Motion sickness suppression device, motion sickness suppression method, and program

Abstract

To provide a good viewing experience while riding and to suppress motion sickness at the same time. [Solution] A motion sickness suppression device comprising: a sickness judgment unit that judges the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing a viewing object displayed on a display device inside a vehicle; and a suppression control unit that switches the mode of suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displays it on the display device depending on the judged degree of motion sickness.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a motion sickness suppression device, a motion sickness suppression method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Various methods have been proposed to reduce motion sickness in vehicle occupants. For example, one known method reduces motion sickness by displaying an image of the outside of the vehicle on a portion of the screen when the occupant is watching content such as television images using a display device installed in the vehicle, or by changing the display content according to the acceleration of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Another known method reduces motion sickness in occupants by displaying a horizon line on the display screen of a smartphone used inside the vehicle (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2006 / 008994 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] “KineStop: Say Goodbye to Motion Sickness - Google Play Apps”, [online], [searched October 15, 2024], Internet <url: https: play.google.com store apps details?id="com.urbandroid.kinestop&hl=ja"> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The severity of motion sickness varies depending on the behavior of the vehicle, individual differences in tolerance to motion sickness, and other factors. Conventional methods have not taken into consideration the severity of motion sickness for each passenger, resulting in inappropriate suppression of motion sickness. For example, excessive display control to suppress motion sickness may be applied to a passenger with mild motion sickness, hindering viewing of the content. On the other hand, display control to suppress motion sickness may be insufficient for a passenger with severe motion sickness, resulting in insufficient suppression effects.

[0006] The present invention has been made taking these circumstances into consideration, and one of its objectives is to provide a motion sickness suppression device, a motion sickness suppression method, and a program that can achieve both a good viewing experience while riding and motion sickness suppression by switching the mode of suppression display depending on the degree of motion sickness of the occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The motion sickness suppression device, the motion sickness suppression method, and the program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1) One aspect of the motion sickness suppression device of the present invention includes a sickness determination unit that determines the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing a viewing object displayed on a display device within a vehicle, and a suppression control unit that switches the mode of suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displays it on the display device depending on the determined degree of motion sickness.

[0008] (2) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the aspect (1) above, the sickness determination unit may determine the degree of motion sickness based on the state of the occupant.

[0009] (3) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the aspect (2) above, the sickness determination unit may determine the degree of motion sickness based on vital data of the occupant detected by a sensor.

[0010] (4) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the aspect (2) above, the sickness determination unit may determine the degree of motion sickness based on image data of the occupant captured by an imaging device.

[0011] (5) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the aspect (1) above, the sickness determination unit may determine the level of motion sickness based on an input instruction from the occupant.

[0012] (6) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the aspect (1) above, the motion sickness determination unit may determine the degree of motion sickness based on the behavior of the vehicle or the location of the vehicle within a predetermined period of time in the past.

[0013] (7) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the above aspects (1) to (6), the sickness determination unit may determine the degree of motion sickness based on information about the occupant's resistance to motion sickness.

[0014] (8) The motion sickness suppression device according to the aspect (7) above may further include a resistance information management unit that updates the resistance information based on a history of changes to the degree of motion sickness that have been made in response to input instructions from the occupant.

[0015] (9) In the motion sickness prevention device according to the above aspects (1) to (6), the prevention display may be a horizontal line.

[0016] (10) In the motion sickness suppression device according to the above aspects (1) to (6), the suppression control unit may control the display of the display device so that the suppression display is emphasized as the determined degree of motion sickness becomes worse.

[0017] (11) In the motion sickness suppression device according to the aspect (10) above, the suppression control unit may control the display of the display device so that the display area of ​​the object to be viewed on the display device is reduced and the display area of ​​the suppressed display is enlarged as the determined degree of motion sickness becomes worse.

[0018] (12) In the motion sickness suppression device according to the aspect (10) above, the suppression control unit may control the display of the display device so that the contrast of the display of the object to be viewed on the display device decreases as the determined degree of motion sickness worsens.

[0019] (13) One aspect of the motion sickness suppression method of the present invention is a method in which a computer determines the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing an object displayed on a display device within a vehicle, and switches the mode of suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displays it on the display device depending on the determined degree of motion sickness.

