Vehicle interior environment control device and vehicle interior environment control method

Abstract

To provide a cabin environment control device and a cabin environment control method which can appropriately perform cabin environment control for a user when contents are given in the cabin.SOLUTION: A cabin environment control device comprises: a specification part which specifies scenes contained in contents which are given to a user using a vehicle; and an environment control part which performs environment control in a cabin. The environment control part controls, when image information is not provided to the user in the cabin, environment in the cabin based on a first environment setting information set in advance by the user, and controls, when contents is provided to the user, environment in the cabin based on a second environment setting information where the first environment setting information is varied at a degree of change according to the scene.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interior environment control device and an interior environment control method for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a technique has been disclosed for controlling seats and air conditioning in a vehicle cabin in accordance with a video scene displayed on an in-vehicle display device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-188390 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional technology, fixed changes to the in-car environment corresponding to the video scene are made without taking into account the in-car environment, such as air conditioning, that the user has set in advance, and as a result, the magnitude of the change in the environment can make the user feel uncomfortable and reduce their sense of immersion in the content, such as the video.

[0005] The present invention has been made taking these circumstances into consideration, and one of its objectives is to provide an in-vehicle environment control device and an in-vehicle environment control method that can provide more appropriate in-vehicle environment control to users when providing content in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle interior environment control device and vehicle interior environment control method according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): An in-vehicle environment control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an identification unit that identifies a scene included in content provided to a user using a vehicle, and an environment control unit that controls the environment within the vehicle cabin. When video information is not provided to the user in the vehicle cabin, the environment control unit controls the environment within the vehicle cabin based on first environment setting information that is preset by the user, and when content is provided to the user, controls the environment within the vehicle cabin based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change corresponding to the scene.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the environmental control includes air conditioning control, and the first environmental setting information and the second environmental setting information include at least one of temperature information, air volume information, and position information of an air outlet provided in the vehicle cabin.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1), the environmental control unit sets the second environmental setting information for each scene included in the content, and controls the environment inside the vehicle cabin based on the second environmental setting information corresponding to the scene.

[0009] (4): In the above aspect (1), the environmental control unit controls the environment inside the vehicle cabin based on the second environmental setting information for a predetermined period of time including the point at which the scene included in the content changes.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (1), a user state detection unit is further provided that detects the state of the user in the vehicle cabin, and the identification unit identifies the scene of the content being provided to the user according to the facial expression of the user detected by the user state detection unit.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (1), the environmental control unit controls the second environmental setting information, which is changed based on the first environmental setting information at a degree of change according to the scene, so that it does not exceed a preset settable range.

[0012] (7): In the above aspect (1), when providing content to the user, the environmental control unit performs at least one of shading control to block light from entering the vehicle interior and noise suppression control to suppress noise from outside the vehicle.

[0013] (8) In the above aspect (1), the environment control unit controls the vehicle so that it cannot travel while the content is being provided to the user.

[0014] (9): One embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle environment control method in which a computer identifies a scene contained in content provided to a user using a vehicle, controls the environment in the vehicle cabin, and, if no video information is provided to the user in the vehicle cabin, controls the environment in the vehicle cabin based on first environment setting information previously set by the user, and, if content is provided to the user, controls the environment in the vehicle cabin based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change corresponding to the scene. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the above aspects (1) to (9), when content is provided in a vehicle, it is possible to provide a more appropriate vehicle environment control for the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle system 1 including an in-vehicle environment control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the contents of first environmental setting information 152. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining scene-specific adjustment data 154. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of settings when the second environmental setting information exceeds the settable range. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a first environmental control in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second environmental control in the embodiment. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by the vehicle interior environment control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle interior environment control device and a vehicle interior environment control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a vehicle system 1 including an interior environment control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is installed may be, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell. The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a communication device 10, an HMI 20, a vehicle sensor 30, an air conditioning device 40, a lighting device 50, a shading device 60, a noise canceller 70, an interior camera 80, and a vehicle control device 100. These devices and equipment are connected to each other via multiplexed communication lines such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication line, serial communication lines, a wireless communication network, or the like. Note that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the components may be omitted, or additional components may be added. For example, the vehicle system 1 is provided with a driving operator for driving the vehicle, a driving force output device and a brake device for controlling the speed of the vehicle, a steering device for controlling the steering of the vehicle, etc. The in-vehicle camera 80 is an example of a "user state detection unit" that detects the state of a user U in the vehicle.

