Information processing device and program

Abstract

To provide a detection device, an on-vehicle device, and a detection method that are capable of detecting that a driver's state is a rush driving state with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A detection device according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a control unit. The control unit detects driving state information indicating a driving state related to at least either of a vehicle and a driver of the vehicle. The control unit analyzes the detected driving state information and calculates rush driving information indicating a level of tendency of rush driving with the driver. On the basis of the calculated rush driving information, the control unit detects that the driver's state is a state of rush driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides Information Processing Equipment and program Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Various techniques have been proposed for detecting whether a vehicle driver is driving in a hurry (hereinafter referred to as hasty driving) (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-257388 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of accurately detecting the state of hasty driving.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is capable of accurately detecting whether a driver is in a state of hasty driving. Information Processing Equipment and program The purpose is to provide the following. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides a detection device having a control unit. The control unit detects driving state information indicating a driving state of at least one of a vehicle and a driver of the vehicle. The control unit analyzes the detected driving state information and calculates hurried driving information indicating a degree of the driver's tendency to hurried driving. The control unit detects that the driver is in a state of hurried driving based on the calculated hurried driving information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a state of hasty driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a detection system including a detection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a detection system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the detection device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of trend determination criterion information. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the display of the in-vehicle device when a notification is given that a hasty driving state has been detected. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure executed by the detection device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] An embodiment of a detection device, an in-vehicle device, and a detection method disclosed herein will be described in detail below; however, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0010] <Detection system overview> First, an overview of a detection system including a detection device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a detection system including a detection device according to an embodiment.

[0011] The detection system 1 according to the embodiment is a system that detects hasty driving (driving in a hurry) caused by a psychological state such as impatience of the driver, for example. The detection system 1 is also a system that notifies the driver when hasty driving is detected, for example.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a detection system 1 according to this embodiment includes a detection device 10 and an in-vehicle device 100 mounted on a vehicle V.

[0013] The detection device 10 is a server that executes various processes, such as a process for detecting whether the driver of the vehicle V is in a hasty driving state. For example, the detection device 10 may be realized as a cloud server that provides cloud services via a network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, or may be configured to perform distributed processing using multiple servers.

[0014] The in-vehicle device 100 is a device that has various sensors including a camera sensor (hereinafter referred to as "camera"), a storage device, a microcomputer, etc. In addition to the camera, the in-vehicle device 100 also has a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., which will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0015] The camera described above can capture, for example, images of the surroundings of the vehicle V or the interior of the vehicle V, and output the captured image data. Note that the image data is video data, but is not limited to this and may be still image data, etc.

[0016] The in-vehicle device 100 has a communication function for communicating via a communication network. The in-vehicle device 100 may be, for example, a drive recorder.

[0017] Conventional technologies are configured to detect that a driver is in a hurry, for example, when the average speed of the vehicle is higher than the average speed of other vehicles or when the number of other vehicles overtaken by the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value. However, with conventional technologies, even normal driving (not in a hurry) can be detected as hurrying, for example, when the speed of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle is relatively slow. As such, conventional technologies detect hurrying based on relative values ​​dependent on other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, such as a comparison of average speeds or the number of other vehicles overtaken, which may reduce the accuracy of hurrying detection depending on the driving conditions of other vehicles, leaving room for improvement.

[0018] Therefore, the detection device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to accurately detect whether the driver is in a state of hasty driving.

[0019] 1, the detection device 10 acquires outputs from various sensors such as a camera (step S1). For example, the detection device 10 acquires surrounding image data in which the front and rear of the vehicle V are captured from the camera. The detection device 10 also acquires interior image data in which the interior of the vehicle V is captured from the camera.

[0020] Next, the detection device 10 detects driving state information indicating the driving state of the vehicle V and the driver of the vehicle V based on the acquired sensor output (step S2). Such driving state information includes, for example, lane change information. Note that the driving state information according to this embodiment includes, in addition to lane change information, for example, traffic light running information, inter-vehicle distance information, line of sight information, and speed information, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0021] The lane change information is information relating to lane changes by the vehicle V. For example, the detection device 10 detects the lane of the road on which the vehicle V is traveling, the distance between the vehicle V and a vehicle ahead, and the distance between the vehicle V and a vehicle behind by analyzing the surrounding image data. The detection device 10 then detects, as lane change information, information indicating the number of times the vehicle V has changed lanes in a predetermined period, information indicating the distance between the vehicle V and a vehicle ahead after changing lanes, information indicating the distance between the vehicle V and a vehicle behind after changing lanes, and the like.

