Driving aptitude level calculation device, driving aptitude level calculation method, and driving aptitude level calculation system

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to calculate, with high precision, a driving aptitude level indicating the driving aptitude of a driver. This driving aptitude level calculation device comprises: a driver state acquisition unit (12) that acquires a driver state including at least one of the biological state and the behavior of a driver while driving a vehicle; an employment history acquisition unit (11) that acquires an employment history for the driver including a vehicle driving history; a driving aptitude level calculation unit (13) that calculates a driving aptitude level on the basis of the driver state and the employment history; and a notification unit (14) that reports notification information including the driving aptitude level to an external device (23) provided outside of the driving aptitude level calculation device.

Description

Driving aptitude calculation device, driving aptitude calculation method, and driving aptitude calculation system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to calculation of a driver's driving aptitude.

[0002] Drivers who operate vehicles professionally often drive for long periods of time. Driver fatigue due to long driving times can impede safe driving, so managing driver driving time has been a common practice. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an information management program that generates at least one of driving time length and working time length for each driver based on movement data including the moving speed and moving distance of a moving object for each predetermined time period, and records the working status of the driver.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-185502

[0004] According to the information management program of Patent Document 1, the operations manager can grasp the length of time the driver has been driving, but there is a problem in that the actual condition of the driver cannot be grasped, and therefore it is not possible to accurately determine whether the driver is in a condition suitable for driving.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to calculate driving aptitude that indicates a driver's driving aptitude with high accuracy.

[0006] The driving aptitude calculation device disclosed herein is a driving aptitude calculation device that detects in real time driving aptitude that represents the driving aptitude of a driver engaged in vehicle driving duties, and is equipped with a driver state acquisition unit that acquires the driver state including at least one of the driver's biological state and behavior while driving the vehicle, an employment history acquisition unit that acquires the driver's employment history including the vehicle's driving history, a driving aptitude calculation unit that calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver state and the employment history, and a notification unit that notifies an external device provided outside the driving aptitude calculation device of notification information including the driving aptitude.

[0007] The driving aptitude calculation device of the present disclosure can calculate the driving aptitude of a driver based on the driver's condition and work history with high accuracy. Objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving aptitude calculation device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of display of driving aptitudes of a plurality of drivers in the management device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of display of driving aptitudes of a plurality of drivers in the management device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to variant 5 of embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to embodiment 4. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration diagram of a driving aptitude calculation system according to variant 5 of embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display of driving aptitudes of a plurality of drivers in the management device according to embodiment 5. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the driving aptitude calculation system.

[0009] <A. Embodiment 1> <A-1. Configuration> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1001 according to embodiment 1. The driving aptitude calculation system 1001 is a system that detects, in real time, the driving aptitude of a driver who drives a vehicle. The driving aptitude is an index that indicates how safely the driver can drive. For example, if the driver is dozing off or looking away while driving, the driving aptitude is detected as low.

[0010] The driving aptitude calculation system 1001 includes a driving aptitude calculation device 101, a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, and a management device 23. The driving aptitude calculation device 101 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, and the management device 23, and is configured to be able to use these devices.

[0011] The driving aptitude calculation device 101 detects the driving aptitude of a driver who is driving a vehicle, and outputs the detection result to the management device 23 .

[0012] The driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver condition used to determine driving aptitude. The driver condition includes at least one of the driver's biological condition and behavior that affect safe driving. The driver's biological condition includes, for example, the driver's alertness, pulse abnormality, heart rate abnormality, body temperature abnormality, and panic state. The driver's behavior includes, for example, the driver's inattentiveness.

[0013] The driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver condition by comparing some measurement information related to the driver with predetermined parameters. For example, the driver condition detection device 21 may capture an image of the driver's face or body using a camera mounted on the vehicle and detect the driver condition from the driver's gaze, blinking, posture, etc. acquired from the captured image. Alternatively, the driver condition detection device 21 may measure the driver's biological information such as body temperature, pulse, and heart rate using an infrared sensor mounted on the vehicle or a smart watch worn by the driver and detect the driver condition using the measured biological information.

[0014] The work information creation device 22 creates work information for the driver. The work information includes information on the time the driver has driven the vehicle. Various methods can be used to create the work information. The work information creation device 22 may create the work information using a device that stores vehicle operation information, such as a digital tachograph or an EDR (Event Data Recorder). Alternatively, the work information creation device 22 may create the work information using an application on a mobile device equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) or an acceleration sensor that traces the vehicle's location and determines the vehicle's movement status. Furthermore, the work information creation device 22 may create the work information using a vehicle movement management system that communicates with the vehicle and manages its location information. Alternatively, the work information creation device 22 may create the work information based on operation information, such as a work log manually entered by the driver or an employee of the fleet management company that employs the driver.

