Vehicle notification system

Abstract

To provide an in-vehicle notification system capable of making predetermined notifications only to a driver in an autonomous driving vehicle of Level 3 or higher capable of performing all driving operations under certain conditions.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle notification system is provided, comprising a terminal installation unit configured to allow a mobile terminal to be installed thereon and provided near a driver's seat of an autonomous driving vehicle capable of performing all driving operations under certain conditions, and a control unit configured to, when detecting a mobile terminal installed on the terminal installation unit, permit autonomous driving and make a notification to the mobile terminal when certain conditions are met during autonomous driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle notification system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a driver monitoring system that communicates between a mobile terminal and a vehicle control device and monitors the driver. In the driver monitoring system of this Patent Document 1, while the host vehicle is running, it is determined based on an image captured by a camera of the mobile terminal whether the driver is looking at the display screen of the mobile terminal, and an alarm is issued when it is determined that the driver is looking at the display screen of the mobile terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the driver monitoring system described in the above Patent Document 1, when there are a plurality of mobile terminals in the vehicle, the driver's mobile terminal cannot be identified, so warnings are issued to all mobile terminals, which is troublesome.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle notification system capable of performing a predetermined notification only to a specific mobile terminal in a vehicle capable of level 3 or higher automated driving in which all driving operations are possible under certain conditions.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle notification system according to claim 1 comprises a terminal mounting section provided around the driver's seat of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, which performs all driving operations under certain conditions, and configured to accommodate a mobile terminal; and a control unit that, upon detecting a mobile terminal installed in the terminal mounting section, authorizes autonomous driving and notifies the mobile terminal when predetermined conditions are met in the autonomous driving state, wherein the terminal mounting section is provided by recessing a part of the steering wheel hub to correspond to the shape of the mobile terminal. The system comprises a first terminal installation section and a second terminal installation section in which a part of the instrument panel is recessed to correspond to the shape of the mobile terminal. The control unit, when the mobile terminal is installed in both the first and second terminal installation sections, prioritizes detecting the mobile terminal installed in the first terminal installation section and notifies the mobile terminal when the distance or time required to transition from a Level 3 automated driving state to a Level 2 automated driving state falls below a predetermined level. A warning is issued if the aforementioned mobile device is removed from the device mounting unit.

[0007] In the vehicle notification system according to claim 1, a terminal mounting section is provided around the driver's seat of a vehicle in which all driving operations are possible under certain conditions, and the terminal mounting section is configured to accommodate a mobile terminal. Furthermore, when the control unit detects a mobile terminal installed in the terminal mounting section, it permits automatic driving and notifies the mobile terminal if predetermined conditions are met in the automatic driving state. This ensures that even if multiple mobile terminals are present in the vehicle, notifications can be sent only to the mobile terminal installed in the terminal mounting section. Additionally, by preventing automatic driving from being permitted until a mobile terminal is installed in the terminal mounting section, a situation where there is no mobile terminal to be notified in the automatic driving state can be avoided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the vehicle notification system according to the present invention makes it possible to send predetermined notifications only to specific mobile terminals in vehicles capable of Level 3 or higher autonomous driving, where all driving operations are possible under certain conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This figure shows the front of the passenger compartment of a vehicle to which the vehicle notification system according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a vehicle notification system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3]A block diagram showing an example of the vehicle hardware configuration in an embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal in an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control unit in the embodiment. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the notification process flow in the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] A vehicle notification system 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In Figure 1, the arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle's vertical direction, and the arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle's width direction. In the following description, the vertical direction and the left-right direction refer to the vertical direction and left-right direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, an instrument panel 13 is provided at the front of the passenger compartment in vehicle V. The instrument panel 13 extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering wheel 15 is provided on the right side of the instrument panel 13. In other words, in this embodiment, as an example, it is a right-hand drive vehicle with the steering wheel 15 on the right side, and the driver's seat is set on the right side of the vehicle. However, it is not limited to this and may also be applied to vehicles where the driver's seat is set on the left side of the vehicle.

[0020] The steering wheel 15 has a substantially annular rim portion 15A. A hub portion 15B, which forms the central part, is provided on the inner circumference side of the rim portion 15A, and the rim portion 15A and the hub portion 15B are connected by a plurality (three in this embodiment) of spoke portions 15C.

