Virtual passenger system, virtual passenger method, and program

Abstract

To provide a system for realizing a virtual situation in which a passenger suggests that a driver should rest.SOLUTION: A virtual passenger system 1 includes: a virtual passenger storage unit for storing voice data of a virtual passenger 60; a driving situation acquisition unit (a drive recorder) 30 for acquiring resting area information and a driving situation of a driver; a selection unit for selecting an incident from incident generation information on the basis of incident generation information and the positional information of a vehicle 20 driven by the driver 50; a driving unit 14 for determining whether the selected incident has occurred on the basis of the driving situation; a calculation unit 15 for calculating the number of times that the occurrence is determined; a resting area extraction unit 16 for extracting a resting area from the resting area information at least on the basis of the positional information of the vehicle if the calculated value becomes larger than a threshold value; and an output unit for outputting a guidance to the extracted resting area to a driver in the form of voice data of the stored virtual passenger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a virtual passenger system, a virtual passenger method, and a program for providing voice guidance to a driver as a virtual passenger. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a rest time notification device has been proposed that notifies a vehicle driver that it is time to take a rest at a set rest time (see Patent Document 1). The rest time notification device can also search for a place where the vehicle can take a rest around the vehicle, search for a recommended route to the rest place, and provide route guidance so that the vehicle can travel along the recommended route to the rest place. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-085728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the device in Patent Document 1 can prompt the driver to take a break, the notification of the break is made by multiple mechanical voices pre-registered in the device. As a result, the driver gradually becomes accustomed to the notifications, which reduces the driver's awareness of the warnings and makes the driver more likely to drive carelessly. In addition, because the device in Patent Document 1 uniformly prompts the driver to take a break at a set time, the notification may not be made even when the driver is fatigued, or may be made even when the driver is not fatigued, which also makes the driver less aware of the warnings and makes the driver more likely to drive carelessly.

[0005] Generally, drivers tend to be more conscious of taking a break when they have a passenger. Passengers who can see the driver driving can determine the need for a break based on the driver's condition and the surrounding circumstances, and can encourage the driver to take a break. In response, the driver may take a break.

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a virtual passenger system, a virtual passenger method, and a program that can virtually create a situation in which a driver who is assumed to have accumulated fatigue or the like is encouraged to take a break. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a virtual passenger system in which a virtual passenger provides voice guidance of rest areas, the system comprising: a virtual passenger storage unit that stores voice data of the virtual passenger; a rest area storage unit that stores rest areas in association with location information; a driving status acquisition unit that acquires the driving status of a driver; and a pre-registered incident to , the location information of the vehicle that registered the incident, and The rank of the incident a selection unit that selects an incident stored in the incident storage unit based at least on location information of the vehicle driven by the driver; a determination unit that determines whether or not the selected incident has occurred based on the driving situation; and The above-mentioned occurrence was determined Incident Incident points based on rank A calculation unit that calculates Incident Point The present invention provides a virtual passenger system comprising: a rest area extraction unit that extracts a rest area from the rest area storage unit based at least on the vehicle's position information when the vehicle position information exceeds a threshold; and an output unit that outputs guidance to the extracted rest area to the driver by voice of a virtual passenger stored in the virtual passenger storage unit.

[0008] The present invention also provides The calculation unit calculates the incident points based on the rank of the incident determined by the determination unit to have occurred and the number of incidents determined by the determination unit to have occurred. A virtual passenger system is provided that calculates

[0009] Further, the present invention is a method for detecting an incident, comprising: The pre-registered incident is further associated with characteristics of the vehicle that registered the incident and / or characteristics of the driver of the vehicle, and the selection unit selects the incident based on the characteristics of the vehicle and / or characteristics of the driver in addition to the location information. Provides a virtual passenger system.

[0010] The present invention also provides a virtual passenger system, wherein the incident is at least one of a crime, an accident, and driving advice.

[0011] The present invention also provides a virtual passenger system in which the output unit outputs a map on which the pre-registered rest areas are plotted with location information of the rest areas based on the rest area storage unit.

