Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a technique of preventing a driver from feeling a distrust when giving a notice concerning support of driving using V2X.SOLUTION: An information processor according to the present disclosure is equipped in a first vehicle as a connected vehicle for performing a communication by V2X. In the information processor, a control unit receives first information including positional information of an obstacle. The control unit outputs second information as information for attracting attention to an obstacle on the basis of the first information. The control unit outputs third information as information for showing the existence of a first target when outputting the second information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There is known a safe driving support device that compares an image captured by a host vehicle using vehicle-to-vehicle communication with an image captured by another vehicle and notifies the driver of the host vehicle of the possibility of a collision (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of suppressing a driver's sense of distrust regarding notifications related to driving support using V2X.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present disclosure can be regarded as an information processing apparatus mounted on a first vehicle in a connected vehicle that performs communication by V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything). In that case, the information processing apparatus may include, for example, receiving first information including position information of a first target, outputting second information, which is information for prompting attention to the first target, based on the first information, outputting third information, which is information for indicating the existence of the first target, based on the first information, and may be provided with a control unit that executes .

[0006] This disclosure can also be understood as an information processing method performed by a computer installed in a first vehicle, which is a connected vehicle that performs V2X communication. In that case, the computer, for example, Receiving first information including location information of the first target, Based on the first information, a second piece of information is output, which is information intended to draw attention to the first subject. Based on the first information, output a third piece of information that indicates the existence of the first object, You may also choose to execute this.

[0007] This disclosure can also be interpreted as an information processing program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method described above, or as a non-temporary storage medium for storing said information processing program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide technology that can suppress drivers from feeling distrustful of notifications regarding driving assistance using V2X. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an overview of the system in one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the communication range using V2X. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an in-vehicle device in an embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an in-vehicle device in an embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows the first example of the first coordinate system. [Figure 6] This figure shows a second example of the first coordinate system. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing an example of the first screen. [Figure 8]This figure shows another example of the first screen. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the in-vehicle device in the embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the first vehicle in modified example 1. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the second screen. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the in-vehicle device in the modified example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] In recent years, development of vehicle communication technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) has been progressing. For a connected vehicle (V2X communication), for example, when its own airbag deploys (at the time of an accident), it becomes possible to transmit information (first information), including the location of the accident (the location of the own vehicle), to surrounding connected vehicles. In addition, a connected vehicle or roadside unit that detects a first target such as an accident vehicle, work vehicle, broken-down vehicle, or fallen object can transmit information (first information), including the location information of the first target, to surrounding connected vehicles. Consequently, a connected vehicle that receives the first information as described above can notify the driver of information regarding the first target, thereby prompting the driver to pay attention to the first target.

[0011] Incidentally, the first information as described above can be received by a connected vehicle located within the communication range by V2X (for example, within a range of several hundred meters to several kilometers in radius centered on the connected vehicle of the transmitter). Therefore, for the first object existing at a location that cannot be visually recognized by the driver, the above-described notification may be made. For example, the communication range by V2X may include other roads different from the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. As a result, for the first object existing on another road, the above-described notification may be made. As a result, a driver who has received the above-described notification may not be able to visually recognize the first object and may feel distrust regarding the notification. Therefore, a measure for wiping out the driver's distrust regarding the above-described notification is required.

[0012] Therefore, in the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, when receiving the first information including the position information of the first object, the control unit outputs the second information and the third information based on the first information. The information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is a computer mounted on a connected vehicle (first vehicle) that performs communication by V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything). The first object is, for example, an obstacle that does not originally exist on the road, such as an accident vehicle, a故障 vehicle, a work vehicle, and a fallen object. The second information according to the present disclosure is information for prompting attention to the first object. The third information according to the present disclosure is information for indicating that the first object actually exists. Further, the output of the second information and the third information is performed, for example, through a display and / or a speaker mounted on the first vehicle. According to the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, in addition to the second information, the third information can be notified to the driver of the first vehicle. Thereby, even when the driver of the first vehicle cannot visually recognize the first object, the driver can recognize that the first object actually exists. As a result, it is also possible to make the driver of the first vehicle recognize that the notification of the second information is not due to a malfunction or the like. Therefore, according to the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure,

[0013] it is possible to make the driver of the first vehicle recognize that the notification of the second information is not due to a malfunction or the like. It is possible to suppress the driver of the first vehicle from feeling distrust with respect to the notification of the second information in a situation where the first object cannot be visually recognized.

