Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Abstract

To provide a driving support device and driving support method capable of displaying an image of the periphery of an own vehicle at a place requiring displaying of the image of the periphery of the own vehicle even at places where a driver of the own vehicle has no experience of traveling.SOLUTION: A driving support device performs: determining whether own-vehicle peripheral image data is to be displayed based on history information related to displaying of other-vehicle peripheral image data being the image of the periphery of the other vehicle and also based on a state of the own vehicle; or determining whether the own vehicle approaches a display point to be indicated by position information where the other-vehicle peripheral image data is displayed based on the history information including position information displaying the other-vehicle peripheral image data and also based on position information of the own vehicle; and allowing a display of the own vehicle to display the own-vehicle peripheral image data in response to a determination result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology is known in which, when it is determined that it is necessary to check the sides using images of the left and right sides based on the driving operation history under specified driving conditions, an imaging means is automatically activated and the images of the left and right sides captured by the imaging means are displayed on a display (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-264722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that when the vehicle travels in a place where it has never traveled before, the field of view image is not automatically displayed even in a place where it is necessary to display the field of view image, because there is no history of the vehicle displaying the field of view image.

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method that can display images of the surroundings of the vehicle in places where it is necessary to display images of the surroundings of the vehicle, even when the vehicle is traveling in a place where it has never traveled before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by determining whether or not to display image data of the surroundings of the vehicle based on historical information regarding the display of image data of the surroundings of the other vehicle, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicle, and the state of the vehicle, or by determining whether or not the vehicle has approached the display point indicated by the position information where the image data of the surroundings of the other vehicle was displayed based on historical information including the position information where the image data of the surroundings of the other vehicle was displayed and the position information of the vehicle, and displaying the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle on the display of the vehicle according to the determination result. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, even when the vehicle is traveling in a place where the vehicle has never traveled before, an image of the surroundings of the vehicle can be displayed in a place where the image of the surroundings of the vehicle needs to be displayed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the history information acquisition method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the driving assistance method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a driving assistance method according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment A driving assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] The configuration of a driving assistance device according to this embodiment will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving assistance system including the driving assistance device according to this embodiment. The driving assistance system 1000 according to this embodiment includes a driving assistance device 1 that is an on-board device mounted on a vehicle 10, and a server 20. The driving assistance device 1 is connected to the server 20 via a network that constitutes a telecommunications network. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes at least the driving assistance device 1, an on-board database 2, an information acquisition device 3, an on-board communication device 5, an imaging device 4, a display device 6, and an input device 7. The server 20 is also connected to a plurality of vehicles 50 that have the same configuration and functions as the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle 10 will be described as the subject vehicle, and the vehicle 50 as the other vehicle.

[0011] The driving assistance device 1 is a device that assists a user in driving a vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the driving assistance device 1 includes an on-board controller 8. The on-board controller 8 includes a computer having hardware and software, and this computer includes a ROM that stores programs, a CPU that executes the programs stored in the ROM, and a RAM that functions as an accessible storage device. Note that, as the operating circuit, an MPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, etc. can be used instead of or in addition to the CPU.

[0012] The in-vehicle controller 8 is configured to include, as functional blocks, an image input unit 11, a receiving unit 12, a display determination unit 13, and a display control unit 14, and executes each function through cooperation between the software for realizing each function or for executing each process and the hardware. Note that in this embodiment, the functions of the in-vehicle controller 8 are divided into four blocks, and the functions of each functional block are explained, but the functions of the in-vehicle controller 8 do not necessarily have to be divided into four blocks.

[0013] The image input unit 11 inputs host vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10. For example, the image input unit 11 inputs the host vehicle surroundings image data when the display determination unit 13 determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data should be displayed. The receiving unit 12 receives display instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data from the server 20 via the in-vehicle communication device 5. The display instruction information is information transmitted from the server based on history information regarding the display of other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of other vehicles, and position information of the vehicle 10. Details will be described later.

[0014] When the vehicle 10 starts traveling, the display determination unit 13 periodically determines whether the vehicle 10 has approached a display point based on the state of the vehicle 10 and the map information stored in the in-vehicle database 2. The display point is a point where another vehicle has previously displayed other vehicle surroundings image data. In other words, the display point is a point where the host vehicle surroundings image data needs to be displayed. The display point is a point indicated by the position information where the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed. The map information in the in-vehicle database 2 stores the position information of the display point.

[0015] For example, the display determination unit 13 determines whether the following approach condition is satisfied based on the position information of the vehicle 10 and speed information including the speed vector of the vehicle 10. The approach condition is a condition that the position of the vehicle 10 is within a predetermined range from the display point and the display point is in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. If it is determined that the approach condition is satisfied, the display determination unit 13 acquires determination information from the information acquisition device 3 and the in-vehicle database 2 and transmits the determination information to the server 20 via the in-vehicle communication device 5. The determination information is information for determining the need to display an image of the surroundings of the vehicle at the display point, and is information that represents the current situation of the vehicle 10 that has approached the display point. For example, the determination information includes at least one of vehicle information of the vehicle 10, user information of the driver of the vehicle 10, and environmental information around the vehicle 10.

[0016] In this embodiment, the determination information used for the determination by the driving assistance device 1 and the determination information used for the determination by the server 20 do not need to be the same, and may be different. In this embodiment, the determination is made once on the vehicle side, and then again on the server side. This reduces the frequency and load of sending data from the vehicle 10 to the server 20, and can reduce the processing frequency and load on the server 20.

