Notification type determination device

Abstract

To ask for appropriate rescue even in a situation in which a crew member in a vehicle is almost unable to perform a button operation with high predictability of occurrence of a collision accident.SOLUTION: A notification type determination device comprises: a state detection unit 110 which detects a state of a tire; an abnormal state determination unit 120 which determines an abnormal state of the tire from the detected state of the tire; a travel state determination unit 130 which determines a travel state of a vehicle; a notification type determination unit 140 which determines a notification type according to the determined abnormal state of the tire and the travel state of the vehicle; and a notification unit 150 which performs notification according to the determined notification type.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a notification type determination device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to protect the lives of vehicle occupants, a signal indicating that a safety device such as an airbag device or a seat belt pretensioner has operated, or a predetermined signal from an impact sensor such as an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle is input. There is known a vehicle emergency notification device that makes an emergency notification to a center.

[0003] As this type of device, when making an emergency notification to an emergency notification center, in addition to the position information of the vehicle, the number of occupants in the vehicle extracted from various sensors, whether the seat belt is worn, the collision direction, the presence or absence of multiple collisions, the presence or absence of rollover, and the change in vehicle speed before and after the collision. There is disclosed a technique for notifying the center of information that can more precisely grasp the emergency situation that has occurred in the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 above, when a collision accident occurs in the host vehicle or when no collision accident occurs in the host vehicle, a notification to the emergency notification center cannot be made unless any of the occupants performs a button operation. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed and its tire bursts, the predictability of a collision accident is high, all the occupants in the vehicle are in a panic state, and it is difficult to request appropriate assistance in a situation where no button operation for notifying the emergency notification center can be performed.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a notification type determination device that has a high degree of predictability of collision accidents and can request appropriate rescue even when the occupants inside the vehicle are unable to operate buttons. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Embodiment 1; One or more embodiments of the present invention include a state detection unit for detecting the state of a tire, and a unit for determining an abnormal state of the tire from the detected state of the tire. At a minimum, determine whether it falls under the first abnormal state or the second abnormal state. An abnormal condition determination unit that determines the abnormal condition of the tire and the driving condition of the vehicle, and according to the determined abnormal condition of the tire and the driving condition of the vehicle, Which of the following is the notification type, at a minimum, an emergency call, a roadside assistance request, and an in-vehicle warning? A notification type determination unit that determines the type of notification, Depending on the type of notification selected by the notification type determination unit, the system will either notify an external party, request roadside assistance, or issue a warning inside the vehicle. It includes a notification department that performs the following: The notification type determination unit determines the notification type to be an emergency call if the abnormal condition of the tire is the first abnormal condition and the vehicle speed is above a predetermined value; determines the notification type to be a road service request if the abnormal condition of the tire is the first abnormal condition and the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value; and determines the notification type to be an in-vehicle warning or a road service request if the abnormal condition of the tire is the second abnormal condition. We propose a notification type determination device characterized by the following features.

[0009] form 2 One or more embodiments of the present invention are: The abnormal state determination unit determines whether the abnormal state of the tire is likely to transition from the second abnormal state to the first abnormal state, and the notification type determination unit determines the notification type to be a road service request when the abnormal state determination unit determines whether the abnormal state of the tire is likely to transition from the second abnormal state to the first abnormal state, and when the abnormal state of the tire is in the second abnormal state, it notifies the notification unit to broadcast a message indicating that the abnormal state of the tire may become the first abnormal state. We propose a notification type determination device characterized by the following features.

[0010] Embodiment 4; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a notification type determination device characterized in that the state detection unit detects the tilt of the vehicle as the state of the tire, and the abnormal state determination unit determines that the state of the tire is a first abnormal state if the tilt of the vehicle has increased to a predetermined level or more within a predetermined time, and determines that the state of the tire is a second abnormal state if the tilt of the vehicle has not increased to the predetermined level or more within the predetermined time.

[0011] Embodiment 5; One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a notification type determination device characterized in that the notification type determination unit determines the notification type to be an emergency notification when the driving state determination unit determines that the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed or the vehicle is driving on an expressway, and the state detection unit detects that the tire condition is the first abnormal condition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, there is an effect that collision accidents are more predictable and appropriate rescue can be requested even if the occupants inside the vehicle are unable to operate buttons. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a notification type determination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the configuration of a notification type determination device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows the configuration of a notification type determination device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows the processing flow of the notification type determination device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0015] <First Embodiment> The notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0016] <Configuration of Notification Type Determination Device 1> As shown in FIG. 1, the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment includes a state detection unit 110, an abnormal state determination unit 120, a running state determination unit 130, a notification type determination unit 140, and a notification unit 150.

