Information processing device

Abstract

To provide a user with a determination material with respect to a move of a vehicle when a disaster occurs.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises a control section for performing: transmitting information related to disaster occurrence to a vehicle; acquiring information related to the vehicle including state information which indicates a vehicle state and situation information which indicates a peripheral situation of the vehicle as a response to the information related to the disaster occurrence; and determining propriety of a move of the vehicle from the acquired information related to the vehicle, so as to transmit the determination result to a user terminal of a user who operates the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device that supports evacuation in the event of a disaster. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that when an emergency alert regarding a disaster is received, an evacuation site and an evacuation route from the current location to the evacuation site are set based on the current location of the vehicle and the emergency alert, and the vehicle begins to automatically travel along the evacuation route. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-012079 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides users with information to help them make decisions about traveling by vehicle when a disaster occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: Transmitting information regarding the occurrence of a disaster to a vehicle; acquiring information related to the vehicle including status information indicating a status of the vehicle and situation information indicating a situation around the vehicle in response to the information regarding the occurrence of the disaster; determining whether the vehicle can be moved based on the acquired information related to the vehicle, and transmitting the result of the determination to a user terminal of a user who operates the vehicle; The control unit executes the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present disclosure provides users with information to help them make decisions about traveling by vehicle when a disaster occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an evacuation assistance server and an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of an evacuation support server. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a vehicle status DB. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow in an evacuation support server. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in an in-vehicle device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An information processing system, which is one aspect of the present disclosure, is a system that provides a user with information to make decisions about traveling by vehicle when disaster-related information is issued. In the information processing system, an evacuation support server, which is an information processing device, acquires disaster information issued by disaster information center servers provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, local governments, etc. Then, the evacuation support server transmits information indicating that a disaster has occurred or that a disaster is likely to occur (information regarding the disaster occurrence) to vehicles parked in the target area where the disaster information has been issued. Thereafter, the evacuation support server acquires information related to the vehicle, including status information indicating the status of the vehicle and situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle, in response to the information regarding the disaster occurrence. The status information indicating the status of the vehicle may be, for example, information obtained in response to the acquisition of information regarding the disaster occurrence. An example of the information is a fault diagnosis result of the vehicle. Furthermore, an example of situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle is, for example, an image of the situation around where the vehicle is parked, captured by an on-board camera. The evacuation support server then determines whether the vehicle can be moved based on the information related to the vehicle, and transmits the result of the determination to the user terminal of the user operating the vehicle. The evacuation support server transmits, for example, status information indicating the state of the vehicle, situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle, and the like, together with the result of the determination, to the user terminal.

[0009] This allows the user to determine whether or not evacuation using the vehicle is possible, based on the travel propriety determination result sent to the user terminal, status information indicating the vehicle's status, captured images showing the situation around the parked vehicle, etc. This information processing system can provide users with information to help them make decisions about travel by vehicle when a disaster occurs.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0011] First Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing system 1 is a system that provides a user with information for making decisions about traveling by vehicle when disaster occurrence information is issued.

[0012] 1 includes an evacuation support server 10, an in-vehicle device 20 mounted on a vehicle 2, a user terminal 30, and a disaster information center server 40. The evacuation support server 10, the in-vehicle device 20, the user terminal 30, and the disaster information center server 40 are interconnected by a network N1.

[0013] The disaster information center server 40 is a computer such as a server provided by an organization that issues disaster occurrence information regarding the occurrence of a disaster when there is a risk of the disaster occurring. Examples of such organizations include the Japan Meteorological Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and local governments, and there may be multiple disaster information center servers 40 depending on the management area or jurisdiction. The in-vehicle device 20 is a control device that can communicate with the evacuation assistance server 10 via the network N1. The user terminal 30 is a portable information processing terminal such as a smartphone of a person (also referred to as a user) who uses the vehicle 2. The evacuation assistance server 10 is an information processing device that supports the user of the vehicle 2 equipped with the in-vehicle device 20 in making decisions about traveling by vehicle. The evacuation assistance server 10 provides the functions described below.

