Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

This information processing device (1) comprises a speed information acquisition unit (50), a calculation unit (20), and a fatigue evaluation unit (30). The speed information acquisition unit (50) repeatedly acquires speed information regarding the speed of a moving body. The calculation unit (20) calculates statistical information about the speed information in a prescribed section, using the speed information. The fatigue evaluation unit (30) evaluates the fatigue of a driver of the moving body, using the statistical information.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-146515) discloses a fatigue level detection device that detects the fatigue level of a driver with higher accuracy.

[0003] Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-8662) discloses a vehicle display device that can show the driver an indication of the driver's fatigue level.

[0004] JP-A-2008-146515 JP-A-5-8662

[0005] Accumulation of driver fatigue can lead to accidents, so it is important to properly evaluate driver fatigue. Therefore, the present inventors have investigated a new fatigue evaluation method to more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0006] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is an information processing device comprising: a speed information acquisition unit that repeatedly acquires speed information regarding the speed of a moving body; a calculation unit that uses the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a specified section; and a fatigue evaluation unit that uses the statistical information to evaluate the fatigue of the driver of the moving body.

[0008] The invention described in claim 16 is an information processing method in which a computer realizing an information processing device repeatedly acquires speed information regarding the speed of a moving body, uses the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a specified section, and uses the statistical information to evaluate fatigue of the driver of the moving body.

[0009] The invention described in claim 17 is a program for causing a computer realizing an information processing device to execute the steps of: repeatedly acquiring speed information regarding the speed of a moving body; calculating statistical information of the speed information in a specified section using the speed information; and evaluating fatigue of the driver of the moving body using the statistical information.

[0010] The invention described in claim 18 is a program for causing a computer realizing a communication terminal to execute the steps of: repeatedly acquiring speed information regarding the speed of a moving body; calculating statistical information of the speed information in a specified section using the speed information; and evaluating fatigue of the driver of the moving body using the statistical information.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a graph for explaining a predetermined interval. FIG. 3 is a graph for explaining first statistical information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a process in which an information processing device according to the first embodiment evaluates driver fatigue. FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining a modified example of the first statistical information. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining second statistical information. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a process in which an information processing device according to the second embodiment evaluates driver fatigue. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a coarse-to-fine diagram for explaining third statistical information. FIG. 12 is a coarse-to-fine diagram for explaining evaluation of accumulation of driver fatigue using the third statistical information. FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a process in which an information processing device according to the third embodiment evaluates driver fatigue. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, like components are designated by like reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] In the following description, each component of each device represents a functional block, not a hardware configuration. Each component of each device is realized by any combination of hardware and software, centered around the CPU of any computer, memory, a program loaded into the memory, a storage medium such as a hard disk that stores the program, and a network connection interface. There are many variations in the realization method and device.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device 1 according to a first embodiment. The information processing device 1 includes an acceleration information acquisition unit 10, a calculation unit 20, a fatigue evaluation unit 30, and a storage processing unit 40. The information processing device 1 may be provided outside or inside a mobile object. The information processing device 1 may also be a so-called cloud server.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the moving body is a vehicle. The vehicle may be, for example, a vehicle that travels a long distance (for example, 100 km or more per day). The vehicle may be, for example, an industrial truck or a private car, or may be a large vehicle or a small vehicle.

[0016] In the first embodiment, the information processing device 1 is capable of communicating with the communication terminal 3 via a communication network 101. The communication network 101 includes, for example, communication over a 4G or 5G line. The information processing device 1 is configured to include an external vehicle communication unit (not shown) for configuring the communication network 101.

[0017] The communication terminal 3 is a terminal of the driver of the vehicle, and is a terminal owned, managed, carried, or used by the driver. The communication terminal 3 may be brought into the vehicle by the driver, or may be originally installed in the vehicle. The communication terminal 3 is any one of a smartphone, a tablet, and a PC (personal computer).

[0018] (Acceleration Information Acquisition Unit 10) The acceleration information acquisition unit 10 acquires acceleration information from an acceleration sensor (not shown) mounted on the mobile object. The acceleration information acquisition unit 10 repeatedly acquires acceleration information related to the acceleration of the mobile object. For example, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 repeatedly acquires the acceleration information from the time the vehicle engine starts until the engine stops.

[0019] The acceleration information is information relating to a change in the speed of the moving body per unit time. In the first embodiment, the acceleration information is the acceleration of the moving body. In the first embodiment, the acceleration information may be generated using at least one of accelerator operation information of the moving body and brake operation information of the moving body. The accelerator operation information includes, for example, information relating to the depression amount of an accelerator pedal attached to the vehicle. The brake operation information includes, for example, information relating to the depression amount of a brake pedal attached to the vehicle. The acceleration information may be generated using at least one of the accelerator depression amount and the brake depression amount.

[0020] (Calculation unit 20) The calculation unit 20 calculates first statistical information of the acceleration information in a predetermined section using the acceleration information. The first statistical information is information relating to at least one of a statistical index, statistical data, and statistical graph generated based on data of acceleration of the moving object in the predetermined section that has been aggregated.

[0021] In the first embodiment, the first statistical information may include at least one of information regarding the average, median, mode, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, and variance of the acceleration of the moving object. Note that, for example, when calculating the variance of acceleration, the average acceleration per unit time (e.g., 1 [s]) may be calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]), and the acceleration data calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]) may be aggregated to calculate the variance of acceleration.

[0022] (Predetermined Section) Fig. 2 is a graph for explaining the predetermined section. The horizontal axis of the graph in Fig. 2 is time [t], and the vertical axis is the velocity [V] of the moving body. The section (a) in Fig. 2 indicates the predetermined section. The predetermined section is a section in which the acceleration of the moving body satisfies a predetermined standard for a certain period of time, for example, when the acceleration is 0 [m / s ２ ], and is a section where the driver intends to drive at a constant speed. The specified section is a section where the driver continues driving while maintaining a certain speed.

[0023] In the first embodiment, the predetermined section is a section in which the acceleration of the moving body satisfies a first criterion. The first criterion is, for example, a section in which the acceleration of the moving body is 0±0.5 [m / s ２ In this case, the predetermined section is a section in which the range of the acceleration of the moving body is 0±0.5 [m / s] for a certain period of time (for example, 3 [s] or more). ２ In this case, the range of the acceleration of the moving body acquired by the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 via an acceleration sensor (not shown) of the moving body is 0±0.5 [m / s] for 3 [s] or more consecutively. ２ ], the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 may determine that the mobile object has entered a predetermined section.