[0015] The management device 23 is an external device of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 that acquires and displays the detection result of the driver's driving aptitude by the driving aptitude calculation device 101. The management device 23 is, for example, a management terminal that constitutes a vehicle management system of a vehicle operation management company. Alternatively, the management device 23 may be a terminal that constitutes an emergency system that arranges for a driver who has experienced a physical abnormality to receive appropriate treatment at a medical facility.

[0016] The driving aptitude calculation device 101 includes a work history acquisition unit 11, a driver state acquisition unit 12, a driving aptitude calculation unit 13, and a notification unit 14.

[0017] The work history acquisition unit 11 acquires work information from the work information creation device 22 and accumulates it as a work history. The work history includes a driving history, which is information on when and for how long the driver drove the vehicle.

[0018] The driver condition acquisition unit 12 acquires the driver condition from the driver condition detection device 21 .

[0019] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driver's driving aptitude based on the work history acquired from the work history acquisition unit 11 and the driver state acquired from the driver state acquisition unit. This determination reflects the driver's current driving state, so the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 can determine the driver state in real time. The driving aptitude may be a continuous value in which 1 is the best and 0 is the worst. Furthermore, the driving aptitude may be expressed as multiple levels, such as level 0 to level 10, with level 10 being the best.

[0020] The notification unit 14 notifies the management device 23 of notification information including the driving aptitude of the driver determined by the driving aptitude calculation unit 13.

[0021] <A-2. Operation> FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving aptitude calculation device 101.

[0022] 2 when the driver starts driving the vehicle. Note that, before step S101 described below, it is assumed that the work history acquisition unit 11 acquires the work information of the driver from the work information creation device 22 and creates the work history of the driver.

[0023] First, in step S101, the driver state acquisition unit 12 acquires the driver state from the driver state detection device 21. In the following explanation, the driver state will be explained using the alertness d(t) as an example. The alertness d(t) is expressed as 1, where 1 corresponds to the highest alertness, and 0 corresponds to the lowest alertness. Furthermore, when d(t) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Dth, it indicates that the driver is sufficiently alert to drive.

[0024] Next, in step S102, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 acquires the driver's state from the driver state acquisition unit 12 and the work history from the work history acquisition unit 11, and calculates the driver's driving aptitude based on this information.

[0025] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude by referring to the driver's driving time for the past three days, for example, from the driving history. The driver's driving time referred to here may be from the past few days, but here it is three days. Taking the current time, which is the time point at which the driving aptitude is determined, as the reference point, the driving time of the previous day is T1, the driving time two days ago is T2, and the driving time three days ago is T3. If this is the case, the average driving time PTdrive over these three days is expressed as (T1 + T2 + T3) / 3. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driver's driving aptitude able(t) at time t using the driver's alertness d(t) and the average driving time PTdrive over the past three days as parameters. That is, the driving aptitude able(t) is expressed by the function f1{d(t), PTdrive}.

[0026] The longer the average driving time PTdrive, the more fatigue the driver accumulates, and therefore, it is considered that the driver's alertness will decrease more rapidly if he or she continues driving. Therefore, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 reduces the driving aptitude able(t) as the average driving time PTdrive increases.

[0027] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may express the driving aptitude able(t) as a binary value or as a continuous value. The following formula shows an example of a case where the driving aptitude able(t) is expressed as a binary value. Here, g(PTdrive) is a value that increases as the average driving time PTdrive increases, and Dth is a predetermined threshold value.

[0028]

[0029] The following formula shows an example in which the driving aptitude level "able(t)" is calculated as a continuous value.

[0030]

[0031] Next, in step S103, the notification unit 14 acquires the judgment result of the driving aptitude from the driving aptitude calculation unit 13, and notifies the management device 23 of notification information including the judgment result. Upon receiving this notification, the management device 23 displays the judgment result of the driver's driving aptitude in real time.

[0032] 3 and 4 show examples of displaying the driving aptitude of drivers in the management device 23. Here, the management device 23 manages the driving aptitude of six drivers, Driver 1 to Driver 6. Fig. 3 shows an example of display when there is no problem with the driving aptitude of any driver. For example, an icon representing each driver is displayed in green, which indicates safety.

[0033] Fig. 4 shows an example of a display when there is a problem with the driving aptitude of driver 5. In the display example of Fig. 4, the icon representing driver 5 is displayed in a color different from the icons representing other drivers. For example, the icon representing driver 5 is displayed in orange, which indicates a warning.