[0012] The present invention also provides a virtual passenger system in which the selection unit selects an incident stored in the incident memory unit based on the location information of the vehicle driven by the driver and the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0013] Further, the present invention is a method for detecting a rest area by the rest area extraction unit. Incident Point When the vehicle position information and the traveling direction of the vehicle exceed a threshold, a virtual passenger system extracts a rest area from the rest area storage unit based on the vehicle position information and the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0014] The present invention also provides a virtual passenger system in which the virtual passenger memory unit stores voice data of multiple virtual passengers, and the output unit outputs the guidance aloud based on the voice data of the virtual passenger selected by the driver.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention is a method for outputting a signal from the output unit. Incident Point Based on the above, a virtual passenger system is provided that outputs the guidance by voice based on the voice data of a virtual passenger selected from a plurality of virtual passengers. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, a situation in which a passenger urges the driver to take a break can be virtually realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a virtual passenger system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a virtual passenger system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a virtual passenger database according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an incident database according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a rest area database according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a virtual passenger processing flow executed by the virtual passenger system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is an example of a rest area map according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following drawings, the same elements are designated by the same numbers or symbols throughout the description of the embodiments.

[0019] [Basic concept / basic configuration] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a virtual passenger system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The virtual passenger system 1 is a system that determines the need for a rest based on the occurrence of an incident, and if it is determined that a rest is necessary, a virtual passenger who is not actually a passenger in the vehicle advises the driver to take a rest.

[0020] The virtual passenger system 1 includes a virtual passenger device 10, a drive recorder 30 mounted on a vehicle 20, and a terminal 40 located inside the vehicle 20. The virtual passenger device 10 is connected to the drive recorder 30 and the terminal 40 via a wireless communication network. The virtual passenger device 10 may be an on-premise device or a cloud server, but in this embodiment it is a cloud server.

[0021] In addition, although the vehicle 20 is an automobile in this embodiment, it may be a bicycle or a motorcycle as long as it requires a driver 50. In addition, although the terminal 40 is a mobile terminal carried by the driver 50 in this embodiment, it may also be a car navigation terminal or the like installed in the vehicle.

[0022] The terminal 40 sets the virtual passenger 60 based on the operation input of the driver 50. The virtual passenger 60 can be set to a real person or character such as the driver's family, friends, boss, entertainer, or famous person. In detail, the virtual passenger 60 can be set by starting an app installed on the terminal 40 and storing voice data stored in the terminal 40 in the virtual passenger device 10. Note that it is also possible to select and set a virtual passenger from among the virtual passengers stored in the virtual passenger device 10, or to set multiple people as the virtual passenger 60.

[0023] The drive recorder 30 acquires driving conditions of the vehicle 20 and transmits the driving conditions to the virtual passenger device 10 at a predetermined timing. The driving conditions include at least position information acquired by a positioning sensor (for example, a GNSS sensor or a GPS sensor) and moving / still images of the inside and outside of the vehicle captured by an on-board camera, but may also include various conditions related to the vehicle acquired from on-board sensors other than the GPS sensor.

[0024] The virtual passenger device 10 selects an incident that may occur in the vehicle 20 from pre-stored incident information based on the position information of the driving situation acquired from the vehicle 20. Then, the virtual passenger device 10 determines whether the selected incident has occurred from moving / still images inside and outside the vehicle included in the driving situation acquired from the vehicle 20.

[0025] Here, the incident information includes incidents that have occurred in the past and the locations where the incidents occurred, and is information created from information obtained from the vehicle 20 or the terminal 40 via a communication network, or from information obtained from websites, SNS, etc.

[0026] When the virtual passenger device 10 determines that an incident has occurred in the vehicle 20, it calculates incident points based on the number of incidents that have occurred, etc. When the virtual passenger device 10 determines that the calculated incident points exceed a preset threshold, it generates a voice message providing guidance to the rest area based on pre-stored rest area information and transmits the voice message to the terminal 40. Then, the terminal 40, which has received the voice message, causes the virtual passenger 60 to speak the voice message, providing guidance to the driver to the rest area.

