User Proximity Response Device

Abstract

To provide a user approach answering device which can decrease a possibility that makes a user feel troublesome.SOLUTION: A boarding support ECU estimates a mental state of a user based on life log data of the user and schedule, and determines a use scene (going to work, homecoming or the like) based on date or time information. The boarding support ECU selects an image theme presented to the user based on the combination of the user state and the use scene. An applied theme has an effect relaxing negative feeling of the user and livening up the atmosphere. The boarding support ECU displays (projects) images meeting the applied theme at a position within a visual field of the user when the user arrives at the door, when the user opens the door, and when the user gets into a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for performing vehicle control such as turning on an in-vehicle lighting device in response to the approach of a user. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a device that detects the approach of a user to a vehicle by performing wireless communication with a communication device carried by the user and turns on the vehicle-mounted lighting device in a lighting pattern specified by the user. This control of turning on the vehicle-mounted lighting in response to the approach of a user is sometimes called welcome lighting, welcome lamps, hospitality lighting, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-202588 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Welcome lighting is one of the welcome controls, which are vehicle controls that welcome users. In addition to welcome lighting, welcome controls can be used for a variety of activations, such as turning on decorative interior lighting devices, starting displays, and turning on air conditioning systems.

[0005] According to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lighting device can be driven in a pattern registered in advance in a mobile terminal by a user. However, the mental state and physical condition of the user may vary from day to day / hour to hour. Depending on the mental state and physical condition of the user, the registered lighting pattern may not necessarily be suitable as welcome lighting. It is assumed that the lighting pattern preferred by the user differs between when he or she is in good spirits and when he or she is tired. If an activation far removed from the user's potential desire is performed as welcome control, the user may feel less satisfied or feel annoyed.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made based on the above considerations or points of view, and one of its objectives is to provide a user proximity response device that can reduce the risk of causing annoyance to a user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Disclosed herein 1. The user approach response device includes a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle, an information acquisition unit (F3) that acquires schedule information of the user, a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control to drive a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit's detection of the approach of the user. a usage scene determination unit (F7) that determines a usage scene indicating a purpose of vehicle use based on at least one of the date and time when the user behavior detection unit detects the approach of the user, whether it is a holiday or not, whether the parking location is at home or not, and schedule information; Equipped with The usage scene determination unit determines whether the usage scene corresponds to a departure scene of departing from home or a return scene of heading home; The welcome control execution unit executes the user status acquired by the user status acquisition unit. and the usage scene determined by the usage scene determination unit, Configured to change the contents of the welcome control Furthermore, the welcome control execution unit is configured to make the contents of the welcome control different between when the usage scene corresponds to a returning home scene and when the usage scene corresponds to a departure scene even if the user state is the same. A second user approach response device included in the present disclosure includes a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle, an information acquisition unit (F3) that acquires schedule information of the user, a user status acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user status indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a welcome control execution unit (F10) that implements welcome control to activate predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the detection of the user's approach by the user behavior detection unit, and a theme selection unit (F9) that selects a theme for the welcome control from a plurality of themes prepared in advance based on the user status, wherein the welcome control includes displaying an image on at least one of the road surface within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the window glass of the driver's door, the surface of the driver's seat, and a display (55) located in front of the driver's seat, and the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit based on the user status. A third user approach response device included in the present disclosure includes a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle, an information acquisition unit (F3) that acquires schedule information of the user, a user status acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user status indicating at least one of the mental state and physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and a welcome control execution unit (F10) that implements welcome control to activate predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the detection of the user's approach by the user behavior detection unit, wherein the user behavior detection unit detects that the driver's door has been opened based on an output signal of a courtesy switch mounted on the vehicle, and the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image corresponding to the user status on the surface of the driver's seat in cooperation with a seat projector that projects an image toward the surface of the driver's seat in response to the detection that the driver's door has been opened. A fourth user approach response device included in the present disclosure includes a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle, an information acquisition unit (F3) that acquires schedule information of the user, a user status acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user status indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and a welcome control execution unit (F10) that performs welcome control to activate predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the detection of the user's approach by the user behavior detection unit, wherein the user behavior detection unit detects that a user has boarded the vehicle based on an output signal of an in-vehicle sensor, and the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image corresponding to the user status on a display (55) located in front of the driver's seat, output music corresponding to the user status in conjunction with the image, turn on decorative lights located in the vehicle, and output a voice message of welcome or appreciation before or after playing the image. A fifth user approach response device included in the present disclosure includes a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle, an information acquisition unit (F3) that acquires schedule information of the user, a user status acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user status indicating at least one of the mental state and physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit, a welcome control execution unit (F10) that implements welcome control to operate predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the detection of the user's approach by the user behavior detection unit, and a content evaluation unit (F11) that evaluates whether the welcome control implemented before the start of driving contributed to improving the user's mental state based on the user's driving operation within a predetermined time after the start of driving, and stores the evaluation result in association with the content of the welcome control, and the welcome control execution unit is configured to change the content of the welcome control depending on the user status acquired by the user status acquisition unit.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the content of the welcome control can be changed depending on the user state, thereby reducing the possibility of causing annoyance to the user.

[0009] In addition, the symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of a boarding support system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a portable device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an in-vehicle system. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an arrangement of BLE communication devices. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an in-vehicle sensor. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing variations of road lights. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a door window projector. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a boarding support ECU 4. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing examples of activations for each event / user action. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of theme selection according to a user state and a usage scene on a working day. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of an image corresponding to a user's favorite things. [Figure 12] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example of theme selection according to a user's state and a usage scene on a holiday. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a content evaluation unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The boarding support system according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the boarding support system. As shown in FIG. 1, the boarding support system includes a portable device 1, a server 2, and an in-vehicle system 3. The in-vehicle system 3 is a system mounted on a vehicle Hv. The portable device 1 is a device carried by a user of the vehicle Hv.

[0012] <Introduction> The vehicle Hv in the following description is, as an example, a vehicle owned by an individual. Therefore, the user of the vehicle Hv refers to the owner, his / her family, etc. Of course, the vehicle Hv may be a company car owned by a company organization or a public car owned by a public institution. If the vehicle Hv is a company car or a public car, a person belonging to an organization that manages the vehicle Hv may be a user. Furthermore, the vehicle Hv may be a vehicle provided for a rental service (a so-called rental car) or a vehicle provided for a car sharing service (a so-called shared car). The vehicle Hv may be a vehicle provided for a passenger transportation service such as a robot taxi. If the vehicle Hv is a vehicle provided for the above services (hereinafter, a service vehicle), a person who has made a service contract for those services and has the authority to temporarily use the vehicle Hv based on a service reservation or the like may be a user.

[0013] In this embodiment, as an example, the vehicle Hv is an electric vehicle. The concept of an electric vehicle includes not only an electric vehicle, but also a plug-in hybrid vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like. An electric vehicle refers to a vehicle equipped with only a motor as a drive source, and a hybrid vehicle refers to a vehicle equipped with an engine and a motor as a power source. The vehicle Hv may be an engine vehicle. An engine vehicle here refers to a vehicle equipped with only an engine as a power source. Engine vehicles also include diesel vehicles.

[0014] As another example, the vehicle Hv is a vehicle with the driver's seat on the right side. In another embodiment, the vehicle Hv may be a vehicle with the driver's seat on the left side. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are defined based on the vehicle Hv unless otherwise noted (i.e., basically). The front-rear direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Hv. The left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle Hv. The up-down direction corresponds to the height direction of the vehicle Hv. The present disclosure is not limited to four-wheeled vehicles, and can be installed in various vehicles that can run on roads, such as trailers, two-wheeled vehicles, and three-wheeled vehicles. Motorized bicycles can also be included in two-wheeled vehicles.

[0015] In the present disclosure, the image includes not only a still image but also a video. For example, displaying (projecting) an image on a road surface includes displaying (projecting) a video on the road surface.

[0016] <Overview> The portable device 1 is configured to be able to perform data communication with the server 2 via a wireless base station and a wide area communication network. The wireless base station may be, for example, a base station for cellular communication such as 4G, or an access point forming a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The cellular communication refers to wireless communication conforming to standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, and 5G. The concept of an access point may include a roadside device in addition to a router. For example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be adopted as a wireless LAN standard. As a Wi-Fi standard, various standards may be adopted, such as IEEE802.11n, IEEE802.11ac, and IEEE802.11ax (so-called Wi-Fi6). In this disclosure, wireless communication conforming to the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard is also referred to as Wi-Fi communication. The communication between the portable device 1 and the server 2 is performed by encrypted cellular communication or Wi-Fi communication. The wide area communication network is, for example, the Internet.

[0017] Moreover, the in-vehicle system 3 and the portable device 1 are configured to be capable of short-distance wireless communication. Here, short-distance wireless communication refers to communication conforming to a predetermined short-distance wireless communication standard in which the actual communication distance is, for example, 5 m to 30 m, and at most about 100 m. As the short-distance wireless communication standard, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) Classic, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc. can be adopted. As the method of short-distance wireless communication, UWB-IR (Ultra Wide Band - Impulse Radio) can also be adopted. Furthermore, the in-vehicle system 3 and the portable device 1 may be configured to be capable of wireless communication using radio waves in the LF (Low Frequency) band, such as 125 kHz or 134 kHz.

[0018] In this embodiment, as an example, the operation of each part will be described taking as an example a case where the in-vehicle system 3 is configured to be able to perform BLE communication, which is wireless communication conforming to the BLE standard, with the portable device 1. In the following description, BLE communication can be substituted with short-range wireless communication. Details of the communication method related to communication connection and encrypted communication are performed according to a sequence defined in the BLE standard.

[0019] In the following, a case will be described in which the in-vehicle system 3 is configured to act as a master in communication with the portable device 1, and the portable device 1 is configured to act as a slave. By receiving an advertising signal from the portable device 1, the in-vehicle system 3 establishes a communication connection with the portable device 1 and detects the presence of the portable device 1 (and thus the user) in the vicinity of the in-vehicle system 3. The advertising signal is a signal for notifying (i.e. advertising) other devices of its own presence. As another aspect, the portable device 1 may be configured to operate as a master in communication with the in-vehicle system 3.

[0020] <About Mobile Device 1> The portable device 1 is a portable and general-purpose information processing terminal equipped with a BLE communication function. As the portable device 1, various communication terminals such as a smartphone and a wearable device can be adopted. A wearable device is a device that is worn on the user's body and can be of various shapes such as a wristband type, a watch type, a finger ring type, a glasses type, and an earphone type. The portable device 1 of the present disclosure may be realized by dividing it into a motherboard (main machine) such as a smartphone and a wearable device.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the portable device 1 includes a device control unit 10, a display 11, a touch panel 12, an acceleration sensor 13, a vital sensor 14, a GNSS receiver 15, a BLE communication unit 16, a cellular communication unit 17, and a camera 18.

[0022] The display 11 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display 11 displays an image according to an input signal from the device control unit 10. The touch panel 12 is a capacitive touch panel and is laminated on the display 11. The touch panel 12 and the display 11 correspond to an interface that allows the user to register a schedule in the portable device 1 and pair the portable device 1 with the in-vehicle system 3.

[0023] The acceleration sensor 13 is a sensor that detects acceleration acting on the portable device 1. The acceleration sensor 13 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor that can detect acceleration in three mutually perpendicular directions. The detection result of the acceleration sensor 13 is input to the device control unit 10. The output of the acceleration sensor 13 can be used as data indicating the number of steps, walking speed, walking rhythm, and body movements during sleep (for example, turning over in bed) of the user.

[0024] The vital sensor 14 is a sensor that acquires biometric information of the user. The vital sensor 14 is, for example, a pulse wave sensor that measures the pulse rate. The vital sensor 14 may be a sensor that detects any of blood pressure, body temperature, sweat rate, respiratory rate, respiratory depth, and blood oxygen concentration. The detection result of the vital sensor 14 is input to the device control unit 10.

