Driving skill information acquisition system and data management system

Abstract

To acquire objective data on a driving skill.SOLUTION: A driving skill information acquisition system 1 comprises: an image rendering unit 10; a simulator 18; an eye tracking device 14; and a point of regard determination unit 16, and further may comprise: a scenario data storage unit 30; and a scenario progress management unit 40. The image rendering unit is configured to generate an image signal of a presentation image to a subject 2 for a driving simulation in a virtual space. The simulator is configured to receive an operation by the subject 2. The eye tracker 14 is configured to output an eye tracking signal enabling a line of sight of the subject, and the point of regard determination unit is configure to determine a position at which the line of sight arrives in the virtual space or relative to the simulator as the point of regard. The scenario progress management unit is configured to manage progress of a scenario for the driving simulation on the basis of scenario data of the scenario data storage unit. According to the present disclosure, a data management system is also provided, and to that end, a computer program is provided, as well.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving skill information acquisition system and a data management system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a driving skill information acquisition system and a data management system for acquiring information on aptitude for driving a vehicle or the like using a virtual space on a computer. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an increasing demand to ensure a certain level of safety while satisfying the needs of the elderly and those with illnesses regarding driving vehicles such as automobiles. In response to this, there is a demand for detailed diagnosis of aptitude for driving vehicles (referred to as "driving skills" in this disclosure). In a typical driver's license system, driving skills are judged at a certain point in time, and those who pass are then granted a license for a certain period of time, and a renewal system according to age and period is combined. Some jurisdictions also set an upper age limit. However, a system in which the convenience of a car is uniformly lost at a certain age is not necessarily rational for everyone, and is not necessarily optimal as a system. In Japan, license systems are adopted that set the validity period until the next renewal according to age, and combine a doctor's diagnosis result with a training system or aptitude test. In the future, it is also considered that the equipment of safety support functions of automobiles will be a condition, and that automobiles will perform some driving functions automatically. However, the driver's license system has to be a compromise due to the balance between the management burden of the renewal procedure and the resources required for relearning. It is also not easy for drivers to recognize the current state of their own motor skills. There continues to be a demand for detailed diagnosis of driving skills of individual drivers with as little burden as possible.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a driving skill diagnosis device that can easily and reliably diagnose the driving skills of a subject. The driving skill diagnosis device executes a program for measuring the three attention functions of maintenance, selection, and control simultaneously and accurately through a simple test in a short time (Patent Document 1, for example, paragraph 0010).

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle driving ability assessment device for objectively assessing vehicle driving ability. The knowledge on which this vehicle driving ability assessment device is based is that when a sensory stimulus other than vision, for example, an auditory stimulus that is completely unrelated to the presented driving environment, is given in an image display by a vehicle driving simulator, the evoked potential fluctuation in the electroencephalogram measured in the area that reacts to the given sensory stimulus has a strong correlation with the cognitive ability and concentration that are closely related to safe driving (Patent Document 2, for example, paragraph 0008).

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses a driving simulator and a driving method that utilizes a simulated road environment displayed on a monitor screen. This method evaluates whether the driving ability required to drive a vehicle is affected by hemispatial neglect or visual field constriction (Patent Document 3, for example, paragraphs 0038-81).

[0006] Patent Document 4 discloses a driving ability evaluation system that includes an operating ability testing unit that tests the operating ability of a subject in a driving simulator, a sensory function testing unit that tests sensory function, a virtual driving environment output unit that outputs a virtual driving environment, and an evaluation information storage unit that stores evaluation information evaluated for a plurality of evaluation items related to the evaluation of higher brain functions based on the subject's virtual driving in the virtual driving environment. This system is intended to evaluate the driving ability of a subject from the perspective related to higher brain disorders (Patent Document 4, for example, paragraph 0008).

[0007] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a method for combining a driving simulator with an eye-tracking system to integrate and analyze gaze information and driving behavior on a road reproduced by computer graphics. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-213539 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-218112 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2018-045066 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2022-172560 A [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-070094 [Non-patent literature]

[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] Midori Mori et al., "Synchronization Analysis of Driver's Eye Movement and Vehicle Trajectory Using a Driving Simulator and an Eye Tracking System," Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Series C, Vol. 79, No. 803, pp. 2408-2423 (2013) DOI: 10.1299 / kikaic.79.2408 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Previously, studies of driving skills have been attempted by presenting traffic conditions and examining the driver's (subject's) reaction to them. Here, driving has typically been explained using a model that combines "cognition," "judgment," and "operation." However, it is difficult to objectively grasp the situation regarding a driver's driving skills and the individual characteristics that compose them, and it is similarly difficult to distinguish cognitive ability, judgment ability, and operation ability from each other. It has been difficult to efficiently diagnose driving skills, which should be investigated under diverse and complex situations, for a large number of subjects based on appropriate indicators.

[0011] The present disclosure aims to solve at least some of the above problems. In this disclosure, we aim to objectively grasp driving skills, keeping in mind the nature of driving a vehicle, in which cognition, judgment, and operation are constantly repeated in diverse and complex situations. That is, the present disclosure aims to objectively grasp driving skills. PossibleTo provide a system that realizes objective understanding, evaluation, and recording of individual driving skills by understanding as objectively as possible, and that can be useful for understanding and diagnosing changes over time in driving skills and the individual characteristics that make up those skills. The present disclosure contributes to the acquisition of data for diagnosing driving skills and establishing a driver's license system that can be adapted to the individual's situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] With respect to the above-mentioned problem, the inventor has focused on the fact that with the advancement of VR (Virtual Reality) technology and MR (Mixed Reality) technology, a driving simulator that provides a high sense of reality to a test subject can be realized at a sufficiently low cost. In addition, with respect to the above-mentioned problem, the inventor has focused on the fact that the driving skill can be analyzed with a sufficiently realistic tool by utilizing the line of sight of the test subject.

[0013] That is, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a driving skill information acquisition system is provided that includes an image rendering unit that generates an image signal of an image to be presented to a subject for simulated driving of a vehicle in a virtual space, a simulated operation device that accepts operations by the subject for the simulated driving, the simulated operation device including a unit operation device operated by the subject and outputs unit operation data indicating the operation state of the unit operation device by the subject, an eye tracker device that outputs an eye tracking signal that can identify the gaze of at least one eye of the subject, a gaze point determination unit that determines the position where the gaze reaches on the virtual space or the simulated operation device based on the eye tracking signal as a gaze point and outputs it as gaze point data, and a data recording unit that records the gaze point data.

[0014] In the above-mentioned aspect of the present disclosure, the device further includes a scenario data storage unit storing scenario data for the simulated driving, where the scenario data includes an inspection event generation command for a pre-set inspection event, and a scenario progress management unit that manages the progress of the scenario for the simulated driving based on the scenario data stored in the scenario data storage unit and issues a drawing command in response to the inspection event generation command, wherein the image rendering unit generates the image signal based on the drawing command from the scenario progress management unit, thereby including an image for the inspection event indicated by the inspection event generation command in the presented image, and the data recording unit records the gaze point data so that it can be associated with the inspection event.

[0015] The present disclosure also provides a data management system that displays data obtained in the above manner for an individual subject who has been queried.

[0016] Furthermore, the present disclosure also provides a computer program for operating a computer system that realizes the above-mentioned driving skill information acquisition system, the computer system including a computer having an arithmetic device, a recording device, and a graphics device, an eye tracker device connected to the computer and outputting an eye tracking signal capable of identifying the gaze of at least one eye of the subject for simulated driving of a vehicle in a virtual space, and a simulated operation device connected to the computer and accepting operations by the subject for the simulated driving, the simulated operation device including a unit operation device operated by the subject, and outputting unit operation data indicating the operation state of the unit operation device by the subject, the computer program causing the arithmetic device, the recording device, and the graphics device of the computer to function as the data recording unit, the gaze point determination unit, and the image rendering unit.

