Information processing devices, in-vehicle devices, and driving assistance systems

Abstract

To provide technology that can prevent drivers from making driving errors.SOLUTION: An information processor includes: acquisition unit for acquiring driving data relating to the driving of a vehicle, including information relating to the traveling position of the vehicle; detection unit for detecting, based on the driving data and map data, contents of driving errors and a location on the map where the driving errors occurred, and storing the detected contents of the driving errors and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving errors occurred in a database by mapping the detected contents of the driving errors and the location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving errors occurred; and a transmission unit for transmitting to the vehicle alert data that corresponds the contents of the driving errors and the location identification information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an in-vehicle device, and a driving assistance system.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, road map data stores road regulation data such as one-way traffic and traffic regulations (right-turn only lanes, etc.), and the navigation system can issue a warning to the driver by using the road regulation data. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that automatically detects and warns when a vehicle approaches an intersection including a one-way road and the driver tries to enter the road side in the prohibited direction by mistake.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, a warning is issued when the driver actually operates the direction indicator (winker). Therefore, there is a problem that the driver cannot notice a driving mistake until the driver operates the direction indicator by mistake. In addition, since the driver is operating the direction indicator by mistake, there is a problem that the vehicle running behind is forced to decelerate or change lanes.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of preventing a driving mistake of a driver in advance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: an acquisition unit that acquires driving data relating to the operation of a vehicle, including information relating to the vehicle's driving position; a detection unit that detects the content of a driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred based on the driving data and map data, and stores in a database the detected content of the driving error and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred in association with each other; and a transmission unit that transmits warning data relating the content of the driving error and the location identification information to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can prevent driver errors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the device configuration of the driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a server hardware configuration. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an in-vehicle device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a server's functional block configuration. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a functional block configuration for an in-vehicle device. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process by which an in-vehicle device transmits driving data to a server. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in which a server acquires operating data and detects the nature of an operating error. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a driver error history database. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process by which a server transmits warning data to an in-vehicle device. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure when an in-vehicle device alerts the driver. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a modified example of the driver error history database. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a modified example 2 of the driving error history database. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] <System Configuration> Figure 1 shows an example of the device configuration of the driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment. The driving assistance system 1 includes a server 10 and an in-vehicle device 20 installed in one or more vehicles. The server 10 and the in-vehicle device 20 are connected via a wireless communication network N and can communicate with each other.

[0011] Server 10 (information processing device) collects driving data from one or more in-vehicle devices 20 of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 20 is installed. The driving data is data relating to the driving of the vehicle performed by the driver, and includes, for example, information on the vehicle's position and data indicating the driving operations performed by the driver. In other words, the driving data may also be data indicating where and what kind of driving operations the driver performed. Data indicating driving operations may include, for example, turn signal operation, steering wheel operation amount (steering wheel angle), accelerator opening, brake strength, vehicle speed, acceleration, and deceleration. The driving data may also include biometric data of the driver while driving. The driver's biometric data may include, for example, data relating to the driver's facial expressions, the driver's voice, and the driver's gaze. The driving data may also include timestamps. In other words, the driving data may also be data indicating when, where, and what kind of driving operations the driver performed. The driving data may also include images or videos of the outside or inside of the vehicle taken by a camera.

[0012] In addition, based on the collected driving data and map data, the server 10 detects the content of the driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred, and stores in the database by associating the content of the detected driving error with the location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred. The location identification information will be described later. The content of the driving error in this embodiment is the overlooking of traffic regulations on the road, for example, overlooking one-way traffic, overlooking a stop sign, and overlooking a lane change prohibition. For example, it is assumed that in the driving data, at point A, although the driver turned on the right-side blinker, it was recorded that the driver canceled the blinker and drove straight without turning right. In this case, it is assumed that the driver turned on the blinker without noticing that it was a one-way road, but noticed that it was a one-way road before actually turning and canceled the blinker. Therefore, the server 10 records in the database that a one-way traffic oversight occurred at point A.

