Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To acquire personal information in an appropriate manner.SOLUTION: An information processor mounted on a first vehicle determines whether or not a driver of the first vehicle has previously consented to the acquisition of first data acquired by the first vehicle by an external device while the first vehicle is traveling, and inquires the driver whether or not he or she consents to the acquisition of the first data by the external device if the driver has no track record of consenting to the acquisition of the first data by the external device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for collecting information from a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a demand for more appropriate management of personal information. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that obtains consent from a user regarding the provision of personal information to an external party, and provides information based on whether or not consent has been granted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-081841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a technique for appropriately acquiring personal information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is An information processing device mounted on a first vehicle, the information processing device having a control unit that determines whether or not a driver of the first vehicle has previously agreed to first data acquired by the first vehicle while traveling being acquired by an external device, and, if the driver has not previously agreed to the acquisition of the first data by the external device, asks the driver whether or not he or she agrees to the acquisition of the first data by the external device.

[0006] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is An information processing method executed by an information processing device mounted on a first vehicle, the information processing method including the steps of: determining whether or not the driver of the first vehicle has previously agreed to first data acquired by the first vehicle while traveling being acquired by an external device; and, if the driver has not previously agreed to the acquisition of the first data by the external device, inquiring of the driver as to whether or not the driver agrees to the acquisition of the first data by the external device.

[0007] One aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure is An information processing device mounted on a first vehicle, the information processing device having a control unit that identifies the driver of the first vehicle and, if the driver of the first vehicle is not a pre-registered owner of the first vehicle, asks the driver whether or not he or she agrees to first data acquired by the first vehicle while traveling being acquired by an external device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described method, or a computer-readable storage medium that non-transitoryly stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, personal information can be appropriately acquired. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing components of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 3] 10 shows an example of data transmitted from the in-vehicle device to the server device. [Figure 4] 10 shows an example of request data transmitted from the server device to the in-vehicle device. [Figure 5] 10 shows an example of consent data stored in the in-vehicle device. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing components of a server device. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flow of processing executed by an in-vehicle device. [Figure 8] An example of a screen requesting consent to provide data. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a process for receiving and storing request data. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a process for transmitting sensor data. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of a consent DB according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing components of an in-vehicle device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 1 is an example of a method for acquiring feature quantities corresponding to driving operations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In recent years, attempts have been made to utilize data collected from automobiles. It is expected that by using the data collected from vehicles as big data, various services will be able to be provided. On the other hand, data transmitted from vehicles may include personal information or similar information. This data may not only include personal information itself, but also location information, etc., which may raise privacy issues if linked to an individual.

[0012] For this reason, attempts are being made to obtain prior consent from users (e.g., vehicle drivers or owners) regarding the collection and use of data. However, there is a large amount of data that is sensed in vehicles, and there is not necessarily only one driver of a vehicle. Therefore, in a system that collects data from vehicles, it is preferable to introduce a mechanism for managing whether or not the driver has given consent.

[0013] An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device mounted on a first vehicle, and has a control unit that performs the following: determining whether or not a driver of the first vehicle has previously agreed to first data acquired by the first vehicle while traveling being acquired by an external device; and, if the driver has not previously agreed to the acquisition of the first data by the external device, inquiring of the driver as to whether or not the driver agrees to the acquisition of the first data by the external device.

[0014] The driver is the person currently driving the first vehicle. The first data is data acquired while the first vehicle is traveling, and includes personal information of the driver and data related to the traveling of the first vehicle (e.g., position information, speed information, acceleration information, etc.). The first data is also referred to as sensor data. The control unit determines whether or not the driver has consented to the acquisition of the first data by the external device for each combination of the first vehicle and the driver. The determination may be made using a database that records whether or not the driver has consented.

[0015] If the driver of the first vehicle has not previously given consent to the acquisition of data, the control unit inquires of the driver whether or not the driver has given consent to the acquisition of the data. With this configuration, an inquiry is only made if the driver has not previously given consent to the transmission of the data in question to an external party, thereby minimizing the impact on usability.

[0016] The information processing device may store the presence or absence of consent in a database in association with the driver. The database may also be associated with the date and time when consent was given.

[0017] If the driver has previously agreed to the acquisition of the first data, the first data may be transmitted to the external device without making an inquiry.

[0018] Note that if a predetermined period has passed since the driver consented to the acquisition of the first data, the inquiry may be made again. That is, an expiration date may be set for the consent. Note that the predetermined period may be determined based on the frequency with which the driver drives the first vehicle. For example, if the driver frequently drives the first vehicle, the expiration date for the consent may be set longer, and if the driver drives the first vehicle less frequently, the expiration date for the consent may be set shorter.