[0014] The network N1 may be, for example, a global public communication network such as the Internet, and may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network. The network N1 may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone, a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or a private communication network such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Although one evacuation support server 10 is illustrated, multiple evacuation support servers 10 that cover different areas may be connected. Also, although one vehicle 2 equipped with an on-board device 20, a user terminal 30, and a disaster information center server 40 are illustrated, multiple of these components may exist.

[0015] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the evacuation support server 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 that constitute the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the evacuation support server 10 is a computer including a processor 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, a communication unit 104, and an input / output I / F 105, which are interconnected by a connection bus. The main memory unit 102 and the auxiliary memory unit 103 are recording media that can be read by the evacuation support server 10. The main memory unit 102 and the auxiliary memory unit 103 constitute the memory of the evacuation support server 10. Each of the above components may be provided in multiple units, or some of the components may not be provided. Note that the hardware configurations of the disaster information center server 40 and the user terminal 30 are realized using the same components as those of the evacuation support server 10, so explanations will be omitted.

[0016] The processor 101 is a central processing unit that controls the entire evacuation support server 10. The processor 101 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. is an example of a control unit. The processor 101, for example, deploys a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 in an executable manner in a work area of the main storage unit 102, and controls peripheral devices through the execution of the program, thereby providing a function that meets a predetermined purpose.

[0017] The main memory unit 102 stores programs executed by the processor 101, data processed by the processor, etc. The main memory unit 102 includes a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary memory unit 103 includes a serial memory including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)). Compact disk, solid state drive device, hard disk drive (HDD, Hard The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores various programs and various data. The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores data in a readable and writable recording medium. The auxiliary storage unit 103 is also called an external storage device. The auxiliary storage unit 103 is used as a storage area supporting the main storage unit 102, and stores programs executed by the processor 101, data processed by the processor 101, and the like. The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores, for example, an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and the like. The OS includes a communication interface program that transfers data between devices connected via the communication unit 104. The evacuation support server 10 may be a single computer or a combination of multiple computers. The information stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 may be stored in the main storage unit 102. The information stored in the main storage unit 102 may be stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103. As described above, the processor 101 executes a program to execute a series of processes in the evacuation support server 10. However, at least a part of the series of processes may be executed by hardware such as a digital circuit.

[0018] The communication unit 104 is a means for communicating with the in-vehicle device 20 via the network N1. The communication unit 104 can adopt an appropriate configuration depending on the connection method with the network N1. The communication unit 104 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The communication unit 104 can adopt an appropriate configuration depending on the connection method with the network N1. The input / output I / F 105 is an interface for inputting and outputting data with devices connected to the evacuation support server 10. Input devices such as a touch panel, microphone, mouse, and keyboard are connected to the input / output I / F 105. Operation instructions and the like from an operator who operates the input device are accepted via the input / output I / F 105. In addition, display devices such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, and output devices such as a printer and speaker are connected to the input / output I / F 105. can be.

[0019] The on-vehicle device 20 is a computer that can be mounted on the vehicle 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the on-vehicle device 20 has a processor 201, a main memory unit 202, an auxiliary memory unit 203, a communication unit 204a, a communication unit 204b, an input / output I / F 205, a position information sensor 206, and an on-vehicle camera 207, all of which are interconnected by a connection bus. The auxiliary memory unit 203 stores an authentication code for starting the vehicle 2. Each of the above components may be provided in multiple units, or some of the components may not be provided. The processor 201, the main memory unit 202, the auxiliary memory unit 203, the communication unit 204a, and the input / output I / F 205 are each a processor of the evacuation support server 10. The in-vehicle device 20 includes the processor 201, the main memory unit 102, the auxiliary memory unit 103, the communication unit 104, and the input / output I / F 105, and therefore descriptions thereof will be omitted. The in-vehicle device 20 may be a single computer, or may be a combination of multiple computers. A series of processes executed by the in-vehicle device 20 is executed by the processor 201 using a program. However, at least a part of the series of processes may also be executed by hardware such as a digital circuit.