[0025] The GNSS receiver 15 is a device that detects the current position of the GNSS receiver 15 by receiving navigation signals transmitted from positioning satellites that constitute a global navigation satellite system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System). For example, when the GNSS receiver 15 can receive navigation signals from four or more positioning satellites, it outputs the positioning result to the device control unit 10 every 100 milliseconds.

[0026] The BLE communication unit 16 is a communication module for performing BLE communication. The BLE communication unit 16 is connected to the device control unit 10 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The BLE communication unit 16 receives data transmitted from the vehicle Hv and provides it to the device control unit 10, and also modulates data input from the device control unit 10 and transmits it to the vehicle Hv.

[0027] The cellular communication unit 17 is a communication module configured to be capable of performing cellular communication. The mobile device 1 may be configured to be capable of accessing the Internet via a Wi-Fi line instead of or in parallel with a cellular line such as 4G or 5G. The camera 18 is a device for taking still images and videos based on user operations. The image / video data generated by the camera 18 is output to the device control unit 10.

[0028] The device control unit 10 is configured as a computer including, for example, a processor 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a storage 103, etc. The device control unit 10 causes the BLE communication unit 16 to transmit an advertising signal at a predetermined transmission interval. In addition, based on the BLE communication unit 16 receiving a connection request from the in-vehicle system 3, the device control unit 10 performs communication connection processing with the in-vehicle system 3.

[0029] The device control unit 10 is configured to be able to execute various applications, such as a schedule management application, a camera application, a SNS (Social Networking Service) application, and a calling application, based on the programs installed in the storage 103. The schedule management application is an application that manages the user's schedule. The camera application is an application that controls the operation of the camera 18. The SNS application is an application for using the SNS. The calling application is an application that provides a calling function.

[0030] The device control unit 10 cooperates with the cellular communication unit 17 to transmit data on various items set to be recorded as a life log to the server 2. The device control unit 10 periodically transmits data indicating the amount of activity of the user, such as the number of steps estimated by the detection results of the acceleration sensor 13, and detection values ​​of the vital sensor 14, as life log data to the server 2. The device control unit 10 may also transmit data indicating sleep time and deep sleep level (sleep quality) to the server 2 as life log data. The sleep time and sleep quality may be estimated from body movements, etc. The sleep time, etc. may be acquired from an app that manages sleep time, etc.

[0031] The device control unit 10 can also transmit image data captured by the camera 18, location information, visited facilities, and the like to the server 2. The device control unit 10 accepts schedule registration and changes, etc., based on input signals from the touch panel 12. When schedule information is updated, the device control unit 10 also transmits the updated schedule information to the server 2. In addition, the device control unit 10 transmits various life log data, such as call history and messages posted to SNS, to the extent permitted by the user.

[0032] Moreover, the portable device 1 is configured to function as an electronic key for the vehicle Hv by using predetermined key information. The key information here is data used in an authentication process described later. The key information is data for verifying that a person attempting to access the vehicle Hv is a user, that is, the legitimacy of the person attempting to access the vehicle Hv. The key information can be called an authentication key, an encryption key, or a key code. The key information can be, for example, a character string (value) obtained by encrypting a password set by the user into a predetermined hash function. The key information may be generated based on a device ID. The device ID is an identification number assigned to each portable device 1. The key information is stored in the storage 103.

[0033] When the portable device 1 is configured to function as an electronic key for the vehicle Hv, the device control unit 10 performs authentication processing via wireless communication based on the establishment of a communication connection with the in-vehicle system 3. For example, when the BLE communication unit 16 receives a challenge code, the device control unit 10 generates a response code using a predetermined procedure / function based on the challenge code and key information. Then, in cooperation with the BLE communication unit 16, the device control unit 10 returns a response signal, which is a wireless signal including the response code, to the in-vehicle system 3.

[0034] The key device for the user to use the vehicle Hv may be a smart key, which is a dedicated device as an electronic key for the vehicle Hv, prepared separately from the portable device 1. The smart key is a device that is transferred to the owner together with the vehicle Hv when the vehicle Hv is purchased. The smart key can be understood as one of the accessories of the vehicle Hv. The smart key can adopt various shapes such as a flat rectangular parallelepiped type, a flat ellipsoid type (so-called fob type), and a card type. The smart key can be called a vehicle portable device, a key fob, a key card, an access key, etc. The smart key is a device that performs two-way communication with the in-vehicle system 3 using both LF band radio waves of 300 kHz or less and UHF band radio waves of 315 MHz or more.

[0035] <Server 2> The server 2 is a data processing device disposed outside the vehicle Hv. The server 2 corresponds to a type of application server. The server 2 is connected to a wide area communication network. The server 2 can communicate with the portable device 1 via the wide area communication network. The server 2 stores the user's schedule data and life log data by performing encrypted data communication with the portable device 1.

[0036] The schedule data includes information on the user's work events and private events. In one aspect, the schedule data corresponds to data indicating whether or not the user has mentally or physically tough work, or the time period during which the work is scheduled. Mentally tough work includes a user-led presentation, a meeting with a person in a high position such as the president / management, negotiations with other companies, and handling complaints. Mentally tough work can also be understood as work that requires nerves or tension. Physically tough work includes, for example, standing for long periods of time, carrying heavy luggage, and work that requires a certain amount of exercise or more. Whether or not a scheduled task is a tough task can be estimated from a past activity history. Of course, whether or not a scheduled task is a tough task may be registered by the user.

[0037] As described above, the life log data collected by the server 2 may include data related to the user's body, such as blood pressure, heart rate, sleep time, number of steps, and weight. Blood pressure, heart rate, sleep time, number of steps, etc. may be expressed as average values ​​for a certain period of time. The life log data also includes information on movement, such as stores / facilities visited by the user, the time of visit, and the duration of stay. The life log data may also include photographed images, call history, and messages posted to SNS. In one aspect, the life log data is data that indicates the history of the user's activities / behavior / life. The server 2 automatically collects and updates the schedule and life log data by communicating with the mobile device 1. Note that, among events registered in the schedule, data related to events that occurred before the current time corresponds to part of the life log data. In other words, data related to past schedules can be interpreted as part of the life log data.

[0038] The server 2 may have a function of estimating the mental state and physical condition of the user based on life log data from a fixed period of time (e.g., 6 hours). Physical condition refers to a state of health, in other words, a physical state. When the server 2 has a function of estimating the user's state, the server 2 may distribute a data set indicating the user's state as user state information to the vehicle Hv at a predetermined time interval. In addition, the server 2 may estimate a category corresponding to the user's hobbies / preferences (favorite things) from a plurality of categories prepared in advance, such as animals, places, and food, based on image data captured by the portable device 1. Information on the estimated favorite things of the user may be distributed to the boarding assistance ECU 4.

[0039] <In-vehicle system configuration> The in-vehicle system 3 performs an automatic authentication process by wireless communication with the portable device 1. Then, on condition that the authentication of the portable device 1 is successful, the in-vehicle system 3 performs welcome control according to the position of the portable device 1 relative to the vehicle Hv. The welcome control here is vehicle control for welcoming the user, and includes turning on the road surface lights 58 and displaying a welcome image on the door window projector 61, as will be described in detail later.

[0040] In addition, since the portable device 1 is attached to the user, estimating the position of the portable device 1 corresponds to estimating the position of the user. Furthermore, authenticating the portable device 1 corresponds to authenticating the user. The in-vehicle system 3 corresponds to a configuration that performs welcome control according to the user's position. In this disclosure, the position of the portable device 1 is simply referred to as the device position. In this disclosure, the vehicle in which the in-vehicle system 3 is mounted is also referred to as the host vehicle / mounted vehicle.

[0041] The in-vehicle system 3 mainly includes a boarding assistance ECU 4 that estimates the device position, authenticates the portable device 1, and executes welcome control according to the device position. The boarding assistance ECU 4 is one of the ECUs that configure the in-vehicle system 3. ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit and refers to an electronic control device. The boarding assistance ECU 4 corresponds to a user approach response device.

[0042] The boarding assistance ECU 4 is realized by using a computer. That is, the boarding assistance ECU 4 includes a processor 41, a RAM 42, a storage 43, an I / O 44, and a bus line connecting these components. The processor 41 is hardware (in other words, a calculation core) for arithmetic processing coupled with the RAM 42. The processor 41 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 41 accesses the RAM 42 to execute various processes for implementing the functions of each functional unit described below. The RAM 42 is a volatile storage medium. The storage 43 is configured to include a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. The storage 43 stores various programs executed by the processor 41. The execution of a program by the processor 41 corresponds to the execution of a method corresponding to the program, for example, a welcome control method. The I / O 44 is a circuit module for communicating with other devices. The I / O 44 is realized by using analog circuit elements, ICs, and the like.

[0043] The storage 43 registers the device ID of the portable device 1 and key information for authenticating the portable device 1. If the vehicle is shared by multiple users, the storage 43 stores the device ID and key information for each portable device 1 owned by each user.

[0044] 3, the boarding support ECU 4 is used while being connected to various in-vehicle devices. For example, the boarding support ECU 4 is connected to a cellular communication device 51, a BLE communication device 52, an in-vehicle sensor 53, an in-vehicle camera 54, a display 55, an input device 56, a navigation ECU 57, a road light 58, and a road projector 59. The boarding support ECU 4 is also connected to a door window projector 61, a seat projector 62, an in-vehicle lighting device 63, an air conditioner 64, an aroma shooter 65, a seat heater 66, an in-vehicle speaker 67, an outside speaker 68, and a vibration generator 69.

[0045] The boarding assistance ECU 4 and various on-board devices may be connected by a dedicated line or via an in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle network is a communication network built in the vehicle Hv. Various standards such as Controller Area Network (hereinafter, CAN: registered trademark) and Ethernet (registered trademark) can be adopted as standards for the in-vehicle network. Other ECUs may be interposed between some of the on-board devices and the boarding assistance ECU 4. The connection mode between the devices can be changed as appropriate.

[0046] The cellular communication device 51 is a communication module configured to be able to perform cellular communication. The cellular communication device 51 may be disposed at any location, such as the roof portion Rf of the vehicle Hv or the upper end of the windshield. The cellular communication device 51 may be disposed inside the housing of the boarding support ECU 4.

[0047] The BLE communication device 52 is a communication module configured to be able to perform BLE communication. As described above, the communication standard between the in-vehicle system 3 and the portable device 1 is not limited to BLE, and may be Wi-Fi or UWB. The description of BLE communication in this disclosure may be replaced with Wi-Fi communication, UWB communication, or short-range communication which is a higher-level concept thereof.

[0048] In this embodiment, as an example, the BLE communication devices 52 are distributed at a plurality of locations in the vehicle Hv as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the in-vehicle system 3 includes a right communication device 52a, a left communication device 52b, a rear communication device 52c, and an interior communication device 52x as the BLE communication devices 52. The right communication device 52a is a BLE communication device 52 provided on an outer door handle for the driver's seat, and the left communication device 52b is a BLE communication device 52 provided on an outer door handle for the passenger's seat. The rear communication device 52c is a BLE communication device 52 provided near the trunk door, and the interior communication device 52x is a BLE communication device 52 provided on the instrument panel. The right communication device 52a, the left communication device 52b, and the rear communication device 52c can form a locking / unlocking area Lx to be described later. Note that some or all of the multiple BLE communication devices may be used as anchors for estimating the device position based on the reception status of a wireless signal from the portable device 1.

