Control device, control method, control program, and storage medium

Abstract

One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium that make it possible to automatically control an operation state of a monitoring function for preventing an individual from being left behind in a vehicle according to a situation when the vehicle is parked.　This control device controls the monitoring function for an individual left behind in a vehicle and includes: a schedule acquisition unit for acquiring a business schedule of a facility associated with the vehicle; a detection unit for detecting parking of the vehicle; and a monitoring control unit for performing control for disabling at least a part of the monitoring function on the basis of the business schedule and the date or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

Description

Control device, control method, control program, and storage medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium, and more particularly to a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium for controlling a monitoring function for determining whether a living body has been left behind in a vehicle.

[0002] In response to the recent increase in cases of children, pets, and other living beings being left behind in vehicles, development and practical application of safety devices that help prevent such abandonment is underway. However, even in vehicles equipped with such safety devices, there may be situations in which it is unnecessary to activate the safety devices.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that includes a living body detection unit and a vehicle control unit that issues an alarm when the vehicle reaches a predetermined state (when a living body is detected only in the rear seat with the shift in park and the driver's seat belt unfastened), and that delays or cancels the output of the alarm when a predetermined operation is performed by an occupant on the living body detection unit.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-144613

[0005] When using the above-described vehicle control device, one of the problems is that manual operations to delay or cancel the output of an alarm can be an unnecessary hassle for the occupant.

[0006] Furthermore, in the case of the vehicle control device described above, where it is possible for a person to stop the issuance of an alarm at will by performing a specified action, one of the issues is that a situation may arise in which an alarm is not issued when it is actually necessary.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and one of its objects is to provide a control device, control method, control program, and storage medium that can automatically control the operating state of a monitoring function for preventing living organisms from being left inside a vehicle, depending on the situation when the vehicle is parked.

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 is a control device that controls a monitoring function for leaving a living body in a vehicle, and is characterized by having a schedule acquisition unit that acquires the business schedule of a facility associated with the vehicle, a detection unit that detects the parking of the vehicle, and a monitoring control unit that controls to disable at least part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the day or time on which the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

[0009] The invention described in claim 7 is a control device that controls a monitoring function for leaving living organisms in vehicles used for business and personal use, characterized in that it has a schedule acquisition unit that acquires the business schedule, a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle, and a monitoring control unit that controls to disable at least part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the day or time when parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

[0010] The invention described in claim 9 is a control method executed by a control device to control a monitoring function for leaving a living body in a vehicle, characterized in that it includes a schedule acquisition step for acquiring a business schedule of a facility associated with the vehicle, a detection step for detecting parking of the vehicle, and a monitoring control step for disabling at least part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the day or time when parking of the vehicle is detected in the detection step.

[0011] The invention described in claim 10 is a control program executed by a control device having a computer to control a monitoring function for leaving a living body in a vehicle, the control program causing the computer to execute a schedule acquisition step for acquiring a business schedule for a facility associated with the vehicle, a detection step for detecting parking of the vehicle, and a monitoring control step for disabling at least part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the day or time when parking of the vehicle is detected in the detection step.

[0012] The invention described in claim 11 is a computer-readable storage medium that stores a control program to cause a control device that has a computer and controls a monitoring function for leaving a living body in a vehicle to execute the following steps: a schedule acquisition step that acquires the business schedule of a facility associated with the vehicle; a detection step that detects parking of the vehicle; and a monitoring control step that performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the day or time when parking of the vehicle is detected in the detection step.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of a monitoring and control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an overview of a configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an external appearance of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of information included in map information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of information included in map information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a determination table according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a routine executed by an in-vehicle device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a routine executed by a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a modified example of a routine executed by a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating a schedule of a facility according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a routine executed by a server device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a monitoring area according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a routine executed by a server device according to the fourth embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a modified example of a routine executed by the server device according to the fourth embodiment.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description and accompanying drawings, substantially the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0015] A configuration of a monitoring and control system 100 including a control device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Fig. 1 shows an overview of the configuration of a monitoring and control system 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the monitoring and control system 100 includes an in-vehicle device 10, a server 70 as a control device, and a registration terminal 50. Fig. 1 shows a case where the in-vehicle device 10 is mounted on a shuttle bus M as an example of a vehicle.

[0017] The shuttle bus M is a bus for transporting children to and from educational facilities such as kindergartens, nursery schools, and other child welfare facilities, or other social welfare facilities. In this embodiment, as an example, the shuttle bus M is a shuttle bus for Kindergarten K.

[0018] The registration terminal 50 is a terminal device that receives notifications from the in-vehicle device 10. In Fig. 1, a smartphone is shown as an example of the registration terminal 50.

[0019] The in-vehicle device 10, the server 70, and the registration terminal 50 can transmit and receive data to and from each other via a network NW using a communication protocol such as TCP / IP or UDP / IP. The network NW can be constructed using internet communication, including wireless communication such as a mobile communication network or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and wired communication.

[0020] The in-vehicle device 10 is a terminal device equipped with a monitoring function for preventing living bodies such as children, elderly people, or pets from being left behind on the shuttle bus M when the shuttle bus M is parked and, for example, the occupants, including the driver, leave the shuttle bus M. Specifically, the in-vehicle device 10 is equipped with a function for sounding an alarm and sending a notification to the registration terminal 50 when the occupants do not perform the operations associated with patrolling to check for any left-behind children or when a living body is detected on the shuttle bus M after the shuttle bus M has been parked.

[0021] On the other hand, the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 does not necessarily need to be constantly activated depending on the usage situation of the shuttle bus M. For example, if the shuttle bus M starts moving again after being parked for a short time, it would be unnecessary for the occupants to patrol the bus when they get off and perform the operations involved. Also, for example, if a false detection of a living body occurs when the shuttle bus M is parked without a child on board, an alarm will be sounded and a notification will be sent to the registration terminal 50 even though no child has been left behind.

[0022] The monitoring and control system 100 is a system that automatically disables at least a part of the monitoring functions of the in-vehicle device 10 in a situation where there is a high probability that the monitoring functions described above are unnecessary.

[0023] In this embodiment, the server 70 communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 10 to obtain the necessary information, and is a server device that controls the disabling of at least part of the monitoring function of the vehicle-mounted device 10 depending on the situation when the shuttle bus M is parked.

[0024] As described above, the registration terminal 50 receives a notification transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 when an operation associated with the patrol when an occupant disembarks is not performed, or when a living body is detected inside the shuttle bus M after the shuttle bus M is parked, and presents the notification to the user. The user of the registration terminal 50 is, for example, a staff member of the facility where the shuttle bus M provides transportation, including the driver and other staff members.

[0025] For example, the destinations of the terminal devices used by one or more staff members are registered in the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 may notify the server 70, and the server 70 may then notify the registered terminal 50 accordingly. In this case, the destinations for sending information to the registered terminal 50 may be registered in the server 70, linked to the in-vehicle device 10.

[0026] The configuration of the on-board device 10 and the monitoring function of the on-board device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a side view showing the outline of the configuration of the shuttle bus M. The area A surrounded by the dashed line in Figure 2 is a perspective area showing the interior of the shuttle bus M. Figure 2 shows, as an example of installation, the on-board device 10 installed inside the windshield of the shuttle bus M, near the rearview mirror.

[0027] The speaker 11 is provided, for example, near the driver's seat and on the ceiling of the shuttle bus M. The speaker 11 can emit sounds such as music and voices under the control of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the speaker 11 emits an announcement encouraging passengers to patrol the interior of the vehicle when getting off. The position of the speaker 11 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 2 , and the speaker 11 may be provided anywhere as long as the sound such as the announcement emitted from the speaker 11 can be heard by passengers inside the vehicle.

[0028] The alarm 13 is provided near the front bumper on the exterior side of the shuttle bus M. The alarm 13 is, for example, a horn or buzzer, and emits an alarm sound under the control of the in-vehicle device 10. The alarm 13 is capable of emitting an alarm sound at a volume that can be heard by people within a radius of several tens of meters around the shuttle bus M, for example. The alarm 13 may be provided anywhere that is capable of emitting an alarm sound around the shuttle bus M. For example, the alarm 13 may be attached near the rear bumper or on the roof.

[0029] The alarm 13 may be, for example, a flat or spiral electric horn or air horn, or may be, for example, an electromagnetic buzzer or a piezoelectric buzzer. Note that the alarm 13 may also be, for example, a vibration speaker that is attached to the inside of the windshield, rear window, or door glass, i.e., the inside of the shuttle bus M, and may be a device that makes a sound by vibrating these.

[0030] The confirmation button 15 is a switch provided on the shuttle bus M. The confirmation button 15 is, for example, a push-button switch that is pressed by a passenger who has confirmed that no children have been left behind when the shuttle bus M is parked. The in-vehicle device 10 can detect whether the confirmation button has been pressed.

[0031] The confirmation button 15 is provided, for example, near the ceiling at the rear of the shuttle bus M. By providing the confirmation button 15 at the rear, the occupant must go to the rear of the shuttle bus M to press the confirmation button 15. At that time, the occupant can check all the way to the back seat to see if there are any children remaining, preventing any omissions. It is also preferable to provide the confirmation button 15 in a location out of reach of children.

[0032] The confirmation button 15 may be provided at a position other than the rear of the vehicle. The confirmation button 15 is not limited to a push-button switch, and may be another type of switch, such as a toggle switch or a slide switch.

[0033] When the shuttle bus M is parked, the in-vehicle device 10 plays an announcement from the speaker 11 urging patrol inside the vehicle and urging occupants to press the confirmation button after completing the patrol. If the confirmation button 15 is not pressed within a predetermined time (e.g., within 5 to 10 minutes) after the shuttle bus M is parked, the in-vehicle device 10 issues an alarm from the alarm 13 and notifies the registration terminal 50. In this specification, the monitoring function that helps ensure patrol immediately after parking, i.e., when disembarking, as described above, is referred to as the first monitoring function.