[0013] In addition, the server 10 transmits the alert data in which the content of the driving error is associated with the location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred to the in-vehicle device 20 of the vehicle traveling on the road. Here, the server 10 may generate the alert data for the location identification information of the locations where driving errors frequently occur and transmit it to the in-vehicle device 20, rather than targeting the location identification information of all locations where driving errors occurred.

[0014] The in-vehicle device 20 transmits the driving data related to the driving of the vehicle performed by the driver to the server 10. In addition, the in-vehicle device 20 receives the alert data from the server 10, and when the traveling position of the vehicle is within a predetermined range from the position indicated by the location identification information, outputs information indicating the content of the driving error corresponding to the location identification information. The in-vehicle device 20 may, for example, display a message on the screen prompting the driver to drive with caution regarding the driving error, or output a warning sound or voice.

[0015] The in-vehicle device 20 may be a navigation device, or may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like. Further, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided with, for example, an interface for connecting to an in-vehicle computer, and may acquire data indicating driving operations such as the state of a wiper operation, vehicle speed data, acceleration / deceleration data, and steering wheel steering angle via the interface. Further, the in-vehicle device 20 is provided with a microphone and a camera (or a microphone and a camera are connected), and may acquire biometric data such as the driver's voice, line of sight, facial expression, and the like.

[0016] Further, the in-vehicle device 20 may have a navigation function. That is, the in-vehicle device 20 may display a route (path) from a departure point to a destination superimposed on a map screen and guide the vehicle to move according to the route from the departure point to the destination.

[0017] <Hardware Configuration> (Server) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 10. The server 10 includes a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a memory, a storage device 12 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication IF (Interface) 13 for performing wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for receiving an input operation, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse, and / or a microphone, etc. The output device 15 is, for example, a display, a touch panel, and / or a speaker, etc. The server 10 may be composed of one or more physical devices, may be configured using a virtual server operating on a hypervisor, or may be configured using a cloud server.

[0018] (In-vehicle device) Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 includes a processor 21 such as a CPU or GPU, a storage device 22 such as memory, HDD and / or SSD, a communication interface (IF) 23 for wired or wireless communication, a camera 24, an input device 25 for receiving input operations, an output device 26 for outputting information, and a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 27. The input device 25 is, for example, an operation button, a microphone and / or an input IF. The input IF may also be an IF for connecting to an in-vehicle computer mounted in the vehicle. The output device 26 is, for example, a display, a touch panel and / or a speaker. Note that the camera 24 does not need to be provided by the in-vehicle device 20 itself; an external camera may be connected to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0019] <Functional Block Configuration> (server) Figure 4 shows an example of the functional block configuration of server 10. Server 10 includes a storage unit 100, an acquisition unit 101, a detection unit 102, and a transmission unit 103. The storage unit 100 can be implemented using a storage device 12 provided by server 10. The acquisition unit 101, the detection unit 102, and the transmission unit 103 can be implemented by the server 10's processor 11 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing the program may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory stick or a CD-ROM.

[0020] The storage unit 100 stores a driving DB (DataBase) 100a that stores driving data acquired from the in-vehicle device 20, a driving error history DB 100b that records the details of driving errors and the locations where the driving errors occurred, and a map DB 100c that stores map data. The map DB 100c contains data on links and nodes. Here, a node is a term that indicates a point such as an intersection or a junction on a road, and a link is a term that indicates a road section connecting nodes. In addition, the map DB 100c stores information indicating one-way streets (i.e., information indicating the direction of travel on the road), information indicating stop signs, information indicating speed limits, regulatory information such as right-turn-only lanes, straight-ahead lanes and left-turn-only lanes, no left-turn / no right-turn signs, and the extent of zone 30, in association with nodes, links, or objects on the map. Note that regulatory information such as no left-turn / no right-turn signs may be stored in combination with information on the direction of travel of the vehicle. For example, if turning left to enter road A is permitted, but turning right to enter road A is prohibited, a node indicating the intersection where left or right turns are prohibited, and a link to the road into road A by turning right, may be stored together.

[0021] The acquisition unit 101 acquires driving data related to the operation of the vehicle, including information about the vehicle's position. The acquisition unit 101 also stores the acquired driving data in the driving DB 100a.