[0021] Here, the hub portion 15B of the steering wheel 15 is provided with a first terminal mounting portion 17. The first terminal mounting portion 17 is formed by recessing a part of the hub portion 15B into a roughly rectangular shape to correspond to the shape of the mobile terminal, and is configured so that the mobile terminal can be set in this first terminal mounting portion 17. In this embodiment, as an example, a first connection terminal 19 is provided in the first terminal mounting portion 17, and the vehicle V and the mobile terminal can be electrically connected by inserting the first connection terminal 19 into a connection hole (not shown) formed in the mobile terminal.

[0022] A second terminal mounting section 21 is provided in the center of the instrument panel 13 in the vehicle width direction. The second terminal mounting section 21 is formed by recessing a part of the instrument panel 13 in a roughly rectangular shape to correspond to the shape of a mobile terminal, and is configured so that a mobile terminal can be set in this second terminal mounting section 21. It is preferable that the second terminal mounting section 21 is oriented in a direction tilted upward from the horizontal so that when a mobile terminal is installed, the camera of the mobile terminal faces the driver's face. Specifically, the bottom surface of the recessed area of ​​the second terminal mounting section 21 may be formed to gradually tilt upward from the rear side of the vehicle toward the front side of the vehicle. In this embodiment, as an example, a second connection terminal 23 is provided in the second terminal mounting section 21, and the vehicle V and the mobile terminal can be electrically connected by inserting the second connection terminal 23 into a connection hole (not shown) formed in the mobile terminal. The second terminal mounting section 21 may also be configured to sandwich the mobile terminal to be installed from the side. The second terminal mounting section 21 has an elastic clamping function, allowing mobile terminals of different sizes and types to be mounted.

[0023] Note that, instead of providing the first connection terminal 19 and the second connection terminal 23, a configuration that enables non-contact electrical connection with the mobile terminal may be adopted. For example, by providing a non-contact charging coil or the like inside the hub portion 15 or the instrument panel 13, electrical connection with the mobile terminal may be achieved. Further, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag or the like may be provided inside the hub portion 15 or the instrument panel 13.

[0024] In addition, the first terminal installation portion 19 and the second terminal installation portion 23 are configured such that a cover (not shown) can be attached when not in use. When a cover is attached to the steering wheel 15, the hub portion 15B and the cover are flush, suppressing a decrease in design quality. Similarly, when a cover is attached to the instrument panel 13, the instrument panel 13 and the cover are flush, suppressing a decrease in design quality.

[0025] Here, the vehicle V is provided with a control unit 11 that constitutes the vehicle display control system 10. The control unit 11 of the present embodiment is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that performs various controls.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the vehicle notification system according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle notification system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 11 and a server 12. The control unit 11 and the server 12 are connected via a network N and are capable of communicating with each other. Further, a plurality of mobile terminals 14 are capable of communicating with the control unit 11 via the network N.

[0027] The control unit 11 is configured to perform information processing between the server 12 and the mobile terminal 14. Note that the control unit 11 may be provided outside the vehicle V. In this case, the control unit 11 is configured to be capable of communicating with an in-vehicle device or the like mounted on the vehicle V via the network N.

[0028] The vehicle V is configured to be able to switch between automatic driving and manual driving. In particular, in this embodiment, the vehicle V is capable of performing automatic driving at level 3 or higher where all driving operations are possible under certain conditions.

[0029] The server 12 stores various data. In this embodiment, as an example, the server 12 is configured to include a terminal database 16 and a passenger database 18. The terminal database 16 stores information regarding a plurality of mobile terminals 14 that may be brought into the vehicle V. For example, the terminal database 16 stores information such as the identification numbers of the respective mobile terminals 14 and notification applications.

[0030] The passenger database 18 stores information regarding a plurality of passengers who may ride in the vehicle V. For example, the passenger database 18 stores information such as the identification numbers of the respective passengers, information on the mobile terminals held by the passengers, information regarding the presence or absence of a driver's license, and biometric information. The biometric information is information including at least one of fingerprint, voiceprint, iris, and face, but is not limited thereto, and may include vein information or the like as biometric information.

[0031] The mobile terminal 14 is a terminal that can be brought into the vehicle V by a passenger of the vehicle V, and includes a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop personal computer, and the like. Although three mobile terminals 14 are illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention is not limited thereto, and four or more mobile terminals 14 may be connected to the network N. Conversely, two or less mobile terminals 14 may be connected to the network N.