[0022] Next, the detection device 10 analyzes the driving state information and calculates hasty driving information indicating the degree of the driver's hasty driving tendency (step S3). Here, the hasty driving information is information obtained by scoring, for example, the number of times the driver's hasty driving tendency has been detected, the duration of the hasty driving tendency, etc.

[0023] For example, the detection device 10 analyzes lane change information, which is driving state information, and calculates hurried driving information. Specifically, the detection device 10 detects a tendency for hurried driving when the number of times the vehicle V changes lanes in a predetermined period is greater than a predetermined number of changes. In other words, the detection device 10 estimates that hurried driving is likely to be occurring. The predetermined period is set to a relatively short arbitrary period (e.g., 30 seconds). The predetermined number of changes is set to the number of lane changes (e.g., three) that may occur in a predetermined period during normal driving (driving without a hurry).

[0024] Therefore, if the number of lane changes made by the vehicle V is greater than the predetermined number of changes, the detection device 10 detects a tendency for hasty driving, in other words, it estimates that there is a possibility that hasty driving is occurring, since this exceeds the number of lane changes that can occur during normal driving and the vehicle V has been overtaking or passing other vehicles consecutively within a relatively short predetermined period of time.

[0025] Furthermore, the detection device 10 detects a tendency for hasty driving when the distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle after changing lanes or the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle after changing lanes is shorter than a predetermined post-change distance. The above-mentioned post-change distance is set to, for example, a braking distance that allows the vehicle V to avoid contact with the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle brakes suddenly (in other words, a braking distance that allows the following vehicle to avoid contact with the preceding vehicle, vehicle V, when vehicle V brakes suddenly). The post-change distance is a value that varies depending on the speed of vehicle V; for example, the post-change distance increases as the speed of vehicle V increases.

[0026] Therefore, if the inter-vehicle distance after the lane change is shorter than the specified distance after the change, the detection device 10 detects a tendency for hasty driving, in other words, it estimates that the vehicle V is possibly driving in a hurry, since the vehicle V is forcibly cutting in without maintaining the specified distance after the change.

[0027] The detection device 10 then calculates a score based on the number of times the above-mentioned tendency toward hasty driving is detected, and calculates hasty driving information (in other words, score information) that indicates the degree of the driver's tendency toward hasty driving. As an example, the detection device 10 calculates the hasty driving information by scoring 1 point if the number of times the vehicle V changes lanes is one more than the predetermined number of changes, 2 points if the number of times is two more than the predetermined number of changes, and 1 point if the inter-vehicle distance after the lane change is shorter than the predetermined distance after the change. Note that although the scoring has been specifically shown above, this is merely an example and is not limiting.

[0028] Next, the detection device 10 detects that the driver is in a state of urgent driving based on the calculated urgent driving information (score information) (step S4). For example, the detection device 10 compares the urgent driving information with a preset detection reference value, and detects that the driver is in a state of urgent driving if the urgent driving information (score information) is equal to or greater than the detection reference value. Note that the detection reference value is set to a value (e.g., twice the value) greater than the urgent driving information (score information) calculated when a general driver is driving normally (driving without a hurry), but is not limited to this and can be set to any value.

[0029] Therefore, for example, when the hurried driving information (score information) is equal to or greater than the detection reference value, the detection device 10 detects a relatively high tendency toward hurried driving, and since the degree of the tendency toward hurried driving is relatively strong, the detection device 10 detects that the driver's state is hurried driving caused by a psychological state such as impatience. Conversely, when the hurried driving information (score information) is less than the detection reference value, the detection device 10 determines that the degree of the tendency toward hurried driving is relatively weak or nonexistent, and therefore determines that the driver's state is not hurried driving, in other words, that the driver is in a normal driving state.

[0030] In this way, the detection device 10 of this embodiment detects driving state information regarding the vehicle V, etc., analyzes the detected driving state information to calculate hasty driving information indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to drive hastily, and detects that the driver is in a state of hasty driving based on the calculated hasty driving information.

[0031] As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a hurry. That is, the detection device 10 according to this embodiment does not use, for example, relative values ​​dependent on other vehicles traveling around the vehicle V (the average speed of other vehicles or the number of other vehicles overtaken), but uses driving conditions that are unlikely to occur during normal driving (for example, the number of lane changes is greater than a predetermined number, or the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle ahead after a lane change is shorter than a predetermined distance after the change) as a determination criterion. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence of the driving conditions of other vehicles, and therefore it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a hurry.

