Information processing device, vehicle, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To accurately determine a presence of a person or an article left in a vehicle.SOLUTION: An information processing device associated with a vehicle estimates that a person or an article is left in a rear seat of the vehicle based on whether a rear door is opened or closed during a predetermined period of time before the vehicle travels and whether the rear door is opened or closed during a predetermined period of time after the vehicle has traveled; performs sensing of the rear seat based on a result of the estimation; and notifies the user based on a result of the sensing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicle safety. [Background technology]

[0002] Many systems have been proposed to prevent people or objects from being left behind in vehicles. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that determines whether or not an object has been left behind in a vehicle based on images of the interior of the vehicle captured by a camera. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-123491 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure aims to accurately determine the presence of a person or object left behind in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device associated with a vehicle, which has a control unit that estimates whether a person or object has been left behind in a rear seat of the vehicle based on whether a rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started moving, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started moving, performs sensing of the rear seat based on the results of the estimation, and notifies a user based on the results of the sensing.

[0006] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle having a sensor that senses the interior of the vehicle's cabin, and a control device that estimates whether a person or object has been left behind in the rear seat of the vehicle based on whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started moving, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started moving, performs sensing of the rear seat based on the results of the estimation, and notifies the user based on the results of the sensing.

[0007] A third aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method including the steps of: estimating that a person or object is left behind in a rear seat of a vehicle based on whether or not the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started moving, and whether or not the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started moving; performing sensing of the rear seat based on the results of the estimation; and notifying a user based on the results of the sensing.

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

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately determine the presence of a person or object left behind in a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a vehicle system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of an in-vehicle device and a vehicle platform. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state transition of a vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating vehicle data stored in a storage unit. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the positions of doors of a vehicle. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing components of a user terminal. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart of a process executed by an in-vehicle device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing in step S19. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the fifth embodiment (variation). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device mounted on a vehicle. Specifically, the control unit estimates that a person or object has been left behind in the rear seat of the vehicle based on whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started moving, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started moving, performs sensing of the rear seat based on the results of the estimation, and notifies the user based on the results of the sensing.

[0012] The rear door is the door that provides access to the rear seats, i.e., the seats located behind the driver's seat. For example, if the rear door is opened and closed before the vehicle starts moving, but the rear door does not open after the vehicle starts moving, it can be determined that a person or object may be left behind in the rear seat. However, if such a determination is made based solely on the opening and closing of the rear door, an erroneous determination may occur. For example, in a conventional system, if the rear seat is cleaned or luggage is removed before moving, the system may determine that something has been left behind and issue a warning. On the other hand, when trying to prevent people or objects from being left behind by sensing the interior of the vehicle, it is difficult to distinguish between whether someone has been left behind or whether an object has been left inside the vehicle.

[0013] To address this issue, the information processing device according to the present disclosure estimates whether a person or object is left behind in the rear seat of the vehicle based on the opening and closing status of the rear door, and determines whether to perform sensing of the rear seat based on the result of the estimation. In other words, when it is suspected that someone has been left behind, sensing of the interior of the vehicle is performed. With this configuration, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not an object has been left behind, compared to when the determination is made based only on the history of opening and closing of the rear door or the sensing results inside the vehicle compartment.

[0014] The predetermined period before the vehicle starts moving may be the period from when the vehicle is unlocked until when the vehicle starts moving, and the predetermined period after the vehicle starts moving may be the period from when the vehicle is stopped until when the vehicle is locked.

[0015] The control unit detects whether the rear door is opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle starts traveling, If the rear door is not opened or closed within a predetermined period of time after the vehicle has been driven, it may be estimated that a person or an object is left behind in the rear seat of the vehicle. In such cases, it is suspected that a person or object has been left behind in the rear seat.

[0016] The control unit may be configured to sense the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat by using a seat sensor provided in the vehicle. The seat sensor may be one that detects the weight of the occupant or other weight acting on the seat surface, or one that detects whether the seat belt is fastened.

[0017] The control unit may be configured to sense the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat by using a camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle. For example, the presence of people or objects inside the vehicle can be detected based on images acquired from a camera.

