Driver state determination device, on-vehicle device, driver state determination system, driver state determination method, and driver state determination program

Abstract

A driver state determination device according to the present invention comprises: a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires at least one measurement result related to a change in position of the center of gravity of a driver of a vehicle; a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the vehicle which corresponds to the measurement result; a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data which indicates a reference of the change in position of the center of gravity in a target route which is the travel route; and a determination unit that carries out a determination process for determining a state of the driver on the basis of the measurement result and the reference data.

Description

Driver's condition determination device, in-vehicle device, driver's condition determination system, driver's condition determination method, and driver's condition determination program

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-069072 filed on April 20, 2023, and incorporates by reference all of the contents of that application.

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for determining the state of a driver while driving a vehicle have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-8159) discloses the following technology. That is, a driver state determination device is characterized by including a body pressure sensor provided on the seat cushion, and a computing device that calculates the center of gravity of the driver's seat pressure acting on the seat cushion based on data output from the body pressure sensor, and determines the driving state of the driver by comparing time-series data of changes in the center of gravity with pre-stored characteristic patterns of the driver's driving state.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 (WO 2018 / 180331) discloses the following technology: That is, a driver condition detection device includes an acceleration sensor attached to a vehicle, a center-of-gravity shift amount detection unit attached to a component constituting the vehicle and detecting a shift amount of the center of gravity of the body of a driver riding in the vehicle, and a driver condition determination unit that determines the state of the driver based on the magnitude of the shift amount between the acceleration of the vehicle obtained by the acceleration sensor and the shift amount of the center of gravity of the body of the driver detected by the center-of-gravity shift amount detection unit.

[0004] JP 2002-8159 A International Publication No. 2018 / 180331

[0005] The driver condition determination device of the present disclosure includes a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires at least one measurement result regarding a change in the center of gravity position of a vehicle driver, a driving route acquisition unit that acquires a driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result, a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data that indicates a standard for change in the center of gravity position on a target route that is the driving route, and a determination unit that performs a determination process to determine the driver's condition based on the measurement result and the reference data.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure can be realized not only as a driver state determination device having such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the driver state determination device.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure may be realized not only as an in-vehicle device including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a method having such characteristic processing steps, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such steps. Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be realized as a semiconductor integrated circuit that realizes part or all of the in-vehicle device.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a driver state determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of evaluation data created by the in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table stored by the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management table stored by the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a comparison process performed by the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management table after a table update process performed by the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart defining an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs a process to transmit determination information. FIG. 10 is a flowchart defining an operation procedure when the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs a determination process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart defining an operation procedure when the server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs a determination process. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of processes performed by the in-vehicle device, server, fleet management device, and navigation device in the driver state determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a data adjustment process performed by a modified example of a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] [Problem to be Solved by the Present Disclosure] There is a need for a technology that goes beyond the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and that can increase the accuracy of determining the driver's state while simplifying the vehicle configuration.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a driver state determination device, an in-vehicle device, a driver state determination system, a driver state determination method, and a driver state determination program that can simplify the vehicle configuration while increasing the accuracy of determining the driver's state.

[0011] Effect of the Present Disclosure According to the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the accuracy of determining the driver's state while simplifying the configuration of the vehicle.

[0012] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) A driver state determination device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires at least one measurement result related to a change in a center-of-gravity position of a driver of a vehicle, a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result, a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data indicating a standard for a change in the center-of-gravity position along a target route that is the travel route, and a determination unit that performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement result and the reference data.

[0013] With this configuration, the driver's condition can be accurately determined without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the travel route corresponding to the measurement results. For example, if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low, the driver's condition can be determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, in addition to the on-board device for acquiring the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for on-board devices for acquiring other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), the measurement result acquisition unit may acquire a target measurement result, which is the measurement result for the target route, and the reference data may be created based on the target measurement result.

[0015] With this configuration, the accuracy of determining the driver's condition can be further improved by using more appropriate reference data created based on measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position along the same driving route as the acquired driving route.

[0016] (3) In (2) above, the target measurement results may be the measurement results of the driver who is the subject of the judgment process, and the reference data may be created for each driver who is the subject of the judgment process.

[0017] With this configuration, the accuracy of determining the state of the driver can be further improved by using more appropriate reference data created based on measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of the driver who is the subject of the determination process.

[0018] (4) In (2) or (3) above, the judgment unit performs a process to judge whether an abnormality has occurred in the driver based on the target measurement result, the at least one measurement result includes multiple measurement results, the measurement result acquisition unit acquires the multiple measurement results including the target measurement result, and the reference data may be created based on the target measurement result among the multiple measurement results and the measurement result for which the judgment unit has determined that the abnormality has not occurred.

[0019] With this configuration, the accuracy of determining the driver's condition can be further improved by using, in addition to measurement results from the same driving route as the acquired driving route, more appropriate reference data created based on measurement results in which the driver's condition is determined to be normal in the determination process.

[0020] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the reference data may be created based on the measurement results, and if the measurement results satisfy a predetermined condition, the reference data acquisition unit may exclude the measurement results from the original data from which the reference data was created.

[0021] With this configuration, for example, if the acquired measurement results indicate a change in the driver's center of gravity position when the driver behaves abnormally, the measurement results can be excluded from the data from which the reference data is created, thereby making it possible to create more appropriate reference data.

[0022] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, the reference data may indicate a standard for a change in the center of gravity position when a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle travels along the target route.

[0023] With this configuration, the judgment process can be performed using reference data corresponding to the same model of vehicle as the vehicle driven by the driver who is the subject of the judgment process, thereby further improving the accuracy of judging the driver's condition.

[0024] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the driver state determination device may further include a memory unit that stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the driving route and the reference data, and the reference data acquisition unit may acquire the correspondence information from the memory unit and acquire the reference data based on the correspondence information.

[0025] With this configuration, the reference data to be used in the determination process can be easily identified using the correspondence information.

[0026] (8) An on-board device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an on-board device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information indicating measurement results relating to changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle, a route information acquisition unit that acquires route information indicating the vehicle's driving route corresponding to the measurement results, and a communication unit that transmits the measurement information and the route information to an external device outside the vehicle.

[0027] With this configuration, the external device can determine the driver's condition without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results indicated by the measurement information received from the in-vehicle device and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the driving route indicated by the route information received from the in-vehicle device to determine that the driver's condition is abnormal if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low. Furthermore, in addition to the in-vehicle device for obtaining the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for an in-vehicle device for obtaining other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0028] (9) An in-vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and a driver status determination device, wherein the in-vehicle device transmits measurement information indicating measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle and route information indicating the driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results to the driver status determination device, the driver status determination device acquires reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position on the driving route indicated by the route information received from the in-vehicle device, and the driver status determination device determines the driver's status based on the measurement results indicated by the measurement information received from the in-vehicle device and the reference data.