[0032] The vehicle notification system 10 of this embodiment is configured as described above. When the control unit 11 detects a mobile terminal 14 installed in the first terminal installation unit 17 or the second terminal installation unit 2, the control unit 11 permits automatic driving and is configured to notify the mobile terminal 14 when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the automatic driving state.

[0033] (Vehicle V hardware configuration) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of vehicle V in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, vehicle V is equipped with a communication bus 11, to which a control unit 11, an authentication device 32, a group of vehicle driving state detection sensors 34, an automatic driving ECU 42, and a surrounding condition acquisition device (not shown) are electrically connected.

[0034] The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor) 20, ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, RAM (Random Access Memory) 24, storage 26, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 28. Each component is connected to the others via an internal bus 30 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0035] The CPU 20 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. Specifically, the CPU 20 reads programs from the ROM 22 or storage 26 and executes them using the RAM 24 as a working area. The CPU 20 also controls the above-mentioned components and performs various calculations according to the programs recorded in the ROM 22 or storage 26.

[0036] ROM22 stores various programs and data. RAM24 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Storage26 is a non-temporary recording medium consisting of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. In this embodiment, ROM22 or storage26 stores programs for performing various processes.

[0037] The communication interface 28 is an interface for the control unit 11 to communicate with the server 12 and the mobile terminal 14, and uses standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network), Ethernet (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0038] The authentication device 32 is connected to the first terminal installation unit 17 and the second terminal installation unit 21, and authenticates the mobile terminal 14 installed in the first terminal installation unit 17 or the second terminal installation unit 21. The authentication information authenticated by the authentication device 32 is transmitted to the control unit 11.

[0039] The vehicle driving state detection sensor group 34 includes a steering angle sensor 36 for detecting the steering angle of the vehicle V, a vehicle speed sensor 38 for detecting the driving speed of the vehicle V, and an acceleration sensor 40 for detecting the acceleration applied to the vehicle V, as sensors for acquiring the driving state of the vehicle V.

[0040] The autonomous driving ECU 42 is electrically connected to the throttle ACT 44, which changes the throttle opening of the vehicle V; the brake ACT 46, which changes the braking force; and the steering ACT 48, which changes the steering amount by the steering device. The autonomous driving ECU 42 is an ECU that performs autonomous driving processing to automatically drive the vehicle V without driver operation by the vehicle's occupants. In particular, in this embodiment, the autonomous driving ECU 42 is configured to be capable of autonomous driving processing of level 3 or higher. When autonomous driving of level 3 or higher is performed, the driver is freed from driving operations and does not need to pay attention to the area in front of the vehicle. For this reason, when autonomous driving of level 3 or higher is performed, the driver can operate the mobile terminal 14.

[0041] The autonomous driving ECU42 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), non-volatile storage units such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication I / F (Interface). It includes it. The memory unit stores the autonomous driving software.

[0042] Although not shown in the diagram, vehicle V is equipped with a surrounding conditions acquisition device, which is electrically connected to the communication bus 11. The surrounding conditions acquisition device is a group of sensors used to acquire information about the surroundings of vehicle V when vehicle V performs autonomous driving processing, and includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device, an in-vehicle communication device, a navigation system, a radar device, and surrounding cameras.

[0043] The GNSS device receives GNSS signals from multiple GNSS satellites to determine the position of vehicle V. The on-board communication device is a communication device that performs at least one of vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication with roadside units. The navigation system includes a map information storage unit that stores map information, and displays the position of vehicle V on a map based on the position information obtained from the GNSS device and the map information stored in the map information storage unit. The radar device detects objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles present around vehicle V as point cloud information, and acquires the relative position and relative speed of the detected objects and vehicle V. In addition, the radar device excludes noise and roadside objects such as guardrails from the monitoring target based on changes in the relative position and relative speed of individual objects included in the most recent multiple detection results, and tracks and monitors specific objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles as the target objects. The surrounding cameras capture images of the area around vehicle V with multiple cameras and output the captured images.

[0044] (Hardware configuration of mobile device 14) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the mobile terminal 14 is configured to include a CPU 52, ROM 54, RAM 56, storage 58, communication interface (communication I / F) 60, and input / output interface (input / output I / F) 62. Each component is connected to the others so as to be able to communicate with each other via an internal bus 64.