[0049] Of the multiple BLE communicators 52, only one communicator that is actually used for data communication with the portable device 1 may be set as a gateway communicator or a representative communicator. For example, the indoor communicator 52x is used as a gateway communicator. The other communicators correspond to communicators for measuring the distance to the portable device 1 (i.e., for distance measurement). Of course, in other embodiments, each of the multiple BLE communicators 52 may communicate data with the portable device 1. The number and arrangement of the BLE communicators 52 disclosed herein are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate. The right communicator 52a and the left communicator 52b may be arranged on the B pillar or the C pillar. The indoor communicator 52x may be arranged near the center of the ceiling or at the top end of the windshield. The indoor communicator 52x may be arranged inside the housing of the boarding assistance ECU 4.

[0050] The in-vehicle sensor 53 is a sensor that detects a physical state quantity that indicates the state of the vehicle Hv and the contents of the driving operation of the driver with respect to the vehicle Hv. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the in-vehicle system 3 includes, as the in-vehicle sensor 53, a door button 53a, a start button 53b, a courtesy switch 53c, a seating sensor 53d, an illuminance sensor 53e, and a seat belt sensor 53f.

[0051] The door button 53a is a button that the user uses to unlock and lock the doors of the vehicle Hv. The door button 53a is provided on the outer door handle of each door or in the vicinity thereof. When the door button 53a is pressed by the user, it outputs an electric signal indicating that the user has pressed the door to the boarding support ECU 4. As a configuration for receiving at least one of the user's unlock instruction and lock instruction, a touch sensor that detects that the user is touching the door handle can also be adopted. The touch sensor can be provided on the outer door handle instead of the door button 53a or together with the door button 53a.

[0052] The boarding assistance ECU 4 may be configured to detect a user's instruction to open the door based on an output signal of a human presence sensor (hereinafter, referred to as a door-under sensor) that forms a detection area under the door. Specifically, the boarding assistance ECU 4 may determine that the user has instructed the door to be opened when a signal indicating that the user has placed his / her foot over the detection area is input from the door-under sensor. The door button 53a, a touch sensor provided on the outer door handle, the door-under sensor, etc. correspond to a user arrival sensor that outputs a signal that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not a door open instruction has been issued, or a signal indicating whether or not the user has arrived in front of the door.

[0053] The start button 53b is a push switch that allows the user to switch the running power source on / off. The running power source is a power source for running the vehicle Hv, and refers to the ignition power source if the vehicle is an engine vehicle. If the vehicle Hv is an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, the running power source refers to the system main relay. When the user pushes the start button 53b, it outputs an electric signal indicating this to the boarding support ECU 4.

[0054] The courtesy switch 53c is a sensor that detects whether a door is open or closed, and outputs a signal at a level corresponding to the open or closed state of the door. The courtesy switch 53c is provided for each door. The seating sensor 53d is a sensor that detects whether a person is seated, and is provided for each seat, for example. The seating sensor 53d can be, for example, a pressure sensor embedded in the seating surface of each seat.

[0055] The illuminance sensor 53e is a sensor that detects external illuminance, which is the brightness outside the vehicle cabin. The seat belt sensor 53f is a sensor that detects the fastening state of the seat belt. The seat belt sensor 53f may be provided for each seat. In addition, the in-vehicle sensor 53 also includes a parking brake switch that outputs a signal indicating the operation state of the parking brake, a sensor / switch that detects the power supply state of the vehicle, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature outside and inside the vehicle, and the like.

[0056] The in-vehicle camera 54 is a camera arranged to capture an image of an occupant in the driver's seat. The in-vehicle camera 54 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel with the optical axis facing in the direction of the headrest of the driver's seat. The in-vehicle camera 54 may be arranged on the ceiling of the vehicle interior, for example, on the overhead console, so that the entire interior of the vehicle can be captured.

[0057] The display 55 is a device that displays an image according to an input signal from the boarding assistance ECU 4. The display 55 is, for example, a meter display arranged in an area located in front of the driver's seat on the instrument panel. The display 55 may be a center display arranged near the center in the vehicle width direction on the instrument panel. The display 55 may be a head-up display. The HUD is a device that projects image light onto a predetermined area of ​​the windshield based on control signals and video data input from the boarding assistance ECU 4, the navigation ECU, etc., to display a virtual image that can be perceived by the driver. The meter display, the center display, and the HUD all correspond to displays arranged in front of the driver's seat. The area in front of the driver's seat is not limited to the front direction, but also includes an oblique forward direction. The display 55 corresponds to an in-vehicle display.

[0058] The input device 56 is an operating member for receiving an instruction from the driver to the in-vehicle system 3. The input device 56 may be a mechanical switch (so-called steer switch) provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, or a voice input device that recognizes the contents of the driver's speech. The input device 56 may also be a touch panel laminated on a display panel of a display provided on an instrument panel, such as a center display. The input device 56 outputs an electric signal corresponding to an operation performed by the user on the device to the boarding assistance ECU 4 as an operation signal. The operation signal includes information indicating the contents of the user's operation.

[0059] The navigation ECU 57 is a device that displays a map image according to the current position of the vehicle and provides route guidance. The navigation ECU 57 has, for example, a map database and a GNSS receiver. The navigation ECU 57 outputs position information of the host vehicle and surrounding map information to the boarding support ECU 4. The destination can be set by the user via the input device 56. When the navigation ECU 57 detects that the host vehicle has been parked, it outputs coordinate information indicating the parking position to the boarding support ECU 4 as parking position information. The parking position information may be stored in the storage 43.

[0060] The road light 58 is a lighting device for illuminating the road surface present within a predetermined range around the vehicle. The road light 58 is a device that illuminates the road surface within 0.5 m from the vehicle, for example. The surroundings of the vehicle may include the area under the vehicle body. The road light 58 may be a device that illuminates the area under the vehicle body. The road light 58 includes a light source element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Based on an instruction signal from the boarding support ECU 4, the road light 58 illuminates a predetermined area of ​​the road surface with a color and brightness according to the signal.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, the in-vehicle system 3 may include a front road surface light 58a, a right road surface light 58b, a left road surface light 58c, and a rear road surface light 58d as the road surface lights 58. The front road surface light 58a is disposed on the lower side of the front bumper, etc. The front road surface light 58a illuminates the road surface near the front end of the vehicle. Note that fog lamps, headlights, etc. may be configured to operate as the front road surface light 58a by using an actuator that directs the irradiation direction of light (beam) downward. The right road surface light 58b is a lighting device that illuminates the road surface on the right side of the vehicle. The right road surface light 58b is provided, for example, on the right side mirror, the lower end of the door for the right front seat, or near the right side sill. The left road surface light 58c is a lighting device that illuminates the road surface on the left side of the vehicle. The left road surface light 58c is provided, for example, on the left side mirror, the lower end of the door for the left front seat, or near the left side sill. In this embodiment, the right front seat corresponds to the driver's seat, and the left front seat corresponds to the passenger seat. Therefore, the door for the right front seat corresponds to the driver's seat door. The rear road surface light 58d is a road surface light 58 for illuminating the road surface located within a predetermined distance (for example, within 0.5 m) from the rear end of the vehicle. The rear road surface light 58d is disposed on the lower side of the rear bumper, etc.

[0062] The boarding assistance ECU 4 can simultaneously light the front road surface light 58a, the right road surface light 58b, the left road surface light 58c, and the rear road surface light 58d, thereby lighting the entire circumference (all directions) of the vehicle. Note that the in-vehicle system 3 may be provided with exterior decorative lights, instead of / in parallel with the road surface lights 58, whose main purpose is to indicate the position / outline of the vehicle rather than to illuminate the road surface. The description of the road surface lights 58 may be replaced with the exterior decorative lights in the present disclosure.

[0063] The road projector 59 is a device that displays an image by irradiating image light toward a road surface near the vehicle. The in-vehicle system 3 includes a plurality of road projectors 59 that project images onto the road surface near the driver's door, the road surface near the front end of the vehicle, the road surface near the passenger door, and the road surface near the rear end of the vehicle. Some of the road projectors 59 may be integrated with the road light 58. The road projector 59 may be configured to function as the road light 58. In other words, the road light 58 may be configured to not only simply emit light toward the road surface but also to be able to project an image. The operation mode of the road light 58 / road projector 59, such as whether to display an image or to simply irradiate light, can be switched by the boarding assistance ECU 4.

[0064] The door window projector 61 is a device that displays an image on the window glass Wg of the driver's door / passenger's door by irradiating the window glass Wg with image light. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the door window projector 61 may be realized by using a projector 611 for emitting the image light and a screen 612. The screen 612 is a transparent film for displaying an image corresponding to the image light, and is attached to the surface of the window glass Wg on the interior side of the vehicle that is the target of irradiation with the image light. The screen 612 corresponds to a transmissive screen that transmits the image light with a predetermined transmittance. The screen 612 and the window glass Wg may be integrated. A mirror 613 for magnifying and reflecting the image light emitted from the projector 611 toward the screen 612 may be interposed between the projector 611 and the screen 612. The mirror 613 is preferably a concave mirror. The mirror 613 may be a plane mirror. The mirror 613 is an optional element and may be omitted. The projector 611 and the mirror 613 are disposed on the surface of the roof portion Rf facing the interior of the vehicle, that is, on the ceiling portion of the vehicle.

[0065] For example, a door window projector 61 can be provided for each seat, in other words, for each door. As an example, the in-vehicle system 3 of this embodiment includes a door window projector 61 for the driver's seat and a door window projector 61 for the passenger's seat. The door window projector 61 for the driver's seat corresponds to a projector that projects an image onto the window glass Wg of the door for the right front seat.

[0066] The seat projector 62 is a device that displays (projects) an image on the seat surface of the driver's seat by irradiating image light onto at least one of the seating portion and the backrest portion of the driver's seat. The seat projector 62 is configured to perform projection mapping on the driver's seat. Projection surface information indicating the angle, shape, distance, etc. of the projection surface relative to the seat projector 62 is registered in advance. The projection surface information may be dynamically generated by the boarding assistance ECU 4 analyzing the image of the in-vehicle camera 54, triggered by detecting that the vehicle has been parked or that the user has approached. According to the above configuration, an image is displayed that makes use of the shape of the seat, etc., and the visual effect and therefore the marketability can be improved. The seat projector 62 is disposed, for example, in an area of ​​the ceiling that is located above the driver's seat. The seat projector 62 may be disposed on the upper end of the windshield, the overhead console, etc. The in-vehicle system 3 may be provided with a seat projector 62 for the passenger seat in addition to the seat projector 62 for the driver's seat.

[0067] The sheet projector 62 may be configured to be capable of dynamically changing its attitude relative to the vehicle using an actuator such as a motor so that it can project an image at any position in the vehicle cabin. The sheet projector 62 may be configured to operate as the above-mentioned door window projector 61. The above-mentioned door window projector 61 and sheet projector 62 may be realized by one projector.

[0068] The interior lighting device 63 is a lighting device arranged in the vehicle cabin. The interior lighting device 63 can be a lighting device in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in a line along the joints and edges of parts in, for example, a door trim and an instrument panel. The interior lighting device 63 is configured so that light leaks out from the joints of the interior parts. The interior lighting device 63 may also be configured as indirect lighting that indirectly illuminates the feet and the like. The interior lighting device 63 can be called an ambient light / interior decorative light.

[0069] The air conditioner 64 is a device that outputs conditioned air, the temperature of which is adjusted according to a set temperature, from an outlet provided in the vehicle. The air conditioner 64 is configured to be able to perform heating and cooling. The aroma chute 65 is a device that sprays fragrance into the vehicle cabin. The aroma chute 65 can also be called a fragrance spraying device. The fragrance generated by the aroma chute 65 corresponds to an awakening stimulus to the sense of smell. For example, the aroma chute 65 is configured to be able to selectively output a plurality of types of fragrance, such as lemon and mint, into the vehicle cabin. The aroma chute 65 can change the type of fragrance, the strength of the fragrance, the fragrance spraying time, etc. It should be noted that the aroma chute 65 may be integrated with the air conditioner 64.