[0024] (Other Forms of the Predetermined Section) In the first embodiment, the predetermined section may be a section in which the speed of the moving body satisfies a second criterion. The speed of the moving body may be acquired by a speed information acquisition unit 50 (described later) or by an acceleration information acquisition unit 10. Note that when the speed of the moving body is acquired by the acceleration information acquisition unit 10, the speed of the moving body may be acquired via a speed sensor mounted on the moving body.

[0025] The second criterion is, for example, that the speed of the moving body is within a predetermined range (see (b) in FIG. 2 ; for example, a range of 50 km / h or more and less than 60 km / h) for a certain period of time. In this case, the predetermined section is a section where the speed of the moving body is within the range of 50 km / h or more and less than 60 km / h for a certain period of time (for example, for 3 seconds or more continuously).

[0026] Furthermore, the second criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels. That is, the second criterion may be set for each speed limit (legal speed) of each road. For example, if the speed limit of a road is 60 km / h, the second criterion may be, for example, that the speed of the mobile object is between 50 km / h and 60 km / h for a certain period of time. For example, if the speed limit of a road is 100 km / h, the second criterion may be, for example, that the speed of the mobile object is between 80 km / h and 100 km / h for a certain period of time. Note that the information processing device 1 may acquire location information of the mobile object and use the location information to acquire information about the road on which the mobile object is traveling (such as the speed limit and legal speed).

[0027] Another example of the second criterion is that the speed of the moving body is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed (e.g., 50 km / h or greater) for a certain period of time (e.g., 3 seconds or more). In this case, the predetermined section is a section in which the speed of the moving body is equal to or greater than 50 km / h for a certain period of time (e.g., 3 seconds or more).

[0028] Furthermore, the predetermined section may be a section where the speed of the moving object satisfies a second criterion (or a section where the acceleration of the moving object satisfies a first criterion), and also a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than a third criterion. The third criterion is, for example, 50 km / h. In this case, the predetermined section is a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than 50 km / h.

[0029] Like the second criterion, the third criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels. The third criterion is set for each road with a speed limit (or legal speed). For example, if the speed limit of a road is 60 [km / h], the third criterion is, for example, a mobile object speed of 50 [km / h] or more. For example, if the speed limit of a road is 100 [km / h], the third criterion is, for example, a mobile object speed of 80 [km / h] or more.

[0030] 3 is a graph for explaining the first statistical information according to the first embodiment. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 3 represents time [t], and the vertical axis represents the variance [σ ２]. In the first embodiment, the first statistical information includes information regarding the variance of the acceleration information. In the first embodiment, the first statistical information includes information regarding the variance of the negative acceleration of the moving body (deceleration of the moving body). FIG. 3 is a graph showing the change over time in the variance of the deceleration of the moving body in the predetermined section. In the first embodiment, the first statistical information may include information regarding the change over time in a statistical index (such as the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value, and variance) of the acceleration information. The first statistical information according to the first embodiment is information regarding the change over time in the variance (= statistical index) of the deceleration of the moving body. For example, the calculation unit 20 calculates the time [t ０ When calculating the variance of the deceleration of the moving object at time [t ０ ] and calculate the acceleration of the moving object repeatedly acquired up to time [t ０ ] may be calculated.

[0031] (Fatigue assessment unit 30) The fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using the first statistical information. In the first embodiment, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using information (=first statistical information) regarding the time change in the variance of the deceleration of the mobile body.

[0032] Specifically, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the driver's fatigue is gradually accumulating when, for example, the deceleration variance is on an upward trend in a certain section (see section (d) in FIG. 3 ). The fatigue assessment unit 30 may also assess that the driver's fatigue is not accumulating when, for example, the amount of change in the deceleration variance is small in a certain section (see section (c) in FIG. 3 ). The determination of whether the deceleration variance is on an upward trend (the amount of change is small) may be made based on whether the time derivative of the deceleration variance (= the amount of change per minute time) satisfies a predetermined standard. The fatigue assessment unit 30 may also assess that the driver's fatigue is not accumulating when, for example, the deceleration variance is on a downward trend in a certain section.

[0033] As yet another example, when the variance value of the deceleration in a certain section (see section (c) in FIG. 3) is relatively small, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the variance in the driver's brake application is small and that the driver's fatigue has not accumulated. When the variance value of the deceleration is relatively large, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the variance in the driver's brake application is large and that the driver's fatigue has accumulated.

[0034] In the first embodiment, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the driver's fatigue using the first statistical information (= information regarding the time change in the variance of deceleration) of the acceleration information only in the specified section, and does not assess the driver's fatigue using statistical information of the acceleration information in sections other than the specified section.

[0035] 1 accumulates and stores the first statistical information calculated by the calculation unit 20 in the storage unit 2. The first statistical information accumulated and stored in the storage unit 2 may be output to a display mounted in the vehicle or a display of the communication terminal 3. Information on the first criterion, the second criterion, and the third criterion may be stored in advance in the storage unit 2.

[0036] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 has a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

[0037] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data among the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0038] The processor 1020 is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like.

[0039] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0040] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by removable media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card, or a read-only memory (ROM), and has a recording medium. The recording medium of the storage device 1040 stores program modules that realize each function of the information processing device 1 (e.g., the acceleration information acquisition unit 10, the calculation unit 20, and the fatigue assessment unit 30). The processor 1020 loads each of these program modules into the memory 1030 and executes them, thereby realizing each function corresponding to the program module. The storage device 1040 may also function as the memory unit 2.

[0041] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 1 to various input / output devices.

[0042] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 1 to a network. This network is, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). The network interface 1060 may connect to the network wirelessly or by wire. The information processing device 1 may communicate with the communication terminal 3 via the network interface 1060.

[0043] 5 is a flow diagram of a process performed by the information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment to evaluate driver fatigue. In step S10, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 determines whether the moving object has entered a predetermined section (i.e., a section in which the acceleration of the moving object satisfies a first criterion). The timing at which the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 determines whether the moving object has entered the predetermined section is arbitrary. For example, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 may determine whether the moving object has entered the predetermined section immediately after the first criterion is satisfied, or may determine whether a predetermined time (or a predetermined distance) has elapsed since the first criterion was satisfied.

[0044] If the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 determines that the moving object has entered the predetermined section (YES in step S10), the process proceeds to step S20. If the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 determines that the moving object has not entered the predetermined section (NO in step S10), the process of step S10 is repeated.

[0045] In step S20, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 repeatedly acquires acceleration information in the predetermined section. Note that the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 may repeatedly acquire acceleration information from before entering the predetermined section.