[0017] In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, descriptions are written in technical terms used in the fields of ordinary vehicles, i.e., automobiles, and computers. A traffic element generally refers to an element that a vehicle driver should follow or pay attention to in order to operate a vehicle in public transportation managed by a predetermined rule. For this reason, the elements that a subject should consider when driving a vehicle can be traffic elements in general, but non-limiting examples of traffic elements include traffic signs, road markings, pedestrians, other vehicles, and transitions of signal phases. For this reason, "stop signs," "traffic lights," "pedestrians," and "crosswalk signs" are all typical traffic elements. A VR headset is a device that can present an image to the subject's vision by fixing it to the subject's head in virtual reality technology, and is sometimes called a head-mounted display (HMD) in reference to the display device. A subject generally refers to a subject whose driving skills are investigated by the system of this disclosure, and is, for example, a driver's license holder, but is not particularly limited thereto. In this disclosure, the term driver may be used to include subjects other than those whose driving skills are investigated. In this disclosure, images include still images and videos. In addition, video includes moving images, but it can also be called video even if it is partially or entirely still images. Other terms will be explained as appropriate in the following description. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In any aspect of the present disclosure, by combining VR technology with eye-tracking technology, it is possible to obtain objective data that can be analyzed about driving skills. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1A-B] Figures 1A and 1B are examples of panoramic views of the entire image presented to a subject in a driving skill information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Both are explanatory diagrams showing the field of view and its movement, and the only difference between the two is the coloring. [Figure 2A-C]Figures 2A-C are examples of panoramic expansion views of images presented to a subject in a driving skill information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the surrounding environment is an intersection with traffic lights as a traffic element (Figure 2A), an intersection with a stop sign as a traffic element (Figure 2B), and an intersection without traffic lights (Figure 2C). [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an implementation configuration of a driving skill information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detailed implementation configuration of the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a VR headset having an eye tracker device adopted for the driving skill information acquisition system of the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A-D] Figures 6A-D are graphs explaining the principle by which detection and action can be distinguished in the driving skill information acquisition system of an embodiment of the present disclosure, which show the time changes in the polar angle component (Figure 6A) and azimuth angle component (Figure 6B) of the gaze or point of gaze, and the time changes in the brake pedal depression amount (Figure 6C), which is a unit operation device, and the calculated vehicle speed (Figure 6D). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an implementation configuration in which a data management server is employed via a computer network in the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing how sound waves of an alarm sound are emitted inside a vehicle simulated in the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of a function for determining detection timing in the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of time-course data in the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a driving skill information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure configured using a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a driving skill information acquisition system and a data management system according to the present disclosure will be described. Throughout the drawings, unless otherwise specified, common parts or elements are given common reference symbols. In addition, in the drawings, each of the elements of each embodiment is not necessarily shown to scale.

[0021] 1. Overview of operation The most important indicator in evaluating driving skills is the timing at which the driver notices or takes some kind of action in response to an event. The idea of ​​this disclosure is based on the conviction that by using the driver's gaze movement, the driving skills of the driver can be measured with sufficient accuracy, with at least two distinct stages. In this disclosure, driving skills are explained in two objective and measurable simple stages. That is, the stage of detection or recognition of noteworthy traffic elements (hereinafter referred to as "detection" and "detection stage"), and the stage of specific driving actions taken in response to the traffic elements ("action" and "action stage"). This arrangement into two stages is based on the inventor's speculation that if the gaze or gaze point is measured by focusing on the movement of the eyeball, a clue that the first of the two stages, "detection," is being performed appropriately will be obtained. Of course, if the driver ultimately takes the correct and appropriate driving action, it can be said that appropriate detection must have been performed. However, in this disclosure, an objective clue is measured as to the timing at which the driver is detecting before the driver finally takes "action" as an action on the outside world. The inventors speculate that if the driver's actions on the operating device as an action to the outside world while driving, as well as the presence or absence of detection and the timing of the detection during the course of the action, can be obtained as objective measurement results, detailed analysis and diagnosis of driving skills will be possible, and objective data on driving skills can be obtained. Moreover, the means for achieving this will not be large-scale. In other words, the idea of ​​the present disclosure also has an aspect of being made with attention to advanced computer graphics technology and gaze measurement technology.

[0022] The distinction between detection and action will be explained with a concrete example. Assume a simulated driving that simulates a situation in which a driver drives a car under real road conditions. Figures 1A and 1B are examples of panoramic developments that are the entire image presented to a subject in a driving skill information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and both are explanatory diagrams showing the visual field range and its movement. Figure 1A is a panoramic development that shows the scenery inside a vehicle in a jurisdiction that adopts left-hand traffic such as Japan, using equirectangular projection. Figure 1B is the same as Figure 1A in content, and the only difference between the two is the coloring. These panoramic developments are of a vehicle and surrounding environment that are simulated in a virtual space, and can simulate the real vehicle and surrounding environment with sufficiently high fidelity and realism. The panoramic development shows the entire range that may be used for display in the virtual space, and the driver's visual field is narrower than that, for example, the range shown by a rectangular frame. The vehicle is traveling forward and is approaching an intersection that is visible ahead in the traveling direction. This intersection is controlled by traffic signals, and the signal lamps (signal indication) are green (green). If this is the situation during normal vehicle operation, and a further change in the situation occurs such that "the signal indication in the direction of travel transitions to yellow," then the final corresponding action will be to "check for safety and step on the brake pedal." In this disclosure, the timing at which the driver perceives the transition of the signal indication to yellow is detected using the movement of the line of sight and point of gaze as clues. Figures 1A and 1B show the movement of the gaze destination (point of gaze) during the period from the transition of the signal indication to the associated action. (Dash arrow) Let us guess and show I'mThe subject, who had been directing his gaze to go straight ahead, then looks at the signal lamp, looks at the left side mirror, looks at the left front corner of the intersection, and looks at the crosswalk in response to the transition of the signal aspect. In other words, the driver moves his gaze in the direction of checking the signal lamp, or looks at the side mirror to check the rear in response to the transition of the signal aspect to yellow. A driver who is sufficiently attentive and has no problems with driving skills may move his gaze or gaze in this way. Of course, this order is not necessarily required, but it is fully expected that the driver will move his gaze or gaze to a degree that allows him to detect the transition of the signal aspect. In other words, if the driver's gaze and gaze are continuously measured using an eye tracking device, a clue should be obtained that the driver has detected a change in the traffic element situation, namely the transition of the signal aspect. Note that the driver does not necessarily have a clear awareness of the fact that he has detected it. However, it is natural to expect that the gaze and gaze of a driver who is concentrating his or her attention on driving to the extent required for driving a vehicle will respond according to his or her level of attention. Therefore, if a driver is made to drive a vehicle in a virtual space while continuously measuring his / her gaze and gaze point, the fact that the driver detected a change in the situation can be objectively determined while minimizing the burden on the driver. The measured gaze and gaze point reflect the timing at which the driver detected the change in the situation. There is no particular problem in determining the timing of the subsequent action of operating the brake pedal.

[0023] The detection timing and action timing obtained from the objective measurement results as described above can be useful information on fluctuations in driving skills caused by aging, disease (or recovery), etc., due to their objectivity. In practical terms, the method of the present disclosure, which can distinguish between "detection" and "action" whether the driver is aware of it or not, can be useful in that it is objective and therefore eliminates the subjective influence of the driver, and in that it divides the complex behavior of driving skills into multiple stages that can be analyzed. Furthermore, the method of the present disclosure is also advantageous in that it reproduces the situation of a driver driving a real vehicle using VR technology and requires the subject who will be the driver to only perform a simulated drive in a virtual space while measuring the line of sight, so that it is light in burden. As is clear from the above explanation, "detection" in the present disclosure is based on the measurement of the line of sight. Therefore, the two-stage division of "detection" and "action" in the present disclosure is a division from the perspective of measurability by sensors and devices, and it is not particularly important within the scope of the present disclosure as to how each corresponds to the conventional models of "cognition", "judgment", and "operation". In the following description, the term "operation" may be used, but this is in accordance with conventional explanations related to actions such as "steering wheel operation."

