Information processing device

Abstract

To provide a technique that alerts a user in advance when there is a high possibility that a parked vehicle is towed.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a control unit. The control unit executes processing to alert a user when a parking position of a vehicle of the user is included in a high-risk area where there is a high possibility that the vehicle is towed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for notifying a user that a vehicle has been towed when it is detected that the vehicle has been towed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that when a vehicle is determined to be in an unnatural movement state (e.g., towed), a command signal is sent to a driving means to operate a horn, which is an alarm means, in a second mode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If there is a high possibility that a parked vehicle will be towed, it would be useful to be able to alert the user in advance.

[0005] In view of this point, an object of the present disclosure is to alert the user in advance when there is a high possibility that a parked vehicle will be towed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] [[ID=​​​​​​According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, if there is a high probability that a parked vehicle will be towed, the user can be warned in advance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the tow truck movement detection process performed by the in-vehicle equipment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the vehicle shown in Figure 1 being towed away. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process for identifying locations of concern that the system performs. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of a warning process performed by an in-vehicle device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the system 1 according to this embodiment includes a server device 10, a vehicle 20A, and a vehicle 20B. Vehicle 20A is equipped with in-vehicle equipment 30A. Vehicle 20B is equipped with in-vehicle equipment 30B.

[0011] Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, vehicles 20A and 20B will also be referred to as "vehicle 20." Similarly, unless otherwise specified, in-vehicle equipment 30A and 30B will also be referred to as "in-vehicle equipment 30." System 1 comprises two vehicles 20. However, System 1 may include three or more vehicles 20.

[0012] The server device 10 and the in-vehicle equipment 30 can communicate with each other via network 2. Network 2 may be any network, including mobile communication networks and the Internet.

[0013] The server device 10 is an information processing device. The server device 10 is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of computers that can communicate with each other.

[0014] The server device 10 identifies locations of concern. Locations of concern are places where there is a high probability that the vehicle 20 will be towed. Here, the vehicle 20 is generally towed due to parking violations or vehicle theft. As described later, the server device 10 identifies locations of concern where there is a high probability that the vehicle 20 will be towed due to factors other than vehicle theft.

[0015] The server device 10 comprises a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0016] The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication module that can connect to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that complies with standards such as wired LAN (Local Area Network) or wireless LAN. The communication unit 11 is connected to the network 2 via the communication module through the wired LAN or wireless LAN.

[0017] The storage unit 12 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or at least two combinations thereof. The storage unit 12 may function as a main memory, auxiliary memory, or cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores data used for the operation of the server device 10 and data obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

[0018] The control unit 13 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The control unit 13 controls each part of the server device 10 and executes processes related to the operation of the server device 10.

[0019] [[ID=I4]]Vehicle 20A has an auto-alarm function. The auto-alarm function is a function that warns with sound or light when an intrusion into vehicle 20A is detected. For example, the auto-alarm function detects an intrusion into vehicle 20A by detecting that the door, trunk, or hood of vehicle 20A has been unlocked by a method other than a predetermined operation, or by detecting an intruder into vehicle 20A with an intrusion sensor. The predetermined operation is, for example, an operation by a smart entry or a wireless remote controller.

[0020] Vehicle 20B is driven by user 3. Vehicle 20B may have an auto-alarm function.

[0021] The in-vehicle device 30 is an information processing device. The in-vehicle device 30 is, for example, a navigation device. The in-vehicle device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a positioning unit 32, a sensor unit 33, an output unit 34, a storage unit 35, and a control unit 36.

[0022] The communication unit 31 is configured to include at least one communication module connectable to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation).

[0023] The communication unit 31 may include at least one communication module capable of communicating with the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 20 on which the in-vehicle equipment 30 is mounted. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that conforms to the standards of an in-vehicle network or a dedicated line.

[0024] The positioning unit 32 is capable of acquiring location information of the vehicle 20 on which the in-vehicle equipment 30 is mounted. The location information of the vehicle 20 is information that can identify the location of the vehicle 20. The location information of the vehicle 20 is, for example, coordinates. The positioning unit 32 is configured to include at least one receiving module that corresponds to a satellite positioning system. The receiving module is, for example, a receiving module that corresponds to GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0025] The sensor unit 33 is capable of detecting the tilt angle of the vehicle 20 on which the in-vehicle equipment 30 is mounted. The sensor unit 33 is configured to include, for example, a G-sensor or an acceleration sensor.