[0014] Here, in addition to the position information of the first object, the first information may include image data (first image data) obtained by imaging the first object. In that case, the control unit may output the first image data as the third information. The first image data is image data captured by a connected vehicle or roadside unit or the like that is the source of the first information. By outputting the first image data as the third information, the driver of the first vehicle can recognize that the first object actually exists.

[0015] Further, in addition to the position information of the first object and the first image data, the first information may include the date and time (first date and time) when the first image data was captured. In that case, the control unit may output the first image data and the first date and time as the third information. Thereby, the driver of the first vehicle can recognize that the first object may actually exist at the time of receiving the notification.

[0016] Further, in addition to the position information of the first object, the first information may further include second image data that is image data obtained by imaging the first object and the road on which the first object is located. In that case, the control unit may output the second image data as the third information. Thereby, the driver of the first vehicle can recognize that the first object actually exists. Furthermore, the driver of the first vehicle can also predict whether the road on which the first object is located is the same as the road on which the first vehicle is scheduled to travel.

[0017] Furthermore, the first information may further include information about a first altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first object is located. In that case, when the control unit outputs the second and third information, it may also obtain a second altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first vehicle is located, and output a fourth piece of information that includes the first and second altitudes. This makes it possible for the driver of the first vehicle to predict whether the road on which the first object is located is the same as the road on which the first vehicle is scheduled to travel. For example, in a hierarchical road structure, the driver of the first vehicle can predict whether the hierarchical level of the road on which the first object is located is the same as the hierarchical level of the road on which the first vehicle is traveling.

[0018] If the first vehicle in this disclosure is equipped with a navigation system, the control unit may transmit a command signal to the navigation system for displaying the location of the first object on a map. This allows the driver of the first vehicle to determine the location of the first object by looking at the map screen of the navigation system. As a result, even if the first object cannot be seen, the driver of the first vehicle can determine the location of the first object.

[0019] As mentioned above, the information processing device related to this disclosure is capable of receiving the first information from other connected devices or roadside units located within a radius of several hundred meters to several kilometers (V2X communication range) centered on the first vehicle. Therefore, the information processing device related to this disclosure may also receive the first information about the first object located on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle (behind the first vehicle). The first object located behind the first vehicle has an extremely small impact on the driving of the first vehicle. Therefore, even with respect to the first object located behind the first vehicle, if the second and third information are output, the driver of the first vehicle may experience inconvenience.

[0020] Therefore, in the information processing device according to the present disclosure, when the first information is received, the control unit may determine whether the first object is located on the side of the first vehicle in the direction of travel. The second and third pieces of information may be output on the condition that the target is located on the side of the first vehicle's direction of travel. This makes it possible to make the driver of the first vehicle aware that the first target may actually exist, while minimizing any inconvenience the driver may experience.

[0021] Another aspect of this disclosure can also be identified as an information processing method in which a computer performs the processing of the information processing device described above. Such an information processing method can be used to obtain the same functions and effects as the information processing device described above. Another aspect of this disclosure can also be identified as a program for causing a computer to perform the processing of the information processing device described above, or a non-temporary storage medium for storing said program.

[0022] The following describes specific embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the hardware configurations, module configurations, functional configurations, etc., described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the disclosure to those configurations alone.

[0023] <Embodiment> This embodiment describes an example of applying the information processing device according to this disclosure to a system that provides driving assistance for connected vehicles using V2X.

[0024] (System Overview) Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the system in this embodiment. The system in this embodiment comprises a first vehicle 10 and an in-vehicle device 100. The first vehicle 10 is a connected vehicle driven by a user who is the target of driver assistance. The in-vehicle device 100 is a computer mounted in the first vehicle 10 and is an example of an "information processing device" according to this disclosure.