[0019] Furthermore, if the driver has a history of refusing to allow the external device to acquire the first data, the transmission of the first data may be prohibited without making an inquiry, because if the driver has clearly expressed his or her intention to refuse, it would be inappropriate to make another inquiry.

[0020] The driver of the first vehicle may be determined based on biometric information, etc. Alternatively, the driver may be determined based on driving operation data acquired from an electronic control unit of the first vehicle. For example, the driver may be identified based on the characteristics of driving operations.

[0021] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configuration, module configuration, functional configuration, etc. described in each embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations.

[0022] (First embodiment) An overview of a vehicle system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The vehicle system according to this embodiment includes a vehicle 10 equipped with an on-vehicle device 100, and a server device 200. The system may include multiple vehicles 10 (on-vehicle devices 100).

[0023] The vehicle 10 is a vehicle for collecting data. The vehicle 10 is configured to be able to collect data related to driving and data related to occupants, and can transmit the collected data to the server device 200 via the in-vehicle device 100. Examples of data related to driving include data related to the vehicle's speed, direction of travel, location information, and behavior, etc. Examples of data related to occupants include personal identifiers, gender, and age, etc.

[0024] The server device 200 is a device that provides predetermined services based on data collected from the vehicles 10. For example, by collecting location information and speed information from multiple vehicles 10, it is possible to generate congestion information and traffic information and provide it to other vehicles. In addition, by collecting data on the vehicle occupants, it is possible to provide information that is tailored to each individual.

[0025] The server device 200 requests a plurality of vehicles 10 to transmit predetermined data, and the vehicles 10 (on-vehicle devices 100) respond to this request and transmit the data. On the other hand, the in-vehicle device 100 obtains consent from the driver to the provision of data (i.e., to the transmission of data generated in the vehicle to the server device 200), and transmits the data only if consent is obtained. The in-vehicle device 100 has a database that stores the presence or absence of consent for each driver, and determines whether the driver has consented (or consented in the past) to the transmission of certain data based on the database.

[0026] In the vehicle system according to this embodiment, a plurality of in-vehicle devices 100 and a server device 200 are interconnected via a network. The network may be, for example, a wide area network (WAN), which is a global public communication network such as the Internet, or another communication network. The network may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone network, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0027] Each element that makes up the system will be explained. The vehicle 10 is a connected car that has a function of communicating with an external network. The vehicle 10 is equipped with an in-vehicle device 100.

[0028] The in-vehicle device 100 is a computer for collecting information. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 has a plurality of sensors for collecting information related to the traveling of the vehicle 10, and transmits the collected data (hereinafter referred to as sensor data) to the server device 200 at a predetermined timing. The in-vehicle device 100 may be a device (such as a car navigation device) that provides information to an occupant of the vehicle 10, or may be an electronic control unit (ECU) included in the vehicle 10. The in-vehicle device 100 may also be a data communication module (DCM) having a communication function.

[0029] The in-vehicle device 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or removable media. The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions that match predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. As shown in FIG. The in-vehicle device 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, and an input / output unit 104. The in-vehicle device 100 is also connected to a sensor group 110 and a camera 120.

[0031] The control unit 101 is a calculation unit that executes a predetermined program to realize various functions of the in-vehicle device 100. The control unit 101 may be realized by, for example, a CPU or the like. The control unit 101 is configured to have, as functional modules, a data collection unit 1011, a management unit 1012, and a data transmission unit 1013. Each functional module may be realized by executing a stored program by a CPU.

[0032] The data collection unit 1011 acquires sensor data from one or more sensors included in the sensor group 110 at a predetermined timing, and stores the sensor data in the sensor DB 102A of the storage unit 102. When multiple pieces of sensor data are available, the data collection unit 1011 may acquire all of the sensor data. The sensor DB 102A is a database that stores the sensor data collected from the sensors of the vehicle 10. 3 shows an example of the sensor DB 102A. In addition to sensor data, the sensor DB 102A stores vehicle identifiers, the date and time when the sensor data was generated, the type of sensor data, and the like.

[0033] The management unit 1012 determines which of the sensor data stored in the sensor DB 102A should be transmitted to the server device 200. Specifically, the management unit 1012 executes the following process.