[0045] The CPU 52 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. Specifically, the CPU 52 reads programs from the ROM 54 or storage 58 and executes them using the RAM 56 as a workspace. The CPU 52 also controls the above-mentioned components and performs various calculations according to the programs recorded in the ROM 54 or storage 58.

[0046] ROM 54 stores various programs and data. RAM 56 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Storage 58 is a non-temporary recording medium consisting of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. In this embodiment, ROM 54 or storage 58 stores programs for performing various processes.

[0047] The communication interface 60 is a interface for the mobile terminal 14 to communicate with the control unit 11 and other components, and standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), LTE (Long Term Evolution), FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and NFC (Near field communication) are used.

[0048] The input / output interface 62 is electrically connected to a display panel 66, a speaker 68, a vibrator 70, a GPS device 72, and a camera 74. The display panel 66 displays predetermined information. The speaker 68 is configured to output sound. The vibrator 70 vibrates when it receives a predetermined signal. The GPS device 72 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites to determine the position of the mobile terminal 14. The camera 74 is configured to capture images of the area around the mobile terminal 14.

[0049] (Functional configuration of the control unit 11) The control unit 11 in the vehicle notification system 10 implements various functions using the above-mentioned hardware resources. The functional configuration implemented by the vehicle notification system 10 will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0050] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 11 is configured to include, as a functional configuration, a terminal detection unit 80, an automatic driving permission unit 82, an alertness determination unit 84, a warning unit 86, a vehicle information acquisition unit 88, and a notification unit 90. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 20 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 22 or storage 26.

[0051] The terminal detection unit 80 detects the mobile terminal 14 installed in either the first terminal installation unit 17 or the second terminal installation unit 21. If a mobile terminal 14 is installed in both the first terminal installation unit 17 and the second terminal installation unit 21, the terminal detection unit 80 prioritizes detecting the mobile terminal 14 installed in the first terminal installation unit 17.

[0052] In this embodiment, as an example, the detection of a mobile terminal 14 by the terminal detection unit 80 is performed by receiving a signal indicating that the mobile terminal 14 is connected to the first connection terminal 19 or the second connection terminal 23. Specifically, the terminal detection unit 80 detects the mobile terminal 14 if the first connection terminal 19 and the mobile terminal 14 are connected. Also, the terminal detection unit 80 detects the mobile terminal 14 if the first connection terminal 19 and the mobile terminal 14 are not connected, but the second connection terminal 21 and the mobile terminal 14 are connected. Data regarding the detected mobile terminal 14 is stored in the terminal database 16. Alternatively, the crew database 18 may be queried to obtain data on the crew member who possesses the detected mobile terminal 14. The detection of a mobile terminal by the terminal detection unit 80 is performed as follows:

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example, even if the crew removes the mobile terminal 14 from the terminal installation unit after the terminal detection unit 80 has completed detection of the mobile terminal 14, the electrical connection between the control unit 11 and the mobile terminal 14 is maintained. For example, even if the crew removes the mobile terminal 14 from the first terminal installation unit 17, the control unit 11 is configured to send a predetermined notification to the mobile terminal 14.

[0054] The automated driving permission unit 82 grants permission for the vehicle V to operate autonomously when the mobile terminal 14 is detected by the terminal detection unit 80. Specifically, the automated driving permission unit 82 grants permission for the automated driving ECU 42 to perform autonomous driving processing of level 3 or higher.

[0055] The alertness determination unit 84 determines the alertness level of the occupant (driver) seated in the driver's seat. Specifically, the alertness determination unit 84 acquires images captured by the camera 74 mounted on the mobile terminal 14 and determines the occupant's alertness level based on the acquired images. In this embodiment, as an example, the cameras 74 are provided on both sides of the mobile terminal 14, and if the alertness determination unit 84 cannot detect the occupant's face based on the image captured by the camera 74 on one side, it will detect the occupant's face based on the image captured by the camera 74 on the other side.

[0056] The warning unit 86 issues a warning to the occupant if the occupant's level of alertness, as determined by the alertness determination unit 84, is below a predetermined level, or if the occupant's level of alertness could not be determined. The "predetermined level" here refers to a level that would impede the operation of the vehicle V. The warning to the occupant may also be issued by, for example, activating the vibrator 70 installed in the mobile terminal 14 and emitting a warning sound from the speaker 68. Alternatively, the warning may be issued to the occupant using a speaker installed in the vehicle V. If the occupant's level of alertness, as determined by the alertness determination unit 84, is at or above the predetermined level, the automatic driving state is permitted to continue, and no warning is issued.

