Information providing device

Abstract

To provide adequate and effective training to a driver.SOLUTION: An information providing device according to an embodiment comprises an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a providing unit. The acquisition unit acquires an image captured in a vehicle driven by a driver. The determination unit determines whether or not the driver requires training based on the image. The providing unit provides a user belonging to a group to which the driver belongs with the image and a message to an effect that the driver has behaved dangerously, when the determining unit determines that the training is required.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing device. Place Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology in which educational content is generated for each driver of a vehicle capable of automatic driving, and education is provided to an identified driver based on the educational content corresponding to that driver (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, when conducting accident prevention training within a company, videos of traffic violations and near misses captured from drive recorders installed in company vehicles may be used as teaching materials. In such cases, the captured videos are reported to managers to promote safety training, and drivers are notified via email, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-67554 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional techniques have the problem that they may not be able to provide drivers with education that is sufficiently effective.

[0006] For example, even if conventional technology educates individual drivers by showing them videos of dangerous driving, there are cases where the driver does not perceive dangerous driving as something that concerns them personally. In such cases, it is difficult to provide sufficiently effective education.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has as its object to provide drivers with education that is sufficiently effective. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the information providing device according to the present invention has an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a provision unit. The acquisition unit acquires images taken in a vehicle driven by a driver. The determination unit determines whether or not driver training is necessary based on the images. If the determination unit determines that training is necessary, the provision unit provides the images and a message indicating that dangerous behavior occurred to users belonging to the group to which the driver belongs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide drivers with education that is sufficiently effective. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information providing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information providing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the driving score DB. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the group DB. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a topic provision screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the information providing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of an information providing device and an information providing system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0012] First, the configuration and processing of an information providing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the information providing system according to an embodiment.

[0013] 1, the information provision system 1 includes an information provision device 10, a vehicle V, an in-vehicle device 20, and terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c. For example, the vehicle V is an automobile. Furthermore, the terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c may be referred to as terminals 30 without distinction.

[0014] For example, the in-vehicle device 20 is a drive recorder installed inside the vehicle V. Also, for example, the information providing device 10 is a server. Also, for example, the terminal 30 is a personal computer, a smartphone, or the like.

[0015] The in-vehicle device 20 and the terminal 30 are connected to the information providing device 10 via a network N so as to be able to perform data communications therewith. For example, the network N is the Internet.

[0016] The flow of processing in the information providing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, first, the vehicle-mounted device 20 captures an image of a danger (step S11).

[0017] For example, when the G-value sensed by a G-sensor provided in the vehicle V or the in-vehicle device 20 is equal to or greater than a certain value, the in-vehicle device 20 uses a camera to capture an image of the periphery or interior of the vehicle V. Note that the images include still images and moving images.

[0018] The in-vehicle device 20 provides the captured danger image to the information providing device 10 (step S12). In addition, the in-vehicle device 20 may provide the information providing device 10 with identification information of the driver driving the vehicle V, sensor values, etc., along with the image.

[0019] Here, the in-vehicle device 20 acquires identification information such as a user ID of a user who drives the vehicle V (hereinafter, referred to as a driver) by inputting the information by the user or reading it from a terminal.

[0020] Here, it is assumed that the driver of the vehicle V owns the terminal 30a. The information providing device 10 requests the terminal 30a to react to the danger image (step S13).

[0021] Step S13 may be executed after the driver has finished driving. For example, the information providing device 10 may request a reaction to a risk image captured during the day in the evening of the same day or the next day or later.

[0022] The driver provides a reaction via the terminal 30a (step S14). The reaction may be a free-form comment or a questionnaire-style response on whether the driver thought the driving was dangerous when the image was taken.

[0023] The reaction may also be a selection of an icon corresponding to the emotion (surprise, sadness, anger, etc.) that the driver felt in response to the image.

[0024] Then, the information providing device 10 provides information based on the driver's reaction and the danger image to a plurality of users including users other than the driver (step S15).

[0025] The information based on the driver's reaction may be, for example, a comment made by the driver in response to the image, or whether the driver considered the driving at the time the image was taken to be dangerous. The information providing device 10 may also provide information regarding the date, time, and location at which the image was taken.