[0017] Furthermore, the display determination unit 13 determines whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the display instruction information and the state of the vehicle 10. For example, the display determination unit 13 first determines whether or not there is display instruction information from the server 20. When the display instruction information is received by the receiving unit 12, the display determination unit 13 determines that there is display instruction information from the server 20. When it is determined that there is a display instruction from the server 20, the display determination unit 13 determines whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the state of the vehicle 10. The state of the vehicle 10 is the position of the vehicle 10, the speed (speed vector) of the vehicle 10, and the display content of the in-vehicle display.

[0018] The display determination unit 13 determines to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle when the conditions are met: the vehicle 10 has approached the display point and the content displayed on the in-vehicle display does not include warning information. The display determination unit 13 determines whether the aforementioned approach condition is met based on the position and speed of the vehicle 10. The reason for re-executing the determination including the aforementioned approach condition is that a more accurate determination can be made by making a determination based on the latest situation on the vehicle side after the determination by the server 20.

[0019] The display determination unit 13 also determines whether the display content of the in-vehicle display includes warning information. Warning information is information that prompts the user to perform a specific operation. For example, warning information is information that instructs the user to close a door when the door is open. In this embodiment, when warning information that prompts the user to perform an operation with a high degree of urgency is displayed, the display of the warning information is prioritized and the host vehicle surroundings image data is hidden. If the above conditions are not met, the display determination unit 13 determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data will not be displayed.

[0020] Furthermore, the display determination unit 13 may determine whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6, depending on whether or not the speed of the vehicle 10 is less than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, 30 km / h. When the speed of the vehicle 10 is less than the predetermined value, the display determination unit 13 determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data should be displayed on the display device 6. Furthermore, the determination method is not limited to these, and for example, the display determination unit 13 may determine whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6 based on vehicle information, user information, and environmental information of the vehicle 10.

[0021] When the display determination unit 13 determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data is to be displayed, the display control unit 14 causes the display device 6 to display the host vehicle surroundings image data.

[0022] For example, the display control unit 14 first outputs an imaging control signal to the imaging device 4 to cause the imaging device 4 to capture an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10. After the imaging device 4 captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10, the display control unit 14 outputs a display control signal to the display device 6 to cause the display device 6 to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by the imaging device 4. Furthermore, if the imaging device 4 periodically acquires and stores image data of the surroundings of the vehicle, the display control unit 14 outputs a display control signal to the display device 6 to cause the display device 6 to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle stored in the imaging device 4.

[0023] Furthermore, when the display instruction information includes display mode instruction information, the display control unit 14 may set a display mode for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data, and output a display control signal for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data in the set display mode. For example, when the display mode instruction information includes an instruction to display the host vehicle surroundings image data captured by a camera in front of the vehicle 10, the display control unit 14 generates a display control signal for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data captured by the camera in front of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, when the display mode instruction information includes instruction information for a processing mode of the image data, the display control unit 14 may set a processing mode of the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the instruction for the processing mode, and output a display control signal for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data in the set processing mode.

[0024] The in-vehicle database 2 is a database that stores information used for determination by the display determination unit 13. The in-vehicle database 2 includes map information, vehicle information of the vehicle 10, and user information of the driver of the vehicle 10. The map information includes road information. The road information stores, for example, intersections and branching points as nodes, and road sections between the nodes as links. The map information also includes position information of the display point. The position information of the display point is updated with the latest information periodically transmitted from the server 20.

[0025] The vehicle information includes information on the vehicle model and vehicle dimensions. The vehicle dimensions include, for example, the vehicle height and the length from the reference eye point to the front end of the vehicle. The reference eye point is the height of the driver's line of sight under normal driving conditions. The user information includes the driver's physique, the driver's line of sight, driving behavior, and the frequency of manual display instructions. The driving behavior is the driver's behavior in response to suggestions from the driving assistance device 1. The driving behavior is, for example, information on whether the driver tends to accept suggestions from the driving assistance device 1 and drive accordingly, or whether the driver tends to reject suggestions from the driving assistance device 1 and drive accordingly.

[0026] The information acquisition device 3 acquires information on the position and speed of the vehicle 10. For example, the information acquisition device 3 is equipped with a GPS and a speedometer. The GPS detects the current position of the vehicle 10. The GPS also acquires time information. The speedometer detects the speed (speed vector) of the vehicle 10. The information acquisition device 3 may acquire the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 from the detected speed vector. The information acquisition device 3 also acquires environmental information around the vehicle 10. The environmental information includes the weather, climate, time of day, traffic volume, presence or absence of surrounding obstacles, and brightness around the vehicle 10 around the vehicle 10. For example, the information acquisition device 3 is equipped with a radar that detects obstacles located around the vehicle 10. The information acquisition device 3 also acquires weather information, climate information, and traffic volume information via a network.

[0027] The in-vehicle communication device 5 exchanges information with the server 20 via the network. The in-vehicle communication device 5 transmits determination information to the communication device 30 of the server 20. In addition, the in-vehicle communication device 5 receives display instruction information from the communication device 30 of the server.

[0028] The imaging device 4 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 to acquire vehicle surroundings image data. The imaging device 4 is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD. A plurality of imaging devices 4 can be installed on the vehicle 10, for example, in front, on the right side, on the left side, and behind the vehicle. As a result, the imaging device 4 acquires forward field of view image data for a front view monitor and side field of view image data for a side view monitor. The imaging device 4 may also generate field of view image data for an around view monitor by combining images acquired by multiple cameras. The imaging device 4 may also acquire vehicle surroundings image data that has been processed using a filter to make it easier for the user to view.