[0070] The seat heater 66 is an electric heater such as a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, and is a device that uses heat generated by an electric current to warm the driver's seat and, ultimately, the seated occupant. The seat heater 66 is built into the backrest, headrest, and seating area of ​​the driver's seat. The in-vehicle system 3 may also include a seat ventilation system (SVS) as equipment for the driver's seat. The SVS is a device that cools the body of the seated occupant using a blower built into the seat, for example, into the backrest.

[0071] The in-vehicle speaker 67 is a speaker provided inside the vehicle cabin. The in-vehicle speaker 67 is provided, for example, on an instrument panel. The exterior speaker 68 is a speaker provided on the exterior of the vehicle. The exterior speaker 68 is arranged on the bottom of the vehicle body or near the driver's door. The exterior speaker 68 can mainly function as a speaker for outputting voice messages (announcements) of welcome / congratulations to a user in the vicinity of the vehicle, or sound effects indicating that the system has recognized the arrival of the user. The in-vehicle speaker 67 and the exterior speaker 68 each convert an electrical signal input from the boarding assistance ECU 4 into sound and output the sound. The expression "sound" also includes voice and music. The in-vehicle speaker 67 and the exterior speaker 68 correspond to in-vehicle speakers.

[0072] The vibration generator 69 is a device that generates vibrations based on a control signal from the boarding assistance ECU 4, and is disposed in the backrest of the driver's seat or the like. The vibration generator 69 corresponds to a device that stimulates the sense of touch among the five senses of the user. The vibration generator 69 may be configured as a massager that relaxes the body of the seated person by vibration or the like. A massager is a device that applies tactile stimulation such as pushing, kneading, rubbing, tapping, and shaking to the body of the seated person by using an actuator such as a motor.

[0073] <Functions of the Boarding Assist ECU> The boarding support ECU4 has a plurality of functional units shown in FIG. 8. That is, the boarding support ECU4 has a communication control unit F1, a position acquisition unit F2, an information acquisition unit F3, a report processing unit F4, an authentication processing unit F5, a behavior detection unit F6, a user state acquisition unit F8, a theme selection unit F9, and a vehicle control unit F10. Each functional unit is realized, for example, by the processor 41 executing a program stored in the storage 43. The boarding support ECU4 also has a performance data storage unit M1. The performance data storage unit M1 is a storage medium in which image and sound data to be output as welcome control is stored. The performance data storage unit M1 is realized, for example, by using a part of the storage area of ​​the storage 43. Of course, the performance data storage unit M1 may be a storage medium independent of the storage 43.

[0074] The communication control unit F1 controls the operations of the cellular communication device 51 and the BLE communication device 52. The communication control unit F1 performs data communication with the server 2 using the cellular communication device 51. For example, the communication control unit F1 performs connection to a network, reselection of a cell, and the like, based on the reception status of a signal from a wireless base station that forms a wide-area communication network by the cellular communication device 51.

[0075] Furthermore, the communication control unit F1 performs data communication with the portable device 1 using the BLE communication device 52. The communication control unit F1 establishes a communication connection with the portable device 1 based on the BLE communication device 52 receiving a BLE signal transmitted from the portable device 1. The communication control unit F1 acquires a device ID of the portable device 1 that is communicatively connected from the BLE communication device 52. The device ID as the communication partner can be used as information for identifying a user present near the vehicle. Even if the vehicle Hv is a vehicle shared by multiple users, the boarding support ECU 4 can identify a user present near the vehicle Hv based on the device ID of the portable device 1 that is communicatively connected by the BLE communication device 52.

[0076] As an example, the communication control unit F1 generates distance index information that directly or indirectly indicates the distance from each BLE communicator to the portable device 1 based on the reception status of the portable device 1 at each BLE communicator 52, and outputs the information to the position acquisition unit F2. For example, the strength of a wireless signal or a round-trip time (RTT) can be adopted as the distance index information. The measurement of the reception strength and the RTT may be performed by the BLE communicator 52. The RTT is the time from transmitting a response request signal to receiving a response signal. The distance index information for each BLE communicator 52 may be generated by causing each BLE communicator 52 to perform two-way communication with the portable device 1, or may be generated by utilizing a sniffing technique.

[0077] Some of the functions of the communication control unit F1 may be provided by a microcomputer provided in the cellular communication device 51 or the BLE communication device 52. In addition, the operation control of the cellular communication device 51 or the BLE communication device 52 may be performed by another ECU that controls wireless communication with an external device. The functional arrangement in the in-vehicle system 3 can be changed as appropriate.

[0078] The position acquisition unit F2 is configured to acquire the device position relative to the vehicle Hv. In the present disclosure, "acquisition" also includes generation / detection by internal calculation based on data input from other devices / sensors. This is because the functional arrangement within the system is appropriately changed. For example, the position acquisition unit F2 estimates the device position based on distance index information for each BLE communicator 52 provided by the communication control unit F1, that is, the distance from each BLE communicator 52 to the portable device 1. For example, the position acquisition unit F2 calculates the relative position coordinate with respect to the vehicle Hv based on the distance from the multiple BLE communicators 52 to the portable device 1 and the mounting position of each BLE communicator 52. The device position can be expressed as a point on a vehicle coordinate system, which is a two-dimensional coordinate system centered on an arbitrary position of the vehicle Hv and parallel to both the width direction and the front-rear direction of the vehicle Hv. The X-axis forming the vehicle coordinate system can be set parallel to the vehicle width direction, and the Y-axis can be set parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle. For example, the center of the coordinate system can be the center of the vehicle body or the center of the rear wheel axle. Of course, the vehicle coordinate system may be a three-dimensional coordinate system having a height direction (Z axis). The device position may be specified using the reception strength, RTT, or the transmission / reception phase difference of a continuous wave (CW) signal of multiple frequencies.

[0079] Further, the position acquisition unit F2 judges whether the position of the portable device 1 (user) is in the vehicle cabin, the locking / unlocking area Lx, the welcome area, or the distant area based on the estimation result of the device position. The locking / unlocking area Lx is an area for the in-vehicle system 3 to execute door locking or unlocking based on the presence of the portable device 1 in the area. The locking / unlocking area Lx can also be called a passive entry area. For example, an area within a first distance from the driver's seat outer door handle, the passenger seat outer door handle, and the trunk door is set as the locking / unlocking area Lx. The first distance that defines the size of the locking / unlocking area Lx is, for example, 1.5 m. Of course, the first distance may be 1 m or 0.7 m. The first distance is set to be smaller than 2 m from the viewpoint of security.

[0080] The distant area is an area that is a predetermined second distance or more away from the vehicle Hv. The second distance can be, for example, 10 m. The second distance may be 6 m or 15 m. The second distance is set to be longer than the first distance. The welcome area is an area outside the vehicle cabin that is within the second distance away from the vehicle Hv and is outside the locking / unlocking area Lx.

[0081] The position acquisition unit F2 may estimate only the distance of the portable device 1 from the vehicle Hv without estimating the detailed position coordinates. When any of the multiple BLE communicators 52 is within a second distance from the portable device 1, it may be determined that the portable device 1 is present in the welcome area. When any of the multiple BLE communicators 52 is within a first distance from the portable device 1, it may be determined that the portable device 1 is present in the locking / unlocking area Lx. The position acquisition unit F2 may simply specify whether the portable device 1 is present within the first distance or within the second distance from the vehicle.

[0082] When the portable device 1 is not present in the vehicle interior, the locking / unlocking area Lx, or the welcome area, the location acquisition unit F2 determines that the portable device 1 is present in the distant area. In addition, the location acquisition unit F2 also determines that the portable device 1 is present in the distant area when it cannot receive a signal from the portable device 1.

[0083] The determination material for the device position does not depend on the state of short-distance communication. The position acquisition unit F2 may determine the device position by comparing the position information of the portable device 1 with parking position information of the vehicle. The position information of the portable device 1 is specified by GNSS and corresponds to, for example, a positioning result by the GNSS receiver 15. The position acquisition unit F2 may acquire the position information of the portable device 1 from the portable device 1 by short-distance communication or from the server 2. In another embodiment, the function of the position acquisition unit F2 may be provided in the server 2 or the portable device 1. In that case, the server 2 or the portable device 1 transmits data indicating the device position relative to the vehicle Hv to the boarding support ECU 4 by wireless communication based on the fact that the distance between the portable device 1 and the vehicle Hv becomes less than a predetermined value.

[0084] The information acquisition unit F3 acquires various vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle Hv from sensors, ECUs, switches, etc. mounted on the vehicle Hv. The vehicle information includes, for example, the on / off state of the power source for driving, the external illuminance, the open / closed state of each door, the locked / unlocked state of each door, whether the door button 53a has been pressed, whether the start button 53b has been pressed, the shift position, the temperature inside / outside the vehicle, etc. The vehicle information also includes the outputs of the seating sensor 53d and the seat belt sensor 53f, i.e., the seating state of the user in the seat and the fastening state of the seat belt. The types of vehicle information are not limited to those described above. The vehicle information can also include the output value of a brake sensor that detects the depression amount / pressing force of the brake pedal and a signal indicating the operation state of the parking brake.

[0085] The information acquisition unit F3 identifies the current state of the vehicle Hv based on the various information described above. For example, the information acquisition unit F3 determines that the vehicle Hv is parked when the power source for running is off, all the doors are locked, and an electronic key (e.g., the portable device 1) is not detected inside the vehicle. The conditions for determining that the vehicle Hv is parked may be appropriately designed, and various determination conditions can be applied. Note that obtaining electric signals from the door button 53a and the start button 53b corresponds to detecting user operations on these buttons. The information acquisition unit F3 plays a role in detecting user operations on the vehicle Hv, such as opening and closing the doors, pressing the door button 53a, pressing the start button 53b, opening and closing the doors, and the like.

[0086] The information acquisition unit F3 also acquires the current time, date, day of the week, etc. from the navigation ECU 57, etc. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit F3 acquires the user's schedule information and life log from the server 2 / mobile device 1. The information acquisition unit F3 acquires information indicating whether today is a work day or a holiday based on information such as the date. Work days can be rephrased as working days. Here, work days are days when work is performed, and are not necessarily limited to Monday to Friday. The setting of work days can be determined according to the content of the user's work. The setting of work days may be registered by the user, or may be specified by referring to the user's schedule. The setting of work days may be automatically learned based on the user's behavior history. The schedule information and life log information acquired by the information acquisition unit F3 from the server 2 are referenced by the usage scene determination unit F7, the user state acquisition unit F8, etc.

[0087] The report processing unit F4 transmits information regarding the user's use of the vehicle Hv to the server 2. For example, when the information acquisition unit F3 detects that the vehicle Hv has been parked, the report processing unit F4 transmits parking position information, which is the position coordinates, to the server 2. According to a configuration in which the in-vehicle system 3 uploads the parking position information to the server 2, not only the in-vehicle system 3 but also the server 2 can determine whether or not the user is approaching the vehicle Hv.

[0088] Furthermore, the report processing unit F4 generates driving specification information of the user within a certain time (e.g., 15 minutes) after the start of driving based on an input signal from the in-vehicle sensor 53, and transmits the information to the server 2. The driving characteristic information is information indicating the roughness / carefulness of driving operation, and indicates, for example, the number of sudden braking and the number of sudden steering. Sudden steering refers to steering where the steering speed / yaw rate is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and sudden braking refers to braking operation where the deceleration, brake depression speed, or depression force is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The driving characteristic information may indicate the average / median of steering speed, the average / median of pedal depression speed, etc.