[0020] The communication unit 204b is an interface with an in-vehicle network (for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) or the like) N2 provided in the vehicle 2. The on-board device 20 is connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 2 a provided in the vehicle 2 . The communication unit 204b can adopt an appropriate configuration depending on the connection method with the network N2 to be connected. The position information sensor 206 acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 2 on which the on-vehicle device 20 is mounted. The position information sensor 206 acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 2 on which the on-vehicle device 20 is mounted, for example, using a GPS (Global Positioning System) The in-vehicle camera 207 takes pictures using an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The camera may be a front camera, a back camera, a side camera, or a 360-degree camera equipped with an ultra-wide-angle lens that can capture the surroundings of the vehicle 2. It is preferable that the camera is installed in a position that can capture the surroundings of the vehicle where it is parked. The image obtained by capturing the image may be either a still image or a video at a predetermined frame rate (e.g., 30 fps).

[0021] The ECU 2a is a general term for electronic control units mounted on the vehicle 2. The electronic control units include a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. that execute programs, and perform control and fault diagnosis of controlled devices based on data detected by various sensors installed in the vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 controlled by the ECU 2a may be a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine (an internal combustion engine vehicle), a vehicle powered by an electric motor (an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc.), or a vehicle powered by both of these (a hybrid vehicle). The ECU 2a acquires information indicating the status of the electric motor (current, voltage, temperature, rotational speed, etc.) via various sensors installed in the electric motor. Furthermore, the ECU 2a acquires information indicating the status of the internal combustion engine (intake air volume, intake pressure, intake temperature, exhaust pressure, exhaust temperature, catalyst temperature, coolant temperature, rotational speed, etc.) via various sensors installed in the internal combustion engine. The ECU 2a then performs fault diagnosis, known as OBD (On-Board Diagnostics), based on the information indicating the status of the vehicle 2 acquired via these various sensors. Hereinafter, the drive sources of the vehicle 2, such as the electric motor and the internal combustion engine, will also be collectively referred to as the engine.

[0022] Returning to FIG. 1 , in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the evacuation support server 10 receives disaster occurrence information transmitted by the disaster information center server 40 connected via the network N1. The disaster occurrence information is transmitted, for example, when a disaster occurs or when there is a risk of a disaster occurring. Disasters include, for example, strong winds, tornadoes, heavy rain, heavy snowfall, floods, landslides, mudslides, storm surges, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and other abnormal natural phenomena, as well as large-scale fires, explosions, and other damage caused by causes similar to these in terms of the extent of the damage they cause. The disaster occurrence information may also include information indicating the type of disaster, the scale of the disaster, and the disaster forecast area where the disaster is predicted to occur. For example, the information includes evacuation information, earthquake information, tsunami forecasts, heavy rain risk levels, heavy rain forecasts, landslide information, river flood and inundation information, weather warnings, volcano information, typhoon information, and the like.

[0023] When the evacuation assistance server 10 according to this embodiment receives disaster occurrence information, it transmits information indicating that a disaster has occurred or that a disaster may occur (information regarding the disaster occurrence) to the vehicles 2 within the target area under its jurisdiction. The in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 parked in a parking lot or the like receives the disaster occurrence information transmitted from the evacuation assistance server 10 connected via the network N1. When the in-vehicle device 20 receives the information, it starts the engine of its own vehicle using the authentication code stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203. The in-vehicle device 20 transmits the authentication code for starting the engine to the ECU 2a through the in-vehicle network N2 connected via the communication unit 204b. The ECU 2a authenticates the authentication code transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20 and starts the vehicle 2. After starting, the ECU 2a performs a fault diagnosis based on data indicating the state of the vehicle 2 acquired from various sensors, and transmits the diagnosis result to the in-vehicle device 20. If it is determined as a result of the fault diagnosis that a malfunction has occurred, a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) conforming to, for example, the international standard (ISO15031-6) or the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J2012) is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0024] The fault code defines a code that indicates, for example, the target system in the vehicle 2 that is determined to have a fault, the fault classification, details of the fault, etc., depending on the type of fault. Examples of target systems in the vehicle 2 include body systems such as airbags and seat belts, chassis systems such as brakes, electric power steering, and vehicle stability control devices, powertrain systems such as the engine, transmission, and HV battery, and network systems such as communication between ECUs. Examples of fault classifications include fuel injection system failures, ignition system failures, and misfire failures. Examples of fault details include throttle position sensor circuit failures and heater circuit failures. The on-board device 20 acquires the diagnosis results including the fault codes transmitted from the ECU 2a via the in-vehicle network N2.