[0018] The control unit may determine whether or not a person is present in the rear seat based on the result of the sensing. This is because the degree of urgency may differ depending on whether what is detected in the back seat is a person or an object.

[0019] The control unit may also be characterized in that it sends a first notification using a terminal associated with the user, and if there is no response within a predetermined period of time, sends a second notification using another means. The first notification and the second notification may be sent to different destinations or by different notification means or methods. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably notify the outside that an item has been left behind.

[0020] The control unit may be configured to enable the second notification when it determines that a person is present in the rear seat. The control unit may further acquire information regarding the temperature inside the vehicle's cabin, and enable the second notification when a person is present in the rear seat and the temperature inside the vehicle's cabin exceeds a predetermined value. That is, if the level of urgency is high, the second notification may be made.

[0021] The control unit may also perform the second notification by activating a warning horn provided in the vehicle. The control unit may also be configured to transmit data for making the second notification to a center server that manages the vehicle. With this configuration, even if the driver of the vehicle is unaware, it is possible to reliably notify the outside that a vehicle has been left behind.

[0022] The control unit may also be characterized in that it issues a first notification when it determines that there is no person in the rear seat, and issues a second notification using a method different from the first notification when it determines that there is a person in the rear seat. That is, if the detected object is a person, notification may be sent by a method or means different from the usual method, or to a destination different from the usual method.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0024] (First embodiment) An overview of a vehicle system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The vehicle system according to this embodiment includes an on-vehicle device 100, a vehicle platform 200, and a user terminal 300. The on-vehicle device 100 and the vehicle platform 200 are mounted on the same vehicle 10.

[0025] The in-vehicle device 100 is a computer mounted on the vehicle 10. The in-vehicle device 100 has a function of determining, based on information acquired from a vehicle platform 200 (described later), whether a person or an object has been left behind in the back seat after the vehicle 10 has been parked, and notifying a user terminal 300 (described later).

[0026] The vehicle platform 200 is a platform that includes multiple computers that control the vehicle 10 . The user terminal 300 is a portable terminal carried by a passenger of the vehicle 10.

[0027] The components of the system are explained in detail below. The in-vehicle device 100 can be configured as a general-purpose computer. That is, the in-vehicle device 100 can be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a main memory such as a RAM or a ROM, and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or a removable medium. The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions that match predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the on-vehicle device 100 and the vehicle platform 200 shown in Fig. 1. The on-vehicle device 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a vehicle communication unit 104.

[0029] The control unit 101 is a means for controlling the in-vehicle device 100. The control unit 101 includes an information processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). It is composed of a number of management units. The control unit 101 has, as functional modules, a state determination unit 1011 and an alarm unit 1012. Each functional module may be realized by causing a CPU to execute a program stored in a storage unit such as a ROM.

[0030] The state determination unit 1011 determines the state of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a state transition diagram of the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the vehicle 10 according to this embodiment can be in one of three predefined states: "parked," "stopped," and "driving." "Parked" is a state that can occur when the vehicle 10 is parked and unoccupied, specifically when the engine or system power of the vehicle 10 is turned off and the doors are locked. "Stopped" is a state that can occur when the engine is running (or the system power is on) or the doors are unlocked and the vehicle is stopped (speed is 0 km / h). "Running" is a state that the vehicle 10 can be in when it is running (moving).

[0031] The state determination unit 1011 monitors the state of the vehicle itself based on information (such as the engine operating state, door lock state, and vehicle speed) acquired from the vehicle platform 200 (described later), and when the state changes, records the change as vehicle data in the storage unit 102 (described later). do. Furthermore, the state determination unit 1011 monitors the open / closed states of the multiple doors of the vehicle, and when any door is opened or closed, records that fact in the vehicle data. The open / closed states of the doors can be determined based on information acquired from the vehicle platform 200, which will be described later. The recorded vehicle data is used by the alarm unit 1012, which will be described later.

[0032] The alarm unit 1012 estimates that a person (e.g., a baby) or an article in the back seat has been forgotten to be removed, based on the vehicle data recorded by the state determination unit 1011. For example, if there is a record of the rear door being opened and closed after the vehicle transitions from the parked state to the stopped state, and there is no record of the rear door being opened and closed before the vehicle transitions from the stopped state to the parked state, it can be estimated that a person or an article has been forgotten to be removed.