[0046] In step S30, the calculation unit 20 calculates first statistical information of the acceleration information in the predetermined section using the acceleration information repeatedly acquired in the predetermined section. The first statistical information is information regarding the time change in the variance of the deceleration of the moving object, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0047] 5 , in step S40, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the driver's fatigue using the first statistical information (=information regarding the time change in the variance of the deceleration of the moving object). The driver's fatigue level (=fatigue level) may be previously ranked as "A," "B," or "C." The driver may be previously classified as "tired" in the case of "A," "slightly tired" in the case of "B," and "not tired" in the case of "C."

[0048] The fatigue assessment unit 30 may rank the driver's fatigue state as described above as "A," "B," or "C" using, for example, the degree of increase in the variance value of the deceleration of the moving object (time derivative of the variance value). For example, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may rank the driver's fatigue state as described above as "A," "B," or "C" if the value of the time derivative of the variance value of the deceleration of the moving object is greater than or equal to 0.5 [m / s] for a certain period of time (for example, 10 [s] or more). ２ ] ２ / s], the evaluation may be "C" (=not tired). After step S40, the process ends.

[0049] (Variation 1) When the predetermined section is a section in which the speed of the moving object satisfies the second criterion, the speed information acquisition unit 50 (described later) may acquire speed information and determine whether the moving object has entered the predetermined section. In this case, the speed information acquisition unit 50 may acquire the speed information of the moving object via a speed sensor (not shown) mounted on the moving object.

[0050] (Variation 2) Fig. 6 is a graph illustrating a variation of the first statistical information. The first statistical information may include, for example, information regarding the most frequent value of deceleration of moving bodies in a predetermined section. The horizontal axis of the graph in Fig. 6 represents deceleration [a], and the vertical axis represents frequency (frequency). Fig. 6 is a graph showing the distribution of deceleration of moving bodies in a predetermined section. A variation of the first statistical information is information regarding the most frequent value of deceleration of moving bodies.

[0051] In this case, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess the fatigue of the driver using the first statistical information (=information on the most frequent value of the deceleration of the moving object). For example, if the most frequent value of the deceleration of the moving object satisfies a predetermined standard (for example, if the most frequent value is 3 [m / s ２ ] or more 3.5 [m / s ２ ]), the driver may be assessed as tired.

[0052] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the information processing device 1 includes an acceleration information acquisition unit 10, a calculation unit 20, and a fatigue evaluation unit 30, and the fatigue evaluation unit 30 evaluates the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using the first statistical information.

[0053] As explained in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there are various methods for evaluating driver fatigue. The present inventors have used their ingenuity to study methods that can more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue, and have found a new method that can more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0054] By using the "first statistical information of acceleration information in a predetermined section", which is a characteristic feature of the present invention, as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0055] Even if a driver is driving smoothly relative to the flow of surrounding vehicles, if the driver drives for a long time, fatigue from continuous driving may cause the driver to make prediction errors, cognitive errors, judgment errors, etc. In this case, the driver's braking frequency increases, causing the smooth driving to be disrupted and changed. Therefore, when driving for a long time, it is important to evaluate the braking frequency (= vehicle deceleration) in order to evaluate whether the driver is driving smoothly in the presence of surrounding vehicles.

[0056] By using information that changes over time due to long-term driving (i.e., first statistical information of acceleration information in a predetermined section) as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to accurately evaluate the accumulation of fatigue, particularly in drivers who drive for long periods of time. This makes it possible to appropriately evaluate the fatigue of drivers who drive for long periods of time (i.e., long-distance driving).

[0057] Furthermore, the first statistical information preferably includes information about time-varying changes in the statistical index of the acceleration information. This makes it easier to objectively observe the accumulation of fatigue. Therefore, the fatigue assessment unit 30 can effectively assess the driver's fatigue level.

[0058] Furthermore, the first statistical information includes information regarding the variance of the acceleration information. By evaluating the variance of the vehicle's deceleration (= the variance of the acceleration information), the frequency of the driver's braking can be evaluated. For example, if the driver is driving smoothly while surrounding vehicles are driving, the frequency of braking will be reduced (the variance of the vehicle's deceleration will be smaller). By evaluating the driver's fatigue using the information regarding the variance, the driver's fatigue can be more appropriately evaluated.

[0059] The predetermined section according to the first embodiment is a section in which the acceleration of the moving object satisfies a first criterion. For example, in urban areas, the traffic volume and the number of traffic lights are greater than in rural areas, resulting in more frequent stops and shorter continuous driving times without stopping than in rural areas. By having the calculation unit 20 calculate the first statistical information for sections other than those in which the moving object exhibits transient behavior, such as stopping and starting, it is possible to uniformly evaluate the driver's fatigue regardless of whether the area is urban or rural (regardless of where the driver drives).

[0060] Furthermore, the predetermined section is preferably a section where the speed of the moving object satisfies a second criterion. In the driver fatigue assessment methods of the prior art (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2), the driver's fatigue state may not be appropriately assessed due to the influence of external environments such as the road environment and the surrounding vehicle environment. Examples of the road environment include the number of traffic lights, the number of stops, the volume of traffic, and the type of vehicles traveling (large trucks, standard cars, small motorcycles, etc.). Specifically, the surrounding vehicle environment includes the presence or absence of vehicles traveling around the driver's vehicle (i.e., surrounding vehicles), the driving behavior of the surrounding vehicles, and the inter-vehicle distance between the driver's vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

[0061] By using the first statistical information of acceleration information in a section (=predetermined section) where the driver continues driving while maintaining a certain speed as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to appropriately evaluate driver fatigue without being affected by the external environment (road environment, surrounding vehicle environment, etc.). In other words, by using statistical information (=first statistical information) in a section that is not a section where the moving object exhibits transient behavior such as (sudden) stopping, (sudden) acceleration, (sudden) deceleration, and (sudden) starting, it is possible to uniformly evaluate driver fatigue whether in an urban area with many traffic lights and traffic volume or in a rural area with fewer traffic lights and traffic volume than in an urban area. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly evaluate driver fatigue regardless of where the driver is driving.

[0062] Furthermore, any route will have a section where the driver continues driving at a constant speed (hereinafter referred to as a "cruising section"), so it is possible to evaluate the driver's fatigue on any route.

[0063] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second standard be set for each road on which the mobile object travels. By setting a second standard appropriate for each road on which the mobile object travels (for each speed limit or legal speed of each road), it is possible to more appropriately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0064] The predetermined section may also be a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than a third standard. For example, even if the acceleration of the moving object satisfies the first standard in a section, it is inappropriate to calculate the first statistical information if the vehicle is stuck in traffic and traveling slowly or if the vehicle is stopped. By setting the predetermined section to a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than the third standard, it is possible to more effectively evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0065] The third criterion may be set for each road on which the mobile object travels. By setting a third criterion appropriate for each road on which the mobile object travels (for each speed limit or legal speed of each road), it is possible to more appropriately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0066] The information processing device 1 further includes a storage processing unit 40. This allows the driver to check past first statistical information. Therefore, the driver can objectively grasp his / her own level of fatigue. Furthermore, the driver can objectively grasp changes in his / her own level of fatigue with age. This allows the driver to objectively recognize that he / she becomes more prone to fatigue as he / she gets older.