[0034] Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 is configured to automatically detect a living organism inside the shuttle bus M via a device capable of detecting a living organism. When the in-vehicle device 10 detects a living organism inside the shuttle bus M a predetermined time after the shuttle bus M has been parked (for example, after 15 minutes), the in-vehicle device 10 makes an announcement from the speaker 11 informing the user that an alarm will be issued from the alarm device 13 and a notification will be sent to the registration terminal 50. The in-vehicle device 10 then issues an alarm from the alarm device 13 and sends a notification to the registration terminal 50. In this specification, the monitoring function based on the automatic detection of a living organism as described above is referred to as a second monitoring function.

[0035] In the first and second monitoring functions, notification and announcement to the registration terminal 50 are not essential, and only the alarm 13 may be issued.

[0036] In other words, the first monitoring function is a function that issues an outside alarm or notifies a terminal associated with the shuttle bus M if the confirmation button provided on the shuttle bus M is not pressed within a specified time after the shuttle bus M is parked.

[0037] In addition, the second monitoring function is a function that issues an alarm outside the vehicle or notifies a terminal associated with the shuttle bus M if a living organism is detected inside the shuttle bus M after a predetermined time has elapsed since the shuttle bus M was parked.

[0038] In the present invention, the monitoring control in the monitoring control system 100 makes it possible to disable at least a portion of the monitoring functions, including the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function, automatically, i.e., without any intentional operation by the user.

[0039] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 is a device in which an input unit 33, a storage unit 35, a control unit 37, a communication unit 39, and an output unit 41 cooperate with each other via a system bus 31.

[0040] The in-vehicle device 10 also has a built-in in-vehicle camera 17, which is an imaging device capable of capturing images of the interior of the shuttle bus M. For example, the in-vehicle camera 17 is provided so as to be able to capture images of the interior of the shuttle bus M, including the driver's seat, passenger seat, and the entire rear seat of the shuttle bus M. Note that the in-vehicle camera 17 may be provided separately from the in-vehicle device 10.

[0041] For example, the in-vehicle camera 17 may be installed anywhere as long as it can capture images of the interior of the shuttle bus M. For example, the in-vehicle camera 17 may be located near the rearview mirror of the shuttle bus M, on the dashboard, or at the rear of the shuttle bus M. For example, multiple in-vehicle cameras 17 may be used to capture images of all seats in the shuttle bus M.

[0042] The in-vehicle device 10 also has a built-in exterior camera 19 that can capture images of the area around the shuttle bus M. In this embodiment, the exterior camera 19 is installed so that the image capture direction is the front of the shuttle bus M. The exterior camera 19 can capture images of the area in front of the shuttle bus M through the windshield of the shuttle bus M. For example, the exterior camera 19 may be located near the rearview mirror or on the dashboard, separate from the in-vehicle device 10. Furthermore, for example, the shuttle bus M may be further equipped with an exterior camera that can capture images of the side or rear of the shuttle bus M.

[0043] The in-vehicle device 10 also has a built-in microphone 21 that can pick up sounds inside the shuttle bus M. The in-vehicle device 10 detects living organisms inside the shuttle bus M based on the video from the in-vehicle camera 17 and the audio picked up by the microphone 21. For example, the microphone 21 may be installed anywhere as long as it can pick up sounds inside the shuttle bus M. For example, the microphone 21 may be installed near the rearview mirror, on the dashboard, or at the rear of the shuttle bus M, separate from the in-vehicle device 10, or may be installed in multiple locations.

[0044] The touch panel 23 is, for example, a touch panel monitor that combines a display, such as a liquid crystal display, capable of displaying images, with a touchpad. The touch panel 23 is disposed, for example, in the center console of the dashboard of the shuttle bus M. The touch panel 23 may be disposed in any location that is visible to the driver and within the driver's reach.

[0045] The touch panel 23 is capable of displaying a screen based on the control of the in-vehicle device 10. The touch panel 23 is also capable of transmitting to the in-vehicle device 10 a signal representing an input operation to the touch panel 23 received from a user.

[0046] For example, text indicating the content of an announcement encouraging passengers to patrol the interior of the vehicle may be displayed on the touch panel 23. Furthermore, for example, an image captured by the in-vehicle camera 17 may be displayed on the touch panel 23.

[0047] The GPS receiver 25 is a device that receives signals (GPS signals) from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GPS receiver 25 is disposed, for example, on the dashboard of the shuttle bus M. The GPS receiver 25 may be disposed anywhere as long as it can receive GPS signals. The GPS receiver 25 is capable of transmitting the received GPS signals to the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 obtains current location information of the shuttle bus M using the GPS signals.

[0048] The shuttle bus M is also equipped with an acceleration sensor 27. The acceleration sensor 27 is capable of measuring the acceleration of the shuttle bus M and outputting a signal indicating the measured acceleration. The acceleration sensor 27 is a sensor capable of detecting acceleration in the direction of travel of the shuttle bus M, i.e., the forward / backward direction, as viewed from above the shuttle bus M. The acceleration sensor is also capable of detecting, for example, acceleration in the lateral direction (width direction) perpendicular to the direction of travel of the shuttle bus M.

[0049] The input unit 33 is an interface unit that communicatively connects the in-vehicle device 10 with the speaker 11, alarm 13, confirmation button 15, in-vehicle camera 17, outside-vehicle camera 19, microphone 21, touch panel 23, GPS receiver 25, and acceleration sensor 27.

[0050] The in-vehicle device 10 can receive a signal indicating whether the confirmation button 15 is pressed (ON / OFF state) via the input unit 33. The in-vehicle device 10 can also acquire images captured by the in-vehicle camera 17 and the outside-vehicle camera 19 via the input unit 33. The in-vehicle device 10 can also acquire audio data of audio picked up by the microphone 21 via the input unit 33.

[0051] In this embodiment, a living body is detected inside the shuttle bus M based on the images captured by the onboard camera 17 and the sounds picked up by the microphone 21. The method of detecting a living body inside the shuttle bus M is not limited to the image and sound-based method described above. For example, a load sensor or pressure sensor may be provided on the seat surface of the seats inside the shuttle bus M, and the presence or absence of a living body may be detected from the distribution of pressure on the seat surface, for example.

[0052] Furthermore, for example, the presence or absence of a living body may be detected by a radar such as a millimeter wave radar that can detect an object present inside the shuttle bus M, or a vibration sensor that can detect vibrations inside the shuttle bus M. Furthermore, the in-vehicle device 10 may detect the presence or absence of a living body by combining a plurality of detection methods.

[0053] The in-vehicle device 10 can receive, via the input unit 33, a signal indicating an input operation performed on the touch pad of the touch panel 23. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 can accept, via the input unit 33, an input of the destination of the registration terminal 50 performed by the user on the touch panel 23.

[0054] The vehicle-mounted device 10 receives a GPS signal from the GPS receiver 25 via the input unit 33, and is able to obtain information on the current location of the vehicle-mounted device 10, i.e., the current location of the shuttle bus M in this embodiment, from the GPS signal.

[0055] The in-vehicle device 10 can receive a signal indicating the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 27 via the input unit 33. The in-vehicle device 10 acquires the acceleration of the shuttle bus M, for example, based on the acceleration indicated by the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor 27. The in-vehicle device 10 may acquire current position information of the shuttle bus M, for example, based on the acceleration indicated by the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor 27 in addition to the GPS signal from the GPS receiver 25.

[0056] The storage unit 35 is a storage device configured by, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 35 stores various programs executed in the in-vehicle device 10, such as an operating system and terminal software.

[0057] The various programs include a program for executing processing to perform the above-described monitoring function by the in-vehicle device 10. The various programs also include a program for transmitting and receiving information necessary for controlling the above-described monitoring function in the monitoring control system 100 to and from the server 70, and a program for disabling at least a part of the monitoring function in accordance with an instruction from the server 70.

[0058] The various programs may be acquired, for example, from another server device or the like via a network, or may be recorded on a recording medium and read via a drive device. That is, the various programs stored in the storage unit 35 can be transmitted via a network, or can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred.

[0059] The storage unit 35 also stores destination information for one or more registered terminals 50. The destination information is used when the in-vehicle device 10 transmits an abandoned vehicle notification to the registered terminal 50. For example, the storage unit 35 stores the telephone number, email address, or MAC address of the registered terminal 50 as the destination information.

[0060] The storage unit 35 also stores map information, including road maps. The map information is used, for example, to identify the current location of the vehicle. For example, when the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 notifies the registration terminal 50, the current location of the shuttle bus M is notified as the parked location along with a message informing the registration terminal 50 that the shuttle bus M has been abandoned.

[0061] The control unit 37 is configured with a central processing unit (CPU) 37A, a read-only memory (ROM) 37B, a random access memory (RAM) 37C, etc., and functions as a computer. The CPU 37A reads and executes various programs stored in the ROM 37B and the storage unit 35, thereby realizing various functions.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control unit 37 performs functions such as the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function of monitoring whether a living body has been left on the shuttle bus M, the function of transmitting and receiving information necessary for controlling the monitoring function to and from the server 70, and the function of disabling at least a part of the monitoring function in accordance with instructions from the server 70. In other words, the control unit 37 is a first monitoring function unit that performs the first monitoring and a second monitoring function unit that performs the second monitoring.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the parking time of the shuttle bus M is expected to be less than or equal to a predetermined time, control is performed to disable at least a part of the monitoring function. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 transmits parking location information to the server 70 as information necessary for the server 70 to process the monitoring control. The parking location information is, for example, information indicating the location where the shuttle bus M is parked. The parking location information may also be, for example, an image of the surroundings of the parking location taken from the shuttle bus M. In other words, the parking location information is information that contributes to determining whether the location where the shuttle bus M is parked is a location where the parking time is expected to be less than or equal to a predetermined time.

[0064] The control unit 37 detects, for example, whether the shuttle bus M is parked. For example, the control unit 37 detects that the shuttle bus M is parked by detecting that the engine of the shuttle bus M has stopped. In this embodiment, the control unit 37 detects that the shuttle bus M is parked by detecting that the ignition key of the shuttle bus M has been turned off.