[0025] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 captures images of the surroundings around where the vehicle is parked via the in-vehicle camera 207. For example, as shown in the solid line balloon Z1 in FIG. 1 , images of strong winds and heavy rain caused by an approaching typhoon or the like are captured as the surroundings of the vehicle 2. The in-vehicle device 20 transmits to the evacuation support server 10 the diagnosis results including the fault codes transmitted from the ECU 2a and the images captured via the in-vehicle camera 207. The in-vehicle device 20 is assigned identification information (in-vehicle device ID) that identifies the device. The in-vehicle device 20 transmits status information (diagnosis results) indicating the status of the vehicle 2 and situation information (captured images) indicating the surroundings to the evacuation support server 10 in association with the identification information of the in-vehicle device and time information.

[0026] The evacuation support server 10 acquires information related to the vehicle 2 transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20. The evacuation support server 10 then determines whether or not the vehicle 2 can be moved based on the information related to the vehicle 2 transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20. For example, if the diagnosis result includes a fault code, the evacuation support server 10 determines that it is difficult to move the vehicle 2, and if not, determines that it is possible to move the vehicle 2. The evacuation support server 10 transmits the determination result regarding whether or not the vehicle 2 can be moved to the user terminal 30 of the user using the vehicle, along with a captured image showing the situation around the parked vehicle 2. Note that if the evacuation support server 10 determines that it is difficult to move the vehicle 2, it may transmit a fault code for the vehicle to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 may convert the received fault code into a character string, sentence, or the like that the user can understand in accordance with the code definition, and notify the user by display, audio, or the like.

[0027] As a result, the user of the vehicle 2 can determine via the user terminal 30 whether evacuation action using the vehicle 2 is possible, using the determination result of whether movement is possible or not transmitted from the evacuation support server 10 and captured images showing the situation around the parked vehicle 2 as decision materials. Also, for example, the user of the vehicle 2 can grasp the situation of the vehicle 2 with an accuracy corresponding to the fault code. According to the information processing system 1 of this embodiment, when a disaster occurs, it is possible to provide the user with information to make a decision about movement by vehicle.

[0028] (Functional configuration) 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the evacuation support server 10. The functional components of the evacuation support server 10 include a disaster information acquisition unit 11, a travel support processing unit 12, a travel support notification unit 13, and a disaster information acquisition unit 14. The evacuation support server 10 includes a disaster information acquisition unit 11, a travel support processing unit 12, and a travel support notification unit 13, a vehicle information DB 14, a vehicle status DB 15, and a map information DB 16. The processor 101 of the evacuation support server 10 executes the processing of the disaster information acquisition unit 11, the travel support processing unit 12, and the travel support notification unit 13 using a computer program loaded into the main memory unit 102. However, any of the functional components, or part of the processing, may be executed by hardware such as a digital circuit.

[0029] The vehicle information DB 14 and the vehicle status DB 15 are constructed by a database management system (DBMS) program executed by the processor 101 managing data stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103. The vehicle information DB 14 and the vehicle status DB 15 are, for example, relational databases. The map information DB 16 stores map data including feature positions such as road link numbers or node numbers of intersections and the like, and map information including POI information such as characters and photos indicating the characteristics of each point on the map data. The map information DB 16 may be provided from another system connected to the network N1, for example, a GIS (Geographic Information System). In addition, each function of the evacuation support server 10 Any of the components, or part of their processing, may be performed by other computers connected to the network N1.

[0030] The disaster information acquisition unit 11 acquires, via the network N1, disaster occurrence information transmitted within the target area from the disaster information center server 40. The disaster information acquisition unit 11 temporarily stores the acquired disaster occurrence information together with time information in a predetermined area of the main memory unit 102, and passes the disaster occurrence information to the travel support processing unit 12.