[0089] The driving characteristic information may include the implementation status of a safety confirmation action, which is deceleration for safety confirmation, such as deceleration when stopping temporarily or turning right or left, and the implementation status of checking the surroundings by moving one's eyes when stopping temporarily or turning right or left. The implementation status of the safety confirmation action and the implementation status of the surroundings check may be expressed by the ratio of the number of times that the action has not been performed to the number of opportunities that should be performed, or a score equivalent thereto. Note that the start of driving here refers to the switching of the driving power source from off to on. Opportunities that should be performed for safety confirmation action include turning right or left or passing a stop line, and may be identified based on map data. The implementation status of the surroundings check may be identified by analyzing images from the in-vehicle camera 54.

[0090] The authentication processing unit F5 is configured to perform automatic authentication processing with the portable device 1 through wireless communication. The authentication processing unit F5 cooperates with any BLE communication device 52 to perform processing to confirm (in other words, authenticate) that the communication partner is the portable device 1. The communication for authentication is performed in an encrypted form. The authentication processing itself may be performed using various methods such as a challenge-response method. For example, the authentication processing unit F5 transmits a predetermined / randomly generated challenge code to the portable device 1. In addition, the authentication processing unit F5 generates a verification code by a predetermined procedure using the challenge code and key information according to the device ID / key ID of the communication partner. Then, the response code returned from the communication partner is compared with the verification code, and the authentication is determined to be successful if the two match.

[0091] The timing at which the authentication processing unit F5 performs the authentication processing may be, for example, the timing at which a communication connection between the BLE communication device 52 and the portable device 1 is established. The authentication processing unit F5 may be configured to perform the authentication processing at a predetermined period while the BLE communication device 52 and the portable device 1 are communicatively connected. The authentication processing unit F5 may be configured to perform communication for the authentication processing in response to a predetermined user operation on the vehicle Hv, such as when the door button 53a is pressed by the user or when the door is opened or closed.

[0092] The behavior detection unit F6 detects a predetermined behavior (action) of the user in relation to the use of the vehicle Hv based on the detection result of the in-vehicle sensor 53 and the device position acquired by the position acquisition unit F2. The behavior detection unit F6 corresponds to a user behavior detection unit. For example, actions to be detected include "approaching," "arriving (in front of the door)," "door opening," and "boarding." The behavior detection unit F6 detects the approach of the user based on the device position determined by the position acquisition unit F2 moving from a distant area to a welcome area. This configuration corresponds to a configuration that detects the approach of the user to the vehicle Hv based on the distance between the portable device 1 and the vehicle becoming less than a predetermined value (here, the second distance).

[0093] Moreover, the behavior detection unit F6 detects that the user has arrived in front of the door based on the fact that the device position determined by the position acquisition unit F2 has moved from the welcome area to the locking / unlocking area Lx. This configuration corresponds to a configuration that detects the arrival of the user at the vehicle Hv based on the fact that the distance between the portable device 1 and the vehicle is less than a predetermined value (here, the first distance). The behavior detection unit F6 may detect the arrival of the user based on the fact that the door button 53a is pressed. The behavior detection unit F6 may also detect the arrival of the user based on the fact that a human presence is detected by a human presence sensor provided in the vehicle Hv. The human presence sensor may be any of an ultrasonic type, an infrared type, and a visible light type.

[0094] The behavior detection unit F6 detects the door opening based on an input from a courtesy switch. The behavior detection unit F6 detects the completion of the user's boarding based on at least one of the following: the door that was open has been closed, the seat belt has been fastened, the start button 53b has been pressed, and the device position has been transferred to inside the vehicle. From the viewpoint of preventing erroneous operation, it is preferable that the behavior detection unit F6 detects various actions with an upper limit of the presence of a user (portable device 1) whose authentication process has been successful in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[0095] When the behavior detection unit F6 detects the approach of a user, the usage scene determination unit F7 determines the usage scene based on the information such as the date acquired by the information acquisition unit F3. The usage scene is a parameter indicating the purpose of the vehicle use. In a more preferred embodiment, the usage scene determination unit F7 is configured to be capable of determining whether the usage scene corresponds to (1) the outbound journey on a working day (i.e., going to work), (2) the return journey on a working day (i.e., returning home), (3) going out on a holiday, or (4) returning home on a holiday.

[0096] Whether or not a day corresponds to a working day is determined based on the date and the day of the week. Whether or not a day corresponds to a working day may also be determined based on schedule information. Furthermore, whether a day corresponds to a departure scene from home or a return scene from the workplace / outing place is determined based on, for example, the time of day (time) and the user's behavior pattern. Whether a usage scene corresponds to a departure scene or a return scene may also be determined based on the parking location stored in storage 43 or server 2. For example, if the parking location is at home, the usage scene is determined to be a departure scene, and if the parking location is other than home, the usage scene is determined to be a return scene.

[0097] In addition, as an actual usage scenario, it is possible to move from one destination to another, but moving to some event is the same as departing from home. Therefore, moving from one destination to another can be considered the same as departing from home. As another aspect, a category of moving from one destination to another may be introduced as a usage scenario other than departing from home and returning home.

[0098] The user state acquisition unit F8 judges whether the user's state corresponds to "good" or "bad" based on the schedule information within the nearest fixed time / day and the life log data within the nearest fixed time acquired by the information acquisition unit F3. "Good" refers to a good physical and mental state. "Bad" refers to a state in which at least one of the body or mind is not good. Bad state includes not only states such as sleepiness and physical fatigue, but also mental states such as heavy-heartedness and tension. A good state corresponds to a state after having no worries and having had sufficient physical rest.

[0099] The user state acquisition unit F8 judges whether the user is in good health or in poor health based on the pulse rate, body temperature, amount of activity (e.g., number of steps) within a certain period of time from the time when the behavior detection unit F6 detects the approach of the user. For example, the user state acquisition unit F8 judges that the user state corresponds to poor health based on the pulse rate / heart rate / body temperature being outside a certain normal range. The user state acquisition unit F8 may also judge that the user state corresponds to poor health based on the amount of activity within a certain period of time (e.g., one hour) being equal to or greater than a certain value.

[0100] Furthermore, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine whether the user is in good health based on the (most recent) sleep time of the previous day and the quality of sleep. For example, if it is within a predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours) since waking up and the user has had sufficient sleep, the user status acquisition unit F8 determines that the user status corresponds to good health. If it is within a predetermined time since waking up but the user has not had sufficient sleep, the user status acquisition unit F8 determines that the user status corresponds to poor health. A case where a user has had sufficient sleep refers to a case where the user has slept for a predetermined time or more or has obtained stage 3 / 4 non-REM sleep (deep sleep).

[0101] In addition, on a working day, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine the user status based on whether or not it is before work and the schedule for that day. For example, if it is before work and there is no mentally tough work in the schedule for that day, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine that the user status is fine. On the other hand, if it is before work and there is mentally tough work in the schedule, the user status acquisition unit F8 may consider the user to be tense and determine that the user status is unwell. The user status acquisition unit F8 may estimate the user status after work based on how busy the schedule is. For example, if the total value of the time when there is no schedule is less than a predetermined value, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine that the user status is unwell (fatigue).

[0102] Furthermore, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine that the user is in poor health after mentally or physically tough work. On holidays, the user status acquisition unit F8 may determine whether the user is in good health or poor health based on the amount of sleep or the amount of activity immediately before. The user status acquisition unit F8 may also use the time period as a criterion for determining whether the user is in good health or poor health. For example, if there is no abnormality in the pulse rate or the like between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., the user may be considered to be in good health (i.e., basically) while the user may be considered to be in poor health between 3:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

[0103] The above describes an example of a method for determining the user status based on biological information such as sleep time, sleep quality, pulse rate, body temperature, amount of activity immediately before, schedule, time period, whether it is a working day, etc. The user status acquisition unit F8 may determine the user status by appropriately combining some or all of these indicators.

[0104] Also, for the sake of simplicity, the user's condition is divided into two states, good and bad, but the user condition acquisition unit F8 may further subdivide the user's condition to determine it. The bad condition may be divided into a physical fatigue state in which the mental condition is good but the body is tired, and a mental bad condition in which the body is good but the mental condition is inactive / unpleasant (i.e., bad). The physical fatigue state corresponds to a state in which the degree of physical fatigue is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The degree of physical fatigue is evaluated based on the amount of activity on that day, for example, the number of steps, the amount of movement, and the amount of exercise.

[0105] The mental state may be subdivided based on Russell's emotion circumplex model. For example, the user state acquisition unit F8 may subdivide and determine an unfavorable mental state (mental disorder) into tension, anger, irritation, anxiety, sadness, lethargy, fatigue, and the like. The user state acquisition unit F8 may determine whether or not the user is in a hurry based on the user's walking rhythm, moving speed, and the like. It may be estimated from the immediately preceding / following schedule which mental disorder the user state corresponds to. A detailed classification of the mental state may be inferred from the contents of posts to SNS within a certain period of time or keywords included in sent emails. Data indicating the determination result of the user state acquisition unit F8 corresponds to the user state information.

[0106] The theme selection unit F9 selects a theme to be applied to the current welcome control from among a plurality of themes prepared in advance as themes for welcome control, according to the determination result of the user state acquisition unit F8 and the usage scene. The theme can be understood as a presentation theme. Themes prepared include 1. things the user likes, 2. healing (natural scenery), 3. healing (animals), 4. natural scenery, 5. cityscape, 6. animals, 7. flowers, 8. family, 9. holidays, 10. work, etc. In addition to the above, presentation themes may include 11. uplifting, 12. calming, 13. space, 14. mark / logo, 15. simple, etc.

[0107] The performance data storage unit M1 stores a plurality of types of image and sound data for each theme. The image / sound data for each theme is selected by a designer or artificial intelligence (AI) based on a questionnaire survey of many users. The number and types of themes can be changed as appropriate. It is preferable that the performance data storage unit M1 has 50 or more images prepared as candidates for display images for each theme. It is also preferable that multiple types of sound data patterns are prepared. Details of the theme selection unit F9 and examples of display images for each theme will be described separately later.

[0108] The vehicle control unit F10 executes welcome control according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit F9. The vehicle control unit F10 corresponds to a welcome control execution unit. Some or all of the road surface lights 58, road surface projectors 59, door window projectors 61, seat projectors 62, interior lighting devices 63, air conditioners 64, aroma shooters 65, seat heaters 66, interior speakers 67, exterior speakers 68, and vibration generators 69 correspond to in-vehicle equipment for implementing the welcome control.

[0109] The welcome control may include multiple sub-controls according to the user's position / action. In this disclosure, the individual sub-controls (system responses) constituting the welcome control are also referred to as actuations. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle control unit F10 executes different actuations according to the user state as welcome control in each of the following scenes: (1) when the user approaches, (2) when the user arrives in front of the door, (3) when the door is opened, and (4) when the vehicle is boarded. In this disclosure, actuation from when the user approaches until the door is opened is also referred to as pre-boarding actuation. Also, actuation performed from when the door is opened until the vehicle starts traveling is also referred to as pre-start actuation.

[0110] (1) Activation when a user is detected approaching When the behavior detection unit F6 detects the approach of the user, the vehicle control unit F10 turns on all the road lights 58 as welcome lighting. According to this configuration, the entire circumference of the vehicle Hv is lit, so the user can find the vehicle Hv regardless of the direction in which the user is located as viewed from the vehicle Hv. In another embodiment, the road lights 58 that the vehicle control unit F10 turns on in response to the approach of the user may be only the forward road lights 58a. Alternatively, the road lights 58 that are turned on may be only the road lights 58 in the direction in which the user is present. By limiting the road lights 58 that are turned on, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

[0111] (2) Activation upon detection of user arrival When the behavior detection unit F6 detects that the user has arrived in front of the driver's door, the vehicle control unit F10 changes the lighting state of the road surface lights 58. For example, the vehicle control unit F10 turns off the road surface lights 58 other than those on the driver's seat side. The vehicle control unit F10 may also cause the road surface projector 59 on the driver's seat side to project an image according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit F9. In order to ensure the visibility of the image projected on the road surface, the vehicle control unit F10 may turn off the road surface lights 58 on the driver's seat side or may reduce the amount of light by a predetermined amount (i.e., degenerate). The vehicle control unit F10 may turn off all road surface lights 58 in response to the arrival of the user. By switching from lighting of the welcome illumination to image display as the user approaches and arrives in front of the door, the user can easily recognize that the in-vehicle system 3 recognizes the user's movement.