[0065] For example, the in-vehicle device 10 may be connected to the ignition power supply (IG) of the shuttle bus M and may have a built-in battery. For example, when the engine of the shuttle bus M is stopped and the power supply from the IG power supply is stopped, the in-vehicle device 10 switches to the battery power supply. For example, the control unit 37 may determine whether the engine of the shuttle bus M has been stopped based on whether the power supply from the IG power supply has been stopped.

[0066] When the control unit 37 detects that the shuttle bus M has parked, it transmits the parking location information to the server 70. Thereafter, the control unit 37 determines whether or not it has received from the server 70 a disabling instruction to disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0067] The control unit 37 maintains the first monitoring function in an active state unless it receives an instruction from the server 70 to disable the first monitoring function, i.e., unless it is under control to disable the function. When the monitoring function is active, the control unit 37 executes the first monitoring and functions as a first monitoring function unit. For example, the control unit 37 as the first monitoring function unit supplies audio data of an announcement to the speaker 11, encouraging occupants to patrol the inside of the shuttle bus M. For example, the speaker 11 may emit a voice such as, "The exit confirmation function is active. Please patrol the inside of the bus and press the safety confirmation button within five minutes. If the button is not pressed, an external alarm will sound. If the button is pressed, the automatic detection function will be activated 15 minutes after the engine is turned off."

[0068] If the confirmation button 15 is not pressed within a predetermined time after the shuttle bus M is parked, the control unit 37 issues an alarm sound from the alarm 13. The control unit 37 also sends a notification to the registration terminal 50 that a passenger has been abandoned on the shuttle bus M. For example, the control unit 37 continues to issue the alarm sound until the confirmation button 15 is pressed. For example, the control unit 37 stops the alarm sound when the confirmation button 15 is pressed after the alarm sound is issued. For example, the control unit 37 also stops the alarm sound when the engine of the shuttle bus M starts after the alarm sound is issued.

[0069] If the confirmation button 15 is pressed within a predetermined time after the shuttle bus M is parked, the control unit 37 ends the first monitoring without sounding an alarm or notifying the registration terminal 50.

[0070] Furthermore, when there is no instruction from server 70 to disable the second monitoring function, i.e., when control unit 37 is not under control of the disablement and the second monitoring function is enabled, control unit 37 executes the second monitoring function and functions as a second monitoring function unit. For example, control unit 37 as the second monitoring function unit starts monitoring a predetermined time (e.g., 15 minutes) after shuttle bus M is parked, and continues to detect a living organism inside shuttle bus M until a predetermined time (e.g., 1 hour) has elapsed. As described above, control unit 37 determines whether a living organism has been detected based on the video from in-vehicle camera 17 and the audio picked up by microphone 21.

[0071] For example, the control unit 37 determines that a living body has been detected when a child is captured in an image from the in-vehicle camera 17, or when a sound emitted by the living body itself, such as a child crying, or a sound emitted by the living body moving, such as footsteps, is detected from the audio from the microphone 21. There are various methods for detecting a living body using sound, but a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0072] If it is determined that a living organism has been detected, the control unit 37, as in the case of the first monitoring, causes the alarm device 13 to sound an alarm and sends a notification to the registration terminal 50. For example, the control unit 37 continues to sound the alarm until the confirmation button 15 is pressed, and stops the alarm when the confirmation button 15 is pressed.

[0073] When the control unit 37 receives an instruction to disable the monitoring functions from the server 70, the control unit 37 disables at least a part of the monitoring functions in accordance with the instruction. For example, the control unit 37 disables only the first monitoring function and leaves the second monitoring function enabled.

[0074] For example, after disabling at least a part of the monitoring functions, when the engine starts, the control unit 37 re-enables the monitoring functions that were disabled.

[0075] Note that the control unit 37 may transmit an image from the in-vehicle camera 17 together with a message indicating that the vehicle has been abandoned when sending the notification to the registration terminal 50. Furthermore, the control unit 37 may transmit an image from the in-vehicle camera 17 and an image from the outside camera 19 to the registration terminal 50 when sending the notification, for example.

[0076] The communication unit 39 is a communication device that transmits and receives data to and from external devices in accordance with instructions from the control unit 37. The communication unit 39 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) for connecting to the network NW.

[0077] The communication unit 39 is connected to the network NW and transmits and receives various data to and from the server 70. The communication unit 39 also transmits a notice of abandonment to the registration terminal 50 via the server 70.

[0078] For example, the control unit 37 transmits parking location information when the shuttle bus M is parked to the server 70 via the communication unit 39. The control unit 37 also receives, via the communication unit 39, from the server 70, a disabling instruction to disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0079] The output unit 41 is an output interface unit to the speaker 11, the alarm 13, and the touch panel 23. The control unit 37 can transmit an audio signal to the speaker 11 via the output unit 41 to output a sound, or supply a signal to the alarm 13 to output an alarm sound. The control unit 37 can also transmit an image signal to the touch panel 23 via the output unit 41 to display an image.

[0080] 4 is a front view showing the appearance of the registration terminal 50. As described above, in the first embodiment, the registration terminal 50 is a smartphone.

[0081] The touch panel 51 is, for example, a touch panel monitor that combines a display, such as a liquid crystal display, capable of displaying images, with a touch pad. The touch panel 51 is capable of generating a signal that represents an input operation to the touch panel 51 received from a user.

[0082] 4, in this embodiment, the touch panel 51 displays an abandonment notification screen transmitted by the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the abandonment notification screen displays a message indicating that a living body has been abandoned, together with, for example, the date and time of the abandonment and the address of the parking location.

[0083] 4, a parking location display button 51A for displaying a map on which the current location of the shuttle bus M is superimposed is displayed on the touch panel 51. The notification screen may also display an image from the in-vehicle camera 17 along with the message described above. The notification screen may also display more detailed information about the abandonment, such as the temperature inside the vehicle.

[0084] The speaker 53 can emit sounds such as music and voice. For example, when an abandoned vehicle notification is received, a notification sound is emitted from the speaker 53. The microphone 55 is a microphone device that receives sounds emitted toward the registration terminal 50.

[0085] 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the registration terminal 50. For example, the registration terminal 50 is a device in which a storage unit 59, a control unit 61, an input unit 63, an output unit 65, and a communication unit 67 cooperate with each other via a system bus 57.

[0086] The storage unit 59 is configured with, for example, a hard disk drive, an SSD (solid state drive), a flash memory, etc., and stores various programs such as an operating system and software for the registration terminal 50.

[0087] The various programs may be acquired, for example, from another server device or the like via a network, or may be recorded on a recording medium and read via a drive device. That is, the various programs stored in the storage unit 59 can be transmitted via a network, or can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and transferred.

[0088] The control unit 61 functions as a computer and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 61B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 61C, etc. The CPU 61A reads and executes various programs stored in the ROM 61B and the storage unit 59 to realize various functions.

[0089] For example, the control unit 61 has a function of displaying a notification screen as shown in FIG. 4 when receiving a notification of abandonment from the in-vehicle device 10 .

[0090] The input unit 63 is an input interface unit for the touch panel 51 and the microphone 55. The control unit 61 can receive, via the input unit 63, signals indicating input operations to the touch panel 51 and audio input signals from the microphone 55. For example, the control unit 61 can accept, via the input unit 63, input of registration information made by the user to the touch panel 51.

[0091] The output unit 65 is an output interface unit to the touch panel 51 and the speaker 53. The control unit 61 can transmit an image signal to the touch panel 51 via the output unit 65 to cause it to display an image, or transmit an audio signal to the speaker 53 to cause it to output a sound.

[0092] For example, the control unit 61 transmits an image signal based on the abandoned vehicle notification transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 to the touch panel 51 to display a notification screen.

[0093] The communication unit 67 is connected to the network NW and transmits and receives various data to and from the in-vehicle device 10 or the server 70. For example, the control unit 61 receives an abandoned vehicle notification from the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 67. For example, the control unit 61 may receive the abandoned vehicle notification transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10 via the server 70.

[0094] 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 70. For example, the server 70 is a device in which a large-capacity storage device 73, a control unit 75, and a communication unit 77 cooperate with each other via a system bus 71.

[0095] As described above, the server 70 has a function of performing control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 based on the information received from the in-vehicle device 10 .

[0096] In this embodiment, when the shuttle bus M is parked, the server 70 performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function if the current parking time, i.e., the length of time from when the shuttle bus M is parked until it departs again, is predicted to be less than a predetermined time based on the parking location information. The predetermined time is a relatively short time, for example, 5 to 15 minutes, that allows the driver to run errands without having to let children off the bus.

[0097] The mass storage device 73 is configured by, for example, a hard disk drive and an SSD (solid state drive), and stores various programs such as an operating system and software for the server 70 .

[0098] The large-capacity storage device 73 also includes a map information database (in the figure, "map information DB") 73A, which stores map information including road maps. The map information in the map information database 73A includes setting information indicating short-term parking locations, which are locations where a vehicle is likely to be parked for less than a predetermined time. The setting information is, for example, information that associates location information of parking locations where a vehicle can be parked with information indicating whether the location has been set as a short-term parking location. In this embodiment, the short-term parking locations are set by the server 70.

[0099] 7A shows setting information SD1, which is an example of setting information for short-term parking spaces included in map information. In setting information SD1, an identifier (parking lot ID) is assigned to each parking space where a vehicle can be parked, and location information is associated with each parking lot ID. A parking space may be, for example, a parking lot attached to a facility such as a store, an independent parking lot not particularly associated with a facility, or a location on a road where parking is not prohibited.

[0100] The location information may be, for example, location information indicating the center point of the parking space, or may be information indicating the area of ​​the parking space using multiple points. Note that the location information may be expressed as coordinates indicating the position on a map, or may be expressed as latitude and longitude.

[0101] Furthermore, the "average parking time of unspecified vehicles" in the setting information SD1 indicates the average parking time per parking session of vehicles parked in the same parking location based on the past movement history of the unspecified vehicles. The unspecified vehicles do not have to include the shuttle bus M. In other words, the past movement history of the unspecified vehicles is the past movement history of multiple vehicles, including other vehicles.