[0020] (14) One aspect of the program of the present invention is to cause a computer to determine the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing an object displayed on a display device in a vehicle, and to switch the mode of suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and display it on the display device depending on the determined degree of motion sickness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the above aspects (1) to (14), by switching the mode of suppression display depending on the degree of motion sickness of the occupant, it is possible to achieve both a good viewing experience while riding and suppression of motion sickness. This allows the viewing experience to take priority when the motion sickness is mild, and the improvement of the occupant's motion sickness to take priority when the motion sickness worsens. According to the above aspects (2) to (4), the degree of motion sickness can be determined depending on the state of the occupant, and the mode of suppressed display on the display device can be automatically switched. According to the above aspect (5), the display mode can be switched to a suppressed display mode according to the passenger's request in response to an input instruction (touch panel operation, voice recognition, etc.) by the passenger. According to the above aspect (6), by switching the display suppression mode depending on the behavior of the vehicle or the location of the vehicle, it is possible to take preventative and safety measures against motion sickness before the occupants start to feel motion sickness. Because motion sickness is difficult to cure once it occurs, such preventative and safety measures against motion sickness are effective. According to the above aspects (7) and (8), it is possible to take more effective measures against motion sickness, taking into consideration the passenger's tolerance to motion sickness. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a motion sickness prevention system S according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle M according to an embodiment. [Figure 3A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the display contents of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is not performed. [Figure 3B] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 (at depth 1, horizontal) when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed. FIG. [Figure 3C] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed (depth 1, tilted downward and left). FIG. [Figure 3D] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed (depth 1, tilted downward to the right). FIG. [Figure 3E] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed (depth 2, tilted downward and left). FIG. [Figure 3F] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed (depth 3, tilted downward and left). FIG. [Figure 3G] 10 is a diagram illustrating the display content (depth 4) of the display 10 when suppression control according to the embodiment is performed. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the motion sickness prevention device 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a process of depth-dependent suppression control according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow for detecting an occupant state and determining a depth according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 5 is a diagram showing occupant tolerance information (a tolerance map of the occupant P) of an occupant state associated with the occupant P according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing standard resistance information (standard resistance map) of an occupant state according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a process for detecting a vehicle state and determining a depth according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 5 is a diagram showing occupant tolerance information (tolerance map of occupant P) of a vehicle state associated with an occupant P according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing standard resistance information (standard resistance map) relating to a vehicle state according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram showing occupant resistance information according to vehicle position associated with an occupant P according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing standard resistance information according to a vehicle position according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of a motion sickness suppression device, a motion sickness suppression method, and a program of the present invention will be described. The motion sickness suppression device of the embodiment can achieve both a good viewing experience while riding and motion sickness suppression by switching the mode of suppression display displayed on a display device for suppressing (improving) motion sickness according to the level of motion sickness of a person (occupant) riding in the vehicle. The vehicle is, for example, any moving body that can be boarded by a person, such as a four-wheeled vehicle, a ship, or an airplane. In the following, an example will be described in which the vehicle is a vehicle.

[0024] [System Configuration] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a motion sickness prevention system S according to an embodiment. The motion sickness prevention system S includes, for example, a motion sickness prevention device 1 mounted on a vehicle M, and a management server 3. The motion sickness prevention device 1 and the management server 3 are communicably connected to each other via a wireless or wired communication network NW. The communication network NW includes, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), etc.

[0025] "Motion sickness" refers to a brain malfunction caused by conflicting information from the organs of balance due to the shaking and acceleration of a moving vehicle. Symptoms caused by motion sickness include, for example, nausea, dizziness, sweating, and hyperventilation. The degree of motion sickness is expressed, for example, by a numerical value (depth). The numerical value of the depth is set to increase as the degree of motion sickness increases (the more severe the motion sickness). The degree of motion sickness may also be expressed by levels such as mild, medium, and severe.

[0026] <Vehicle M> The vehicle M can accommodate one or more passengers P. The drive source of the vehicle M is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a battery (storage battery) such as a secondary battery or a fuel cell. In addition to various mechanisms for driving the vehicle M, the vehicle M is equipped with, for example, a display 10, an input interface 20, a communication device 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a camera 50, and the like.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle M according to an embodiment. A plurality of displays 10 are provided in the interior of the vehicle M. The plurality of displays 10 includes, for example, a first display 11 and a second display 12. The first display 11 is, for example, located in front of the passenger seat PS and provided on an instrument panel IP. The second display 12 is, for example, provided on the back of the driver's seat DS and the passenger seat PS. The plurality of displays 10 may include, for example, a display located in front of the driver's seat DS and provided on the instrument panel IP, or a portable display such as a smartphone or tablet used inside the vehicle M. The display 10 is an example of a "display device."