[0033] Furthermore, when it is estimated that a person or an object has been left behind, the alarm unit 1012 senses the interior of the vehicle 10 to confirm whether or not a person or an object is present in the vehicle interior. Sensing can be performed using a sensor (described later) provided in the vehicle 10. For example, if the rear seat of the vehicle 10 is provided with a seat sensor, it is possible to detect the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat of the vehicle 10 based on data output by the seat sensor. Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 is provided with a camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle, it is possible to detect the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat of the vehicle 10 based on image data. Depending on the result of the sensing, the alarm unit 1012 transmits data (hereinafter, notification data) to notify the user terminal 300 that a person or an article has been left behind. The notification data may include information obtained as a result of the sensing (for example, an image of the interior of the vehicle).

[0034] The storage unit 102 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 102 stores various programs executed by the control unit 101, data used by the programs, etc. The storage unit 102 also stores data (the above-mentioned vehicle data) that records the state of the vehicle 10 and the open / close state of the rear doors.

[0035] Here, the vehicle data stored in the storage unit 102 will be described. Fig. 4 shows an example of vehicle data stored in the storage unit 102. In this embodiment, the state determination unit 1011 generates a new record when the state of the host vehicle changes or when a door is opened or closed, and adds the new record to the vehicle data. As shown in the figure, the vehicle data includes fields for date and time, vehicle state, whether or not a door opening / closing event has occurred, and door number.

[0036] The "Date" and "Time" fields store data indicating the date and time when the record was created. The "Vehicle Status" field stores the status of the vehicle when the record is created. For example, if the status of the vehicle changes from "parked" to "stopped," a record with the "Vehicle Status" set to "Stopped" is created.

[0037] The "door opening / closing event" field stores data indicating whether a door opening / closing event has occurred. The "door number" field stores unique numbers assigned to the multiple doors of the vehicle 10.

[0038] By referring to these records, it is possible to determine whether the doors were opened or closed between the time the vehicle was unlocked and the time it departed, and whether the doors were opened or closed between the time the vehicle was stopped and the time it was locked.

[0039] For example, the record indicated by reference numeral 601 in Fig. 4 indicates that the vehicle 10 transitioned from a parked state to a stopped state, then the first door was opened and closed, and then the vehicle transitioned to a traveling state. The record indicated by reference numeral 602 indicates that the vehicle transitioned from a traveling state to a stopped state, then the first door was opened and closed, and then the vehicle transitioned to a parked state.

[0040] The communication unit 103 is an interface for wirelessly communicating with the user terminal 300. The communication unit 103 can communicate with the user terminal 300 by using, for example, a mobile communication network, a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like.

[0041] The vehicle communication unit 104 is an interface unit for communicating with the vehicle platform 200. The vehicle communication unit 104 is configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of ECUs (Engine Control Units) and sensors included in the vehicle platform 200 via an in-vehicle network. can be.

[0042] The vehicle platform 200 is a platform including a plurality of computers that control a vehicle. The vehicle platform 200 includes one or more computers that control the vehicle, such as an engine ECU 201 and a body ECU 202. The engine ECU 201 is a computer that performs fuel injection control, ignition control, intake and exhaust control, etc. In addition, the engine ECU 201 may perform control related to the power train. In this embodiment, the engine ECU 201 can acquire information relating to the operating state of the vehicle (the on-state of the engine and system power) and the speed of the vehicle.

[0043] The body ECU 202 is a computer that controls the locking and unlocking of doors and other electrical equipment of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the body ECU 202 can acquire information regarding the opening / closing and locking states of the doors of the vehicle. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of doors of a vehicle. The vehicle described in this embodiment is configured with four doors, doors 1 to 4. Of these, doors 3 and 4 are doors for accessing the rear seats (rear doors). The body ECU 202 can acquire the opening / closing state and the locking / unlocking state of each door.

[0044] Vehicle platform 200 further includes sensor 203. Sensor 203 includes one or more sensors for sensing the interior of the vehicle. An example of a sensor for sensing the interior of the vehicle is a seat sensor. The seat sensor is installed in each of the vehicle's multiple seats and can output sensor data representing the load acting on the seat surface. Another example of a sensor for sensing the interior of the vehicle is an image sensor. The image sensor is configured to be able to acquire images of the interior of the vehicle.