[0025] The in-vehicle device 100 receives first information using V2X. The first information in this embodiment is information about obstacles on the road. In this embodiment, "obstacles" are objects that would not normally be on the road, such as accident vehicles (vehicles with deployed airbags), broken-down vehicles, work vehicles, and fallen objects (including parts that have fallen or scattered from accident vehicles). Such obstacles are examples of the "first subject" of this disclosure.

[0026] In this embodiment, the "first information" is information that includes location information of an obstacle, image data of the obstacle, and information regarding the date and time the image data of the obstacle was captured. Such first information is transmitted by broadcast from an onboard device of a connected vehicle different from the first vehicle 10, or from a roadside unit, etc. Connected vehicles different from the first vehicle 10 include, for example, accident vehicles, vehicles that detected accident vehicles, broken-down vehicles, vehicles that detected broken-down vehicles, work vehicles, and vehicles that detected work vehicles. The image data of the obstacle is image data captured by the connected vehicle or roadside unit that is the source of the first information. The image data of the obstacle may be image data capturing only the obstacle (corresponding to the "first image data" in this disclosure), or it may be image data capturing the obstacle including the road on which the obstacle is located (corresponding to the "second image data"). In this embodiment, an example in which the second image data is used as the image data of the obstacle will be described.

[0027] When the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first information, it notifies the user of the first vehicle 10 of information (second information) prompting them to be aware of obstacles. This allows the driver of the first vehicle 10 to prepare to drive in a way that avoids collisions with obstacles. However, the in-vehicle device 100 can also receive the first information from other connected and roadside units located within the V2X communication range (for example, within a radius of several hundred meters to several kilometers centered on the first vehicle 10).

[0028] Here, an example of the range in which the in-vehicle device 100 can receive the first information will be explained based on Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the in-vehicle device 100 can receive the first information from other connected devices and roadside devices located within a radius r1 (for example, several hundred meters to several kilometers) centered on the first vehicle 10 (V2X communication range). In this case, the in-vehicle device 100 can receive not only the first information concerning obstacles Ob1 and Ob5 located on the road on which the first vehicle 10 is traveling (the "first road" in Figure 2), but also the first information concerning obstacles Ob2-Ob4 located outside the first road. Here, "outside the first road" refers to other roads located around the first road (for example, side roads and alleys of the first road).

[0029] Of the obstacles Ob1-Ob5 illustrated in Figure 2, obstacles Ob2-Ob4 are highly unlikely to be visible to the first vehicle 10. Therefore, if the second piece of information regarding obstacles Ob2-Ob4 is notified to the user of the first vehicle 10, the user may become suspicious, wondering if the notification is due to a malfunction of the in-vehicle device 100. Furthermore, obstacles Ob4-Ob5, located on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10 (behind the first vehicle 10), have an extremely small impact on the driving of the first vehicle 10. Therefore, if the second piece of information regarding obstacles Ob4-Ob5 is notified to the user of the first vehicle 10, the user may find it bothersome.

[0030] Therefore, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 100 notifies the user of the second information only when the obstacle Ob, which is the subject of the first information, is located on the side of the first vehicle 10 in the direction of travel (for example, obstacles Ob1-Ob3 in Figure 2). Furthermore, in this embodiment, when notifying the user of the second information, the in-vehicle device 100 also notifies the user of the third information. The third information is information to indicate that the obstacle that is the subject of the first information actually exists. The third information in this embodiment includes the second image data (image data in which the obstacle and the image in which the obstacle is located have been captured) and the date and time the second image data was captured. As a result, the second information will not be notified for obstacles Ob located on the rear side of the first vehicle 10, thus preventing the user of the first vehicle 10 from feeling inconvenienced. Furthermore, by providing a third piece of information as supplementary information to the second piece of information, even if the second piece of information is provided regarding an obstacle that the user of the first vehicle 10 cannot see, it is possible to suppress the user from feeling distrustful of the second piece of information provided.

