, the positions of terminals 2A and 2B can be determined based on the received UWB wireless communication signals. Furthermore, position detection can be performed with greater accuracy compared to positioning using Bluetooth®.

[0062] (6) In the driving diagnostic device 200 described in (1) above, at least one of terminals 2A and 2B is equipped with an unsuitable detection unit 165 that detects whether or not it is in an unsuitable condition for acquiring information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 100, and the diagnostic unit 163 stops the driving diagnosis if an unsuitable condition is detected by the unsuitable detection unit 165. With this configuration, if there is a risk that a stable signal cannot be received from terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B, the reliability of the diagnostic function can be ensured by stopping the operation diagnosis.

[0063] (7) In the driving diagnostic device 200 described in (1) above, the acquisition unit 161 further acquires first angular velocity data as first attitude information indicating the attitude of the mounted terminal 2A and second angular velocity data as second attitude information indicating the attitude of the mounted terminal 2B via the first communication unit 18, and the generation unit 162 further corrects the first acceleration data based on the first angular velocity data and corrects the second acceleration data based on the second angular velocity data, and generates a driving evaluation value based on the corrected first acceleration data and the corrected second acceleration data. With this configuration, the first and second acceleration data, which indicate driving behavior, can be correctly corrected regardless of the orientation of terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B, including front / back, diagonal, etc. This makes it possible to appropriately quantify the driving characteristics that characterize the driving style of driver P1.

[0064] The above embodiment can be modified into various forms. Modifications will be described below. (Variation 1) In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the onboard device 14 of the vehicle 100 performs the driving diagnostic processing. However, the system may also be configured to perform the driving diagnostic processing on the terminal 2A used by the driver P1. In this case, communication is performed between terminal 2A used by driver P1 and terminal 2B used by passenger P2 via a public communication network using a mobile network, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), UWB, or other wireless communication methods, and driving diagnostic processing is performed. This may be done via a server device, or data may be exchanged directly between terminals 2A and 2B. This eliminates the need to install expensive equipment in each vehicle, as diagnostic processing can be performed on the driver's terminal 2A without relying on the in-vehicle device 14, thus reducing costs. Furthermore, by utilizing wireless communication, driving diagnostic data can be collected and analyzed at an early stage, improving the real-time nature of driving diagnostics and enabling centralized data management. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the main components of terminal 2A, which performs the operation diagnostic process according to Modification Example 1. The configuration of terminal 2B is the same as that of terminal 2A, so it is not shown.

[0065] In Figure 4, terminal 2A includes a storage unit 20, a processing unit 21, an acceleration detection unit 22, an attitude detection unit 23, a battery level detection unit 24, a second communication unit 25, a display unit 26, an input unit 27, an audio playback unit 28, a camera 29, and a GPS information detection unit 30.

[0066] The memory unit 20 includes memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores the application P for the driving diagnostic device 200 necessary for the processing unit 21 to execute processing. The memory unit 20 also stores information regarding the driver P1's driving diagnosis obtained through the driving diagnostic processing as the diagnostic result R. The application P is downloaded to the terminal 2A in advance via the second communication unit 25 and the public communication network 300.

[0067] The processing unit 21 includes a processing unit such as a CPU and an MPU, and by reading and executing the above application P, it performs various information processing, control processing, etc. required by the terminal 2A. The processing unit 21 includes, as a functional configuration for operational diagnosis, an acquisition unit 211, a generation unit 212, a diagnostic unit 213, a position detection unit 214, and an unsuitable detection unit 215.

[0068] The acquisition unit 211 acquires first acceleration data from the acceleration detection unit 22 as first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 100, and also acquires second acceleration data from the terminal 2B via the second communication unit 25 as second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle 100 detected by the acceleration detection unit 22 of the terminal 2B. The acquisition unit 211 further acquires first angular velocity data as first attitude information indicating the attitude of terminal 2A using the attitude detection unit 23, and also acquires second angular velocity data as second attitude information indicating the attitude of terminal 2B detected by the attitude detection unit 23 of terminal 2B via the second communication unit 25.

[0069] The generation unit 212 generates an operation evaluation value based on the first acceleration data and first angular velocity data acquired by the acquisition unit 211, and the second acceleration data and second angular velocity data acquired by the acquisition unit 211. The generation unit 212 performs the same processing as the generation unit 162 described above, and generates a driving evaluation value for driver P1 based on the scores for each driving characteristic (acceleration stability, deceleration stability, turning stability, straight-line stability) calculated based on the first acceleration data and the second acceleration data after calibration, which are detected and calibrated by the terminals 2A and 2B of multiple occupants of the vehicle 100.

[0070] The diagnostic unit 213 performs the same processing as the diagnostic unit 163 described above, and uses the driving evaluation values ​​generated by the generation unit 212 to perform a driving diagnosis of the driver P1 seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 100.

[0071] The position detection unit 214 detects the positions of terminals 2A and 2B on the vehicle 100. The detection method may be either the first or second example below. (Example 1) The position detection unit 214 detects, for example, the positions of the in-vehicle device 14 and terminal 2B based on the UWB wireless communication radio waves received by the second communication unit 25. It then indirectly detects the positional relationship with terminal 2A. (Example 2) The position detection unit 214 acquires images captured by the in-vehicle camera 13, which photographs the occupants inside the vehicle, from the in-vehicle device 14 via the second communication unit 25, and detects the position information of terminals 2A and 2B based on the acquired images. In Modification 1, the processing unit 21 identifies a terminal detected near the driver's seat as terminal 2A, and identifies the occupant using terminal 2A as driver P1 based on the ID information of terminal 2A. In addition, a terminal detected near a seat other than the driver's seat is identified as terminal 2B, and identifies the occupant using terminal 2B as passenger P2 based on the ID information of terminal 2B.