[0027] Such a virtual passenger system can estimate the driver's fatigue level based on the number of incidents, etc., and when the driver becomes fatigued, the virtual passenger can advise the driver to take a break by speaking. This makes it possible to virtually recreate a situation in which the passenger encourages the driver to take a break, allowing the driver to take a break at the appropriate time and maintaining the driver's condition at an appropriate level.

[0028] [Functional configuration of the virtual passenger system] 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a virtual passenger system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The virtual passenger system 1 includes a virtual passenger device 10, a drive recorder 30, and a terminal 40 connected to the virtual passenger device 10 via a wireless communication network.

[0029] (Driving recorder functional configuration) The drive recorder 30 has a function as a driving situation acquisition unit that acquires the driving situation of the driver 50 who drives the vehicle 20. The drive recorder 30 includes a transmitter / receiver 31 that transmits and receives data to and from the virtual passenger device 10, a control unit 32, a memory unit 33, various sensors 34, and a camera 35. The various sensors 34 include, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a sound detection sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an infrared sensor, and a light sensor.

[0030] The control unit 32 acquires moving images and still images (hereinafter, when there is no distinction between inside and outside the vehicle and moving / still images, they are simply referred to as images) from the camera 35, and stores the images in the memory unit 33 in association with the date and time when the images were captured. The control unit 32 also acquires vehicle conditions such as position information (latitude and longitude), traveling direction, sound, speed, acceleration, steering wheel rotation angle, brake pedal depression amount, and inside / outside temperature from the various sensors 34, and stores the vehicle conditions in the memory unit 33 in association with the date and time when the vehicle conditions were detected.

[0031] In addition to the images and vehicle status, the memory unit 33 stores vehicle information related to the vehicle, such as a driver ID, vehicle type, and vehicle ID. The vehicle information may hold driver information (such as age, driving experience, and industry) indicating the characteristics of the driver in association with the driver ID. The vehicle information may also hold vehicle information (such as vehicle class, vehicle maintenance information, and mileage) indicating the characteristics of the vehicle in association with the vehicle ID. The transmitter / receiver unit 31 transmits the images and vehicle status stored in the memory unit 33 and the vehicle information stored in the memory unit 33 to the virtual passenger device 10 as driving status, either sequentially or at a predetermined timing.

[0032] (Functional configuration of the virtual passenger device) The virtual passenger device 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11 that transmits and receives data to and from the drive recorder 30 and the terminal 40, a management unit 12, a selection unit 13, a judgment unit 14, a calculation unit 15, a rest area extraction unit 16, a guidance generation unit 17, and a memory unit 18.

[0033] The storage unit 18 includes a virtual passenger database (in this specification, a database may be referred to as a DB) 180 that stores voice data of the virtual passenger 60 set on the terminal 40, an incident database 181 that stores incident information related to incidents that have occurred in the past, and a rest area database 182 that stores rest area information related to rest areas. In this embodiment, since the virtual passenger device 10 is a cloud server, it is desirable that the storage unit 18 be configured with cloud storage or a distributed ledger.

[0034] The management unit 12 generates and updates the virtual passenger DB 180 based on the virtual passenger information acquired from the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11, and records and manages the virtual passenger DB 180 in the storage unit 18.

[0035] 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the virtual passenger DB according to this embodiment. The virtual passenger information in the virtual passenger DB 180 includes information indicating a virtual passenger ID for identifying the virtual passenger, a driver ID for identifying the driver who set the virtual passenger, the name of the virtual passenger, voice data of the virtual passenger, etc.

[0036] Furthermore, the management unit 12 creates incident information based on the driving conditions acquired via the transmission / reception unit 11 from the drive recorder 30 of the vehicle 20 in which the incident occurred. Then, the management unit 12 generates and updates the incident DB 181 based on the created incident information, and records and manages it in the storage unit 18. Note that the incident information is not limited to the vehicle in which the virtual passenger system 1 is installed, and may include information acquired from the drive recorders of other vehicles. Furthermore, the management unit 12 may create incident information from information related to the incident posted on websites, SNS, etc., in addition to the driving conditions.