[0031] (Hardware configuration of in-vehicle equipment) Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the in-vehicle device 100 in this embodiment includes a processor 101, a main memory 102, an auxiliary memory 103, an output device 104, a position acquisition unit 105, a camera 106, and a communication unit 107. In the example shown in Figure 3, only the hardware configuration related to driver assistance using V2X is shown, but the in-vehicle device 100 may include other hardware configurations.

[0032] The processor 101 is a arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The processor 101 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 103. The stored program is loaded into the main memory 102 and executed, and the in-vehicle device 100 is controlled through this execution.

[0033] The main memory 102 includes, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read It is composed of semiconductor memory such as (Only Memory). The main memory 102 provides a storage area and a working area for loading programs stored in the auxiliary memory 103. Furthermore, the main memory 102 is used as a buffer for arithmetic processing by the processor 101.

[0034] The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or It is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The auxiliary storage device 103 is a removable media, immediately This may include a portable recording medium. Removable media are disk recording media such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, CD (Compact Disc), or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The auxiliary storage device 103 stores various programs and data used by the processor 101 when executing each program.

[0035] The programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 include the OS (Operating System), as well as dedicated programs for causing the processor 101 to execute processes related to driver assistance using V2X.

[0036] The output device 104 is a device that presents information to the user of the first vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the output device 104 includes a display and a speaker, etc. The display may be a multi-information display (MID) or a navigation system display already installed in the first vehicle 10.

[0037] The position acquisition unit 105 is a device that acquires the current position of the first vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the position acquisition unit 105 acquires the current position of the first vehicle 10. The position acquisition unit 105 is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. 5 is not limited to a GPS receiver, but may also be, for example, a wireless communication circuit that uses a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) location information service. The location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 105 is, for example, geographic coordinates such as latitude and longitude.

[0038] Camera 106 photographs the area outside the first vehicle 10. Camera 106 may be a dedicated camera, a drive recorder, or a camera from an advanced safety system.

[0039] The communication unit 107 is a device that performs V2X communication. In this embodiment, the communication unit 107 performs V2X communication using short-range communication (for example, communication within a range of several hundred meters to several kilometers). The communication unit 107 performs V2X communication using wireless communication based on communication standards such as Bluetooth® Low Energy standard (hereinafter referred to as BLE), NFC (Near Field Communication), UWB (Ultra Wideband), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications), or Wi-Fi®.

[0040] (Functional configuration of in-vehicle equipment) The functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the in-vehicle device 100 has a control unit F110 as its functional component. Note that the functional components of the in-vehicle device 100 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 4, and components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate.

[0041] The control unit F110 is realized when the processor 101 of the in-vehicle device 100 loads a dedicated program stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 into the main memory 102 and executes it. The control unit F110 is an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively, it can be implemented using hardware circuits such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). That's fine.

[0042] The control unit F110 receives the first information transmitted from another vehicle or roadside unit located within the V2X communication range (for example, within a radius r1 centered on the first vehicle 10) via the communication unit 1 The information is received via 07. In this embodiment, the first information includes location information of the obstacle Ob, second image data (image data of the obstacle Ob and the road on which the obstacle Ob is located), and the date and time the second image data was captured. The location information of the obstacle is, for example, geographic coordinates such as the latitude and longitude of the obstacle. The first information may also include information indicating the type of obstacle. Examples of obstacle types include accident vehicles, broken-down vehicles, work vehicles, and fallen objects. The type of obstacle may be identified, for example, by performing image recognition processing on the second image data in another vehicle or roadside unit that detected the obstacle. Alternatively, the control unit F110 of the first vehicle 10 may identify the type of obstacle by performing image recognition processing on the second image data included in the first information.

[0043] The control unit F110 determines whether the obstacle Ob is located on the side of the first vehicle 10's direction of travel, based on the position information contained in the first information and the current position of the first vehicle 10. Here, an example of a method for determining whether the obstacle Ob is located on the side of the first vehicle 10's direction of travel will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 show a Cartesian coordinate system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first coordinate system") with the current position of the first vehicle 10 as the origin. The Y axis in Figures 5 and 6 represents the distance in the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10. The X axis in Figures 5 and 6 represents the distance in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10 (the first direction).