[0034] (1) Processing for receiving request data from the server device 200 The server device 200 requests data from the vehicle 10 by transmitting request data to the in-vehicle device 100. Fig. 4 shows an example of request data transmitted from the server device 200. The request data includes an identifier of the sensor data, a type of the sensor data (data type), a destination of the sensor data, a condition for acquiring the sensor data, and a transmission cycle of the sensor data. The request data may also include information for explaining the use of the sensor data, etc. The data type specifies the specific type of sensor data to be acquired. The sensor data may be any type that can be acquired by the vehicle 10, such as position information, speed information, image data, etc. The acquisition condition specifies the condition for acquiring sensor data. For example, if the data type is image data, the acquisition condition may specify the location where the image is to be acquired. The request data transmitted from the server device 200 is stored in the request DB 102C of the storage unit 102.

[0035] (2) Managing driver consent to external transmission of sensor data External transmission refers to transmitting sensor data to a device (for example, server device 200) outside vehicle 10. Management unit 1012 manages data (hereinafter, consent data) indicating whether the driver has permitted transmission of sensor data to server device 200, and determines whether to transmit sensor data requested by server device 200 based on the consent data and the driver's detection result.

[0036] Here, the consent data will be explained. The consent data is data that records whether or not the transmission of sensor data to an external device is permitted for each driver, transmission destination, and type of sensor data. The consent data can be generated, for example, based on the result of an interaction with the driver.

[0037] FIG. 5 is an example of consent data. As shown in the figure, the consent data includes fields for driver ID, data type, destination, and whether transmission is permitted. The driver ID field stores an identifier that uniquely identifies the driver. The data type field stores information that identifies the type of sensor data. The destination field stores information that identifies the destination of the sensor data. The transmission permission field stores whether consent is granted to the transmission of the sensor data ("permitted" or "rejected"). Such data is stored in consent DB 102B of memory unit 102.

[0038] (3) A process for identifying sensor data that is requested by the server device 200 and for which permission has been granted for external transmission. The management unit 1012 determines whether the requested sensor data is permitted to be transmitted to the outside based on the consent data and the request data, and if permitted, determines that the sensor data is to be transmitted. In addition, if the driver of vehicle 10 has no history of allowing the external transmission of the target sensor data, the management unit 1012 inquires of the driver of vehicle 10 about whether or not the transmission is permitted, and updates the consent data based on the results. The process will be described in more detail later.

[0039] The data transmission unit 1013 acquires the sensor data determined by the management unit 1012 from the storage unit 102 and transmits it to the server device 200 .

[0040] The storage unit 102 is a memory device including a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by loading the programs stored therein into the main storage device and executing them, various functions that meet predetermined purposes, as will be described later, can be realized. The main memory may include RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The auxiliary memory may include EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) and hard disk. It may also include a disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive). may include removable media, i.e., portable recording media.

[0041] The storage unit 102 also stores the sensor DB 102A, consent DB 102B, and request DB 102C described above.

[0042] The communication unit 103 is a wireless communication interface for connecting the in-vehicle device 100 to a network. The communication unit 103 is configured to be able to communicate with the server device 200 according to a communication standard such as a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN, or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0043] The input / output unit 104 is a means for accepting input operations performed by the device user and presenting information. In this embodiment, it is made up of a single touch panel display. That is, it is made up of a liquid crystal display and its control means, and a touch panel and its control means.

[0044] The sensor group 110 is a collection of multiple sensors that the vehicle 10 has. The multiple sensors may be, for example, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a GPS module, or the like, that acquire data related to the vehicle's traveling. The multiple sensors may also be, for example, an image sensor, an illuminance sensor, a rainfall sensor, or the like, that acquire data related to the traveling environment of the vehicle 10. The sensor group 110 may include a sensor for collecting data related to the driver or passengers of the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle passengers may be identified based on an image obtained by capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle, and data related to the passengers may be transmitted as sensor data.

[0045] The camera 120 is an image sensor that captures an image of the face of the driver of the vehicle 10. The camera 120 may be placed in a position where it can capture the face of an occupant sitting in the driver's seat. The image obtained by the camera 120 is used to identify the driver of the vehicle 10.

[0046] Next, the configuration of the server device 200 will be described. The server device 200 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory such as a RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or removable media. The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions that meet predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. The server device 200 may be configured as a single computer or as multiple computers that cooperate with each other.

[0047] 6 is a diagram showing the system configuration of the server device 200. The server device 200 includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a communication unit 203.