[0029] The display device 6 displays the image data. The display device 6 is, for example, a display. When a display control signal is input, the display device 6 displays the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle acquired by the imaging device 4. The display device 6 also displays image data of a screen including warning information.

[0030] The input device 7 accepts information input by the user. The input device 7 is, for example, a touch panel or a joystick that allows input by manual operation by the user. The input device 7 may also be a device such as a microphone that allows input by the user's voice. The input device 7 accepts input of a display instruction to instruct the display of the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle, and input of a non-display instruction to instruct the non-display of the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0031] Next, the server 20 will be described. The server 20 includes a controller 21, a communication device 30, and a database 40. The controller 21 includes a computer having hardware and software, and this computer includes a ROM storing a program, a CPU that executes the program stored in the ROM, and a RAM that functions as an accessible storage device. Note that an MPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, etc. can be used as the operating circuit instead of or in addition to the CPU. The controller 21 includes, as functional blocks, a storage unit 22, a position information acquisition unit 23, a determination unit 24, a display instruction information generation unit 25, and a transmission unit 26.

[0032] The storage unit 22 acquires history information regarding the display of other-vehicle surroundings image data from multiple vehicles 50 and stores the acquired history information in the database 40. The history information includes display information indicating that the other-vehicle surroundings image data has been displayed or non-display information indicating that the other-vehicle surroundings image data has been hidden. For example, if the other-vehicle surroundings image data has not been automatically displayed and a user instruction to display it has been given, or if the other-vehicle surroundings image data has been automatically displayed and a user instruction to hide it has not been given, the storage unit 22 stores the history information including the display information. Furthermore, if the other-vehicle surroundings image data has not been automatically displayed and a user instruction to display it has not been given, or if the other-vehicle surroundings image data has been automatically displayed and a user instruction to hide it has been given, the storage unit 22 stores the history information including the non-display information. The control for displaying the other-vehicle surroundings image data includes camera activation control for acquiring the other-vehicle surroundings image data and display control for displaying the other-vehicle surroundings image data on a display. The history information also includes location information for when the other-vehicle surroundings image data was displayed or when it was hidden.

[0033] For example, based on the acquired history information, the storage unit 22 stores the position indicated by the position information where the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed in the map information as a display point where the other vehicle surroundings image data was displayed in the past, and stores the history information for each display point in the database 40. Furthermore, the storage unit 22 may store the position indicated by the position information where the other vehicle surroundings image data was hidden in the map information as a non-display point where the other vehicle surroundings image data was hidden in the past.

[0034] The history information also includes determination information for determining whether the other vehicle surroundings image data needs to be displayed. The determination information is information indicating the status of the vehicle 50 when the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed or hidden, and includes at least one of vehicle information of the vehicle 50, environmental information about the surroundings of the vehicle 50, and user information of the user of the vehicle 50.

[0035] The vehicle information includes at least one of information on the display format of the other-vehicle surroundings image data that is displayed, information on the vehicle model of the vehicle 50, and information on the vehicle dimensions of the vehicle 50. The display format information is, for example, information on the installation position of the camera that acquired the other-vehicle surroundings image data that is actually displayed, or information on filtering. The environmental information is information on the environmental conditions around the vehicle 50 at the time the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed. The environmental information includes at least one of information on the date, time period, weather, traffic volume around the vehicle 50, presence or absence of obstacles around the vehicle 50, and brightness around the vehicle 50 at the time the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed. In addition, the user information includes at least one of information on the physique of the driver of the vehicle 50 at the time the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed, the driver's line of sight, the driver's driving behavior, and how often the driver manually instructs the display of the vehicle surroundings image data.

[0036] The storage unit 22 stores history information by linking display information or non-display information with each determination information for each predetermined position on the map, such as a display point. For example, if the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed at an intersection when it is raining at night, the storage unit 22 links information that the time of day is night and information that the weather is rainy with the display information as history information for the intersection, and stores this information in the database 40. In this way, the database 40 accumulates information on the circumstances under which the other vehicle surroundings image data was displayed or hidden.

[0037] Here, an example of a method for acquiring history information by the storage unit 22 will be described. First, the driving assistance device 1 mounted on the vehicle 50 transmits history information to the server 20 depending on whether the other vehicle surroundings image data has been displayed. For example, the driving assistance device 1 determines whether the user has performed an operation different from the control of the driving assistance device 1 to display or hide the other vehicle surroundings image. For example, if the user issues a non-display instruction after the driving assistance device 1 has controlled the other vehicle surroundings image to be displayed, the driving assistance device 1 determines that the user has performed an operation different from the control by the driving assistance device 1. Furthermore, if the user issues a display instruction after the driving assistance device 1 has not controlled the other vehicle surroundings image to be displayed, the driving assistance device 1 determines that the user has performed an operation different from the control by the driving assistance device 1.

[0038] When it is determined that the user has performed an operation different from the control by the driving assistance device 1, the driving assistance device 1 acquires determination information indicating the current situation of the vehicle 50 and position information of the vehicle 50, and transmits history information including the acquired determination information, the position information of the vehicle 50, and display information or non-display information to the server 20. When the storage unit 22 receives the history information from the driving assistance device 1, it stores the history information in the database 40 for each position specified by the position information of the vehicle 50. Furthermore, when new history information is stored in the database 40, the determination unit 24 may update the weighting of a determination parameter (described later) based on the stored history information, or may update the weighting of the determination parameter at regular intervals.