[0019] The communication device 10 includes, for example, a TCU (Telematics Control Unit). The communication device 10 communicates with a content server 200 and a terminal device 300 used by a user U using a vehicle, using a network such as a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a public line, a provider device, a leased line, or a wireless base station. The communication device 10 may communicate with the terminal device 300 wirelessly via a short-range communication network such as a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth, or may communicate with the terminal device 300 via a wired connection via a communication cable. The content server 200 may be, for example, a DB (Database) server or a cloud server configured by cloud computing including one or more information processing devices. The content server 200 provides various contents (e.g., video (moving image) content, image content, and audio (music) content) to a vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1. The video content may include, for example, video provided by game content (applications). The terminal device 300 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 300 includes at least a communication unit capable of communicating with the communication device 10, the content server 200, etc., a display unit for displaying various contents provided from the vehicle system 1 or the content server 200, a speaker for outputting sound, etc.

[0020] The HMI 20 presents various information to a user U in the vehicle and accepts input operations from the user U. The HMI 20 includes, for example, a display unit 22 and a speaker 24. The display unit 22 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. The display unit 22 is, for example, a display device provided in the center of the vehicle's instrument panel or in front of the driver's seat, that displays various information about the vehicle, such as a speedometer indicating the vehicle's traveling speed or a tachometer indicating the rotation speed (rotational speed) of the vehicle's internal combustion engine, a so-called multi-information display. The display unit 22 may also be a projection device that projects images onto the side of the vehicle cabin or a predetermined area, or may be a head-up display (HUD). One or more speakers 24 are attached at any position in the vehicle cabin and output various sounds. The HMI 20 may also include a switch, a buzzer, a touch panel, a microphone, keys, etc. The HMI 20 receives, for example, input of various information (for example, first environment setting information, which will be described later, and content to be viewed) from the user U. The HMI 20 outputs video and audio corresponding to the content.

[0021] The vehicle sensors 30 include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle, etc. The vehicle sensors 30 may also include a position sensor that acquires the position of the vehicle. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver (not shown) or the like provided in the vehicle system 1. The vehicle sensors 30 may also include a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance, a noise sensor that detects the amount of noise outside the vehicle (bustling sounds and other noise), etc. The vehicle sensors 30 may also include an air volume sensor that detects the air volume of the air conditioner 40. Information detected by the vehicle sensors 30 is output to the vehicle control device 100.

[0022] The air conditioner 40 is, for example, an air conditioner. The air conditioner 40 is installed, for example, in the engine compartment of the vehicle, and supplies conditioned air from a plurality of air outlets provided at any position, such as the instrument panel, footwell, or ceiling, to control the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin. Specifically, the air conditioner 40 supplies warm air or cool air into the vehicle cabin, for example, under the control of an air conditioning control unit (described later), so that the temperature in the vehicle cabin (the temperature detected by a temperature sensor) becomes a temperature included in environmental setting information (first environmental setting information) set by a user U. The first environmental setting information includes, for example, at least one of temperature information, an air volume level (an example of air volume information), and position information of the air outlets that supply the conditioned air (which may include the air direction). If the first environmental setting information includes an air volume level, the air conditioner 40 supplies conditioned air at a volume corresponding to the air volume level. If the first environmental setting information includes position information of the air outlets, the air conditioner 40 supplies conditioned air from the position. In addition to the above, the first environmental setting information may also include setting information of the user U regarding the brightness (illuminance level) in the vehicle interior.

[0023] The lighting device 50 controls the lighting in the vehicle interior. For example, the lighting device 50 includes a light source unit that emits light in a predetermined color on the upper part (ceiling), sides, lower part (foot area), etc. of the vehicle interior. For example, under the control of a lighting control unit (described later), the lighting device 50 turns on (or off) the light source unit so that the illuminance in the vehicle interior (illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor) becomes the illuminance level included in the first environmental setting information.