[0034] The method for calculating the driving aptitude level able(t) by the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 has been described above, but the determination of whether the calculated driving aptitude level able(t) is a driving aptitude level able(t) that poses a problem for the driver's safe driving may be made by either the driving aptitude calculation device 101 or the management device 23. The driving aptitude level able(t) is compared with a predetermined threshold, and is determined to be problematic if the driving aptitude level able(t) is equal to or greater than the threshold, and is determined to be non-problematic if the driving aptitude level able(t) is less than the threshold. When this determination is made by the driving aptitude calculation unit 13, the notification information notified to the management device 23 by the notification unit 14 also includes the determination result of the driving aptitude level able(t) by the driving aptitude calculation unit 13.

[0035] The vehicle operation manager can grasp the driving aptitude of each driver in real time by the display as described above. The management device 23 may display the driving aptitude of each driver, or may display the judgment result of the driving aptitude of each driver as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0036] Next, in step S104, the driving aptitude calculation device 101 determines whether or not the vehicle driving has ended. The end of the vehicle driving can be determined, for example, by the fact that the vehicle accessory power is turned off. If the vehicle driving is still ongoing, the driving aptitude calculation device 101 returns to the process of step S101, acquires the driver's state again, and repeats the determination of the driver's driving aptitude. If the vehicle driving has ended, the process of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 ends.

[0037] <A-3. Variation 1> The notification information notified from the notification unit 14 to the management device 23 may include the driver's driving aptitude, as well as the driver's condition and work history used to determine the driving aptitude. The notification information may also include a facial image of the driver and video of the interior of the vehicle. If a driver has a problem with their driving aptitude, the management device 23 may display the driver's condition, work history, facial image, and video of the interior of the vehicle. This allows the vehicle operations manager to grasp detailed information about drivers with problematic driving aptitude.

[0038] <A-4. Modification 2> The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates driving aptitude based on the average driving time PTdrive over the past three days. Here, it is considered that driving on a day closer to the present among the past three days has a greater impact on the driver's fatigue at the present time. Therefore, when calculating the driver's average driving time PTdrive, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may assign a greater weight to the driving time on a day closer to the present time. For example, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the average driving time PTdrive using the following formula:

[0039]

[0040] Here, a1 is a weighting factor for the driving time one day ago, a2 is a weighting factor for the driving time two days ago, and a3 is a weighting factor for the driving time one day ago. Also, a1 + a2 + a3 = 1, and a1 > a2 > a3.

[0041] <A-5. Modification 3> When calculating the driving aptitude, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may take into account the influence of the driver's driving on the day. For example, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may calculate the driver's average driving time PTdrive by the following formula, where T0(t) is the driving time on the day up to time t.

[0042]

[0043] Here, a0 is a contingency coefficient for the driving time up to time t on the day. Also, a0+a1+a2+a3=1, and a0>a1>a2>a3.

[0044] <A-6. Variation 4> A driver may also perform tasks other than driving (hereinafter referred to as non-driving tasks), such as unloading cargo at delivery destinations or operating a forklift to move cargo (moving tasks), and these non-driving tasks also affect the driver's fatigue. Therefore, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may calculate the driver's driving aptitude by taking into account the non-driving task history, which is the history of tasks other than driving. In other words, the work history acquired by the work history acquisition unit 11 includes not only the driving history but also the non-driving task history. For example, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may calculate the driver's driving aptitude able(t) at time t using the following function f2.

[0045]

[0046] Here, the average non-driving work time PTextra indicates the average time spent on non-driving tasks over the past three days up to the previous day. The function f2 may be a function that makes the influence of the average non-driving work time PTextra greater than the influence of the average driving time PTdrive. This is based on the assumption that fatigue caused by tasks other than driving is greater than fatigue caused by driving.

[0047] Note that the second and third modifications may also be applied to the average non-driving working time PTextra.

[0048] <A-7. Modification 5> Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1001A according to Modification 5 of Embodiment 1. The driving aptitude calculation system 1001A differs from the driving aptitude calculation system 1001 of Figure 1 in that it includes a driving aptitude calculation device 101A instead of the driving aptitude calculation device 101. In addition to the configuration of the driving aptitude calculation device 101, the driving aptitude calculation device 101A also includes a nap history acquisition unit 15 that acquires the driver's nap history. The nap history acquisition unit 15 acquires the driver's nap history from, for example, images captured by a camera that captures images inside the vehicle, measurement information from a smartwatch worn by the driver, etc.

[0049] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver's state, work history, and also the driver's nap history. Generally, people tend to drive slowly for a certain period of time after a nap, for example, 30 minutes, due to the influence of the parasympathetic nervous system. Therefore, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may calculate the driving aptitude to be low within a predetermined grace period after the end of the nap, for example, within 30 minutes. Furthermore, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may determine that the driver's fatigue has been alleviated after the grace period after the end of the nap has elapsed, and may shorten the driving time of the day before the nap to calculate the average driving time.