[0017] The state detection unit 110 detects the state of the tires of the vehicle. Here, the "state of the tires of the vehicle" includes, for example, the state of whether the tires of the running vehicle are normal, punctured, burst, etc. In this embodiment, the state detection unit 110 is a pneumatic pressure sensor that measures the internal pressure of the tire and the like attached inside the tire, and the information regarding the measured pneumatic pressure is transmitted to the abnormal state determination unit 120 described later by, for example, wireless communication.

[0018] The abnormal state determination unit 120 determines the abnormal state of the tire from the information regarding the pneumatic pressure of the tire received from the state detection unit 110. Specifically, for example, when the pneumatic pressure of the tire has decreased by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined time, the abnormal state determination unit 120 determines that the state of the tire is the first abnormal state, for example, the state in which the tire has burst. In addition, for example, when the pneumatic pressure of the tire has not decreased by a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined time, the abnormal state determination unit 120 determines that the state of the tire is the second abnormal state, for example, the state in which the tire is punctured. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the tire is in a normal state if, for example, the tire pressure has hardly changed within a predetermined time period. The result of the abnormal state determination unit 120 is output to the notification type determination unit 140, which will be described later.

[0019] The driving state determination unit 130 determines the driving state of the vehicle. Here, "vehicle driving conditions" include the vehicle's speed, the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling (e.g., an expressway or a public road), etc. The determination result of the driving state determination unit 130 is output to the notification type determination unit 140, which will be described later.

[0020] The notification type determination unit 140 determines the notification type according to the abnormal condition of the tire determined by the abnormal condition determination unit 120 and the driving condition of the vehicle determined by the driving condition determination unit 130. Specifically, the notification type determination unit 140 determines, for example, that the notification type is "emergency call" if a tire is in a burst state, the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed, or the vehicle is traveling on an expressway. Furthermore, the notification type determination unit 140 determines, for example, that if a tire is in a burst state and the vehicle's speed is below a predetermined speed, the notification type corresponds to "request for roadside assistance." Furthermore, the notification type determination unit 140 determines, for example, that if a tire is severely punctured, the notification type should be "request for roadside assistance," regardless of the vehicle's speed. Furthermore, the notification type determination unit 140 determines, for example, that if a tire is only slightly punctured, the notification type should be "in-vehicle warning," regardless of the vehicle's speed.

[0021] The notification unit 150 makes notifications, requests, or announcements within the vehicle interior according to the determination result of the notification type determination unit 140. In addition to transmitting voice and information, the notification content may also be displayed using images.

[0022] <Processing by the notification type determination device 1> The processing of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 2 and 3.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the state detection unit 110 detects the tire pressure as the state of the vehicle's tires (step S111).

[0024] The abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines whether the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold (step S112). If the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to the first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state (YES in step S112), it determines whether the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed based on the determination result from the driving condition determination unit 130 (step S113).

[0025] If the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, i.e., that the tire is in a burst state ("YES" in step S112), and determines that the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed ("YES" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0026] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120, it determines the notification type to be an emergency call (step S114) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the news department 150 makes an emergency call to the emergency call center.

[0027] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state, and that the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed ("NO" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0028] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S115) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0029] Furthermore, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is less than the first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a moderate or mild puncture state (NO in step S112), then the abnormal condition determination unit 120 next determines whether the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to the second threshold (step S116).

[0030] Then, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is equal to or greater than the second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a moderate to severe puncture state (YES in step S116), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0031] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S117) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0032] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines that the decrease in tire pressure within a predetermined time is less than the second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a puncture state of minor or greater severity (NO in step S116), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0033] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120, it determines the notification type to be an in-vehicle warning (step S118) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. The notification unit 150 then alerts the occupants inside the vehicle with a warning.