[0028] Returning to FIG. 1 , the input interface 20 accepts various input operations by the occupant P of the vehicle M. The input operations (operation signals) accepted by the input interface 20 are output to the motion sickness reduction device 1. The input interface 20 includes, for example, a touch panel, switches, keys, a microphone, etc. If the display 10 is a touch panel, the functions of the input interface 20 may be incorporated into the display 10.

[0029] The communication device 30 communicates with external devices such as the management server 3 via the communication network NW. Various information acquired by the communication device 30 is output to the motion sickness prevention device 1.

[0030] The vehicle sensor 40 detects various information related to the state of the vehicle M. The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a sensor (e.g., an acceleration sensor) that detects a roll angle (e.g., a rotation angle around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that passes through the center of gravity of the vehicle M), a yaw rate sensor that detects a yaw rate (e.g., a rotation angular velocity around a vertical axis that passes through the center of gravity of the vehicle M), a direction sensor that detects the orientation of the vehicle M, and a position sensor that detects the position of the vehicle M. The position sensor acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. In addition, the vehicle sensor 40 may include an accelerator opening sensor attached to an accelerator pedal that receives an acceleration command, a brake depression sensor attached to a brake pedal that receives a braking command, etc. The results detected by the vehicle sensor 40 are output to the motion sickness prevention device 1.

[0031] The camera 50 includes, for example, an exterior camera 51 that captures images outside the vehicle M, and an interior camera 52 that captures images inside the vehicle M. The camera 50 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The exterior camera 51 is attached to any location outside the vehicle M. The interior camera 52 is attached to any location inside the vehicle M. The interior camera 52 may be an RGB camera.

[0032] <Motion sickness prevention device> The motion sickness prevention device 1 provides a function for preventing motion sickness to an occupant P riding in a vehicle M. The motion sickness prevention device 1 includes, for example, a control unit 100 and a storage unit 200. The control unit 100 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 101, a prevention control unit 102, a sickness determination unit 103, and a tolerance information management unit 104.

[0033] Each of the functional units of the control unit 100 is realized by a computer processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), executing a program (software). Each of the functional units of the control unit 100 may be realized by hardware (circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. Each of the functions of the control unit 100 may be realized by a single device, or may be a system in which multiple devices (e.g., management server 3) connected via a communication network NW operate in cooperation with each other.

[0034] The acquisition unit 101 acquires various types of information used for motion sickness suppression control. For example, the acquisition unit 101 acquires instructions from the occupant P input via the input interface 20, various types of information received from the management server 3, various detection values ​​detected by the vehicle sensors 40, images captured by the camera 50, etc.

[0035] The suppression control unit 102 switches the mode of the suppression display for suppressing motion sickness on the display 10 according to the level of motion sickness of the occupant P. The suppression control unit 102 controls the display of the display 10 so that the suppression display is emphasized as the level of motion sickness worsens. For example, the suppression control unit 102 controls the display of the display 10 so that the display area of ​​the viewing object on the display 10 is reduced and the display area of ​​the suppression display is enlarged as the level of motion sickness worsens. Furthermore, the suppression control unit 102 controls the display of the display 10 so that the contrast of the display of the viewing object on the display 10 is reduced as the level of motion sickness worsens. Details of the processing of the suppression control unit 102 will be described later.

[0036] The sickness determination unit 103 determines the degree of motion sickness of the occupant P who is viewing a viewing object displayed on the display 10 inside the vehicle M. The sickness determination unit 103 determines the degree of motion sickness of the occupant P based on an input instruction by the occupant P, the state of the occupant P, the behavior of the vehicle M within a predetermined time period in the past, or the location of the vehicle M. The state of the occupant P is determined based on vital data (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, etc.) detected by a sensor such as a wearable device worn by the occupant P. Alternatively, the state of the occupant P is determined based on image data of the occupant P captured by an imaging device such as the in-vehicle camera 52. The sickness determination unit 103 may also determine the degree of motion sickness based on information about the occupant P's resistance to motion sickness. The sickness determination unit 103 may also determine the degree of motion sickness based on speech information of the occupant P (such as the number of times the occupant P speaks) collected by a microphone. Details of the processing by the sickness determination unit 103 will be described later.

[0037] The resistance information management unit 104 updates the resistance information to motion sickness of the occupant P based on the change history of the degree of motion sickness that has been changed in response to an input instruction by the occupant P. Details of the processing by the resistance information management unit 104 will be described later.