[0112] The vehicle control unit F10 may drive the driver's door window projector 61 in response to the user's arrival at the door, and display an image according to a theme on the driver's window glass Wg. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit F10 may operate the air conditioner 64 and the seat heater 66 in response to the user's arrival at the door so as to make the interior of the vehicle comfortable. In addition, the vehicle control unit F10 may output a predetermined welcome melody / audio message from the exterior speaker 68 in response to the user's arrival at the door. The welcome melody is a phrase of about 1 to 3 seconds, and can also be interpreted as a sound effect.

[0113] (3) Activation when the door is opened When the behavior detection unit F6 detects that the driver's door has been opened, the vehicle control unit F10 drives the seat projector 62 to display an image according to the theme on the seat surface to the backrest of the driver's seat. If the vehicle control unit F10 detects that a part of the user's body has entered the vehicle after the door is opened by the human presence sensor or the in-vehicle camera 54, it is preferable that the vehicle control unit F10 gradually ends (e.g. fades out) the image projection onto the surface of the driver's seat. This is to prevent the image from being projected onto the user's body.

[0114] In addition, the vehicle control unit F10 may output an aroma suitable for the user's condition from the aroma shooter 65 in response to the opening of the driver's door. For example, when the user's condition is determined to be healthy, the vehicle control unit F10 outputs the user's favorite aroma. When the user's condition is determined to be healthy, the vehicle control unit F10 may output a citrus aroma such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, or cypress, which is expected to improve concentration. On the other hand, when the user's condition is determined to be unwell, the vehicle control unit F10 outputs an aroma such as lavender, rose, peppermint, or chamomile, which is expected to have an effect of reducing irritation or stress / relaxing. When the user's condition is determined to be unwell, the vehicle control unit F10 may output an aroma such as thyme, jasmine, grapefruit, or mandarin. The aroma output according to the user's condition may be configured to be registerable by the user via a predetermined setting screen.

[0115] Furthermore, the aroma that the vehicle control unit F10 outputs from the aroma shooter 65 in response to the door being opened may be one that gives the driver a sense of the season. An aroma that gives a sense of the season is, for example, the aroma of a plant (flower) according to the season. For example, the vehicle control unit F10 may output the aroma of osmanthus periodically, randomly, or according to the user's state during October. The aroma of plum blossoms may be output in February, and the aroma of grass and trees in early summer. Furthermore, the vehicle control unit F10 may output the aroma of mosquito coils in August. If there is no aroma that matches the applicable theme, the vehicle control unit F10 may output a specified aroma, or may stop outputting the aroma altogether.

[0116] Incidentally, the output of the fragrance using the aroma shooter 65 may be performed before the door is opened, for example, when the user arrives in front of the door. However, just because the user arrives near the vehicle Hv does not necessarily mean that the user will board the vehicle Hv. If the fragrance is output when the user is not using the vehicle Hv, it will result in a waste of fragrance. In view of the effort required to replenish the fragrance, it is preferable to prevent unnecessary consumption of fragrance. By configuring the fragrance to be output only when the door is opened, it is possible to prevent unnecessary consumption of fragrance.

[0117] (4) Activation upon completion of boarding When the behavior detection unit F6 detects that the user has boarded the vehicle Hv, the vehicle control unit F10 displays a welcome video on the display 55 and outputs music that matches the video from inside the vehicle. In addition, in response to the user's boarding, the vehicle control unit F10 lights up the interior lighting device 63 in a color that matches the video. When the output of the video or music ends, the vehicle control unit F10 may output a welcome message from the interior speaker 67.

[0118] The welcome message is switched depending on the usage scene, such as when departing and when returning home. When departing, the vehicle control unit F10 applies a greeting phrase such as "Good morning," while when returning home, it applies a phrase of appreciation such as "Thank you for your hard work." When returning home, a phrase indicating that the user was waiting to return to the vehicle Hv, such as "Welcome back," may be applied. The vehicle control unit F10 may change the tone of the welcome message depending on the user's state. When the user's state is good, a bright tone may be applied, while when the user's state is bad, a calm tone may be applied. The vehicle control unit F10 may add a one-line message according to the schedule of the day or the user's life log before or after a standard phrase as the welcome message.

[0119] As described above, the activations include turning on welcome lighting, displaying images on the road surface / door windows / seats, operating the air conditioning, outputting fragrance, displaying welcome videos on the display 55, outputting welcome melodies / messages, turning on ambient lights, and the like. The welcome control only needs to include at least one activation, and does not need to include all of them. By gradually performing different activations in accordance with the user's movements, the user can easily recognize that the in-vehicle system 3 is aware of the user's movements. By performing different activations according to the user's movements, it is expected that the effect of increasing the user's satisfaction and directing the user's attention to the vehicle HV and driving operations can be expected.

[0120] The image content, light color, and sound output to the user in each activation are adjusted to match the theme, season, and time period selected by the theme selection section F9. In other words, the content of each activation is selected to be consistent, in other words, to have a common color, impression, and evocative quality.

[0121] For example, when it is spring, the vehicle control unit F10 preferentially adopts a light pink color reminiscent of cherry blossoms as the emission color of the road surface lights 58 and the interior lighting device 63. Similarly, green may be preferentially applied in early summer such as June, blue in summer, orange / red in autumn, and white / light blue in winter. However, in the evening, the vehicle control unit F10 may turn on the road surface lights 58 and the interior lighting device 63 in a color (orange, etc.) that gives the impression of the end of the day. In other words, a color according to the time of day (time of day) may be prioritized over a color according to the season.

[0122] The vehicle control unit F10 adopts common images according to a combination of the user state and the usage scene as display images for multiple locations such as the display 55, the road surface, and the driver's seat surface (hereinafter also referred to as the display 55, etc.). In a more preferred embodiment, the display images are selected according to the season and the time of day.

[0123] Examples of image elements that give a sense of the season include seasonal flowers such as plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, rape blossoms, sunflowers, cosmos, and hydrangeas. Images of fresh greenery, the sea, autumn leaves, snow (snowflakes), Christmas trees, New Year's decorations, and seasonal foods also correspond to seasonal image elements. Images that include seasonal image elements as backgrounds or accents correspond to seasonal images.

[0124] In addition, the images displayed in a plurality of locations, such as the display 55, the road surface in front of the door, and the driver's seat, may be different images as long as there is commonality. For example, when a photo of a cat with a seasonal scenery as the background is displayed on the display 55, the image projected on the road surface or the driver's seat may be an image related to the season or a cat. For example, the image projected on the road surface or the driver's seat may be a cat's footprint, an icon image of a cat, or an illustration of a cat. In addition, when an image of a river including autumn leaves, cherry blossoms, and snow as natural scenery is displayed on the display 55, an image of a waterfall is displayed on the surface of the driver's seat in a manner that fits the seat shape. An image related to the image displayed on the driver's seat or the display 55, such as an image of falling autumn leaves or cherry blossoms, may be displayed on the road surface. The combination of images that are mutually related (common) may be designed appropriately.

[0125] Furthermore, the vehicle control unit F10 may set the emission color of the road light 58 and the interior lighting device 63 to be a color that is reminiscent of the season as described above, but may also set the color to be a color that harmonizes with the image displayed on the display 55. For example, the emission color of the road light 58 and the interior lighting device 63 may be a representative color of the image displayed on the display 55. The representative color corresponds to the color that appears most frequently in a histogram that indicates the number of occurrences of each color.

[0126] <About theme selection and display images> Here, the operation of the theme selection unit F9 will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the theme selection unit F9 when the use scene determination unit F7 has determined that the use scene (use day) corresponds to a work day. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the theme selection unit F9 when the use scene determination unit F7 has determined that the use scene corresponds to a holiday.

[0127] First, the operation when the usage scene corresponds to a work day will be explained. When the usage scene corresponds to going to work and the user state corresponds to being energetic, the theme selection section F9 selects "1. User's favorite things" as the applicable theme. This causes images related to the user's favorite things to be displayed on the display 55, etc. as a welcome control. Images to be displayed are selected to suit the season and time of day.

[0128] For example, if the user likes cats, the vehicle control unit F10 displays an image of a cat on the road surface or the window glass Wg as shown in FIG. 11. ImW in FIG. 11 indicates a display image on the window glass Wg, and ImR indicates a display image on the road surface. The display image on the driver's seat is a pattern image having elements such as cat footprints and a cat silhouette. The pattern image corresponds to an image in which elements are repeatedly / randomly arranged at a predetermined interval. When selecting a display image, if the season is spring, an image corresponding to two keywords, cat and spring, is preferentially adopted. A light pink color or a representative color of the display image is applied as the lighting color of the welcome lighting and the interior lighting device 63. As another example, if the user likes trains, the vehicle control unit F10 displays an image related to trains / steam trains on the display 55, etc.

[0129] If the user's preferences are unknown, the theme may be selected as "2. Relaxation (natural scenery)." For example, when the usage scene corresponds to commuting, the user's state is energetic, and the user's preferences are unknown, the theme selection unit F9 adopts an image that gives the feeling of the beginning of the day, such as a morning sun or sunlight filtering through the trees, as the display image.

[0130] The developers of the present disclosure created a prototype of the present system and conducted a questionnaire survey of multiple subjects regarding the contents of the welcome control, and found that there is a demand for uplifting or soothing images when a user is in good spirits when going to work. The present embodiment was created in consideration of such circumstances, and the above configuration makes it possible to implement welcome control suited to the user's state. In addition, as described above, by presenting the user's favorite items when the user is in good spirits, it is possible to create a sense of closeness / specialness / originality, and to increase the user's attachment to the vehicle Hv. It is also possible to expect an effect of fostering in the user a sense that the vehicle Hv is a friend / partner of the user.

[0131] Furthermore, when the usage scene corresponds to going to work and the user condition corresponds to feeling unwell, the theme selection unit F9 selects "2. Relaxation (natural scenery)" as the applied theme. As a result, the vehicle control unit F10 adopts an image of natural scenery that matches the season and date and time as the display image on the display 55, etc. For example, the vehicle control unit F10 displays an image of natural scenery that gives the feeling of the beginning of the day on the display 55, etc. This configuration is expected to have the effect of alleviating the user's negative emotions. However, even when the user condition corresponds to feeling unwell, the theme selection unit F9 may be configured to apply "1. User's favorite things". The applied theme for each combination of user condition and usage scene may be configured to be designated by the user via a predetermined setting screen.

[0132] When the usage scene corresponds to returning home from work, there is a high possibility that the user is seeking relaxation even if the user is in good spirits. For this reason, the theme selection unit F9 applies "2. Relaxation (natural scenery)" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home from work and the user state corresponds to good spirits. Even if the theme applied when going to work is the same "2. Relaxation (natural scenery)", the displayed image will be one that matches the time of day, so the vehicle control unit F10 operates to present an image different from that when going to work.

[0133] For example, when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a work day and the user state corresponds to being lively, the vehicle control unit F10 adopts an image that evokes the end of the day, such as a sunset, as a display image on the display 55, etc. This configuration is expected to have the effect of making the user feel relieved and relaxed. In addition, the theme selection unit F9 may adopt "8. Family" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a work day and the user state corresponds to being lively. Images displayed with the theme "8. Family" are photos of family and images that evoke relaxation at home. By displaying this image, it becomes easier to guide the user's attention from work to driving operations and home. In addition, by associating the user with family, it is expected to have the effect of raising awareness of safe driving.