[0024] The shading device 60 is, for example, a sunshade, and is provided on the inside of the window glass (windshield) in front of, on the side of, or behind the driver's seat. The shading member is opened and closed by operating a switch provided on the HMI 20, for example. When the shading device 60 controls to close the shading member, the shading member covers the inside of the window glass to block or reduce sunlight entering the vehicle, and when the shading device 60 controls to open the shading member, the shading member allows light to enter through the window glass of the vehicle. Note that the shading device 60 may also be a device that controls the light transmittance of the window glass. By closing the shading member or controlling to reduce the transmittance, it becomes difficult to see inside the vehicle interior from outside. In addition, in the embodiment, it may be difficult to see outside the vehicle from inside the vehicle interior when the vehicle is not moving.

[0025] The noise canceller 70 performs control to suppress noise outside the vehicle (such as crowd noise and other sounds) within the vehicle cabin, for example. For example, the noise canceller 70 analyzes sounds collected from a microphone inside the vehicle to estimate the noise outside the vehicle, and generates another sound that is in the opposite phase to the estimated noise and outputs it from the speaker 24, thereby suppressing the noise outside the vehicle. The noise canceller 70 may also suppress the noise outside the vehicle by, for example, adjusting the volume of the video content (by increasing the volume or adjusting the directionality of the sound).

[0026] The interior camera 80 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The interior camera 80 is a camera for capturing images of objects placed inside the vehicle. The interior camera 80 is attached, for example, to any location that can capture images of the interior of the vehicle. The interior camera 80 captures images of the interior of the vehicle at a predetermined timing or periodically. The interior camera 80 may be a stereo camera.

[0027] The vehicle control device 100 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 110, a provision unit 120, an identification unit 130, an environment control unit 140, and a storage unit 150. Some or all of the acquisition unit 110, the identification unit 130, the provision unit 120, and the environment control unit 140 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the vehicle control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory of the vehicle control device 100 by attaching the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) to a drive device. For example, the HMI 20, the vehicle sensor 30, the air conditioning device 40, the lighting device 50, the shading device 60, the noise canceller 70, the interior camera 80, the acquisition unit 110, the identification unit 130, the environment control unit 140, and the storage unit 150 are examples of an "in-vehicle environment control device."

[0028] The storage unit 150 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 150 stores, for example, first environment setting information 152, scene-specific adjustment data 154, content data 156, programs, and various other information.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the contents of the first environmental setting information 152. The first environmental setting information 152 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes, for example, temperature information, an airflow level, and air outlet position information. However, it is sufficient if at least one of these information is included. The temperature information is the temperature inside the vehicle cabin desired by the user U. The airflow level is an index value indicating the magnitude of the airflow of conditioned air supplied into the vehicle cabin. In the embodiment, a larger value of the airflow level indicates a larger airflow. The air outlet position information is information regarding the position, number, and wind direction of the air outlets that actually blow out the conditioned air among multiple air outlets pre-installed in the vehicle cabin that can blow out the conditioned air. In addition to the above information, the first environmental setting information 152 may also include, for example, information regarding the illuminance level inside the vehicle cabin, information indicating whether shading control is to be performed, and information indicating whether noise suppression control is to be performed. These pieces of information are set by the user U via the HMI 20. In addition, the first environmental setting information 152 may include, for example, information regarding the illuminance level inside the vehicle cabin, information indicating whether shading control is to be performed, and information indicating whether noise suppression control is to be performed, so that the user U can complete the setting before content is provided to the user U.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the scene-specific adjustment data 154. In the scene-specific adjustment data 154, for example, environmental change degree information is associated with a scene type. The environmental change degree information includes, for example, a temperature change degree [°C], an airflow level change degree, and an air outlet change degree. The temperature change degree is the amount of temperature change (increase or decrease) based on the temperature information in the first environmental setting information 152. For example, "±0" shown in FIG. 3 indicates no temperature change. The airflow level change degree is the amount of airflow change (increase or decrease) based on the airflow level in the first environmental setting information 152. The air outlet position change degree indicates, for example, changes in the position, number, and air direction of the air outlets. For example, the change in air outlet position is information indicating the amount of increase or decrease in position on either side of the position or number stored in the air outlet position information in the first environmental setting information 152. For example, "+1" shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the number of air outlets should be increased by one, regardless of the position. Also, when "right air outlet" is set, it indicates that an air outlet on the right side of the cabin is added based on the position of the riding user U (facing forward when seated in the seat). Also, "wind direction: left" indicates that conditioned air is supplied from the air outlet to the left.