[0031] The travel support processing unit 12 refers to the map information DB 16 and the vehicle information DB 14 to identify vehicles 2 within the target area where disaster occurrence information has been transmitted. Information regarding the vehicles 2 for which evacuation support is provided is registered in the vehicle information DB 14. For example, the license plate information of the vehicle 2, the vehicle model, the manufacturer type, the in-vehicle device ID, the terminal ID of the user terminal 30, parking position information (latitude, longitude, etc.), etc. are stored in the vehicle information DB 14 in association with the name of the user using the vehicle 2. The travel support processing unit 12 identifies the in-vehicle device ID of the vehicle 2 present within the target area and the terminal ID of the user terminal 30, for example, from the parking position information of each vehicle stored in the vehicle information DB 14 and the map information DB 16. Then, the travel support processing unit 12 transmits information regarding the disaster occurrence to the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 identified by the in-vehicle device ID. The travel support processing unit 12 also passes the in-vehicle device ID and the terminal ID of the user terminal 30 to the travel support notification unit 13.

[0032] The travel support processing unit 12 acquires information related to the vehicle 2, including status information (diagnosis result) indicating the status and situation information (captured image) indicating the surrounding situation, from the vehicle 2 to which information related to the disaster occurrence has been transmitted. The acquired information related to the vehicle 2 is stored in the vehicle status DB 15. The travel support processing unit 12 then determines whether or not the vehicle can move based on the acquired information related to the vehicle 2. For example, if the diagnosis result includes a fault code, it determines that it is difficult for the vehicle 2 to move, and if not, it determines that it is possible for the vehicle 2 to move. The travel support processing unit 12 stores the result of the determination of whether or not the vehicle 2 can move in the vehicle status DB 15.

[0033] The travel assistance notification unit 13 transmits the result of the determination as to whether or not the vehicle 2 is allowed to travel to the user terminal 30. The travel assistance notification unit 13 searches the vehicle status DB 15 using the in-vehicle device ID delivered from the travel assistance processing unit 12, and acquires status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2 associated with the in-vehicle device ID, situation information indicating the surrounding situation, and the determination result. The travel assistance notification unit 13 then transmits the above information acquired from the vehicle status DB 15 to the user terminal 30 identified by the terminal ID. Note that the travel assistance notification unit 13 may acquire disaster occurrence information stored in a predetermined area of the main memory unit 102, and transmit the above information acquired from the vehicle status DB 15 together with the disaster occurrence information. The user of the vehicle 2 is informed of the disaster occurrence information on the display device of the user terminal 30. etc., it is possible to provide further information for making a decision on the movement by the vehicle. When the movement support notifying unit 13 transmits the above information including the result of the determination on whether the movement is possible or not to the user terminal 30, the movement support notifying unit 13 stores information indicating the status of the notification (for example, not transmitted / transmitted, etc.) in the vehicle status DB 15.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the vehicle status DB 15. As shown in FIG. 4, information related to the vehicle 2 acquired by the travel assistance processing unit 12 is managed as a vehicle status table. In FIG. 4, the vehicle status table has fields for acquisition date and time, in-vehicle device ID, location information, surrounding conditions, status information, whether travel is possible, and assistance notification. Note that fields can be added, changed, or deleted from the information stored in the vehicle status table as appropriate. For example, disaster occurrence information, target area information, etc. may be stored.

[0035] The acquisition date and time stores information indicating the date and time when the information related to the vehicle 2 was acquired. The in-vehicle device ID stores identification information that identifies the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle 2. The location information stores location information (latitude, longitude, etc.) that indicates the parking position of the vehicle 2. The surrounding situation stores situation information that indicates the situation around the vehicle 2. An example of the situation information is an image captured via the in-vehicle camera 207. The status information stores status information that indicates the status of the vehicle 2. An example of the status information is the result of a fault diagnosis (including a fault code) performed via the ECU 2a. The possibility of movement stores information that indicates the result of a decision on whether or not to move based on the information related to the vehicle 2. The support notification stores information that indicates the status of the notification to the user terminal 30 (for example, not sent / sent, etc.).

[0036] (Processing flow) Next, the support processing of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the support processing in the evacuation support server 10. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in the in-vehicle device 20.