[0037] In this embodiment, an incident includes both a near miss, which may lead to a danger such as an accident, and an accident. In detail, an incident includes a crime related to a vehicle, an accident related to a vehicle, and driving advice indicating a situation that may lead to or cause a crime or an accident related to a vehicle. Examples of driving advice include weather information, checking for pedestrians, school zones, frequent sidewalk parking, watch out for pedestrians running out into the street, narrow roads, inability to pass other vehicles, height restrictions, and safe driving items.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an incident DB according to an embodiment of the present invention. The incident information in the incident DB 181 includes information indicating an incident ID for identifying the incident, the latitude / longitude of the location where the incident occurred, the incident classification, the incident name, the start time of the incident, the end time of the incident, and a rank. Furthermore, the incident information may include information such as the characteristics of the driver who caused the incident (e.g., age, driving history, type of business), the characteristics of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle class, vehicle maintenance information, vehicle inspection information, mileage), and the vehicle model. Here, the rank is a numerical value set according to the content of the incident, with the numerical value being set higher for more serious incidents. It is sufficient that the incident information includes at least the incident name and the latitude / longitude of the location where the incident occurred.

[0039] 2, the selection unit 13 selects an incident from the incident DB 181 based on the location information of the driving situation acquired from the drive recorder 30 of the vehicle 20. In detail, the selection unit 13 acquires, from the incident DB 181, incident information having location information that matches the acquired location information.

[0040] The selection unit 13 may acquire, from the incident DB 181, incident information having location information within a predetermined range that includes the acquired location information, even if the location information does not match the acquired location information. This makes it possible to acquire not only incidents that occur at the current location of the vehicle, but also incidents that occur near the current location, and to select a wide range of incidents that may occur in the vehicle 20. Note that the predetermined range may be set in advance for each incident.

[0041] The selection unit 13 may also include the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 included in the driving situation in the selection conditions together with the location information, and can select only incidents that are in the traveling direction of the vehicle. This makes it possible to limit the selection to incidents that are located in places where the vehicle is likely to be traveling. Furthermore, the selection unit 13 may also include the current time in the selection conditions together with the location information, and can limit the selection to incidents that occur only at the current time, for example, incidents that occur at night at 8 p.m.

[0042] Furthermore, the selection unit 13 may include vehicle characteristics and driver characteristics in addition to location information as selection conditions, thereby limiting and selecting incidents that match the vehicle and driver. For example, if the vehicle is a truck, incidents occurring in the truck can be selected, and if the driver is a novice, incidents occurring to a novice can be selected. Furthermore, each of these conditions may be weighted for judgment. In this way, by making judgments based on a composite consideration of time information, vehicle characteristics, driver characteristics, etc., it becomes possible to select incidents that truly required attention for the driver or vehicle.

[0043] The determination unit 14 determines whether or not the incident selected by the selection unit 13 has occurred based on the driving conditions acquired from the drive recorder 30 of the vehicle 20. In particular, the determination unit 14 analyzes an image of the driving conditions to determine whether or not the selected incident has occurred. The storage unit 18 may also include a determination condition DB (not shown) that stores incident determination conditions based on the vehicle conditions of each incident, and the determination unit 14 may refer to the determination condition DB to determine whether or not the vehicle conditions of the driving conditions satisfy the determination conditions, thereby determining whether or not the selected incident has occurred.

[0044] For example, the condition for determining whether an incident named "school commuting zone" is based on the vehicle situation is whether the brake pedal depression amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Whether the brake pedal depression amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value means whether the driver 50 braked suddenly, and it is possible to determine from the vehicle situation whether an incident requiring sudden braking, such as the vehicle 20 nearly colliding with a child, has occurred.

[0045] The determination unit 14 may also determine whether an incident has occurred based on learning data created from an image or driving situation in which an incident has occurred.