[0032] Next, the detection device 10 notifies the driver that the driver is in a state of hasty driving via the in-vehicle device 100 (step S5). This allows the detection device 10 to make the driver aware that the driver is in a state of hasty driving, and to urge the driver to stop hasty driving.

[0033] <Overall configuration of the detection system> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a detection system 1 according to an embodiment. Note that the block diagrams such as Fig. 2 show only components necessary for explaining the features of the embodiment, and general components are omitted.

[0034] In other words, each component shown in a block diagram such as Figure 2 is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the specific form of distribution and integration of each block is not limited to that shown, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0035] In addition, in the explanation of FIG. 2 and subsequent figures, the explanation of components that have already been explained may be simplified or omitted.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, the detection system 1 according to the embodiment includes a detection device 10 and an in-vehicle device 100. The detection device 10 and the in-vehicle device 100 are communicably connected via a communication network N. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, Fig. 2 shows one in-vehicle device 100, but there may be multiple in-vehicle devices 100.

[0037] <Configuration of in-vehicle device> First, the configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the in-vehicle device 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the in-vehicle device 100 includes a communication unit 101, a GPS sensor 102, a speed sensor 103, an acceleration sensor 104, a front camera 105, a rear camera 106, an interior camera 107, an output unit 108, a control unit 110, and a storage unit 120. The control unit 110 is an example of an in-vehicle device control unit.

[0038] The communication unit 101 is a communication interface that is connected to the communication network N so as to enable two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the detection device 10 and the like.

[0039] The GPS sensor 102 detects the position of the vehicle and outputs position information indicating the detected position of the vehicle to the control unit 110. The speed sensor 103 detects the speed of the vehicle (vehicle speed) and outputs speed sensor information indicating the detected speed to the control unit 110. The acceleration sensor 104 detects the acceleration acting on the vehicle and outputs acceleration sensor information indicating the detected acceleration to the control unit 110.

[0040] The front camera 105 captures an image of the area in front of the vehicle and outputs the captured image data (surrounding image data) to the control unit 110. The rear camera 106 captures an image of the area behind the vehicle and outputs the captured image data (surrounding image data) to the control unit 110. The interior camera 107 captures an image of the interior of the vehicle and outputs the captured image data to the control unit 110.

[0041] The output unit 108 outputs various information, such as a notification when hasty driving is detected. For example, the output unit 108 includes an audio output unit such as a speaker and a display unit such as a display, and outputs various information such as notifications to the driver of the vehicle. Furthermore, the display in the output unit 108 may display image data (video) captured by the cameras 105, 106, and 107, for example.

[0042] The storage unit 120 is configured with a storage device such as a non-volatile memory, a data flash, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 120 stores image data captured by the cameras 105, 106, and 107, various programs, and the like.

[0043] The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111 and a processing unit 112, and includes, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output ports, and various other circuits.

[0044] The CPU of the computer functions as the acquisition unit 111 and processing unit 112 of the control unit 110, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM. In addition, at least a part or all of the acquisition unit 111 and processing unit 112 of the control unit 110 can also be configured with hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0045] The acquisition unit 111 of the control unit 110 acquires outputs from the various sensors and transmits the acquired output information of the various sensors to the detection device 10. For example, the acquisition unit 111 acquires location information from the GPS sensor 102. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires speed sensor information from the speed sensor 103 and acceleration sensor information from the acceleration sensor 104. The acquisition unit 111 then transmits the acquired location information, speed sensor information, and acceleration sensor information to the detection device 10 via the communication unit 101.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, the acquisition unit 111 acquires forward image data from the forward camera 105. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires rearward image data from the rearward camera 106 and indoor image data from the indoor camera 107. The acquisition unit 111 then transmits the acquired image data to the detection device 10 via the communication unit 101 and stores the image data in the storage unit 120.

[0047] The processing unit 112 can output the image data (video) captured by each of the cameras 105, 106, and 107 to the display of the output unit 108 for display. Furthermore, when the processing unit 112 receives a notification from the detection device 10 indicating that hasty driving has been detected, for example, the processing unit 112 outputs such a notification to the output unit 108. Furthermore, when the processing unit 112 detects an impact due to a collision accident based on acceleration sensor information, the processing unit 112 may perform processing to prohibit overwriting of image data for a predetermined period of time before and after the detection.

[0048] <Configuration of the detection device> Next, the configuration of the detection device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the detection device 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the detection device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 20, and a storage unit 30.

