Information processing device

Abstract

To provide an effective technique for improving the safety of a user driving a vehicle.SOLUTION: A control section of an information processing device acquires a first frequency as a frequency of forward parking per unit period of a first vehicle. The control section of the information processing device assists drive operation in a backward exit of the first vehicle parked forward when the first frequency is a first threshold or more, and transmits first information on first equipment as equipment attachable to the first vehicle to a first terminal related to a user of the first vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a technique for detecting moving objects approaching from the left and right sides of a vehicle when the vehicle parked in a parking lot or the like is backing up, and notifying the driver of the detection (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0271237 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that is effective in improving the safety of users who drive vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device. In this case, the information processing device includes, for example, Obtaining a first frequency, which is a frequency of forward parking per unit period of a first vehicle; When the first frequency is equal to or greater than a first threshold, transmitting first information related to a first equipment, the first equipment being equipment for assisting a driving operation related to backing up and being equipment that can be attached to the first vehicle, to a first terminal; The control unit may be configured to execute the above.

[0006] The present disclosure can also be regarded as an information processing method in which a computer executes the processing of the information processing device described above, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method described above, or as a storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that is effective in improving the safety of users who drive vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of each of a first vehicle, a user terminal, and a server included in the system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of each of an ECU, a user terminal, and a server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a vehicle information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing routine executed by the server according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A technique for diagnosing a vehicle user's driving behavior and notifying the user of the diagnosis results has been known. The user, who is notified of the diagnosis results, can objectively understand the tendencies of his or her own driving behavior.

[0010] One of the items that can be considered for the driving diagnosis is whether a user has a tendency to park forward. Forward parking is a parking method in which the vehicle is driven forward to enter and park in a parking space. When a forward-parked vehicle is to be pulled out, the vehicle must be driven backward (backed up) from the parking space. Therefore, for users who have a tendency to park forward, measures are needed to ensure safety when pulling out the vehicle.

[0011] Therefore, in an information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control unit acquires a first frequency, which is the frequency of forward parking of a first vehicle per unit period. The "first frequency" here refers to, for example, the frequency of forward parking per working day. A "working day" refers to a day on which the first vehicle is driven. The frequency of forward parking per working day may be, for example, the sum of the number of times the first vehicle is parked forward during the first number of working days divided by the first number of working days. The first number of working days is, for example, the number of days that can ensure accuracy in determining whether or not there is a tendency for forward parking, and is, for example, approximately 5 to 30 days.

[0012] A control unit of an information processing device according to the present disclosure transmits first information to a first terminal when the first frequency is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first information is information for recommending a first device. The first device is a device for assisting driving operations related to backing up, and is device that can be attached to the first vehicle. An example of the first device is a Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) that detects moving objects approaching from the left and right when the first vehicle is backing up and issues a warning. Note that the first terminal may be a terminal used by a user of the first vehicle (e.g., a smartphone, etc.), or a terminal installed in the first vehicle (e.g., a display audio, a car navigation system, etc.).

[0013] According to the information processing device of the present disclosure, it is possible to suggest equipment (first equipment) suitable for assisting a user who tends to park facing forward to perform a driving operation for backing up a first vehicle.

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0015] <Embodiment> 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system 1 according to this embodiment. The system 1 is a system for providing a service (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "driving diagnosis service") that diagnoses the driving operation of a first vehicle 10 by a first user and provides the first user with the diagnosis results.

[0016] In the example of FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a first vehicle 10, a user terminal 20, and a server 30. The first vehicle 10 is a vehicle driven by a first user. The user terminal 20 is a terminal used by the first user. The server 30 performs a driving diagnosis on the first vehicle 10 and provides the diagnosis result to the user terminal 20. In this embodiment, the server 30 performs a driving diagnosis on whether the first user has a tendency to park facing forward. If such a driving diagnosis determines that the first user has a tendency to park facing forward, the server 30 provides first information to the user terminal 20 in addition to the diagnosis result. The first information is information regarding equipment (first equipment) that assists driving operations when backing out the first vehicle 10 and can be attached to the first vehicle 10. The user terminal 20 presents the diagnosis result (and the first information) provided by the server 30 to the first user.

[0017] The first vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 are connected to one another via a network N1. The network N1 may be a global public network such as the Internet. It can be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or other communication network. The network N1 may include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone and / or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The first vehicle 10 may be connected to the user terminal 20 via short-range wireless communication. Although one first vehicle 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as an example, there may be a plurality of first vehicles 10. There may also be a plurality of user terminals 20 according to the number of first vehicles 10.