[0031] The environmental change degree information may include information indicating that the air conditioning should be turned off. The environmental change degree information may also include change degree information related to lighting (an increase or decrease value based on the illuminance level of the first environmental setting information). The environmental change degree information may be set in advance to a change degree that is estimated not to cause discomfort to humans, or may be set by the user U. By having the user U set the change degree, it is possible to predict the environmental change degree in advance, thereby preventing the sense of immersion in the content from being lost even when the environment actually changes. Furthermore, when the user U sets the change degree, the change may be limited so as not to exceed a predetermined changeable range.

[0032] The content data 156 is various content provided by the content server 200 or content stored in advance in the vehicle. The content data 156 may be updated as needed by communication between the communication device 10 and the content server 200.

[0033] The acquisition unit 110 acquires first environmental setting information 152 received by the HMI 20 or the terminal device 300 connected to the vehicle. The acquired first environmental setting information 152 is stored in the storage unit 150. The acquisition unit 110 also acquires various contents from the content server 200 and stores the acquired contents in the storage unit 150 as content data 156.

[0034] The providing unit 120 provides content to a user U in a vehicle. For example, the providing unit 120 acquires content specified by the user U from the content server 200 or the content data 156 using the HMI 20 or the terminal device 300 connected to the vehicle system 1, and outputs the acquired content from the HMI 20 or the terminal device 300.

[0035] The identification unit 130 identifies scenes included in content (e.g., video content, image content, audio content) provided to a user U using a vehicle. For example, when the content is video, the identification unit 130 performs existing image analysis processing on each image frame (or image frames at predetermined intervals) included in the video information to extract feature information of the image, and identifies the scene of the video based on the extracted feature information. For example, the identification unit 130 may identify a scene related to a location such as a desert, snowfall, ocean, mountain, or cave from the feature information, identify a scene related to a movement such as moving right or moving left from the feature information of a time-series image frame, or identify a scene related to a genre such as horror, sports, adventure, or suspense. The identification unit 130 may also analyze images of the image content to identify the scene of the image.

[0036] Furthermore, instead of (or in addition to) analyzing the video, the identification unit 130 may perform existing audio analysis processing on the audio output along with the video to extract feature information of the audio, and identify the scene of the video based on the extracted feature information. For example, if the video contains audio such as a scream, the identification unit 130 may identify it as a horror scene, and if it contains a loud wind noise, the identification unit 130 may identify it as a storm scene. In the case of audio content, the identification unit 130 may identify the scene of the audio being played by the above-mentioned audio analysis, etc.

[0037] The identification unit 130 also analyzes the camera image captured by the in-vehicle camera 80 using existing image analysis processing, and estimates the facial expression of the user U while in the vehicle based on the analysis results. The identification unit 130 may further identify the scene of the video being viewed from the estimated facial expression. For example, if the user U has a frightened face, the identification unit 130 identifies the video being viewed as a horror scene.

[0038] Furthermore, if tag information (meta information) indicating a scene type is previously assigned to the content, the identification unit 130 may identify the scene of the content from the assigned information. Note that the tag information is assigned together with, for example, playback time (timestamp) information of the video content, so that multiple scenes included in the video content can be identified.

[0039] The environment control unit 140 controls the environment in the vehicle cabin. The environment control unit 140 includes, for example, an air conditioning control unit 142, a lighting control unit 144, and a noise control unit 146. The air conditioning control unit 142 controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin by controlling the air conditioner 40. For example, when content is not provided to the user U, the air conditioning control unit 142 controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on first environment setting information 152 set in advance by the user U. When content is provided to the user U, the air conditioning control unit 142 sets second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information 152 by a change degree corresponding to the scene, and controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the set second environment setting information. In this case, the air conditioning control unit 142 refers to the scene-specific adjustment data 154 based on the result of identifying the scene identified by the identification unit 130, and acquires change degree information corresponding to the identified scene. The air conditioning control unit 142 then controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the second environmental setting information that has been changed by the acquired degree of change, using the current environmental setting (first environmental setting information 152) as a reference.