[0024] 2A-C are examples of panoramic developments of images presented to a subject in the driving skill information acquisition system 1, in which the surrounding environment is an intersection with traffic lights as a traffic element (FIG. 2A), an intersection with a stop sign as a traffic element (FIG. 2B), and an intersection without traffic lights (FIG. 2C). As with FIG. 1A, each diagram is a panoramic development drawn by equirectangular projection, and the drawing range covers a 360-degree azimuth angle from the rear of the driver's seat to the front and back again on the left and right, and vertically upward and downward on the top and bottom. FIG. 2A is the same as that shown in FIG. 1A. The frame shown in FIG. 1A was a typical field of view of a driver facing forward from the driver's seat, but is omitted in FIG. 2A-C. FIG. 2A, 2B, and 2C depict, in order, an intersection controlled by traffic lights, a T-junction with poor visibility with a stop sign, and an intersection without traffic lights and with a pedestrian crossing ahead. In each diagram, an image matching the surrounding environment is displayed in the side mirror. Current VR technology, supported by the development of computer technology, can realize simulated driving with a sufficiently high sense of reality at low cost. Therefore, it is possible to immerse the subject in a simulated driving in a virtual space, and it is possible to measure the driving skill of the subject with high accuracy. Note that the images shown in Figs. 2A to 2C are merely examples, and it is also possible to set conditions such as nighttime, highways, and bad weather. In addition, the reproduced image of the surrounding environment may be partially or entirely rendered by computer graphics, or may be partially or entirely rendered by mapping a captured image. The inventor of the present application believes that by reproducing a high sense of reality, it is possible to immerse the subject in a driving experience and make measurements with high accuracy.

[0025] 2. Structure In the present disclosure, a driving skill information acquisition system is provided that can collect information on the driving skill of a driver while objectively distinguishing between a detection stage and an action stage by measuring the change in the line of sight when a subject who drives performs a simulated driving in a virtual space, thereby realizing the above-mentioned idea. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of the driving skill information acquisition system of the present disclosure.

[0026] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure includes an image rendering unit 10, a simulated operation device 18, an eye tracker device 14, a gaze point determination unit 16, and a data recording unit 20. The image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal of an image presented to the subject 2 for the simulated driving of a vehicle in a virtual space. The simulated operation device 18 accepts the operation of the subject 2 for the simulated driving. The simulated operation device 18 includes unit operation devices 182 to 186 operated by the subject 2, and outputs unit operation data indicating the operation state of the unit operation devices by the subject 2. The unit operation devices 182 to 186 may include a steering wheel (handle) 182, a brake pedal 184, and a direction indicator switch 186. The simulated operation device 18 may also include other operation devices not shown and an information display device for driving such as a speedometer. The eye tracker device 14 outputs an eye tracking signal that can identify the line of sight of at least one eyeball of the subject 2. The gaze point determination unit 16 determines the position where the gaze reaches in the virtual space or the simulated operation device 18 based on the eye tracking signal as the gaze point and outputs it as gaze point data. The data recording unit 20 records the gaze point data. The above-mentioned unit operation device may further include a horn button, an accelerator pedal, a shift device, and any other device used for vehicle operation. In addition, the above-mentioned gaze point and gaze point data may be three-dimensional coordinates in Cartesian coordinates or data thereof, or may be something that substantially specifies the gaze, such as spherical coordinates (polar angle and azimuth angle), when only the gaze direction is sufficient.

[0027] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 may further include a scenario data storage unit 30 and a scenario progress management unit 40. In this embodiment, the scenario data storage unit 30 stores scenario data 32 for a simulated driving. The scenario data 32 may include any data for specifying the overall progress of the simulated driving in the virtual space. The scenario data 32 includes test event generation commands 322, 324 for a pre-set test event. The scenario progress management unit 40 manages the progress of the scenario for the simulated driving based on the scenario data 32 stored in the scenario data storage unit 30, and issues a drawing command in response to the test event generation commands 322, 324. In this case, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal based on the drawing command by the scenario progress management unit 40, so that an image for the test event indicated by the test event generation commands 322, 324 can be included in the presented image. At that time, the data recording unit 20 records the gaze point data 22 so that it can be associated with the test event. The scenario data 32 includes any events that may occur in the simulated driving according to indicators that manage the progress, such as time and vehicle position, and thus sets the situation in the virtual space and the order in which traffic elements appear. The scenario data 32 can have an easy-to-manage structure, such as a hierarchical structure. Test event generation commands 322 and 324 that may be included therein refer particularly to events for testing driving skills among the events that may be included in the scenario data. The gaze point data 22 that can be associated with the test event includes not only gaze point data that is directly associated with the test event, but also data that can be treated as a relational database that can associate gaze point data with the test event. For such association, for example, time data is used.

[0028] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 may further include a vehicle behavior calculation unit 100. The vehicle behavior calculation unit 100 calculates the behavior of the vehicle in the virtual space by reflecting the test subject's operation of the simulator 18. The vehicle behavior is reflected in the drawing command by the image rendering unit 10. This allows the test subject to feel as if he or she is driving the vehicle in real time. The vehicle behavior may also be recorded in the data recording unit 20.

[0029] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a detailed implementation configuration of the driving skill information acquisition system 1. Some elements already described are omitted here. In the above-mentioned aspect of the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of this embodiment, a judgment criterion data storage unit 50 and a behavioral accuracy judgment unit 602A can be further provided. The judgment criterion data storage unit 50 stores judgment criterion data 52 associated with the test event in the scenario data 32. The behavioral accuracy judgment unit 602A judges the suitability of the final behavior of the subject 2 for each test event based on the judgment criterion data 52 stored in the judgment criterion data storage unit 50 and the unit operation data 24 recorded in the data recording unit 20. The judgment also reflects the behavior of the vehicle as necessary. Here, the data recording unit 20 can record the unit operation data 24 so as to be associated with the test event. In addition, the data recording unit 20 can record the judgment result data 28A indicating the suitability of the behavior of the subject 2 so as to be associated with the test event. In the driving skill of the subject, the issue is ultimately whether the operation of the unit operation device for controlling the behavior of the vehicle and whether the behavior of the vehicle itself is appropriate. In an example where the traffic element is a "stop sign," the appropriateness is typically determined by a judgment criterion that specifies the final result of the behavior, such as "whether the brake pedal is started to be depressed at the timing when the vehicle is in a first predetermined range to the stop line corresponding to the stop sign," "whether the vehicle is decelerated at a predetermined deceleration," and "whether the vehicle can be stopped in a second predetermined range to the stop line." The behavior appropriateness judgment unit 602A judges the appropriateness of the behavior while referring to the judgment criterion data 52, using the amount of depression of the brake pedal 184 (unit operation device) as a result of the behavior and the behavior of the vehicle calculated in the vehicle behavior calculation unit 100 corresponding thereto. The behavior appropriateness judgment unit 602A can also judge the inappropriateness of the behavior itself. For example, if the accelerator pedal is depressed in a situation where the brake pedal should be depressed, it is judged to be an inappropriate behavior.