[0026] Here, the users who receive information and images from the information providing device 10 are users who belong to a group that has been created in advance.

[0027] For example, when the information providing system 1 is operated in a company, groups may be created in units of business departments or the like.

[0028] Alternatively, a group may be created for each user who has a predetermined common attribute. For example, a group may include users who drive vehicles at a specific location, such as an intersection, more frequently than a certain value, or users who live in a common area.

[0029] Furthermore, a group may be created by any unit unrelated to work and driving, such as colleagues, family, or friends.

[0030] According to the information provision system 1, images of dangerous driver behavior are also provided to users who belong to the group. This allows drivers to see the reactions of other users and make the dangerous behavior their own concern, which is thought to improve the effectiveness of education.

[0031] The configuration of the information providing device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information providing device according to the embodiment.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the information providing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0033] The communication unit 11 is an interface for data communication, and is, for example, a network interface card (NIC).

[0034] The communication unit 11 can transmit and receive data to and from other devices. For example, the communication unit 11 transmits and receives data to and from the in-vehicle device 20 and the terminal 30 via the network N.

[0035] The control unit 13 and memory unit 12 of the information providing device 10 are realized by a computer or various circuits having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, input / output ports, etc.

[0036] The storage unit 12 stores a driving score DB 121, a group DB 122, a notification DB 123, and an image DB .

[0037] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the driving score DB 121. As shown in FIG. 3, the driving score DB 121 includes "users" and "driving scores."

[0038] "User" is information for identifying a user (for example, a user ID).

[0039] The "driving score" is an index related to risky driving behavior. The "driving score" is adjusted according to the behavior of each user when driving a vehicle.

[0040] For example, the "driving score" is deducted if the driver exhibits dangerous driving behavior, and is increased if the driver exhibits good driving behavior such as eco-driving that reduces fuel consumption.

[0041] For example, Figure 3 shows that the "driving score" of user "U01" is "1." Also, for example, Figure 3 shows that the "driving score" of user "U03" is "-1."

[0042] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the group DB. The group DB 122 stores users belonging to each group to which the information providing device 10 provides images and messages. The group DB 122 includes "group," "description," and "belonging users."

[0043] "Group" is information for identifying a group (for example, a group ID).

[0044] "Description" is a string of characters that describes the group.

[0045] "Belonging user" is the user ID of the user who belongs to the group.

[0046] For example, FIG. 4 shows that four users with user IDs "U01," "U02," "U03," and "U04" belong to a group "G01" described as "belonging to the sales department."

[0047] Also, for example, FIG. 4 shows that three users with user IDs "U01," "U02," and "U05" belong to group "G02," which is described as "using X intersection."

[0048] Furthermore, a user, such as user "U01," may belong to multiple groups.

[0049] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the notification DB. The notification DB 123 is referenced when the information providing device 10 requests a driver for a reaction and provides a message to a group of users. As shown in FIG. 5, the notification DB 123 includes "categories" and "messages."

[0050] "Category" indicates whether the message is for requesting a reaction from the driver (reaction request) or for providing a message to users in a group (topic provision).

[0051] A "message" is a message provided by the information providing device 10 or a message template.

[0052] For example, Figure 5 shows a message in the "reaction request" category: "Dear [user], your driving in [place] at [time] has been judged to be dangerous. Please leave a comment."

[0053] Here, "[user]", "[time]", and "[place]" are variables, and may be replaced with the user's name, the date and time the image was taken, and the place where the image was taken, respectively.

[0054] For example, the information providing device 10 can replace "[user]", "[time]", and "[place]" with "A", and replace "[May 1, 2021]" with "X intersection", respectively, and create a message such as "Mr. A, driving at X intersection on May 1, 2021 has been judged to be dangerous. Please leave a comment."

[0055] The image DB 124 stores images provided by the in-vehicle device 20. In the image DB 124, the images may be associated with the driver, the date and time of the image capture, the location of the image capture, and the like.