[0049] The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that is connected to the communication network N so as to enable two-way communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the in-vehicle device 100 and the like.

[0050] The storage unit 30 is configured with a storage device such as a non-volatile memory, a data flash, a hard disk drive, etc. The storage unit 30 stores driving state information 31, tendency determination criterion information 32, score information 33, detection criterion information 34, etc.

[0051] The driving condition information 31 is information indicating the driving conditions of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle. As described above, the driving condition information 31 includes lane change information 31a, traffic light running information 31b, following distance information 31c, line of sight information 31d, and speed information 31e.

[0052] As described above, the lane change information 31a is information related to lane changes of the vehicle. For example, the control unit 20 analyzes surrounding image data (more specifically, forward image data and rearward image data) to detect the lane of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a following vehicle. Then, the control unit 20 stores, in the storage unit 30, information indicating the number of times the vehicle has changed lanes within a predetermined period, information indicating the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle after a lane change, information indicating the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a following vehicle after a lane change, and the like, as the lane change information 31a.

[0053] The traffic light travel information 31b is information indicating the travel state of a vehicle on a road equipped with traffic lights. For example, the control unit 20 analyzes surrounding image data (more specifically, forward image data) to detect the display state of traffic lights and stop lines present on the road on which the vehicle is traveling (more precisely, the road in the travel direction). Note that traffic light display states include, but are not limited to, a red or yellow light display indicating a vehicle to stop, and a green light display indicating a vehicle to proceed, for example. Furthermore, when the traffic light display state or stop line is detected, the control unit 20 analyzes speed sensor information and acceleration sensor information to detect the travel state of the vehicle, such as whether the vehicle is traveling, stopped, has transitioned from a traveling state to a stopped state, or has transitioned from a stopped state to a traveling state. The control unit 20 then associates (links) the detected traffic light display state and stop line with the travel state of the vehicle and stores them in the storage unit 30 as traffic light travel information 31b.

[0054] The inter-vehicle distance information 31c is information relating to the inter-vehicle distance while the vehicle is traveling. For example, the control unit 20 analyzes surrounding image data and speed sensor information to detect the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a vehicle ahead while the vehicle is traveling, and the information indicating the inter-vehicle distance is associated with the speed at which the inter-vehicle distance was detected, and the information is stored in the storage unit 30 as the inter-vehicle distance information 31c.

[0055] The gaze information 31d is information relating to the driver's gaze. For example, the control unit 20 analyzes the interior image data to detect the direction of the driver's face and eyes contained in the interior image data, and detects the driver's gaze (more precisely, the gaze direction). Then, the control unit 20 stores the detected information indicating the driver's gaze in the storage unit 30 as gaze information 31d.

[0056] The speed information 31e is information related to the speed of the vehicle. For example, the control unit 20 stores information indicating the speed obtained from the speed sensor information in the storage unit 30 as the speed information 31e. Furthermore, the control unit 20 analyzes the surrounding image data to detect pedestrians present on the road on which the vehicle is traveling (more precisely, the road in the traveling direction). When a pedestrian is detected, the control unit 20 stores the speed at which the vehicle passes near the pedestrian in the storage unit 30 as the speed information 31e.

[0057] The tendency determination criteria information 32 is information indicating criteria for determining a driver's tendency to drive hastily, in other words, information indicating criteria for estimating that hasty driving may be occurring in the vehicle.

[0058] The trend determination criterion information 32 will now be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the trend determination criterion information 32.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, the tendency determination criteria information 32 includes items such as "type of driving state information," "hurry tendency determination," and "score," and the data for each item is associated with each other.

[0060] The "type of driving state information" indicates the type of driving state information used to determine the driver's tendency to drive hastily. For example, lane change information, traffic light driving information, following distance information, line of sight information, and speed information are registered as the "type of driving state information."

[0061] The "judgment of haste tendency" is information indicating a criterion for judging a driver's haste tendency. Specific examples of the "judgment of haste tendency" will be described below, but these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0062] For example, "frequent lane changes" is registered in "judgment of hasty driving tendency." Specifically, "frequent lane changes" indicates that a tendency to hasty driving is detected when the number of lane changes made by a vehicle in a predetermined period is greater than a predetermined number of changes, in other words, it indicates that it is estimated that hasty driving is likely occurring.