[0048] The control unit 201 is an arithmetic unit that controls the server device 200. The control unit 201 can be realized by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 201 is configured with two function modules: a data request unit 2011 and a data receiving unit 2012. Each function module receives a program stored in an auxiliary storage unit. This may be achieved by having the RAM executed by the CPU.

[0049] The data request unit 2011 transmits request data to a plurality of vehicles 10 (on-vehicle devices 100). For example, if the server device 200 executes a service of generating road map data based on images captured by the vehicles 10, the server device 200 generates request data requesting image data from the vehicles 10. The type of sensor data requested by the server device 200 may differ depending on the service executed by the server device 200.

[0050] The data receiving unit 2012 receives sensor data from a plurality of vehicles 10 (on-vehicle devices 100) and stores the data in the sensor DB 202A of the storage unit 202. The stored sensor data is used to provide a predetermined service.

[0051] The storage unit 202 is configured to include a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device. The main storage device is a memory in which the programs executed by the control unit 201 and the data used by the control programs are expanded. The auxiliary storage device is a device in which the programs executed by the control unit 201 and the data used by the control programs are stored. The storage unit 202 stores the above-mentioned sensor DB 202A.

[0052] The communication unit 203 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 200 to a network. The communication unit 203 includes, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0053] 2 and 6 are merely examples, and all or part of the illustrated functions may be performed using dedicated circuits. Furthermore, programs may be stored or executed using a combination of a main memory and an auxiliary memory other than those illustrated.

[0054] Next, the process executed by the in-vehicle device 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a process flow in which the in-vehicle device 100 collects sensor data, determines sensor data to be transmitted based on request data received from the server device 200, and transmits the sensor data to the server device 200.

[0055] The data collection unit 1011 periodically acquires sensor data from the sensors included in the sensor group 110 and stores the data in the sensor DB 102A of the storage unit 102.

[0056] First, the management unit 1012 executes a process of storing request data transmitted from the server device 200 in the request DB 102C. Secondly, the management unit 1012 executes a process of identifying the driver of the vehicle 10 and identifying sensor data that can be transmitted to the server device 200.

[0057] First, the management unit 1012 acquires a facial image of the driver via the camera 120, and identifies the driver of the vehicle 10 based on the facial image. The management unit 1012 may store data obtained by converting the facial image into feature quantities, and may identify the driver based on the data.

[0058] Next, the management unit 1012 determines whether the identified driver has previously given consent to the transmission of the type of sensor data indicated in the request data to the server device 200. This determination can be made by referring to the consent DB 102B. Here, if consent has already been obtained for all of the requested sensor data, the management unit 1012 determines to transmit the sensor data to the server device 200.

[0059] If there is any requested sensor data for which consent has not been obtained, the management department 1012 inquires of the driver whether or not he / she consents via the input / output unit 104. Fig. 8 is an example of a screen for making an inquiry. The screen includes the type of sensor data to be transmitted, the transmission destination, the purpose of use, etc. If a response is received as a result of the inquiry, the management unit 1012 updates the consent DB 102B based on the response.

[0060] Then, the management unit 1012 instructs the data transmission unit 1013 on the sensor data that can be transmitted to the server device 200. As a result, only the sensor data of the type that the driver has agreed to is transmitted to the server device 200.

[0061] Next, a flowchart of the above-mentioned process will be described. As described above, the management unit 1012 executes a process of receiving request data from the server device 200 and a process of transmitting sensor data based on the received request data. 9 is a flowchart of a process for receiving request data from server device 200. The process shown in the figure is executed at a predetermined timing (for example, when the vehicle's driving system is started).

[0062] First, in step S11, an inquiry is made to the server device 200 to determine whether there is request data to be received. Whether there is request data to be received can be determined based on, for example, the last update date and time or the version number of the request data. For this reason, the server device 200 may notify the in-vehicle device 100 of the last update date and time or the version number of the request data. Alternatively, these may be stored in the request DB 102C. If there is request data to be received, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the request data is received from the server device 200 and stored in the request DB 102C. At this time, old data may be deleted.

[0063] 10 is a flowchart of a process for transmitting sensor data to the server device 200 based on request data. The process shown in the figure is executed periodically while the vehicle 10 is traveling. First, in step S21, a facial image of the driver is acquired via the camera 120, and the driver is identified based on the facial image. The driver can be identified, for example, by comparing a feature obtained by converting the facial image with a feature corresponding to one or more drivers stored in advance. In step S22, the type of sensor data requested by the server device 200 is determined based on the request data. In this step, the sensor data requested by the server device 200 and stored in the storage unit 102 is identified.