[0102] In the short-term parking space setting column in Fig. 7A, a "◯" indicates that the corresponding parking space is set as a short-term parking space, and a "-" indicates that it is not set as a short-term parking space. The short-term parking spaces shown in Fig. 7A are set based on the "average parking time of unspecified vehicles." In the example shown in Fig. 7A, a short-term parking space is set when the average parking time of unspecified vehicles is less than a predetermined time (for example, less than 15 minutes).

[0103] For example, the setting information in Fig. 7A is set based on the assumption that parking locations where unspecified vehicles have previously parked for short periods are expected to also have short parking times for the shuttle bus M. Examples of parking locations with short parking times include convenience store parking lots and gas stations.

[0104] 7B is a diagram showing setting information SD2, which is another example of setting information for short-term parking spaces included in map information. The "target vehicles" in FIG. 7B refer to one or more vehicles that provide transportation to or from a single facility. In this embodiment, shuttle bus M that provides transportation to and from Kindergarten K is the target vehicle for Kindergarten K. For example, if there are multiple shuttle buses that provide transportation to and from Kindergarten K, then those multiple shuttle buses are the target vehicles for Kindergarten K.

[0105] The "cumulative number of parking times of the target vehicle" in Fig. 7B indicates the cumulative number of times the target vehicle has parked in the same place in the past. The "average parking time of the target vehicle" in Fig. 7B indicates the average parking time of the target vehicle per parking in the same place in the past.

[0106] The short-term parking spaces shown in Fig. 7B are set based on the "accumulated number of times the target vehicle has been parked" and the "average parking time of the target vehicle." In the example shown in Fig. 7B, a short-term parking space is set when the cumulative number of times the target vehicle has been parked is a predetermined number or more (for example, 10 or more) and the average parking time of the target vehicle is a predetermined time or less (predetermined time 15 minutes or less).

[0107] For example, the setting information in Fig. 7B is set based on the assumption that parking locations where the target vehicle has parked a predetermined number of times or more in the past and for short parking times are expected to have short parking times for the shuttle bus M this time as well. Examples of such parking locations include bus stops and gas stations along the shuttle route. Note that, for example, in Fig. 7B, parking frequency (e.g., number of times parked per predetermined period) may be used instead of the cumulative number of parking times.

[0108] For example, the setting information SD2 shown in FIG. 7B may be stored in association with Kindergarten K, or may be stored in association with the target vehicle.

[0109] 7C is a diagram showing setting information SD3, which is another example of setting information for short-term parking spaces included in map information. In setting information SD3, a facility ID is assigned to each facility included in the map information, and a facility type is associated with the facility. The location information in setting information SD3 indicates, for example, location information for parking spaces related to a facility, such as a parking lot adjacent to the facility or attached to the facility. The location information may be, for example, information indicating the location of a parking lot within the facility's premises or a parking space for stopping by the facility.

[0110] In addition, the setting information SD3 sets the short-term parking locations based on the type of facility. For example, the setting information SD3 is set by the server 70 according to a determination table in which each type of facility is classified in advance as to whether it corresponds to a short-term parking location.

[0111] Fig. 7D is a diagram showing a table TB1, which is an example of a determination table used to set the setting information SD3, and is stored, for example, in the mass storage device 73. As shown in Fig. 7D, convenience stores and gas stations are classified as short-term parking locations.

[0112] For example, when stopping at a convenience store or gas station, the stay is generally relatively short, such as 15 minutes, and therefore these are designated as short-term parking areas. On the other hand, the stay at a department store or hospital is generally relatively long, such as several hours, and therefore these are not designated as short-term parking areas.

[0113] The control unit 75 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 75A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 75B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 75C, etc., and functions as a computer. The CPU 75A reads and executes various programs stored in the ROM 75B and the large-capacity storage device 73, thereby realizing various functions.

[0114] The communication unit 77 is connected to the network NW and transmits and receives various data between the in-vehicle device 10 and the registration terminal 50 .

[0115] For example, the control unit 75 receives information indicating that the shuttle bus M as a vehicle has been parked from the in-vehicle device 10 via the communication unit 77, and functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked. For example, when the control unit 75 acquires information indicating that the ignition key of the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed has been turned off, the control unit 75 detects that the vehicle has been parked.

[0116] For example, when parking of a shuttle bus M as a vehicle is detected, the control unit 75 functions as a parking location information acquisition unit that acquires parking location information regarding the location where the vehicle is parked via the communication unit 77. For example, the parking location information includes information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked.

[0117] For example, the parking location information may include information about the facility where the vehicle is parked. The information about the facility where the vehicle is parked may be, for example, an image taken around the shuttle bus M. For example, the information about the facility where the vehicle is parked may include information indicating the type of the facility.

[0118] In this embodiment, the control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that controls to disable at least part of the monitoring function for leaving living organisms inside the vehicle when the parking of a shuttle bus M as a vehicle is detected and the parking time of the vehicle is predicted to be less than a predetermined time based on the parking location information.

[0119] In this embodiment, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit determines whether the location where the vehicle is parked is a "location where the parking time is expected to be less than a predetermined time" based on the parking location information. If it is determined that the location is a location where the parking time is expected to be less than the predetermined time, the control unit 75 performs control to disable at least a portion of the monitoring function. Specifically, the control unit 75 transmits data including a command to disable at least a portion of the monitoring function to the in-vehicle device 10, and upon receiving the data, the in-vehicle device 10 disables at least a portion of its own monitoring function.

[0120] In this embodiment, the server 70 stores information in a large-capacity storage device that indicates locations where parking times are expected to be less than a predetermined time, and that these locations are pre-designated as short-term parking locations, as illustrated in Figures 7A to 7D.

[0121] The control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit determines, based on the parking location information, whether the location where the vehicle is parked when parking is detected is a location set as a short-term parking location.

[0122] [Determination Based on Location Information] For example, if the parking location information is information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked (location information), the control unit 75 refers to the setting information included in the map information stored in the map information database 73A of the mass storage device 73, and determines whether the parking location identified by the location information is set as a short-term parking location. If it is determined that the parking location is set as a short-term parking location, the control unit 75 performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0123] For example, the control unit 75 refers to setting information in which short-term parking locations are set based on the past movement history of the shuttle bus M. Then, the control unit 75 determines whether the parking location identified by the acquired location information is set as a short-term parking location in the referenced setting information. In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when the current parking time of the vehicle is predicted to be less than a predetermined time based on the past movement history of the vehicle and information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked, which is included in the parking location information.

[0124] For example, the control unit 75 refers to setting information in which a short-term parking location is set based on the length of time that the shuttle bus M has been parked in the past. The control unit 75 then determines whether the parking location identified by the acquired location information is set as a short-term parking location in the setting information that has been referenced. In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when the current parking time of the vehicle is expected to be equal to or shorter than a predetermined time based on the length of time that the vehicle has been parked in the past at the location where the vehicle is parked.

[0125] For example, as illustrated in Fig. 7B, the control unit 75 refers to setting information for each parking space that has been set as a short-term parking space if the number of times the shuttle bus M has parked there in the past is equal to or greater than a predetermined number and the average length of parking time is equal to or less than a predetermined time. Then, the control unit 75 determines whether the parking space identified by the acquired location information is set as a short-term parking space in the setting information that has been referred to.

[0126] In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function when the location where the vehicle is parked is a location where the vehicle has been parked a predetermined number of times or more in the past, and when the vehicle's current parking time is expected to be less than a predetermined time based on the average length of the vehicle's past parking time at that location.

[0127] Furthermore, the control unit 75 references setting information in which short-term parking locations are set based on the past movement history of unspecified vehicles, regardless of whether the vehicle includes the shuttle bus M. The control unit 75 then determines whether the parking location identified by the acquired location information is set as a short-term parking location in the referenced setting information. In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit can perform control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when the current parking time of the vehicle is predicted to be less than a predetermined time based on the past movement history of one or more other vehicles and information indicating the location where the vehicle was parked, which is included in the parking location information.

[0128] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7A , the control unit 75 references setting information for each parking space, which indicates that the parking space is designated as a short-term parking space when the average length of parking time of unspecified vehicles parked there in the past is equal to or less than a predetermined time. The control unit 75 then determines whether the parking space identified by the acquired location information is designated as a short-term parking space in the referenced setting information. In other words, the control unit 75, functioning as a monitoring control unit, can perform control to disable at least a portion of the monitoring function when the average length of parking time of one or more other vehicles in the parking space where the vehicle is parked is equal to or less than a predetermined time.

[0129] For example, at Kindergarten, where shuttle bus M provides transportation, there may be one or more other vehicles that also provide transportation to and from Kindergarten. In other words, shuttle bus M and one or more other vehicles may both provide transportation to and from a single facility. In this case, for example, control by the control unit 75 may be performed using setting information in which short-term parking locations are set based on the past movement history of multiple vehicles that provide transportation to and from a single facility. For example, multiple vehicles that both provide transportation to and from a single facility may each be equipped with on-board device 10, and setting information based on the past movement history of the multiple vehicles may be shared between the multiple vehicles.

[0130] 7C, the control unit 75 may set a short-term parking space based on the type of facility and refer to setting information associated with the location of the facility on a map. In this case, for example, the control unit 75 identifies the type of facility where the vehicle is parked based on the acquired location information, and determines whether the identified facility type is set as a short-term parking space according to a determination table that defines whether a facility is a short-term parking space for each type of facility, for example, as shown in FIG. 7D.

[0131] In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function when the vehicle's current parking time is predicted to be less than a predetermined time based on the type of facility where the vehicle is parked and the information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked, which is included in the parking location information.

[0132] In this embodiment, the control unit 75 executes the setting of the short-term parking space as shown in Figures 7A to 7C and functions as a setting unit. Note that the short-term parking space does not necessarily have to be set by the control unit 75, but may be acquired via an external device or recording medium, for example.