[0056] The control unit 13 includes an acquisition unit 131 , a determination unit 132 , an update unit 133 , a request unit 134 , a creation unit 135 , and a provision unit 136 .

[0057] The acquisition unit 131 acquires images captured in the vehicle V driven by a driver. The acquisition unit 131 can also acquire sensor values ​​such as a G sensor, the date and time the image was captured, and the location where the image was captured, along with the image.

[0058] The acquisition unit 131 acquires images from the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 includes an image capture unit (for example, a camera) that captures images in the vehicle V driven by a driver.

[0059] The determination unit 132 determines whether or not driver education is necessary based on the image. The determination unit 132 determines that driver education is necessary if it can be determined that the driver is behaving dangerously when the image was captured.

[0060] Dangerous behavior includes sudden braking, sudden acceleration, ignoring traffic lights, near misses, distracted driving, drowsy driving, and staggering.

[0061] The determination unit 132 may make a determination based on an analysis of the image acquired by the acquisition unit 131 or information such as a sensor value acquired together with the image. For example, the determination unit 132 determines whether driver education is necessary when the G value of the sensor at the time of image capture is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0062] The update unit 133 updates the determination criteria used by the determination unit 132 to determine whether driver education is necessary. The update unit 133 may update various information including the driving score described above.

[0063] For example, the determination unit 132 determines whether driver education is necessary based on a predetermined determination criterion, and the update unit 133 updates the determination criterion based on the reactions of users belonging to the group to the images and messages provided by the provision unit 136 (described later).

[0064] In this way, by reflecting feedback when a topic is provided by a user belonging to a group in the evaluation criteria, the effectiveness of education can be further improved.

[0065] Furthermore, the determination unit 132 may make the determination using a machine learning model. In this case, the update unit 133 may train the machine learning model using user reactions as training data.

[0066] The request unit 134 requests the driver to react to the image. The request unit 134 obtains a template of a message whose category is "reaction request" from the notification DB 123, and transmits a message in which each variable of the template is replaced to the terminal 30 owned by the driver.

[0067] For example, if the image acquired by the acquisition unit 131 has the driver's name "A", the date and time of the photo taken "May 1, 2021", and the location of the photo taken "X intersection", the request unit 134 will send a message to the terminal 30 saying, "Mr. A, your driving at X intersection on May 1, 2021 has been judged to be dangerous. Please provide any comments."

[0068] The information providing device 10 can send a message such as a request for a reaction by using an email or a chat service.

[0069] The creation unit 135 creates a message based on the driver's reaction to the request made by the request unit 134. This allows the information providing device 10 to provide a message that includes the driver's feelings, thereby further improving the educational effect.

[0070] For example, the creation unit 135 creates a message depending on whether or not the driver recognizes that he or she has engaged in dangerous behavior with respect to the image.

[0071] The creation unit 135 acquires a template of a message whose category is "reaction request" from the notification DB 123, and creates a message by replacing each variable of the template.

[0072] The providing unit 136 provides the message created by the creating unit 135 .

[0073] For example, when the determining unit 132 determines that training is necessary, the providing unit 136 provides an image and a message indicating that dangerous behavior has occurred to users who belong to the group to which the driver belongs.

[0074] Here, the terminal 30 has a display unit that displays the image and message provided by the providing unit 136.

[0075] The display unit of the terminal 30 displays the image and the message on the topic providing screen. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the topic providing screen.

[0076] 6, the topic providing screen includes a chat UI in which a plurality of users and bots can participate. A bot is a pseudo user for sending a message provided by the information providing device 10.

[0077] In the example of Fig. 6, the bot first sends a message saying, "Hello everyone. Actually, when Mr. A ran through intersection X, it was very dangerous... I had a very close call" (utterance 511). This message is created by the creation unit 135 based on a template in the notification DB 123.

[0078] Then, the bot presents an image together with a message saying, "Take a look at the video from that time" (utterance 512). The image presented here is an image obtained by the obtaining unit 131 from the in-vehicle device 20.

[0079] Here, the user represented as "Mr. A" is the driver, and the users represented as "Mr. B" and "Mr. C" are users who belong to the same group as the driver.