[0046] When the selection unit 13 acquires, from the incident DB 161, incident information having location information within a predetermined range including the acquired location information, the determination unit 14 determines whether or not the incident selected by the selection unit 13 has occurred for all driving situations up until the selection unit 13 no longer acquires the same incident information. In other words, the determination unit 14 determines whether or not the incident has occurred not only at the location where the incident occurred but also in a range expanded to include the vicinity of the location where the incident occurred.

[0047] The calculation unit 15 calculates incident points based on incidents determined to have occurred by the determination unit 14. In particular, the calculation unit 15 calculates the number of times that the determination unit 14 determines that an incident has occurred as the incident points. The calculation unit 15 may also calculate incident points based on the number of times that the determination unit 14 determines that an incident has occurred and the rank of the incidents determined to have occurred. The calculation unit 15 acquires the incident rank by referring to the incident DB 181. The calculation unit 15 may weight the incident points according to the characteristics of the vehicle and the characteristics of the driver in the incident information. For example, if the driver is elderly or a novice, or if the vehicle is a large vehicle such as a truck, the incident points are weighted by 1.1 times, assuming that fatigue is likely to accumulate.

[0048] Here, the incident points are a numerical representation of the occurrence of incidents based on the number of incidents and the rank of the incidents. Since the occurrence of incidents is caused by fatigue of the driver 50, the incident points can indicate the degree of fatigue of the driver 50.

[0049] Furthermore, calculation unit 15 reduces the incident points or sets them to 0 in response to the vehicle 20 coming to a stop. Since the incident points indicate the degree of fatigue of driver 50, calculation unit 15 reduces the incident points or sets them to 0 in response to the vehicle coming to a stop, that is, the driver taking a rest and recovering from fatigue. The reduction value may be any value and may be determined, for example, in response to the time the vehicle is stopped.

[0050] When the incident point calculated by the calculation unit 15 exceeds a preset threshold, the rest area extraction unit 16 extracts a rest area based on the position information of the vehicle 20. In detail, first, in response to the incident point calculated by the calculation unit 15, the rest area extraction unit 16 determines whether the incident point exceeds a preset threshold.

[0051] Next, if it is determined that the threshold has been exceeded, the rest area extraction unit 16 extracts rest areas from the rest area DB 182 based on the position information of the driving situation. This makes it possible to extract the rest area closest to the vehicle 20. The rest area extraction unit 16 may also extract rest areas from the rest area DB 182 based on the position information and the vehicle's traveling direction included in the driving situation. This makes it possible to extract rest areas that are close to the vehicle 20 and in the traveling direction of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, the rest area extraction unit 16 may use the current date and time, vehicle characteristics, vehicle type, etc. as extraction conditions to extract only currently available rest areas.

[0052] 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a rest area DB according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rest area information in the rest area DB 182 includes information indicating a rest area ID for identifying the rest area, latitude / longitude as location information of the rest area, the rest area name, the available dates and times of the rest area, the number of parking spaces, and the facilities of the rest area. Note that the rest area information only needs to include at least the rest area name and the latitude / longitude of the rest area.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 2, if the rest area extraction unit 16 determines that the incident point does not exceed the threshold value, the process ends.

[0054] The guidance generator 17 generates a voice message in which the virtual passenger set on the terminal 40 provides guidance about the rest area extracted by the rest area extractor 16. In detail, the guidance generator 17 first refers to map information for vehicle guidance based on the location information of the rest area extracted by the rest area extractor 16 and the location information of the driving situation, and acquires a driving route from the current position of the vehicle 20 to the rest area. Note that an external system may be used to acquire the driving route, and it is sufficient that the driving route is the shortest route from the current position to the rest area.

[0055] The guidance generator 17 acquires voice data of the virtual passenger 60 set in the terminal 40 from the virtual passenger DB 180. Next, the guidance generator 17 generates a voice message for the virtual passenger 60 from the acquired driving route based on the acquired voice data. The voice message may include information such as the rest area name, available hours, number of parking spaces, and facilities stored in the rest area DB 182, as well as a message encouraging the user to take a break.