[0057] In this embodiment, as an example, the warning unit 86 is configured to issue a warning when the detected mobile terminal 14 is located beyond a predetermined distance from the driver's seat. Specifically, based on the signal from the GPS device 72 mounted on the mobile terminal 14, the warning unit 86 issues a warning to the occupant if the mobile terminal 14 is located in the rear seat. Furthermore, if the mobile terminal 14 and the vehicle V are connected via Bluetooth, the detailed location of the mobile terminal 14 can be determined, so the warning unit 86 may be configured to issue a warning to the occupant when it is detected that the mobile terminal 14 is far from the driver's seat.

[0058] The vehicle information acquisition unit 88 acquires information such as the driving status of the vehicle V. For example, the vehicle information acquisition unit 88 acquires that the vehicle V is in an automated driving state of level 3 or higher (an automated driving state in which all driving operations are performed by the vehicle).

[0059] The notification unit 90 notifies the driver's terminal when the state of vehicle V, as acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 88, meets predetermined conditions. For example, the notification unit 90 notifies the driver's terminal when the distance or time required for vehicle V to transition from Level 3 automated driving to Level 2 automated driving falls below a predetermined level. Also, for example, the notification unit 90 notifies the driver's terminal when the distance or time required for vehicle V to transition from Level 3 automated driving to manual driving falls below a predetermined level.

[0060] Furthermore, the notification unit 90 may notify the driver's terminal when the vehicle V is in a Level 3 automated driving state and makes suggestions such as lane changes, route changes, and overtaking. In addition, the notification unit 90 may notify the driver's terminal when the vehicle V's fuel level is low or the battery level is low. Moreover, the notification unit 90 may notify the driver's terminal when the system transitions to the MRM (Minimum Risk Maneuver) state, which is the motion control of the vehicle V leading up to the MRC (Minimum Risk Condition).

[0061] (action) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

[0062] An example of notification processing by the vehicle notification system 10 of this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 6. These display processes are performed by the CPU 20 reading a display program from the ROM 22 or storage 26, loading it into the RAM 24, and executing it. In the following example of notification processing, the process starts when the vehicle V is started.

[0063] (An example of notification processing) In step S102, the CPU 20 determines whether or not it has detected a mobile terminal. Specifically, the CPU 20 determines that it has detected a mobile terminal 14 if the mobile terminal 14 is connected to the first connection terminal 19 of the first terminal installation unit 17 by the function of the terminal detection unit 80. The CPU 20 also determines that it has detected a mobile terminal 14 if the mobile terminal 14 is connected to the second connection terminal 23 of the second terminal installation unit 21 by the function of the terminal detection unit 80. If a mobile terminal 14 is installed in both the first terminal installation unit 17 and the second terminal installation unit 21, the terminal detection unit 80 prioritizes detecting the mobile terminal 14 installed in the first terminal installation unit 17. If the CPU 20 determines that it has detected a mobile terminal 14, it proceeds to the process in step S104. If the CPU 20 determines that it has not detected a mobile terminal 14, it terminates this notification process without permitting automatic operation.

[0064] In step S104, the CPU 20 authorizes the vehicle V to operate autonomously. Specifically, the CPU 20, through the function of the autonomous driving authorization unit 82, authorizes the autonomous driving ECU 42 to perform autonomous driving processing of level 3 or higher.

[0065] In step S106, the CPU 20 determines whether or not the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state. Specifically, if vehicle V starts autonomous driving at level 3 or higher, the CPU 20 determines that it is in an autonomous driving state based on the signal from the autonomous driving ECU 42 and proceeds to the process in step S108. On the other hand, if the CPU 20 determines in step S106 that the vehicle is not in an autonomous driving state, there is no need to notify the occupants, and therefore this notification process is terminated.

[0066] In step S108, the CPU 20 determines whether notification is necessary. Specifically, the CPU 20 acquires the status of vehicle V and determines whether there is a situation that requires notification to the occupants, such as when the distance or time until vehicle V transitions from a Level 3 automated driving state to a Level 2 automated driving state falls below a predetermined level. If the CPU 20 determines that notification to the occupants is necessary, it proceeds to the process in step S110 and provides a predetermined notification to the occupants using the functions of the notification unit 90.