[0050] <A-8. Modification 6> Although the level of alertness has been described above as an example of the driver state, other indicators such as absent-mindedness, frequency of looking away, abnormal pulse rate, abnormal respiratory rate, arrhythmia, and panic state may also be used as indicators of the driver state, or a combination of multiple indicators may also be used.

[0051] <A-9. Modification 7> The driving aptitude calculated by the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may be evaluated by, for example, a business manager in the management device 23 to determine whether the driving aptitude is appropriate. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may create a calculation model of driving aptitude by machine learning from the evaluation results of driving aptitude calculated in the past and the driver's state and work history from which the driving aptitude was calculated. This calculation model outputs driving aptitude for a given driver's state and work history. Then, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may input the driver's state and work history into the calculation model to calculate the driving aptitude.

[0052] Here, the calculation model may be created for each driver.

[0053] <A-10. Effects> The driving aptitude calculation device 101 according to the first embodiment includes a driver state acquisition unit 12 that acquires a driver state including at least one of the driver's biological state and behavior while driving a vehicle, an employment history acquisition unit 11 that acquires the driver's employment history including the vehicle's driving history, a driving aptitude calculation unit 13 that calculates driving aptitude based on the driver state and the employment history, and a notification unit 14 that notifies an external device provided outside the driving aptitude calculation device of notification information including the driving aptitude. The driving aptitude calculation device 101 calculates driving aptitude based not only on the driving history but also on the driver state, and therefore can calculate driving aptitude at a high level.

[0054] <B. Embodiment 2> <B-1. Configuration> Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1002 according to Embodiment 2. The driving aptitude calculation system 1002 is configured to include a driving aptitude calculation device 102, a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, and a management device 23. The driving aptitude calculation device 102 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, and the management device 23 and is configured to be able to use these.

[0055] The driving aptitude calculation device 102 includes a physical condition information acquisition unit 16 in addition to the configuration of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 according to the first embodiment. The physical condition information acquisition unit 16 acquires physical condition information of the driver before starting driving on the day.

[0056] The physical condition information includes, for example, past health checkup results, vital signs on the day, information on underlying diseases or age, information on past illnesses, information on medications, etc. This information may be input by the driver in advance.

[0057] The physical condition information may also include information about the driver's psychological or physical concerns. For example, the physical condition information may be information obtained by interviewing the driver about any psychological or physical problems before the driver starts driving. For example, the physical condition information acquisition unit 16 acquires physical condition information such as whether the driver has any worries about family members and is psychologically unstable, whether the driver has performed physically demanding housework, and whether the driver is sleeping well, and calculates the driving aptitude level. Here, the physical condition information acquisition unit 16 may automatically acquire physical condition information from the driver's spoken voice using a voice recognition device and a semantic understanding device that understands the meaning of the spoken content from the voice recognized by the voice recognition device.

[0058] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver's condition, work history, and physical condition information. That is, the driving aptitude of the driver at time t, able(t), is expressed by the following function f3:

[0059]

[0060] Here, P medical represents physical condition information. For example, when the driver's vital signs on the day are abnormal, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 sets the driving aptitude able(t) lower than when the driver's vital signs are normal.

[0061] <B-2. Effects> The driving aptitude calculation device 102 according to the second embodiment includes a physical condition information acquisition unit 16 that acquires physical condition information of the driver collected before the driver starts driving the vehicle. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates driving aptitude based on the driver's state, work history, and physical condition information. As a result, the driving aptitude calculation device 102 can calculate driving aptitude with high accuracy, taking the physical condition information into consideration.

[0062] <C. Embodiment 3> <C-1. Configuration> Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1003 according to Embodiment 3. The driving aptitude calculation system 1003 is configured to include a driving aptitude calculation device 103, a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, and a management device 23. The driving aptitude calculation device 103 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, and the management device 23 and is configured to be able to use these.

[0063] The driving aptitude calculation device 103 includes a parameter correction unit 17 in addition to the configuration of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 according to the first embodiment. The driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver condition by comparing the driver's biometric information or an image of the driver with predetermined parameters. The parameter correction unit 17 changes the parameters used in the driver condition detection device 21 based on the driver's work history.

[0064] <C-2. Determination of Decreased Arousal Level> The driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver's arousal level as the driver condition based on blinking patterns detected from captured images of the driver. A blink in which the time the eyelids are closed (blink duration) is equal to or longer than a predetermined threshold is called a long-term blink. The driver condition detection device 21 counts the number of blinks within a certain period, such as 30 seconds or 1 minute, and determines that the arousal level is lower the higher the long-term blink rate, which is the proportion of the number of long-term blinks to the total number of blinks.