[0030] In the above-mentioned aspect of the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present embodiment, a judgment criterion data storage unit 50 and a detection suitability judgment unit 602B may be further provided. The judgment criterion data storage unit 50 stores judgment criterion data 54 associated with the test event in the scenario data 32. The detection suitability judgment unit 602B judges the suitability of the detection of the subject 2 for each test event based on the judgment criterion data 54 stored in the judgment criterion data storage unit 50 and the gaze point data 22 recorded in the data recording unit 20. The judgment also reflects the behavior of the vehicle as necessary. Here, the data recording unit 20 can record the gaze point data 22 so as to be associated with the test event. In addition, the data recording unit 20 can record the judgment result data 28B indicating the suitability of the detection of the subject 2 so as to be associated with the test event. In the driving skill of the subject, the suitability of the detection shown in the line of sight and gaze point becomes an issue before the final suitability of the operation of the unit operation device. In the above example of a traffic element being a "stop sign," the appropriateness of the detection typically concerns the appropriateness of detection such as "whether or not the driver notices the stop sign," "whether or not the driver checks behind the vehicle," and "whether or not the driver checks the stop line." The appropriateness of the detection is determined based on the contents of the detection and a criterion that specifies the contents. The detection appropriateness determination unit 602B uses the movement of the line of sight and the gaze point to determine the appropriateness of each detection while referring to the criterion data 54.

[0031] In the above-mentioned aspect of the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present embodiment, the test events preset in the scenario data 32 may be a set of test events including a first test event and a second test event. In this case, the judgment criterion data storage unit 50 stores the judgment criterion data associated with the first test event and the second test event in association with the set of test events. The first test event and the second test event among the multiple test events are associated with each other to judge the suitability of the subject's behavior or detection. This judgment can be made by the behavior accuracy judgment unit 602A or the detection suitability judgment unit 602B. This configuration is advantageous in that it can reproduce and analyze even complex traffic conditions in reality, and in that it can analyze driving skills in detail from a short simulated drive. Furthermore, it is advantageous in that it can facilitate management of the test events. As an example for explanation, a situation will be described in which a simulated drive in which a vehicle is moving forward in the direction of travel approaches an intersection with a pedestrian crossing controlled by traffic lights. A simulated driving scenario is set in which the subject turns left at the intersection (in a jurisdiction where traffic is on the left). In this situation, multiple driving skills can be assumed to be tested on the subject. Specifically, at least the following may be tested: whether or not the subject checks the traffic light ahead, whether or not the subject operates the turn signal switch, whether or not the subject operates the brakes, whether or not the subject operates the steering wheel, whether or not the subject checks to prevent the subject from being caught in the left rear, and whether or not the subject checks for pedestrians at the crosswalk after turning left at the intersection. If the test events corresponding to this simulated driving scenario are classified, they can be broadly divided into test events for actions such as operating the turn signal switch, operating the brakes, and operating the steering wheel, and test events for detection such as checking the traffic light, checking to prevent the subject from being caught in the crosswalk, and checking for the presence or absence of pedestrians. In this way, a wide range of tests can be performed on the driving skills obtained by the simulated driving of "turning left at an intersection with a crosswalk controlled by traffic lights." It is also useful to associate test events that are closely related to each other, that is, to associate primary and secondary actions, and perform the analysis. In other words, in the above-mentioned left turn simulation, consider the case where a left turn is started by steering after braking to decelerate, checking for traffic signals, and checking to prevent being hit.At this stage, the steering operation is performed and the vehicle is moving, but in order to make that movement, pedestrians, etc., at the crosswalk after the left turn should have been checked at least once. The detection of the inspection event of checking for pedestrians and turning left can be determined based on whether or not there was a movement of the line of sight or gaze point for checking for pedestrians before turning left. However, even if the driver moves the vehicle after the check and starts turning left to pass the crosswalk after the left turn, another traffic (e.g., a bicycle) may be visually recognized on the crosswalk at that time. In this case, the driver must be able to stop the vehicle while ensuring safety for that traffic, so another visual detection and braking action are required. In this way, using multiple inspection events to determine whether or not intermittent detection and action are appropriate is useful in determining whether a level of driving skill appropriate for real-world complex traffic conditions is maintained.

[0032] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of this embodiment may further include a surrounding environment data storage unit 70. The surrounding environment data storage unit 70 stores surrounding environment data 72 for identifying the surrounding environment of the vehicle in the virtual space. In this case, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal for a presentation image reflecting the surrounding environment based on the surrounding environment data 72 called from the surrounding environment data storage unit 70. In addition, the gaze point determination unit 16 determines a gaze point, which is a position where the line of sight arrives, from the eye tracking signal and the surrounding environment data in association with the surrounding environment, and the data recording unit 20 records the gaze point data so that it can be associated with the surrounding environment.

[0033] In the above aspect, the surrounding environment data 72 may include traffic element data 722 that identifies traffic elements to be presented to the subject for the simulated driving, and the image rendering unit 10 may generate an image signal by including a representation of the traffic elements in the presented image.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the apparatus may further include a posture sensor 106 (FIG. 3) capable of detecting the posture of the subject's head, and a visual accuracy judgment unit 604. The posture sensor 106 is provided in, for example, the eye tracker device 14, but any sensor capable of detecting the posture of the subject's head may be used. The visual accuracy judgment unit 604 judges whether the position or movement of the gaze point determined by the gaze point determination unit 16 corresponds to a traffic element. The judgment criterion data storage unit 50 stores judgment criterion data 56, 58 for judgment by the visual accuracy judgment unit 604. Therefore, in the case of an example in which the traffic element is a "stop sign", the visual accuracy judgment unit 604 judges that the position or movement of the gaze point corresponds to a traffic element by judging that the gaze point is located at the stop sign or in a certain range in its vicinity for a certain period of time or more. In this case, not only three-dimensional coordinates but also a numerical value specifying the direction of the line of sight can be used for the gaze point. In addition, the judgment for determining the timing of detection of whether the subject has perceived the traffic element and the operation of the visual recognition accuracy judgment unit for determining whether the subject has accurately visually recognized the traffic element can be the same or different. The position and movement of the gaze point that can be said to correspond to the traffic element can be stricter than the judgment of unconscious detection by the line of sight and movement of the gaze point. If a more direct judgment criterion of explicitly visually recognizing the traffic element is adopted, detection and action can be clearly separated.

[0035] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a VR headset 110 having an eye tracker device 14 employed for the driving skill information acquisition system 1. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the subject 2 is facing a certain direction (x-axis) at that time. The coordinate axis is determined for the coordinate direction of the real space, and also for the coordinate direction of the virtual space. The coordinate direction is adjusted in the same manner as is common in vehicle driving simulator devices and vehicle driving video games. For example, as the simulated driving progresses, it may be necessary to adjust the coordinate direction between the real space and the virtual space. This is because the front for the subject is determined by the seat in the real space, but in the virtual space it needs to match the front of the vehicle in the virtual space. For this reason, the coordinate direction determined for the virtual space can be fixed, for example, with respect to the vehicle in the virtual space. The frame shown in FIG. 1A may also depict the field of view of the display 104 when the VR headset 110 is employed. When the subject 2 moves his / her head, the field of view moves in each direction (U, D, L, R) accordingly. The movement of the visual field can be made to match the movement of the visual field caused by the subject 2 moving his / her head in real space. If the subject 2 tilts his / her head, the visual field also tilts accordingly. Because the subject 2 sees a highly realistic image, he / she is immersed in the virtual space and feels as if he / she is driving in the real space.