[0067] On the other hand, if the CPU 20 determines in step S108 that notification is not necessary, it proceeds to step S112 without performing the processing in step S110.

[0068] In step S112, the CPU 20 determines whether the occupant's level of alertness is high or low. Specifically, the CPU 20 uses the function of the alertness determination unit 84 to acquire images taken by the camera 74 mounted on the mobile terminal 14, and determines the occupant's level of alertness based on the acquired images. If the CPU 20 determines in step S112 that the occupant's level of alertness is above a predetermined level, there is no need to warn the occupant, and therefore the notification process ends while continuing the autonomous driving state.

[0069] On the other hand, if the CPU 20 determines in step S112 that the occupant's level of alertness is below a predetermined level, it proceeds to step S114 and issues a warning to the occupant. Specifically, the CPU 20 issues a warning to the occupant in a predetermined manner using the functions of the warning unit 86. For example, the CPU 20 may activate the vibrator 70 installed in the mobile terminal 14 and emit a warning sound from the speaker 68. Alternatively, the CPU 20 may issue a warning to the occupant using a speaker installed in the vehicle V or the like.

[0070] As described above, according to the vehicle notification system 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, a first terminal installation section 17 and a second terminal installation section 21 are provided around the driver's seat of a vehicle V in which all driving operations can be performed under certain conditions, and these terminal installation sections are configured to allow the installation of a mobile terminal. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 detects a mobile terminal 14 installed in at least one of the first terminal installation section 17 and the second terminal installation section 21, it permits automatic driving and notifies the mobile terminal 14 if predetermined conditions are met in the automatic driving state. This ensures that even if multiple mobile terminals are present in the vehicle, notifications can be sent only to the mobile terminal 14 installed in at least one of the first terminal installation section 17 and the second terminal installation section 21. In addition, by not permitting automatic driving until a mobile terminal 14 is installed in the first terminal installation section 17 or the second terminal installation section 21, situations in which there is no mobile terminal to be notified in the automatic driving state can be avoided.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the occupant's level of alertness is determined based on the image captured by the camera 74 mounted on the mobile terminal 14. Therefore, even if the occupant is looking down and operating the mobile terminal 14 in the autonomous driving state, the occupant's face can be captured. In other words, compared to a configuration that uses a camera installed on the instrument panel 13 of the vehicle V, the occupant's face can be captured more effectively.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a warning is issued when the occupant's level of alertness falls below a predetermined level, i.e., when the occupant is unable to drive normally, thereby preparing for a switch to manual driving. Similarly, a warning is also issued when the occupant's level of alertness cannot be determined, allowing the occupant to understand that their level of alertness could not be determined.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a mobile device can be mounted on at least one of the instrument panel 13 and the steering wheel 15. This eliminates the need to prepare a separate part for mounting the mobile device 14. In addition, a first terminal mounting section 17 is integrally provided on the steering wheel 15, and a second terminal mounting section 21 is integrally provided on the instrument panel 13. Therefore, the design can be improved compared to a structure using a separate holder or the like.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by issuing a warning when the mobile terminal 14 moves beyond a predetermined distance from the driver's seat, the mobile terminal for notifying the driver from the vehicle can always be positioned near the driver's seat.

[0075] The above-described vehicle notification system 10 according to an embodiment is, of course, capable of being implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the first terminal mounting section 17 is a horizontally elongated, substantially rectangular shape, but is not limited to this, and may be formed in a vertically elongated, substantially rectangular shape. Furthermore, the angle of the first terminal mounting section 17 may be changed by operation by the occupant. For example, if the mounting base of the first terminal mounting section 17 is configured to be rotatable relative to the body of the steering wheel 15, the occupant can change the angle to any desired position while the portable terminal 14 is mounted on the first terminal mounting section 17.