[0026] The output unit 34 is capable of outputting data. The output unit 34 is configured to include at least one output interface capable of outputting data. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0027] The configuration of the memory unit 35 may be the same as or similar to the configuration of the memory unit 12. The memory unit 35 stores data used for the operation of the in-vehicle equipment 30 and data obtained from the operation of the in-vehicle equipment 30.

[0028] The configuration of the control unit 36 ​​may be the same as or similar to that of the control unit 13. The control unit 36 ​​controls each part of the in-vehicle equipment 30 and performs processing related to the operation of the in-vehicle equipment 30.

[0029] (Tow truck movement detection process) Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the tow truck movement detection process performed by the in-vehicle device 30A shown in Figure 1. The control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle device 30A starts processing in step S1 when the vehicle 20A starts moving. However, an in-vehicle device 30 installed in any vehicle 20 included in System 1 may perform the tow truck movement detection process as shown in Figure 2.

[0030] In step S1, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the vehicle 20A is parked. For example, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the vehicle 20A is parked by communicating with the vehicle 20A's electronic control unit via the communication unit 31. If the control unit 36 ​​determines that the vehicle 20A is parked (step S1: YES), it proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the control unit 36 ​​does not determine that the vehicle 20A is parked (step S1: NO), it repeats step S1.

[0031] In step S2, the control unit 36 ​​obtains the position information of the vehicle 20A immediately after it has parked using the positioning unit 32.

[0032] In step S3, the control unit 36 ​​uses the sensor unit 33 to detect the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A immediately after it has been parked. The control unit 36 ​​sets the detected tilt angle of the vehicle 20A as the reference angle of the vehicle 20A.

[0033] In step S4, the control unit 36 ​​detects the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A using the sensor unit 33. The control unit 36 ​​calculates the amount of change in the detected tilt angle of the vehicle 20A. The amount of change in the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A is the amount of change from the vehicle 20A's reference angle. For example, as shown in Figure 3, when the vehicle 20A is towed by the tow truck 4, the vehicle 20A is first lifted by the crane of the tow truck 4. At this time, the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A changes from the reference angle, which is the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A immediately after it was parked. Therefore, the control unit 36 ​​calculates the amount of change in the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A.

[0034] In step S5, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether the change in the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A exceeds a threshold. The threshold may be set based on the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A when it is lifted by the tow truck 4 as shown in Figure 3. If the control unit 36 ​​determines that the change in the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A exceeds the threshold (step S5: YES), it proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 36 ​​determines that the change in the tilt angle of the vehicle 20A is less than or equal to the threshold (step S5: NO), it returns to step S4.

[0035] In step S6, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the vehicle 20A has been stolen. For example, if the control unit 36 ​​detects intrusion into the vehicle 20A by the vehicle's auto alarm function, it determines that the vehicle 20A has been stolen. If the control unit 36 ​​does not determine that the vehicle 20A has been stolen (step S6: NO), it proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the control unit 36 ​​determines that the vehicle 20A has been stolen (step S6: YES), it proceeds to step S8.

[0036] In step S7, the control unit 36 ​​transmits the location information of the vehicle 20A acquired in step S2 to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. The location information of the vehicle 20A acquired in step S2 is the location information of the vehicle 20A immediately after it is parked and is the location information of the vehicle 20A immediately before towing begins.

[0037] In step S8, the control unit 36 ​​transmits the location information of the vehicle 20A acquired in step S2 and a signal indicating vehicle theft to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31.

[0038] (Identification and processing of areas requiring special attention) Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process for identifying locations of concern performed by System 1, as shown in Figure 1.

[0039] The process in step S11 corresponds to the process in step S7 or step S8. In other words, if the control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle equipment 30A installed in the vehicle 20A performs the process in step S7, it transmits the location information of the vehicle 20A immediately before towing begins to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. If the control unit 36 ​​performs the process in step S8, it transmits a signal indicating vehicle theft along with the location information of the vehicle 20A immediately before towing begins to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31.

[0040] In step S12, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 receives location information of vehicle 20A, or a signal indicating vehicle theft along with the location information of vehicle 20A, from vehicle 20A via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. The control unit 13 stores the received location information of vehicle 20A, etc., in the storage unit 12.

[0041] Each time vehicle 20A or another vehicle 20 is towed, steps S11 and S12 are repeatedly executed. As steps S11 and S12 are repeatedly executed, the storage unit 12 of the server device 10 stores location information of vehicle 20 immediately before towing begins. The control unit 13 may create a database of this information.