[0038] The memory unit 200 stores various information necessary for controlling the vehicle M. The memory unit 200 stores, for example, standard resistance information RR, occupant resistance information PR, etc. acquired from the management server 3. The standard resistance information RR is information related to the motion sickness resistance of a standard occupant. The occupant resistance information PR is information related to the motion sickness resistance differentiated for each occupant. The resistance information includes resistance information related to the occupant state and resistance information related to the vehicle state. The memory unit 200 is realized by an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. At least a portion of the information contained in the memory unit 200 may be stored in an external device capable of communicating with the vehicle M.

[0039] <Administration Server> The management server 3 comprehensively manages various information used in the suppression control executed by the motion sickness suppression device 1. The management server 3 manages, for example, standard resistance information RR commonly used among vehicles and occupant resistance information PR for each occupant P (each vehicle M). The management server 3 functions as a cloud server.

[0040] [Inhibitory control for motion sickness prevention] The motion sickness suppression device 1 displays a suppression display on the display 10 as suppression control (suppression means) for suppressing motion sickness. In the suppression control, the mode (pattern) of the suppression display (for example, a horizon line) is changed in stages according to the level (depth) of motion sickness of the occupant P. Figures 3A to 3G are diagrams illustrating an overview of the depth-dependent suppression display according to the embodiment.

[0041] <No inhibitory control> 3A is a diagram illustrating the display content of the display 10 when suppression control is not performed. FIG. 3A shows an example in which a vehicle M with an occupant P in it is traveling straight in the X-axis direction. In this case, the entire screen of the display 10 becomes the viewing target display area TA. The occupant P can view the viewing target (content such as a television image) displayed in this viewing target display area TA.

[0042] <With suppression control: Depth 1, horizontal> FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the display content of the display 10 when suppressed display is performed (depth 1, horizontal). FIG. 3B shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 1 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction on a horizontal road (horizon line HL). In this case, the viewed target display area TA1 is reduced while maintaining the aspect ratio compared to the viewed target display area TA without suppression control. Furthermore, a suppressed display RD is displayed in areas of the entire screen of the display 10 other than the viewed target display area TA1 (remaining areas on both sides). The suppressed display RD represents, for example, the horizon line HL. In this case, since the vehicle M is maintained in a horizontal state, the horizon line HL is displayed horizontally in the left-right direction of the display 10. For example, the horizon line HL is displayed at the position of the center line CL in the vertical direction of the display 10. Note that the suppressed display RD is not limited to the horizon line HL, and may be anything that represents a horizontal position. For example, the suppressed display RD may be a marker displayed in the remaining areas on both sides of the viewed target display area TA1 or another transparent image.

[0043] <With suppression control: Depth 1, tilting downward to the left> FIG. 3C is a diagram showing the display content of the display 10 when suppression control is performed (depth 1, tilted downward and left). FIG. 3C shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 1 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction on a road that slopes downward and left (a road that slopes counterclockwise around the X-axis by an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal line HL). As in FIG. 3B, the viewing target display area TA1 in this case is reduced while maintaining the aspect ratio compared to the viewing target display area TA without suppression control. Furthermore, a suppression display RD is displayed in the area of ​​the entire screen of the display 10 other than the viewing target display area TA1 (the remaining areas on both sides). In this case, because the vehicle M is tilted downward and left, the horizontal line HL is displayed on the display 10 tilting downward and right. For example, the horizontal line HL is displayed tilted clockwise around the X-axis by an angle θ1 with respect to the center line CL.

[0044] <With suppression control: Depth 1, tilting downward to the right> FIG. 3D is a diagram showing the display content of the display 10 when suppression control is performed (depth 1, tilted downward to the right). FIG. 3D shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 1 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction on a road that slopes downward to the right (a road that slopes at an angle θ2 clockwise around the X-axis with respect to the horizontal line HL). As in FIG. 3B, the viewer target display area TA1 in this case is reduced while maintaining the aspect ratio compared to the viewer target display area TA without suppression display. Furthermore, a suppression display RD is displayed in the area of ​​the entire screen of the display 10 other than the viewer target display area TA1 (the remaining areas on both sides). In this case, because the vehicle M is tilted downward to the right, the horizontal line HL is displayed on the display 10 at a slope downward to the left. For example, the horizontal line HL is displayed as being tilted counterclockwise around the X-axis at an angle θ2 with respect to the center line CL.