[0080] In utterances 513, 514, and 515, users are having conversations about the images. At this time, the driver "Mr. A" can receive information from "Mr. B" and "Mr. C" that his / her behavior was actually dangerous and information about the location where the images were taken.

[0081] After that, if a certain amount of time passes without any utterance from any of the users after utterance 515 by "Mr. C," the bot will send a message such as utterance 516, "Everyone, please make sure to pay close attention to the traffic lights when entering an intersection," indicating the end of the conversation.

[0082] For example, if a certain period of time has passed without any utterance from any user since utterance 512, the bot will also send a message suggesting the end of the conversation.

[0083] The update unit 133 may update the criteria for determination by the determination unit 132 based on a conversation history such as that shown in FIG.

[0084] The update unit 133 can update the criteria based on the results of tallying up keywords that appear in conversations.

[0085] For example, if the conversation contains many words that confirm the judgment that something is dangerous, such as "be careful" and "dangerous," the update unit 133 determines that the judgment criteria are close to the user's sense and does not update the judgment criteria.

[0086] On the other hand, if the conversation contains many words that deny the dangerous judgment, such as "safe" and "not dangerous," the update unit 133 determines that the judgment criteria are deviating from the user's sensibilities and updates the judgment criteria to match the user's sensibilities.

[0087] In addition, the way the images are presented, the criteria for group classification, etc. can be reviewed based on the level of enthusiasm in the conversations among the group members.

[0088] Furthermore, the providing unit 136 may change the message depending on the driver's reaction.

[0089] For example, if the driver reacts that he or she thought the driving was dangerous when the image was taken, the providing unit 136 may include the content of the reaction in the message, such as, "Mr. A, it was dangerous when you were driving through intersection X the other day, wasn't it? Here is the video of that time."

[0090] Conversely, for example, if the driver reacts by saying that he did not think the driving was dangerous when the image was taken, the providing unit 136 may send a message seeking the opinions of the group members, such as, "This is a video of A driving through X intersection the other day. A said he did not think it was dangerous, but we would like to hear your opinions."

[0091] This will stimulate discussion about dangerous behavior and further enhance the effectiveness of education.

[0092] The providing unit 136 provides an image and a message to a group whose members are users who share a predetermined attribute with the driver.

[0093] This allows the information providing device 10 to provide topics for users who are considered to be particularly likely to benefit from education.

[0094] For example, the providing unit 136 provides an image and a message to a group whose members are users who drive vehicles at a predetermined location more frequently than a predetermined value. For example, the group "G02" in the group DB 122 of Fig. 4 is a group of users who frequently use "X intersection."

[0095] This allows the information providing device 10 to provide more practical information to users who drive vehicles in the same location, thereby improving the educational effect.

[0096] 6, a topic related to dangerous behavior was provided to the group. On the other hand, when an index related to dangerous behavior while driving (e.g., a driving score) calculated according to the determination result by the determination unit 132 satisfies a predetermined condition indicating improvement, the providing unit 136 further provides a message to users belonging to the group to which the driver belongs that the driver's driving behavior has improved.

[0097] This allows the user to know that the educational effect has increased, and the user can further discuss this, thereby maintaining the increased educational effect.

[0098] In this case, for example, the providing unit 136 provides a message from the notification DB 123 shown in FIG. 5 saying, "Everyone, there hasn't been any dangerous driving recently. Please keep it up."

[0099] Also, for example, if the driving score of "Mr. A" is not deducted for a certain period of time after the conversation in Figure 6 takes place, the providing unit 136 displays a message saying, "Since then, Mr. A's dangerous behavior has decreased. That's good."

[0100] For example, the "driving score" in the driving score DB121 is deducted when the judgment unit 132 judges that training is necessary, and is increased when it is judged that the driver has driven well, such as eco-driving, after the end of the drive.

[0101] The in-vehicle device 20 may have the same functions as the information providing device 10. For example, if the in-vehicle device 20 has sufficient computer resources, it transmits a danger image together with a message directly to the terminal 30 without providing it to the information providing device 10. In this case, the information providing system 1 is realized by the in-vehicle device 20 and the terminal 30.