[0018] (System hardware configuration) Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of each of the first vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the server 30. Note that in the example illustrated in Fig. 2, only the hardware configuration related to the driving diagnosis service is extracted and illustrated, but each of the first vehicle 10, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 may include other hardware configurations.

[0019] The first vehicle 10 includes an ECU 100 and a sensor group 41. These components include a CAN (Controller Area Network), a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), Alternatively, they may be connected to each other via an in-vehicle network based on a standard such as FlexRay. Note that these components may not each be a single module, but may be realized by a combination of an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system or an in-vehicle communication device.

[0020] The ECU 100 is a computer mounted on the first vehicle 10. The ECU 100 includes a processor 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, and a communication unit 104. These are interconnected by a bus.

[0021] The processor 101 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The processor 101 controls the ECU 100 and performs various information processing. The main memory 102 includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM). The auxiliary memory 103 includes an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a removable medium. The auxiliary memory 103 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and the like. The processor 101 loads the programs stored in the auxiliary memory 103 into a working area of ​​the main memory 102 and executes them to control the various components. This allows the ECU 100 to realize functions that meet a predetermined purpose. The main memory 102 and the auxiliary memory 103 are computer-readable recording media. Note that part of the information stored in the auxiliary memory 103 may be stored in the main memory 102. Also, part of the information stored in the main memory 102 may be stored in the auxiliary memory 103.

[0022] The communication unit 104 is an interface for connecting the ECU 100 to the network N1. ... It is a communication circuit for communicating with other devices (for example, the server 30) via the network N1 using a wireless communication network such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0023] The sensor group 41 includes, for example, a sensor that detects the state of the first vehicle 10 and a sensor that detects the operation of the driver. The sensor group 41 includes, for example, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an accelerator opening sensor, a steering angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a turn signal switch sensor (a sensor that detects the state of a turn signal switch), a shift position sensor, a position information sensor (GPS sensor), a brake switch, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, a camera, and the like.

[0024] Next, the user terminal 20 is a computer used by a first user. The user terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal information terminal, a wearable computer (such as a smart watch), or a personal computer (PC). The user terminal 20 has a processor 201, a main memory unit 202, an auxiliary memory unit 203, an input unit 204, a display 205, and a communication unit 206, which are connected to each other by a bus. The processor 201, the main memory unit 202, the auxiliary memory unit 203, and the communication unit 206 are similar to the processor 101, the main memory unit 102, the auxiliary memory unit 103, and the communication unit 104 of the ECU 100, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0025] The input unit 204 is a device that accepts input operations performed by the first user, and is configured to include, for example, a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, or a push button. The display 205 is a device that presents information to the first user, and is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel. The input unit 204 and the display 205 may be configured as a single touch panel display.

[0026] Next, the server 30 is a computer operated by a provider of a driving diagnosis service. As shown in Fig. 2, the server 30 has a processor 301, a main memory unit 302, an auxiliary memory unit 303, and a communication unit 304, which are connected to each other by a bus. The processor 301, the main memory unit 302, and the auxiliary memory unit 303 are similar to the processor 101, the main memory unit 102, and the auxiliary memory unit 103 of the ECU 100, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] The communication unit 304 of the server 30 is an interface for connecting the server 30 to the network N1. The communication unit 304 includes, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 304 communicates with the first vehicle 10 and the user terminal 20 through the network N1.

[0028] (System functional configuration) The functional configuration of the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each of the ECU 100, the user terminal 20, and the server 30. The functional configurations of the ECU 100, the user terminal 20, and the server 30 are not limited to the configuration exemplified in Fig. 3, and functional components can be omitted, changed, or added as appropriate.

[0029] 3, the ECU 100 includes a control unit 110 as a functional component thereof. The control unit 110 is realized by the processor 101 of the ECU 100 executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103. Note that the control unit 110 may also be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0030] In this embodiment, the control unit 110 of the ECU 100 transmits travel information to the server 30 via the communication unit 104 every time the first vehicle 10 finishes traveling one trip. The travel information is information including, for example, each detection value of the sensor group 41 during the trip, trip date and time (trip start date and time and trip end date and time), and information for identifying the first vehicle 10 (vehicle ID). Note that the travel information may include all detection values ​​of the sensor group 41, or may include only detection values ​​necessary for determining the orientation of the first vehicle 10 when parked. The detection values ​​necessary for determining the orientation of the first vehicle 10 when parked may be, for example, image data captured by a camera. Furthermore, the term "trip" as used herein refers to the number of times the first vehicle 10 has traveled since it was started (for example, the ignition switch was turned on) The period until the power is turned off.