[0039] An example of a flowchart of a history information acquisition method executed by the driving assistance device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In this embodiment, when the host vehicle starts traveling, the control flow is executed from step S21.

[0040] In step S21, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether the user has given an instruction that differs from the content of the automatic control by the in-vehicle controller 8. For example, when input information of a display instruction or a non-display instruction is received from the input device 7, the in-vehicle controller 8 compares the input information with the content of the automatic control to determine whether the user has given an instruction that differs from the content of the automatic control. If it is determined that the user has given a different instruction, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S22. If it is determined that the user has not given a different instruction, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S21 and repeats the subsequent flow. In step S22, the in-vehicle controller 8 transmits history information to the server 20. In step S23, the server 20 acquires the history information from the in-vehicle controller 8 and stores the history information in the database 40. After storing the history information, the server 20 ends the control flow.

[0041] The location information acquisition unit 23 acquires location information of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10 .

[0042] The determination unit 24 determines whether the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location based on the history information and the position information of the vehicle 10. For example, the determination unit 24 determines whether the vehicle 10 is located within a predetermined range from the displayed location based on the position of the displayed location stored based on the history information and the position of the vehicle 10. If the vehicle 10 is located within the predetermined range from the displayed location, the determination unit 24 determines that the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location. If the vehicle 10 is not located within the predetermined range from the displayed location, the determination unit 24 determines that the vehicle 10 is not approaching the displayed location.

[0043] Furthermore, when it is determined that the vehicle 10 has approached the display point, the determination unit 24 determines whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data. For example, the determination unit 24 compares the display necessity with a predetermined value, and determines whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data depending on whether or not the display necessity is greater than the predetermined value. The display necessity is a value that indicates the degree of necessity to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6 in the current situation of the vehicle 10. The determination unit 24 compares the display necessity with the predetermined value, and when the display necessity is greater than the predetermined value, determines that it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6. When the display necessity is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the determination unit 24 determines that it is not necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6.

[0044] Here, a method for calculating the display necessity will be described. The determination unit 24 acquires at least one of vehicle information of the vehicle 10, environmental information around the vehicle 10, and user information of the vehicle 10 as determination information. The determination unit 24 calculates the display necessity based on the acquired determination information. The display necessity is calculated to be higher when the situation of the vehicle 10 specified by the determination information is one in which it is necessary to display the image data around the vehicle. For example, the display necessity is calculated to be higher when it is more difficult for the user to see around the vehicle 10.

[0045] In this embodiment, the determination unit 24 obtains values ​​of a plurality of determination parameters that indicate the current situation of the vehicle 10 based on the determination information obtained from the vehicle 10, and obtains weightings corresponding to the respective values ​​of the determination parameters. The determination parameters are parameters for determining the necessity of displaying the image data surrounding the vehicle. For example, values ​​corresponding to the respective information included in the vehicle information, environmental information, and user information are set in advance for each determination parameter. Furthermore, the determination unit 24 refers to a database indicating the correspondence between the values ​​of the determination parameters and the weightings, and obtains the values ​​corresponding to the determination parameters obtained from the vehicle 10 as weightings.

[0046] The determination unit 24 calculates the display necessity based on the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings. For example, the determination unit 24 calculates the display necessity h using a function f including the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings, as shown in the following equation (1).

number

[0047] Here, an example of a method in which the determination unit 24 determines the weighting of each determination parameter at a predetermined location using the historical information when historical information is acquired from multiple vehicles 50 will be described. In this example, the weighting is a dynamically changing value that is determined depending on the magnitude of influence of the determination parameter at the predetermined location at the current time. The magnitude of influence is the magnitude of influence on the user's decision regarding the need to display image data surrounding the vehicle. Among the determination parameters, the determination parameters with the greatest influence are estimated, for example, by machine learning or the like.

[0048] The determination unit 24 calculates a weighting based on the display rate of the other vehicle surroundings image data for each determination parameter at a predetermined point, based on multiple pieces of history information at the predetermined point stored in the database 40. The display rate is the ratio of the number of pieces of display information data to the number of pieces of history information data at the predetermined point. The determination unit 24 may update the weighting based on a change in the display rate calculated based on the history information for the entire period from when the server 20 started acquiring the history information to the present time, or may update the weighting based on a change in the display rate calculated based on history information within a predetermined period or a predetermined number of pieces of history information.

[0049] Here, an example will be described in which the weighting corresponding to the determination parameter "time period" at an intersection at night changes over time. In the initial operation period when the driving assistance system 1000 starts operation and the server starts acquiring history information, no history information is stored in the database 40, and therefore the driving assistance device 1 does not automatically display the host vehicle surroundings image data. In contrast, for example, as shown in (1) Initial Operation Period in Table 1, assume that the drivers of multiple vehicles 50 at the intersection manually issue display instructions. Since the display rate is 100%, the determination unit 24 determines, for example, the weighting of the determination parameter "time period" to be 1.0. Then, assume that the host vehicle surroundings image data begins to be displayed on vehicles passing through the intersection at night. [Table 1]

[0050] As time passes from the initial operation stage to the intermediate operation stage, the number of vehicles passing through the intersection increases, and historical information is accumulated. At this time, for example, as shown in (2) intermediate operation stage in Table 1, assume that 75% of all users display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle, and 25% of all users hide the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle. Since the display rate is 75%, the determination unit 24 determines, for example, the weighting of the determination parameter "time period" to be 0.75.