[0044] When the communication unit 107 of the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first information, the control unit F110 acquires the current position (geographic coordinates) of the first vehicle 10 through the position acquisition unit 105. The control unit F110 transforms the geographic coordinate system, which includes the position information contained in the first information and the current position of the first vehicle 10, into the first coordinate system shown in Figures 5 and 6. The control unit F110 identifies the Y coordinate of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system ("Y1" in Figure 5 or "Y2" in Figure 6).

[0045] The control unit F110 determines whether the obstacle Ob is located on the side of the first vehicle 10 in the direction of travel based on the sign of the Y coordinate (Y1 or Y2) of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system. Here, if the obstacle Ob is located on the side of the first vehicle 10 in the direction of travel, the Y coordinate (Y1) of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system will be a positive value, as shown in Figure 5. On the other hand, if the obstacle Ob is located behind the first vehicle 10, the Y coordinate (Y2) of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system will be a negative value, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the Y coordinate of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system is a positive value, the control unit F110 determines that the obstacle Ob is located on the side of the first vehicle 10 in the direction of travel. Also, if the Y coordinate of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system is a negative value, the control unit F110 determines that the obstacle Ob is located behind the first vehicle 10.

[0046] If it is determined that the obstacle Ob, which is the subject of the first information, is located on the side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10, the control unit F110 will output the second information from the output device 104. At this time, the control unit F110 may display characters indicating the second information on the display of the output device 104, or it may output an audio indicating the second information from the speaker of the output device 104. If characters indicating the second information are displayed on the display of the output device 104, a notification sound to alert the user may also be output from the speaker of the output device 104.

[0047] If it is determined that the obstacle Ob, which is the subject of the first information, is located on the side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10, the control unit F110 will output the third information in addition to the second information from the output device 104. Specifically, the control unit F110 outputs the second image data included in the first information through the display of the output device 104. Furthermore, based on the information regarding the date and time of imaging included in the first information, the control unit F110 generates character data or audio data indicating the date and time of imaging, and outputs the generated character data or audio data through the display or speaker of the output device 104.

[0048] Figure 7 shows an example of a screen displaying the second image data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "first screen"). In the example shown in Figure 7, image data of the road including the obstacle Ob is displayed. When such a first screen is displayed on the output device 104's display, the user of the first vehicle 10 can recognize that the obstacle Ob may actually exist (that the second information is highly reliable). Furthermore, by looking at the image of the road where the obstacle Ob is located, the user of the first vehicle 10 can also predict whether the road the first vehicle 10 plans to travel on is the same as the road where the obstacle Ob is located. In addition, the user of the first vehicle 10 can predict whether the obstacle Ob may still exist based on the imaging date and time output from the output device 104.

[0049] Furthermore, information regarding the date and time the second image data was captured may be output by superimposing character data indicating the date and time onto the second image data. Figure 8 shows another example of the first screen. In the first screen illustrated in Figure 8, image data is displayed with character data indicating the date and time of capture superimposed on the second image data. When the first screen, as illustrated in Figure 8, is displayed on the display of the output device 104, the user of the first vehicle 10 can simultaneously grasp the image of the obstacle Ob, the image of the road, and the date and time of capture by looking at the first screen.

[0050] (Process flow) Next, the processing flow executed by the in-vehicle device 100 in this embodiment will be explained based on Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing routine executed by the in-vehicle device 100 when the communication unit 107 of the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first information as a trigger. The main execution entity of the processing routine in Figure 9 is the processor 101 of the in-vehicle device 100, but here we will explain it as if the functional component (control unit F110) of the in-vehicle device 100 were the main execution entity.

[0051] In the processing routine shown in Figure 9, when the communication unit 107 of the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first information, the first information is passed from the communication unit 107 to the control unit F110. As a result, the control unit F110 receives the first information through the communication unit 107 (step S101). After the control unit F110 has finished executing the process in step S101, it executes the process in step S102.