[0067] The acceleration information is generated using at least one of accelerator and brake operation information of the mobile object. By generating the acceleration information by estimating the amount of depression of the accelerator by the driver and / or the amount of depression of the brake by the driver, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 can effectively acquire the acceleration information.

[0068] 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device 1 according to a second embodiment. The information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it further includes a speed information acquisition unit 50, and the functions of the calculation unit 20 and the fatigue assessment unit 30 differ from those of the first embodiment.

[0069] (Speed ​​Information Acquisition Unit 50) The speed information acquisition unit 50 according to the second embodiment repeatedly acquires speed information from a speed sensor (not shown) mounted on the moving body. The speed information is information relating to the speed of the moving body. For example, the speed information acquisition unit 50 may repeatedly acquire the speed information from the time the vehicle engine starts until the engine stops.

[0070] The calculation unit 20 calculates second statistical information of the speed information and acceleration information in a predetermined section using the speed information repeatedly acquired by the speed information acquisition unit 50 and the acceleration information repeatedly acquired by the acceleration information acquisition unit 10.

[0071] In the second embodiment, the second statistical information may include at least one of information regarding the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, variance, and covariance of the speed and acceleration of the moving object. The definition of the predetermined interval is the same as that described in the first embodiment. For example, when calculating the covariance of the speed and acceleration of the moving object, the average speed and acceleration per unit time (e.g., 1 [s]) are calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]), and the speed and acceleration data calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]) are aggregated to calculate the covariance of the speed and acceleration.

[0072] Fig. 8 is a graph for explaining the second statistical information. The upper graph in Fig. 8 is the first statistical information explained in Fig. 3, and the lower graph in Fig. 8 is the second statistical information. The horizontal axis of the lower graph in Fig. 8 is time [t], and the vertical axis is the covariance [σ ｘｙ ].

[0073] In the second embodiment, the second statistical information includes information regarding the covariance of acceleration information and speed information of the moving body. In the second embodiment, the second statistical information includes information regarding the covariance of deceleration and speed of the moving body. The bottom graph in FIG. 8 is a graph showing changes over time in the covariance of deceleration and speed of the moving body. In the second embodiment, the second statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in statistical indices (such as mean, median, mode, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, variance, and covariance) of the speed information and acceleration information. The second statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in the covariance (= statistical indices) of deceleration and speed of the moving body.

[0074] Generally, the faster the speed of a moving object, the less frequent the sudden braking (deceleration), so when the driver is driving steadily, the speed and deceleration of a moving object have a negative correlation (the faster the speed, the smaller the deceleration, and vice versa).

[0075] The fatigue assessment unit 30 according to the second embodiment further uses the second statistical information to assess the fatigue of the driver of the moving object. Specifically, when the covariance of the deceleration and speed of the moving object indicates a negative value, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver is driving smoothly while surrounding vehicles are driving, and may determine that the driver is not accumulating fatigue.

[0076] On the other hand, when the covariance of the deceleration and speed of the moving body indicates a positive value, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver is not driving smoothly while surrounding vehicles are driving, and may determine that fatigue of the driver is accumulating. That is, the further to the right of the lower graph in Fig. 8 (the closer to region R), the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver is not driving smoothly, and may determine that fatigue of the driver is accumulating.

[0077] As another evaluation method, the fatigue evaluation unit 30 may evaluate that the driver's fatigue is gradually accumulating when the covariance of deceleration and speed is on an upward trend in a certain section (see section (e) in FIG. 8 ). Alternatively, the fatigue evaluation unit 30 may evaluate that the driver's fatigue is not accumulating when the amount of change in the covariance of deceleration and speed is small in a certain section (see section (f) in FIG. 8 ).

[0078] In addition, whether the covariance of deceleration and speed is on an upward trend (or whether the amount of change is small) may be determined by whether the time derivative of the covariance of deceleration and speed (= the amount of change in covariance per small amount of time) satisfies a predetermined criterion.

[0079] In addition, the fatigue evaluation unit 30 may evaluate the driver's fatigue by combining the method of evaluating the driver's fatigue using the time derivative of the covariance of the deceleration and speed described above with the method of evaluating the driver's fatigue using the value of the covariance of the deceleration and speed itself (including whether it is a positive value or a negative value).

[0080] The fatigue assessment unit 30 according to the second embodiment assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile object by using the second statistical information in addition to the first statistical information, thereby enabling a more appropriate assessment of the accumulation of fatigue in the driver.

[0081] Specifically, for example, if the variance of deceleration is small, the amount of change in the covariance of deceleration and speed (time derivative of the covariance) is small (or the time change in the covariance is on a downward trend), and the covariance of deceleration and speed is a negative value (see section (f) in FIG. 8 ), the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver's fatigue level is relatively small ("not tired"). For example, if the variance of deceleration is large, the amount of change in the covariance of deceleration and speed is small (or the time change in the covariance is on a downward trend), and the covariance of deceleration and speed is a negative value (or if the variance of deceleration is small, the covariance of deceleration and speed is on an upward trend, and the covariance of deceleration and speed is a positive value), the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver's fatigue level is "normal." When the variance of the deceleration is large, the time change of the covariance of the deceleration and the speed is on an upward trend, and the covariance of the deceleration and the speed is a positive value (see section (e) in FIG. 8), the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver's fatigue level is relatively high ("tired"). Furthermore, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that fatigue has accumulated in the driver for the section after the increase in the covariance of the deceleration and the speed (see region R in FIG. 8).

[0082] The shaded area R (=time t ０ To explain this using the following part, in region R, the variance of deceleration is large, the covariance of deceleration and speed has just increased, and the covariance of deceleration and speed is a positive value (and the positive value of the covariance is also large), so the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver's level of fatigue is relatively high.

[0083] (Operation example of second embodiment) Figure 9 is a flow diagram of a process in which the information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment evaluates driver fatigue. Step S11 is the same as step S10 according to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, if the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 (or the speed information acquisition unit 50) determines that the moving object has entered a predetermined section (YES in step S11), the process proceeds to step S15.

[0084] In step S15, the speed information acquisition unit 50 repeatedly acquires speed information for the predetermined section. Note that the speed information acquisition unit 50 may have repeatedly acquired speed information before entering the predetermined section. After step S15, the process proceeds to step S21. Note that step S15 does not have to be after step S11, and may be after step S21 or step S31.