[0036] 6A-D are graphs for explaining the principle by which detection and action can be distinguished in the driving skill information acquisition system, which are the time changes of the polar angle component (FIG. 6A) and the azimuth angle component (FIG. 6B) of the line of sight or the gaze point, respectively, and the time changes of the brake pedal depression amount (FIG. 6C) which is the unit operation device and the calculated vehicle speed (FIG. 6D). FIG. 6A and 6B are expressed by the polar angle θ and the azimuth angle φ components shown in FIG. 5. The timings T0, T1, T2, and T3 in FIG. 6A-D are respectively the presentation timing of the traffic element, the visual detection timing, the action timing, and the completion timing. The presentation timing T0 of the traffic element is, for example, the transition timing of the traffic light, the timing when the crosswalk with pedestrians becomes visible in the virtual space, and the like. The visual detection timing T1 is the timing at which the movement of the line of sight or the gaze point according to the traffic element is objectively detected. The action timing T2 is typically the timing at which it is objectively determined that the operation of the unit operation device has started. For example, if the unit operation device is a brake pedal, the timing is when the amount of depression exceeds a certain threshold. Completion timing T3 is the timing when the purpose of the action is achieved, for example, when the vehicle speed becomes zero. Thus, after presentation timing T0, visual detection timing T1 precedes action timing T2. This visual detection timing T1 is the timing when the subject reacts to the presentation of a traffic element, regardless of whether the subject is aware of it or not.

[0037] In the above embodiment, more preferably, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment further includes a posture sensor 106, a visual accuracy judgment unit 604, and a range definition unit 606. Here, the posture sensor 106 can detect the posture of the subject's head, and the visual accuracy judgment unit 604 judges whether the gaze point determined by the gaze point determination unit 16 corresponds to the unit display element. The judgment by the visual accuracy judgment unit 604 can also give clues about the subject's visual acuity and color vision. In addition, the range definition unit 606 defines the range of the gaze point corresponding to the traffic element in the virtual space or the simulated operation device 18 as a relative range with respect to the head of the subject 2, and outputs the visual range data. The major factors that affect the subject's driving skill are visual acuity, color vision, and visual field (collectively referred to as "visual function" here). Even if the visual function changes over time for some reason, it is difficult to notice it in daily life or daily driving. The visual accuracy judgment unit 604 can make a judgment that reflects the aspect of visual acuity, for example, whether a signal lamp that is far away can be noticed. The visual accuracy judgment unit 604 also provides a clue for color vision, which is known to change to some extent with age. In addition, the range definition unit 606 can use the fact that the gaze point corresponds to a traffic element in order to define the range of the gaze point as a relative range with respect to the head of the subject 2. If the subject 2 can match his / her gaze point to the presented traffic element, the position of the traffic element can be said to be within the visual field range. Data on visual function (for example, data on visual acuity, data on color vision, data on visual field range) also serves as objective data on changes in the driving skill of the subject. In addition, in order to specify the visual field range here, not only gaze point data but also head posture data from the posture sensors 106, 106a, 106b are used, since it is determined as a relative direction with respect to the head of the subject 2. For the visual function test, images suitable for the test, rather than a simulated drive, can also be used. This makes it possible to check whether a traffic light can be accurately recognized in the peripheral vision, for example. It is also possible to diagnose visual functions directly related to driving function, such as light adaptation, dark adaptation, chromatic adaptation, and glare tolerance.

[0038] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure further includes a vehicle structure data storage unit 80 that stores vehicle structure data 82 for identifying the vehicle structure of a portion of the vehicle that can be viewed by the test subject 2. In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of this embodiment, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal for a presentation image that reflects the vehicle structure based on the vehicle structure data called from the vehicle structure data storage unit 80. In addition, the gaze point determination unit 16 determines the position where the gaze reaches in the vehicle structure as the gaze point based on the eye tracking signal from the eye tracker device 14 and the vehicle structure data 82. The data recording unit 20 records the gaze point data so that it can be associated with the vehicle structure.

[0039] In the above-mentioned embodiment of the driving skill information acquisition system 1, preferably, the vehicle structure data includes data for unit display elements to be presented to the subject for the simulated driving, and the image rendering unit generates an image signal by including a display of the unit display element in the presented image.

[0040] The vehicle structure in the above embodiment may be a part that the subject may visually recognize. Therefore, a vehicle structure that is not directly related to driving is not necessary. However, the vehicle structure here may include not only the structure but also the display contents. This vehicle structure includes, as non-limiting examples, image display devices such as instruments and rear monitors and their display contents, warning lights and their displays, mirrors and contents to be displayed on the mirrors (for example, the display of the following vehicle reflected in the rear view mirror). For example, assume that a simulated driving is being performed in a situation where the following vehicle is relatively close, and the traffic light indicator changes to red. When the brake pedal is operated in response to this, the movement of the driver's gaze point can be reflected by the side mirror or rear view mirror as to whether or not the driver is paying attention to the following vehicle. Therefore, if gaze point data is recorded in the data recording unit 20 in correspondence with the vehicle structure, it can become objective data on the driver's driving skill.

[0041] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure further includes a surrounding environment data storage unit 70, a trajectory calculation unit 608, and a following ability determination unit 610. The surrounding environment data storage unit 70 stores surrounding environment data 72 for identifying the surrounding environment of the vehicle in the virtual space. Here, the surrounding environment data includes data for road markings for lanes in the virtual space presented to the subject for the simulated driving. The trajectory calculation unit 608 calculates the trajectory of the vehicle in the virtual space in the simulated driving based on the unit operation data. The calculation of this trajectory may be performed directly based on the unit operation data, or the calculation result of the vehicle behavior calculation unit 100 (FIG. 3) may be used. The following ability determination unit 610 determines the lane following ability of the simulated driving of the vehicle by the subject. At that time, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal for a presentation image that reflects the surrounding environment based on the surrounding environment data 72 called from the surrounding environment data storage unit 70. Here, the presentation image includes a display of road markings. The tracking ability determination unit 610, for example, determines lane tracking ability from the trajectory and road markings. In another embodiment, the tracking ability determination unit 610 can also determine inappropriate movements based on unit operation data for a unit operation device such as a steering wheel. One of the driving skills of the subject can be lane (vehicle lane) keeping skills. If a driver whose ability to recognize the position of his / her vehicle has decreased due to aging has difficulty tracing a lane that has a gentle curve, the lane keeping skills will decrease, resulting in a polygonal trajectory that lacks smoothness, or a sudden steering operation can cause jerky movements. For this reason, if the road markings indicate the range of the vehicle lane, it is useful in that objective data on lane keeping skills can be obtained by determining the lane tracking ability of the subject's simulated driving of the vehicle. Note that the vehicle trajectory here is for a certain period of time for any coordinates that can identify the position of the vehicle. In addition, the coordinates here can include, for example, the coordinates of the center of the vehicle, the coordinates of the wheels of the vehicle (which may be multiple), and the coordinates of the outer edge of the vehicle.Furthermore, by correlating data on gaze and point of focus with lane-keeping skill, it will be possible to analyze the causes of a decline in lane-keeping skill, for example, whether visual detection, such as visual detection of road markings for the lane or visual detection of curves in the road in the direction of travel, is inappropriate, or whether subsequent steering operation is inappropriate.

[0042] In the present disclosure, in relation to the driving skill information acquisition system 1, a data management system that displays at least a part of the data obtained for each subject recorded in the data recording unit 20 for an individual subject who has been inquired about can also be an embodiment. If a subject inquires about and displays data about his / her driving skill at a certain point in the past recorded in the data recording unit 20 through the data management system, the subject can confirm the objective data about his / her driving skill at that point in time. By employing such a data management system, it becomes easy to grasp the change over time in the objective driving skill of a specific subject.