[0034] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the abnormal state determination unit 120 of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment determines the abnormal state of the tire based on information from the state detection unit 110 that detects the tire pressure. In other words, tire malfunctions such as blowouts or punctures while driving are serious factors that can trigger collisions. Therefore, by including abnormal tire conditions, which are highly predictable events in collision assessments, appropriate rescue of occupants can be requested quickly. Furthermore, the notification type determination unit 140 of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment determines the notification type according to the abnormal condition of the tire determined by the abnormal condition determination unit 120 and the driving condition of the vehicle determined by the driving condition determination unit 130. In other words, the likelihood of a collision increases even further when the tires are in a faulty condition and the vehicle is traveling at high speed. Therefore, by using both the abnormal condition of the tires and the vehicle's speed as factors in determining the predictability of a collision, it becomes possible to quickly request appropriate rescue of the occupants. Furthermore, the notification unit 150 of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment provides notification according to the notification type determined by the notification type determination unit 140. Therefore, in addition to extremely urgent rescue requests such as when a tire has burst and the vehicle is traveling at high speed, it is possible to suppress excessive rescue requests in relatively less urgent and dangerous situations, and to provide appropriate services according to the situation.

[0035] Furthermore, the abnormal state determination unit 120 of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment determines that the tire condition is a first abnormal state if the tire pressure has decreased by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time, and determines that the tire condition is a second abnormal state if the tire pressure has not decreased by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. In other words, the abnormal condition determination unit 120 determines, based on the degree of decrease in tire air pressure within a predetermined time, that the tire is in a first abnormal condition, i.e., a burst state, if the degree of decrease is greater than or equal to a predetermined level, and that the tire is in a second abnormal condition, i.e., a punctured state, if the degree of decrease is less than the predetermined level. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine abnormal tire conditions, which are events that have a high predictability of collision accidents.

[0036] Furthermore, the notification type determination unit 140 of the notification type determination device 1 according to this embodiment determines the notification type to be an emergency notification if the driving state determination unit 130 determines that the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed or that the vehicle is traveling on an expressway, and the abnormal state determination unit 120 determines that the tire condition is a first abnormal state. In other words, the notification type determination unit 140 determines the notification type to be an emergency notification only if it determines that the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed or that the vehicle is traveling on an expressway, and that the tire condition is in a first abnormal state, i.e., a burst state. In addition to extremely urgent rescue requests, such as when a tire has burst and the vehicle is traveling at high speed, this system can also curb excessive rescue requests in relatively less urgent and dangerous situations, enabling the provision of appropriate services according to the circumstances.

[0037] <Example 1> In this embodiment, the notification type determination unit 140 has been described as broadly categorized into three types: emergency call, roadside assistance request, and warning. However, for example, if there is a possibility that a tire may transition from a punctured state to a burst state, a roadside assistance request may be made when the tire is punctured, and a warning may also be issued inside the vehicle indicating that the tire may burst. By doing so, the occupants can be made aware of the anticipated situation ahead and prompted to take appropriate action while the tire is still punctured.

[0038] <Modification 2> In this embodiment, it has been described that appropriate services such as notifications, requests, and warnings are provided according to the state of the vehicle. However, if the vehicle is equipped with a driver assistance function, it is preferable to provide appropriate driver assistance while monitoring the vehicle's behavior according to the urgency of the situation. By doing so, it becomes possible to prevent accidents from occurring in the first place.

[0039] <Second Embodiment> The notification type determination device 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

[0040] <Configuration of Notification Type Determination Device 1A> As shown in Figure 4, the notification type determination device 1A according to this embodiment is configured to include a state detection unit 110A, an abnormal state determination unit 120A, a driving state determination unit 130, a notification type determination unit 140, and a notification unit 150. Note that components that are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have similar functions, and therefore, a detailed explanation of them will be omitted.

[0041] The state detection unit 110A detects the load applied to the vehicle as the state of the vehicle's tires. Here, "the condition of the vehicle's tires" includes, for example, whether the tires of a vehicle in motion are normal, punctured, or have burst. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state detection unit 110 is, for example, a load sensor attached to a load-bearing member on which the vehicle's load is applied, or a pressure sensor provided at the top of a four-wheel suspension coil spring. The measured load or pressure information is transmitted, for example, by wireless communication to the abnormal state determination unit 120A, which will be described later.