[0022] The detection unit 102 detects the content of a driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred based on the driving DB 100a (driving data) and the map DB 100c (map data), and stores the detected content of the driving error and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred in the driving error history DB 100b. Here, the location identification information may be a node identifier, a link identifier, or a combination of a node identifier and a link identifier. For example, if the location identification information is a node identifier, the driver can be alerted when the vehicle approaches that node. Also, if the location identification information is a link identifier, the driver can be alerted when the vehicle approaches that link. Furthermore, if the location identification information is a combination of a node identifier and a specific link identifier, the driver can be alerted when the vehicle approaches that node while traveling on that specific link.

[0023] The transmission unit 103 transmits warning data, which associates the content of the driving error with location identification information, to the on-board device 20 installed in the vehicle. The driving error history DB 100b also stores the number of times a driving error occurred during a predetermined period, and the transmission unit 103 may transmit warning data indicating the content of driving errors that occurred a predetermined number of times or more during that predetermined period to the on-board device 20 installed in the vehicle.

[0024] (In-vehicle device) Figure 5 shows an example of the functional block configuration of the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 includes a storage unit 200, an acquisition unit 201, a transmission unit 202, a reception unit 203, a navigation processing unit 204, and an output unit 205. The storage unit 200 can be implemented using a storage device 22 provided by the in-vehicle device 20. The acquisition unit 201, transmission unit 202, reception unit 203, navigation processing unit 204, and output unit 205 can be implemented by the processor 21 of the in-vehicle device 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 22. The program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium. The non-temporary storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0025] The storage unit 200 stores a map DB 200a that stores map data.

[0026] The acquisition unit 201 acquires the current position of the in-vehicle device 20 using the GNSS receiver 27. The acquisition unit 201 also acquires driving data from the in-vehicle computer and the imaging device 24, etc.

[0027] The transmitting unit 202 transmits driving data related to the driver's operation of the vehicle, including information about the vehicle's (in-vehicle device 20) location, to the server 10 (information processing device).

[0028] The receiving unit 203 receives warning data from the server 10, which associates the details of the driving error with location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred.

[0029] The navigation processing unit 204 uses the map DB 200a to guide the driver on the route from the starting point to the destination.

[0030] The output unit 205 outputs information indicating the nature of a driving error corresponding to the location identification information included in the warning data, if the vehicle's current location is within a predetermined range from the location identified by the location identification information. The output unit 205 may also display an icon, graphic, or text on the screen as information indicating the nature of a driving error to warn the driver. Alternatively, the output unit 205 may output an audio or alarm sound to warn the driver as information indicating the nature of a driving error.

[0031] (Supplementary information regarding functional block configuration) In the functional block configuration described above, the functional units provided by the server 10 may be provided by the in-vehicle device 20. In other words, all the processing according to this embodiment may be performed by the in-vehicle device 20. In this case, it becomes possible to collect and analyze driving data for a specific driver and to issue a warning when the specific driver is driving at a location where they make a driving error, without using the server 10.

[0032] <Processing Procedure> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process by which the in-vehicle device 20 transmits driving data to the server 10. In the following description, the server 10 identifies locations where multiple drivers make driving errors from the driving data collected from multiple in-vehicle devices 20 and issues warnings to the drivers.

[0033] In step S10, the acquisition unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 20 acquires various data, including data indicating driving operations performed by the driver (such as turn signal operation, steering wheel operation amount, accelerator pedal opening, brake strength, vehicle speed, acceleration, deceleration, etc.) and / or the driver's biometric data (such as the driver's facial expression, the driver's voice, and / or the driver's gaze), from, for example, the in-vehicle computer and the camera 24. The acquisition unit 201 of the in-vehicle device 20 also acquires data indicating the vehicle's driving position as measured by the GNSS receiver 27 from the GNSS receiver 27. The acquisition unit 201 generates driving data by associating the acquired data indicating driving operations, the driver's biometric data, and the data indicating the driving position in chronological order. The driving data may be in any format as long as it is data that allows it to be determined when, where, and what kind of driving operations the driver performed. Furthermore, the content of the data included in the driving data described above is merely an example, and this embodiment is not limited thereto. All of the above data may be included in the driving data, or only some of the data may be included in the driving data.