[0134] The theme selection unit F9 applies "3. Relaxation (animals)" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a working day and the user's condition corresponds to feeling unwell. Images displayed in the theme "3. Relaxation (animals)" are images of baby animals, such as kittens and puppies. This configuration is expected to have the effect of relieving and relaxing the user, similar to the relaxing natural scenery images. Of course, the applied theme when the usage scene corresponds to returning home and the user's condition corresponds to feeling unwell may be other themes, such as "3. Relaxation (natural scenery)" or "7. Flowers". The theme selected as the theme for when the user is tired may be applied.

[0135] Next, the operation when the usage scene corresponds to a holiday will be described with reference to FIG. 12. When the usage scene corresponds to departure on a holiday and the user state corresponds to being lively, the theme selection unit F9 selects "1. User's favorite things" as the applicable theme. This causes the vehicle control unit F10 to display on the display 55 or the like images related to the user's favorite things and appropriate for the season and time period. Note that the vehicle control unit F10 does not use images output on a working day within the past week as holiday display images. This configuration can improve / maintain the user's sense of freedom and elation that comes from being on a holiday.

[0136] The theme selection unit F9 selects "4. Natural scenery" as the applied theme when the usage scene corresponds to departure on a holiday and the user's condition corresponds to poor health. As a result, the vehicle control unit F10 displays on the display 55 or the like an image of natural scenery that is appropriate for the season and date and time and that has not been displayed on the most recent working day. The vehicle control unit F10 may preferentially adopt an image that is appropriate for the destination of the day as the image of natural scenery. For example, when the vehicle control unit F10 has acquired from a schedule or the like that the user plans to head to the mountains / mountainous area, it adopts an image of a mountain as the display image. Furthermore, when the user plans to head to the sea, the vehicle control unit F10 adopts an image of the sea or a sandy beach as the display image. Note that, when the usage scene corresponds to departure on a holiday and the user's condition corresponds to poor health, the theme selection unit F9 may apply "1. Something the user likes". According to the above configuration, it is possible to impress upon the user that the vehicle Hv operates in accordance with the user's preferences.

[0137] The theme selection unit F9 applies the theme "4. Natural scenery" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to being energetic. This configuration is expected to have the effect of making the user feel relieved, relaxed, and energized. Even if the applied theme at the time of departure was the same "4. Natural scenery," the displayed image will be one that matches the time of day, and therefore an image different from that at the time of departure will be selected.

[0138] The theme selection unit F9 may apply "14. Mark / Logo" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to being energetic. An image displayed with the theme "14. Mark / Logo" is, for example, the emblem mark of the vehicle Hv or the logo of the vehicle manufacturer. With the above configuration, the presentation is relatively modest, so that it is possible to reduce the risk of annoyance to a tired user.

[0139] Furthermore, when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to being energetic, the applied theme may be "15. Simple." The theme "15. Simple" corresponds to a pattern in which no image is displayed. The configuration in which the theme "15. Simple" is applied can also reduce the risk of annoyance to the user. When the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to being energetic, the applied theme may be "5. Cityscape," for example. According to this control mode, an image of a cityscape with a sunset in the background is displayed, allowing the user to feel the end of the day.

[0140] The theme selection unit F9 applies the theme "15. Simple" when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to poor health. This configuration can reduce the risk of causing annoyance to a tired user. In addition, when the usage scene corresponds to returning home on a holiday and the user state corresponds to good health, the applied themes may be "2. Relaxation (natural scenery)", "3. Relaxation (animals)", "4. Natural scenery", or "14. Marks / logos".

[0141] <Effects> According to the above configuration, the contents of the welcome control, i.e., the color of the output light, the displayed image, the scent, and the voice message / music, are adjusted according to the state of the user. This reduces the risk of executing an activation far removed from the user's potential desire. This in turn reduces the risk of the user becoming less satisfied with the in-vehicle system 3 or feeling annoyed.

[0142] In addition, according to the above configuration, when the user is tired or tense, that is, when the user is not feeling well, a calming landscape image such as a natural landscape is displayed, or a relaxing scent is pre-output to greet the user. This configuration is expected to have the effect of reducing the user's fatigue or anger and bringing the user closer to a state suitable for driving operations. In other words, it is also expected to have the effect of switching the user's focus from tasks other than driving to driving operations.

[0143] In the above, the display images are images according to the season, time period, and usage scene. With this configuration, for example, when going to work in the morning, an image that makes the user feel the beginning of the day, such as sunlight filtering through the trees or the morning sun, is displayed, which is expected to have the effect of making the user feel good. Also, for example, when returning home in the evening, an image that makes the user feel the end of the day, such as a natural landscape / townscape at sunset, is displayed, which can provide a sense of peace to the user.

[0144] Furthermore, images that have been displayed on work days within a specified period in the past will not be displayed on holidays. This reduces the risk of the user being reminded of work on holidays. In other words, by configuring images that have been displayed on work days within a specified period in the past not to be displayed on holidays, the risk of losing the sense of freedom on holidays can be reduced.

[0145] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modified examples described below are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure, and further, various modifications other than those described below can be implemented without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the following various supplements and modified examples can be implemented in appropriate combinations as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components having the same functions as the components described above, and their description may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is mentioned, the above description can be applied to the other parts.

[0146] <Variation (1)> Visual pre-boarding activation, such as turning on welcome lighting or projecting an image onto the road surface, may be performed only when the vehicle Hv is in a location where light or an image is easily perceived. In other words, when the external environment is an environment where light or an image is difficult to perceive, visual pre-boarding activation may be omitted. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the in-vehicle system 3. In addition, it is possible to reduce the risk of causing annoyance to the user by presenting light / images that are difficult for the user to see. Note that a location where light or an image is difficult to perceive is a bright location, such as outdoors during the day. For example, when the external illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 53e is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the vehicle control unit F10 determines that the parking position is a location where light or an image is difficult to perceive. That is, for example, when the external illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 53e is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the vehicle control unit F10 may omit visual pre-boarding activation.

[0147] <Variation (2)> When the presence of a second user who is a user who will sit in the passenger seat, in addition to the user who is the driver, is detected, an image according to the state of the second user may be projected onto the road surface in front of the passenger seat door or onto the passenger seat window glass. The boarding support ECU 4 may also perform welcome control for the user who is scheduled to sit in the passenger seat in the same manner as for the driver.

[0148] <Variation (3)> The server 2 may have some of the functions of the boarding support ECU 4. For example, the server 2 may have a function of determining a usage scene and a function of determining a user state. In this case, the boarding support ECU 4 acquires data indicating the determination results of the usage scene and the user state from the server 2. In other words, the usage scene determination unit F7 and the user state acquisition unit F8 of the boarding support ECU 4 may acquire the determination results of the server 2. The server 2 may also detect that the user is approaching the vehicle Hv by comparing parking position information held by the server 2 with position information reported from the portable device 1.

[0149] When the server 2 detects that the portable device 1 has entered within a predetermined distance of the vehicle Hv based on the parking position information and the position information reported from the portable device 1, the server 2 may transmit an approach notification signal indicating the approach of the user to the boarding support ECU 4. The boarding support ECU 4 may transition to a standby mode in which the boarding support ECU 4 establishes a communication connection with the portable device 1 and performs a search process for the device position based on the approach notification signal transmitted from the server 2. With this configuration, the boarding support ECU 4 does not need to constantly search for the device position, making it possible to reduce power consumption.

[0150] The performance data storage unit M1 itself may also be provided in the server 2. The boarding support ECU 4 may be configured to receive image and sound data distributed from the server 2 and output the data at a timing according to the user's actions. This configuration allows the display image candidates to be updated at any time. Also, the capacity of the storage device installed in the boarding support ECU 4 can be reduced.

[0151] In addition, the server 2 may have a function of determining the usage scene and the user state and selecting a theme. In this case, the boarding support ECU 4 performs welcome control in a manner according to the theme notified from the server 2. In addition, the boarding support ECU 4 may be configured to execute the welcome control based on an instruction from the server 2 after the server 2 has determined the theme to be applied and the specific contents of the welcome control. In this case, the boarding support ECU 4 may be configured to include a behavior detection unit F6, a function of acquiring instructions from the server 2, and a function equivalent to the vehicle control unit F10.

[0152] According to a configuration in which some of the functions of the boarding support ECU 4 are arranged in the server 2, the processing load of the boarding support ECU 4 can be reduced. However, the vehicle Hv is not necessarily in an environment in which data communication with the server 2 is possible. If constant connection / real-time cooperation with the server 2 is required, the in-vehicle system 3 cannot perform the above-mentioned service (welcome control) when the vehicle Hv is outside the cellular communication range, such as in an underground parking lot with poor radio wave conditions or deep in the mountains. From the viewpoint of stability of service provision, a system configuration that is completed by the in-vehicle system 3 and the portable device 1 may be adopted so that the welcome control can be performed even outside the range. For example, the user's life log and schedule information may be transmitted from the portable device 1 to the boarding support ECU 4 based on the establishment of a short-distance communication connection between the portable device 1 and the in-vehicle system 3. The above-mentioned operation can also be realized by this configuration. The in-vehicle system 3 may be configured to switch the source of acquisition of life log data, etc., depending on whether cellular communication is possible or not. For example, the in-vehicle system 3 may obtain the life log data from the server 2 when cellular communication is possible, and may obtain the life log data from the portable device 1 by short-range communication when cellular communication is not possible.

[0153] <Variation (4)> The boarding assistance system may be configured to check the effectiveness of the welcome control by recording driving behavior data including driving operations within a predetermined time from the start of driving, and to provide feedback so that optimal content suited to the user's state can be selected. As a configuration corresponding to this technical idea, the boarding assistance ECU4 includes a content evaluation unit F11 in addition to the above-mentioned communication control unit F1 to vehicle control unit F10, as shown in FIG.

[0154] The boarding support ECU4 as the content evaluation unit F11, as a preparation process for content evaluation, identifies the normal driving characteristics of the user based on the driving characteristic information of the user within two weeks to one month. Then, the boarding support ECU4 judges whether the current state of the user corresponds to an inappropriate state by comparing the contents of the driving operation after the start of driving with the normal driving characteristics. The inappropriate state is a state that is not suitable for driving operation, and corresponds to a state in which sudden braking and sudden steering are performed a predetermined amount more than usual. In addition, a state in which the implementation rate of surrounding checks and safety confirmation actions is lower than usual by a predetermined amount or more may also correspond to an inappropriate state. Determining whether the state corresponds to an inappropriate state corresponds to evaluating the degree of safety (degree of unsafety) of the driving operation after the start of driving.

[0155] If the content evaluation unit F11 determines that the user state after the start of driving corresponds to an inappropriate state, it gives a negative reward to the display image provided before the start of driving. On the other hand, if the content evaluation unit F11 determines that the user state after the start of driving does not correspond to an inappropriate state, it gives a positive reward to the display image provided before the start of driving. The content evaluation unit F11 records the total reward value for each combination of the user state before the start of driving and the displayed image. The total reward value corresponds to the evaluation result. Even if the image is the same, if the user state before the start of driving is different, different effects can be obtained. Therefore, it is preferable that the reward value for the image is accumulated separately for each user state when it is presented. The reward value for each image according to the user state can be interpreted as a parameter indicating the degree to which the image contributes to the improvement of the user state. Giving a negative reward corresponds to regarding the image as unlikely to contribute to the improvement of the user state before the start of driving.