[0102] 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the information providing device according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, first, the information providing device 10 acquires an image from the in-vehicle device 20 (step S101). At this time, the information providing device 10 may acquire information such as a sensor value together with the image.

[0103] Next, the information providing device 10 determines whether or not the driver needs training based on the acquired image and other information (step S102). For example, the information providing device 10 determines whether or not the driver needs training based on whether or not the driver is behaving dangerously.

[0104] If the information providing device 10 determines that education is not necessary (No at step S102), the process ends.

[0105] When it is determined that training is necessary (Yes at step S102), the information providing device 10 updates (deducts points from) the driving score of the driver (step S103).

[0106] Here, the information providing device 10 requests the driver to react to the image (step S104).

[0107] Furthermore, the information providing device 10 creates a topic (a message to be provided to the user) based on the driver's reaction (step S105).

[0108] Then, the information providing device 10 provides the images and topics to a specific group of users (step S106).

[0109] As described above, the information providing device 10 includes the acquisition unit 131, the determination unit 132, and the provision unit 136. The acquisition unit 131 acquires images captured in a vehicle driven by a driver. The determination unit 132 determines whether or not education for the driver is necessary based on the images. If the determination unit 132 determines that education is necessary, the provision unit 136 provides the images and a message indicating that dangerous behavior has occurred to users belonging to the group to which the driver belongs.

[0110] In this way, the information providing device 10 provides the images acquired from the in-vehicle device 20 not only to the driver himself, but also to users who belong to the group.

[0111] This allows the driver to consider risky behavior based on the comments of the group members, and also prevents the group members from engaging in similar risky behavior.

[0112] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide drivers with education that is sufficiently effective.

[0113] Each function of the information providing device 10 is realized by a computer having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, an input / output port, and various other circuits.

[0114] The information providing device 10 may also acquire the above-mentioned programs and various information via other computers or portable recording media connected via a wired or wireless network.

[0115] The CPU of the computer functions as a collection unit 231, an extraction unit 232, a calculation unit 233, and a notification unit 234 by reading and executing a program stored in, for example, a ROM.

[0116] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] N Network V vehicle 1 Information provision system 10 Information provision device 11 Communications Department 12 Storage section 13 Control Unit 20 Onboard equipment 30, 30a, 30b, 30c terminals 121 Driving Score DB 122 Group DB 123 Notification DB 124 Image DB 131 Acquisition Department 132 Judgment section 133 Update Department 134 Request part 135 Creation Department 136 Provision Department

Claims

1. Drivers are asked to react to footage of their own dangerous driving by indicating whether they thought it was dangerous or not. If the driver reacts that the vehicle is in danger, a message is created to the effect that the vehicle is in danger. a control unit that provides a video of the dangerous driving and a message indicating that the dangerous behavior occurred to users in a group to which the driver belongs; Information provision device.

2. The control unit If the driver responds that he did not think the driving was dangerous, the system provides the users in the group with a video of the dangerous driving and a message requesting their opinions. The information providing device according to claim 1 .

3. The group is A group whose members are users who drive vehicles in a predetermined location with a frequency equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The information providing device according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit Deducting points from the driver's driving score when the dangerous driving is detected; If the driving score has not been deducted for a certain period of time, a message is created to the group indicating that the occurrence of dangerous driving has decreased or that the dangerous driving has not occurred.

4. The information providing device according to claim 1.

5. An information providing device having a control unit, The control unit Acquire an image taken in a vehicle driven by a driver; determining whether education for the driver is necessary based on the image; If it is determined that education is necessary, the image and a message indicating the dangerous behavior are provided to a group of users whose members drive vehicles in a predetermined location at a frequency equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Information provision device.

6. An information providing device having a control unit, The control unit Acquire an image taken in a vehicle driven by a driver; determining whether or not education for the driver is necessary based on the image according to a predetermined determination criterion; If it is determined that education is necessary, the image and a message indicating that the driver has behaved dangerously are provided to users in a group to which the driver belongs; updating the criteria based on reactions of users in the group to the provided image and message; Information provision device.

Images