[0045] <With suppression control: Depth 2, tilting downward to the left> FIG. 3E is a diagram showing the display content of the display 10 when suppression control is performed (depth 2, tilted downward and left). FIG. 3E shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 2 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction on a road that slopes downward and left (a road that slopes counterclockwise around the X-axis by an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal line HL). In this case, the viewed object display area TA2 is further reduced while maintaining the aspect ratio compared to the viewed object display area TA1 (depth 1) shown in FIG. 3C. This causes the area of ​​the suppressed display RD in the areas other than the viewed object display area TA2 (remaining areas on both sides) of the entire screen of the display 10 to be enlarged. Furthermore, the viewed object is displayed in the viewed object display area TA2 with a lower contrast compared to the viewed object display area TA1 (depth 1) shown in FIG. 3C. This results in the suppressed display RD being displayed more emphasized (highly emphasized) compared to the display mode at depth 1 shown in FIG. 3C.

[0046] <With suppression control: Depth 3, tilting downward to the left> FIG. 3F is a diagram showing the display content of the display 10 when suppression control is performed (depth 3, tilted downward and left). FIG. 3F shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 3 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction on a road that slopes downward and left (a road that slopes at an angle θ1 counterclockwise around the X-axis with respect to the horizon HL). In this case, the viewing target display area TA3 displays the suppressed display RD (display of the horizon) superimposed on the viewing target, compared to the viewing target display area TA2 (depth 2) shown in FIG. 3E. As a result, the suppressed display RD is displayed more emphasized (highly emphasized) compared to the display mode at depth 2 shown in FIG. 3E.

[0047] <With suppression control: Depth 4> FIG. 3G is a diagram showing the display content (depth 4) of the display 10 when suppression control is implemented. FIG. 3G shows an example in which a vehicle M carrying an occupant P determined to be at depth 4 is traveling straight in the X-axis direction. In this case, the display 10 does not display the viewing object regardless of the slope of the road, and instead displays an alternative display SD on its entire surface. In the case of the first display 11 for the passenger seat, the alternative display SD may be, for example, a message urging the occupant to look up and look outside (such as a string of characters "Look outside"). In the case of the second display 12 for the rear seat, the alternative display SD may be, for example, an image of the front exterior of the vehicle M captured by the camera 50, or a message urging the occupant to look up and look outside.

[0048] [Processing flow] <Overall processing> Next, we will explain the processing of the motion sickness prevention device 1. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the motion sickness prevention device 1 according to the embodiment. The processing of this flowchart is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals while the vehicle M in which the occupant P is riding is moving.

[0049] First, the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not the occupant P is viewing content using the display 10 (whether or not the content is being played) (step S101). For example, the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not the occupant P is viewing content based on a signal output from the display 10. If it is determined that the occupant P is not viewing content (step S101; No), the series of processes in this flowchart ends.

[0050] On the other hand, if it is determined that the occupant P is viewing content (step S101; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not an instruction to change the suppression control has been received from the occupant P via the input interface 20 (step S103). This instruction to change may include, for example, a designation of the degree of motion sickness (level 1 to 4) that the occupant P has self-assessed. The input from the occupant P can be made by operating a touch panel or by voice recognition. In particular, by using voice recognition, the input burden on an occupant suffering from motion sickness can be reduced.

[0051] If it is determined that an instruction to change the suppression control has been received from the occupant P (step S103; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 executes the suppression control according to the depth (step S105). The details of the processing of the suppression control according to the depth will be described later.

[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined that an instruction to change the suppression control has not been received from the occupant P (step S103; No), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not there is information on the occupant's condition (step S107). The suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not there is information on the occupant's condition based on, for example, whether or not there is vital data (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, etc.) of the occupant P measured by a wearable device worn by the occupant P, or whether or not there is an image of the occupant P captured by the in-vehicle camera 52.

[0053] If it is determined that there is information about the occupant state (step S107; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 performs occupant state detection and depth determination (step S109). The details of the occupant state detection and depth determination processes will be described later.

[0054] After occupant state detection and depth determination (step S109) are performed, or if it is determined that there is no occupant state information (step S107; No), the suppression control unit 102 performs vehicle state detection and depth determination (step S111). The vehicle state detection and depth determination processes will be described in detail later. Next, the suppression control unit 102 executes suppression control according to the determined depth (step S105). This completes the processing of this flowchart.

[0055] <Depth-dependent suppression control> Next, the details of the depth-based suppression control (step S105) will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow of the depth-based suppression control according to this embodiment. The suppression control unit 102 performs depth-based suppression control based on the depth included in the suppression control change instruction received from the occupant P (step S103), or the depth determined based on the occupant state (step S109) and / or the depth determined based on the vehicle state (step S111). When suppression control is performed based on both the depth determined based on the occupant state (step S109) and the depth determined based on the vehicle state (step S111), the higher (or lower) of the two depths may be used, the average value of the two depths may be used, or one of the depths previously set by the occupant P may be used.