[0040] The lighting control unit 144 controls the illumination intensity in the vehicle cabin by controlling the lighting device 50. For example, when no content is provided to the user U, the lighting control unit 144 controls the illumination intensity in the vehicle cabin based on the first environmental setting information 152. When content is provided, the lighting control unit 144 sets second environmental setting information that is changed by a change degree depending on the scene based on the first environmental setting information 152, based on change degree information related to lighting included in the scene-specific adjustment data 154, and controls the illumination intensity in the vehicle cabin based on the set second environmental setting information.

[0041] Furthermore, when content is being provided to the user U, the lighting control unit 144 may control the shading device 60 to make it difficult to see inside the vehicle cabin from outside and / or to make it difficult to see outside the vehicle from inside the vehicle when the vehicle is not moving. This allows the user U to concentrate on the content without being distracted by what is outside the vehicle, thereby further improving the sense of immersion in the content. Note that the shading control by the shading device 60 described above may be performed when the user U gets into the vehicle, or may be performed according to the content scene.

[0042] The noise control unit 146 controls the noise canceller 70 to suppress noise outside the vehicle cabin. For example, when content is being provided to the user U, the noise control unit 146 activates the noise canceller 70 to suppress noise outside the vehicle if the amount of noise from outside the vehicle is equal to or greater than a threshold, according to the detection result of the noise sensor. This allows the user U to concentrate on the content without being distracted by what is happening outside the vehicle, thereby further improving the sense of immersion in the content. Note that the above-mentioned noise suppression control may be performed when the user U gets into the vehicle, or may be performed according to the content scene.

[0043] [Setting the second environment setting information] Next, a method for setting the second environment setting information based on the first environment setting information 152 will be described. For example, when content is provided by the providing unit 120 to the user U in the vehicle, the environment control unit 140 acquires environment change degree information by referring to the scene-specific adjustment data 154 based on the content scene identified by the identifying unit 130. Then, the environment control unit 140 sets the second environment setting information that is changed based on the change degree of the environment change degree information using the value set in the first environment setting information 152 as a reference. This makes it possible to prevent a sudden change in the environment from making the user U feel uncomfortable and thereby reducing the sense of immersion in the content. Furthermore, a more appropriate in-vehicle environment can be provided to the user U depending on the content being viewed, thereby further improving the sense of immersion in the content.

[0044] Note that when setting the first environmental setting information 152, it is set within a preset settable range. Therefore, if the user U sets a value near the upper or lower limit, there is a possibility that the settable range, which is changed depending on the change degree of the environmental change degree information, will be exceeded. Therefore, the environmental control unit 140 controls the second environmental setting information changed depending on the change degree of the environmental change degree information, so that it does not exceed the settable range.

[0045] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a setting example when the second environmental setting information exceeds the settable range. FIG. 4 shows the settable range (upper limit, lower limit) of the environmental setting information (e.g., temperature). The first environmental setting information is set by the user U within a predetermined settable range (e.g., 18 to 32°C). For example, if the temperature in the first environmental setting information is 30°C and the change rate in the environmental change rate information according to the content scene is +3°C, the upper limit (18 to 32°C) will be exceeded. Therefore, the environmental control unit 140 (in the above example, the air conditioning control unit 142) sets the second environmental setting information to a temperature with a change rate that does not exceed the upper limit (e.g., +2°C) and controls the air conditioning to achieve that temperature. This prevents environmental control from exceeding the settable range, providing a more comfortable indoor environment.

[0046] Furthermore, when occupants other than the user U in the vehicle cabin include a child or an elderly person, or when the user U in the vehicle cabin is a child or an elderly person, the environment control unit 140 may set the second environment setting information with a smaller amount of change than the degree of change indicated in the scene-specific adjustment data 154. The determination of whether the user is a child or an elderly person may be made, for example, based on characteristic information (e.g., body contour shape, posture, hair color, facial expression) obtained from an analysis result of a camera image from the in-vehicle camera 80, or the user U may apply for this in advance. For example, when an adult and a child are riding in the vehicle, the environment control unit 140 may change the degree of change in the surrounding environment between the seat position where the child is riding (e.g., a rear seat) and the seat position where the adult is riding (e.g., the driver's seat). This makes it possible to provide a more appropriate environment for each user riding in the vehicle.