[0045] Next, the user terminal 300 will be described with reference to FIG. The user terminal 300 is a portable computer carried by a passenger of the vehicle 10. The user terminal 300 includes a control unit 301, a storage unit 302, a communication unit 303, and an input / output unit 304.

[0046] The control unit 301 is a means for controlling the user terminal 300. The control unit 301 is configured by, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 301 may realize these functions by causing the CPU to execute a program stored in the storage unit 302, which will be described later.

[0047] The control unit 301 has a notification unit 3011 as a functional module. This functional module may be realized by causing a CPU to execute a program stored in a storage unit (such as a ROM).

[0048] The notification unit 3011 outputs a notification that a person or an object has been left behind in the back seat, based on the notification data received from the in-vehicle device 100. The notification can be made by voice or image, for example.

[0049] The storage unit 302 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 302 stores various programs executed by the control unit 301, data used by the programs, etc.

[0050] The communication unit 303 is a communication means for performing wireless communication with the in-vehicle device 100. The communication unit 303 performs wireless communication using the same means as the communication unit 103.

[0051] The input / output unit 304 is a means for accepting input operations performed by the user and presenting information to the user. Specifically, it is composed of a touch panel and its control means, and a liquid crystal display and its control means. In this embodiment, the touch panel and the liquid crystal display are combined into one touch panel display. The input / output unit 304 may also have a speaker or the like for outputting audio.

[0052] Next, the processing executed by each component included in the system will be described in detail. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the in-vehicle device 100. The processing shown in the figure is executed by the control unit 101.

[0053] First, in step S11, the state determination unit 1011 determines whether the doors of the vehicle 10 are unlocked. Whether the doors of the vehicle are unlocked can be determined based on information acquired from the body ECU 202. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S12, where the state of the host vehicle is transitioned to "stopped," and a new record is added to the vehicle data. If the determination is negative, the process returns to the initial state.

[0054] In step S13, the state determination unit 1011 monitors whether a door has been opened or closed, based on information acquired from the body ECU 202. If a door has been opened or closed while the vehicle is stopped, a new record indicating this is added to the vehicle data.

[0055] In step S14, the state determination unit 1011 determines whether the vehicle 10 has departed. Whether the host vehicle has departed can be determined based on information acquired from the engine ECU 201. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S15, where the host vehicle state is changed to "driving," and a new record is added to the vehicle data.

[0056] If the state of the host vehicle is "driving", the state determination unit 1011 monitors the speed of the host vehicle based on information acquired from the engine ECU 201. If the vehicle is stopped (step S16-Yes), the process returns to step S12. That is, the state is updated to "stopped", and a new record is added to the vehicle data. If the vehicle is moving (step S16-No), the monitoring of the speed continues.

[0057] If the determination in step S14 is negative, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the state determination unit 1011 determines whether the engine of the vehicle 10 is stopped and the doors are locked. Whether the engine of the vehicle is stopped can be determined based on information acquired from the engine ECU 201. Furthermore, whether or not the doors are locked can be determined based on information acquired from the body ECU 202. If the determination in this step is negative, the process returns to step S13.

[0058] If the determination in step S17 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S18, where the state of the host vehicle is changed to "parked," and a new record is added to the vehicle data.

[0059] In step S19, the system executes processing related to the warning based on the latest vehicle data, i.e., it determines whether or not a person or an object is left behind in the vehicle, and if it determines that a person or an object is left behind in the vehicle, it transmits notification data to the user terminal 300.

[0060] The process executed in step S19 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the details of the process executed in step S19. First, in step S21, the alarm unit 1012 acquires the vehicle data stored in the storage unit 102. Next, in step S22, the alarm unit 1012 determines whether or not the rear door has been opened or closed before the vehicle starts based on the vehicle data. This determination is made in the following procedure. (1) Extract the two most recent records that indicate a transition from a parked state to a stopped state and then a transition to a moving state. (2) Determine whether there is a record of the rear door being opened or closed between the times corresponding to each record. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S23. If the determination is negative, the process in step S19 ends.