[0072] The unsuitability detection unit 215 detects whether at least one of terminals 2A and 2B is in an unsuitable condition for acquiring first acceleration data and second acceleration data that indicate the behavior of the vehicle 100. An unsuitable situation includes cases where the predetermined application P for detecting driving behavior is not launched on terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B. An unsuitable situation includes a case where terminal 2A and terminal 2B cannot communicate wirelessly. Furthermore, this may include cases where the battery level of terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B is lower than a predetermined value. Furthermore, the first angular velocity data as first attitude information acquired by the acquisition unit 211, and / or the second angular velocity data as second attitude information acquired by the acquisition unit 211, may also include cases where terminal 2A and / or terminal 2B are not held in the holder (not shown).

[0073] The acceleration detection unit 22 to the audio playback unit 28 are the same as those described with reference to Figure 2B. The camera 29 is configured to capture images of the interior of the vehicle. The GPS information detection unit 30 detects the current position of the terminal 2A as the driving position of the vehicle 100 based on positioning signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, quasi-zenith satellites, etc.

[0074] (Modification 2) In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which, when terminal 2B is detected in the rear seat, the reference thresholds (corresponding to the first to fourth thresholds) used for scoring driving characteristics based on the detection data from terminal 2B are corrected to a value lower than the initial value. Alternatively, passengers prone to motion sickness (in other words, the terminals used by these passengers) may be registered in advance, and the reference thresholds (corresponding to the first to fourth thresholds) used for scoring driving characteristics based on the detection data from the registered terminals may be corrected to a value lower than the initial value. According to variation 2, it becomes possible to perform driving assessments based on how passengers prone to motion sickness feel.

[0075] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described above, as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above embodiments and modifications, and to combine modifications with each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 2A,2B Terminal, 11 Input device, 11A,11B Operation detection unit, 12 Vehicle sensor group, 13 In-vehicle camera, 14 In-vehicle device, 16 Control unit, 18 First communication unit, 50 Output device, 51 Display unit, 52 Projection unit, 53A~53D Audio playback unit, 100 Vehicle, 111A,111B Microphone, 131 Front seat camera, 132 Rear seat camera, 211,161 Acquisition unit, 212,162 Generation unit, 213,163 Diagnostic unit, 214,164 Position detection unit, 215,165 Inappropriate detection unit, 200 Driving diagnostic device, 300 Public communication network, 400 Server device, P Program (app), P1 (Driver), P2 (Passenger)

Claims

1. A communication unit that communicates with a first information terminal held by a first occupant riding in the vehicle and a second information terminal held by a second occupant riding in the vehicle, An acquisition unit that acquires, via the communication unit, first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the first information terminal and second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the second information terminal, A generation unit generates an operational evaluation value based on the first information and the second information acquired by the acquisition unit, A diagnostic unit that uses the driving evaluation values ​​generated by the generation unit to perform a driving diagnosis of the first occupant driving the vehicle, An operating diagnostic device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 1, The vehicle further comprises a position detection unit that detects the first position of the first information terminal and the second position of the second information terminal, The first information terminal and the second information terminal each detect the behavior of the vehicle at the first and second positions detected by the position detection unit, and output the first information and the second information to the communication unit. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

3. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 2, The diagnostic unit, when the second position corresponds to the rear seat, lowers the threshold value for evaluation during the driving diagnosis compared to when the second position corresponds to the front seat. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

4. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 2, The system further includes cameras for imaging the first and second crew members, The position detection unit detects the first position and the second position based on the image captured by the camera. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

5. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 2, The communication unit transmits and receives signals compliant with the UWB wireless communication standard between the first information terminal and the second information terminal. The position detection unit detects the first position and the second position based on the radio waves received by the communication unit. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

6. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 1, The first information terminal and at least one of the second information terminals are equipped with an unsuitable detection unit that detects whether or not they are in an unsuitable condition for acquiring information indicating the behavior of the vehicle. The diagnostic unit shall discontinue the operation diagnosis if the unsuitable condition is detected by the unsuitable condition detection unit. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

7. In the driving diagnostic device according to claim 1, The acquisition unit further acquires, via the communication unit, first orientation information indicating the orientation of the mounted first information terminal and second orientation information indicating the orientation of the mounted second information terminal. The generation unit further corrects the first information based on the first attitude information, corrects the second information based on the second attitude information, and generates the operation evaluation value based on the corrected first information and the corrected second information. A driving diagnostic device characterized by the following features.

8. A process for communicating with a first information terminal held by a first occupant riding in the vehicle and a second information terminal held by a second occupant riding in the vehicle, A process to acquire, via the aforementioned communication, first information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the first information terminal, and second information indicating the behavior of the vehicle detected by the second information terminal, A process for generating an operational evaluation value based on the acquired first information and second information, A process for performing a driving diagnosis of the first occupant driving the vehicle using the generated driving evaluation value, A driving diagnostic program characterized by having a computer execute a certain procedure.

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