[0076] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a structure in which a first terminal mounting section 17 is provided on the steering wheel 15 and a second terminal mounting section 21 is provided on the instrument panel 13, the invention is not limited to this, and terminal mounting sections may be provided in other locations. For example, terminal mounting sections may be provided on the armrest of the driver's seat or on the center console between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. In addition, in a structure equipped with a foldable sun visor above the driver's seat, terminal mounting sections may be provided on the sun visor. This makes it possible to mount the portable terminal 14 at the eye level of the occupant.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the warning unit 86 shown in Figure 5 is configured to issue a warning when the detected mobile terminal 14 moves beyond a predetermined distance from the driver's seat, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to issue a warning when the mobile terminal 14 is removed from the terminal mounting unit. In this case, the occupant would need to operate the mobile terminal 14 while it is installed in the terminal mounting unit, which would reliably prevent the mobile terminal 14 from moving away from the driver's seat.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the CPU 20 started the process shown in Figure 6 when the vehicle V was started, but the timing at which the CPU 20 starts the process is not limited to this. For example, when the vehicle V starts moving from a stationary state, the CPU 20 may perform the series of processes shown in Figure 6 to set up the driver's terminal. More specifically, when the shift position of the vehicle V switches from parking to drive or reverse, the CPU 20 may perform the series of processes shown in Figure 6. Also, when transitioning to an autonomous driving state, the CPU 20 may detect the mobile terminal 14 by performing the series of processes shown in Figure 6.

[0079] Furthermore, the processing that the CPU 20 reads and executes in the above embodiment may be executed by various processors other than the CPU 20. Examples of such processors include PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, and dedicated electrical circuits that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute particular processing, such as ASICs (Application Spec Integrated Circuits). The above processing may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types, for example, by multiple FPGAs, or by a combination of a CPU and an FPGA. More specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors is an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0080] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses a configuration in which various data is stored in the storage 26, the system is not limited to this. For example, non-temporary recording media such as CDs (Compact Disks), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory may be used as the storage unit. In this case, various programs and data will be stored in these recording media.

[0081] Furthermore, the processing flow described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps added, or the processing order rearranged without departing from the main purpose. For example, in the notification process shown in Figure 6, the CPU 20 may perform the processing of step S102 after the processing of step S106. In this case, if a notification is required when the mobile terminal 14 cannot be detected, the CPU 20 may not notify the driver's terminal but instead notify a display installed in the vehicle V.

[0082] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the embodiments described above.

[0083] (Note 1) A terminal mounting section is provided around the driver's seat of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, which performs all driving operations under certain conditions, and is configured to accommodate a mobile device. A control unit that, upon detecting a mobile terminal installed in the terminal installation unit, permits the automatic operation and notifies the mobile terminal if predetermined conditions are met in the automatic operation state, A vehicle notification system having the following features. (Note 2) The control unit acquires an image captured by a camera mounted on the mobile terminal, and based on the acquired image, if the occupant's level of alertness is above a predetermined level, the vehicle notification system according to Appendix 1. (Note 3) The vehicle notification system according to Appendix 2, wherein the control unit issues a warning to the occupant in at least one of the following cases: when the occupant's level of alertness is below a predetermined level based on the image, or when the occupant's level of alertness cannot be determined. (Note 4) The terminal installation section is a vehicle notification system according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, provided on at least one of the instrument panel and the steering wheel in the front of the vehicle cabin. (Note 5) The control unit issues a warning when the detected mobile terminal is more than a predetermined distance from the driver's seat, as described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4 of the vehicle notification system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10. Vehicle notification system 11 Control Unit 13. Instrument Panel 15. Steering wheel (steering) 17. First Terminal Installation Section 21. Second Terminal Installation Section 74 Cameras 92 Notification Department V Vehicle

Claims

[Claim 1] A terminal mounting section is provided around the driver's seat of a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, which performs all driving operations under certain conditions, and is configured to accommodate a mobile device. A control unit that, upon detecting a mobile terminal installed in the terminal installation unit, permits the automatic operation and notifies the mobile terminal if predetermined conditions are met in the automatic operation state, It has, The terminal mounting section comprises a first terminal mounting section in which a part of the steering wheel hub is recessed to correspond to the shape of the mobile terminal, and a second terminal mounting section in which a part of the instrument panel is recessed to correspond to the shape of the mobile terminal. If the mobile terminal is installed in both the first terminal installation unit and the second terminal installation unit, the control unit shall prioritize detecting the mobile terminal installed in the first terminal installation unit. When the distance or time required to transition from Level 3 autonomous driving to Level 2 autonomous driving falls below a predetermined level, a notification is sent to the mobile terminal. A vehicle notification system that issues a warning when the aforementioned mobile device is removed from the device mounting unit.

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