[0133] [Image-Based Determination] For example, when a surrounding image, which is an image of the area around the vehicle captured when the vehicle is parked, is acquired as the parking location information, the control unit 75 may determine whether the location where the vehicle is currently parked is set as a short-term parking location based on the surrounding image. For example, the control unit 75 may identify the type of facility adjacent to the location where the vehicle is currently parked based on the surrounding image, and determine whether the identified type of facility is set as a short-term parking location according to a determination table, such as that shown in FIG. 7D , that defines whether each type of facility is a short-term parking location.

[0134] In other words, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit identifies the type of facility adjacent to the location where the vehicle is parked based on the surrounding image, and if the identified type is a predetermined type, performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function.

[0135] [Disabling at least a part of the monitoring function] The control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10. As described above, the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 includes the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function.

[0136] For example, the control unit 75 performs control to disable either the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function. In this embodiment, for example, it is assumed that the parking time is short and there is no need to get the child out of the vehicle, so it is preferable to disable the first monitoring function and leave the second monitoring function enabled.

[0137] In addition, for example, since there is a high probability that the parking time will be short, the second monitoring function may also be disabled.

[0138] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable part of the first monitoring function or part of the second monitoring function. For example, in the first monitoring function, if the confirmation button is not pressed within a predetermined time after parking, an alarm sound may not be emitted and only a notification may be sent to the registration terminal 50. Also, for example, in the second monitoring function, if a living organism is detected, an alarm sound may not be emitted and only a notification may be sent to the registration terminal 50.

[0139] In this embodiment, the in-vehicle device 10 has the first and second monitoring functions, but the in-vehicle device 10 may have only the first monitoring function and not the second monitoring function. In this case, the control unit 75 performs control to disable the first monitoring function or to disable part of the first monitoring function.

[0140] [Control Routine] The following describes the control routine executed in the monitoring and control system 100 of this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT1, which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 37 of the in-vehicle device 10. In this embodiment, the control routine RT1 is a control routine executed by the control unit 37 when changing or maintaining the operating state of the monitoring function depending on whether or not there is an instruction for monitoring control from the server 70.

[0141] The control unit 37 starts the control routine RT1 when the ignition key of the shuttle bus M on which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed is turned ON. When the ignition key of the shuttle bus M is turned ON, the control unit 37 notifies the server 70 that the ignition key of the shuttle bus M has been turned ON (step S101).

[0142] After executing step S101, the control unit 37 enables the monitoring functions (step S102). In step S102, for example, if there are any disabled monitoring functions of the in-vehicle device 10, the control unit 37 enables all monitoring functions including the disabled functions. That is, when the ignition key of the shuttle bus M is turned ON, the control unit 37 keeps all monitoring functions enabled unless instructed by the server 70.

[0143] After executing step S102, the control unit 37 determines whether the ignition key has been turned OFF (step S103). In step S103, for example, when the power supply from the IG power supply is stopped, it is determined that the ignition key has been turned OFF. In step S103, the control unit 37 functions as a detection unit that detects the parking of the shuttle bus M.

[0144] If it is determined in step S103 that the ignition key is not turned OFF (step S103: NO), the control unit 37 repeats step S103 to determine again whether the ignition key is turned OFF.

[0145] In step S103, if it is determined that the ignition key is turned OFF (step S103: YES), the control unit 37 transmits parking location information to the server 70 (step S104). In step S104, for example, information indicating the location where the shuttle bus M is parked is transmitted as the parking location information. For example, in step S104, a surrounding image of the surroundings of the shuttle bus M captured by the in-vehicle camera 17 may be transmitted as the parking location information.

[0146] After executing step S104, the control unit 37 determines whether or not a monitoring disable instruction to disable at least a part of the monitoring function has been received from the server 70 (step S105).

[0147] In step S105, if it is determined that an instruction to disable monitoring has been received (step S105: YES), the control unit 37 disables at least a part of the monitoring function in accordance with the instruction to disable monitoring (step S106).

[0148] In step S105, if it is determined that the instruction to disable monitoring has not been received (step S105: NO), or after execution of step S106, the control unit 37 determines whether the monitoring period during which the monitoring function should be continued has ended (step S107). In step S107, the control unit 37 determines that the monitoring period has ended when the period during which the monitoring function should be continued has ended for either the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function.

[0149] If it is determined in step S107 that the monitoring period has not ended (step S107: NO), the control unit 37 repeats step S107 to determine again whether or not the monitoring period has ended.

[0150] If it is determined in step S107 that the monitoring period has ended (step S107: YES), the control unit 37 ends the control routine RT1. Note that even if the monitoring period has not ended during the execution of the control routine RT1, for example, in step S107, when the ignition key of the shuttle bus M is turned ON, the control unit 37 ends the control routine RT1 and starts a new control routine RT1.

[0151] According to this routine, the monitoring functions disabled by the monitoring control of the server 70 are reset by turning the ignition ON (i.e., starting the engine and departing the shuttle bus M), and all monitoring functions can be enabled.

[0152] For example, instead of determining whether the ignition key is turned off in step S103, parking of the shuttle bus M may be detected by detecting that the speed of the shuttle bus M has reached zero and that the driver's seat door has been opened. Also, for example, a seat occupancy sensor may be provided in the driver's seat of the shuttle bus M, and parking of the shuttle bus M may be detected by detecting that no one has left the driver's seat based on the image from the in-vehicle camera 17 and a signal from the seat occupancy sensor.

[0153] Furthermore, if the ignition is not turned on for a certain period of time (e.g., 12 hours) after the monitoring function is disabled, the disabling may be automatically canceled. Also, an instruction to enable the monitoring function may be received from the server, in which case the monitoring function may be enabled in response to the instruction to enable it, rather than when the ignition is turned on. Also, the instruction to disable the monitoring function may include a time period for disabling the monitoring function, in which case the monitoring function may be enabled when the disabling time has elapsed.

[0154] 9 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT2, which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 75 of the server 70. For example, when the server 70 is powered on, the control unit 75 repeatedly executes the routine RT2.

[0155] When the control unit 75 starts routine RT2, it determines whether parking position information has arrived from any vehicle (step S201). For example, the parking position information includes the destination (e.g., MAC address) of the on-board device 10 mounted on the shuttle bus M as a vehicle, and the location information of the shuttle bus M when the on-board device 10 detects that the shuttle bus M has been parked (e.g., the ignition is turned off). For example, the parking position information may include identification information that can identify Kindergarten, the facility where the shuttle bus M provides transportation.

[0156] In step S201, when the parking of a vehicle is detected, the control unit 75 functions as a parking location information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked.

[0157] For example, the control unit 75 may receive a notification indicating that the ignition key of any vehicle has been turned off before step S201. In this case, the control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle is parked.

[0158] Thereafter, the control unit 75 may transmit a request for parking location information to the in-vehicle device 10 installed in the vehicle, thereby causing the in-vehicle device 10 to transmit the parking location information.

[0159] In step S201, when it is determined that parking position information has not arrived (step S201: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT2 and starts the next control routine RT2 anew.

[0160] In step S201, when it is determined that parking position information has arrived (step S201: YES), the control unit 75 refers to map information stored in the map information database 73A in the mass storage device 73 (step S202). In step S202, for example, map information of an area including the position indicated by the parking position information is read. In step S202, map information including setting information of short-term parking locations, such as those illustrated in Figures 7A to 7C, is read.

[0161] After step S202, the control unit 75 determines whether the parking position of the vehicle indicated by the parking position information received in step S201 is a short-term parking location (step S203). In step S203, for example, it is determined whether the parking position of the vehicle indicated by the parking position information is set as a short-term parking location in the setting information (e.g., Figures 7A to 7C) included in the map information read in step S202.

[0162] In step S203, if it is determined that the parking position is not set as a short-term parking location (step S203: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT2 and starts the next control routine RT2 anew.

[0163] In step S203, if it is determined that the parking position is set as a short-term parking location (step S203: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to the in-vehicle device 10 to disable the first monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 (step S204). In step S204, for example, the control unit 75 transmits the control information to the destination of the in-vehicle device 10 included in the information received in step S201.

[0164] In steps S203 and S204, the control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function if the parking time of the vehicle this time is expected to be less than a predetermined time based on the parking location information.

[0165] After executing step S204, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT2 and starts the next control routine RT2.

[0166] 10 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT3, which is a modification of the control routine RT2, executed by the control unit 75 of the server 70. For example, when the server 70 is powered on, the control unit 75 repeatedly executes the routine RT3.

[0167] When the control unit 75 starts the routine RT3, it determines whether parking location information including a surrounding image has arrived from any vehicle (step S301). For example, the parking location information including a surrounding image is information including the destination (e.g., MAC address) of the in-vehicle device 10 mounted on the shuttle bus M as a vehicle, and a surrounding image of the shuttle bus M captured when the in-vehicle device 10 detects that the shuttle bus M has been parked (e.g., the ignition is OFF).

[0168] For example, the parking location information includes an image of the front of the shuttle bus M captured by the exterior camera 19 as a surrounding image. The surrounding image is used, for example, by the server 70 when identifying the type of vehicle adjacent to the location where the vehicle is parked.

[0169] In step S301, when the parking of a vehicle is detected, the control unit 75 functions as a parking location information acquisition unit that includes information about the facility where the vehicle is parked.

[0170] For example, the control unit 75 may receive a notification indicating that the ignition key of any vehicle has been turned off before step S301. In this case, the control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle is parked.

[0171] Thereafter, the control unit 75 may transmit a request for a surrounding image to the in-vehicle device 10 installed in the vehicle, and the in-vehicle device 10 may then transmit the surrounding image.

[0172] In step S301, when it is determined that parking location information including a surrounding image has not arrived (step S301: NO), the control unit 75 ends routine RT3 and starts the next routine RT3 anew.

[0173] In step S301, when it is determined that parking location information including a surrounding image has arrived (step S301: YES), the control unit 75 identifies the type of facility in the surrounding image (step S302). In step S302, for example, the control unit 75 identifies the type of facility shown in the surrounding image using a trained model that receives image data and outputs information indicating the type of facility.

[0174] For example, in step S302, the type of facility in the surrounding image may be identified by pattern matching.