[0056] This makes it possible to create a voice message for providing guidance to the rest area that reflects the characteristics such as the manner of speaking, phraseology, and tone of voice of the person or character that is the virtual passenger 60. Then, the guidance generation unit 17 transmits the generated voice message to the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11.

[0057] (Device functional configuration) Terminal 40 is operated by driver 50 and is, for example, a mobile terminal or a car navigation terminal, and is connected to virtual passenger device 10 via a network so as to be able to send and receive information. Terminal 40 includes a display input / output unit (not shown) formed, for example, by a touch panel, and a sound output unit (not shown) formed, for example, by a speaker.

[0058] When the driver 50 gets into the vehicle, he operates the input / output unit to start a predetermined application and sets up a virtual passenger 60 using the application. After that, when the driver 50 starts the vehicle 20, the drive recorder 30 starts transmitting the driving situation to the virtual passenger device 10. When the virtual passenger device 10 determines that the driver is fatigued, the audio message of the virtual passenger 60 received from the virtual passenger device 10 is output from the sound output unit to encourage the driver to take a rest.

[0059] The functional configuration of the present system described above is merely an example. A single functional block (database and functional processing unit) may be divided, or multiple functional blocks may be combined into a single functional block. Each functional processing unit is implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) built into a device or terminal that reads a computer program (e.g., a core software or an application that causes the CPU to execute the above-mentioned processes) stored in a storage device (memory unit) such as a read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or hard disk, and then executes the computer program. That is, each functional processing unit is implemented by the computer program reading and writing necessary data, such as tables, from a database (DB) stored in the storage device or a memory area in memory, and, in some cases, controlling related hardware (e.g., an input / output device, a display device, or a communication interface device). Furthermore, the database (DB) in the embodiments of the present invention may be a commercial database, but it also refers to a simple collection of tables and files, regardless of the internal structure of the database itself.

[0060] [Processing flow] 6 is a diagram showing a virtual passenger processing flow executed by the virtual passenger system according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the virtual passenger processing is executed by the virtual passenger device.

[0061] First, the management unit 12 generates and updates the virtual passenger DB 180 (see FIG. 3) based on the virtual passenger information acquired from the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11, and stores and manages it in the storage unit 18 (S1). Next, the selection unit 13 acquires the driving conditions from the drive recorder 30 (S2). Subsequently, the selection unit 13 selects incidents whose position information matches or is within a predetermined range from the incident DB 181 (see FIG. 4) based on the position information included in the driving conditions acquired in S2 (S3).

[0062] Next, the determination unit 14 determines whether or not the incident selected in S3 has occurred based on the driving conditions acquired in S2 (S4). If an incident has occurred (YES), the process proceeds to S5, and if an incident has not occurred (NO), the process proceeds to S10.

[0063] Next, the calculation unit 15 calculates incident points based on the incidents determined to have occurred in S4 (S5). Next, the rest area extraction unit 16 determines whether the incident points exceed a threshold (S6). If the incident points exceed the threshold (YES), the process proceeds to S7. On the other hand, if the number of occurrences does not exceed the threshold (NO), the process proceeds to S10.

[0064] Next, the rest area extraction unit 16 extracts a rest area from the rest area DB 182 based at least on the location information included in the driving situation acquired in S2 (S7). Next, the guidance generation unit 17 generates a voice message in which the virtual passenger set in the terminal 40 guides the user through the rest area extracted in S7, based on the virtual passenger DB 180 and map information (S8). Next, the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits the voice message generated in S8 to the terminal 40, and outputs it from the sound output unit of the terminal 40, causing the virtual passenger 60 to speak (S9).

[0065] Next, the selection unit 13 determines whether new driving conditions have been acquired from the drive recorder 30, or if the driving conditions have been acquired, based on the acquired driving conditions, whether the vehicle 20 is stopped. When the engine of the vehicle 20 is stopped, new driving conditions cannot be acquired from the drive recorder 30, so the selection unit 13 determines that the vehicle 20 is stopped. Furthermore, when the vehicle 20 is stopped but the engine is not stopped, driving conditions are acquired, so the selection unit 13 determines that the vehicle 20 is stopped based on the acquired driving conditions, for example, if the image and position information remain the same, or if the vehicle speed and acceleration are zero.