[0037] In FIG. 5, after starting the process, the evacuation assistance server 10 acquires disaster occurrence information transmitted within the target area from the disaster information center server 40 via the network N1 (step S1), and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the evacuation assistance server 10 transmits information regarding the disaster occurrence to the in-vehicle device 20 mounted on the vehicle 2 whose parking position is located within the target area from which the disaster occurrence information was transmitted, and the process proceeds to step S3. The in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 that has received the disaster occurrence information transmits vehicle-related information in response. The vehicle-related information includes status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2, situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle, and the like. In step S3, the evacuation assistance server 10 acquires the vehicle-related information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 whose parking position is located within the target area, and the process proceeds to step S4. An example of the status information is the result of a fault diagnosis (including a fault code) performed via the ECU 2a of the vehicle 2. An example of the situation information is an image captured via the in-vehicle camera 207. The captured image may be either a still image or a moving image at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 30 fps).

[0038] In step S4, it is determined whether travel by vehicle is possible. For example, if the result of the fault diagnosis acquired as status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2 includes a fault code, the evacuation support server 10 determines that travel by vehicle 2 is difficult, and if not, determines that travel by vehicle 2 is possible. In step S4, if it is determined that travel by vehicle is possible (step S4, "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S5, and if not (step S4, "No"), the process proceeds to step S6.

[0039] In step S5, information indicating that travel by vehicle 2 is possible is transmitted to the user terminal 30. The evacuation support server 10 may, for example, use the fault diagnosis information acquired as the status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2. As a result of the determination, the captured image is acquired as situation information showing the situation around the vehicle, and a message indicating that the vehicle 2 is able to move is transmitted to the user terminal 30. The user of the vehicle 2 can confirm that the current state of the vehicle 2 is one in which it is able to move, and the situation around the parking position, by understanding the information transmitted to the user terminal 30 via a display device, a speaker, or the like. After the processing of step S5 is completed, the processing of this routine is temporarily terminated.

[0040] Furthermore, in step S6, a message indicating that it is difficult to move by vehicle 2 is transmitted to user terminal 30. The evacuation support server 10 transmits to user terminal 30, for example, the result of the fault diagnosis (fault code) acquired as status information indicating the status of vehicle 2, and a captured image acquired as status information indicating the situation around the vehicle, that it is difficult to move by vehicle 2. By understanding the information transmitted to user terminal 30 via a display device, speaker, etc., the user of vehicle 2 can confirm that the current status of vehicle 2 is one in which it is difficult to move, and the situation around the parking position. After the processing of step S6 is completed, the processing of this routine is temporarily terminated.

[0041] Next, Fig. 6 will be described. In Fig. 6, after the process starts, the in-vehicle device 20 acquires information about the occurrence of a disaster transmitted from the evacuation support server 10 to the vehicle (step S11), and the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the in-vehicle device 20 starts the engine of the vehicle 2 (turns the ignition on) in response to the acquisition of the information about the occurrence of a disaster transmitted from the evacuation support server 10 to the vehicle. The in-vehicle device 20 transmits, for example, an authentication code stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203 to the ECU 2a connected to the in-vehicle network N2. The ECU 2a authenticates the authentication code transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20, and switches the state of the ignition switch that starts the vehicle 2 to the on state. When the engine of the vehicle 2 starts, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0042] In step S13, vehicle-related information of the vehicle 2 is acquired. After the engine is started, the ECU 2a performs a fault diagnosis based on data indicating the state of the vehicle 2 acquired from various sensors. If the fault diagnosis determines that a malfunction has occurred, a diagnostic trouble code (DTC: Diagnostic Trouble Code) conforming to the international standard (ISO15031-6), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J2012), or the like is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 20. The fault code defines, for example, a code indicating the target system in the vehicle 2 that has been determined to have a malfunction, the classification of the malfunction, details of the malfunction, and the like, depending on the type of malfunction. The in-vehicle device 20 acquires the result of the fault diagnosis (including the fault code) performed via the ECU 2a as status information indicating the state of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 20 captures an image of the surroundings around where the host vehicle is parked using the in-vehicle camera 207, and acquires the captured image as status information indicating the situation around the vehicle. The captured image may be either a still image or a video. When the process of step S13 is completed, the in-vehicle device 20 stops the started engine via the ECU 2a, transitions the state of the vehicle 2 to the stopped state before the engine was started, and then the process proceeds to step S14.