[0043] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure can communicate with the data management server 90 through the computer network 9. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the driving skill information acquisition system 1 employs a data management server via the computer network 9. In this case, the data management server 90 includes a database recorder 2 that can identify and record at least a part of the data obtained about the simulated driving of each subject, and transmit a part of the data through the computer network 9 in response to an inquiry that identifies the subject. The driving skill information acquisition system 1 can perform data management by cloud. That is, the data management server 90 that can communicate through a computer network can be adopted for the driving skill information acquisition system 1. To realize such a function, the data management server 90 can have various related functional parts. For example, the query processing unit 904 executes a query process through an access processing unit 922 of an access terminal 920 accessed through the computer network 9. In response to the query result by the access processing unit 922, the access terminal 920 identifies the subject and displays information about the test, displays the result graphically, or displays a necessary explanatory text on its display device 924.

[0044] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure may further include a statistical processing unit 612 and an evaluation unit 614. The statistical processing unit 612 calculates statistics for at least a portion of the data obtained for each subject in a population including the subject. The evaluation unit 614 outputs an evaluation value based on the statistics for at least a portion of the data of each subject. The population including the subject includes not only a population including the subject, but also a population including the subject that may include the subject and a population that should include the subject. The statistics may include, for example, a mean, a standard deviation, a median, and a mode. The evaluation value includes, for example, an index such as a deviation value and a percentile. For example, the statistical processing unit 612 calculates the mean and standard deviation as statistics for all subjects from a large number of past data, and the evaluation unit 614 calculates the deviation value and the percentile for the subject's data. The statistical processing unit 612 is typically implemented in the data management server 90 (FIG. 7) or, in some cases, the access processing unit 920.

[0045] In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment, preferably, at least a part of the data is data on the subject's visual detection function, and the evaluation value is the subject's detection function evaluation value. As described in relation to Figures 6A and 6B, the subject's visual detection timing (visual detection reaction time) T1-T0 is an objective index of the subject's driving skill. Therefore, the evaluation value of the subject's detection function calculated in accordance with statistics is also an objective index.

[0046] In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment, preferably, at least a part of the data is data on the subject's behavioral function, and the evaluation value is the subject's behavioral function evaluation value. As described in relation to FIG. 6C, the timing of the subject's behavior (behavioral reaction time) T2-T0 is also an objective index of the subject's driving skill. Therefore, the evaluation value of the subject's behavioral function calculated in accordance with statistics is also an objective index.

[0047] In addition, in the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment, preferably, the database recording unit 902 of the data management server 90 records at least a part of the data for each subject 2 in association with the test date and time data, and further includes a time-course data extraction unit that outputs at least a part of the data or evaluation value of each subject for a plurality of test dates and times. It is more preferable that this driving skill information acquisition system 1 further includes a time-course change calculation unit that calculates the amount of change over time in a numerical value related to at least one of the visual detection function or the behavioral function of the subject according to the data for the first date and the data for the second date after the first date from the data recording unit. Objective data and evaluation values ​​can be compared because of their objectivity beyond the test date and time. Therefore, it is possible to objectively grasp the change over time, and it is possible to grasp or predict the time transition of the subject's driving skill in the past or future.

[0048] In addition, in the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment, the population is preferably stratified based on the attributes of the subjects, and the statistical processing unit calculates statistics for the stratified population. Stratification in statistics is also called classification, and can be performed by dividing the attributes of the subjects from any viewpoint. For such stratification, it is also useful to tag and record the attributes of the subjects to the data of the subjects. Stratifying the population of subjects in terms of, for example, actual age, years of driving experience, sex, vehicle type, license type, and place of residence makes it possible to show data and evaluation values ​​obtained about the subjects for each attribute of the subjects, which can be useful for judging driving skills. There are various ways to use the stratified data, and it can be used for, for example, license systems, local traffic systems, vehicle design, etc.

[0049] In addition, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment preferably further comprises a deviation description selection unit that selects a predetermined explanatory text according to the deviation of the subject's data based on the statistics calculated by the statistical processing unit. In addition, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment further comprises a time-varying description selection unit that selects a predetermined explanatory text according to the amount of change over time calculated by the time-varying calculation unit. The numerical values ​​of the driving skill that are measured and can be said to be objective are not necessarily easy to understand. In this case, aiding understanding with appropriate explanatory text increases the practicality of the driving skill information acquisition system 1.

[0050] Therefore, the present disclosure may also be embodied in a data management system that displays, on a display device 924, at least a portion of the data obtained for each subject from the driving skill information acquisition system 1 and recorded in the database recording unit 902 of the data server, for each individual subject queried via a computer network.

[0051] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure may further include at least one headset 110 worn on the head of the subject 2. The headset 110 includes a posture sensor 106 capable of detecting the posture of the subject's head, and image display devices 102, 104 that are placed within the subject's field of vision and provide a display based on an image signal from an image rendering unit. In this case, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal for a presented image according to the head direction of the subject 2 in the virtual space.

[0052] In addition, the actual range of the subject's field of vision depends on the display range of the image display device, which is display 104, when a direct-view display 102 or the VR headset 110 in Fig. 5 is used, and the visual field range of subject 2. When the image display device has a sufficient display range, the visual field range of the subject determines the field of vision.

[0053] In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the headset 110 is provided with the eye tracker device 14. In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the headset 110 further includes a camera 114 that captures the outside world. In this case, the image rendering unit generates an image signal that combines an image in the field of view corresponding to the head direction in the virtual space of the subject with an image from the camera. As shown in FIG. 5, if the headset 110 is provided with the eye tracker device 14, the display 104, and the attitude sensors 106a and 106b, the functions of the direct-view display 102, the VR headset 110, and the attitude sensor 106 in FIG. 3 can be realized only by the headset 110 worn on the head of the subject 2. In that case, the subject 2 cannot see objects that should be in front of his / her eyes, such as his / her own arms and the steering wheel 182, so that the headset 110 is provided with the camera 114 and the unseen elements are reflected in the display, allowing natural simulated driving.

[0054] The driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure may further include at least one headset 110 worn by the subject 2 on the head, and a sound wave signal generating unit 624. The headset 110 may include a posture sensor 106, a display 104 (image display device), and a pair of speakers 112. The posture sensor 106 may detect the posture of the head of the subject 2. The display 104 is placed in the subject's field of vision and provides a display based on an image signal from the image rendering unit 10. The pair of speakers 112 may radiate sound waves toward each ear of the subject 2. At that time, the image rendering unit 10 generates an image signal for a presentation image according to the head direction of the subject 2 in the virtual space. The sound wave signal generating unit 624 generates a signal to cause the pair of speakers to radiate sound waves that cause the subject 2 to perceive the position or direction of a radiation source, based on a signal regarding the head posture of the subject 2 from the posture sensor 106 and the binaurally processed sound wave signal. At that time, the scenario progress management unit 40 may issue a sound output command 326 based on the test event generation command, and the sound wave signal generation unit 624 generates a signal for a sound wave to be emitted by a speaker toward each ear of the subject in response to the sound output command 326 of the scenario progress management unit 40. In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above aspect of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the position of the radiation source is a position behind the subject in the traveling direction, and the sound wave is a reverse warning sound that warns the subject of reversing the vehicle. Also, in the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above aspect of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the sound wave is a collision warning sound that warns the subject of a vehicle collision.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing how sound waves of an alarm sound are emitted inside a vehicle simulated in the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle is equipped with an alarm sound generation system for alerting the driver to the surroundings and the vehicle by various alarm sounds. For example, the alarm sound is emitted by a speaker 36. The alarm sound is useful for reducing the driver's driving effort and for informing the driver of the situation in a blind spot that cannot be seen, and is equipped in many recent vehicles. The perception of such an alarm sound is also part of the driving skill. In order to allow the subject to perceive the left and right and / or front and rear based on hearing, for example, processing using a head-related transfer function (HRTF) can be performed to allow the subject to perceive a sound radiation source in a virtual space. This radiation source can be any radiation source, such as a warning sound device inside the vehicle (for example, a reverse warning sound, a collision warning sound) or a warning sound device outside the vehicle (for example, a railroad crossing warning device). The subject's perception of the sound can also be measured by the line of sight or the point of gaze. This is because a subject who perceives a sound that requires attention will pay attention to the source of the sound, or take an action accordingly, or check the safety of the action. In addition, the sensitivity to sound and the ability to identify the direction of a warning sound are also objective indicators of the subject's driving skill. In a real driving situation, not only general hearing but also the ability to perceive a sound that should be noticed in a state where it is mixed with environmental sounds and in a state where the subject is concentrating to some extent on other driving operations is one of the important driving skills. Incidentally, the simulation of sound image localization using a sensor is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 5.