[0066] If the selection unit 13 determines that the vehicle 20 is stopped (YES), the process proceeds to S11, and if the selection unit 13 determines that the vehicle 20 is not stopped (NO), the process returns to S3, determining that driving is continuing (S10). Then, the calculation unit 15 reduces the incident points or sets them to 0 (S11).

[0067] Such a virtual passenger system estimates the driver's fatigue level based on the number of incidents and / or the severity of the incidents, and when it determines that the driver is becoming fatigued, it can provide guidance to a rest area through the speech of a virtual passenger. This virtually creates a situation in which a passenger urges the driver to take a break, making it possible to increase the driver's awareness of the guidance regarding rest and allowing the driver to take a break at an appropriate time. As a result, the driver's condition can be maintained at an appropriate level, and the driver's distracted driving can be prevented.

[0068] In addition, the system can guide you to the nearest rest area in the direction of travel of the vehicle based on the direction of travel of the vehicle. Furthermore, it can guide you to available rest areas based on the current date and time, vehicle characteristics, vehicle model, etc.

[0069] Furthermore, the virtual passenger system allows the driver to feel as if a fellow passenger is there by having the virtual passenger speak, which can improve the driver's awareness of safe driving. The virtual passenger can be set by the driver, and can be chosen at will from a familiar family member, a favorite celebrity or character, or a boss who makes the driver feel more at ease, allowing the driver to select a virtual passenger that suits their mood at the time.

[0070] [Variations] (1) For example, the virtual passenger system may include the driver's name in the virtual passenger information. This allows the guidance generation unit to create a message that includes the driver's name, such as "Taro, let's take a break. Turn left at the next traffic light." This makes it easier for the driver to realize that someone is talking to him or her, improving the effectiveness of encouraging the driver to take a break. It also enhances the sense of a passenger's presence.

[0071] (2) For example, the virtual passenger system may store map information in a memory unit, and generate a rest area map (see FIG. 6) based on the map information and rest area information, displaying icons indicating rest areas at the locations of the rest areas on the map, and transmit the generated map to the driver's terminal, etc. This allows the driver to be presented with rest areas near the vehicle and encouraged to take a break. The rest area map may display different icons for each category (e.g., convenience stores, parking lots, etc.), or may be searchable by facility or usage time. It may also display comments collected from drivers of vehicles who have used the rest area.

[0072] (3) For example, the virtual passenger system can select a virtual passenger based on the incident point and generate a voice message from the selected virtual passenger guiding the user to a rest area. For example, when the incident point slightly exceeds a threshold, the system can prompt the user to take a rest in a relaxed manner using the voice of a family member, friend, celebrity, etc., and when the incident point significantly exceeds the threshold, the system can prompt the user to take a rest in an urgent manner using the voice of a boss, etc. This allows the system to urge the user to take a rest hurriedly depending on the attributes of the virtual passenger.

[0073] (4) For example, the virtual passenger system may include a point awarding unit that awards points when the vehicle stops at a designated rest area. Accumulating points can lead to receiving a gift, which can increase the likelihood of taking a rest.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. In the above embodiments, the present invention has been described as a virtual passenger system as an invention of a product. However, the present invention can also be considered as an invention of a method executed by the virtual passenger system or a program that causes the virtual passenger system to function as various means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Virtual Passenger System 10 Virtual Passenger Device 11 Transmitter / Receiver 12 Management Department 13 Selection section 14 Judgment section 15 Calculation section 16 Rest area extraction section 17 Guidance Generation Unit 18 Memory section 180 Virtual passenger database 181 Incident DB 182 Rest Area DB 20 vehicles 30 Drive Recorder 31 Transmitter / Receiver 32 Control Unit 33 Storage section 34 Various sensors 35 Camera 40 terminals 50 Driver 60 Virtual Passengers