[0029] With this configuration, the driver's condition can be accurately determined without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the travel route corresponding to the measurement results. For example, if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low, the driver's condition can be determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, in addition to the on-board device for acquiring the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for on-board devices for acquiring other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0030] (10) A driver state determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a driver state determination method in a driver state determination device, and includes the steps of acquiring measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of a vehicle driver, acquiring a driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results, acquiring reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position on a target route, which is the driving route, and performing a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement results and the reference data.

[0031] With this configuration, the driver's condition can be accurately determined without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the travel route corresponding to the measurement results. For example, if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low, the driver's condition can be determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, in addition to the on-board device for acquiring the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for on-board devices for acquiring other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0032] (11) A driver state determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a driver state determination method in an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and a driver state determination device, and includes the steps of: the in-vehicle device transmitting measurement information indicating measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle and route information indicating the driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results to the driver state determination device; the driver state determination device acquiring reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position on the driving route indicated by the route information received from the in-vehicle device; and the driver state determination device determining the driver's state based on the measurement results indicated by the measurement information received from the in-vehicle device and the reference data.

[0033] With this configuration, the driver's condition can be accurately determined without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the travel route corresponding to the measurement results. For example, if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low, the driver's condition can be determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, in addition to the on-board device for acquiring the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for on-board devices for acquiring other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0034] (12) A driver state determination program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a driver state determination program used in a driver state determination device, and is a program for causing a computer to function as a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of a vehicle driver, a driving route acquisition unit that acquires a driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results, a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position on a target route that is the driving route, and a determination unit that performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement results and the reference data.

[0035] With this configuration, the driver's condition can be accurately determined without performing complex determination processing, for example, by using the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position and reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position along the travel route corresponding to the measurement results. For example, if the similarity between the measurement results and the reference data is low, the driver's condition can be determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, in addition to the on-board device for acquiring the measurement results regarding changes in the driver's center of gravity position, it is possible to eliminate the need for on-board devices for acquiring other information used to correct the measurement results. Therefore, the vehicle configuration can be simplified while improving the accuracy of determining the driver's condition.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any manner.

[0037] [Driver State Determination System] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a driver state determination system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 1, a driver state determination system 501 includes one or more in-vehicle devices 101, a server 201, and an operation management device 301. The in-vehicle devices 101 and the server 201 can transmit and receive information via an external network 151 such as the Internet, for example. The server 201 is an example of a driver state determination device. The server 201 is also an example of an external device outside the vehicle 1.

[0038] The in-vehicle device 101 is mounted on a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is, for example, an automobile having a probe function described later, such as a bus, truck, or private car.

[0039] The server 201 and the traffic management device 301 are used, for example, by a business operator or an individual that manages the operation of the vehicle 1. The server 201 and the traffic management device 301 can transmit and receive information via, for example, an external network 151.

[0040] [On-Vehicle Device] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an on-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 2, the on-vehicle device 101 includes an in-vehicle communication unit 11, a measurement information acquisition unit 12, a route information acquisition unit 13, an exterior communication unit 14, and a storage unit 15. Some or all of the in-vehicle communication unit 11, the measurement information acquisition unit 12, the route information acquisition unit 13, and the exterior communication unit 14 are implemented by, for example, a processing circuit including one or more processors. The storage unit 15 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit.

[0041] (Measurement Information Acquisition Unit) The measurement information acquisition unit 12 acquires center-of-gravity position data corresponding to measurement results relating to changes in the center-of-gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1. The center-of-gravity position data is an example of measurement information.

[0042] More specifically, for example, a plurality of pressure sensors 21 are provided on the seat surface of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1. The in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the plurality of pressure sensors 21 via a CAN bus 51A that complies with the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard, for example. The in-vehicle device 101 and each pressure sensor 21 exchange information using a CAN frame that complies with the CAN standard.

[0043] Each pressure sensor 21 measures the pressure applied to the seat surface of the driver's seat by the driver. Each pressure sensor 21 stores sensor information indicating the measurement value, the measurement time, and its own ID (Identifier) ​​(hereinafter also referred to as "sensor ID") in a CAN frame and transmits the sensor information to the in-vehicle device 101. Each pressure sensor 21 measures the pressure and transmits the sensor information, for example, periodically. Here, each pressure sensor 21 measures the pressure at the same measurement time and transmits the sensor information to the in-vehicle device 101 at the same transmission time, for example.

[0044] In the in-vehicle device 101 , when the in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives sensor information from each pressure sensor 21 , it outputs the received multiple pieces of sensor information (hereinafter also referred to as “sensor information group”) to the measurement information acquisition unit 12 .

[0045] The storage unit 15 stores a sensor position list indicating the correspondence between the sensor ID and the position of the pressure sensor 21 on the seat surface of the driver's seat.

[0046] When the measurement information acquisition unit 12 receives a group of sensor information from the in-vehicle communication unit 11, it refers to the sensor position list in the memory unit 15 and identifies the position of the pressure sensor 21 corresponding to the sensor ID indicated by the sensor information for each piece of sensor information.

[0047] Then, the measurement information acquisition unit 12 calculates the position of the center of gravity of the driver on the seat at the corresponding measurement time based on the measurement value indicated by each piece of sensor information and the identified position of each pressure sensor 21. After calculating the position of the center of gravity, the measurement information acquisition unit 12 creates center of gravity information indicating the calculated position of the center of gravity and the measurement time, and stores the information in the storage unit 15. Every time the measurement information acquisition unit 12 receives a group of sensor information from the in-vehicle communication unit 11, it creates the center of gravity information and stores it in the storage unit 15. Note that the position of the center of gravity of the driver may be determined using a camera or an infrared sensor in addition to the pressure sensor 21.

[0048] Then, when the measurement information acquisition unit 12 creates a predetermined number of center of gravity information corresponding to a period of time, for example, from several minutes to 10 minutes, it creates center of gravity position data using the predetermined number of center of gravity information stored in the memory unit 15.

[0049] Specifically, the measurement information acquisition unit 12 calculates a reference position that serves as a reference for the driver's center of gravity position, based on a predetermined number of most recent pieces of center of gravity information stored in the storage unit 15. For example, the measurement information acquisition unit 12 calculates the average of the center of gravity positions included in each piece of center of gravity information as the reference position.

[0050] After calculating the reference position, the measurement information acquiring unit 12 calculates the difference between the calculated reference position and the center of gravity position indicated by the center of gravity information for each piece of center of gravity information (hereinafter also referred to as "center of gravity movement amount"). Then, the measurement information acquiring unit 12 creates center of gravity position data, which is time-series center of gravity movement information, by integrating the calculated center of gravity movement amount with the measurement time indicated by the corresponding center of gravity information.