[0056] First, the suppression control unit 102 determines whether the depth is "depth 1" (step S201). If it is determined that the depth is 1 (step S201; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to depth 1 (step S203). The suppression control unit 102 causes the display 10 to display a suppression display RD according to depth 1, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3B to 3D.

[0057] On the other hand, if it is determined that the depth is not "depth 1" (step S201; No), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether it is "depth 2" (step S205). If it is determined that the depth is 2 (step S205; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to depth 2 (step S207). The suppression control unit 102 causes the display 10 to display, for example, a suppression display RD according to depth 2, as shown in FIG. 3E.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined that the depth is not "depth 2" (step S205; No), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether it is "depth 3" (step S209). If it is determined that the depth is 3 (step S209; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to depth 3 (step S211). The suppression control unit 102 causes the display 10 to display, for example, a suppression display RD according to depth 3, as shown in FIG. 3F.

[0059] On the other hand, if it is determined that the depth is not "depth 3" (step S209; No), the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to depth 4 (step S213). The suppression control unit 102 causes the display 10 to display, for example, an alternative display SD according to depth 4, as shown in FIG. 3G.

[0060] Next, the suppression control unit 102 displays depth information indicating the currently set depth on the display 10 for a predetermined time (e.g., several seconds) to present to the occupant P (step S215). Next, the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not an instruction to change the suppression control (an instruction to change the depth) has been received from the occupant P via the input interface 20. For example, if the occupant P determines that there is a discrepancy between the self-assessed level (depth) of motion sickness and the currently set depth, the occupant P inputs an instruction to change to the self-assessed depth via the input interface 20. By receiving such an instruction to change from the occupant P, it becomes possible to set the depth (setting the suppression control) in accordance with the occupant P's wishes.

[0061] If it is determined that an instruction to change the suppression control has been received from the occupant P (step S217; Yes), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not this is a reaction to the depth determination based on the occupant state (step S219). For example, if the occupant P issues an instruction to change the depth determined based on the occupant state (step S109) to another depth, the suppression control unit 102 determines that this is a reaction to the depth determination based on the occupant state. If it is determined that this is a reaction to the depth determination based on the occupant state (step S219; Yes), the tolerance information management unit 104 updates the occupant tolerance information of the occupant state (step S221). Next, returning to step S201, the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to the changed depth and repeats the subsequent processes.

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined that the reaction is not to the depth determination based on the occupant state (step S219; No), the suppression control unit 102 determines whether or not the reaction is to the depth determination based on the vehicle state (step S223). For example, if the occupant P issues an instruction to change the depth determined based on the vehicle state (step S111) to another depth, the suppression control unit 102 determines that the reaction is to the depth determination based on the vehicle state. If it is determined that the reaction is to the depth determination based on the vehicle state (step S223; Yes), the tolerance information management unit 104 updates the occupant tolerance information for the driving state and the environment (step S225). Next, the process returns to step S201, where the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to the changed depth, and repeats the subsequent processes. If it is determined that the reaction is not to the depth determination based on the vehicle state (step S223; No), the process returns to step S201, where the suppression control unit 102 performs suppression control according to the changed depth, and repeats the subsequent processes. Finally, when it is determined that an instruction to change the suppression control has not been received from the occupant P (step S217; No), the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0063] <Occupant status detection and depth determination> Next, the details of the occupant state detection and depth determination process (step S109) will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow of the occupant state detection and depth determination process according to this embodiment.

[0064] First, the sickness determination unit 103 determines whether or not the management server 3 or the memory unit 200 has occupant resistance information (learned value of sickness resistance of occupant P) for the occupant state associated with occupant P (step S301). If it is determined that the occupant resistance information is present (step S301; Yes), the sickness determination unit 103 reads the occupant resistance information (step S303). On the other hand, if it is determined that the occupant resistance information is not present (step S301; No), the sickness determination unit 103 reads standard resistance information from the management server 3 or the memory unit 200 (step S313).

[0065] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines whether or not the occupant P has just gotten into the vehicle M (riding time≦threshold) (step 305). If it is determined that the occupant P has just gotten into the vehicle M (step 305; Yes), the sickness determination unit 103 detects the normal occupant state of the occupant P (heart rate, respiratory rate, upper limb / head movement, eye movement, blinking, etc.) based on the detection value of the wearable device worn by the occupant P and the image of the occupant P captured by the in-vehicle camera 52 (step S307).