[0156] When selecting an image to be displayed, the vehicle control unit F10 preferentially adopts an image with a higher reward value from among the group of images belonging to a theme according to the user's state as the display image. According to the above configuration, it is possible to select a more appropriate image to be displayed according to the user's state by accumulating (learning) reward values. However, there is a concern that the user may become accustomed to displaying the same image over and over again. The vehicle control unit F10 may arbitrate so that an image that has been displayed once is not displayed for a predetermined period of time. Also, if there is an image that has not yet been presented among the group of images belonging to the applicable theme, the undisplayed image may be adopted with a certain probability (randomly).

[0157] Although the above describes a mode in which a reward is given for a displayed image, the reward may be given on a theme basis. With this configuration, a theme according to the user state is applied. The content evaluation unit F11 may be provided in the server 2. When the server 2 is provided with the content evaluation unit F11, the server 2 may learn appropriate content according to the user state for each user category according to the user's age, sex, hobbies, etc. With such a configuration, images according to the user's preferences and state are easily displayed from the initial state, making it possible to increase user satisfaction.

[0158] <Variation (5)> The in-vehicle system 3 may be equipped with a perimeter monitoring sensor that detects the shape of the road surface around the vehicle and the position and shape of obstacles. The perimeter monitoring sensor may be an external camera such as a side camera, rear camera, or front camera that captures the image of the perimeter of the vehicle, a sonar, or a LiDAR. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging.

[0159] The vehicle control unit F10 may identify the shape of the road surface that is the projection range of the road surface projector 59 by analyzing the detection result of the surrounding monitoring sensor, for example, an image captured by an outside camera. Then, the vehicle control unit F10 may cause the road surface projector 59 to project an image so as to follow the identified road surface shape. With this configuration, it becomes possible to display an image in an appropriate manner according to the shape of the road surface.

[0160] When the surrounding monitoring sensor detects the presence of a three-dimensional object within the projection range of the road surface projector 59, the image display on the road surface as a welcome control may be omitted, or a warning image regarding the three-dimensional object may be displayed. The concept of a three-dimensional object is not limited to objects protruding from the road surface, but also includes recesses such as grooves.

[0161] <Variation (6)> In the above, an embodiment has been described in which an image corresponding to the user state is displayed on at least one of the road surface, the door window (window glass), the surface of the driver's seat, and the display 55 as one activation of the welcome control, but image display is not an essential element. The vehicle control unit F10 does not have to display an image as the welcome control. The welcome control may be realized by adjusting the lighting color of the road light 58 and the interior lighting device 63 and outputting music. The vehicle control unit F10 may be configured to output light, sound, and fragrance in a color according to the user's state / applied theme without displaying an image. The welcome control may simply output music corresponding to the applied theme / user state from the interior speaker 67 together with the door opening. The welcome control may also include control of turning on the interior lighting device 63 in conjunction with the above music.

[0162] <Variation (7)> If the shift position is set to a driving position while the welcome video is being displayed on the display 55, the boarding assistance ECU 4 may end the playback of the welcome video midway. This configuration allows the user to start driving promptly. The driving position is a drive position (so-called D) that transmits driving force in the forward direction, a reverse position (so-called R) that transmits driving force in the reverse direction, etc.

[0163] <Additional remarks> The device, system, and method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer that configures a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The device and method described in the present disclosure may also be realized by using a dedicated hardware logic circuit. Furthermore, the device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. For example, some or all of the functions of the processor 41 may be realized as hardware. The embodiment in which a certain function is realized as hardware includes an embodiment in which it is realized using one or more ICs, etc. As the processor (computation core), a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), etc. can be adopted. Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the processor 41 may be realized by combining multiple types of computation processing devices. Some or all of the functions of the processor 41 may be realized by using a system-on-chip (SoC), an FPGA, an ASIC, etc. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. The computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitive tangible storage medium. The program may be stored on a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like.

[0164] The scope of the present disclosure also includes a method corresponding to the processing performed by the boarding assistance ECU 4, a system including the boarding assistance ECU 4, etc. In addition, the scope of the present disclosure also includes a program for causing a computer to function as the boarding assistance ECU 4 / server 2, and a non-transient tangible recording medium such as a semiconductor memory on which this program is recorded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0165] 1 Mobile device, 2 Server, 3 In-vehicle system, 4 Boarding support ECU, 52 BLE communication device, 55 Display (in-vehicle display), 58 Road light, 59 Road projector, 61 Door window projector, 62 Seat projector, 63 Interior lighting device, 65 Aroma shooter, 67 Interior speaker (in-vehicle speaker), 68 Exterior speaker (in-vehicle speaker), F1 Communication control unit, F2 Position acquisition unit, F3 Information acquisition unit, F4 Report processing unit, F5 Authentication processing unit, F6 Behavior detection unit (user behavior detection unit), F7 Usage scene determination unit, F8 User state acquisition unit, F9 Theme selection unit, F10 Vehicle control unit (welcome control execution unit), F11 Content evaluation unit

Claims

1. a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle; an information acquisition unit (F3) for acquiring schedule information of the user; a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control for driving a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit detecting the approach of the user; a usage scene determination unit (F7) that determines a usage scene indicating a purpose of vehicle use based on at least one of the date and time when the user behavior detection unit detects the approach of the user, whether it is a holiday or not, whether the parking location is at home or not, and the schedule information, the usage scene determination unit determines whether the usage scene corresponds to a departure scene of departing from home or a return scene of heading home; the welcome control execution unit is configured to change content of the welcome control based on a combination of the user status acquired by the user status acquisition unit and the usage scene determined by the usage scene determination unit, The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to make the content of the welcome control different when the usage scene corresponds to the returning home scene and when the usage scene corresponds to the departure scene, even if the user state is the same.

2. 2. The user proximity response device according to claim 1, The welcome control includes displaying an image on at least one of a road surface within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, a window glass of a driver's door, a surface of the driver's seat, and a display (55) disposed in front of the driver's seat; a theme selection section (F9) for selecting a theme for the welcome control from among a plurality of previously prepared themes based on the user state; The user approach response device, wherein the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit.

3. a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle; an information acquisition unit (F3) for acquiring schedule information of the user; a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control for driving a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit detecting the approach of the user; a theme selection section (F9) for selecting a theme for the welcome control from among a plurality of themes prepared in advance based on the user state; The welcome control includes displaying an image on at least one of a road surface within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, a window glass of a driver's door, a surface of the driver's seat, and a display (55) disposed in front of the driver's seat; The user approach response device, wherein the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image according to a theme selected by the theme selection unit based on the user state.

4. 4. A user proximity response device according to claim 3, The information acquisition unit acquires at least one of a date and time, whether it is a holiday, and whether the parking location is at home in addition to the schedule information of the user, A usage scene determination unit (F7) that determines a usage scene indicating a purpose of vehicle usage based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The theme selection unit is configured to select the theme based on a combination of the user state and the usage scene.

5. 5. A user proximity response device according to claim 4, The information acquisition unit acquires information indicating a season, The user approach response device, wherein the welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit and according to the season.

6. 6. A user proximity response device according to claim 4 or 5, The information acquisition unit acquires information indicating a season and a time, The welcome control execution unit is configured to display an image according to the theme selected by the theme selection unit and according to the season and time of day.

7. 7. A user proximity response device according to claim 4, further comprising: The information acquisition unit acquires information indicating whether or not a day corresponds to a holiday, The welcome control execution unit is configured to not display, on a holiday, an image that has been displayed on a non-holiday day within a predetermined past period.

8. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The user proximity response device, wherein the user status acquisition unit is configured to determine the user status based on life log data that is a record of the user's life or activities within a certain period of time.

9. 9. A user proximity response device according to claim 8, comprising: The life log data includes at least one of the user's biometric information, behavioral history, and image data stored in a portable device (1) possessed by the user.

10. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The user behavior detection unit is a user approach response device configured to detect the approach of the user based on at least one of the reception status of a radio signal emitted from the user's portable device in a communication device (52) mounted on the vehicle and location information of the portable device.

11. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The welcome control includes sequentially or simultaneously displaying images on a plurality of locations among a road surface within a predetermined distance from the vehicle, a window glass of a driver's door, a surface of a driver's seat, and an in-vehicle display; The user approach response device is configured such that the welcome control execution unit displays an image of a common object or phenomenon at each of the plurality of locations.

12. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the user behavior detection unit detects that the user has arrived in front of the driver's door based on at least one of a reception status of a wireless signal emitted from the user's portable device in a communication device (52) mounted in the vehicle and a detection result of a user arrival sensor that outputs a signal indicating that the user is present in front of the driver's door; The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to perform at least one of the following in response to the user behavior detection unit detecting that the user has arrived in front of the door: irradiating light of a color corresponding to the user state toward a road surface within a predetermined distance from the door, displaying an image corresponding to the user state on the road surface, and displaying an image corresponding to the user state on the window glass of the driver's door.

13. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: the user behavior detection unit detects that a driver's door has been opened based on an output signal of a courtesy switch mounted in the vehicle; The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to, in response to detection that the door for the driver's seat has been opened, display an image corresponding to the user state on the surface of the driver's seat in cooperation with a sheet projector that projects an image toward the surface of the driver's seat.

14. a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle; an information acquisition unit (F3) for acquiring schedule information of the user; a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control for driving a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit detecting the approach of the user, the user behavior detection unit detects that a driver's door has been opened based on an output signal of a courtesy switch mounted in the vehicle; The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to, in response to detection that the door for the driver's seat has been opened, display an image corresponding to the user state on the surface of the driver's seat in cooperation with a sheet projector that projects an image toward the surface of the driver's seat.

15. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising: The user behavior detection unit detects that the user has boarded the vehicle based on an output signal of an in-vehicle sensor, The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to, in response to detection of the user's boarding, display an image corresponding to the user's state on a display (55) located in front of the driver's seat, output music corresponding to the user's state in conjunction with the image, turn on decorative lights located inside the vehicle, and output a welcoming or congratulatory voice message before or after playing the image.

16. a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle; an information acquisition unit (F3) for acquiring schedule information of the user; a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control for driving a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit detecting the approach of the user, The user behavior detection unit detects that the user has boarded the vehicle based on an output signal of an in-vehicle sensor, The welcome control execution unit is a user approach response device configured to, in response to detection of the user's boarding, display an image corresponding to the user's state on a display (55) located in front of the driver's seat, output music corresponding to the user's state in conjunction with the image, turn on decorative lights located inside the vehicle, and output a welcoming or congratulatory voice message before or after playing the image.

17. 17. A user proximity response device according to claim 16, comprising: The welcome control execution unit is configured to determine whether the user is in good spirits or not, and if the user is determined to be not in good spirits, to lower the tone of the voice message by a predetermined amount compared to when the user is determined to be in good spirits.

18. 18. A user proximity response device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising: A user approach response device having a content evaluation unit (F11) that evaluates whether the welcome control implemented before the start of driving has contributed to improving the mental state of the user based on the user's driving operation within a predetermined time after the start of driving, and stores the evaluation result in association with the content of the welcome control.

19. a user behavior detection unit (F6) that detects a predetermined behavior of the user related to the use of the vehicle, including the user's approach to the vehicle; an information acquisition unit (F3) for acquiring schedule information of the user; a user state acquisition unit (F8) that acquires a user state indicating at least one of a mental state and a physical fatigue level of the user approaching the vehicle based on the schedule information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a welcome control execution unit (F10) that executes welcome control for driving a predetermined in-vehicle equipment based on the user behavior detection unit detecting the approach of the user; a content evaluation unit (F11) that evaluates whether the welcome control implemented before the start of driving has contributed to improving the mental state of the user based on the driving operation of the user within a predetermined time after the start of driving, and stores the evaluation result in association with the content of the welcome control; The user approach response device, wherein the welcome control execution unit is configured to change the content of the welcome control depending on the user status acquired by the user status acquisition unit.

20. 20. A user proximity response device according to claim 18 or 19, comprising: The user approach response device is configured so that the welcome control execution unit determines the content of the welcome control according to the user state based on a past evaluation result by the content evaluation unit.

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