[0051] After creating the center of gravity position data, the measurement information acquisition unit 12 outputs the created center of gravity position data to the route information acquisition unit 13 .

[0052] (Route Information Acquisition Unit) The route information acquisition unit 13 acquires route information indicating the travel route of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the measurement result regarding the change in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 .

[0053] More specifically, the vehicle 1 is provided with, for example, a navigation device 22. The in-vehicle device 101 is connected to the navigation device 22 via, for example, a CAN bus 51B. The in-vehicle device 101 and the navigation device 22 exchange information using a CAN frame.

[0054] The navigation device 22 generates probe data that combines, for example, the position of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is traveling and the time when the vehicle 1 passes a position. The position of the vehicle 1 is, for example, a coordinate based on radio waves transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The navigation device 22 generates the probe data at each predetermined sampling timing.

[0055] After creating the probe data, the navigation device 22 transmits the created probe data to the in-vehicle device 101 .

[0056] In the in-vehicle device 101 , when the in-vehicle communication unit 11 receives the probe data from the navigation device 22 , the in-vehicle communication unit 11 stores the received probe data in the storage unit 15 .

[0057] When the route information acquisition unit 13 receives the center of gravity position data from the measurement information acquisition unit 12, it reads out a plurality of probe data (hereinafter also referred to as a “probe data group”) corresponding to the center of gravity position data from the plurality of probe data stored in the memory unit 15.

[0058] Specifically, the probe data group is a plurality of pieces of probe data stored in the storage unit 15 that are created during the period from the earliest measurement time to the latest measurement time in the center of gravity position data received from the measurement information acquisition unit 12. Then, the route information acquisition unit 13 identifies the travel route of the vehicle 1, which is the trajectory of the positions indicated by each piece of probe data belonging to the probe data group.

[0059] When the route information acquisition unit 13 identifies the driving route, it outputs the center of gravity position data, the probe data group, and route information indicating the driving route to the exterior communication unit 14.

[0060] Hereinafter, the travel route when vehicle 1 travels from point A to point C via point B will also be referred to as "route R1," and the travel route when vehicle 1 travels from point B to point E via point D will also be referred to as "route R2." Note that the names "route R1" and "route R2" are similarly used for other vehicles.

[0061] The in-vehicle device 101 and each pressure sensor 21, as well as the in-vehicle device 101 and the navigation device 22, may be configured to communicate in accordance with standards other than CAN, such as CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data Rate), Ethernet (registered trademark), FlexRay (registered trademark), MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) (registered trademark), and LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

[0062] (External Communication Unit) The external communication unit 14 transmits the center of gravity position data acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 12 and the probe data acquired by the route information acquisition unit 13 to the server 201 .

[0063] More specifically, the exterior-vehicle communication unit 14 communicates with the server 201 via the external network 151 by wirelessly communicating with a device such as a wireless base station device (not shown) in accordance with a communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), or 5G. Note that the exterior-vehicle communication unit 14 is not limited to a configuration in which it communicates with the server 201 via the wireless base station device and the external network 151, and may be configured to communicate with the server 201 via a wired line. Furthermore, the exterior-vehicle communication unit 14 may be configured to communicate with the server 201 further via another in-vehicle device.

[0064] More specifically, upon receiving the center-of-gravity position data, the probe data group, and the route information from the route information acquisition unit 13, the exterior communication unit 14 creates evaluation data that integrates the center-of-gravity position data, the probe data group, and the route information. Specifically, the evaluation data indicates passing points and time-series changes in the amount of center-of-gravity movement when the vehicle 1 travels the travel route indicated by the route information.

[0065] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of evaluation data generated by the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the amount of center-of-gravity movement [cm].

[0066] 3, the evaluation data indicates, for example, a time series change in the amount of center of gravity shift when vehicle 1 travels along route R1. The amount of center of gravity shift at time t0 when vehicle 1 passes point A is "g1." The amount of center of gravity shift at time t2 when vehicle 1 passes point B is "g2." The amount of center of gravity shift at time t3 when vehicle 1 passes point C is "g3."

[0067] Referring again to Figure 2, the external communication unit 14 further transmits to the server 201 vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 1 and driver identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "driver ID") for identifying the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0068] More specifically, the storage unit 15 stores vehicle type information and a driver ID. After creating the evaluation data, the external communication unit 14 transmits determination information including the evaluation data, the vehicle type information, and the driver ID to the server 201.

[0069] Specifically, for example, the exterior-vehicle communication unit 14 creates an IP packet that includes the determination information and includes, as a source address and a destination IP address, the IP address of its own in-vehicle device 101 and the IP address of the server 201. Then, the exterior-vehicle communication unit 14 transmits the created IP packet to the server 201 via the wireless base station device and the external network 151.

[0070] [Server] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 4, server 201 includes a communication unit 31, a reference data acquisition unit 32, a determination unit 33, and a storage unit 34. Some or all of communication unit 31, reference data acquisition unit 32, and determination unit 33 are realized, for example, by a processing circuit including one or more processors. Storage unit 34 is, for example, a non-volatile memory included in the processing circuit. Communication unit 31 is an example of a measurement result acquisition unit and an example of a travel route acquisition unit.

[0071] The communication unit 31 acquires measurement results, specifically, determination information, related to changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1. The communication unit 31 also acquires a travel route of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the acquired determination information.

[0072] More specifically, when the communication unit 31 receives an IP packet containing judgment information from the in-vehicle device 101 via the wireless base station device and the external network 151, it adds a data ID to the judgment information and stores it in the memory unit 34, and outputs an acquisition notification to the reference data acquisition unit 32 indicating that the judgment information has been acquired and the data ID.

[0073] The reference data acquisition unit 32 acquires reference data indicating a standard for a change in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 on the travel route (hereinafter also referred to as the "target route") acquired by the communication unit 31. For example, the reference data indicates a standard for a change in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 when a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle 1 travels on the target route.

[0074] More specifically, the reference data indicates the standard for change in center of gravity position when a vehicle of the same model as the model indicated by the vehicle model information included in the judgment information acquired by the communication unit 31 travels along the target route indicated by the evaluation data included in the judgment information.

[0075] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table stored by the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] 4 and 5, for example, the reference data acquiring unit 32 acquires a correspondence table Tb1 indicating a correspondence relationship between a driver ID, a vehicle type, a driving route, and reference data indicating a standard for a change in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 along the driving route. Then, the reference data acquiring unit 32 acquires the reference data based on the acquired correspondence table Tb1. The correspondence table Tb1 is an example of correspondence information.