[0047] [Environmental control for each scene] Next, a specific example of environmental control for each scene included in content will be described. It is assumed below that a user U has already boarded a vehicle and that first environmental setting information has been set. It is also assumed below that the content is video content and the environmental control is air conditioning control. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the first environmental control in an embodiment. The example in FIG. 5 shows the transition of scenes (scenes 1, 2, and 3) included in video content over time. In FIG. 5, T0, T1, T2, and T3 indicate times, with time T0 being the earliest, followed by times T1, T2, and T3. In the example in FIG. 5, time T0-T1 is a period during which no video content is being provided, time T1-T2 is a period during which scene 1 of the video content is being provided (viewed by user U), time T2-T3 is a period during which scene 2 of the video content is being provided, and time T3 and after is a period during which scene 3 of the video content is being provided. The same applies to the example in FIG. 6 described later.

[0048] During the period from time T0 to T1, the air conditioning control unit 142 controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the first environmental setting information. During the period from time T1 to T2, the air conditioning control unit 142 acquires environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 1 identified by the identification unit 130, sets second environmental setting information that is changed by a change degree corresponding to the environmental change degree information based on the value of the first environmental setting information, and controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the set information. Similarly, during the period from time T2 to T3, the air conditioning control unit 142 controls the air conditioning using the second environmental setting information that is changed by a change degree based on the environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 2, and during the period from time T3 onwards when scene 3 is being provided, controls the air conditioning using the second environmental setting information that is changed by a change degree based on the environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 3. In other words, under the first environmental control, environmental control corresponding to that scene is executed while the scene is being provided (viewed or played). The first environmental control allows the user U to experience environmental changes for each scene. Therefore, the user U can feel more immersed in the video content.

[0049] 6 is a diagram for explaining the second environmental control in the embodiment. In the second environmental control, environmental control (air conditioning control) based on the second environmental setting information is performed only for a predetermined time including a switching point. In the example of FIG. 6, the switching points are time T1, which is the start time of the video content, and times T2 and T3, which are the times when the scene switches.

[0050] During the period from time T0 to T1 (just before time T1), the air conditioning control unit 142 controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the first environmental setting information. During the period from time T1 (including time T1) until a first predetermined time has elapsed, the air conditioning control unit 142 acquires environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 1 identified by the identification unit 130, sets second environmental setting information that is changed by a change degree corresponding to the environmental change degree information based on the value of the first environmental setting information, and controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the set information. The first predetermined time may be a fixed time or a variable time according to the playback time of the scene (for example, 20% (2 minutes) of the scene playback time of 10 minutes).

[0051] Thereafter, the air conditioning control unit 142 returns to the first environmental setting information and controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin for a period up to a second predetermined time before time T2, when the scene changes to scene 2. The second predetermined time may be a fixed time (e.g., 5 seconds), or may be a variable time depending on the type of scene after the change or the combination of scenes before and after the change. For example, if the second predetermined time is set to be variable, the greater the temperature change due to the scene change, the longer the second predetermined time is set. This allows the temperature change to be felt immediately after the scene change.

[0052] Furthermore, the air conditioning control unit 142 performs air conditioning control using the second environmental setting information changed by the degree of change based on the environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 2 during the period from a time that is a second predetermined time before time T2 until the first predetermined time has elapsed. Thereafter, the air conditioning control unit 142 returns to the first environmental setting information and performs air conditioning control in the vehicle cabin during the period from a time that is a second predetermined time before time T3, when scene 3 is switched to. Thereafter, similarly, the air conditioning control unit 142 performs air conditioning control using the second environmental setting information changed by the degree of change based on the environmental change degree information corresponding to scene 3 during the period from a time that is a second predetermined time before time T3 until the first predetermined time has elapsed. Furthermore, after the first predetermined time has elapsed, the air conditioning control unit 142 returns to the first environmental setting information and performs air conditioning control in the vehicle cabin.

[0053] In the case of the second environmental control, it is necessary to identify the next scene (or video content) before the scene is provided. In this case, the identification unit 130 may identify the scene in advance, for example, by using tag information attached to the content together with a timestamp, or may pre-read the content before it is provided and identify the next scene.