[0064] The processes of steps S23 to S26 are executed for each of the plurality of sensor data identified in step S22. First, in step S23, it is determined whether the driver's consent has been obtained for transmitting the target sensor data to the server device 200. For example, if there is a record in the consent DB 102B where the data type and destination match and the transmission permission field is set to "permitted", this step will result in a positive determination. If the transmission permission field is set to "rejected" or if there is no corresponding record (if the driver has not expressed an intention to transmit the target sensor data to the outside), this step will result in a negative determination.

[0065] If the determination in step S23 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S24, where the data transmission unit 1013 transmits the corresponding sensor data.

[0066] If the determination in step S23 is negative, the process proceeds to step S25. In step S25, it is determined whether the driver has previously expressed an intention to refuse transmission of the corresponding data type. For example, if there is a record in the consent DB 102B where the data type and destination match and the transmission permission field is set to "rejected", this step is determined to be positive. If the determination in step S25 is positive, the corresponding sensor data is not transmitted.

[0067] If the determination in step S25 is negative, it means that the driver has not previously expressed an intention for the corresponding data type. In this case, the process proceeds to step S26, where an inquiry is made as to whether or not the driver has consented. In step S26, the management unit 1012 confirms with the driver whether it is OK to transmit the corresponding type of sensor data via the input / output unit 104. The confirmation can be performed, for example, via a GUI such as that shown in FIG. When the driver responds, the result is reflected in the consent DB 102B. Based on the content of the response, the processes of steps S23 to S25 are repeated.

[0068] As described above, according to the first embodiment, data regarding whether or not consent to data transmission is given is accumulated in the in-vehicle device 100 for each type of sensor data transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the server device 200 and for each driver. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 100 controls the transmission of data to the server device 200 based on the accumulated data. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 100 only makes an inquiry if the driver has not previously given consent to data transmission, and otherwise follows the driver's previously expressed intentions. This makes it possible to obtain data from the vehicle 10 without bothering the driver.

[0069] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, whether or not to transmit sensor data is determined based on the result of the driver's past expression of intent (whether or not consent was given). In contrast, in the second embodiment, whether or not to transmit sensor data is determined by further considering the number of days since consent was given.

[0070] If a predetermined number of days have passed since the driver of the vehicle 10 expressed his / her intention to transmit sensor data to the outside, it may be preferable to confirm consent again. For this reason, in the second embodiment, a field indicating the date and time when the driver expressed his / her intention is further added to the consent data. Figure 11 shows an example of consent data in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, in step S23, the date on which the driver expressed his / her intention is further determined, and if a predetermined number of days (e.g., 180 days, 1 year, etc.) has passed since that date, the corresponding type of sensor data is treated as if no intention had been expressed. This configuration makes it possible to periodically reconfirm the driver's intention.

[0071] The number of days before the reconfirmation is performed may be a fixed value or may be dynamically determined based on the driving frequency. For example, the predetermined number of days may be set longer for a driver who drives more frequently than for a driver who drives less frequently. Conversely, the predetermined number of days may be set shorter for a driver who drives more frequently than for a driver who drives less frequently. Furthermore, in order to determine the frequency of driving, when the driver is identified in step S21, the date and time information may be stored in the storage unit 102 in association with the driver's identifier.

[0072] If the driver of the vehicle 10 has a history of refusing to transmit certain sensor data, consent confirmation may be performed again after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Alternatively, for sensor data that has been rejected once in the past, reconfirmation may not be performed even after a period of time has elapsed. Good too.

[0073] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment is an embodiment in which characteristics of driving operation are used as information for identifying the driver of the vehicle 10. Fig. 12 is a configuration diagram of the in-vehicle device 100 in the third embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the management unit 1012 is configured to be able to acquire information related to driving operation from the sensor group 110.

[0074] In the third embodiment, the sensor group 110 includes a sensor for sensing data related to driving operations. Examples of such sensors include an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and a steering angle sensor. These sensors can acquire driving operations such as the amount of acceleration, deceleration, and steering. The management unit 1012 acquires feature quantities corresponding to a series of driving operations based on this data.

[0075] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a method for acquiring feature quantities corresponding to a series of driving operations. The management unit 1012 acquires multiple values, such as speed, acceleration, and steering angle, in time series, and converts them into symbols by clustering them for each time step. The acquired multiple symbols are then grouped by a predetermined event. In the illustrated example, when an event such as "lane change" occurs, symbols for 16 time steps are grouped. The classification of this result (e.g., a histogram of the symbols) becomes the feature quantities of the driving operations corresponding to the predetermined event. In step S21, the management unit 1012 can also identify the driver of the vehicle 10 by using such feature quantities.