[0051] Here, suppose that streetlights are installed at the intersection in the later stage of operation. Once the streetlights are installed, the area around the intersection is bright even at night, and more users will determine that display is unnecessary and instruct not to display the image data. For example, as shown in (3) Later Stage of Operation in Table 1, suppose that 50% of all users display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle, and 50% of all users hide the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle. Since the display rate is 50%, the determination unit 24 determines, for example, the weighting of the determination parameter "time period" to be 0.5.

[0052] As described above, since the surroundings are dark and visibility is poor at night, the time of day has a significant impact on the necessity of displaying the vehicle surroundings image data. Therefore, the weighting of the determination parameter for "time of day" is set high. On the other hand, when streetlights are installed and the surroundings are bright even at night, visibility is not poor, so the impact of the time of day on the necessity of displaying the vehicle surroundings image data is small. Therefore, the weighting of the determination parameter for "time of day" is set low.

[0053] Next, an example will be described in which old history information is deleted and the weighting calculated based on a predetermined number of recent history information changes over time. For example, as shown in Table 2, the display rate is the ratio of display information to the most recent four history information. In the middle operation period, 75% of users select display, and 25% select hide. Because the display rate is 75%, the determination unit 24 determines, for example, the weighting of the determination parameter for "time period" to be 0.75. Furthermore, in the later operation period, 25% of users select display, and 75% select hide. Because the display rate is 25%, the determination unit 24 determines, for example, the weighting of the determination parameter for "time period" to be 0.25. [Table 2]

[0054] The display instruction information generation unit 25 generates display instruction information. For example, the display instruction information generation unit 25 generates display instruction information when the determination unit 24 determines that it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data. The display instruction information includes instruction information to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on a display and display form instruction information that instructs the display form of the host vehicle surroundings image data when displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data. The display instruction information generation unit 25 acquires display form information included in the history information, and generates display instruction information including display form instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data in the acquired display form. Furthermore, the display instruction information generation unit 25 may generate display instruction information when the determination unit 24 determines that the vehicle 10 has approached the display point.

[0055] The transmitter 26 transmits the display instruction information to the vehicle 10 via the communication device 30.

[0056] The communication device 30 exchanges information with the vehicle 10 via a network. The communication device 30 transmits display instruction information to the in-vehicle communication device 5 of the vehicle 10. The communication device 30 also receives vehicle information, user information, and environmental information from the in-vehicle communication device 5 of the vehicle 10. The communication device 30 may also receive environmental information from the outside via the network.

[0057] The database 40 is a database for storing history information. The history information includes, for each position where the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed or hidden, display information or non-display information, vehicle information of the vehicle 50 at the time when the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed or hidden, environmental information around the vehicle 50, and user information of the driver of the vehicle 50.

[0058] Next, an example of a flowchart of the driving assistance method executed by the driving assistance device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. In this embodiment, when the vehicle 10 starts traveling, the control flow is executed from step S31.

[0059] In step S31, the in-vehicle controller 8 acquires the state of the vehicle 10. The state of the vehicle 10 is, for example, the position and speed of the vehicle 10. In step S32, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location. For example, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether the vehicle 10 satisfies an approach condition. If it is determined that the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S33. If it is determined that the vehicle 10 has not approached the displayed location, the in-vehicle controller 8 returns to step S31 and repeats the subsequent flow.

[0060] In step S33, the in-vehicle controller 8 acquires the determination information and transmits the acquired determination information to the server 20. The determination information includes at least one of vehicle information, environmental information, and user information. In step S34, the controller 21 receives the determination information from the in-vehicle controller 8.

[0061] In step S35, the controller 21 determines whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the determination information. If it is determined that it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, the controller 21 proceeds to step S36. If it is determined that it is not necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, the controller 21 ends the control flow.

[0062] In step S36, the controller 21 generates display instruction information. In step S37, the controller 21 transmits the display instruction information to the vehicle 10. In step S38, the on-vehicle controller 8 receives the display instruction information from the server 20.

[0063] In step S39, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data. If it is determined that the host vehicle surroundings image data is to be displayed, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S40. If it is determined that the host vehicle surroundings image data is not to be displayed, the in-vehicle controller 8 ends the control flow.

[0064] In step S40, the in-vehicle controller 8 outputs a display control signal to the display device 6 to display the host vehicle surroundings image data. When the display control signal is input, the display device 6 displays the host vehicle surroundings image data. After displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data, the in-vehicle controller 8 ends the control flow.

[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, the driving assistance device on the host vehicle inputs host vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle, receives display instruction information to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, determines whether to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the received display instruction information and the state of the host vehicle, and if it determines to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, displays the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display of the host vehicle, and the display instruction information is transmitted from the server based on history information regarding the display of other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of other vehicles, and on the position information of the host vehicle. In this way, even when the host vehicle is traveling in a place where it has not traveled before, it is possible to display the image of the surroundings of the host vehicle at a place where it is necessary to display the image of the surroundings of the host vehicle.