[0054] According to the second environmental control described above, the control period based on the second environmental setting information is shorter than that of the first environmental control. Therefore, it is possible to prevent discomfort caused by a prolonged change in the environment. Furthermore, since the user U is keen to understand the situation of a scene when the scene changes, temporarily changing the environment according to the scene for a predetermined period of time including the scene change point makes it easier for the user to recognize the type of scene, thereby further improving the sense of immersion in the video. The first and second environmental controls described above may be switched based on the settings of the user U, or may be selected according to the content (e.g., the genre of the entire content or the number of scenes included in the content).

[0055] [Processing flow] Next, a process executed by the vehicle interior environment control device in the embodiment will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the user U is already in the vehicle and the first environment information has also been set (registered). FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the vehicle interior environment control device in the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 7, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the first environment setting information (step S100). Next, the environment control unit 140 determines whether content has been provided to the user U by the provision unit 120 (step S110). If it is determined that content has not been provided, the environment control unit 140 executes environment control based on the first environment setting information (step S120).

[0056] If it is determined in step S110 that content is being provided, the identification unit 130 identifies the scene of the content (step S130). Next, the environment control unit 140 sets second environment setting information that is changed by a degree of change corresponding to the identified scene, based on the value set in the first environment setting information (step S140), and executes environment control based on the set second environment setting information (step S150). This ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0057] [Variations] In the above-described embodiment, whether to provide the content to the HMI 20 or the terminal device 300 may be set in advance by the user U, or may be selected depending on the riding position of the user U in the vehicle, the number of passengers, etc. For example, when the user U is seated in the back seat, the providing unit 120 provides the content to the terminal device 300 because the front display unit 22 may be difficult to see. Furthermore, when two users U are watching, one in the driver's seat and the other in the passenger seat, the providing unit 120 displays the content on the HMI 20 so that they can be viewed simultaneously. Furthermore, when the user U is seated in both the front seat and the back seat, the providing unit 120 may provide the content to both the HMI 20 and the terminal device 300. The riding position of the user U can be confirmed, for example, by analyzing the camera image from the interior camera 80.

[0058] In addition, in the embodiment, the acquisition unit 110 may acquire an instruction operation by a gesture of a user in the vehicle, rather than from the HMI 20 or the terminal device 300. The gesture can be recognized, for example, from the analysis result of a camera image of the interior camera 80.

[0059] Furthermore, the environment control unit 140 may perform seat control in addition to (or instead of) the above-mentioned air conditioning control, lighting control, shading control, and noise suppression control. In this case, information on the seat position and the angle of the backrest is set in the first environment setting information, and information on the degree of change of the seat for each scene is set in the scene-specific adjustment data 154.

[0060] The service in the embodiment (environmental control service tailored to content) can also be provided to a user U who does not drive (or cannot drive) a vehicle. For example, a user U who does not own a vehicle can access an external server that provides car sharing or rental cars via the terminal device 300 to reserve a vehicle, get in the vehicle at the reserved time and place, set the first environmental information, and select content, thereby receiving the in-vehicle environmental control service tailored to the content described above.

[0061] In addition, when a user U who does not drive (or cannot drive) gets into a vehicle, the environment control unit 140 may perform control to disable the operation of the driving controls (steering wheel, accelerator pedal) or to disable the driving drive force output device and steering device so that the vehicle cannot be driven, when content is being provided, in order to prevent the vehicle from accidentally moving. This allows the user U (especially a user who cannot drive) to use the vehicle as a private space with peace of mind.

[0062] The in-vehicle environment control device in the embodiment may be installed in an autonomous vehicle. Autonomous driving refers to, for example, automatically controlling one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle to perform driving control. Autonomous driving allows a user U to travel to a specified destination or the like without performing any driving operation, and allows the user U to view content and receive in-vehicle environment control services according to the content while arriving at the destination.

[0063] According to the embodiment described above, the vehicle interior environment control device includes an identification unit 130 that identifies scenes included in content provided to a user U using a vehicle, and an environment control unit 140 that controls the environment within the vehicle cabin. When the content is not provided to the user U in the vehicle cabin, the environment control unit 140 controls the environment within the vehicle cabin based on first environment setting information preset by the user U. When the content is provided to the user U, the environment control unit 140 controls the environment within the vehicle cabin based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change corresponding to the scene. This allows for more appropriate environment control for the user when content is provided. This can further improve the user's sense of immersion in the content.