[0034] In step S11, the transmission unit 202 generates the operation data generated in the processing procedure of step S10 and sends it to the server 10.

[0035] Furthermore, the transmission unit 202 may choose not to transmit all driving data to the server 10, but rather to transmit only the driving data for a predetermined period that includes the time when a driving error may have occurred. For example, the acquisition unit 201 may determine that a driving error may have occurred if the acquired driving data matches predetermined detection conditions. The predetermined detection conditions may be the same as the detection conditions used by the detection unit 102 of the server 10 when detecting a driving error from the driving data. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of driving data transmitted from the in-vehicle device 20 to the server 10.

[0036] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process by which server 10 acquires operating data and detects the nature of an operating error.

[0037] In step S20, the acquisition unit 101 acquires driving data transmitted from each in-vehicle device 20. The acquisition unit 101 stores the acquired driving data in the driving DB 100a, associating it with the identifier of the in-vehicle device 20.

[0038] In step S21, the detection unit 102 refers to the driving DB 100a and the map DB 100c and, according to predetermined detection conditions, detects the content of the driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred, and stores the detected content of the driving error and location identification information indicating the location in the driving error history DB 100b. If the content of the driving error occurs at an intersection, such as overlooking a one-way street or overlooking a stop sign, the detection unit 102 may store the node identifier corresponding to the intersection as location identification information. Furthermore, if the content of the driving error occurs when entering an intersection from a specific road, the detection unit 102 may store the link identifier corresponding to the road and the node identifier corresponding to the intersection as location identification information. For example, if there is an intersection D where roads A, B, and C are connected, and a vehicle traveling on road A is prohibited from turning right at intersection D, the detection unit 102 may store the link identifier of road A and the node identifier of intersection D as location identification information. Furthermore, if the driving error occurs on a specific road, such as overlooking a lane change prohibition, the detection unit 102 may store the identifier of the link corresponding to that road as location identification information. Also, if the section where lane changes are prohibited is part of a road corresponding to a link, the detection unit 102 may store the identifier of the link corresponding to that road and information identifying the section (for example, the latitude and longitude information of the section start and end points, or the distance from the link tip / end point to the section start and end points) as location identification information.

[0039] Figure 8 shows an example of the driving error history DB100b. "Location of occurrence" indicates the location identification information of the location where a driving error was detected. "Details of driving error" indicates the details of the driving error that occurred. For example, failing to notice a one-way street means that the driver nearly drove the wrong way down a road that was one-way, whether it was a road to turn right, a road to turn left, or a road to go straight. "Number of driving errors" indicates the number of times the same driving error occurred from before a predetermined period until the present (for example, the last month or six months). For example, in the example in Figure 8, analysis of driving data from multiple drivers shows that at location 1, 100 instances of failing to notice a one-way street occurred from before the predetermined period until the present. "Date and time of occurrence" stores a timestamp indicating the date and time the driving error occurred. Note that the date and time of occurrence will store at least the number of timestamps stored in the number of driving errors. "Notification target" is a flag indicating whether or not to notify the driver of a warning regarding the driving error that has occurred. Server 10 may update the notification target flag at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, whether or not to send a notification may be determined based on whether the number of driving errors exceeds a threshold. For example, if the threshold is set to 50, a notification will be sent if the number of driving errors is 50 or more, and not if it is less than 50. Note that this threshold can be set to any value. Return to Figure 7 and continue the explanation.

[0040] Here, we will describe a specific example of how the server 10 detects an operating error according to predetermined detection conditions.