[0065] In such a case, the parameter correcting unit 17 may estimate that the longer the working hours, the greater the driver's fatigue, and may correct the threshold value of the blink duration for determining long-term blinking to a lower value. Alternatively, the parameter correcting unit 17 may correct the threshold value of the long-term blink ratio for determining the level of alertness to a lower value. As a result, if the working hours are long, the driver condition detecting device 21 is more likely to determine the level of alertness to be low.

[0066] <C-3. Determination of Inattention> Driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver's inattention from the driver's gaze distribution and detects the frequency of the driver's inattention as the driver condition. For example, a range of predetermined angles to the left and right of the vehicle's traveling direction is defined as the normal gaze range, and driver condition detection device 21 detects the driver's inattention if the driver's gaze direction continuously deviates from the normal gaze range for more than a predetermined period of time.

[0067] In this case, parameter corrector 17 estimates that the longer the working hours, the greater the driver's fatigue, and corrects the angle that defines the normal line of sight to a smaller value. Alternatively, parameter corrector 17 corrects to a smaller value the threshold value for the time that the driver's line of sight continues to deviate from the normal line of sight when determining that the driver is looking away. As a result, if the working hours are long, driver condition detection device 21 can more easily detect the driver's looking away.

[0068] <C-4. Effects> In the driving aptitude calculation device 103 according to the third embodiment, the driver state acquisition unit 12 acquires the driver state from the driver state detection device 21, which detects the driver state by comparing biometric information or information obtained from an image of the driver with predetermined parameters. The driving aptitude calculation device 103 includes a parameter correction unit 17 that corrects the parameters based on the work history. Therefore, for example, if the parameters of the driver state detection device 21 are corrected so that the wakefulness level is determined to be low if the working hours are long, the driving aptitude will be calculated to be low.

[0069] <D. Embodiment 4> <D-1. Configuration> Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1004 according to Embodiment 4. The driving aptitude calculation system 1004 is configured to include a driving aptitude calculation device 104, a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, a management device 23, and an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) 24. The driving aptitude calculation device 104 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, the management device 23, and the in-vehicle LAN 24 and is configured to be able to use these.

[0070] The driving aptitude calculation device 104 includes a driving status acquisition unit 18 in addition to the configuration of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 according to the first embodiment. The driving status acquisition unit 18 acquires the current driving status of the driver. The driving status includes information on the speed or acceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle status, and information on the operation status of the brake, steering wheel, or accelerator as the status of the vehicle driving operation by the driver.

[0071] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude by taking into consideration the driving situation in addition to the driver's condition and work history. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driver's most recent driving attention level Pcare(t) at time t based on the driving situation. The driving attention level Pcare(t) is an index that indicates how carefully the driver is driving. When the driving attention level Pcare(t) is 1, it indicates a good attention state, and when it is 0, it indicates a bad attention state. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 expresses the driving attention level Pcare(t) as a numerical value based on the driving situation over the past 20 minutes, for example.

[0072] The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude able(t) at time t using a function f4 with the alertness d(t), the average driving time PTdrive, and the driving attention Pcare(t) as parameters. The function f4 is a function in which, assuming that the alertness d(t) and the average driving time PTdrive are constant, the driving aptitude decreases as the driving attention Pcare(t) decreases.

[0073]

[0074] <D-2. Modification 1> If the vehicle is capable of automatic driving by an automatic driving device, the driving conditions acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit 18 may include an intervention status of automatic driving of the vehicle by the automatic driving device. For example, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may lower the driving attention level Pcare(t) as the frequency of emergency automatic driving intervention such as automatic avoidance, automatic braking, and lane keeping control increases.

[0075] <D-3. Modification 2> Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1004A according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 4. The driving aptitude calculation system 1004A is configured to include, in addition to the driving aptitude calculation device 104, a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, a management device 23, an in-vehicle LAN 24, and a periphery detection device 25. The driving aptitude calculation device 104 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, the management device 23, the in-vehicle LAN 24, and the periphery detection device 25 and is configured to be able to use these.

[0076] The periphery detection device 25 detects the situation around the vehicle and outputs the detected situation around the vehicle as periphery information to the driving aptitude calculation device 104. The periphery detection device is, for example, an image recognition device, a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar, etc. The periphery detection device 25 detects the situation around the vehicle, for example, the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles, pedestrians, or bicycles.