[0042] In step S13, the control unit 13 of the server device 10 identifies at least one location of concern based on the location information of the vehicle 20 received in step S12. However, if the control unit 13 receives a signal indicating vehicle theft along with the location information of the vehicle 20, it does not use this location information of the vehicle 20 to identify the location of concern. This configuration makes it possible to identify locations of concern where the vehicle 20 is likely to be towed due to factors other than vehicle theft. For example, a location of concern could be a place where the vehicle 20 is likely to be towed due to a parking violation.

[0043] As an example of the process for identifying locations requiring attention, the control unit 13 may identify locations that include a predetermined number or more of the vehicle 20 locations stored in the storage unit 12 as locations requiring attention. The predetermined number may be set based on the number of vehicle 20 location information stored in the storage unit 12, or it may be set based on the period over which the processes in steps S11 and S12 are repeatedly executed.

[0044] In step S14, the control unit 13 acquires information about parking lots around the location of concern identified in step S13. The parking lot information includes, for example, at least one of the parking lot name and the parking lot location information. The parking lot location information is information that allows the location of the parking lot to be identified. The parking lot location information is, for example, coordinates. The control unit 13 may acquire information about parking lots within a predetermined range from the location of concern as information about parking lots around the location of concern. The predetermined range may be set considering user convenience. If the control unit 13 identifies multiple locations of concern in step S13, it may acquire information about multiple parking lots. These multiple parking lots are information about parking lots around each of the multiple locations of concern.

[0045] In step S15, the control unit 13 transmits location information of the area of ​​concern and information about parking lots around the area of ​​concern to vehicles 20A and 20B via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. Location information of the area of ​​concern is information that can identify the location of the area of ​​concern. Location information of the area of ​​concern is, for example, coordinates. If the control unit 13 identifies multiple areas of concern in step S13, it may transmit a list of coordinates indicating the location information of the multiple areas of concern and information about the multiple parking lots to vehicles 20A and 20B.

[0046] In step S16, in the vehicle's onboard equipment 30A, the control unit 36 ​​receives location information for at least one location of concern and information for at least one parking lot from the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. In other words, the onboard equipment 30A receives location information for at least one location of concern and information for at least one parking lot from other devices. The control unit 36 ​​stores the received location information for locations of concern and parking lot information in the storage unit 35.

[0047] In step S17, in the vehicle 20B's in-vehicle device 30B, the control unit 36 ​​receives location information for at least one location of concern and information for at least one parking lot from the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. In other words, the in-vehicle device 30B receives location information for at least one location of concern and information for at least one parking lot from other devices. The control unit 36 ​​stores the received location information for locations of concern and parking lot information in the storage unit 35.

[0048] Here, the processes from step S13 to step S17 may be executed at predetermined intervals. The predetermined interval may be set based on the frequency at which the processes in steps S11 and S12 are executed, or the frequency at which the vehicle 20 included in system 1 is towed away.

[0049] (A process to raise awareness) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the warning process performed by the in-vehicle device 30B shown in Figure 1. When the vehicle 20B starts moving, the control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle device 30B starts the process in step S21.

[0050] In step S21, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the vehicle 20B is parked. For example, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the vehicle 20B is parked by communicating with the vehicle 20B's electronic control unit via the communication unit 31. If the control unit 36 ​​determines that the vehicle 20B is parked (step S21: YES), it proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if the control unit 36 ​​does not determine that the vehicle 20B is parked (step S21: NO), it repeats the process of step S21.

[0051] In step S22, the control unit 36 ​​acquires the vehicle 20B's location information as the vehicle 20B's parking location information using the positioning unit 32.

[0052] In step S23, the control unit 36 ​​obtains location information of a location requiring attention from the storage unit 35. The control unit 36 ​​determines whether the parking position of the vehicle 20B obtained in step S22 is included in the location requiring attention. Here, if the vehicle 20B receives location information of multiple locations requiring attention from the server device 10 in step S17 described above, the storage unit 35 stores location information of multiple locations requiring attention. In this case, the control unit 36 ​​determines whether the parking position of the vehicle 20B obtained in step S22 is included in any of the multiple locations requiring attention.

[0053] If the control unit 36 ​​determines that the parking position of vehicle 20B is included in the area requiring attention (step S23: YES), it proceeds to the process in step S24. On the other hand, if the control unit 36 ​​does not determine that the parking position of vehicle 20B is included in the area requiring attention (step S23: NO), it terminates the warning process shown in Figure 5.