[0041] (Specific example 1) The detection unit 102 may also detect, when the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver operated the turn signal, and the road in the right or left turn direction indicated by the turn signal is a one-way street with no entry allowed, that the driver overlooked the one-way street at the point where the turn signal was operated. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the oversight of the one-way street and the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the driver operated the turn signal in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0042] (Specific example 2) The detection unit 102 may, when the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver performed a steering operation to turn right or left, detect that the one-way street was overlooked at the point where the driver started steering, if the road in the direction of the right turn or left turn is a one-way street with no entry. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the overlooked one-way street and the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the driver started steering in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0043] (Specific example 3) The detection unit 102 may also detect, when the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver performed a sudden brake (brake operation exceeding a predetermined deceleration) before making a right or left turn, and the road in the straight direction is a one-way street with no entry allowed, that the driver overlooked the one-way street at the point where the sudden brake was initiated. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the oversight of the one-way street and the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the driver started the sudden brake in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0044] (Specific example 4) The detection unit 102 may also detect that a driver overlooked a one-way street at the point where the driver made the overlooked one-way street if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes the driver's voice saying "turn right here" or "turn left here" or something similar, and the road in the direction of the right turn or left turn is a one-way street with no entry allowed. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the overlooked one-way street and the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the driver made the overlooked one-way street in the "Content of driving error" and "Location of occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0045] (Specific example 5) The detection unit 102 may also detect that a lane change prohibition was overlooked on the road where the driver operated the turn signal, if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver operated the turn signal, and the road where the turn signal was operated is a lane change prohibition lane. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the lane change prohibition overlooked and the link identifier of the road where the driver operated the turn signal in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0046] (Specific example 6) The detection unit 102 may also detect, when the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver performed a lane change steering operation, and the road on which the steering operation was performed is a lane change prohibited lane, that the driver overlooked the lane change prohibition on the road on which the steering operation was performed. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the overlooked lane change prohibition and the link identifier of the road on which the driver operated the turn signal in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0047] (Specific example 7) The detection unit 102 may also detect that a lane change prohibition was overlooked on the road where the driver made the statement if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes a driver's voice saying "changing lanes to the right lane" or "changing lanes to the left lane" or something similar, and the road where the voice was made is a lane change prohibited lane. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the lane change prohibition overlooked and the link identifier of the road where the driver operated the turn signal in the "Content of driving error" and "Location of occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0048] (Specific example 8) The detection unit 102 may also detect that a driver missed a stop sign at the point where the driver started braking suddenly, if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver performed a sudden brake (a brake operation exceeding a predetermined deceleration), and there is a stop sign within a predetermined distance along the direction of travel. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the stop sign was missed and the driver started braking suddenly in the "Driving Error Details" and "Location of Occurrence" fields of the driving error history DB 100b.

[0049] (Specific example 9) The detection unit 102 may also detect that a driver overlooked the no-right-turn rule at the point where the driver operated the right turn signal if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the driver operated the right turn signal, and the road in the direction of the right turn signal is a no-right-turn zone. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the overlooked no-right-turn rule in the "Driving Error Details" of the driving error history DB 100b, and stores the link identifier of the road where the driver operated the right turn signal and the node identifier of the intersection closest to the point where the driver operated the right turn signal in the "Location of Occurrence" section. Note that "the driver operated the right turn signal" in specific example 9 may be replaced with "the driver performed a steering operation to turn right" or "the driver's voice included the phrase 'Turn right here' or something similar."

[0050] (Specific example 10) The detection unit 102 may also detect that an oversight of Zone 30 has occurred at the time of entering Zone 30 if the driving data stored in the driving DB 100a includes driving data indicating that the vehicle entered the Zone 30 area at a speed exceeding 30 km / h. In this case, the detection unit 102 stores the oversight of Zone 30 in the "Driving Error Details" section of the driving error history DB 100b, and stores the link identifier of the road the vehicle was traveling on when it entered Zone 30 in the "Location of Occurrence" section.

[0051] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process by which the server 10 transmits warning data to the in-vehicle device 20.

[0052] In step S30, the transmission unit 103 extracts records from the driving error history DB 100b in which "Notification Target" is set as target, and generates warning data from the extracted records. The warning data includes one or more pairs of location and details of the driving error.

[0053] In step S31, the transmission unit 103 transmits the warning data generated in the processing procedure of step S31 to each in-vehicle device 20.

[0054] The in-vehicle device 20 may also notify the server 10 of the current driving location of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle device 20 is installed. The server 10 may also extract records from the driving error history DB 100b in which the location indicated by the location identification information of the location where the error occurred falls within a predetermined range (which may be called the "first predetermined range") from the driving location of the vehicle.