[0077] More specifically, for example, the storage unit 34 stores a correspondence table Tb1. In the correspondence table Tb1, the reference data corresponding to the driver ID "001", the vehicle model "XXX", and the travel route "Route R1" is "Reference Data S1". The reference data corresponding to the driver ID "002", the vehicle model "YYY", and the travel route "Route R1" is "Reference Data S2". The reference data corresponding to the driver ID "003", the vehicle model "XXX", and the travel route "Route R2" is "Reference Data S3". The reference data corresponding to the driver ID "004", the vehicle model "YYY", and the travel route "Route R2" is "None". The "Number of Data" shown in FIG. 5 will be described later.

[0078] For example, the communication unit 31 acquires determination information as a measurement result regarding a change in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 on a target route (hereinafter also referred to as a "target measurement result"). The reference data may be created based on the target measurement result acquired by the communication unit 31. Here, the driver of the vehicle 1 is a driver who is the target of the determination process described below.

[0079] Here, for example, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a data creation process to create reference data based on the target measurement results acquired by the communication unit 31 .

[0080] More specifically, the reference data acquisition unit 32 creates the reference data based on the evaluation data included in the determination information acquired by the communication unit 31. In other words, the evaluation data may be the source data from which the reference data is created.

[0081] Specifically, the correspondence table Tb1 shows the correspondence between the driver ID, vehicle type, driving route, and reference data, as well as the correspondence between the reference data and the number of pieces of original data stored in the memory unit 34 (hereinafter also referred to as "number of pieces of data K").

[0082] In the correspondence table Tb1 shown in FIG. 5, the number of data K corresponding to the driver ID "001", the vehicle model "XXX", and the travel route "Route R1" is "120". The number of data K corresponding to the driver ID "002", the vehicle model "YYY", and the travel route "Route R1" is "80". The number of data K corresponding to the driver ID "003", the vehicle model "XXX", and the travel route "Route R2" is "100". The number of data K corresponding to the driver ID "004", the vehicle model "YYY", and the travel route "Route R2" is "79".

[0083] When the reference data acquisition unit 32 receives an acquisition notification from the communication unit 31, it acquires the correspondence table Tb1 and judgment information (hereinafter also referred to as "judgment information S") to which the data ID indicated in the acquisition notification has been added from the storage unit 34. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 identifies the driver ID, the vehicle model indicated by the vehicle model information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data included in the judgment information S. Furthermore, by referring to the correspondence table Tb1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines whether the number of data K corresponding to the identified driver ID, vehicle model, and target route is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold Th1.

[0084] (When the number of data is less than the threshold value) When the number of data K is less than the threshold value Th1, the reference data acquiring unit 32 determines whether the evaluation data included in the determination information S satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0085] For example, if the determination information S acquired by the communication unit 31 satisfies a predetermined condition, the reference data acquisition unit 32 does not use the determination information S as source data for creating the reference data.

[0086] More specifically, for example, when the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines that the number of data K is less than the threshold value Th1, it calculates the amount of change in the center of gravity movement per specified unit time based on the evaluation data included in the judgment information S.

[0087] When the calculated change amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th2, the reference data acquiring unit 32 determines that the change amount is due to abnormal behavior by the driver (hereinafter also referred to as "abnormal change amount"). Here, abnormal behavior includes, for example, sudden braking and abrupt steering.

[0088] If the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines that the calculated amount of change is an abnormal amount of change, it decides not to use the evaluation data included in the determination information S as source data for creating the reference data, and then discards the determination information S from the storage unit 34.

[0089] On the other hand, if the calculated amount of change is less than threshold value Th2, the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines that the amount of change is not an abnormal amount of change. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines that the evaluation data included in the determination information S is to be used as source data for creating the reference data. Hereinafter, the evaluation data used as source data for creating the reference data will also be referred to as "evaluation data Da."

[0090] <Registration of Evaluation Data> The storage unit 34 stores a management table Tb2 that indicates the source data of the reference data. Specifically, the management table Tb2 indicates the correspondence between the driver ID, the vehicle type, the driving route, and the evaluation data.

[0091] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management table stored by the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] Referring to Figure 6, in management table Tb2, for example, evaluation data "evaluation data D11" corresponding to driver ID "001", vehicle model "XXX", and driving route "route R1", evaluation data "evaluation data D12" corresponding to driver ID "002", vehicle model "YYY", and driving route "route R1", and evaluation data "evaluation data D13" corresponding to driver ID "003", vehicle model "XXX", and driving route "route R2" are registered as source data for creating reference data.

[0093] 4 , when the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines to use the evaluation data Da included in the determination information S as the source data for creating the reference data, it reads out the management table Tb2 in the storage unit 34. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 registers the evaluation data Da in the management table Tb2 in association with the driver ID included in the determination information S, the vehicle type indicated by the vehicle type information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data Da.

[0094] <Updating the Number of Data> Furthermore, when the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines to use the evaluation data Da included in the determination information S as source data for creating the reference data, it updates the number of data K in the correspondence table Tb1 shown in FIG. 5. Hereinafter, the reference data corresponding to the evaluation data Da will also be referred to as "reference data St," and the source data for creating the reference data St will also be referred to as "source data Dn." Each source data Dn is, for example, data indicating the same probe data group and route information.

[0095] Specifically, the reference data acquisition unit 32 adds one to the number of pieces of data K in the correspondence table Tb1 that correspond to the driver ID included in the determination information S, the vehicle type included in the vehicle type information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data Da. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 determines whether the number of pieces of data K after the addition is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th1.

[0096] If the number K of data items after the addition is less than the threshold value Th1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 does not perform the data creation process.

[0097] On the other hand, when the number of data K after the addition is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs the data creation process.

[0098] More specifically, for example, when the number of data K after addition is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1, the reference data acquiring unit 32 acquires evaluation data other than the evaluation data Da from the source data Dn used to create the reference data St, from the storage unit 34. Then, the reference data acquiring unit 32 creates the reference data St based on the evaluation data Da and the other evaluation data.

[0099] Specifically, the reference data acquiring unit 32 calculates an average value of the center-of-gravity movement amount at each measurement time based on the center-of-gravity position data indicated by each source data Dn, and then generates averaged data indicating time-series changes in the average value of the center-of-gravity movement amount by associating the calculated average value with the measurement time.

[0100] The reference data acquiring unit 32 associates the created averaged data with the probe data group and route information common to each of the source data Dn to create standard data St. Note that the reference data acquiring unit 32 may select one of the source data Dn as the standard data St according to some criteria other than the average.

[0101] After creating the standard data St, the reference data acquisition unit 32 stores the created standard data St in the storage unit 34 and registers the created standard data St in the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 34.