[0063] For example, "short inter-vehicle distance after lane change" is registered in "judgment of hasty driving tendency." Specifically, "short inter-vehicle distance after lane change" indicates that a tendency to hasty driving is detected when the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle ahead after a lane change or the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle behind after a lane change is shorter than a predetermined distance after the change.

[0064] For example, "passing through a red / yellow light" is registered in "judging hasty driving tendency." Specifically, "passing through a red / yellow light" indicates that a hasty driving tendency is detected when a vehicle continues to drive through a traffic light even though the traffic light on the road the vehicle is traveling on (more precisely, the road in the direction of travel) is in the red / yellow state. In other words, if the vehicle does not stop even though it should stop, it is estimated that the driver may be driving in a hurry due to a psychological state such as impatience.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, "vehicle starts moving before the light changes from red to green" is registered in "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "vehicle starts moving before the light changes from red to green" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when a vehicle transitions from a stopped state to a moving state (i.e., the vehicle starts moving) before the display state of a traffic light on the road on which the vehicle is traveling (more precisely, the road in the traveling direction) changes from red to green. In other words, if the traffic light is red and the vehicle starts moving even though it is still in a situation where it should stop, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the vehicle is driving in a hurry ahead.

[0066] Also, for example, "failure to stop at stop positions" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "failure to stop at stop positions" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when a stop line exists on the road on which the vehicle is traveling (more precisely, on the road in the traveling direction), but the vehicle continues traveling and passes the stop line without stopping. In other words, if the vehicle does not stop at a stop line despite being in a situation where it should stop, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the vehicle is driving in a hurry ahead.

[0067] Further, for example, "short inter-vehicle distance" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "short inter-vehicle distance" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle while the vehicle is traveling is shorter than a predetermined inter-vehicle distance. Note that the above-mentioned predetermined inter-vehicle distance is a preset value, and is set to, for example, a value that allows the vehicle to stop safely when the preceding vehicle brakes suddenly. However, it is not limited to this and can be set to any value. Furthermore, the predetermined inter-vehicle distance is a value that varies depending on the speed of the vehicle, and for example, the predetermined inter-vehicle distance increases as the vehicle speed increases. Therefore, here, when a vehicle does not maintain a safe inter-vehicle distance, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the vehicle is hurrying ahead.

[0068] Furthermore, for example, "no checking left and right with eyes at intersections" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "no checking left and right with eyes at intersections" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when, for example, the driver does not check left and right with eyes when passing through an intersection. In other words, for example, when the vehicle starts from an intersection and goes straight or turns right or left, even though the driver should check left and right, if the driver does not check left and right with eyes, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the driver is hurrying ahead.

[0069] In addition, for example, "frequently looking away while driving" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "frequently looking away while driving" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when, for example, the driver's gaze frequently shifts from side to side while the vehicle is traveling (for example, traveling at 30 km / h or more) or when the gaze is not directed forward. In other words, if the driver's gaze is not directed in an appropriate direction while the vehicle is traveling, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the driver is hurrying ahead.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, "driving at an excessive speed" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "driving at an excessive speed" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when, for example, the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed limit. In other words, if the legal speed limit is not observed in the vehicle, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the vehicle is driving in a hurry ahead. The legal speed limit is information included in map information of the position (location) where the vehicle is traveling. The map information may be information stored in advance in the storage unit 30, or may be information obtained from an external server (not shown).

[0071] Furthermore, for example, "driving at a predetermined speed or higher even when a pedestrian is present ahead" is registered in the "judgment of tendency to hurry ahead." Specifically, "driving at a predetermined speed or higher even when a pedestrian is present ahead" indicates that a tendency to hurry ahead is detected when, for example, a vehicle drives near a pedestrian at a predetermined speed (e.g., 20 km / h) or higher despite the presence of a pedestrian on the road on which the vehicle is driving (more precisely, the road in the direction of travel). In other words, if a vehicle drives near a pedestrian at a predetermined speed (e.g., 20 km / h) or higher despite the presence of a pedestrian and the situation requiring the vehicle to slow down or stop, it is estimated that there is a possibility that the vehicle is driving in a hurry ahead.

[0072] The "score" is information indicating a score to be added to the score information, which is rush driving information, when a tendency to rush driving is detected in the corresponding "hurry driving tendency determination." Note that in the example shown in FIG. 5, for convenience, the "score" is written abstractly as "A01," but specific information is stored in "A01."

[0073] Furthermore, the "score" may be weighted information. Such weighting is set, for example, according to the content determined as a tendency to hurry. As an example, "passing through a red / yellow light" is set to be weighted relatively highly because it indicates a dangerous tendency to hurry, but this is merely an example and is not limiting.