[0052] In step S102, the control unit F110 calculates the Y coordinate of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system. Specifically, the control unit F110 obtains the current position of the first vehicle 10 through the position acquisition unit 105. The control unit F110 transforms the geographic coordinate system, which includes the position information contained in the first information and the current position of the first vehicle 10, into the first coordinate system illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 above. The control unit F110 calculates the Y coordinate (Y1 or Y2) of the obstacle Ob in the first coordinate system. After completing the processing in step S102, the control unit F110 executes the processing in step S103.

[0053] In step S103, the control unit F110 determines whether the Y coordinate calculated in step S102 is greater than or equal to "0". If the Y coordinate calculated in step S102 is less than "0" (negative determination in step S103), the obstacle Ob will be located on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10 (the rear side of the first vehicle 10). In this case, the control unit F110 terminates the execution of this processing routine. As a result, the second and third information will not be notified regarding the obstacle. On the other hand, if the Y coordinate calculated in step S102 is greater than or equal to "0" (positive determination in step S103), the obstacle Ob will be located on the side of the direction of travel of the first vehicle 10. In this case, the control unit F110 executes the processing from step S104 onwards.

[0054] In step S104, the control unit F110 generates second information. This second information is intended to alert the user to obstacles Ob. The second information is intended to alert the user to obstacles Ob that are located around the path of the first vehicle 10. After completing the process in step S104, the control unit F110 executes the process in step S105.

[0055] In step S105, the control unit F110 outputs the second information generated in step S104 through the output device 104. This prompts the user to be aware that an obstacle Ob is located around the path of the first vehicle 10 and to prepare for driving maneuvers to avoid the obstacle Ob. After completing the processing in step S105, the control unit F110 executes the processing in step S106.

[0056] In step S106, the control unit F110 generates third information. In this embodiment, the third information is either the second image data included in the first information (see Figure 7), or image data obtained by superimposing character data indicating the date and time of acquisition onto the second image data (see Figure 8). After completing the processing in step S106, the control unit F110 executes the processing in step S107.

[0057] In step S107, the control unit F110 outputs the third information generated in step S106 through the display of the output device 104. After completing the processing in step S107, the control unit F110 terminates the execution of this processing routine.

[0058] (Effects and Effects of the Embodiment) In the embodiments described above, when the in-vehicle device 100 receives first information regarding an obstacle Ob, it can notify the user of the first vehicle 10 of a third piece of information indicating the presence of an obstacle Ob, in addition to a second piece of information prompting a warning about the obstacle Ob. This allows the user of the first vehicle 10 to recognize the presence of an obstacle Ob even if the second piece of information regarding an obstacle Ob that cannot be seen is provided. Furthermore, by using second image data, which captures the obstacle Ob and the road on which the obstacle Ob is located, as the third piece of information, the user of the first vehicle 10 can also predict whether the road on which the first vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel is the same as the road on which the obstacle Ob is located. In addition, by including information indicating the date and time the second image data was captured in the third piece of information, the user of the first vehicle 10 can also predict whether the obstacle Ob may still be present.

[0059] Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately prompt the user to pay attention to obstacles Ob while suppressing the user from feeling distrustful of the second information.

[0060] <Example 1> In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which, upon receiving the first information, the in-vehicle device 100 notifies the user of the first vehicle 10 of the second and third information. In contrast, this modified example describes an example in which, upon receiving the first information, the in-vehicle device 100 notifies the user of the first and third information, and also displays the location of the obstacle Ob on the map screen of the navigation system.

[0061] When the first vehicle 10 is traveling through an area unfamiliar to the user, the user, upon viewing the second image data, may be able to recognize the existence of an obstacle Ob, but it may be difficult to predict whether the road the first vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel on is the same road where the obstacle Ob is located. In contrast, if the location of the obstacle Ob is displayed on the navigation system's map screen, the user can easily predict whether the road the first vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel on is the same road where the obstacle Ob is located.