[0102] In the example shown in Figure 5, when the number of data K corresponding to the driver ID "004", the vehicle model "YYY" and the driving route "route R2" reaches or exceeds the threshold value Th1 and the reference data acquisition unit 32 creates the reference data S4, the reference data acquisition unit 32 stores the reference data S4 in the memory unit 34 and registers the reference data S4 in the correspondence table Tb1.

[0103] (When the number of data is greater than or equal to the threshold value) When the number of data K is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 identifies the reference data corresponding to the target route indicated by the evaluation data included in the judgment information S by referring to the correspondence table Tb1.

[0104] When the reference data acquisition unit 32 identifies the reference data, it acquires the identified reference data from the storage unit 34. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 outputs, to the judgment unit 33, judgment request information including the evaluation data included in the judgment information S and the reference data acquired from the storage unit 34.

[0105] The correspondence table Tb1 shown in FIG. 5 may not include a "Driver ID" field. The correspondence table Tb1 may include a "Driver ID" field, but the driver ID data may be set to null and data such as reference data may be included. In this case, for example, when multiple pieces of reference data corresponding to the target route indicated by the evaluation data are registered in the correspondence table Tb1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 acquires, as reference data, data obtained by weighting and adding the reference data.

[0106] <Determination Process> The determination unit 33 performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the determination information S acquired by the communication unit 31 and the reference data acquired by the reference data acquisition unit 32 .

[0107] More specifically, for example, the determination unit 33 performs the determination process to determine whether there is an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle 1. Here, the abnormality in the driver is an abnormality that may lead to an accident involving the vehicle 1, such as fatigue or drowsiness.

[0108] Specifically, for example, when the determination unit 33 receives determination request information from the reference data acquisition unit 32, it performs a comparison process to compare the evaluation data included in the determination information S with the reference data included in the determination request information. The determination process performed based on the comparison result between the cross-correlation coefficient and the threshold value Th3, which will be described below, is also referred to as a first determination process.

[0109] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a comparison process performed by a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] The upper diagram of Fig. 7 shows evaluation data D11, which is an example of evaluation data used in the comparison process, and the lower diagram of Fig. 7 shows an example of reference data S1, which is an example of reference data used in the comparison process.

[0111] 4 and 7, for example, the determination unit 33 compares the evaluation data D11 with the reference data S1 and calculates, as a comparison result, a cross-correlation coefficient between the evaluation data D11 and the reference data S1. The cross-correlation coefficient indicates the similarity between the evaluation data D11 and the reference data S1.

[0112] The cross-correlation coefficient is calculated as, for example, a value between 0 and 1. For example, if the cross-correlation coefficient is close to 1, the evaluation data D11 is similar to the reference data S1. On the other hand, if the cross-correlation coefficient is close to 0, the evaluation data D11 is not similar to the reference data S1.

[0113] After calculating the cross-correlation coefficient, the determining unit 33 determines whether the calculated cross-correlation coefficient is less than a predetermined threshold value Th3. The threshold value Th3 is, for example, a value greater than 0 and less than 1.

[0114] If the calculated cross-correlation coefficient is less than the threshold value Th3, the determination unit 33 determines that the driver's condition is abnormal and outputs an abnormality notification to the communication unit 31, indicating that the driver's condition is abnormal.

[0115] Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, when communication unit 31 receives the abnormality notification from determination unit 33, communication unit 31 transmits the abnormality notification to traffic management device 301 via external network 151.

[0116] When the traffic management device 301 receives the abnormality notification from the server 201 via the external network 151, the traffic management device 301 displays the received abnormality notification on its own monitor or the like.

[0117] Furthermore, when the communication unit 31 receives an abnormality notification from the determination unit 33, it transmits an IP packet including the abnormality notification to the navigation device 22 of the vehicle 1 via the external network 151 and the wireless base station device.

[0118] When the navigation device 22 receives the abnormality notification from the server 201 via the external network 151 and the wireless base station device, the navigation device 22 displays the received abnormality notification on its own monitor or the like.

[0119] On the other hand, if the calculated cross-correlation coefficient is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th3, the determination unit 33 determines that the driver's condition is normal.

[0120] The judgment unit 33 is not limited to a configuration that performs judgment processing based on the comparison result between the cross-correlation coefficient and the threshold value Th3, but may also be configured to perform judgment processing (hereinafter also referred to as the second judgment processing) using a learning model L that outputs a judgment result regarding the state of the driver of the vehicle 1.

[0121] More specifically, for example, the determination unit 33 generates the learning model L by supervised learning. Specifically, for example, the determination unit 33 acquires in advance a teacher data set including evaluation data when the driver's condition is normal and evaluation data when the driver's condition is abnormal, and uses the teacher data set to generate the learning model L. Then, the determination unit 33 stores the generated learning model L in the storage unit 34.

[0122] When the judgment unit 33 receives the judgment request information from the reference data acquisition unit 32, it acquires the learning model L from the storage unit 34. Then, the judgment unit 33 inputs the evaluation data included in the judgment information S and the reference data included in the judgment request information to the learning model L, and acquires the judgment result output from the learning model L.

[0123] When the learning model L outputs a determination result indicating that the driver's condition is abnormal, the determination unit 33 transmits abnormality occurrence information to the traffic management device 301 and the navigation device 22. On the other hand, when the learning model L outputs a determination result indicating that the driver's condition is normal, the determination unit 33 outputs data normality information to the reference data acquisition unit 32.

[0124] Furthermore, the determination unit 33 may perform a determination process (hereinafter also referred to as a third determination process) using the number of points in the evaluation data where a center of gravity shift amount equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th4 is measured.

[0125] Specifically, for example, in the data creation process, the reference data acquisition unit 32 counts the number of points (hereinafter also referred to as "abnormal points") where the amount of center-of-gravity movement measured is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th4 for each evaluation data. Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 stores the average value of the number of abnormal points in the multiple evaluation data as an average value of abnormal points in the correspondence table Tb1, corresponding to the corresponding standard data.

[0126] In the third determination process, the determination unit 33 counts the number of abnormal points in the evaluation data included in the determination information S. Then, the determination unit 33 calculates the difference between the counted number and the number of abnormal points counted in the reference data (or the average value of the number of abnormal points counted in the data from which the reference data was created), and determines whether the calculated difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value Th5.

[0127] If the calculated difference is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th5, the determination unit 33 determines that the driver's condition is abnormal. On the other hand, if the calculated difference is less than the threshold value Th5, the determination unit 33 determines that the driver's condition is normal.

[0128] <Updating of reference data> Referring again to Figure 4, for example, when the judgment unit 33 judges that the driver's condition is normal, it outputs a normal notification indicating that the condition is normal, and data normality information including the evaluation data D11 and the reference data S1 used in the judgment process, to the reference data acquisition unit 32.