[0056] In the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the present disclosure, the eye tracker device 14 detects the gaze of both eyes of the subject 2 by distinguishing them, and the gaze point determination unit 16 can use the position of the gaze of both eyes, which is included in the eye tracking signal, to determine the gaze point. There may be multiple elements located on the gaze of the subject 2. For example, when the steering wheel has an opening located inside the outer shape and the display of the driving instrument is shown to the subject through the opening, it is easy to determine whether the gaze point indicated by the subject's gaze is on the steering wheel or on the display of the driving instrument by using the gaze of both eyes. A similar case may occur when checking the rear with the side mirror or checking the traffic situation outside the door. Note that if the gazes of both eyes intersect, the intersection is used as the gaze point. However, if the gazes of both eyes are close to each other to a certain extent, the close position can be used to determine the gaze point.

[0057] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of a function for determining detection timing in the driving skill information acquisition system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a graph showing an example of time-course data in the driving skill information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The driving skill information acquisition system 1 according to the present disclosure may further include an event occurrence timing determination unit 632, a visual detection timing determination unit 634, a behavior timing determination unit 636, and a detection operation separation unit 638. The event occurrence timing determination unit 632 determines the timing of presenting the test event to the subject 2. The visual detection timing determination unit 634 determines the visual detection timing of the subject 2 that appears in the movement of the eyeball in correspondence with the test event. The behavior timing determination unit 636 determines the behavior timing of the subject 2 indicated by the unit operation data in correspondence with the test event. The detection operation separation unit 638 calculates the visual detection reaction time and the behavior reaction time in correspondence with the test event according to the event occurrence timing, the visual detection timing, and the behavior timing. More preferably, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure is configured such that the event occurrence timing determination unit 632 determines the presentation timing according to at least one of the test event generation commands 322, 324 and the drawing command, and the visual detection timing determination unit 634 determines the visual detection timing according to at least one of the line of sight indicated by the eye tracking signal and the gaze point determined by the line of sight. Here, the presentation timing, visual detection timing, and action timing are, for example, timings T0, T1, and T2 in Figs. 6A to D. The action timing can also be timing T3 in Figs. 6A to D. The visual detection reaction time and action reaction time are, in order, T1-T0 and T2-T0. The presentation timing, visual detection timing, action timing, visual detection reaction time, and action reaction time are useful as objective data of the subject's driving skill.

[0058] Moreover, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 according to the above embodiment of the present disclosure further preferably includes an evaluation image generating unit 640 that generates an image that can be simultaneously observed by distinguishing the visual detection reaction time and the behavioral reaction time corresponding to the test event calculated by the detection operation separating unit 638 from each other. FIG. 10 is an example in which the visual detection reaction time and the behavioral reaction time are distinguished from each other. If the timings T0 to T3 can be displayed, the difference in timing such as the visual detection reaction time (T1-T0) and the behavioral reaction time (T2-T0) and T2-T1 (the difference between the visual detection reaction time and the behavioral reaction time) can be easily grasped by the graphic display, and the objective data can be easily understood. As shown in FIG. 10, if the change over time of the objective data in each test before the last, the previous test, and the current test is displayed, the change in driving skill can be easily understood through the understanding of the current situation and the prediction of the future.

[0059] 4. Variations The above-mentioned embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented with various modifications. In the above explanations, a dedicated device is constructed, but the driving skill information acquisition system 1 can also be realized by combining a general computer with several devices. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration in which the driving skill information acquisition system 1 is implemented using a computer 1000. As is clear from the comparison with FIG. 3, the driving skill information acquisition system 1 can be configured by connecting devices such as a simulation device 18, an image display device 102, and an eye tracker device 14 to the computer 1000. The embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as a computer program for such a configuration.

[0060] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described above. The above-mentioned embodiments, modifications, and examples are described to explain the invention disclosed in this application, and the scope of the invention of this application should be determined based on the description of the claims. Modifications that exist within the scope of the present disclosure, including other combinations of the embodiments, are also included in the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Driving Skill Information Acquisition System 10 Image Rendering Section 100 Vehicle behavior calculation unit 1000 Computers 102 Direct-view display (image display device) 104 Display (image display device) 106, 106a, 106b Attitude sensor 110 VR Headset 112 Speakers 114 Camera 12 line of sight 14 Eye tracker device 16 Point of interest determination unit 18 Simulated operating device 182 Steering wheel (unit operation device) 184 Brake pedal (unit operation device) 186 Directional switch (unit operation device) 2. Subjects 20 Data recording section 22 Gaze data 24 Unit Operation Data 26 View Range Data 28 Judgment result data 30 Scenario data storage section 32 Scenario Data 322, 324 Inspection event generation command 326 Sound output command 36 speakers 40 Scenario Progress Management Department 50 Criteria data storage section 52, 54, 56, 58 Criteria data 602 Behavioral certainty judgment unit 604 Visual Confirmation Judgment Unit 606 Range Delimitation Section 608 Trajectory calculation section 610 Followability judgment section 612 Statistical Processing Unit 614 Evaluation Department 616 Time-lapse data extraction section 618 Time-dependent change calculation section 620 Deviation Description Selection Section 622 Time-dependent change description selection section 624 Sound wave signal generator 632 Event occurrence timing decision unit 634 Visual detection timing decision unit 636 Action Timing Decision Unit 638 Detection and Operation Separation Unit 640 Evaluation image generation unit 70 Surrounding environment data storage unit 72 Ambient Environment Data 722 Traffic Element Data 80 Vehicle structure data storage unit 82 Vehicle structure data 9. Computer Networks 90 Data Management Server 902 Database Recording Section 904 Query Processing Unit 920 Access Terminal 922 Access Processing Unit 924 Display device 930 Headset

Claims

1. an image rendering unit that generates an image signal of an image to be presented to a subject for simulating driving a vehicle in a virtual space; A simulation operation device that receives operations by the subject for the simulated operation, the simulation operation device including a unit operation device operated by the subject, and outputs unit operation data indicating an operation state of the unit operation device by the subject; an eye tracker device that outputs an eye tracking signal that can identify a line of sight of at least one eye of the subject; a gaze point determination unit that determines a position where the line of sight reaches in the virtual space or the simulated operation device based on the eye tracking signal as a gaze point and outputs the position as gaze point data; A data recording unit that records the gaze point data; a scenario data storage unit storing scenario data for the simulated driving, the scenario data including a test event generation command for a preset test event; a scenario progress management unit that manages the progress of a scenario for the simulated driving based on the scenario data stored in the scenario data storage unit and issues a drawing command in response to the inspection event generation command; a criterion data storage unit storing criterion data associated with the inspection event in the scenario data; a surrounding environment data storage unit storing surrounding environment data for specifying a surrounding environment of the vehicle in the virtual space, wherein the surrounding environment data includes traffic element data for specifying traffic elements to be presented to the test subject for the simulated driving; a posture sensor capable of detecting a posture of the subject's head; an event occurrence timing determination unit that determines a timing for presenting the test event to the subject; a visual detection timing determination unit that determines a visual detection timing of the subject in correspondence with the test event based on the gaze point data recorded in the data recording unit; and a visual certainty determination unit that determines whether or not either the position of the gaze point or the movement of the gaze point corresponds to the traffic element based on the gaze point data recorded in the data recording unit. Equipped with the data recording unit records the gaze point data so as to be associated with the inspection event, the image rendering unit generates the image signal based on a drawing command from the scenario progress management unit, thereby allowing an image for the inspection event indicated by the inspection event generation command to be included in the presented image, The image rendering unit generates the image signal by including an indication of the traffic element in the presentation image, The judgment criteria data storage unit stores judgment criteria data for judgment by the visual certainty judgment unit. Driving skill information acquisition system.