[0066] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 detects the passenger state (heart rate, respiratory rate, upper limb / head movement, eye movement, blinking, etc.) of the passenger P while the vehicle M is moving (ride time > threshold) based on the detection value of the wearable device worn by the passenger P and the image of the passenger P captured by the in-vehicle camera 52 (step S309).

[0067] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines a recommended depth based on the change in the occupant state (step S311). If the occupant resistance information of the occupant P is read in step S303, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth based on this occupant resistance information, the occupant state at normal times, and the occupant state while driving. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing occupant resistance information of the occupant state associated with the occupant P (a resistance map of the occupant P) according to the embodiment. In this occupant resistance information of the occupant state, the horizontal axis represents the change in heart rate (the difference between the heart rate at normal times and the heart rate while driving), and the vertical axis represents the change in the amount of head movement (the difference between the amount of head movement at normal times and the amount of head movement while driving). The sickness determination unit 103 calculates the difference between the occupant state of the occupant P at normal times detected in step S307 above and the occupant state of the occupant P while driving detected in step S309 above as the change in state (change in heart rate, change in the amount of head movement). Then, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth by mapping the calculated state changes (changes in heart rate and changes in head movement amount) to occupant tolerance information of the occupant state (a tolerance map of the occupant P).

[0068] On the other hand, if the standard resistance information (standard resistance map) has been read in step S313 (if the occupant resistance information of occupant P has not been read), the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth of sickness based on this standard resistance information (standard resistance map), the occupant's state at normal times, and the occupant's state while driving. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the standard resistance information (standard resistance map) of the occupant's state according to this embodiment. In this standard resistance information, the horizontal axis represents the heart rate change (the difference between the heart rate at normal times and the heart rate while driving), and the vertical axis represents the change in head movement amount (the difference between the head movement amount at normal times and the head movement amount while driving). The sickness determination unit 103 calculates the difference between the occupant's state at normal times (heart rate, head movement amount) detected in step S307 above and the occupant's state while driving (heart rate, head movement amount) detected in step S309 above as the state change (heart rate change, head movement amount). Then, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth of sickness by mapping the calculated state changes (changes in heart rate and changes in head movement amount) to standard tolerance information (standard tolerance map). This completes the processing of this flowchart.

[0069] <Vehicle status detection and depth determination> Next, the details of the above-mentioned vehicle state detection and depth determination process (step S111) will be described. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the vehicle state detection and depth determination process according to the embodiment.

[0070] First, the sickness determination unit 103 determines whether or not the management server 3 or the storage unit 200 has occupant resistance information for the vehicle state associated with the occupant P (step S401). If it is determined that the occupant resistance information is available (step S401; Yes), the sickness determination unit 103 reads the occupant resistance information from the management server 3 or the storage unit 200 (step S403). On the other hand, if it is determined that the occupant resistance information is not available (step S401; No), the sickness determination unit 103 reads the standard resistance information from the management server 3 or the storage unit 200 (step S415).

[0071] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 detects the vehicle behavior over a certain period of time and calculates the cumulative value of the lateral direction (cumulative lateral G) and the cumulative value of the vertical direction (cumulative vertical G) of the gravitational acceleration equal to or greater than a predetermined gravitational acceleration (predetermined G) (step S405).

[0072] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines a recommended depth (first depth) based on the calculated cumulative lateral G and cumulative vertical G (step S407). If the occupant tolerance information of the occupant P is read in step S403, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the first depth based on this occupant tolerance information and the calculated cumulative lateral G and cumulative vertical G. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing occupant tolerance information (tolerance map of occupant P) of the vehicle state associated with the occupant P according to the embodiment. In this occupant tolerance information, the horizontal axis represents cumulative lateral G and the vertical axis represents cumulative vertical G. The sickness determination unit 103 determines the first depth by mapping the cumulative G (accumulated lateral G, cumulative vertical G) calculated in step S405 above to the occupant tolerance information (tolerance map of occupant P).

[0073] On the other hand, if the standard resistance information has been read in step S415 (if the occupant resistance information of occupant P has not been read), the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth (first depth) based on this standard resistance information and the calculated cumulative G. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing standard resistance information (standard resistance map) related to the vehicle state according to this embodiment. In this standard resistance information, the horizontal axis represents cumulative lateral G, and the vertical axis represents cumulative vertical G. The sickness determination unit 103 determines the first depth by mapping the cumulative G (cumulative lateral G, cumulative vertical G) calculated in step S405 above onto the standard resistance information (standard resistance map).