[0175] After step S302, the control unit 75 refers to a determination table in which short-term parking spaces are set for a predetermined type of facility (step S303). In step S303, the control unit 75 reads, for example, a determination table such as that shown in FIG. 7D from the mass storage device 73.

[0176] After step S303 is executed, the control unit 75 determines whether the facility of the type identified in step S302 is a short-term parking location (step S304). In step S304, for example, it is determined whether the type identified in step S302 is set as a short-term parking location in the determination table (e.g., FIG. 7D) read in step S303.

[0177] In step S304, if it is determined that the identified type is not set as a short-term parking location (step S304: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT3 and starts the next control routine RT3 anew.

[0178] In step S304, if it is determined that the identified type is set to a short-term parking location (step S304: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to the in-vehicle device 10 to disable the first monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 (step S305). In step S305, for example, the control unit 75 transmits the control information to the destination of the in-vehicle device 10 included in the parking location information received in step S301.

[0179] In steps S304 and S305, the control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function if the parking time of the vehicle this time is expected to be less than a predetermined time based on the parking location information.

[0180] After executing step S305, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT3 and starts the next control routine RT3.

[0181] Although the control routines RT2 and RT3 have been described as examples in which the first monitoring function is disabled, the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that control is performed to disable at least a part of the monitoring function in step S204 of the control routine RT2 or step S305 of the control routine RT3.

[0182] As described above, the control device of Example 1 is a control device that controls the monitoring function for leaving a living organism inside a vehicle, and includes a detection unit that detects parking of a vehicle, a parking location information acquisition unit that, when the detection unit detects parking of a vehicle, acquires parking location information including information indicating the location where the vehicle is parked or information about the facility where the vehicle is parked, and a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when the parking time of the vehicle is expected to be less than a predetermined time based on the parking location information.

[0183] For example, according to Example 1, if the vehicle's current parking time is expected to be short enough to allow the driver to run errands without having to remove a child from the vehicle, at least part of the monitoring function can be automatically disabled without the driver's consent.

[0184] Therefore, according to Example 1, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium that can automatically control the operating state of a monitoring function for preventing living organisms from being left inside a vehicle depending on the situation when the vehicle is parked.

[0185] For example, by disabling the first monitoring function, which is one of the monitoring functions and which sounds an alarm if the confirmation button, which is designed to be pressed after completing a patrol inside the vehicle, is not pressed, it is possible to eliminate the unnecessary effort of pressing the confirmation button even when there is no need to patrol, and it is also possible to prevent the confirmation button from being pressed even when no patrol is being carried out (children are not being allowed to disembark), which goes against the original design concept of the confirmation button.

[0186] For example, if a short parking period to refuel at a gas station is planned, disabling only the first monitoring function can be performed to avoid the need to press the confirmation button, while leaving the second monitoring function enabled can reliably prevent the vehicle from being left behind if the parking time becomes longer due to an unforeseen event.

[0187] Although the example in which the monitoring control of this embodiment is executed by the server 70 has been described, this is not limiting. For example, some or all of the functions for executing the monitoring control of this embodiment may be included in the in-vehicle device 10.

[0188] In this embodiment, the example has been described using a kindergarten shuttle bus, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control of the monitoring function according to this embodiment can also be applied when the vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted in a passenger car.

[0189] The configuration and functions of a monitoring control system 100 including a server 70 as a control device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG.

[0190] The monitoring and control system 100 of the second embodiment is configured similarly to the monitoring and control system 100 of the first embodiment, but differs in the content of the monitoring control executed by the server 70. Specifically, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when performing monitoring control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10, the second embodiment uses the business schedule of Kindergarten, which is the facility to which the shuttle bus M delivers passengers.

[0191] The control unit 75 of the server 70 acquires the business schedule of Kindergarten and stores it, for example, in the mass storage device 73. The control unit 75 acquires, for example, an annual schedule or a monthly schedule as the business schedule of Kindergarten. The control unit 75 functions as a schedule acquisition unit that acquires the business schedule of the facility associated with the vehicle.

[0192] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a monthly schedule MS1, which is an example of a business schedule for K kindergarten stored in the mass storage device 73. As shown in Fig. 11, the business schedule is information that indicates the days on which business is scheduled to be conducted at the facility and the days on which the facility is closed. In the example shown in Fig. 11, "holidays" and "substitute holidays," which are days on which the facility is closed, are displayed, and all other days are days on which business is scheduled to be conducted.

[0193] Furthermore, the work schedule may include, for example, information indicating the start and end times of work, and may also include information indicating the time periods during which shuttle bus M will provide transportation.

[0194] For example, the schedule information is stored in association with a vehicle that provides transportation to and from the facility, the in-vehicle device 10 installed in the vehicle, or the facility. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the schedule information is displayed as being for Kindergarten K, and an in-vehicle device ID and a shuttle bus ID are associated with each other.

[0195] In addition, the control unit 75 receives information indicating that the shuttle bus M has been parked, such as information indicating that the ignition key has been turned off, from the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the communication unit 77, and functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked.

[0196] The control unit 75 performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 based on the business schedule of K kindergarten and the date and time when parking of the shuttle bus M is detected. The control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule of the facility associated with the vehicle and the date and time when parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

[0197] For example, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function if the day on which the parking of a vehicle is detected is not included in the days on which facility operations are scheduled to be carried out in the business schedule.

[0198] For example, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable at least part of the monitoring function if the time when the parking of a vehicle is detected does not fall within the time period when facility operations are scheduled to be carried out in the business schedule.

[0199] For example, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit may specify the operation schedule of the vehicle based on a business schedule. For example, if the business schedule includes a start time and an end time of work, the control unit 75 may specify, for example, a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 2 hours) before the start time of work and a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 2 hours) after the end time of work as the time periods during which the vehicle is scheduled to operate.

[0200] For example, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit may perform control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function if the time when the parking of the vehicle is detected is not included in the time period when the vehicle is in operation.

[0201] The days or time periods when facility operations are scheduled are the days or time periods when the shuttle bus M is scheduled to run with children on board, and on other days or time periods, there is a high probability that there will be no children on the shuttle bus M. In this embodiment, the control unit 75 can automatically disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on whether there is a high probability that there will be no children on the shuttle bus M.

[0202] For example, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function.

[0203] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable both the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function, which can eliminate the need for the first monitoring function to patrol the area and to press the confirmation button, and can prevent malfunctions of the second monitoring function, for example, on days or during times when there is a high probability that no children are riding the car.

[0204] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable only the first monitoring function, thereby eliminating the extra work involved with the first monitoring function on days or times when there is a high probability that a child is not riding, while still being able to detect by the second monitoring function if a child is actually riding.

[0205] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable only the second monitoring function. For example, even on days or during times when there is a high probability that no children are on board, it is possible to prevent malfunctions due to the second monitoring function by still performing patrols when children disembark.

[0206] In addition, as described above, the control unit 75 may disable part of the first monitoring function, or may disable part of the second monitoring function.

[0207] [Control Routine] In this embodiment, the control unit 37 of the in-vehicle device 10 executes a control routine similar to the control routine RT1 shown in Fig. 8. In step S104 of Fig. 8, the control unit 37 transmits information indicating that the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed has been parked, instead of transmitting parking location information. For example, in step S104, the control unit 37 transmits a notification indicating that the ignition key has been turned OFF. The notification includes, for example, the date or time when the ignition key was turned OFF.

[0208] The notification transmitted in step S104 also includes an identifier for identifying the in-vehicle device 10. For example, the notification may further include an identifier for the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed, or an identifier that can identify the facility to which the vehicle provides transportation.

[0209] 12 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT4, which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 75 of the server 70 in Example 2. For example, when the server 70 is powered on, the control unit 75 repeatedly executes the control routine RT4.

[0210] When the control unit 75 starts the control routine RT4, it determines whether the vehicle is parked (step S401). In step S401, for example, the control unit 75 determines that the vehicle is parked when it receives a notification indicating that the ignition key of the vehicle has been turned off. In step S401, the control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects whether the vehicle is parked.

[0211] In step S401, when it is determined that the vehicle is not parked (step S401: NO), the control unit 75 ends the routine RT4 and starts the next routine RT4 anew.

[0212] In step S401, when it is determined that the vehicle has been parked (step S401: YES), the control unit 75 refers to the schedule information of the facility to which the vehicle parked in step S401 will provide transportation (step S402).

[0213] In step S402, for example, the control unit 75 reads out a work schedule stored in the mass storage device 73. For example, the work schedule is stored in association with a vehicle that provides transportation to and from the facility, an in-vehicle device 10 installed in the vehicle, or the facility. For example, the control unit 75 reads out the work schedule based on identification information of the vehicle, the in-vehicle device 10, or the facility included in the notification received in step S401.

[0214] After step S402, the control unit 75 determines whether the facility is open on the day or at the time when the vehicle is parked (step S403). In step S403, for example, if the time when the vehicle is parked indicated by the notification received in step S401 is a day or time period when work is scheduled to be performed in the work schedule read out in step S402, the control unit 75 determines that the facility is open on the day or at the time when the vehicle is parked.

[0215] In step S403, if it is determined that the user is in business (step S403: YES), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT4 and starts the next control routine RT4.

[0216] In step S403, if it is determined that the vehicle is not in operation (step S403: NO), the control unit 75 transmits control information to disable the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function to the in-vehicle device (step S404).

[0217] After executing step S404, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT4 and starts the next control routine RT4.

[0218] For example, this embodiment can also be applied to a vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device 10 that is used for both business and personal use. The control unit 75 acquires the business schedule for the vehicle. For example, it can be assumed that the vehicle may carry children when used for personal use, but will not carry children when used for business.

[0219] In this case, the determination criteria in step S403 of control routine RT4 are reversed from those shown in Fig. 12. Specifically, the control unit 75 executes step S404 when the day or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected is included in the day or time period when the vehicle is used for business, i.e., when it is determined in step S403 that the vehicle is in business (step S403: YES). This allows control to be performed to disable at least a part of the monitoring function on days or time periods when there is a high probability that children will not be riding in the vehicle.