[0055] Furthermore, the transmission unit 103 of the server 10 may transmit warning data indicating the details of a driving error that occurred within a predetermined range from the vehicle's current location to an in-vehicle device 20 installed in the vehicle. The predetermined range is arbitrary, but for example, it may be a radius of several tens of kilometers centered on the vehicle's location. As a result, records in which the location indicated by the location identification information of the incident point is not included within the predetermined range (first predetermined range) from the vehicle's current location will not be included in the warning data, thus reducing the amount of warning data transmitted from the server 10 to each in-vehicle device 20.

[0056] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure when the in-vehicle device 20 alerts the driver.

[0057] In step S40, the receiving unit 203 of the in-vehicle device 20 receives warning data from the server 10.

[0058] In step S41, the acquisition unit 201 of the on-board device 20 acquires the current location of the vehicle on which the on-board device 20 is installed. The output unit 205 then determines whether the current location in the warning data falls within a predetermined range (which may be called the "second predetermined range") from the location indicated by the location identification information of the incident site. If it falls within the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step S42. The predetermined range may be, for example, a radius of approximately 100 to 200 m centered on the location indicated by the location identification information of the incident site. For example, if the incident site is indicated by a node identifier, the output unit 205 may proceed to step S42 if the current location falls within the predetermined range from the intersection corresponding to the node identifier. Alternatively, if the incident site is indicated by a link identifier, the output unit 205 may proceed to step S42 if the current location falls within the predetermined range from the road corresponding to the link identifier. Furthermore, if the location of occurrence is indicated by a link identifier and a node identifier, the output unit 205 may proceed to step S42 if it is traveling on the road corresponding to the link identifier and the current location is within a predetermined range from the location of the intersection corresponding to the node identifier. Furthermore, if the location of occurrence is indicated by a link identifier and information identifying a section, the output unit 205 may proceed to step S42 if it is traveling on the road corresponding to the link identifier and the current location is within a predetermined range from the start of the section indicated by the information identifying the section.

[0059] Furthermore, the output unit 205 may be configured to change the predetermined range so that it widens as the vehicle speed increases. For example, the predetermined range A when the vehicle is traveling at 10 km / h may be different from the predetermined range B when the vehicle is traveling at 40 km / h, with the predetermined range B being wider than the predetermined range A.

[0060] In step S42, the output unit 205 of the in-vehicle device 20 displays a warning message regarding driving errors (for example, "Please be careful of one-way streets") on the display. Alternatively, the output unit 205 may output an audio warning regarding driving errors (for example, "There have been many cases of drivers overlooking one-way streets") from the speaker.

[0061] In step S43, the in-vehicle device 20 terminates the process if the driver ends driving, and returns to the processing procedure of step S41 if the driver does not end driving. In other words, the in-vehicle device 20 repeats the processing procedures of steps S41 and S42 until the driver ends driving.

[0062] Furthermore, the output unit 205 may output a warning about driving errors regardless of whether the navigation processing unit 204 is providing guidance on the driving route or not.

[0063] Furthermore, the output unit 205 may be configured not to output a warning about driving errors when the navigation processing unit 204 is providing guidance on the driving route, but to output a warning about driving errors when the navigation processing unit 204 is not providing guidance on the driving route (i.e., during free driving). For example, when the navigation function provides guidance on the driving route, it is highly unlikely that the guidance will involve driving the wrong way down a one-way street, so the driver may find the warning about driving errors unpleasant. Therefore, by not outputting a warning about driving errors when the navigation processing unit is providing guidance on the driving route, it is possible to suppress the driver from finding the warning unpleasant.

[0064] <Variation> (Variation 1) Figure 11 shows a modified example 1 of the driving error history DB 100b. As shown in Figure 11, the driving error history DB 100b may also store a warning level based on the number of times a driving error occurred during a predetermined period. In addition, the transmission unit 103 of the server 10 may transmit warning data, including the warning level, to the in-vehicle device 20 installed in the vehicle.

[0065] For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, the number of times one-way signs were overlooked at point 1 during a specified period was 100, so it is designated as warning level 1, and the number of times one-way signs were overlooked at point 2 during a specified period was 70, so it is designated as warning level 2. The number of warning levels is arbitrary and may be divided into three or more levels.