[0129] When the reference data acquisition unit 32 receives the data normality information from the determination unit 33, it determines to use the evaluation data D11 included in the data normality information as the source data for creating new reference data.

[0130] More specifically, for example, when the reference data acquisition unit 32 receives data normality information from the determination unit 33, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a table update process to register the evaluation data included in the data normality information in the management table Tb2.

[0131] Specifically, when the reference data acquisition unit 32 receives the data normality information from the determination unit 33, it reads out the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 34. Then, by referring to the correspondence table Tb1, the reference data acquisition unit 32 identifies the driver ID, vehicle type, and driving route that correspond to the reference data S1 included in the data normality information.

[0132] Then, as a table update process, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a process of registering the evaluation data included in the data normality information, as well as the identified driver ID, vehicle type, and driving route in the management table Tb2.

[0133] Hereinafter, evaluation data D50 will be described as an example of evaluation data included in the data normality information. Also, driver ID "050", vehicle model "ZZZ", and travel route "route R2" will be described as examples of a driver ID, vehicle model, and travel route corresponding to the reference data included in the data normality information.

[0134] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the management table after the table update process by the server according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0135] Referring to Figure 8, in the updated management table Tb2, evaluation data "evaluation data D50" corresponding to driver ID "050", vehicle model "ZZZ" and driving route "route R2" has been newly registered as the source data for creating the reference data.

[0136] Referring again to FIGS. 4 and 5, the reference data obtaining unit 32 updates the reference data after performing the table update process.

[0137] More specifically, for example, the reference data is created based on the target measurement result among the multiple measurement results acquired by the communication unit 31 and the measurement result when the judgment unit 33 judges that no abnormality has occurred.

[0138] Specifically, when the reference data acquisition unit 32 receives data normality information from the judgment unit 33, it identifies the reference data S1 included in the data normality information and acquires from the memory unit 34 other evaluation data than the evaluation data D11 from the original data from which the reference data S1 was created and which is stored in the memory unit 34.

[0139] Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 creates new reference data in a manner similar to the data creation process described above, stores the created new reference data in the memory unit 34, and registers the created reference data St in the correspondence table Tb1 in the memory unit 34.

[0140] [Operation Flow] FIG. 9 is a flowchart defining an operation procedure when the in-vehicle device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure performs a process of transmitting the determination information S.

[0141] 9 , first, the in-vehicle device 101 acquires center-of-gravity position data corresponding to measurement results regarding changes in the center-of-gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle device 101 creates center-of-gravity position data using a predetermined number of most recent center-of-gravity information pieces stored in the storage unit 15 (step S101).

[0142] Next, the on-board device 101 acquires route information indicating a travel route of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the created center-of-gravity position data. For example, as described above, the on-board device 101 acquires a group of probe data created during the period from the earliest measurement time to the latest measurement time in the center-of-gravity position data from among the multiple probe data stored in the storage unit 15. Then, the on-board device 101 identifies a travel route indicating a trajectory of positions indicated by each probe data belonging to the acquired group of probe data (step S102).

[0143] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 generates evaluation data that associates the center-of-gravity position data, the probe data group, and route information indicating the driving route (step S103).

[0144] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 acquires vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 1 and the driver ID from the storage unit 15 (step S104).

[0145] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits the evaluation data and the determination information S including the vehicle model information and the driver ID to the server 201 (step S105).

[0146] 10 and 11 are flowcharts defining an operation procedure when a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performs a determination process.

[0147] Referring to Figures 10 and 11, first, the server 201 waits for the judgment information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (NO in step S201), and when it receives the judgment information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (YES in step S201), it refers to the correspondence table Tb1 in the memory unit 34 to determine whether the number of data K corresponding to the driver ID included in the judgment information S, the vehicle model indicated by the vehicle model information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1 (step S202).

[0148] Then, if the number of data K is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1 (YES in step S202), the server 201 identifies the reference data corresponding to the evaluation data contained in the judgment information S by referring to the correspondence table Tb1 in the memory unit 34 (step S203).

[0149] Next, the server 201 performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the evaluation data included in the determination information S and the specified reference data (step S204).

[0150] Next, if the server 201 determines in the judgment process that the condition of the driver of the vehicle 1 is abnormal (YES in step S205), it sends an abnormality notification indicating that the condition is abnormal to the operation management device 301 and the navigation device 22 installed in the vehicle 1 (step S206), and waits for new judgment information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (step S201).

[0151] On the other hand, if the server 201 determines in the determination process that the driver of the vehicle 1 is in a normal state (NO in step S205), it determines to use the evaluation data used in the determination process as the source data for creating the reference data. Then, the server 201 performs a table update process to register the evaluation data in the management table Tb2 in the storage unit 34 (step S207).

[0152] Next, the server 201 updates the reference data using the evaluation data that has been determined to be used as the source data for creating the reference data. For example, as described above, the server 201 creates new reference data based on the evaluation data and other evaluation data stored in the storage unit 34 (step S208), and waits for new determination information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (step S201).

[0153] If the number of data K is less than the threshold value Th1 (NO in step S202), the server 201 determines whether or not the evaluation data included in the determination information S received from the in-vehicle device 101 satisfies a predetermined condition. Here, the server 201 determines whether or not the evaluation data D11 included in the determination information S satisfies a predetermined condition (step S209).

[0154] If the evaluation data D11 satisfies a predetermined condition (YES in step S209), the server 201 determines not to use the evaluation data D11 as source data for creating the reference data. For example, as described above, the server 201 discards the determination information S including the evaluation data D11 from the storage unit 34 (step S210), and waits for new determination information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (step S201).

[0155] On the other hand, if the evaluation data D11 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (NO in step S209), the server 201 determines to use the evaluation data D11 as the source data for creating the reference data. Then, the server 201 performs a table update process to register the evaluation data D11 in the management table Tb2 in the storage unit 34 (step S211).

[0156] Next, the server 201 adds one to the number of data K in the correspondence table Tb1 in the memory unit 34 that corresponds to the driver ID included in the judgment information S, the vehicle model indicated by the vehicle model information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data D11 (step S212).

[0157] Next, if the number of data K after addition is greater than or equal to the threshold value Th1 (YES in step S213), the server 201 creates reference data based on the evaluation data D11 and other evaluation data other than the evaluation data D11 stored in the memory unit 34 (step S214), and waits for new judgment information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (step S201).

[0158] On the other hand, if the number of pieces of data K after the addition is less than the threshold value Th1 (NO in step S213), the server 201 waits for new determination information S from the in-vehicle device 101 (step S201 shown in FIG. 10).