[0085] Step S21 is the same as step S20 in the first embodiment, and after step S21, the process proceeds to step S31. Step S31 is the same as step S30 in the first embodiment, and after step S31, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0086] In step S32, the calculation unit 20 calculates second statistical information of the speed information and acceleration information in the predetermined section, using the speed information repeatedly acquired in the predetermined section by the speed information acquisition unit 50 and the acceleration information repeatedly acquired in the predetermined section by the acceleration information acquisition unit 10. The second statistical information is information regarding the time change of the covariance of the speed and deceleration of the moving object, as described in FIG.

[0087] 9 , in step S41, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the driver's fatigue using the first statistical information (=information regarding the time change in the variance of the deceleration of the moving object) and the second statistical information (=information regarding the time change in the covariance of the speed and deceleration of the moving object). The fatigue assessment method is as described with reference to FIG.

[0088] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the information processing device 1 further includes the speed information acquisition unit 50, and the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile object by using the second statistical information in addition to the first statistical information, thereby enabling a more accurate assessment of the accumulation of fatigue in the driver.

[0089] Furthermore, the second statistical information preferably includes information about time-varying statistical indices of the speed information and acceleration information. This makes it easier to objectively observe the accumulation of fatigue. Therefore, the fatigue assessment unit 30 can more effectively assess the driver's fatigue level.

[0090] Furthermore, the second statistical information includes information regarding the covariance of the acceleration information and the speed information. By using the correlated speed and deceleration to evaluate driver fatigue, it is possible to more accurately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0091] 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device 1 according to a third embodiment. The information processing device 1 according to the third embodiment differs from the information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a speed information acquisition unit 50 instead of the acceleration information acquisition unit 10, and the functions of the calculation unit 20 and the fatigue assessment unit 30 differ from those of the first embodiment.

[0092] The calculation unit 20 calculates third statistical information (=statistical information) of the speed information in a predetermined section using the speed information repeatedly acquired by the speed information acquisition unit 50. In the third embodiment, the third statistical information (=statistical information) may include at least one of information regarding the average, median, mode, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value, and variance of the speed of the moving object in the predetermined section. The definition of the predetermined section in the third embodiment is the same as that of the predetermined section described in the first embodiment. Note that, for example, when calculating the variance of the speed of the moving object, the average speed per unit time (e.g., 1 [s]) is calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]), and the speed data calculated for each unit time (= 1 [s]) is aggregated to calculate the variance of the speed.

[0093] FIG. 11 is a coarse-to-fine diagram for explaining the third statistical information. The horizontal axis of the coarse-to-fine diagram in FIG. 11 represents time [t]. The number of vertical lines aligned along the horizontal axis indicates the number of times that the speed of the moving object satisfies a certain criterion (fourth criterion (=predetermined criterion)). The third statistical information (=statistical information) includes information regarding the number of times that the statistical index of the speed information of the moving object satisfies the fourth criterion (=predetermined criterion) per unit time. The statistical index includes variance. For example, in region X surrounded by a dotted line frame in FIG. 11, the number of times that the statistical index of the speed information of the moving object satisfies the fourth criterion (=predetermined criterion) per unit time is higher than in region Y surrounded by a dotted line frame in FIG. 11.

[0094] In the third embodiment, the third statistical information (=statistical information) includes information regarding how many times the variance of the speed of a moving object exceeds a threshold value per unit time (whether the fourth criterion is satisfied). Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the number of times the variance of the speed of a moving object exceeds a threshold value in a predetermined time. The third statistical information includes information indicating the number of times the variance of the speed of a moving object exceeds a threshold value in a predetermined time.

[0095] When the predetermined section is a section where the speed of the mobile object satisfies the second criterion, and the second criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels, the fourth criterion (= predetermined criterion) is set for each road on which the mobile object travels (for each second criterion). For example, when two second criterion values ​​are set in advance for the second criterion in the predetermined section, namely, 50 km / h or more and less than 60 km / h (roads with a speed limit of 60 km / h) and 80 km / h or more and less than 100 km / h (roads with a speed limit of 100 km / h), a fourth criterion is set for each second criterion (for each road). For example, when the second criterion is 50 km / h or more and less than 60 km / h (roads with a speed limit of 60 km / h), the fourth criterion (= threshold value) is σ ａ ２ , and the fourth criterion (=threshold) when the second criterion speed zone is 80 [km / h] or more and less than 100 [km / h] (roads with a speed limit of 100 [km / h]) is σ ｂ ２ , and is set as follows.

[0096] 12 is a coarse-to-fine diagram for explaining the evaluation of the accumulation of fatigue of a driver using the third statistical information. The fatigue evaluation unit 30 according to the third embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0097] The fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using third statistical information (= statistical information). In the third embodiment, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using information (= third statistical information) regarding the number of times the variance value of the speed of the mobile body per unit time exceeds a threshold (= satisfies the fourth criterion (predetermined criterion)).

[0098] Specifically, in section (a) of Figure 12, the number of times the variance value of the moving object's speed exceeds the threshold per unit time is fewer than in section (b) of Figure 12. In Figure 12, the number of times the variance value of the moving object's speed exceeds the threshold per unit time increases over time (the spacing between the vertical bars becomes denser over time). In this case, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses that the driver's fatigue is gradually accumulating. If the number of times the variance value of the moving object's speed exceeds the threshold per unit time exceeds a predetermined number (e.g., five times in 10 seconds), the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the driver is fatigued.

[0099] 11, unlike the case of FIG. 12, the number of times the variance value of the moving object's speed per unit time exceeds the threshold decreases over time (the spacing between the vertical bars becomes less dense over time). In this case, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may determine that the driver is stably controlling the vehicle speed over time. In other words, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the driver is not tired.

[0100] In the third embodiment, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the driver's fatigue using the third statistical information (= statistical information) of the speed information only in the specified section, and does not assess the driver's fatigue using the statistical information of the speed information in sections other than the specified section.

[0101] (Modification) The third statistical information (= statistical information) may include information regarding a change over time in a statistical index of the speed information. In the third embodiment, the statistical index of the speed information may include a variance of the speed of the mobile object. In this case, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess the fatigue of the driver of the mobile object using the third statistical information (= information regarding a change over time in the variance (= statistical index) of the speed of the mobile object).

[0102] Specifically, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the driver's fatigue is gradually accumulating when, for example, the speed variance is on an upward trend in a certain section. Alternatively, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess that the driver's fatigue is not accumulating when, for example, the amount of change in the speed variance is small in a certain section. Whether the speed variance is on an upward trend (the amount of change is small) may be determined based on whether the time derivative of the speed variance (= the amount of change in the variance per minute time) satisfies a predetermined criterion.