[0066] Furthermore, the output unit 205 of the in-vehicle device 20 may highlight the warning message or increase the volume of the warning as the warning level increases. The output unit 205 may also change the method of warning according to the level of the warning. For example, if warning level 1 is the highest level, the output unit 205 may provide an audio warning for driving errors at warning level 1 and a message display warning for driving errors at warning level 2. The output unit 205 may also change the size of a predetermined range in the processing procedure of step S41 in Figure 10 according to the warning level. For example, the size of the predetermined range may be increased as the warning level increases. This makes it possible to output a warning at an earlier timing as the warning level increases.

[0067] (Modification 2) Figure 12 shows a modified example 2 of the driving error history DB 100b. As shown in Figure 12, the driving error history DB 100b may store the content of the driving error and the location where it occurred, associated with each time period. In addition, the transmission unit 103 of the server 10 may transmit warning data, which associates the content of the driving error and the location where it occurred, for each time period, to the in-vehicle device 20 installed in the vehicle.

[0068] For example, in the example in Figure 12, the number of times one-way street oversights occurred at point 1 during a predetermined period is associated with each time period, indicating that warnings are issued from 0:00 to 6:00 and from 18:00 to 24:00, while no warnings are issued from 6:00 to 18:00.

[0069] Furthermore, the output unit 205 of the in-vehicle device 20 may output a warning if the time the vehicle is traveling falls within the notification period, and may not output a warning if the time the vehicle is traveling falls outside the notification period. For example, if the vehicle is traveling at 1:00 AM and its current location is within a predetermined range from point 1, the output unit 205 may output a warning regarding a driving error. Also, if the vehicle is traveling at 7:00 AM and its current location is within a predetermined range from point 1, the output unit 205 may not output a warning regarding a driving error.

[0070] Furthermore, in Variation 2, "by time of day" may be replaced with "by day of the week," "by month," "by season (spring, summer, autumn, winter)," "by weather (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc.)," ​​or "by vehicle type (small car, medium-sized truck, large truck, bus, etc.)," ​​or "by traffic regulation event." If replaced with "by traffic regulation event," for example, it becomes possible to issue warnings during the period when pedestrian zones are in effect in areas where driving errors frequently occur.

[0071] (Variation 3) The output unit 205 of the in-vehicle device 20 may, when it refers to the map DB 100c and outputs a warning for overlooking a one-way street in the processing procedure of step S42 in Figure 10, output a warning (for example, "You cannot turn right") if it detects that the direction in which the driver is signaling is a no-entry zone. The output unit 205 may also provide warnings in accordance with the actual regulatory information. For example, when the output unit 205 outputs a warning for overlooking a no-right-turn / no-left-turn sign, it may output a warning (for example, "You cannot turn right") if the actual direction of travel of the vehicle matches the travel information associated with the regulatory information. For example, if the regulatory information is set to "You cannot travel on road B in direction X, turn right at intersection B, and enter road A," the output unit 205 may output a warning when the vehicle is traveling on road B in direction X.

[0072] (Modification 4) The detection unit 102 of the server 10 may count the number of times the same driver has made a driving error and set the driver's attention level (the degree to which they are a driver requiring attention) according to the number of times the same driver has made a driving error. The output unit 205 may also include the driver's attention level in the warning data and transmit it to the in-vehicle device 20. The in-vehicle device 20 may highlight the warning message or increase the volume of the warning as the driver's attention level increases.

[0073] <Summary> According to the embodiment described above, the server 10 detects locations where driving errors have occurred by analyzing driving data collected from the in-vehicle device 20, and the in-vehicle device 20 outputs a warning indicating that a driving error has occurred when the vehicle is driving near the detected location. This makes it possible to prevent driving errors by the driver. In addition, the server 10 records the number of times driving errors have occurred in a predetermined period, and locations where the number of driving errors has occurred exceeds a predetermined number are designated as targets for warning notifications. This makes it possible to prevent drivers from feeling uncomfortable due to frequent warnings. It also makes it possible to provide warnings that take into account the frequency of driving errors.