[0077] In this modified example, the driving situation acquisition unit 18 acquires surrounding information from the surrounding detection device 25 and outputs it to the driving aptitude calculation unit 13. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving attention level Pcare(t) of the driver based on the surrounding information. Based on the surrounding information, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 determines whether the inter-vehicle distance from other vehicles was appropriate, whether a sufficient distance was kept between the vehicle and other vehicles when overtaking, and whether the vehicle was driven in a way that reduced the impact on other vehicles at branching or merging points, and calculates the driving attention level Pcare(t).

[0078] Furthermore, the driving aptitude calculation device 104 may acquire gaze information indicating the driver's gaze direction. Then, the driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may refer to the gaze information and peripheral information to determine whether the driver is able to keep his / her gaze in consideration of the situation around the vehicle, for example, whether the driver has properly recognized a point requiring attention, and calculate the driving attention level Pcare(t).

[0079] <D-4. Modification 3> The driving conditions acquired by the driving condition acquisition unit 18 may include the driver's violation of traffic rules. The traffic rules may include, for example, stopping at a stop line or adhering to the road speed limit. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 may lower the driving attention level Pcare(t) as the frequency of the driver violating traffic rules increases.

[0080] <D-5. Effects> The driving aptitude calculation device 104 according to the fourth embodiment includes a driving situation acquisition unit 18 that acquires the driving situation of the vehicle by the driver. The driving aptitude calculation unit 13 calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver's state, work history, and driving situation. Therefore, the driving aptitude calculation device 104 can calculate the driving aptitude with high accuracy, taking the driving situation into consideration.

[0081] <E. Embodiment 5> <E-1. Configuration> Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving aptitude calculation system 1005 according to embodiment 5. The driving aptitude calculation system 1005 is configured to include a driving aptitude calculation device 105, as well as a driver state detection device 21, a work information creation device 22, and a management device 23. The driving aptitude calculation device 105 is connected to the driver state detection device 21, the work information creation device 22, and the management device 23 and is configured to be able to use these.

[0082] The driving aptitude calculation device 105 includes an engagement receiving unit 19 in addition to the configuration of the driving aptitude calculation device 101 according to the first embodiment. The engagement receiving unit 19 communicates with the management device 23 and receives an engagement service from the management device 23.

[0083] <E-2. Operation> When the driving aptitude of a specific driver acquired from the notification unit 14 is below a predetermined threshold, the management device 23 performs an operation to increase the engagement of that driver. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the management device 23 displays detailed information and a facial image of the driver whose driving aptitude has declined, along with a telephone icon. Here, the detailed information of the driver includes the driver's work history, driver condition, vehicle speed, vehicle mileage for the day, vehicle location, and vehicle number. This information is sent to the management device 23 as notification information from the notification unit 14 together with the driver's driving aptitude.

[0084] When the operations manager selects the telephone icon, a telephone call is made from the management device 23 to the engagement receiving unit 19, and the operations manager and the driver can talk on a hands-free telephone via the management device 23 and the engagement receiving unit 19. Here, the engagement receiving unit 19 is a smartphone or the like carried by the driver. By talking to the driver, the operations manager can encourage the driver to take a rest and make him feel at ease.

[0085] Furthermore, the management device 23 may output a message to the engagement receiving unit 19, based on information about a driver whose driving aptitude has declined, encouraging the driver to refrain from driving and take a rest, and the message may be displayed on the engagement receiving unit 19. In this case, the management device 23 may determine a rest area for the driver based on its own map data and the driver's location information, and include information about the rest area in the message. The management device 23 may also notify the driver of his or her condition and encourage the driver to be aware of the condition. For example, the management device 23 may send a message to the engagement receiving unit 19 such as, "Mr. / Ms. XX, today's driving will be 4 hours and 350 km. There is a rest area at YY, so why not take a rest? Your level of alertness is slightly reduced."

[0086] <E-3. First Modification> If the vehicle is capable of automatic driving by an automatic driving device, the management device 23 may instruct the automatic driving device to increase the assistance level of the vehicle driven by the driver as the driver's driving aptitude declines. The automatic driving device increases the assistance level of the vehicle in accordance with the instructions of the management device 23. Increasing the assistance level includes increasing the automatic driving level of the vehicle or changing parameters related to automatic driving to a safer side. Examples of parameter changes include increasing the inter-vehicle distance maintained when following a vehicle ahead or advancing the timing of a collision warning alarm.

[0087] The instruction to increase the vehicle assistance level may be sent to the automated driving device from the notification unit 14, rather than from the management device 23. The notification unit 14 may also notify the driver to increase the driving assistance level as the driver's driving aptitude decreases.

[0088] <E-4. Effects> The driving aptitude calculation device 105 according to the fifth embodiment includes an engagement receiving unit 19 that receives a phone call or a message from an external device instructing the driver to refrain from driving when the driving aptitude is below a predetermined threshold. This allows the driver to understand that his or her driving aptitude has declined and to take measures such as taking a rest.