[0066] In this embodiment, the display instruction information includes instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display and display mode instruction information for instructing the display mode of the host vehicle surroundings image data when displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data, and the server acquires the host vehicle position information, and when it determines that the host vehicle position is approaching a position for which history information exists, it creates display instruction information and transmits the created display instruction information to the host vehicle. As a result, when the host vehicle approaches a location where another vehicle has displayed the other vehicle surroundings image data, the host vehicle surroundings image data can be displayed on the display of the host vehicle.

[0067] In this embodiment, the history information includes at least one of vehicle information of the other vehicle, environmental information about the surroundings of the other vehicle, and user information of the user of the other vehicle, and when the user of the other vehicle manually instructs the display of the other vehicle surroundings image data, the other vehicle includes display information indicating that the other vehicle surroundings image data has been displayed in the history information and transmits the display information to the server, thereby enabling the server to obtain the vehicle status when the user of the other vehicle displayed the other vehicle surroundings image data.

[0068] In this embodiment, the history information includes at least one of vehicle information of the other vehicle, environmental information about the surroundings of the other vehicle, and user information of the user of the other vehicle, and when the user of the other vehicle manually instructs the other vehicle to hide the other vehicle's surroundings image data after displaying the other vehicle's surroundings image data, the other vehicle includes non-display information indicating that the other vehicle's surroundings image data has been hidden in the history information and transmits the same to the server, thereby enabling the server to obtain the vehicle status when the user of the other vehicle hid the other vehicle's surroundings image data.

[0069] In this embodiment, the vehicle information includes at least one of display mode information indicating the display mode of the other vehicle surroundings image data, vehicle model information of the other vehicle, and vehicle dimensions of the other vehicle, so that the server can acquire the display mode of the other vehicle surroundings image data, the vehicle model, and the vehicle dimensions when the user of the other vehicle displays or hides the other vehicle surroundings image.

[0070] In this embodiment, the environmental information includes at least one of the following information at the time when the other-vehicle surroundings image data was displayed: the date, time period, weather, surrounding traffic volume, presence or absence of obstacles around the other vehicle, and brightness around the other vehicle. This allows the server to obtain the date, time period, weather, surrounding traffic volume, and presence or absence of obstacles around the other vehicle when the other-vehicle surroundings image data was displayed by the user of the other vehicle.

[0071] In this embodiment, the user information includes at least one of the following information: the physique of the driver of the other vehicle, the eye position of the driver, the driving behavior of the driver, and the frequency with which the driver manually instructs the display of the other vehicle surroundings image data. As a result, the server acquires the physique of the driver of the other vehicle, the eye position of the driver, the driving behavior of the driver, and the frequency with which the driver manually instructs the display of the other vehicle surroundings image data when the user of the vehicle displays or hides the vehicle surroundings image.

[0072] In this embodiment, the server acquires at least one of vehicle information of the host vehicle, environmental information about the surroundings of the host vehicle, and user information of the host vehicle as determination information representing the current situation of the host vehicle, calculates a display necessity for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display based on the determination information, determines whether the display necessity is greater than a predetermined value, and generates display instruction information when it is determined that the display necessity is greater than the predetermined value. This makes it possible to display the host vehicle surroundings image data when there is a high need to display the host vehicle surroundings image data.

[0073] In this embodiment, the display necessity is calculated based on the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings, and the display necessity is calculated based on the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display judgment.

[0074] In this embodiment, the display necessity is calculated as the sum of values ​​obtained by multiplying the values ​​of multiple determination parameters and multiple weightings for each determination parameter, thereby making it possible to calculate the necessity of displaying the vehicle surroundings image data according to the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display decision.

[0075] In this embodiment, a value corresponding to the determination parameter is calculated as a weight based on a database showing the correspondence between the value of the determination parameter and the weight, so that the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display decision can be set in advance and the necessity of displaying the vehicle surroundings image data can be calculated.

[0076] In this embodiment, the weighting is calculated for each corresponding determination parameter based on the display rate, which is the ratio of the number of data items in the display information indicating that the other vehicle surroundings image data has been displayed to the number of data items in the history information, thereby enabling the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display decision to be set according to the percentage of users who have displayed the vehicle surroundings image.

[0077] In this embodiment, the weighting is updated based on the change in the display rate over the entire period from when the server started acquiring the history information to the present time, so that when the percentage of users who have displayed the vehicle surroundings image has changed, the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display decision can be set according to the changed percentage.

[0078] In this embodiment, the weighting is updated according to changes in the display rate within a predetermined period, thereby enabling the influence of each determination parameter on the user's display decision to be set according to the proportion of users who have displayed the vehicle surroundings image in the most recent situation.

[0079] In this embodiment, the server acquires, from a plurality of other vehicles, history information including position information at which other-vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicles, stores the history information, acquires position information of the host vehicle, and determines, based on the history information and the position information, whether the host vehicle has approached a display point indicated by the position information at which the other-vehicle surroundings image data is displayed. If it determines that the host vehicle has approached the display point, the server generates display instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle, and transmits the display instruction information to the host vehicle. This allows the host vehicle to display an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle at a location where it needs to be displayed, even when the host vehicle is traveling in a place it has not traveled before.

[0080] Second Embodiment Next, a driving assistance device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a driving assistance system including a driving assistance device according to this embodiment. The second embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment. The second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment and operates in the same manner as the first embodiment, except for differences from the first embodiment in the points described below, and the description of the first embodiment will be used as appropriate. The configuration of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the driving assistance device 1 of the vehicle 10 makes a determination using historical information of other vehicles without going through the server 20. Specifically, the on-board controller 8 does not include a receiving unit 12, but further includes a storage unit 15 and a position information acquisition unit 16.