Claims

1. A virtual passenger system in which a virtual passenger provides voice guidance to a rest area, a virtual passenger storage unit that stores voice data of the virtual passenger; a rest area storage unit that stores rest areas in association with location information; a driving status acquisition unit that acquires a driving status of a driver; an incident storage unit that stores a pre-registered incident in association with location information of the vehicle that registered the incident and the rank of the incident; a selection unit that selects an incident stored in the incident storage unit based at least on location information of a vehicle driven by the driver; a determination unit that determines whether or not the selected incident has occurred based on the driving situation; a calculation unit that calculates incident points based on the rank of the incident determined to have occurred by the determination unit; a rest area extraction unit that extracts a rest area from the rest area storage unit based at least on the position information of the vehicle when the incident point exceeds a threshold; an output unit that outputs guidance to the extracted rest area to the driver in a voice voiced by the virtual fellow passenger stored in the virtual fellow passenger storage unit; A virtual passenger system comprising:

2. A virtual passenger system as described in claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the incident points based on the rank of the incident determined to have occurred by the determination unit and the number of incidents determined to have occurred by the determination unit.

3. the incident storage unit stores the pre-registered incident in association with characteristics of a vehicle that registered the incident and / or characteristics of a driver of the vehicle; The virtual passenger system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selection unit selects the incident based on the characteristics of the vehicle and / or the characteristics of the driver in addition to the location information.

4. The virtual passenger system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the incident is at least one of a crime, an accident, and driving advice.

5. A virtual passenger system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output unit outputs a map on which the pre-registered rest areas are plotted with location information of the rest areas based on the rest area memory unit.

6. A virtual passenger system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the selection unit selects an incident stored in the incident memory unit based on the location information of the vehicle driven by the driver and the direction of travel of the vehicle.

7. A virtual passenger system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rest area extraction unit extracts a rest area from the rest area memory unit based on the vehicle's location information and the vehicle's direction of travel when the incident point exceeds a threshold value.

8. 8. The virtual passenger system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the guidance by voice based on voice data of a virtual passenger selected by the driver.

9. A virtual passenger system described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the calculation unit reduces the incident point in response to the vehicle stopping.

10. A method executed by a virtual passenger system in which a virtual passenger provides voice guidance to a rest area, comprising: The virtual passenger system includes a rest area storage unit that stores rest areas in association with location information, an incident storage unit that stores pre-registered incidents in association with location information of the vehicle that registered the incident and the rank of the incident, and a virtual passenger storage unit that stores voice data of the virtual passenger, acquiring a driving status of a driver; selecting an incident stored in the incident storage unit based at least on location information of a vehicle driven by the driver; determining whether the selected incident has occurred based on the driving situation; calculating incident points based on the rank of the incident determined to have occurred; extracting a rest area from the rest area storage unit based at least on location information of the vehicle when the number of incident points exceeds a threshold; outputting guidance to the extracted rest area to the driver in a voice voiced by the virtual passenger stored in the virtual passenger storage unit; A method comprising:

11. A virtual passenger system that provides voice guidance to rest areas a virtual passenger storage unit for storing voice data of the virtual passenger; a rest area storage unit that stores rest areas in association with location information; a driving status acquisition unit that acquires the driving status of the driver; an incident storage unit that stores a pre-registered incident in association with location information of the vehicle that registered the incident and the rank of the incident; a selection unit that selects an incident stored in the incident storage unit based at least on location information of a vehicle driven by the driver; a determination unit that determines whether or not the selected incident has occurred based on the driving situation; a calculation unit that calculates incident points based on the rank of the incident determined to have occurred by the determination unit; a rest area extraction unit that extracts a rest area from the rest area storage unit based at least on the position information of the vehicle when the incident point exceeds a threshold; an output unit that outputs guidance to the extracted rest area to the driver in a voice voiced by the virtual fellow passenger stored in the virtual fellow passenger storage unit; A program to function as a

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