[0042] The abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines the abnormal condition of the tire from the load or pressure information received from the condition detection unit 110A. Specifically, the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines, for example, that the tire is in a first abnormal condition, such as a burst tire, if the load or pressure has decreased by more than a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines, for example, that the tire is in a second abnormal condition, such as a punctured tire, if the load or pressure has not decreased by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the tire is in a normal state if, for example, the load or pressure has hardly changed within a predetermined time period. The result of the abnormal state determination unit 120A is output to the notification type determination unit 140, which will be described later.

[0043] <Processing by notification type determination device 1A> The processing of the notification type determination device 1A according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 5 and 6.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the state detection unit 110A detects the load applied to the vehicle as the state of the vehicle's tires (step S210).

[0045] The abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines whether the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold (step S220). If the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to the first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state ("YES" in step S220), it determines whether the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed based on the determination result from the driving condition determination unit 130 (step S113).

[0046] If the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state, and that the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed ("YES" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0047] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120A, it determines the notification type to be an emergency call (step S114) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the news department 150 makes an emergency call to the emergency call center.

[0048] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the decrease in tire load or pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state and the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed ("NO" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0049] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120A, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S115) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0050] Furthermore, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the load or pressure within a predetermined time is less than the first threshold ("NO" in step S220), the abnormal condition determination unit 120A then determines whether the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is equal to or greater than the second threshold (step S230).

[0051] Then, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a moderate to severe puncture state (YES in step S220), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of that fact.

[0052] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120A, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S117) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0053] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines that the decrease in load or pressure within a predetermined time is less than the second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a minor puncture state (NO in step S220), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0054] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120A, it determines the notification type to be an in-vehicle warning (step S118) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. The notification unit 150 then alerts the occupants inside the vehicle with a warning.

[0055] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the abnormal state determination unit 120A of the notification type determination device 1A according to this embodiment determines that the tire condition is a first abnormal state if the load on the vehicle has decreased by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time, and determines that the tire condition is a second abnormal state if the load on the vehicle has not decreased by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. In other words, the abnormal condition determination unit 120A determines, based on the degree of decrease in the load on the vehicle within a predetermined time, that the tire is in a first abnormal condition, i.e., a burst condition, if the degree of decrease is greater than or equal to a predetermined level, and that the tire is in a second abnormal condition, i.e., a punctured condition, if the degree of decrease is less than the predetermined level. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine abnormal tire conditions, which are events that have a high predictability of collision accidents.

[0056] <Third Embodiment> The notification type determination device 1B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0057] <Configuration of notification type determination device 1B> As shown in Figure 7, the notification type determination device 1B according to this embodiment is configured to include a state detection unit 110B, an abnormal state determination unit 120B, a driving state determination unit 130, a notification type determination unit 140, and a notification unit 150. Note that components that are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first and second embodiments have similar functions, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] The state detection unit 110B detects the vehicle's tilt as a condition of the vehicle's tires. Here, "the condition of the vehicle's tires" includes, for example, whether the tires of a vehicle in motion are normal, punctured, or have burst. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the state detection unit 110B is, for example, a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the vehicle and an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle body, and the sensor output information is transmitted, for example, by wireless communication to the abnormal state determination unit 120B, which will be described later.

[0059] The abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines the abnormal condition of the tire from the sensor information received from the condition detection unit 110B. Specifically, the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines, for example, that the tire condition is in a first abnormal state, such as a burst tire, if the vehicle's tilt increases beyond a predetermined level within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines, for example, that the tire condition is a second abnormal condition, such as a flat tire, if the vehicle's tilt does not increase by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines, for example, that the tire condition is normal if the vehicle's tilt has hardly changed within a predetermined time. The result of the abnormal state determination unit 120B is output to the notification type determination unit 140, which will be described later.

[0060] <Processing by notification type determination device 1B> The processing of the notification type determination device 1B according to this embodiment will be explained using Figures 8 and 9.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, the state detection unit 110B detects the vehicle's tilt as the state of the vehicle's tires (step S310).

[0062] The abnormal state determination unit 120B determines whether the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold (step S320). If the abnormal state determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to the first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state ("YES" in step S320), it determines whether the vehicle's speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed based on the determination result from the driving state determination unit 130 (step S113).

[0063] If the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time period is greater than or equal to a first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state, and that the vehicle's speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed ("YES" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0064] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120B, it determines the notification type to be an emergency call (step S114) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the news department 150 makes an emergency call to the emergency call center.