2. A visual certainty determination unit that determines whether the gaze point determined by the gaze point determination unit corresponds to a unit display element; a range definition unit that defines a range of a gaze point corresponding to the traffic element in the virtual space or the simulated operation device as a relative range with respect to the head of the subject, and outputs visible range data of the relative range; It also has The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

3. The data recording unit records the unit operation data in such a manner that the unit operation data can be associated with the inspection event, a criterion data storage unit storing criterion data associated with the inspection event in the scenario data; a behavior accuracy judgment unit that judges whether the subject's operation is appropriate for each test event based on the judgment criterion data stored in the judgment criterion data storage unit and the unit operation data recorded in the data recording unit; Further equipped with The data recording unit records the judgment result data indicating whether the operation of the subject is appropriate or not in such a manner that the judgment result data can be associated with the test event. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

4. The data recording unit records the unit operation data in such a manner that the unit operation data can be associated with the inspection event, a criterion data storage unit storing criterion data associated with the inspection event in the scenario data; a detection suitability determination unit that determines suitability of detection of the subject for each of the examination events based on the judgment criterion data stored in the judgment criterion data storage unit and the gaze point data recorded in the data recording unit; Further equipped with The data recording unit records the determination result data indicating whether the detection of the subject is successful or not in such a manner that the data can be associated with the test event. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

5. The inspection event preset in the scenario data is a set of inspection events including a first inspection event and a second inspection event, the determination criterion data storage unit stores the determination criterion data associated with the first inspection event and the second inspection event in association with the set of inspection events; A first test event and a second test event among the plurality of test events are associated with each other to determine whether the behavior or detection of the subject is appropriate. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

6. The image rendering unit generates an image signal for the presentation image reflecting the surrounding environment based on the surrounding environment data retrieved from the surrounding environment data storage unit, the gaze point determination unit determines the gaze point, which is a position where the line of sight arrives, based on the eye tracking signal and the surrounding environment data in a manner that corresponds to the surrounding environment; The data recording unit records the gaze point data so as to be associated with the surrounding environment. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

7. a vehicle structure data storage unit that stores vehicle structure data for identifying a vehicle structure of a portion of the vehicle that is visible to the subject; Further equipped with the image rendering unit generates an image signal for the presentation image that reflects the vehicle structure based on the vehicle structure data retrieved from the vehicle structure data storage unit; the gaze point determination unit determines, from the eye tracking signal and the vehicle structure data, a position at which the line of sight reaches in the vehicle structure as a gaze point; The data recording unit records the gaze point data so as to be associated with the vehicle structure. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

8. the vehicle structure data includes data for unit display elements to be presented to the subject for the simulated driving; The image rendering unit generates the image signal by including a display of the unit display element in the presented image. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 7.

9. a surrounding environment data storage unit storing surrounding environment data for identifying a surrounding environment of the vehicle in the virtual space, the surrounding environment data including data for road markings for lanes in the virtual space that are presented to the test subject for the simulated driving; a lane-following ability determination unit that determines lane-following ability of the vehicle in the simulated driving by the subject; Further equipped with the image rendering unit generates an image signal for the presentation image reflecting the surrounding environment based on the surrounding environment data retrieved from the surrounding environment data storage unit, where the presentation image includes a representation of the road markings; The following ability determination unit determines the lane following ability based on a trajectory of the vehicle in the virtual space and the data for the road marking, or based on the unit operation data and the data for the road marking, The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

10. A data management system for displaying, for an individual subject, at least a part of the data obtained for each subject recorded in said data recording section of the driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

11. capable of communicating with a data management server via a computer network; The data management server is provided with a database recording unit that records at least a part of the data obtained from each subject's simulated driving by identifying the subject and transmits the part of the data through the computer network in response to an inquiry that identifies the subject. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

12. A data management system that makes it easy to confirm changes over time in the objective data of an individual subject by displaying, for an individual subject queried via the computer network, at least a portion of the data obtained for each subject at a certain past point in time that is obtained from the driving skill information acquisition system described in claim 11 and recorded in the database recording unit of the data management server.

13. At least one headset worn on the head of the subject, the headset including: a posture sensor capable of detecting a posture of the head of the subject; and an image display device located in the field of view of the subject and providing a display based on the image signal from the image rendering unit. It also has The image rendering unit generates the image signal for the presentation image according to a head direction of the subject in the virtual space. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

14. The headset is equipped with the eye tracker device The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 13.

15. At least one headset worn by the subject on the head, the headset including: a posture sensor capable of detecting a posture of the subject's head; an image display device located in the field of view of the subject and providing a display based on the image signal from the image rendering unit; and a pair of speakers capable of emitting sound waves toward each ear of the subject. It also has the image rendering unit generates the image signal for the presentation image according to a head direction of the subject in the virtual space, a sound wave signal generating unit that generates a signal for causing the pair of speakers to radiate sound waves that cause the subject to perceive a position or direction of a radiation source based on a signal regarding the head posture of the subject from the posture sensor and the binaurally processed sound wave signal; It also has the scenario progress management unit is capable of issuing a sound output command based on the test event generation command, The sound wave signal generating unit generates a signal for a sound wave to be emitted by the speaker toward each ear of the subject in response to the sound output command of the scenario progress management unit. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

16. The eye tracker device detects the gaze of both eyes of the subject in a distinguishable manner, The gaze point determination unit uses a position where the gazes of both eyes are approaching, which is included in the eye tracking signal, to determine the gaze point. The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

17. An action timing determination unit that determines an action timing of the subject indicated by the unit operation data in correspondence with the test event; a detection operation separation unit that calculates a visual detection reaction time and a behavioral reaction time in correspondence with the test event according to the event occurrence timing, the visual detection timing, and the behavior timing; Further equipped The driving skill information acquisition system according to claim 1 .

18. a computer having a computing device, a recording device and a graphics device; An eye tracker device connected to the computer, the eye tracker device outputting an eye tracking signal capable of identifying a line of sight of at least one eye of a subject for simulating driving a vehicle in a virtual space; a simulation operation device connected to the computer and configured to receive operations by the subject for the simulated operation, the simulation operation device including a unit operation device operated by the subject, and outputting unit operation data indicating an operation state of the unit operation device by the subject; A computer program for implementing the driving skill information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 17 by operating a computer system comprising: The arithmetic unit, the recording unit, and the graphic unit of the computer are caused to function as the data recording unit, the gaze point determining unit, and the image rendering unit. Computer program.

19. a computer having a computing device, a recording device and a graphics device; An eye tracker device connected to the computer, the eye tracker device outputting an eye tracking signal capable of identifying a line of sight of at least one eye of a subject for simulating driving a vehicle in a virtual space; A simulation operation device connected to the computer and accepting operations by the subject for the simulated operation, the simulation operation device including a unit operation device operated by the subject, and outputting unit operation data indicating the operation state of the unit operation device by the subject; A computer program for implementing the driving skill information acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 15 and 17 by operating a computer system comprising: The arithmetic unit, the recording unit, and the graphic unit of the computer are caused to function as the data recording unit, the gaze point determining unit, the scenario data storage unit, the scenario progress management unit, and the image rendering unit. Computer program.

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