[0031] 3, the user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21 as a functional component thereof. The control unit 21 is realized by the processor 201 of the user terminal 20 executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 203. Note that the control unit 21 may also be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0032] In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the user terminal 20 presents to the first user the diagnostic result (and the first information) provided by the server 30. Specifically, when the communication unit 206 of the user terminal 20 receives the diagnostic result (and the first information) transmitted from the server 30, the control unit 21 causes the display 205 of the user terminal 20 to display the diagnostic result (and the first information).

[0033] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the server 30. The server 30 in this embodiment has a control unit 31 and a vehicle information DB 32 as its functional components, as shown in FIG.

[0034] The control unit 31 is realized by the processor 301 of the server 30 executing a program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 303. Note that the control unit 31 may also be realized by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0035] The control unit 31 receives, via the communication unit 304, travel information transmitted from the ECU 100 each time the first vehicle 10 completes one trip. As described above, the travel information includes the detection values ​​of the sensors 41 during the trip, the trip date and time, the vehicle ID of the first vehicle 10, and the like.

[0036] Each time the control unit 31 receives the driving information transmitted from the ECU 100, the control unit 31 acquires the date of the trip (the date of the working day) and the number of forward parkings performed during the trip. The control unit 31 may determine the number of forward parkings performed, for example, by performing image recognition processing on camera image data containing the driving information. Note that the method of determining the orientation of the first vehicle 10 when parked is not limited to the method using camera image data. For example, if an object such as a wall is present in front of the first vehicle 10 when the first vehicle 10 is parked and no object such as a wall is present behind the first vehicle 10, the first vehicle 10 may be determined to be parked forward. In this case, whether objects exist in front of or behind the first vehicle 10 may be determined based on detection values ​​from an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, or the like mounted on the first vehicle 10. After acquiring the date of the trip and the number of forward parkings performed during the trip, the control unit 31 registers the information in the vehicle information DB 32, which will be described later.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 31 performs a driving diagnosis each time the number of operating days of the first vehicle 10 reaches a first number of operating days and transmits the diagnosis results to the user terminal 20. The first number of operating days is a number of days that can ensure accuracy in determining whether or not there is a tendency for forward parking, and is, for example, approximately 5 to 30 days. In the driving diagnosis of this embodiment, the control unit 31 calculates a first frequency based on information registered in the vehicle information DB 32. Specifically, the control unit 31 calculates the sum (total number) of the number of forward parking incidents in all trips that fall within the range of the first number of operating days. The control unit 31 calculates the number of forward parking incidents per operating day (first frequency) by dividing the total number by the first number of operating days.

[0038] The control unit 31 executes a driving diagnosis based on the calculated first frequency. The control unit 31 determines whether the first frequency is equal to or greater than a first threshold. The first threshold is a value that, if the first frequency is equal to or greater than the first threshold, can determine that the first user tends to park facing forward. If the first frequency is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 31 determines that the first user tends to park facing forward. On the other hand, if the first frequency is less than the first threshold, the control unit 31 determines that the first user does not tend to park facing forward.

[0039] After completing the driving diagnosis based on the first frequency, the control unit 31 transmits the diagnosis result to the user terminal 20. Note that if the first frequency is equal to or greater than a first threshold (if the first user is diagnosed as having a tendency to park facing forward), the control unit 31 transmits first information to the user terminal 20 in addition to the diagnosis result. The first information is information recommending a first device. The first device is a device that assists in driving operations for backing up the vehicle and that can be attached to the first vehicle 10. An example of such first device is an RCTA that detects moving objects approaching from the left and right when the vehicle is backing up and issues a warning. The first information includes, for example, information regarding the function of the first device (e.g., text information or a video explaining the function of the first device) and information regarding how to purchase the first device (e.g., a uniform resource locator (URL) of a sales website for the first device).

[0040] Next, a description will be given of the vehicle information DB 32 of the server 30. The vehicle information DB 32 is a database that is constructed in the auxiliary storage unit 303 of the server 30 as a result of the processor 301 of the server 30 executing a DBMS (Database Management System) program. The vehicle information DB 32 may be constructed as a relational database.

[0041] The vehicle information DB 32 in this embodiment stores, for each vehicle, information on the date of each trip and the number of times the vehicle has been parked forward. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the vehicle information DB 32 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle information DB 32 in this embodiment has records for each vehicle (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "vehicle information records"). As shown in FIG. 4, each vehicle information record has a vehicle ID field and multiple (N in FIG. 4) trip fields.