[0089] <F. Hardware Configuration> The driver state acquisition unit 12, work history acquisition unit 11, driving aptitude calculation unit 13, notification unit 14, nap history acquisition unit 15, physical condition information acquisition unit 16, parameter correction unit 17, driving situation acquisition unit 18, and engagement enjoyment unit 19, as well as the management device 23, in the driving aptitude calculation devices 101, 101A, 102, 103, 104, and 105, are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 12 . That is, the processing circuit 81 includes the driver state acquisition unit 12, work history acquisition unit 11, driving aptitude calculation unit 13, notification unit 14, nap history acquisition unit 15, physical condition information acquisition unit 16, parameter correction unit 17, driving situation acquisition unit 18, and engagement enjoyment unit 19 (hereinafter, referred to as the driver state acquisition unit 12, etc.), as well as the management device 23. The processing circuit 81 may be implemented by dedicated hardware or by a processor that executes a program stored in a memory. The processor is, for example, a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like.

[0090] When the processing circuit 81 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. Each function of the driver state acquisition unit 12 and other units may be realized by a plurality of processing circuits 81, or the functions of the units may be collectively realized by a single processing circuit.

[0091] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the driver status acquisition unit 12 and the like are realized by a combination of software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software is written as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 13 , the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83. That is, the driving aptitude calculation devices 101, 101A, 102, 103, 104, and 105 each include a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the following steps: acquiring a driver status including at least one of the physiological state and behavior of the driver while driving a vehicle; acquiring the driver's work history including the vehicle driving history; determining driving aptitude based on the driver status and work history; and notifying an external device provided outside the driving aptitude calculation device of the driving aptitude calculation device. In other words, the program causes a computer to execute the procedure or method of the driver status acquisition unit 12 and the like. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and its drive device, or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

[0092] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the driver status acquisition unit 12, etc. is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which part of the driver status acquisition unit 12, etc. is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the driver status acquisition unit 12, etc. may be realized by a processing circuit as dedicated hardware, and the remaining functions may be realized by the processing circuit 81 as the processor 82 reading and executing programs stored in the memory 83.

[0093] As described above, the processing circuit can realize each of the above functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0094] Although the driving aptitude calculation devices 101, 101A, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are typically devices mounted on vehicles, they can also be applied to a system constructed by appropriately combining a PND (Portable Navigation Device), a communication terminal (e.g., a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet), the functions of applications installed thereon, a server, etc. In this case, the functions or components of the driving aptitude calculation devices 101, 101A, 102, 103, 104, and 105 described above may be distributed among the devices that construct the system, or may be concentrated in one of the devices.

[0095] It should be noted that the embodiments can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be modified or omitted as appropriate. The above description is an example in all respects. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned.

[0096] 11 Driver state acquisition unit, 12 Work history acquisition unit, 13 Driving aptitude calculation unit, 14 Notification unit, 15 Nap history acquisition unit, 16 Physical condition information acquisition unit, 17 Parameter correction unit, 18 Driving situation acquisition unit, 19 Engagement reception unit, 21 Driver state detection device, 22 Work information creation device, 23 Management device, 24 In-vehicle LAN, 25 Surroundings detection device, 81 Processing circuit, 82 Processor, 83 Memory, 101, 101A, 102, 103, 104, 105 Driving aptitude calculation device, 1001, 1001A, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1004A, 1005 Driving aptitude calculation system.

Claims

1. A driving aptitude calculation device that detects in real time a driving aptitude representing a driving aptitude of a driver engaged in a vehicle driving task, A driver state acquisition unit that acquires a driver state including at least one of a biological state and a behavior of the driver while driving the vehicle; An employment history acquisition unit that acquires an employment history of the driver including a driving history of the vehicle; a driving aptitude calculation unit that calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver state and the work history; A notification unit that notifies an external device provided outside the driving aptitude calculation device of notification information including the driving aptitude. Driving aptitude calculation device.

2. The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates an average driving time of the driver in the past from a driving history of the vehicle, and calculates the driving aptitude to be smaller as the average driving time is longer based on the driver state and the average driving time. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

3. The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the average driving time by multiplying each of the driving times of the driver of the vehicle for the past few days up to the previous day by a weighting coefficient and adding them up, The weighting coefficient of the driving time is larger on a day closer to the present day. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 2 .

4. The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the average driving time by multiplying the driving time of the driver on the day and the driving time of the vehicle for the past few days up to the previous day by a weighting coefficient and adding them together; The closer the day is to the present day, the larger the weighting coefficient for the driving time is, The weighting coefficient for the driving time on the day is the largest, The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 2 .