[0159] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of processes performed by the in-vehicle device, the server, the fleet management device, and the navigation device in the driver state determination system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0160] 12 , first, the in-vehicle device 101 acquires center-of-gravity position data corresponding to measurement results regarding changes in the center-of-gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1. For example, as described above, the in-vehicle device 101 creates center-of-gravity position data using a predetermined number of most recent center-of-gravity information pieces stored in the storage unit 15 (step S301).

[0161] Next, the on-board device 101 acquires route information indicating a travel route of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the created center-of-gravity position data. For example, as described above, the on-board device 101 acquires a group of probe data created during the period from the earliest measurement time to the latest measurement time in the center-of-gravity position data from among the multiple probe data stored in the storage unit 15. Then, the on-board device 101 identifies a travel route indicating a trajectory of positions indicated by each probe data belonging to the acquired group of probe data (step S302).

[0162] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 generates evaluation data that associates the center-of-gravity position data, the probe data group, and route information indicating the identified driving route (step S303).

[0163] Next, the in-vehicle device 101 transmits the determination information S, which includes the created evaluation data, vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model of the vehicle 1, and the driver ID, to the server 201 (step S304).

[0164] Next, the server 201 determines whether the number of data K corresponding to the driver ID included in the determination information S, the vehicle model indicated by the vehicle model information, and the target route indicated by the evaluation data is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th1 by referring to the correspondence table Tb1 stored in the storage unit 34. Here, it is assumed that the server 201 determines that the number of data K is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1 (step S305).

[0165] Next, the server 201 refers to the correspondence table Tb1 in the storage unit 34 to identify the reference data corresponding to the evaluation data included in the determination information S (step S306).

[0166] Next, the server 201 performs a determination process to determine whether there is an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the evaluation data included in the determination information S and the identified reference data (step S307).

[0167] Next, in the determination process, the server 201 determines that the state of the driver of the vehicle 1 is abnormal (step S308).

[0168] Next, the server 201 transmits an abnormality notification indicating that the driver of the vehicle 1 is in an abnormal state to the operation management device 301 (step S309).

[0169] Next, when the traffic management device 301 receives the abnormality notification from the server 201, it displays the received abnormality notification on its own monitor or the like (step S310).

[0170] Next, the server 201 transmits an abnormality notification to the navigation device 22 provided in the vehicle 1 (step S311).

[0171] Next, when the navigation device 22 receives the abnormality notification from the server 201, the navigation device 22 displays the received abnormality notification on its own monitor or the like (step S312). Note that the processing of steps S311 and S312 may be executed in a reverse order to the processing of steps S309 and S310, or may be executed in parallel.

[0172] [Modification] The extra-vehicle communication unit 14 in the in-vehicle device 101 shown in FIG. 2 may be configured to transmit determination information that does not include the driver ID, i.e., determination information that includes evaluation data and vehicle model information, to the server 201. Alternatively, the extra-vehicle communication unit 14 may be configured to transmit determination information that includes the driver ID, but the driver ID is not included in the correspondence table Tb1. The correspondence table Tb1 may be configured to include the driver ID, but the driver ID data may be entered as Null, and data such as reference data may be included. Furthermore, in the server 201, when updating the reference data, the reference data acquisition unit 32 may perform a data adjustment process to associate the passing time at a predetermined point indicated by the reference data before the update with the passing time at a predetermined point indicated by the evaluation data D50.

[0173] More specifically, for example, the speed of the vehicle while driving may differ from driver to driver, and in this case, the time at which each point on the travel route is passed will differ from driver to driver.

[0174] Therefore, in the modified example, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a data adjustment process when updating the reference data.

[0175] 13 is a diagram illustrating data adjustment processing by a modified example of a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 13, the graph on the left in the upper diagram shows evaluation data D50 before the data adjustment processing. The graph on the right in the upper diagram shows evaluation data D50 after the data adjustment processing. The graph in the lower diagram shows reference data S3 corresponding to evaluation data D50.

[0176] The vehicle type corresponding to the reference data S3 is the same as the vehicle type corresponding to the evaluation data D50. The travel route indicated by the reference data S3 is the same "route R2" as the travel route indicated by the evaluation data D50.

[0177] Referring to Figure 13, in the data adjustment process, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a process of shrinking or expanding the horizontal axis of the graph showing the evaluation data D50 so that the passing times at points D and E indicated by the evaluation data D50 are the same as the passing times at points D and E indicated by the standard data S3, specifically, correcting each measurement time in the evaluation data D50.

[0178] 13, the passing times at points D and E in the evaluation data D50 before the data adjustment process are later than the passing times at points D and E indicated by the reference data S3. Therefore, in the data adjustment process, the reference data acquisition unit 32 performs a process of reducing the horizontal axis in the graph on the left side of the upper diagram in FIG.

[0179] Then, the reference data acquisition unit 32 stores the evaluation data D50 after the data adjustment process in the storage unit 34, and updates the reference data in the same manner as in the data creation process described above.

[0180] In the driver state determination system 501 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference data is configured to be created based on measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of a driver who is the same as the driver of the vehicle 1, along the same travel route as the target route, but this is not limited to this. The reference data may also be configured to be created based on measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of a driver different from the driver of the vehicle 1, along the same travel route as the target route.

[0181] Furthermore, in the driver state determination system 501 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference data is configured to be created based on measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 on the target route, but this is not limited to this. The reference data may be configured to be created based on measurement results regarding changes in the center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle 1 on a travel route other than the target route.

[0182] Furthermore, in the server 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference data is configured to be updated based on the target measurement result acquired by the communication unit 31 and the measurement result when the determination unit 33 determines that no abnormality has occurred, but this is not limited to this. The reference data may be configured not to be updated after it has been created once.

[0183] Furthermore, in the server 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference data acquisition unit 32 is configured not to use the evaluation data included in the determination information S acquired by the communication unit 31 as source data for creating the reference data if the evaluation data satisfies a predetermined condition, but this is not limited to this. The reference data acquisition unit 32 may be configured to use the evaluation data included in the determination information S as source data for creating the reference data, regardless of whether the evaluation data satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0184] Furthermore, in the server 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference data acquisition unit 32 is configured to acquire, as the reference data, standard data indicating a standard for a change in the position of the center of gravity of the driver when a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle 1 travels along the target route, but this is not limited to this. The reference data acquisition unit 32 may also be configured to acquire, as the reference data, standard data indicating a standard for a change in the position of the center of gravity of the driver when a vehicle of a model different from the vehicle 1 travels along the target route.

[0185] In addition, in the driver state determination system 501 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 201 is configured to include the storage unit 34 that stores the correspondence table Tb1, but this is not limited to this. A device other than the server 201 may store the correspondence table Tb1, and the server 201 may receive a notification regarding the reference data corresponding to the target route indicated by the evaluation data from the other device.