[0043] In step S14, the in-vehicle device 20 transmits the vehicle-related information of the vehicle 2 acquired in step S13 to the evacuation support server 10. The vehicle-related information, including the results of the fault diagnosis by the ECU 2a (including the fault code) and the images captured by the in-vehicle camera 207, is transmitted to the evacuation support server 10. After the processing of step S14 is completed, the processing of this routine is temporarily terminated.

[0044] By the above processing, in the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the evacuation support server 10 can acquire disaster occurrence information transmitted by the disaster information center server 40 connected via the network N1. The evacuation support server 10 can transmit information indicating that a disaster has occurred or that a disaster is likely to occur (information relating to the disaster occurrence) to the vehicle 2 whose parking position is located within the target area from which the disaster occurrence information has been transmitted. The in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle 2 can start the engine upon receiving information relating to the disaster occurrence, and can acquire the results of the fault diagnosis (including a fault code) performed via the ECU 2a as status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2. In addition, the in-vehicle device 20 can start the engine upon receiving information relating to the disaster occurrence, and can acquire the results of the fault diagnosis (including a fault code) performed via the ECU 2a as status information indicating the status of the vehicle 2. The device 20 can capture images of the surroundings around where the vehicle is parked using the on-board camera 207 and acquire the captured images as situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle. The on-board device 20 can transmit vehicle-related information of the vehicle 2 acquired in response to acquisition of information related to the occurrence of a disaster to the evacuation support server 10.

[0045] The evacuation support server 10 can determine whether or not travel is possible using the vehicle 2 based on the vehicle-related information transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20. For example, if the failure diagnosis result includes a failure code, it can determine that travel by the vehicle 2 is difficult; otherwise, it can determine that travel by the vehicle 2 is possible. The evacuation support server 10 can then transmit to the user terminal 30, along with the determination result regarding whether or not travel is possible using the vehicle 2, status information indicating the status of the vehicle, situation information indicating the surrounding situation, and the like. This allows the user to determine whether or not evacuation behavior using the vehicle 2 is possible based on the determination result regarding whether or not travel is possible transmitted from the evacuation support server 10, the status information indicating the status of the vehicle, captured images showing the surrounding situation of the parked vehicle 2, and the like. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment can provide the user with information to make a decision about travel by vehicle when a disaster occurs.

[0046] (Variation) When a failure code is included in the result of the failure diagnosis performed via the ECU 2a, the evacuation assistance server 10 may transmit the details of the failure indicated by the failure code (the target system in the vehicle 2 that is determined to have a failure, the failure classification, details of the failure, etc.) to the user terminal 30. The user of the vehicle 2 can grasp the specific state of the vehicle 2 that is determined to make it difficult to travel by the vehicle 2.

[0047] <Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0048] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0049] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, such as any type of disk, including magnetic disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical disks (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs, Blu-ray disks), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, or optical cards. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Information Processing Systems 2 vehicles 2a ECU 10 Evacuation support server 11 Disaster Information Acquisition Department 12. Mobility Support Processing Department 13 Mobility support notification department 14 Vehicle Information Database 15 Vehicle status database 16 Map Information Database 20 Onboard equipment 30 User terminals 40 Disaster Information Center Server

Claims

[Claim 1] Transmitting information regarding the occurrence of a disaster to a vehicle; acquiring, in response to the information regarding the occurrence of the disaster, information related to the vehicle, including status information indicating the status of the vehicle, including a fault diagnosis result for the vehicle, and situation information indicating the situation around the vehicle, including a photographed image of the situation around the vehicle; determining whether the vehicle can be moved based on the fault diagnosis result among the acquired information related to the vehicle; If the vehicle is capable of moving, transmitting the result of the determination that the vehicle is capable of moving, the fault diagnosis result, and the captured image to a user terminal of a user who operates the vehicle, and if the vehicle is not capable of moving, transmitting the result of the determination that it is difficult to move the vehicle, the fault diagnosis result, and the captured image to the user terminal; An information processing device comprising a control unit that executes the above.

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