[0061] In step S23, the alarm unit 1012 determines whether the rear door was opened or closed before parking based on the vehicle data. Specifically, if the vehicle data contains a record that satisfies the following conditions, it determines that the rear door was opened or closed after parking. (1) Extract the two most recent records that indicate a transition from a driving state to a stopped state and then a transition to a parked state. (2) Determine whether there is a record of the rear door being opened or closed between the times corresponding to each record. If the determination in this step is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S24. If the determination is negative, the process in step S19 ends.

[0062] In step S24, sensing is performed on the interior of the vehicle. If the process proceeds to step S24, it can be said that a situation exists in which it is suspected that a person or an object has been left behind in the back seat. In such a case, the alarm unit 1012 performs sensing on the interior of the vehicle and detects the presence of a person or an object in the back seat.

[0063] The process executed in step S24 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of the process executed in step S24. First, in step S31, the alarm unit 1012 acquires sensor data from the sensor 203 provided in the vehicle 10. For example, if a seat sensor is provided in the rear seat of the vehicle 10, it is possible to determine whether or not a person or an object is present in the rear seat of the vehicle 10 based on the data output by the seat sensor. Furthermore, if the vehicle 10 is provided with a camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle, it is possible to determine whether or not a person or an object is present in the rear seat of the vehicle 10 based on the image data.

[0064] In step S32, the alarm unit 1012 determines whether or not a person or object is present in the rear seat. If the determination here is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S33, where the alarm unit 1012 transmits notification data to the user terminal 300. When the notification data is received by the user terminal 300, the notification unit 3011 generates a notification and outputs it via the input / output unit 304. The notification can be made, for example, by vibration of a vibrator, output of sound, output of an image, or the like. If the determination in step S32 is negative, the process of step S24 ends.

[0065] As described above, the in-vehicle device 100 according to the first embodiment estimates whether a person or an object has been left behind in the back seat based on the opening and closing status of the rear door before the vehicle starts traveling and the opening and closing status of the rear door after the vehicle has stopped traveling. Furthermore, when there is a suspicion of abandonment, the in-vehicle device 100 performs sensing inside the vehicle using a sensor. In this way, by combining a determination based on the opening and closing status of the rear door and a determination using a sensor, it is possible to improve the accuracy of detecting whether a person or an object has been left behind.

[0066] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 transmits notification data to the user terminal 300, and the user terminal 300 receives the notification and generates a notification for the user. In contrast, in the second embodiment, if the user does not respond to the notification, the in-vehicle device 100 issues a further notification using a means other than the user terminal 300.

[0067] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of step S24 in the second embodiment. Note that the steps indicated by dotted lines are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the alarm unit 1012 checks whether there is a response from the user after transmitting notification data to the user terminal 300. Specifically, the user terminal 300 that has received the notification acquires a response from the user indicating that the notification has been confirmed, and if there is a response, transmits data indicating that to the in-vehicle device 100. If there is no response (including the case where a timeout occurs), a message to that effect is transmitted to the in-vehicle device 100.

[0068] In step S34, the alarm unit 1012 determines whether or not there is a response from the user. If there is no response, the process proceeds to step S35, where a further notification is made by other means (i.e., using a device other than the user terminal 300). This notification is referred to as a second notification. If there is a response from the user, the process ends. The other means may be, for example, a center server that manages the system. In this case, notification data indicating that the target user has not responded may be generated and transmitted to the center server. This allows the administrator of the center server to contact the user, unlock the vehicle doors, open the windows, etc. Alternatively, the vehicle 10 may utilize equipment provided in the vehicle 10. For example, the in-vehicle device 100 can activate a warning horn or lights (e.g., hazard lights) provided in the vehicle 10 via the vehicle platform 200 to notify those around that a person has been left behind in the vehicle.

[0069] As described above, according to the second embodiment, if there is no response from the user, a further notification is made using other means, thereby making it possible to reliably notify a third party that the item has been left behind.

[0070] (Third embodiment) In the second embodiment, if there is no response from the user to the notification, another means is used to issue a further notification (second notification). On the other hand, if the degree of urgency is low, it may be desirable to suppress the second notification. Taking this into consideration, the third embodiment is In this embodiment, the second notification is suppressed in this case.