[0062] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of the first vehicle 10 in this modified example. The first vehicle 10 in this modified example is configured to include an in-vehicle device 100 and a navigation system 110.

[0063] In this modified example, the in-vehicle device 100, as shown in Figure 10, includes a processor 101, main memory 102, auxiliary memory 103, output device 104, position acquisition unit 105, camera 106, communication unit 107, and an in-vehicle communication unit 108. The processor 101, main memory 102, auxiliary memory 103, output device 104, position acquisition unit 105, camera 106, and communication unit 107 are the same as in the previously described embodiment, so their description is omitted. The in-vehicle communication unit 108 is an interface that communicates with the navigation system 110 via the in-vehicle network. The in-vehicle network is CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Network Infrastructure Communication). Interconnect Network, or a network based on standards such as FlexRay. .

[0064] The navigation system 110 is a system that provides route guidance to the user of the first vehicle 10 by displaying the current location of the first vehicle 10 and the planned route on a map screen. Since a known system can be used as the navigation system 110, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0065] The functional configuration of the in-vehicle device 100 in this modified example is the same as that of the embodiment described above (see Figure 4).

[0066] In this modified example, when the communication unit 107 of the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first information, the control unit F110 generates and outputs the second and third information, and also transmits a display command to the navigation system 110. The display command is a signal that includes the location information of the obstacle Ob and a command to display the location of the obstacle Ob on the map screen of the navigation system 110. Such a display command is transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100 to the navigation system 110 via the in-vehicle communication unit 108.

[0067] Upon receiving the above-mentioned display command, the navigation system 110 identifies the location of the obstacle Ob on the map based on the location information of the obstacle Ob included in the display command, and displays a figure indicating the obstacle Ob at the identified location. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed by the navigation system 110 upon receiving the above-mentioned display command (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "second screen"). The second screen displays a map of the area surrounding the current location of the first vehicle 10, and a figure indicating the location of the obstacle Ob (the star-shaped figure in Figure 11). When such a second screen is displayed on the navigation system 110, the user of the first vehicle 10 can predict whether the road the first vehicle 10 is planning to travel on is the same as the road where the obstacle Ob is located, even if the first vehicle 10 is traveling through an unfamiliar area.

[0068] Here, the processing flow executed in the in-vehicle device 100 in this modified example will be explained based on Figure 12. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the processing routine executed in the in-vehicle device 100 when the communication unit 107 of the in-vehicle device 100 receives the first piece of information as a trigger. In Figure 12, the same reference numerals are used for processes that are the same as those in Figure 9.

[0069] In Figure 12, after completing the process in step S107, the control unit F110 executes the process in step S201. In step S201, the control unit F110 sends a display command, which includes the position information contained in the first information and a command to display the position of the obstacle Ob on the map screen of the navigation system 110, to the navigation system via the in-vehicle communication unit 108. The data is sent to unit 110. Once the control unit F110 has finished executing the process in step S201, it terminates the execution of this processing routine.

[0070] When the processing routine shown in Figure 12 is executed in the in-vehicle device 100, the navigation system 110, which receives a display command transmitted from the in-vehicle device 100, displays a second screen as illustrated in Figure 11. This provides the same effects as in the previously described embodiment, as well as making it easier for the user of the first vehicle 10 to predict whether the road the first vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel on is the same as the road where the obstacle Ob is located. As a result, the user of the first vehicle 10 can be appropriately alerted to the obstacle Ob.

[0071] <Modification 2> In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which the in-vehicle device 100 notifies the user of the first vehicle 10 of the second and third pieces of information when it receives the first piece of information. In contrast, this modified example describes an example in which the in-vehicle device 100 notifies the user of the first and third pieces of information, as well as a fourth piece of information, when it receives the first piece of information.

[0072] In this modified example, the fourth piece of information includes the altitude of the location where the obstacle Ob is located (first altitude) and the altitude of the location where the first vehicle 10 is located (second altitude). In this case, the information regarding the first altitude is included in the first piece of information. The second altitude is obtained through a sensor (e.g., a barometric pressure sensor or an altitude sensor) mounted on the first vehicle 10. The fourth piece of information may be notified by displaying character data on the display of the output device 104, or by outputting audio data to the speaker of the output device 104.