[0065] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a first threshold, that is, that the tire is in a burst state and the vehicle's speed is less than a predetermined speed ("NO" in step S113), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0066] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120B, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S115) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0067] Furthermore, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is less than the first threshold ("NO" in step S320), the abnormal condition determination unit 120B then determines whether the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is equal to or greater than the second threshold (step S330).

[0068] Then, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is greater than or equal to a second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a moderate to severe puncture condition ("YES" in step S320), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0069] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120B, it determines the notification type to be a road service request (step S117) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. Then, the reporting unit 150 makes a notification to the road service provider requesting road service.

[0070] On the other hand, if the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines that the increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time is less than the second threshold, that is, that the tire is in a minor puncture state ("NO" in step S320), it notifies the notification type determination unit 140 of this fact.

[0071] When the notification type determination unit 140 receives a notification from the abnormal state determination unit 120B, it determines the notification type to be an in-vehicle warning (step S118) and notifies the notification unit 150 of this. The notification unit 150 then alerts the occupants inside the vehicle with a warning.

[0072] <Effects and Actions> As described above, the abnormal state determination unit 120B of the notification type determination device 1B according to this embodiment determines that the tire condition is a first abnormal state if the vehicle tilt increases by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time, and determines that the tire condition is a second abnormal state if the vehicle tilt does not increase by a predetermined amount within a predetermined time. In other words, the abnormal condition determination unit 120B determines, based on the degree of increase in the vehicle's tilt within a predetermined time, that the tire is in a first abnormal condition, i.e., a burst condition, if the degree of increase is greater than or equal to a predetermined level, and that the tire is in a second abnormal condition, i.e., a punctured condition, if the degree of increase is less than the predetermined level. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine abnormal tire conditions, which are events that have a high predictability of collision accidents.

[0073] Furthermore, the notification type determination devices 1, 1A, and 1B of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the abnormal state determination units 120, 120A, and 120B onto a recording medium readable by a computer system, and then having the abnormal state determination units 120, 120A, and 120B read and execute the program recorded on this recording medium. The computer system referred to here includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices.

[0074] Furthermore, "computer system" includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if the WWW (World Wide Web) system is being used. The above program may also be transmitted from the computer system in which the program is stored to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0075] Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0076] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1; Notification type determination device 1A; Notification type determination device 1B; Notification type determination device 110; State detection unit 110A; Status detection unit 110B; State detection unit 120; Abnormal state determination unit 120A; Abnormal state determination unit 120B; Abnormal State Determination Unit 130; Driving state determination unit 140; Notification type determination unit 150; Hochi Department

Claims

1. A condition detection unit that detects the condition of the tire, An abnormal condition determination unit that determines, based on the detected state of the tire, whether the abnormal condition of the tire corresponds to at least one of the first abnormal condition or one of the second abnormal condition, A driving state determination unit that determines the driving state of the vehicle, A notification type determination unit determines, based on the determined abnormal condition of the tire and the driving condition of the vehicle, which of several different notification types, including emergency call, roadside assistance request, and in-vehicle warning, the notification type determination unit determines, A notification unit that, according to the notification type selected by the notification type determination unit, notifies an external party, requests roadside assistance, or issues a warning inside the vehicle, Equipped with, The aforementioned notification type determination unit is: If the abnormal condition of the tire is the first abnormal condition and the vehicle speed is above a predetermined value, the notification type is determined to be the emergency notification. If the abnormal condition of the tire is the first abnormal condition and the vehicle speed is below a predetermined value, the notification type is determined to be a road service request. A notification type determination device characterized in that, if the abnormal condition of the tire is the second abnormal condition, the notification type is determined to be the in-vehicle warning or the road service request.

2. The abnormal state determination unit determines the possibility that the abnormal state of the tire will transition from the second abnormal state to the first abnormal state, The notification type determination unit, when the abnormal state determination unit determines that there is a possibility that the abnormal state of the tire will transition from the second abnormal state to the first abnormal state, determines the notification type to be a request for road service when the abnormal state of the tire is in the second abnormal state, and notifies the notification unit to broadcast a message indicating that there is a possibility that the abnormal state of the tire will become the first abnormal state, as described in claim 1.

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