[0103] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of evaluating driver fatigue by the information processing device 1 according to the third embodiment. Step S12 is the same process as step S10 in the first embodiment.

[0104] If the speed information acquisition unit 50 (or the acceleration information acquisition unit 10) determines that the moving object has entered the predetermined section (YES in step S12), the process proceeds to step S22. If the speed information acquisition unit 50 (or the acceleration information acquisition unit 10) determines that the moving object has not entered the predetermined section (NO in step S12), the process of step S12 is repeated.

[0105] In step S22, the speed information acquisition unit 50 repeatedly acquires speed information in the predetermined section. Note that the speed information acquisition unit 50 may repeatedly acquire speed information from before entering the predetermined section.

[0106] In step S32, the calculation unit 20 calculates third statistical information (=statistical information) of the speed information in the predetermined section, using the speed information repeatedly acquired in the predetermined section by the speed information acquisition unit 50. The third statistical information is information regarding the number of times the variance of the speed of the moving object exceeds a threshold value per unit time, as shown in Figs.

[0107] 13 , in step S42, the fatigue assessment unit 30 assesses the driver's fatigue using the third statistical information (=information about the number of times the variance of the speed of the moving object per unit time exceeds a threshold value). The fatigue assessment method is the same as that in the third embodiment described above.

[0108] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the information processing device 1 includes a speed information acquisition unit 50, a calculation unit 20, and a fatigue evaluation unit 30, and the fatigue evaluation unit 30 evaluates the fatigue of the driver of the mobile body using the third statistical information.

[0109] As explained in Patent Documents 1 and 2, there are various methods for evaluating driver fatigue. The present inventors have used their ingenuity to study methods that can more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue, and have found a new method that can more appropriately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0110] By using the "statistical information of speed information in a predetermined section (=third statistical information)", which is a characteristic feature of the present invention, as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to appropriately evaluate driver fatigue.

[0111] Generally, when a driver drives for a long time, as the driver's fatigue accumulates, the speed of the moving object becomes uneven (the variance of the speed becomes larger). By using information that changes over time due to long-term driving and in which the change is easy to observe (= third statistical information of speed information in a specified section) as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to easily observe how the driver's fatigue accumulates due to the influence of long-term driving. This makes it possible to accurately evaluate the accumulation of fatigue in a driver who drives for a long time. Therefore, even for a driver who drives for a long time (= long-distance driving), it is possible to accurately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0112] Furthermore, the third statistical information (=statistical information) preferably includes information regarding time-dependent changes in the statistical index of the speed information. This makes it easier to objectively observe the accumulation of fatigue. Therefore, the fatigue assessment unit 30 can effectively assess the driver's level of fatigue.

[0113] Furthermore, the third statistical information (= statistical information) includes information on the number of times per unit time that the statistical index of the speed information satisfies the fourth criterion (= predetermined criterion). This makes it easier to observe how driver fatigue accumulates due to the effects of long-term driving. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately evaluate changes in driver fatigue over time.

[0114] Furthermore, the statistical index includes variance, which makes it possible to easily observe increases and decreases in unevenness in vehicle speed.

[0115] The predetermined section according to the third embodiment is also a section in which the acceleration of the moving object satisfies the first criterion. As described in the first embodiment, for example, in urban areas, the traffic volume and the number of traffic lights are greater than in rural areas, resulting in a greater number of stops and a shorter continuous driving time without stopping than in rural areas. By having the calculation unit 20 calculate the third statistical information (= statistical information) in sections other than those in which the moving object exhibits transient behavior, such as stopping and starting, it is possible to uniformly evaluate the driver's fatigue regardless of whether the area is urban or rural (regardless of where the driver drives).

[0116] As explained in the first embodiment, the predetermined section is preferably a section in which the speed of the moving object satisfies the second criterion. In the driver fatigue assessment methods of the prior art (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2), the driver's fatigue state may not be accurately assessed due to the influence of external environments such as the road environment and the surrounding vehicle environment. Examples of the road environment include the number of traffic lights, the number of stops, the volume of traffic, and the type of vehicles traveling (large trucks, standard cars, small motorcycles, etc.). Specifically, the surrounding vehicle environment includes the presence or absence of vehicles traveling around the driver's vehicle (i.e., surrounding vehicles), the driving behavior of the surrounding vehicles, and the inter-vehicle distance between the driver's vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

[0117] By using the third statistical information (= statistical information) of the speed information in the cruising section (= predetermined section) as information for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to appropriately evaluate driver fatigue without being affected by the external environment (such as the road environment and the surrounding vehicle environment). In other words, by using the statistical information (= third statistical information) in a section that is not a section in which the moving body exhibits transient behavior, such as (sudden) stopping, (sudden) acceleration, (sudden) deceleration, and (sudden) starting, it is possible to uniformly evaluate driver fatigue whether in an urban area with many traffic lights and traffic volume or in a rural area with fewer traffic lights and traffic volume than in an urban area. Therefore, it is possible to uniformly evaluate driver fatigue regardless of where the driver is driving.

[0118] Furthermore, any route will have sections where the driver continues driving at a constant speed (hereinafter referred to as "cruising sections"), so it is possible to evaluate driver fatigue on any route.

[0119] When a driver attempts to cruise, he or she tries to stabilize the vehicle speed. Generally, when the driver is not fatigued during a cruising section, the vehicle speed fluctuates little (cruising speed is highly stable), but when the driver is fatigued, the vehicle becomes slow to respond to changes in the external environment and is unable to maintain a constant speed, resulting in large fluctuations in the vehicle speed (cruising speed is less stable).

[0120] The stability of cruising speed is an index that is less affected by surrounding vehicles and comprehensively evaluates the driver's predictive ability, cognitive ability, and judgment ability in response to changes in the road environment (uphill, downhill, curves, road width, etc.). By using this index (= stability of cruising speed (= variance of speed in a cruising section)) as an index for evaluating driver fatigue, it is possible to observe in detail how the driver's fatigue accumulates.

[0121] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second standard be set for each road on which the mobile object travels. By setting a second standard appropriate for each road on which the mobile object travels (each road with a speed limit or legal speed limit), it is possible to more appropriately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0122] As described in the first embodiment, the predetermined section may be a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than the third standard. For example, even if the acceleration of the moving object satisfies the first standard in a section, it is inappropriate to calculate the third statistical information (= statistical information) if the vehicle is stuck in traffic and traveling slowly or if the vehicle is stopped. By setting the predetermined section to a section where the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than the third standard, it is possible to more effectively and uniformly evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0123] The third criterion may be set for each road on which the mobile object travels. By setting a third criterion appropriate for each road on which the mobile object travels (each road with a speed limit or legal speed), it is possible to more appropriately evaluate the driver's fatigue.