[0073] According to this modified example, for instance, in a hierarchical road structure, it becomes easier for the user of the first vehicle 10 to predict whether the hierarchical level of the road where the obstacle Ob is located is the same as the hierarchical level of the road on which the first vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0074] <Other> The embodiments and modifications described above are merely examples, and this disclosure may be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. For example, the embodiments and modifications described above can be freely combined and implemented as long as no technical inconsistencies arise.

[0075] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by a single device may be divided and executed by multiple devices. Conversely, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration used to implement each function can be flexibly changed.

[0076] Furthermore, this disclosure can also be realized by supplying a computer program (information processing program) implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the computer's system bus, or it may be provided to the computer via a network. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium is a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical means and can be read from a computer or the like. Examples of such recording media include any type of disk, such as magnetic disks (floppy disks or HDDs, etc.) and optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs, etc.). The recording medium may also be ROM, RAM, EPROM, EE The media may include PROM, magnetic cards, flash memory, optical cards, or SSDs (Solid State Drives). [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10. First vehicle 100 In-vehicle equipment 101 Processors 102 Main storage 103 Auxiliary storage device 104 Output device 105 Position acquisition part 106 Camera 107 Communications Department F110 Control Unit 110 Navigation System

Claims

1. An information processing device to be installed in a first vehicle which is a connected vehicle that performs V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication, Receiving first information including location information of the first target, Obtaining the current position of the first vehicle, including its geographical coordinates, The positional information included in the first information and the geographic coordinates included in the current position of the first vehicle are transformed into a first coordinate system which is a Cartesian coordinate system with the current position of the first vehicle as the origin. With respect to the first coordinate system, the value of the Y coordinate of the first object relating to the position information included in the first information, on the Y axis in the direction of travel of the first vehicle, To determine whether the value of the Y coordinate is 0 or greater, If the value of the Y coordinate is 0 or greater, second information, which is information to draw attention to the first target, is output. Based on the first information, output a third piece of information that indicates the existence of the first object, A control unit that performs the following: An information processing device, The first information further includes information relating to a first altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first object is located. The control unit, The second altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first vehicle is located, is obtained from a sensor mounted on the first vehicle. When outputting the second and third pieces of information, a fourth piece of information is output, which includes the first altitude and the second altitude. Information processing device.

2. The first vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, The control unit transmits a command signal to the navigation system for displaying the location of the first target on a map, based on the first information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The subject of the first item is an accident vehicle, a broken-down vehicle, a work vehicle, or a fallen object. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A computer installed in a first vehicle, which is a connected vehicle that performs V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication, Receiving first information including location information of the first target, Obtaining the current position of the first vehicle, including its geographical coordinates, The positional information included in the first information and the geographic coordinates included in the current position of the first vehicle are transformed into a first coordinate system which is a Cartesian coordinate system with the current position of the first vehicle as the origin. With respect to the first coordinate system, the value of the Y coordinate of the first object relating to the position information included in the first information, on the Y axis in the direction of travel of the first vehicle, To determine whether the value of the Y coordinate is 0 or greater, If the value of the Y coordinate is 0 or greater, second information, which is information to draw attention to the first target, is output. Based on the first information, output a third piece of information that indicates the existence of the first object, Execute Information processing method, The first information further includes information relating to a first altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first object is located. The aforementioned computer, The second altitude, which is the altitude of the location where the first vehicle is located, is obtained from a sensor mounted on the first vehicle. When outputting the second and third pieces of information, a fourth piece of information is output, which includes the first altitude and the second altitude. Information processing methods.

5. The first vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, The computer transmits a command signal to the navigation system for displaying the location of the first object on a map, based on the first information. The information processing method according to claim 4.

6. The subject of the first item is an accident vehicle, a broken-down vehicle, a work vehicle, or a fallen object. The information processing method according to claim 4.

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