[0074] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the vehicle position of the vehicle M based on the GPS (longitude and latitude information) acquired by the position sensor (step S409). Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines a recommended depth (second depth) based on the determined vehicle position (step S411). If the occupant tolerance information of the occupant P is read in step S403, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth based on this occupant tolerance information and the determined vehicle position. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing occupant tolerance information according to the vehicle position associated with the occupant P according to the embodiment. In this occupant tolerance information, the environment of the vehicle position (mountain pass road (strong), mountain pass road (weak), etc.) is associated with the depth status. The sickness determination unit 103 determines the vehicle position environment corresponding to the determined vehicle position based on the map information stored in the memory unit 200, and determines the depth associated with the vehicle position environment in the occupant tolerance information as the second depth.

[0075] If the standard resistance information has been read in step S415 (if the occupant resistance information of occupant P has not been read), the sickness determination unit 103 determines the depth (second depth) based on this standard resistance information and the determined vehicle position. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing standard resistance information according to the vehicle position according to the embodiment. In this standard resistance information, the environment of the vehicle position (mountain pass road (strong), mountain pass road (weak) etc.) is associated with the depth status. The sickness determination unit 103 determines the vehicle position environment corresponding to the determined vehicle position based on the map information stored in the memory unit 200, and determines the depth associated with the vehicle position environment in the standard resistance information as the second depth.

[0076] Next, the sickness determination unit 103 determines the higher of the first depth and the second depth as the final recommended depth (step S413). This completes the processing of this flowchart.

[0077] According to the present embodiment described above, by switching the mode of suppression display depending on the degree of motion sickness of the occupant, it is possible to achieve both a good viewing experience while riding and suppression of motion sickness.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. As a result, when motion sickness is mild, priority can be given to the viewing experience, and when motion sickness worsens, priority can be given to improving the motion sickness of the occupants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...motion sickness suppression device, 3...management server, 10...display, 11...first display, 12...second display, 20...input interface, 30...communication device, 40...vehicle sensor, 50...camera, 51...exterior camera, 52...interior camera, 100...control unit, 101...acquisition unit, 102...suppression control unit, 103...sickness determination unit, 104...tolerance information management unit, 200...storage unit, IP...instrument panel, M...vehicle, NW...communication network, S...suppression system< / url:>

Claims

1. a sickness determination unit that determines the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing a viewing object displayed on a display device in a vehicle; a suppression control unit that switches the mode of the suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displays it on the display device according to the determined degree of motion sickness; A motion sickness prevention device comprising: The sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on information about the occupant's resistance to motion sickness, a resistance information management unit that updates the resistance information based on a history of changes to the degree of motion sickness that have been made in response to an input instruction by the occupant; Motion sickness prevention device.

2. The sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on the state of the occupant.

2. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 1.

3. the sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on vital data of the occupant detected by a sensor; 3. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 2.

4. the sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on image data of the occupant captured by an imaging device.

3. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 2.

5. The sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on an input instruction by the occupant.

2. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 1.

6. the sickness determination unit determines the degree of motion sickness based on the behavior of the vehicle or the location of the vehicle within a predetermined time period in the past; 2. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 1.

7. the suppression display is a horizontal line; The motion sickness prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the suppression control unit controls the display on the display device so that the suppression display is emphasized as the determined degree of motion sickness becomes worse. The motion sickness prevention device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. the suppression control unit controls the display of the display device so that the display area of ​​the object to be viewed on the display device is reduced and the display area of ​​the suppressed display is enlarged as the determined degree of motion sickness worsens.

9. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 8.

10. the suppression control unit controls the display of the display device such that the contrast of the display of the object to be viewed on the display device decreases as the determined degree of motion sickness worsens.

9. The motion sickness prevention device according to claim 8.

11. The computer determining the degree of motion sickness of a passenger viewing an object displayed on a display device in a vehicle; and switching the mode of the suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displaying it on the display device according to the determined degree of motion sickness. A method for suppressing motion sickness, comprising: determining the degree of motion sickness based on information on the occupant's resistance to motion sickness; updating the resistance information based on a history of changes in the degree of motion sickness that have been changed in response to an input instruction by the occupant; How to prevent motion sickness.

12. On the computer, determining the degree of motion sickness of a passenger who is viewing a viewing object displayed on a display device in a vehicle; and switching the mode of the suppression display for suppressing motion sickness and displaying it on the display device according to the determined degree of motion sickness. A program, determining the degree of motion sickness based on information on the occupant's resistance to motion sickness; updating the resistance information based on a change history of the degree of motion sickness that has been changed in response to an input instruction by the occupant; program.

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