[0124] The predetermined section is a section where the speed of the moving object satisfies the second criterion, and the second criterion is set for each road on which the moving object travels, and the fourth criterion is set for each road. This allows the fourth criterion to be set appropriately, thereby enabling more effective evaluation of driver fatigue.

[0125] The information processing device 1 further includes a storage processing unit 40. This allows the driver to check the past third statistical information. Therefore, the driver can objectively grasp his / her own level of fatigue. Furthermore, the driver can objectively grasp the change in his / her own level of fatigue with age. This allows the driver to objectively recognize that he / she becomes more easily fatigued as he / she gets older.

[0126] 14 is a block diagram showing an outline of an information processing device 1 according to a fourth embodiment. Unlike the information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the information processing device 1 according to the fourth embodiment further includes an output control unit 60, a driver information acquisition unit 70, and a route setting unit 80.

[0127] (Output control unit 60) The output control unit 60 according to the fourth embodiment outputs recommendation information. The output control unit 60 may output the recommendation information to the communication terminal 3 or to an in-vehicle device (not shown).

[0128] The recommendation information includes at least one of rest information regarding rest and alert information that alerts the driver. The rest information includes, for example, voice information (text information) such as "Shouldn't you take a rest now?". The alert information includes, for example, voice information (text information) such as "It's dangerous to drive because you're tired" and sound information such as a warning sound. The rest information and the alert information may be output as voice or may be output on a screen. When output on a screen, they may be output on the display of the communication terminal 3.

[0129] The output control unit 60 determines the timing of outputting the recommendation information using at least one of the first statistical information, the second statistical information, and the third statistical information (=statistical information). The output control unit 60 may output the recommendation information when fatigue of the driver accumulates. Furthermore, the output control unit 60 may determine the timing of outputting the recommendation information using the result of the fatigue evaluation of the driver by the fatigue evaluation unit 30.

[0130] (Driver Information Acquisition Unit 70) The driver information acquisition unit 70 acquires driver information related to the driver. The driver information may include at least one of the driver's past first statistical information, second statistical information, and third statistical information (=statistical information). In this case, the driver information acquisition unit 70 may acquire at least one of the driver's past first statistical information, second statistical information, and third statistical information (=statistical information) from the storage unit 2.

[0131] The driver information may also include correction information. The correction information is information for correcting the fourth criterion (=predetermined criterion) to suit the driver. Since the likelihood of fatigue varies from driver to driver, the fourth criterion (=predetermined criterion) may be a different criterion for each driver. For example, if it can be determined from the driver's past third statistical information (=statistical information) that a certain driver is not prone to fatigue, the correction information may be used to correct the fourth criterion to a higher standard to suit the driver who is not prone to fatigue.

[0132] The driver information acquisition unit 70 may acquire driver information about the driver from the communication terminal 3 owned by the driver. In this case, the driver information may include at least one of the driver's age, gender, occupation, exercise habits, and average sleep time.

[0133] The output control unit 60 uses the driver information to determine the timing of outputting the recommendation information, thereby adjusting the timing of outputting the recommendation information for each driver.

[0134] (Route setting unit 80) The route setting unit 80 sets a route to a rest location using the rest information. The rest information includes location information of rest locations where the driver can take a break. The route setting unit 80 sets a route to the rest location using the location information. The output control unit 60 may cause the communication terminal 3 to provide route guidance by outputting the route to the rest location by voice or on a screen. Furthermore, when the driver indicates his / her intention to take a break with "Yes" in response to the rest information asking "Shall we take a break now?", the route setting unit 80 may automatically set a route to the rest location.

[0135] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the information processing device 1 further includes an output control unit 60. The output control unit 60 determines the timing of outputting recommendation information using at least one of the first statistical information, the second statistical information, and the third statistical information (= statistical information). This makes it possible to urge the driver to take a break or to warn the driver of accumulated fatigue when fatigue accumulates, rather than at a uniform timing (e.g., two hours after starting driving). This makes it possible to reduce traffic accidents caused by accumulated driver fatigue.

[0136] Furthermore, the driver information acquisition unit 70 acquires driver information about the driver, and the output control unit 60 determines the timing of output using the driver information. This allows recommendation information to be output based on the driver's attributes and past information about the driver. Therefore, recommendation information can be output at a timing appropriate for each individual driver.

[0137] The third statistical information (= statistical information) according to the fourth embodiment includes the number of times per unit time that the statistical index of the speed information satisfies the fourth criterion (= predetermined criterion), and the driver information includes correction information for correcting the fourth criterion (= predetermined criterion) to suit the driver. This allows the fourth criterion to be corrected to suit the individual driver based on the driver's past data. Therefore, recommendation information can be effectively output to the driver.

[0138] Furthermore, the route setting unit 80 sets a route to a rest spot using the rest information, thereby enabling smooth guidance to a rest spot when the driver becomes fatigued.

[0139] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0140] In the embodiment, the fatigue assessment unit 30 may assess the fatigue of the driver using at least one of the first statistical information, the second statistical information, and the third statistical information (=statistical information).

[0141] The storage processing unit 40 may associate at least one of the first statistical information, the second statistical information, and the third statistical information (= statistical information) with the driver and accumulate and store the information in the storage unit 2. In this case, the driver information acquisition unit 70 may acquire driver information from the communication terminal 3 owned by the driver, and associate the driver information with at least one of the first statistical information, the second statistical information, and the third statistical information (= statistical information) and store the information.

[0142] In the embodiment, the acceleration information acquisition unit 10 acquires acceleration information from an acceleration sensor (not shown), but it may also acquire acceleration information from a communication terminal 3 inside a moving object. In this case, the acceleration information may be acquired from an acceleration sensor mounted on the communication terminal 3, or from position information of the communication terminal 3 generated by a position information sensor mounted on the communication terminal 3 (which acquires position information of the communication terminal 3 by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)).

[0143] In the embodiment, the speed information acquisition unit 50 acquires the speed information from a speed sensor (not shown), but the speed information may be acquired from the communication terminal 3 inside the moving object. In this case, the speed information may be acquired from a speed sensor mounted on the communication terminal 3, or the speed information may be acquired from position information of the communication terminal 3 generated by a position information sensor mounted on the communication terminal 3.