[0220] As described above, the control device of Example 2 is a control device that controls the monitoring function for leaving a living body inside a vehicle, and has a schedule acquisition unit that acquires the business schedule of the facility associated with the vehicle, a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle, and a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the business schedule and the time when parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

[0221] For example, the monitoring control unit can perform control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function if the day or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected is not included in the days or time periods when facility operations are scheduled to be performed, based on the business schedule and the day or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit. As a result, for example, if a shuttle bus is parked on a day or time period when there is a high probability that there will be no kindergarten children on board, at least a part of the monitoring function can be automatically disabled.

[0222] Therefore, according to Example 2, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium that can automatically control the operating state of a monitoring function for preventing living organisms from being left inside a vehicle depending on the situation when the vehicle is parked.

[0223] For example, according to Example 2, in situations where only adults are on the shuttle bus, such as when scouting a kindergarten field trip or for staff training, the first monitoring function can eliminate the need for patrols and confirmation button operations, and can prevent staff from being detected by the second monitoring function or unnecessary alarm sounds from being sounded due to malfunction.

[0224] The configuration and functions of a monitoring control system 100 including a server 70 as a control device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG.

[0225] The monitoring and control system 100 of the third embodiment is configured similarly to the monitoring and control system 100 of the first embodiment, but differs in the content of the monitoring control executed by the server 70. Specifically, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when performing monitoring control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10, a monitoring-required area that requires monitoring by the monitoring function is used.

[0226] In this embodiment, the monitoring area is an area where the shuttle bus M may be traveling with children on board. The monitoring area is a range of locations where the monitoring function should be enabled when the shuttle bus M is parked, and can be said to be a range of locations where it is not appropriate to disable the monitoring function even in part.

[0227] Areas requiring monitoring include, for example, areas along the route taken by shuttle bus M to and from school children, areas on the grounds of Kindergarten, within facilities related to Kindergarten such as playgrounds and parking lots, and within facilities such as parks frequently used by Kindergarten.

[0228] The control unit 75 of the server 70 acquires the monitoring area for the shuttle bus M and stores it in the map information database 73A of the mass storage device 73. The monitoring area is stored, for example, linked to Kindergarten Kindergarten, which is a facility where the shuttle bus M provides transportation. The control unit 75 functions as a monitoring area acquisition unit that acquires the monitoring area that requires monitoring by the monitoring function.

[0229] 13 is a diagram showing map data MD1, which is an example of map information in which a monitoring area is set. In Fig. 13, an area AR1 along a shuttle route RO1 of Kindergarten K is set as a monitoring area. In Fig. 13, an area AR2 including the grounds of Kindergarten K and an area AR3 including a parking lot P where shuttle bus M is parked are also set as monitoring areas.

[0230] For example, the control unit 75 acquires the monitoring area based on an input by the user. The control unit 75 sets, as the monitoring area, an area on a map specified by the user or an area specified based on information such as a place name or address input by the user.

[0231] The user inputs the information via, for example, the in-vehicle device 10 , the registration terminal 50 or another terminal device, and the input information is transmitted to the server 70 .

[0232] For example, the control unit 75 acquires the monitoring area based on the past movement history of the shuttle bus M. For example, the control unit 75 acquires the monitoring area based on the past movement history of the shuttle bus M during business hours. For example, the control unit 75 automatically sets, as the monitoring area, a location where the shuttle bus M has traveled or parked during past business hours and an area within a predetermined distance from that location.

[0233] For example, if there are vehicles other than the shuttle bus M that provide transportation to and from Kindergarten, the control unit 75 may acquire the monitoring area based on the past movement history of multiple shuttle vehicles including the shuttle bus M. In other words, the control unit 75 acquires the monitoring area based on the past movement history of one or multiple vehicles including a single vehicle that provides transportation to and from the facility with which the single vehicle is associated.

[0234] The control unit 75 also receives information indicating that the shuttle bus M has been parked from the in-vehicle device 10. The control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked.

[0235] In this embodiment, when the shuttle bus M is parked (for example, the ignition is turned off), the in-vehicle device 10 transmits position information of the shuttle bus M to the server 70. The position information indicates the position of the shuttle bus M when the shuttle bus M is parked. The control unit 75 of the server 70 receives the position information from the in-vehicle device 10 and thereby detects that the shuttle bus M has been parked.

[0236] The control unit 75 determines whether or not the position of the shuttle bus M indicated by the position information received from the in-vehicle device 10 is outside the monitoring area. The control unit 75 functions as a parking position determination unit that determines whether or not the position of the vehicle when parking is detected by the detection unit is outside the monitoring area.

[0237] When it is determined that the position of the shuttle bus M when parking is detected is outside the monitoring area, the control unit 75 performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10. When it is determined that the position of the vehicle when parking is detected is outside the monitoring area, the control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0238] If the location where the shuttle bus M is parked is outside the monitoring area, it can be said that there is a high probability that there are no children on board the shuttle bus M. In this embodiment, the control unit 75 can automatically perform control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on whether there is a high probability that there are no kindergarten children on board the shuttle bus M.

[0239] In this embodiment, by sufficiently and completely acquiring the monitoring area, which is an area where the shuttle bus M may be traveling with children on board, it is possible to more reliably perform control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when there are no children on the shuttle bus M. Therefore, for example, a criterion may be set for the acquisition state of the monitoring area, and the control unit 75 may not disable the monitoring function when the acquisition state of the monitoring area does not satisfy the criterion.

[0240] For example, if the monitoring area is automatically set based on the past movement history of the shuttle bus M, the acquisition status of the monitoring area may be determined based on a predetermined period or time (for example, one month or more, or one month's worth of school attendance days) during which the shuttle bus M has provided transportation services. For example, the transportation service history is stored in association with the monitoring area.

[0241] For example, when a monitoring area is set based on an input by a user, the acquisition status of a monitoring area may be determined based on the total area of ​​the set monitoring areas being equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

[0242] The control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs control to disable the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function, control to disable part of the first monitoring function, or control to disable part of the second monitoring function.

[0243] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable both the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function, which can eliminate the need for the first monitoring function to patrol the area and to press the confirmation button when it is highly likely that a child is not on the vehicle, and can prevent malfunctions of the second monitoring function.

[0244] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable only the first monitoring function, thereby eliminating the extra work involved with the first monitoring function in a situation where it is highly likely that a child is not on board, while still being able to detect by the second monitoring function if a child is actually on board.

[0245] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable only the second monitoring function. For example, even in a situation where there is a high probability that no children are on board, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the second monitoring function by still performing a patrol when children disembark.

[0246] [Control Routine] In this embodiment, the control unit 37 of the in-vehicle device 10 executes a control routine similar to the control routine RT1 shown in Fig. 8. In step S104 of Fig. 8, the control unit 37 transmits to the server 70 parking position information indicating the position of the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed when the vehicle is parked.

[0247] The parking position information transmitted in step S104 also includes an identifier for identifying the on-vehicle device 10. The parking position information may also include an identifier for the vehicle in which the on-vehicle device 10 is installed, or an identifier that can identify the facility to which the vehicle provides transportation.

[0248] 14 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT5, which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 75 of the server 70 in Example 3. For example, when the server 70 is powered on, the control unit 75 repeatedly executes the control routine RT5.

[0249] When the control routine RT5 starts, the control unit 75 determines whether parking position information has arrived (step S501). In step S501, for example, the control unit 75 determines that parking position information has arrived when it receives parking position information indicating the position of the shuttle bus M when the shuttle bus is parked, transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10. In step S501, the control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle.

[0250] In step S501, when it is determined that parking position information has not arrived (step S501: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT5 and starts the next control routine RT5 anew.

[0251] In step S501, when it is determined that parking position information has arrived (step S501: YES), the control unit 75 determines whether the acquisition status of the monitoring area satisfies a criterion (step S502). In step S502, for example, the control unit 75 reads out the monitoring area associated with K kindergarten and stored in the map information database 73A. Thereafter, the control unit 75 determines that the acquisition status of the monitoring area satisfies the criterion, for example, when the number of pick-up and drop-off operations is equal to or longer than a predetermined period or when a monitoring area of ​​equal to or larger than a predetermined area is set.

[0252] In step S502, if it is determined that the acquisition state of the monitoring area does not satisfy the criteria (step S502: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT5 and starts the next control routine RT5 anew.

[0253] In step S502, if it is determined that the acquisition state of the monitoring area satisfies the criteria (step S502: YES), the control unit 75 determines whether the parking position received in step S501 is outside the monitoring area (step S503).

[0254] In step S503, if it is determined that the parking position is not outside the monitoring area (i.e., is within the monitoring area) (step S503: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT5 and starts the next control routine RT5 anew.

[0255] In step S503, if it is determined that the parking position is outside the monitoring area (step S503: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to the in-vehicle device 10 to disable the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function (step S504).

[0256] After executing step S504, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT5 and starts the next control routine RT5.

[0257] As described above, the control device of Example 3 is a control device that controls the monitoring function for detecting whether a living body is left behind in a vehicle, and includes a monitoring area acquisition unit that acquires a monitoring area that requires monitoring by the monitoring function, a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle, a parking position determination unit that determines whether the position of the vehicle when the parking is detected by the detection unit is outside the monitoring area, and a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when it is determined that the position of the vehicle is outside the monitoring area.

[0258] In Example 3, for example, if the vehicle is located outside the monitoring area when parking is detected, there is a high probability that there are no children in the vehicle. According to Example 3, it is possible to estimate whether there are living bodies that should be protected by the monitoring function, such as children, in the vehicle based on the parking position of the vehicle, and if there is a high probability that there are no living bodies, it is possible to automatically disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0259] Therefore, according to Example 3, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium that can automatically control the operating state of a monitoring function for preventing living organisms from being left inside a vehicle depending on the situation when the vehicle is parked.

[0260] For example, according to Example 3, in a situation where the shuttle bus M is traveling outside the area requiring monitoring and only adults are on board, such as during a reconnaissance for a kindergarten field trip or staff training, it is possible to eliminate the need for the first monitoring function to patrol the area or operate the confirmation button, and to prevent staff from being detected by the second monitoring function or unnecessary alarm sounds from being sounded due to malfunction.