[0074] In the example of the tendency determination criteria information 32 shown in Figure 5, the type of driving condition information is "lane change information", the hasty tendency determination is "frequent lane changes", and the score is "A01".

[0075] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 4, the score information 33 is score information indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to drive in a hurry, and is an example of hurry driving information.

[0076] The detection standard information 34 is information indicating the above-mentioned detection standard value. That is, the detection standard information 34 is a detection standard value that is compared with the score information, which is the hurried driving information, and when the hurried driving information (score information) is equal to or greater than the detection standard value, it is detected that the driver is in a hurried driving state.

[0077] 4, the control unit 20 includes a detection unit 21, an analysis unit 22, a sensing unit 23, and a notification unit 24, and includes, for example, a computer and various circuits having a CPU, ROM, RAM, a hard disk drive, an input / output port, etc. The CPU of the computer functions as the detection unit 21, the analysis unit 22, the sensing unit 23, and the notification unit 24 of the control unit 20, for example, by reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

[0078] Furthermore, at least some or all of the detection unit 21, analysis unit 22, sensing unit 23 and notification unit 24 of the control unit 20 can be configured using hardware such as ASIC or FPGA.

[0079] The detection unit 21 detects driving state information indicating the driving state of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle. For example, the detection unit 21 analyzes surrounding image data (more specifically, forward image data and rearward image data), detects lane change information 31a as driving state information, and stores the information in the storage unit 30.

[0080] The detection unit 21 also analyzes, for example, surrounding image data (more specifically, forward image data), speed sensor information, and acceleration sensor information, detects traffic light traveling information 31b as driving state information, and stores it in the storage unit 30. The detection unit 21 also analyzes the surrounding image data and speed sensor information, detects inter-vehicle distance information 31c as driving state information, and stores it in the storage unit 30.

[0081] The detection unit 21 also analyzes, for example, interior image data, detects line-of-sight information 31d as driving state information, and stores the information in the storage unit 30. The detection unit 21 also analyzes, for example, speed sensor information and surrounding image data (more specifically, forward image data), detects speed information 31e as driving state information, and stores the information in the storage unit 30.

[0082] The lane change information 31a, traffic light running information 31b, vehicle-to-vehicle distance information 31c, and speed information 31e are examples of driving state information indicating the driving state of the vehicle, and the gaze information 31d is an example of driving state information indicating the driving state of the vehicle driver. In the above description, the detection unit 21 detects all of the lane change information 31a, traffic light running information 31b, vehicle-to-vehicle distance information 31c, gaze information 31d, and speed information 31e, but this is not limited thereto and the detection unit 21 may be configured to detect only some of the information. In other words, the detection device 10 only needs to detect driving state information indicating the driving state of at least one of the vehicle and the vehicle driver.

[0083] The analysis unit 22 analyzes the detected driving state information and calculates hurried driving information indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to drive hurriedly. For example, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the lane change information 31a, which is the driving state information, and when the number of times the vehicle has changed lanes in a predetermined period is greater than a predetermined number of changes based on the tendency determination criterion information 32, the analysis unit 22 detects a tendency to drive hurriedly and adds a corresponding score to the hurried driving information (score information).

[0084] Furthermore, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the lane change information 31a, and detects a tendency for hasty driving when the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle ahead after a lane change or the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle behind after a lane change is shorter than a predetermined distance after the change based on the tendency determination standard information 32, and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information). In this way, the analysis unit 22 can accurately calculate the hasty driving information (score information) by using the lane change information 31a.

[0085] In addition, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the traffic light driving information 31b, and if the vehicle drives through a traffic light even though the traffic light is in a red / yellow state based on the tendency determination standard information 32, it detects a tendency for hasty driving and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information).

[0086] In addition, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the traffic light driving information 31b, and if the vehicle starts driving before the traffic light changes from red to green based on the tendency determination standard information 32, it detects a tendency for hasty driving and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information).

[0087] Furthermore, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the traffic light running information 31b, and when the vehicle passes through a stop line without stopping based on the tendency determination criterion information 32, detects a tendency of hurried driving and adds a corresponding score to the hurried driving information (score information). In this way, the analysis unit 22 can accurately calculate the hurried driving information (score information) by using the traffic light running information 31b.