[0071] 11 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the third embodiment. Note that the steps indicated by dotted lines are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. In the third embodiment, if it is determined that there is no response from the user to the notification, it is determined in step S34A whether or not a person has been detected inside the vehicle. For example, when sensing is performed using a weight sensor built into a seat of the vehicle 10, it is possible to determine whether or not a person is present in the vehicle depending on whether or not the weight exceeds a threshold value (for example, 5 kg). Furthermore, when a sensor that acquires the seat belt fastening status is used, it can be determined that a person is in the vehicle if the seat belt in the rear seat is fastened. Furthermore, when sensing is performed using a camera that captures images of the interior of the vehicle 10, it is possible to determine whether a person is in the vehicle based on the results of analyzing the images. For example, if a face is detected from the acquired image, it can be determined that a person is in the vehicle. It may also be possible to determine that a person is in the vehicle based on movement detected based on continuously acquired images.

[0072] In the third embodiment, the process of step S35 is executed only when a person is detected inside the vehicle, thereby making it possible to suppress an alarm caused by luggage being left behind.

[0073] (Fourth embodiment) In the third embodiment, the second notification is issued only if someone remains in the vehicle. However, it is also possible that the driver has left the vehicle and a passenger is waiting inside. In the fourth embodiment, taking this into consideration, the second notification is determined based on the temperature inside the vehicle.

[0074] 12 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the fourth embodiment. Note that the steps indicated by dotted lines are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. In the fourth embodiment, if it is determined that there is no response from the user to the notification, after executing step S34A, information regarding the temperature inside the vehicle cabin (temperature information) is acquired (step S34B). The temperature information can be acquired, for example, via the body ECU 202. Furthermore, if the sensor 203 includes a temperature sensor, the temperature information may be acquired directly from the sensor 203. In step S34C, it is determined whether the temperature inside the vehicle cabin exceeds a threshold value based on the acquired temperature information. If the temperature inside the vehicle cabin exceeds the threshold value (e.g., 35 degrees Celsius), the process proceeds to step S35.

[0075] In this way, in the fourth embodiment, the process of step S35 is executed only when there is a person in the vehicle and the temperature inside the vehicle is high, which makes it possible to issue an alarm only when the situation inside the vehicle is dangerous.

[0076] (Fifth embodiment) In the first to fourth embodiments, a notification is first sent to the user terminal 300, and if there is no response, a second notification is sent using another means. In contrast, the fifth embodiment is an embodiment in which the notification method is changed depending on whether the object detected inside the vehicle is a person or an object.

[0077] 13 is a flowchart showing the process of step S24 in the fifth embodiment. Note that the steps indicated by dotted lines are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore their explanation will be omitted. . In the fifth embodiment, if it is determined in step S32 that a person or an object is present in the rear seat, it is further determined whether the detected object is a person or an object (step S34D). This determination can be made based on the sensor data acquired by the seat sensor, the image acquired by the camera, etc., as described in the third embodiment (step S34).

[0078] If it is determined in step S34D that an item has been left behind in the back seat, the process proceeds to step S33, where notification is made by the first method, whereas if it is determined that a person has been left behind in the back seat, the process proceeds to step S35, where notification is made by the second method.

[0079] The first method and the second method may have different notification means. For example, if the first method is a method of outputting a notification via a user terminal, the second method may be a method of outputting a notification via a vehicle horn. Also, if the first method is a method of vibrating a vibrator on the user terminal, the second method may be a method of outputting a sound from the user terminal.

[0080] Furthermore, the first method and the second method may have different destinations for the notification data. For example, if the first method is a method of sending notification data to a user terminal, the second method may be a method of sending notification data to a center server.

[0081] In the fifth embodiment, when a person is left behind in the back seat, a notification is made by the second method, but as in the fourth embodiment, it is also possible to select whether to make a notification by the first method or the second method based additionally on the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, steps (steps S34B and S34C) for determining the temperature inside the vehicle cabin may be added after step S34D, and notification may be made using the second method only if the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is high.