[0074] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements, and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1...Driving assistance system, 10...Server, 11...Processor, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication interface, 14...Input device, 15...Output device, 20...In-vehicle device, 21...Processor, 22...Storage device, 23...Communication interface, 24...Photography device, 25...Input device, 26...Output device, 27...GNSS receiver, 100...Storage unit, 100a...Driving DB, 100b...History DB, 100c...Map DB, 101...Acquisition unit, 102...Detection unit, 103...Transmission unit, 200...Storage unit, 200a...Map DB, 201...Acquisition unit, 202...Transmission unit, 203...Receiver unit, 204...Navigation processing unit, 205...Output unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires driving data related to the operation of the vehicle, including information on the vehicle's position, A detection unit detects the content of a driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred based on the aforementioned driving data and map data, and stores the detected content of the driving error and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred in a database. The system includes a transmitting unit that transmits warning data to the vehicle, which associates the details of the driving error with the location identification information. The database further stores the number of times the driving error occurred during a predetermined period and the alert level based on the number of times the driving error occurred during that predetermined period, in association with each other. The transmitting unit transmits to the vehicle the warning data, which includes the warning level, and which indicates the content of the driving errors that occurred a predetermined number of times or more during the predetermined period. Information processing device.

2. The location identification information is a node identifier, a link identifier, or a combination of a node identifier and a link identifier. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The transmitting unit transmits to the vehicle the warning data indicating the content of the driving error that occurred within a predetermined range from the driving position in which the vehicle is traveling. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned database stores the details of the driving error and the location identification information, associated with each time period. The transmitting unit transmits the warning data to the vehicle, in which the content of the driving error and the location identification information are associated for each time period. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. When the driving data includes the driver operating the turn signal, the detection unit stores in the database information indicating that the driver overlooked the one-way street and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driver operated the turn signal, if the road in the right or left turn direction indicated by the turn signal is a one-way street with no entry allowed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. An in-vehicle device installed in a vehicle, A receiving unit receives warning data from an information processing device that associates the details of a driving error with location identification information indicating the location on a map where the driving error occurred. An output unit that outputs information indicating the content of a driving error corresponding to the location identification information when the vehicle's position is within a predetermined range from the location indicated by the location identification information included in the warning data, It has, The receiving unit receives from the information processing device the warning data indicating the content of the driving errors that occurred a predetermined number of times or more during a predetermined period, and the warning data including a warning level based on the number of times the driving errors occurred during the predetermined period. In-vehicle device.

7. The information processing device has a transmission unit that transmits driving data related to the operation of the vehicle performed by the driver, including information regarding the vehicle's position. The in-vehicle device according to claim 6.

8. It has a navigation processing unit that guides the driver along the route from the starting point to the destination, The output unit outputs information indicating the details of the driving error when the navigation processing unit is not providing guidance along the driving route. The in-vehicle device according to claim 6.

9. A driving assistance system including an information processing device and multiple in-vehicle devices installed in multiple vehicles, The aforementioned information processing device is An acquisition unit that acquires driving data relating to the operation of the plurality of vehicles, including information relating to the driving positions of the plurality of vehicles, from the plurality of in-vehicle devices, A detection unit detects the content of a driving error and the location on the map where the driving error occurred based on the aforementioned driving data and map data, and stores the detected content of the driving error and location identification information indicating the location on the map where the driving error occurred in a database. The system includes a transmitting unit that transmits warning data, which associates the details of the driving error with the location identification information, to the multiple in-vehicle devices. The database further stores the number of times the driving error occurred during a predetermined period and the alert level based on the number of times the driving error occurred during that predetermined period, in association with each other. The transmitting unit transmits to the vehicle the warning data, which includes the warning level, and which indicates the content of the driving errors that occurred a predetermined number of times or more during the predetermined period. Each of the aforementioned multiple in-vehicle devices is A receiving unit receives warning data from the information processing device that associates the details of the driving error with the location identification information. An output unit that outputs information indicating the content of a driving error corresponding to the location identification information when the vehicle's driving position is within a predetermined range from the location indicated by the location identification information included in the warning data, A driving assistance system having

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