[0088] Furthermore, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the following distance information 31c, and when the following distance to the preceding vehicle while the vehicle is traveling is shorter than a predetermined following distance based on the tendency determination standard information 32, the analysis unit 22 detects a tendency of hurrying ahead and adds a corresponding score to the hurrying ahead driving information (score information). In this way, the analysis unit 22 can accurately calculate the hurrying ahead driving information (score information) by using the following distance information 31c.

[0089] In addition, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the gaze information 31d, and if the driver's gaze is not checking left and right when the vehicle passes through an intersection based on the tendency determination standard information 32, it detects a tendency for hasty driving and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information).

[0090] Furthermore, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the gaze information 31d, and when the driver's gaze frequently moves left and right while the vehicle is traveling or when the gaze is not directed ahead based on the tendency determination criterion information 32, the analysis unit 22 detects a tendency of hasty driving and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information). In this way, the analysis unit 22 can accurately calculate the hasty driving information (score information) by using the gaze information 31d.

[0091] In addition, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the speed information 31e, and if the vehicle speed exceeds the legal speed limit based on the tendency determination standard information 32, detects a tendency toward hasty driving and adds a corresponding score to the hasty driving information (score information).

[0092] Furthermore, the analysis unit 22 analyzes the speed information 31e, and when the vehicle drives near a pedestrian at a speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed despite the presence of a pedestrian on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the tendency determination criterion information 32, the analysis unit 22 detects a tendency of hurried driving and adds a corresponding score to the hurried driving information (score information). In this way, the analysis unit 22 can accurately calculate the hurried driving information (score information) by using the speed information 31e.

[0093] The detection unit 23 detects that the driver is in a state of hurried driving based on the hurried driving information (score information) calculated as described above. For example, the detection unit 23 detects that the driver is in a state of hurried driving based on the score information 33 and the detection standard information 34 when the hurried driving information (score information) is equal to or greater than a detection standard value.

[0094] As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a hurry driving state. That is, in this embodiment, a driving state that is unlikely to occur during normal driving (for example, the number of lane changes is greater than a predetermined number) is used as the judgment criterion, rather than using a relative value that depends on other vehicles traveling around the vehicle V. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence of the driving state of other vehicles, and therefore it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a hurry driving state.

[0095] When it is detected that the driver is in a state of hasty driving, the notification unit 24 outputs to the in-vehicle device 100 via the communication unit 11 that the hasty driving state has been detected.

[0096] Here, notification that a hasty driving state has been detected will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the output unit (display) 108 of the in-vehicle device 100 that has been notified that a hasty driving state has been detected.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 6 , the notification unit 24 notifies the driver of information indicating that a state of hasty driving has been detected, and causes the information to be displayed in a display field 200 of the output unit (display) 108. The display field 200 displays a message indicating that a state of hasty driving has been detected, such as, for example, "Are you driving hastily? Please drive safely." This allows the driver to recognize that he or she is driving hastily and to be urged to stop driving hastily. Note that, although the message is displayed on the output unit (display) 108 in the above example, the present invention is not limited to this, and notification may be made by other methods, such as outputting the message from a speaker, which is the output unit 108.

[0098] <Detection device control process> Next, an example of a specific processing procedure in the detection device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure executed by the detection device 10.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 20 of the detection device 10 detects driving state information indicating the driving state of the vehicle V and the driver of the vehicle V based on the outputs of various sensors such as the front camera 105 (step S10).

[0100] Next, the control unit 20 analyzes the driving state information and calculates score information (an example of hurried driving information) indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to drive quickly (step S11). Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the calculated score information (hurried driving information) is equal to or greater than a detection reference value (step S12).

[0101] If the control unit 20 determines that the score information is equal to or greater than the detection reference value (step S12, Yes), it detects that the driver is in a state of hasty driving (step S13). Next, the control unit 20 notifies the driver that the driver is in a state of hasty driving (step S14).

[0102] On the other hand, if it is determined that the score information is not equal to or greater than the detection reference value (step S12, No), that is, if the score information is less than the detection reference value, the control unit 20 skips the processes of steps S13 and S14.

[0103] As described above, the detection device 10 according to the embodiment includes the control unit 20. The control unit 20 detects driving state information indicating the driving state of at least one of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle. The control unit 20 analyzes the detected driving state information and calculates hurry driving information indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to hurry driving. The control unit 20 detects that the driver is in a hurry driving state based on the calculated hurry driving information. This makes it possible to accurately detect that the driver is in a hurry driving state.