[0054] In step S24, the control unit 36 ​​performs a process to alert the user. As an example of this process, the control unit 36 ​​causes the output unit 34 to output a notification indicating that the parking location of vehicle 20B is in a location where it is highly likely to be towed. The control unit 36 ​​may display this notification on the display of the output unit 34, or it may output this notification as audio from the speaker of the output unit 34. As another example of this process, the control unit 36 ​​may, via the network 2, send a notification to the user 3's terminal device via the communication unit 31 indicating that the parking location of vehicle 20B is in a location where it is highly likely to be towed. When the user 3's terminal device receives this notification, it may display it on the terminal device's display.

[0055] In step S25, the control unit 36 ​​obtains parking information from the storage unit 35. The control unit 36 ​​outputs information about parking lots around the parking position of the vehicle 20B to the output unit 34 from the obtained parking information. For example, the control unit 36 ​​displays the location of parking lots around the parking position of the vehicle 20B on the display of the output unit 34. The control unit 36 ​​may also transmit the information about parking lots around the parking position of the vehicle 20B to the user 3's terminal device via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. When the user 3's terminal device receives the parking information, it may display the parking information on the terminal device's display.

[0056] Here, the process in step S23 may be performed by the server device 10. In this case, in the process of step S22, the control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle device 30B transmits the parking location information of the vehicle 20B to the server device 10 via the network 2 using the communication unit 31. The control unit 13 of the server device 10 receives the parking location information of the vehicle 20B from the vehicle 20B via the network 2 using the communication unit 11. The control unit 13 determines whether the received parking location information of the vehicle 20B is included in the area of ​​concern identified in the process of step S13 (step S23). If the control unit 13 determines that the parking location of the vehicle 20B is included in the area of ​​concern (step S23: YES), it performs a process to alert the user. As an example of this process, the control unit 13 transmits a notification via the network 2 to the in-vehicle device 30B or the user 3's terminal device using the communication unit 11, indicating that the parking location of the vehicle 20B is in a location where there is a high possibility of towing. The control unit 13 may transmit information about parking lots around the parking position of the vehicle 20B, along with this notification, to the in-vehicle device 30B or the user 3's terminal device. When the in-vehicle device 30B receives at least one of the notification and the parking lot information from the server device 10, it may output at least one of the received notification and the parking lot information from the output unit 34, as described above. When the user 3's terminal device receives at least one of the notification and the parking lot information from the server device 10, it may display at least one of the received notification and the parking lot information on the terminal device's display.

[0057] As described above, the control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle device 30B or the control unit 13 of the server device 10 executes a process to alert user 3 if the parking location of user 3's vehicle 20B is included in the area requiring attention. With this configuration, if there is a high possibility that the parked vehicle 20B will be towed away, user 3 can be alerted in advance. This allows user 3 to move the vehicle 20B before it is towed away.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the control unit 13 of the server device 10 receives a signal indicating vehicle theft along with the location information of the vehicle 20, it does not need to use the location information of the vehicle 20 to identify the location of the vehicle of concern. With this configuration, it is possible to identify locations of concern where the vehicle 20 is likely to be towed due to factors other than vehicle theft.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 36 ​​of the in-vehicle device 30B may output information about parking lots around the parking position of the user 3's vehicle 20B to the output unit 34. With this configuration, user 3 can quickly identify nearby parking lots and move vehicle 20B to one of them.

[0060] While this disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions, etc., included in each component or step can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps can be combined into one or divided into two. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1: System, 2: Network, 3: User, 4: Tow truck, 10: Server device, 11: Communication unit, 12: Memory unit, 13: Control unit, 20, 20A, 20B: Vehicle, 30, 30A, 30B: In-vehicle equipment, 31: Communication unit, 32: Positioning unit, 33: Sensor unit, 34: Output unit, 35: Memory unit, 36: Control unit

Claims

1. A communication unit, The system includes a control unit that performs a process to alert the user if the user's vehicle is parked in a location that is likely to be towed, The control unit is an information processing device that identifies the location of the vehicle requiring attention by receiving location information of the vehicle immediately before towing begins from the towed vehicle via the communication unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, when it receives a signal indicating vehicle theft along with the vehicle's location information from the towed vehicle via the communication unit, does not use the vehicle's location information to identify the location of concern.

3. It also has an output section, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the output unit to output information about parking lots around the parking position of the user's vehicle.

4. The aforementioned information processing device is an in-vehicle device of the user's vehicle, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives location information of the area of ​​concern from another device via the communication unit.

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