[0186] Furthermore, in the driver state determination system 501 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 201 is configured to create the reference data, but this is not limiting. The server 201 may also be configured to acquire reference data created by a device other than the server 201.

[0187] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the server 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided by cloud computing, i.e., the server 201 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a cloud server configured by a plurality of servers.

[0188] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0189] Each process (each function) in the above-described embodiments is realized by a processing circuit including one or more processors. The processing circuit may be configured as an integrated circuit or the like that combines one or more memories, various analog circuits, and various digital circuits in addition to one or more processors. The one or more memories store programs (instructions) that cause the one or more processors to execute each process. The one or more processors may execute each process according to a program read from one or more memories, or may execute each process according to a logic circuit designed in advance to execute each process. The processor may be any of various processors suitable for computer control, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Note that multiple physically separated processors may cooperate with each other to execute each process. For example, processors installed in multiple physically separated computers may cooperate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet to execute each process. The program may be installed into memory from an external server device or the like via a network, or may be distributed in a state stored on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a semiconductor memory, and then installed into memory from the recording medium.

[0190] The above description includes the features noted below. [Note 1] A driver condition determination device comprising: a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires measurement results related to changes in a center of gravity position of a vehicle driver; a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results; a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data that indicates a reference for changes in the center of gravity position along a target route that is the travel route; and a determination unit that performs determination processing to determine a state of the driver based on the measurement results and the reference data, wherein the measurement result acquisition unit acquires a plurality of pieces of measurement data respectively corresponding to the plurality of measurement results, and the reference data acquisition unit performs data creation processing to create the reference data based on the plurality of pieces of measurement data, and the driver condition determination device further comprises: a storage unit that stores the plurality of pieces of measurement data, and the reference data acquisition unit decides to perform the data creation processing when the number of the plurality of pieces of measurement data stored in the storage unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0191] [Supplementary Note 2] An on-board device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires center of gravity information indicating measurement results relating to changes in the center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle; a route information acquisition unit that acquires route information indicating a driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results; and a communication unit that transmits the measurement information and the route information to an external device outside the vehicle, wherein the communication unit further transmits vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model and driver identification information for identifying the driver to the external device.

[0192] [Supplementary Note 3] A driver state determination device comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit: acquires measurement results relating to changes in the center of gravity position of a vehicle driver; acquires a driving route of the vehicle corresponding to the acquired measurement results; acquires reference data indicating a standard for changes in the center of gravity position on a target route, which is the acquired driving route; and performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement results and the reference data.

[0193] [Supplementary Note 4] An on-board device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a processing circuit, wherein the processing circuit acquires measurement information indicating measurement results relating to changes in a center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle, acquires route information indicating a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement results, and transmits the acquired measurement information and the acquired route information to an external device outside the vehicle.

[0194] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle 11 In-vehicle communication unit 12 Measurement information acquisition unit 13 Route information acquisition unit 14 Out-vehicle communication unit 15, 34 Memory unit 21 Pressure sensor 22 Navigation device 31 Communication unit 32 Reference data acquisition unit 33 Determination unit 51A, 51B CAN bus 101 In-vehicle device 151 External network 201 Server 301 Traffic management device 501 Driver state determination system Tb1 Correspondence table Tb2 Management table R1, R2 Route

Claims

1. a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires at least one measurement result relating to a change in a center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle; a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data indicating a reference for a change in the center of gravity position along a target route that is the travel route; a determination unit that performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement result and the reference data.

2. the measurement result acquisition unit acquires a target measurement result, which is the measurement result for the target route; The driver's state determination device according to claim 1 , wherein the reference data is created based on the target measurement results.

3. The driver state determination device according to claim 2 , wherein the target measurement results are the measurement results of the driver who is the subject of the determination process, and the reference data is created for each of the drivers who is the subject of the determination process.

4. The determination unit performs a process of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the driver based on the target measurement result, the at least one measurement result includes a plurality of measurement results; the measurement result acquisition unit acquires the plurality of measurement results including the target measurement result, 4. The driver state determination device according to claim 2, wherein the reference data is created based on the target measurement result and the measurement result for which the determination unit has determined that the abnormality has not occurred, among the plurality of measurement results.

5. the reference data acquisition unit creates the reference data based on the measurement results, 3. The driver state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the reference data acquisition unit excludes the measurement result from the source data used to create the reference data when the measurement result satisfies a predetermined condition.

6. 3. The driver state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the reference data indicates a reference for a change in the center of gravity position when a vehicle of the same model as the vehicle travels along the target route.

7. 3. The driver state determination device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that stores correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the driving route and the reference data, and the reference data acquisition unit acquires the correspondence information from the memory unit and acquires the reference data based on the correspondence information.

8. An in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle, a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information indicating a measurement result regarding a change in a center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle; a route information acquisition unit that acquires route information indicating a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; a communication unit that transmits the measurement information and the route information to an external device outside the vehicle.

9. an on-board device mounted in a vehicle; a driver state determination device, the on-board device transmits to the driver state determination device measurement information indicating a measurement result regarding a change in a center of gravity position of the driver of the vehicle and route information indicating a traveling route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; the driver state determination device acquires reference data indicating a criterion for a change in the center of gravity position along the travel route indicated by the route information received from the in-vehicle device, The driver's state determination device determines the state of the driver based on the measurement results indicated by the measurement information received from the in-vehicle device and the reference data.

10. A driver state determination method in a driver state determination device, obtaining measurements of changes in the center of gravity of a driver of the vehicle; acquiring a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; acquiring reference data indicating a standard for a change in the center of gravity position along a target route that is the travel route; and performing a determination process for determining the state of the driver based on the measurement result and the reference data.

11. A driver state determination method in an in-vehicle system including an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle and a driver state determination device, transmitting, to the driver state determination device, measurement information indicating a measurement result relating to a change in a center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle and route information indicating a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; a step in which the driver state determination device acquires reference data indicating a criterion for a change in the center-of-gravity position along the traveling route indicated by the route information received from the in-vehicle device; A driver state determination method comprising a step in which the driver state determination device determines the state of the driver based on the measurement results indicated by the measurement information received from the in-vehicle device and the reference data.

12. A driver state determination program used in a driver state determination device, Computer, a measurement result acquisition unit that acquires measurement results relating to changes in the center of gravity position of a driver of the vehicle; a travel route acquisition unit that acquires a travel route of the vehicle corresponding to the measurement result; a reference data acquisition unit that acquires reference data indicating a reference for a change in the center of gravity position along a target route that is the travel route; a determination unit that performs a determination process to determine the state of the driver based on the measurement result and the reference data; A driver state determination program to function as a