[0042] The vehicle ID field of the vehicle information record stores information (vehicle ID) for identifying each of the multiple first vehicles 10 that are the subject of the driving diagnosis service. Each trip field is divided into subfields: a date field and a forward parking field. The date of each trip is stored in the date field. The number of times forward parking was performed in each trip is stored in the forward parking field. As described above, the information in the date field and forward parking field of each trip field is stored by the control unit 31 each time the server 30 receives driving information transmitted from the ECU 100.

[0043] In this embodiment, the server 30 corresponds to the "information processing device" according to the present disclosure. The processor 301 of the server 30 corresponds to the "control unit" according to the present disclosure. Furthermore, the user terminal 20 in this embodiment corresponds to the "first terminal" according to the present disclosure.

[0044] (Processing flow) Next, the flow of processing executed by the server 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the server 30 each time the number of operating days of the first vehicle 10 reaches the first number of operating days. The processing routine shown in Fig. 5 is executed by the processor 301 of the server 30, but here the processing routine will be described assuming that the functional component (control unit 31) of the server 30 is the executing entity.

[0045] In FIG. 5, the control unit 31 of the server 30 calculates the sum of the number of forward parking times (total number of times) for all trips that fall within the range of the first number of operating days (step S101). First, the control unit 31 accesses the vehicle information DB 32 and identifies a vehicle information record in which information matching the vehicle ID of the first vehicle 10 is registered in the vehicle ID field. The control unit 31 extracts, from the multiple trip fields registered in the identified vehicle information record, trip fields in which the date registered in the date field falls within the range of the first number of operating days. The control unit 31 calculates the total number of forward parkings by adding up the number of times registered in the forward parking fields of all the extracted trip fields. After completing the processing of step S101, the control unit 31 executes the processing of step S102.

[0046] In step S102, the control unit 31 calculates the first frequency by dividing the total number of times calculated in step S102 by the first number of operating days. After completing the process of step S102, the control unit 31 executes the process of step S103.

[0047] In step S103, the control unit 31 determines whether the first frequency calculated in step S102 is less than the first threshold value. If the first frequency is less than the first threshold value (positive determination in step S103), the control unit 31 executes the process of step S104.

[0048] In step S104, the control unit 31 transmits the diagnosis result of the driving diagnosis (the diagnosis result that the first user does not tend to park facing forward) to the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 304.

[0049] Furthermore, if a negative judgment is made in step S103 (if the first frequency is equal to or greater than the first threshold), the control unit 31 proceeds to step S105 and transmits the driving diagnosis result (the diagnosis result that the first user is likely to park facing forward) and the first information to the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 304. As described above, the first information includes information about the functions of the RCTA, information about how to purchase the RCTA, and the like.

[0050] When the control unit 31 has completed the processing of step S104 or step S105, it ends the execution of this processing routine.

[0051] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) In this embodiment, when a first user is diagnosed as being prone to forward parking, the first information is transmitted from the server 30 to the user terminal 20 along with the diagnosis result. In this case, the user terminal 20 presents the diagnosis result and the first information to the first user via the display 205. This allows the first user to understand the diagnosis result and recognize the existence of equipment (first equipment) suitable for assisting the driving operation when the first vehicle 10 parked in a forward-facing parking state is pulled out (when the first vehicle 10 is reversed from the parking position). As a result, it is possible to encourage users who tend to park forward to install the first equipment.

[0052] Therefore, this embodiment can contribute to improving safety when a user who tends to park facing forward drives the first vehicle 10 out of a parking space by backing it up.

[0053] <Modification> In the above embodiment, the first frequency is defined as the number of times the vehicle was parked forward per working day in the first number of working days. However, the first frequency may be defined as the ratio of the total number of times only the vehicle was parked forward to the total number of times the vehicle was parked forward (including parking other than parking forward) in the first number of working days. In this case, if the first frequency is more than 50%, the first user may be diagnosed as having a tendency to park forward.

[0054] <Other> The above embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the spirit thereof. The processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. For example, the calculation of the first frequency may be performed by ECU 100. Furthermore, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration for realizing each function can be flexibly changed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 System 10 First car 20 User terminal 30 servers 31 Control Unit 32 Vehicle information DB 301 processor 302 Main memory 303 Auxiliary storage unit 304 Communications Department

Claims

1. Obtaining a first frequency, which is a frequency of forward parking of a first vehicle per unit period; When the first frequency is equal to or greater than a first threshold, transmitting first information related to a first equipment that is equipment for assisting a driving operation related to backing up and that is equipment that can be attached to the first vehicle to a first terminal; and a control unit that executes the Information processing device.

2. The control unit acquires, as the first frequency, a frequency of forward parking of the first vehicle per working day. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The first device is a device that detects a moving object approaching from the left or right when the first vehicle is backing up and issues a warning. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

Images