[0104] In the above description, the detection device 10 performs processing such as detecting whether the driver is in a state of urgent driving. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the in-vehicle device 100 may be configured to perform all or part of the processing performed by the detection device 10. That is, for example, the control unit (an example of an in-vehicle device control unit) 110 of the in-vehicle device 100 may be configured to detect driving state information indicating the driving state of at least one of the vehicle and the vehicle driver, analyze the detected driving state information to calculate urgent driving information indicating the degree of the driver's tendency to urgent driving, and detect whether the driver is in a state of urgent driving based on the calculated urgent driving information. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a state of urgent driving.

[0105] When the control unit 20 of the detection device 10 or the control unit 110 of the in-vehicle device 100 detects a state of hasty driving, the control unit 20 of the detection device 10 or the control unit 110 of the in-vehicle device 100 may perform a process (overwrite prohibition process) to store various information such as image data and driving state information 31 during the state of hasty driving in the storage unit 30 or the storage unit 120. This makes it possible to provide the various stored information as educational materials for traffic safety education to the hasty driving driver and other drivers, for example.

[0106] (Variation) Next, a modified example will be described. The detection reference value described above is set to the hurried driving information (score information) calculated when a general driver is driving normally, but is not limited to this. That is, in the modified example, the detection reference value is set to the hurried driving information (score information) calculated when the driver himself is driving normally (driving without hurrying).

[0107] Therefore, the detection unit 23 of the control unit 20 compares the rush driving information (score information) calculated this time with the rush driving information (score information; in this case, the detection standard value) calculated during normal driving, and detects that the driver's state is rush driving based on the comparison result.

[0108] In detail, when the hasty driving information (score information) is equal to or greater than the detection reference value, which is score information calculated when the driver himself / herself is driving normally, the detection unit 23 detects that the driver's state is different from the normal state and is in a state of hasty driving caused by a psychological state such as impatience.

[0109] In this way, in the modified example, by comparing the current (present) driving with the driver's own normal driving (driving without hurry), it is possible to accurately detect whether the driver is in a hurry driving state.

[0110] Further advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1. Detection System 10. Detection Device 20 Control Unit 100 In-vehicle equipment 110 control section

Claims

1. Calculating the number of times that the behavior of the vehicle corresponds to a lane change from outside image information of the surroundings of the vehicle as the lane change score; Calculating the number of times the driver has looked away while driving as a score of the looking away driving from information of the driver's line of sight based on in-vehicle image information obtained by capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle; calculating a score of the inter-vehicle distance based on the outside-vehicle image information or the sensor information of the vehicle, the number of times that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is less than a reference value; a control unit that compares the scores for the lane change, the distracted driving, and the inter-vehicle distance with scores calculated during normal driving, and when it is detected that the driver is in a state of hasty driving based on the comparison result, displays a message indicating that a state of hasty driving has been detected; Information processing device.

2. The control unit If the score for each item is higher than the score calculated during normal driving, a message encouraging safe driving is displayed on the display of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit Calculating a pre-weighted score for each of the items; If the calculated score is higher than the score calculated during normal driving, a message encouraging safe driving is displayed on the display of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit Calculating the number of times the number of lane changes of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined reference number as the lane change score; 4. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. The control unit From the vehicle exterior image information or the vehicle sensor information, the number of times that the inter-vehicle distance to the vehicle ahead or the vehicle behind after changing lanes is less than a reference value is calculated as a score related to the inter-vehicle distance after changing lanes.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1.

6. The reference value is set to a larger value as the speed of the vehicle increases. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The control unit Detecting the display status of a traffic light from the outside-vehicle image information, and calculating the number of times the vehicle has passed through a red or yellow light as a score related to the traffic light.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1.

8. The control unit obtaining the vehicle exterior image information, the vehicle sensor information, or the vehicle interior image information from an in-vehicle device via a communication network; The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Calculating the number of times that the behavior of the vehicle corresponds to a lane change from outside image information of the surroundings of the vehicle as the lane change score; Calculating the number of times the driver has looked away while driving as a score of the looking away driving from information of the driver's line of sight based on in-vehicle image information obtained by capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle; calculating a score of the inter-vehicle distance based on the outside-vehicle image information or the sensor information of the vehicle, the number of times that the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle is less than a reference value; The scores relating to the lane change, the distracted driving, and the inter-vehicle distance are compared with the scores calculated during normal driving, and if it is detected based on the comparison result that the driver is in a state of hasty driving, a message indicating that a state of hasty driving has been detected is displayed. A program that causes a computer to execute a process.

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