[0082] (Variation) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented by appropriately modifying it within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, the processes and means described in this disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0083] In addition, in the description of the embodiments, a terminal mounted on a vehicle is exemplified as an information processing device, but the exemplified functions may be executed by a device provided outside the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an external device, typically a server device, etc.). In this case, the vehicle platform 200 may transmit various data (door open / close status, speed, operating status, etc.) to the external device, and the external device may execute the functions exemplified in this specification based on the data.

[0084] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0085] The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be provided to a computer via a network, etc. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 100...In-vehicle equipment 200···Vehicle Platform 300 User terminal 101,301 Control unit 102,302...Storage section 103,303···Communications Department 104 Vehicle communication unit 201···Engine ECU 202···Body ECU 203 Sensor 304...Input / output section

Claims

1. An information processing device associated with a vehicle, determining whether a rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started to travel, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started to travel; performing sensing of a rear seat when the rear door is opened / closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle starts traveling and the rear door is not opened / closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle starts traveling; providing a notification to a user based on the result of the sensing; An information processing device having a control unit that executes the above.

2. the control unit does not perform the sensing when the rear door is not opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle starts to run, or when the rear door is opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle starts to run and the rear door is opened or closed during the predetermined period after the vehicle starts to run. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The predetermined period before travel is a period from when the vehicle is unlocked until when the vehicle departs, The predetermined period after the vehicle has been driven is the period from when the vehicle is stopped to when the vehicle is locked.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit senses the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat by using a seat sensor provided in the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The control unit senses the presence of a person or an object in the rear seat by using a camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The control unit determines whether or not a person is present in the rear seat based on the result of the sensing. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. the control unit sends a first notification using a terminal associated with the user, and if there is no response within a predetermined period of time, sends a second notification using another means; The information processing device according to claim 6 .

8. the control unit enables the second notification when it determines that a person is present in the rear seat. The information processing device according to claim 7 .

9. The control unit further acquires information regarding a temperature inside the vehicle, enabling the second notification when a person is present in the rear seat and the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value; The information processing device according to claim 7 .

10. The control unit performs the second notification by activating a warning horn provided in the vehicle.

10. The information processing device according to claim 8.

11. The control unit transmits data for making the second notification to a center server that manages the vehicle. Send to the server, 10. The information processing device according to claim 8.

12. the control unit issues a first notification when it determines that no person is present in the rear seat, and issues a second notification by a method different from the first notification when it determines that a person is present in the rear seat. The information processing device according to claim 6 .

13. The control unit further acquires information regarding a temperature inside the vehicle, when a person is present in the rear seat and the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value, the second notification is made. The information processing device according to claim 12.

14. The control unit performs the second notification by activating a warning horn provided in the vehicle.

14. The information processing device according to claim 12 or 13.

15. The control unit transmits data for making the second notification to a center server that manages the vehicle.

14. The information processing device according to claim 12 or 13.

16. A sensor for sensing the interior of a vehicle; determining whether a rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started to travel, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started to travel; performing sensing of a rear seat when the rear door is opened / closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle starts traveling and the rear door is not opened / closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle starts traveling; providing a notification to a user based on the result of the sensing; a control device that executes the A vehicle having:

17. the control device does not perform the sensing when the rear door is not opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle starts to run, or when the rear door is opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle starts to run and the rear door is opened or closed during the predetermined period after the vehicle starts to run.

17. The vehicle of claim 16.

18. The control device determines whether or not a person is present in the rear seat based on the result of the sensing.

18. A vehicle according to claim 16 or 17.

19. a step of determining whether a rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle has started to run, and whether the rear door has been opened or closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle has started to run; performing sensing of a rear seat when the rear door is opened and closed during a predetermined period before the vehicle starts traveling and the rear door is not opened and closed during a predetermined period after the vehicle starts traveling; providing a notification to a user based on the result of the sensing; An information processing method, including:

20. When the rear door has not been opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle is started, or when the rear door has been opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle is started and the front door has been opened or closed during the predetermined period before the vehicle is started, If the rear door is opened or closed during the predetermined period after the vehicle has been running, the sensing is not performed.

20. The information processing method according to claim 19.

21. 21. A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 19 or 20.

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