[0081] The storage unit 15, like the storage unit 22 in the first embodiment, acquires history information related to the display of other vehicle surroundings image data from other vehicles and stores the acquired history information in the in-vehicle database 2. In this embodiment, the history information of other vehicles is stored in the in-vehicle database 2 instead of the database 40 in the first embodiment.

[0082] The location information acquisition unit 16 acquires location information of the vehicle 10 from the information acquisition device 3 .

[0083] In this embodiment, the display determination unit 13 further has the function of the determination unit 24 in the first embodiment. The display determination unit 13 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 has approached the display point based on the history information stored in the storage unit 15 and the position information of the vehicle 10 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 16. Furthermore, when it is determined that the vehicle 10 has approached the display point, the display determination unit 13 determines whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display device 6.

[0084] When the display determination unit 13 determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data needs to be displayed on the display device 6, the display control unit 14 outputs a display control signal to the display device 6 to display the host vehicle surroundings image data. When the display control signal is received, the display device 6 displays the host vehicle surroundings image data. Furthermore, when the display determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle 10 has approached the display point, the display control unit 14 may output a display control signal to the display device 6 to display the host vehicle surroundings image data.

[0085] Next, an example of a control procedure in the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a driving assistance method according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, when the host vehicle starts traveling, the control flow is executed from step S51.

[0086] In step S51, the in-vehicle controller 8 acquires position information of the vehicle 10. In step S52, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location. If it is determined that the vehicle 10 has approached the displayed location, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S53. If it is determined that the vehicle 10 has not approached the displayed location, the in-vehicle controller 8 returns to step S51 and repeats the subsequent steps.

[0087] In step S53, the in-vehicle controller 8 acquires determination information from the information acquisition device 3. The determination information includes at least one of vehicle information, environmental information, and user information. In step S54, the in-vehicle controller 8 determines whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the determination information acquired in step S53. If it is determined that it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, the in-vehicle controller 8 proceeds to step S55. If it is determined that it is not necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, the in-vehicle controller 8 ends the control flow.

[0088] In step S55, the in-vehicle controller 8 outputs a display control signal to the display device 6 to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle. When the display control signal is input, the display device 6 displays the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle. After displaying the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle, the in-vehicle controller 8 ends the control flow. Note that in this embodiment, the control flow relating to steps S53 to S54 may be omitted. That is, when it is determined in step S52 that the vehicle 10 has approached the display point, the in-vehicle controller 8 may execute control in step S55 to output a display control signal to the display device 6 to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0089] As described above, in this embodiment, the driving assistance device on the host vehicle inputs host vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle, acquires history information from multiple other vehicles, including position information at which the other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicles, stores the acquired history information, acquires position information of the host vehicle, and determines whether the host vehicle has approached a display point indicated by the position information at which the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed, based on the history information and the position information. If it determines that the host vehicle has approached the display point, the driving assistance device displays the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display of the host vehicle. This allows the host vehicle to display an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle at a location where it is necessary to display an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle, even when the host vehicle is traveling in a place where it has not traveled before.

[0090] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments have been described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above-described embodiments is intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1000...Driver assistance system 10...Vehicle 1...Driving assistance device 8...In-vehicle controller 11...Image input unit 12...Receiver 13...Display judgment section 14...Display control unit 20...Server 21...Controller 22...Storage section 23…Location information acquisition unit 24…Judgment section 25…Display instruction information generation unit 26...Transmitter

Claims

1. An in-vehicle device of a vehicle driven by a user, an image input unit that inputs vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle; a receiving unit that receives display instruction information for displaying the vehicle surroundings image data; a display determination unit that transmits determination information representing a current state of the host vehicle to a server, and determines whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the display instruction information received by the receiving unit and the state of the host vehicle; a display control unit that displays the host vehicle surroundings image data on a display of the host vehicle when the display determination unit determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data should be displayed; The display instruction information is transmitted from the server based on history information regarding the display of other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicle, and position information of the host vehicle; the determination information includes at least one of environmental information around the host vehicle and user information of the host vehicle; The server generates the display instruction information when it determines, based on the determination information, that it is necessary to display the image data surrounding the host vehicle.

2. the display instruction information includes instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display, and display form instruction information for instructing a display form of the host vehicle surroundings image data when the host vehicle surroundings image data is displayed, 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the server acquires position information of the vehicle, and when it determines that the position of the vehicle has approached a position for which the history information exists, creates the display instruction information and transmits the created display instruction information to the vehicle.

3. the history information includes at least one of vehicle information of the other vehicle, environmental information around the other vehicle, and user information of a user of the other vehicle; 3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein when a user of the other vehicle manually instructs the display of the other vehicle surroundings image data, the other vehicle includes display information indicating that the other vehicle surroundings image data has been displayed in the history information and transmits the display information to the server.

4. the history information includes at least one of vehicle information of the other vehicle, environmental information around the other vehicle, and user information of a user of the other vehicle; The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the user of the other vehicle manually instructs the other vehicle to hide the other vehicle surroundings image data after displaying the other vehicle surroundings image data, the other vehicle includes non-display information indicating that the other vehicle surroundings image data has been hidden in the history information and transmits the same to the server.

5. 5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of display form information indicating a display form of the other vehicle surroundings image data, vehicle type information of the other vehicle, and vehicle dimensions of the other vehicle.

6. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the environmental information includes at least one of information on the date, time zone, weather, surrounding traffic volume, presence or absence of obstacles around the other vehicle, and brightness around the other vehicle at the time the other vehicle surrounding image data is displayed.

7. The user information includes at least one of the following information: a physique of the driver of the other vehicle, a line of sight position of the driver, a driving behavior of the driver, and a frequency at which the driver manually commands the display of the other vehicle surrounding image data. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. The server As the determination information, at least one of vehicle information of the host vehicle, environmental information around the host vehicle, and user information of the host vehicle is acquired; calculating a display necessity for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display in a current situation of the host vehicle based on the determination information; determining whether the display necessity is greater than a predetermined value; The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display instruction information is generated when it is determined that the display necessity is greater than the predetermined value.

9. An in-vehicle device of a vehicle driven by a user, an image input unit that inputs vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle; a receiving unit that receives display instruction information for displaying the vehicle surroundings image data; a display determination unit that determines whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the display instruction information received by the receiving unit and a state of the host vehicle; a display control unit that displays the host vehicle surroundings image data on a display of the host vehicle when the display determination unit determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data should be displayed; The display instruction information is transmitted from a server based on history information regarding the display of other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicle, and position information of the host vehicle; The server acquiring at least one of vehicle information of the host vehicle, environmental information around the host vehicle, and user information of the host vehicle as determination information representing a current situation of the host vehicle; acquiring values ​​of a plurality of determination parameters using the current situation of the host vehicle as an index based on the determination information; obtaining weights corresponding to the values ​​of the plurality of judgment parameters, respectively; calculating a display necessity for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display in a current situation of the host vehicle based on the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings; determining whether the display necessity is greater than a predetermined value; a driving assistance device that generates the display instruction information when it is determined that the necessity for display is greater than the predetermined value;

10. The driving support device according to claim 9 , wherein the display necessity is calculated as a sum of values ​​obtained by multiplying the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings for each of the determination parameters.

11. The driving support device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the weighting factor is calculated as a value corresponding to the determination parameter based on a database indicating a correspondence relationship between the value of the determination parameter and the weighting factor.

12. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the weighting is calculated based on a display rate, which is a ratio of the number of data items of the display information indicating that the other vehicle surrounding image data has been displayed to the number of data items of the history information, for each corresponding one of the determination parameters.

13. The driving assistance device according to claim 12 , wherein the weighting is updated based on a change in the display rate over the entire period from when the server starts acquiring the history information to the present time.

14. The driving assistance device according to claim 12 , wherein the weighting is updated according to a change in the display rate within a predetermined period.

15. An in-vehicle device of a vehicle driven by a user, an image input unit that inputs vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle; a storage unit that acquires, from a plurality of other vehicles, history information including position information displaying other vehicle surroundings image data that is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicles, and stores the acquired history information; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the host vehicle; a determination unit that determines, based on the history information and the position information, whether the host vehicle has approached a display point indicated by the position information at which the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed, and, when it is determined that the host vehicle has approached the display point, acquires at least one of vehicle information of the host vehicle, environmental information around the host vehicle, and user information of the host vehicle as determination information representing the current situation of the host vehicle, and determines, based on the determination information, whether it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data; a display control unit that displays the host vehicle surroundings image data on a display of the host vehicle when the determination unit determines that the host vehicle surroundings image data needs to be displayed; The determination unit acquiring values ​​of a plurality of determination parameters using the current situation of the host vehicle as an index based on the determination information; obtaining weights corresponding to the values ​​of the plurality of judgment parameters, respectively; calculating a display necessity for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data on the display in a current situation of the host vehicle based on the values ​​of the plurality of determination parameters and the plurality of weightings; determining whether the display necessity is greater than a predetermined value; A driving assistance device that determines that it is necessary to display the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle when the necessity of display is greater than the predetermined value.

16. A driving assistance device including a server that assists a user in driving a vehicle, The server a storage unit that acquires history information from a plurality of other vehicles, the history information including position information displaying other vehicle surroundings image data that is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicles, and stores the history information; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the host vehicle; a determination unit that determines, based on the history information and the position information, whether or not the host vehicle has approached a display point indicated by the position information at which the other vehicle surroundings image data is displayed, and, when it is determined that the host vehicle has approached the display point, determines, based on determination information that represents the current situation of the host vehicle, whether or not it is necessary to display the host vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle; a display instruction information generating unit that generates display instruction information for displaying the host vehicle surroundings image data when it is determined that the host vehicle surroundings image data needs to be displayed; a transmitter that transmits the display instruction information to the vehicle; The driving assistance device, wherein the determination information includes at least one of environmental information around the host vehicle and user information of the host vehicle.

17. A driving assistance method executed by a controller that assists a user in driving a vehicle, comprising: The controller inputting vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle; receiving display instruction information for displaying the vehicle surroundings image data; transmitting determination information representing a current state of the host vehicle to a server, and determining whether or not to display the host vehicle surroundings image data based on the received display instruction information and the state of the host vehicle; When it is determined that the vehicle surroundings image data is to be displayed, the vehicle surroundings image data is displayed on a display of the vehicle; The display instruction information is transmitted from the server based on history information related to the display of other vehicle surroundings image data, which is an image of the surroundings of the other vehicle, and position information of the host vehicle; the determination information includes at least one of environmental information around the host vehicle and user information of the host vehicle; The server generates the display instruction information when it determines, based on the determination information, that it is necessary to display the image data surrounding the host vehicle.

Images