[0144] The speed information acquisition unit 50 (or acceleration information acquisition unit 10), the calculation unit 20, and the fatigue assessment unit 30 may all be included in the communication terminal 3, rather than in the information processing device 1. In this case, program modules realizing each function (the speed information acquisition unit 50 (or acceleration information acquisition unit 10), the calculation unit 20, and the fatigue assessment unit 30) may be stored in a storage unit of the communication terminal 3. By configuring the speed information acquisition unit 50 (or acceleration information acquisition unit 10), the calculation unit 20, and the fatigue assessment unit 30 to be all included in the communication terminal 3, rather than in the information processing device 1, there is no need to provide a separate information processing device 1, and a driver fatigue assessment system can be configured using an existing communication terminal (for example, a smartphone owned by the driver). This makes it possible to easily configure the system.

[0145] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in a sequential order, the order of steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the order shown. In each embodiment, the order of the steps shown in the drawings can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of content. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined as long as the content is not contradictory.

[0146] Examples of reference forms are given below. 1. An information processing device comprising: a speed information acquisition unit that repeatedly acquires speed information related to the speed of a moving object; a calculation unit that uses the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section; and a fatigue evaluation unit that uses the statistical information to evaluate fatigue of a driver of the moving object. 2. The information processing device described in 1., wherein the statistical information includes information related to changes over time in a statistical index of the speed information. 3. The information processing device described in 1. or 2., wherein the statistical information includes information related to the number of times per unit time that a statistical index of the speed information satisfies a predetermined criterion. 4. The information processing device described in 3., wherein the statistical index includes variance. 5. The information processing device described in any one of 1. to 4., wherein the predetermined section is a section in which the acceleration of the moving object satisfies a first criterion. 6. The information processing device described in any one of 1. to 5., wherein the predetermined section is a section in which the speed of the moving object satisfies a second criterion. 7. 6. 1. The information processing device described in any one of items 8. to 7., wherein the second criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels. 8. The information processing device described in any one of items 5. to 7., wherein the predetermined section is a section on which the speed of the mobile object is equal to or greater than a third criterion. 9. The information processing device described in item 8., wherein the third criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels. 10. The information processing device described in item 3. or 4., wherein the predetermined section is a section on which the speed of the mobile object satisfies a second criterion, the second criterion is set for each road on which the mobile object travels, and the predetermined criterion is set for each road. 11. The information processing device described in any one of items 1. to 10., further comprising an output control unit that outputs recommendation information including at least one of rest information regarding a rest and alert information that alerts the driver, and the output control unit determines the timing of outputting the recommendation information using the statistical information.12. The information processing device described in 11., further comprising a driver information acquisition unit that acquires driver information related to the driver, and the output control unit uses the driver information to determine the timing of output. 13. The information processing device described in 12., wherein the statistical information includes the number of times per unit time that a statistical index of the speed information satisfies a predetermined standard, and the driver information includes correction information that corrects the predetermined standard to suit the driver. 14. The information processing device described in any one of 11. to 13., further comprising a route setting unit that sets a route to a rest location using the rest information. 15. The information processing device described in any one of 1. to 14., further comprising a storage processing unit that accumulates and stores the statistical information calculated by the calculation unit. 16. An information processing method, wherein a computer implementing an information processing device repeatedly acquires speed information related to the speed of a moving object, uses the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section, and uses the statistical information to evaluate fatigue of the driver of the moving object. 17. 17. A program for causing a computer implementing an information processing device to execute the steps of: repeatedly acquiring speed information regarding the speed of a mobile body; using the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section; and using the statistical information to evaluate fatigue of a driver of the mobile body. 18. A program for causing a computer implementing a communication terminal to execute the steps of: repeatedly acquiring speed information regarding the speed of a mobile body; using the speed information to calculate statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section; and using the statistical information to evaluate fatigue of a driver of the mobile body.

[0147] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing device 2 Storage unit 3 Communication terminal 10 Acceleration information acquisition unit 20 Calculation unit 30 Fatigue evaluation unit 40 Storage processing unit 50 Speed ​​information acquisition unit 60 Output control unit 70 Driver information acquisition unit 80 Route setting unit

Claims

1. a speed information acquisition unit that repeatedly acquires speed information related to the speed of a moving object; a calculation unit that calculates statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section using the speed information; a fatigue evaluation unit that evaluates fatigue of a driver of the vehicle using the statistical information, An information processing device, wherein the statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in a statistical index of the speed information.

2. In the information processing device according to claim 1, An information processing device, wherein the statistical information includes information regarding the number of times a statistical index of the speed information satisfies a predetermined criterion per unit time.

3. In the information processing device according to claim 2, The information processing device, wherein the statistical indicator includes variance.

4. In the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The predetermined section is a section in which the acceleration of the moving body satisfies a first criterion.

5. In the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The specified section is a section in which the speed of the moving object satisfies a second criterion.

6. In the information processing device according to claim 5, The information processing device, wherein the second standard is set for each road on which the moving object travels.

7. In the information processing device according to claim 4, The predetermined section is a section in which the speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than a third reference speed.

8. In the information processing device according to claim 7, The information processing device, wherein the third standard is set for each road on which the moving object travels.

9. In the information processing device according to claim 2, the predetermined section is a section in which the speed of the moving object satisfies a second criterion, the second criterion is set for each road on which the moving object travels, The predetermined standard is set for each of the roads.

10. In the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, An output control unit that outputs recommendation information including at least one of rest information regarding a rest and alert information that alerts the driver, The output control unit determines a timing for outputting the recommendation information by using the statistical information.

11. In the information processing device according to claim 10, a driver information acquisition unit that acquires driver information related to the driver, The information processing device, wherein the output control unit determines output timing using the driver information.

12. In the information processing device according to claim 11, The statistical information includes a number of times per unit time that a statistical index of the speed information satisfies a predetermined criterion, An information processing device, wherein the driver information includes correction information for correcting the predetermined standard to suit the driver.

13. In the information processing device according to claim 10, The information processing device further comprises a route setting unit that sets a route to a rest location using the rest information.

14. In the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The information processing device further includes a storage processing unit that accumulates and stores the statistical information calculated by the calculation unit.

15. A computer implementing an information processing device, repeatedly acquiring speed information relating to the speed of the moving object; Calculating statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section using the speed information; Using the statistical information to assess fatigue of the driver of the vehicle; An information processing method, wherein the statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in a statistical index of the speed information.

16. A computer implementing an information processing device, repeatedly obtaining speed information relating to the speed of the moving object; A step of calculating statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section using the speed information; A program for executing a procedure for evaluating fatigue of a driver of the vehicle using the statistical information, the program comprising: The statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in a statistical index of the speed information.

17. A computer that realizes a communication terminal, repeatedly obtaining speed information relating to the speed of the moving object; A step of calculating statistical information of the speed information in a predetermined section using the speed information; A program for executing a procedure for evaluating fatigue of a driver of the vehicle using the statistical information, the program comprising: The statistical information includes information regarding changes over time in a statistical index of the speed information.