[0064] Specifically, in this embodiment, the video content provided to the vehicle is analyzed to determine a value to be increased or decreased from the first environmental setting information, and the environment for each scene is controlled based on the second environmental setting information changed by the determined value. This allows, for example, control so that cool air flows into the vehicle when the scene switches to a snowy mountain, providing the user U with a natural change in the environment that matches the content. This allows the user U to feel more immersed in the content. Because the comfort provided by this environmental change is different from the comfort provided while driving, the vehicle system can provide services with higher added value.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, a private content viewing space using a vehicle can be provided to the user U, allowing the user U to effectively utilize several hours of free time without having to travel to a special location. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, an environment that makes it easy to concentrate on content can be created by performing shading control and noise suppression control on the vehicle. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, even a user U who cannot drive a vehicle can use the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to be used more effectively.

[0066] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; a processor connected to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: Identifying scenes included in content provided to a user using a vehicle; Controlling the vehicle interior environment When video information is not provided to the user in the vehicle cabin, the environment in the vehicle cabin is controlled based on first environment setting information preset by the user; When content is provided to the user, the environment inside the vehicle cabin is controlled based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change according to the scene. In-car climate control system.

[0067] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1...vehicle system, 10...communication device, 20...HMI, 30...vehicle sensor, 40...air conditioning device, 50...lighting device, 60...shading device, 70...noise canceller, 80...in-vehicle camera, 100...vehicle control device, 110...acquisition unit, 120...providing unit, 130...identification unit, 140...environment control unit, 142...air conditioning control unit, 144...lighting control unit, 146...noise control unit

Claims

1. an identification unit that identifies a scene included in content provided to a user using a vehicle; an environmental control unit that controls the environment in the vehicle cabin, The environmental control unit When video information is not provided to the user in the vehicle cabin, the environment in the vehicle cabin is controlled based on first environment setting information preset by the user; When content is provided to the user, the environment inside the vehicle cabin is controlled based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change corresponding to the scene; the environmental control unit controls the environment in the vehicle cabin based on the second environmental setting information for a predetermined time period including a point at which a scene included in the content changes. In-car climate control system.

2. Further comprising a user state detection unit that detects the state of a user in the vehicle compartment, the identification unit identifies a scene of the content being provided to the user in accordance with the facial expression of the user detected by the user state detection unit. The vehicle interior climate control system according to claim 1 .

3. When providing content to the user, the environmental control unit performs at least one of a shading control for blocking light from entering the vehicle interior and a noise suppression control for suppressing noise from outside the vehicle. The vehicle interior climate control system according to claim 1 .

4. The environmental control unit controls the vehicle so that it cannot run while the content is being provided to the user. The vehicle interior climate control system according to claim 1 .

5. the environmental control includes air conditioning control; the first environmental setting information and the second environmental setting information include at least one of temperature information, air volume information, and position information of an air outlet provided in the vehicle compartment; The vehicle interior environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the environment control unit sets the second environment setting information for each scene included in the content, and controls the environment in the vehicle cabin based on the second environment setting information corresponding to the scene. The vehicle interior environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. the environment control unit controls the second environment setting information, which is changed based on the first environment setting information at a degree of change according to the scene, so as not to exceed a preset settable range. The vehicle interior environment control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The computer Identifying scenes included in content provided to a user using a vehicle; Controlling the vehicle interior environment When video information is not provided to the user in the vehicle cabin, the environment in the vehicle cabin is controlled based on first environment setting information preset by the user; When content is provided to the user, the environment inside the vehicle cabin is controlled based on second environment setting information that is changed based on the first environment setting information by a degree of change corresponding to the scene; controlling the environment in the vehicle cabin based on the second environment setting information for a predetermined time period including a point at which a scene included in the content is changed; Vehicle interior climate control method.

9. The computer detecting a facial expression of a user in the vehicle cabin, and identifying a scene of content being provided to the user in accordance with the detected facial expression of the user; 9. The method for controlling the interior environment of a vehicle according to claim 8.

10. The computer When providing content to the user, at least one of a shading control for shading light into the vehicle interior and a noise suppression control for suppressing noise from outside the vehicle is performed.

9. The method for controlling the interior environment of a vehicle according to claim 8.

11. The computer controlling the vehicle so that it cannot travel while the content is being provided to the user; 9. The method for controlling the interior environment of a vehicle according to claim 8.

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