[0076] It should be noted that the method is not limited to the example given above, as long as it is possible to identify the driver of the vehicle 10 based on the driving operation. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been given in which data related to driving operations is acquired from the sensor group 110, but data related to driving operations (driving operation data) can also be acquired from electronic control units (e.g., engine ECU, body ECU, etc.) included in the vehicle 10. For example, vehicle speed, throttle opening, steering operation amount, etc. may be acquired from these electronic control units.

[0077] (Variation) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0078] In the first and second embodiments, a facial image is used as information for identifying the driver of the vehicle 10, but the driver of the vehicle 10 may be identified based on other biometric information. Examples of such biometric information include a fingerprint, a voiceprint, or an iris pattern.

[0079] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, an inquiry is made to the driver of the vehicle 10 when the driver has not previously agreed to the transmission of data to the server device 200. However, the inquiry may be made based on other factors. For example, if the driver of the vehicle 10 is not a pre-registered person (typically, the owner of the vehicle 10), the driver may be asked whether or not he or she has agreed to the data transmission. This is because if the driver of the vehicle 10 is not a pre-registered person, it is presumed that he or she has not agreed to the data transmission. Whether the driver of the vehicle 10 is not a pre-registered person can be determined based on the identification result in step S21.

[0080] In addition, in the description of the embodiment, only the server device 200 is used as an example of a destination of the sensor data, but the sensor data may be sent to multiple destinations. In this case, request data may be received from each of the multiple external devices. The destination of the sensor data may be the manufacturer of the vehicle 10, a related business, or a third party. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, consent was obtained for "transmitting sensor data outside of vehicle 10," but consent may also be for "providing sensor data to a specified business operator" or "using sensor data by the business operator."

[0081] In addition, in the description of the embodiment, consent confirmation is performed on the driver of the vehicle 10, but the subject of confirmation may be any passenger of the vehicle 10.

[0082] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0083] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10. Vehicle 100...In-vehicle equipment 200 Server device 101,201 Control unit 102,202...Storage section 103,203···Communications Department 104...Input / output section 110 Sensor group 120···Camera

Claims

1. An information processing device mounted on a vehicle, determining whether or not a driver of the vehicle has previously agreed to data acquired by the vehicle while it is traveling being acquired by an external device; If the driver has a history of agreeing to the acquisition of the data by the external device, transmitting the data to the external device; When a predetermined period determined based on the frequency of driving the vehicle by the driver has elapsed since the driver agreed to the acquisition of the data by the external device, asking the driver again whether or not to agree to the acquisition of the data by the external device; making the inquiry to the driver if the driver has not given consent to the acquisition of the data by the external device; a control unit that executes the following: Information processing device.

2. If the driver has a history of refusing to allow the external device to acquire the data, the control unit does not make the inquiry and does not transmit the data to the external device. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit identifies the driver based on biometric information acquired from a sensor included in the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit identifies the driver based on driving operation data acquired from an electronic control unit of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the data includes data regarding an occupant of the vehicle; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The data includes data related to the traveling of the vehicle driven by the driver. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The data acquisition device further includes a database that records whether or not the driver has consented to the data being acquired by the external device, in association with the driver. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. An information processing method executed by an information processing device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: determining whether a driver of the vehicle has previously agreed to data acquired by the vehicle while traveling being acquired by an external device; If the driver has a history of agreeing to the acquisition of the data by the external device, transmitting the data to the external device; a step of asking the driver again whether or not to agree to the acquisition of the data by the external device when a predetermined period determined based on a frequency of driving the vehicle by the driver has elapsed since the driver agreed to the acquisition of the data by the external device; making the inquiry to the driver if the driver has not given consent to the acquisition of the data by the external device; Including, Information processing methods.

9. The method further includes a step of not making the inquiry or transmitting the data to the external device when the driver has a history of refusing to allow the external device to acquire the data. The information processing method according to claim 8.

10. further comprising identifying the driver based on biometric information acquired from a sensor included in the vehicle. The information processing method according to claim 8.

11. The method further includes identifying the driver based on driving operation data acquired from an electronic control unit of the vehicle. The information processing method according to claim 8.

12. the data includes data regarding an occupant of the vehicle; The information processing method according to claim 8.

13. The data includes data related to the traveling of the vehicle driven by the driver. The information processing method according to claim 8.

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