5. The work history includes a non-driving work history, which is a history of work other than driving the vehicle, the driving aptitude calculation unit calculates an average non-driving work time, which is an average time of the driver's past work other than driving work, from the non-driving work history, calculates the driving aptitude to be smaller as the average non-driving work time is longer, and calculates the driving aptitude so that an influence of the average non-driving work time is larger than an influence of the average driving time; The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 2 .

6. The driving task is a task of driving the vehicle loaded with luggage to a delivery destination, The work other than the driving work includes unloading or moving the luggage at the delivery destination, The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 5 .

7. A nap history acquisition unit that acquires a nap history of the driver on that day, The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver state, the work history, and the nap history. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 4 .

8. the driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the average driving time by shortening the driving time of the day before the nap after a grace period that is a predetermined period after the driver's nap ends. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 7 .

9. The driving aptitude calculation unit creates a calculation model by machine learning for calculating the driving aptitude based on the driver's state and the work history from the evaluation result of the driving aptitude calculated in the past and the driver's state and the work history from which the driving aptitude is calculated, and inputs the driver's state and the work history into the calculation model to calculate the driving aptitude. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

10. A physical condition information acquisition unit that acquires psychological instability factors of the driver collected before the driver starts driving the vehicle as physical condition information, The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver state, the work history, and the physical condition information. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

11. the driver condition acquisition unit acquires the driver condition from a driver condition detection device that detects the driver condition by comparing bioinformation or information obtained from an image of the driver with predetermined parameters; a parameter correction unit that corrects the parameters based on the work history so that the driver state in which the driving aptitude becomes lower as the working hours are longer is detected, The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

12. A driving status acquisition unit that acquires a driving status of the vehicle by the driver, The driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver state, the work history, and the driving situation. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

13. The vehicle is a vehicle capable of being automatically driven by an automatic driving device, The driving situation includes an intervention situation of the automatic driving device, The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 12.

14. The driving suitability test device further includes an engagement receiving unit that receives a call from the external device or a message to refrain from driving when the driving suitability is less than a predetermined threshold. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

15. The vehicle is a vehicle capable of being automatically driven by an automatic driving device, When the driving aptitude is less than a predetermined threshold, the automatic driving device increases the level of the automatic driving in response to an instruction from the driving aptitude calculation device or the external device. The driving aptitude calculation device according to claim 1 .

16. A driving aptitude calculation method for detecting in real time a driving aptitude of a driver engaged in a vehicle driving task, comprising: A driver state acquisition unit acquires a driver state including at least one of a physiological state and a behavior of the driver while driving the vehicle; An employment history acquisition unit acquires an employment history of the driver including a driving history of the vehicle; A driving aptitude calculation unit calculates the driving aptitude based on the driver's state and the work history, The notification unit notifies the driving aptitude to an external device provided outside the driving aptitude calculation device including the driver state acquisition unit, the work history acquisition unit, the driving aptitude calculation unit, and the notification unit. How to calculate driving fitness.

17. A driving aptitude calculation device that detects in real time a driving aptitude that indicates the driving aptitude of a driver engaged in driving a vehicle and receives an engagement message from an external device to provide driving assistance; and a management terminal of a driver's business manager that receives notification information including the driving aptitude from the driving aptitude calculation device, and transmits an engagement message to the driving aptitude calculation device when the driving aptitude obtained from the notification information is less than a predetermined threshold value. Driving aptitude calculation system.

18. The notification information includes a driver state including at least one of a biological state and a behavior of the driver while driving the vehicle, and location information of the driver, When the driving aptitude level acquired from the notification information is less than a predetermined threshold, the management terminal displays the driving aptitude level of the driver, the driver state, the location information, and an icon for causing the business manager to engage with the driver; When the business manager selects the icon, the management terminal requests the driving aptitude calculation device to start a call with the driver, or transmits a message for engagement to the driving aptitude calculation device. The driving aptitude calculation system according to claim 17.

19. The notification information includes a driver state including at least one of a biological state and a behavior of the driver while driving the vehicle, and location information of the driver, When the driving aptitude acquired from the notification information is less than a predetermined threshold, the management terminal determines a rest place based on position information of the driver, and transmits the engagement message indicating information of the rest place to the driving aptitude calculation device. The driving aptitude calculation system according to claim 17.

20. When the driving aptitude obtained from the notification information is less than a predetermined threshold, the management terminal transmits to the driving aptitude calculation device the engagement message for increasing an automatic driving assistance level of a vehicle driven by a driver having the driving aptitude, The driving aptitude calculation device controls an automatic driving device of a vehicle driven by a driver associated with the driving aptitude in accordance with the engagement message for increasing an automatic driving assistance level. The driving aptitude calculation system according to claim 17.