[0261] The configuration and functions of a monitoring control system 100 including a server 70 as a control device according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A to 17. FIG.

[0262] The monitoring and control system 100 of the fourth embodiment is configured similarly to the monitoring and control system 100 of the first embodiment, but differs in the content of the monitoring control executed by the server 70. Specifically, the fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when performing monitoring control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10, weather forecast information about the location of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked is used.

[0263] The control unit 75 of the server 70 receives information indicating that the shuttle bus M has been parked from the in-vehicle device 10. The control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects that the vehicle has been parked.

[0264] In this embodiment, when the shuttle bus M is parked (for example, the ignition is turned off), the in-vehicle device 10 transmits position information of the shuttle bus M to the server 70. The position information indicates the position of the shuttle bus M when the shuttle bus M is parked. The control unit 75 of the server 70 receives the position information from the in-vehicle device 10 and thereby detects that the shuttle bus M has been parked.

[0265] The control unit 75 acquires weather forecast information for the area around or surrounding the location of the shuttle bus M indicated by the location information received from the in-vehicle device 10. The control unit 75 functions as a weather forecast information acquisition unit that acquires weather forecast information for the location of the vehicle when parking of the vehicle is detected.

[0266] The control unit 75 also functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on weather forecast information.

[0267] In this embodiment, the weather forecast information includes temperature forecast information and weather forecast information. In this embodiment, for example, when a vehicle is parked and left with the doors closed, and the temperature inside the vehicle becomes too high or too low for human health, the monitoring function is kept active to prevent accidents where the vehicle is left behind.

[0268] The temperature inside the vehicle is affected not only by the outside temperature but also by weather conditions such as sunny or cloudy. For example, even if the outside temperature is the same, the temperature rises faster when the weather is sunny than when it is cloudy, resulting in a difference in the temperature inside the vehicle after, for example, several hours. Therefore, in this embodiment, the combination of the temperature forecast information and the weather forecast information is used as an indicator for determining whether the control unit 75 should disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0269] 15A is a diagram showing weather forecast information WD1, which is an example of weather forecast information acquired by the control unit 75. The control unit 75 acquires the weather forecast information, for example, from an external server device that provides weather information. For example, the control unit 75 acquires weather forecast information for a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 3 hours) from the time when parking of the vehicle is detected.

[0270] In the example shown in FIG. 15A, the weather forecast information WD1 includes forecast information on the weather conditions for the next three hours from the time when the parking of the shuttle bus M is detected, and forecast information on the temperature, such as the predicted maximum temperature.

[0271] The control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit performs monitoring control using information on a preset allowable temperature range for each weather type, for example. Specifically, when the temperature indicated by the temperature forecast information is within a predetermined temperature range set for the weather type indicated by the weather forecast information, the control unit 75 performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function.

[0272] 15B is a diagram showing a table TB2 that is an example of a setting of an allowable temperature range for each weather type. For example, the table TB2 is stored in the mass storage device 73. The allowable temperature range is set based on the allowable temperature range inside the vehicle.

[0273] The control unit 75, for example, refers to Table TB2 to identify the temperature range set for the weather type indicated by the weather forecast information included in the acquired weather forecast information, and determines whether the temperature indicated by the temperature forecast information is within the temperature range. This allows the control unit 75 to automatically disable at least a portion of the monitoring function if the interior temperature is predicted not to reach a dangerous temperature. The allowable temperature range may be changed, for example, depending on the season.

[0274] Furthermore, the control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit does not disable the monitoring function regardless of the temperature when the weather forecast information indicates a specific weather condition. The specific weather condition is, for example, severe weather such as thunder, hail, or a rainstorm that may affect a living body from a psychological perspective, rather than a temperature perspective. For example, if severe weather that may frighten a child is predicted, it is preferable to prevent the child from being left behind.

[0275] In the example shown in Figure 5B, no acceptable temperature ranges are set for lightning, hail, and storms, and even when referring to Figure 5B, the control unit 75 does not determine that the temperature forecast information is within the acceptable temperature range, and does not perform control to disable the monitoring function.

[0276] 15C is a diagram showing weather forecast information WD2, which is another example of weather forecast information acquired by the control unit 75. In the weather forecast information WD2, the three hours after the vehicle is parked are divided into 30-minute intervals, and each time interval is associated with forecast information on weather conditions and predicted maximum temperatures.

[0277] The control unit 75 as a monitoring control unit may acquire weather forecast information such as that shown in Figure 15C, and perform control to disable at least a portion of the monitoring function based on the length or percentage of time during which the weather indicated by the weather forecast information meets a predetermined standard within a predetermined period of time from the time parking is detected.

[0278] For example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable at least part of the monitoring function if the length or percentage of time during which the weather meets a specified standard within a specified period from the time parking is detected is equal to or greater than a threshold set in terms of the temperature inside the vehicle, and it is expected that the temperature inside the vehicle will be maintained at a temperature appropriate for living organisms.

[0279] For example, the control unit 75 performs control to disable either the first monitoring function or the second monitoring function. In this embodiment, for example, since it is assumed that the temperature inside the vehicle will be maintained at an appropriate level for a predetermined time after parking, it is preferable to disable the first monitoring function and leave the second monitoring function enabled.

[0280] For example, the second monitoring function may also be disabled from the viewpoint of preventing malfunction due to the second monitoring function during the predetermined time period in which the temperature inside the vehicle is maintained at an appropriate level after the vehicle is parked.

[0281] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 75 may perform control to disable part of the first monitoring function or part of the second monitoring function.

[0282] [Control Routine] In this embodiment, the control unit 37 of the in-vehicle device 10 executes a control routine similar to the control routine RT1 shown in Fig. 8. In step S104 of Fig. 8, the control unit 37 transmits to the server 70 parking position information indicating the position of the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 10 is installed when the vehicle is parked.

[0283] The parking position information transmitted in step S104 also includes an identifier for identifying the on-vehicle device 10. The parking position information may also include an identifier for the vehicle in which the on-vehicle device 10 is installed, or an identifier that can identify the facility to which the vehicle provides transportation.

[0284] 16 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT6, which is an example of a control routine executed by the control unit 75 of the server 70 in Example 4. For example, when the server 70 is powered on, the control unit 75 repeatedly executes the control routine RT6.

[0285] When the control unit 75 starts the control routine RT6, it determines whether parking position information has arrived (step S601). In step S601, for example, the control unit 75 determines that parking position information has arrived when it receives parking position information indicating the position of the shuttle bus M when the shuttle bus M is parked, transmitted from the in-vehicle device 10. In step S601, the control unit 75 functions as a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle.

[0286] In step S601, when it is determined that parking position information has not arrived (step S601: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT6 and starts the next control routine RT6 anew.

[0287] In step S601, when it is determined that parking position information has arrived (step S601: YES), the control unit 75 acquires weather forecast information for the area around the position indicated by the parking position information (step S602). In step S602, for example, the control unit 75 acquires weather forecast information for a predetermined time period from the time the shuttle bus M is parked. In step S602, the control unit 75 functions as a weather forecast information acquisition unit that acquires weather forecast information for the vehicle's position when parking of the vehicle is detected.

[0288] After step S602 is executed, the control unit 75 determines whether the weather forecast information acquired in step S602 satisfies a predetermined criterion (step S603). In step S603, for example, if the temperature indicated by the temperature forecast information is within a predetermined temperature range set for the weather type indicated by the weather forecast information, it is determined that the predetermined criterion is satisfied.

[0289] In step S603, for example, if the type of weather indicated by the weather forecast information is a weather condition other than a specific weather condition such as thunder, hail, or a rainstorm, it is determined that the predetermined criterion is met.

[0290] In step S603, if it is determined that the weather forecast information does not satisfy the predetermined criteria (step S603: NO), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT6 and starts the next control routine RT6 anew.

[0291] If it is determined in step S603 that the weather forecast information satisfies the predetermined criteria (step S603: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to disable the first monitoring function to the in-vehicle device 10 (step S604).

[0292] In steps S603 and S604, the control unit 75 functions as a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the weather forecast information.

[0293] After executing step S604, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT6 and starts the next control routine RT6.

[0294] 17 is a flowchart showing a control routine RT7, which is a modification of the control routine RT6 executed by the control unit 75. In the control routine RT7, steps S701 to S703 proceed in the same manner as steps S601 to S603 of the control routine RT6, and therefore a part of the description thereof will be omitted.

[0295] The control unit 75 starts the control routine RT7, and when it determines in step S701 that parking position information has arrived (step S701: YES), it acquires weather forecast information for the area around the location indicated by the parking position information (step S702). In step S702, the control unit 75 acquires weather forecast information for a control period, which is a predetermined time from the time the shuttle bus M is parked. The control period is, for example, 1 to 3 hours, but may be even longer.

[0296] After step S702 is executed, the control unit 75 determines whether the weather forecast information acquired in step S702 satisfies a predetermined criterion (step S703). If it is determined in step S703 that the weather forecast information satisfies the predetermined criterion (step S703: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to the in-vehicle device 10 to disable the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function (step S704).

[0297] After executing step S704, the control unit 75 determines whether the ignition key of the shuttle bus M has been turned ON (step S705). In step S705, if information indicating that the ignition key has been turned ON, which information is transmitted in step S101 of the control routine RT1 of the in-vehicle device 10 shown in FIG. 8, for example, is received, it is determined that the ignition key has been turned ON.

[0298] When it is determined in step S705 that the ignition key has been turned ON (step S705: YES), the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT7 and starts the next control routine RT7. As described in Fig. 8, when the ignition key is turned ON, the monitoring functions that were disabled in the in-vehicle device 10 are enabled (step S102). Specifically, the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function are enabled.

[0299] If it is determined in step S705 that the ignition key is not turned on (step S705: NO), the control unit 75 determines whether the control period has ended (step S706).

[0300] If it is determined in step S706 that the control period has not ended (step S706: NO), the control unit 75 returns to step S705 and determines again whether the ignition key has been turned ON.

[0301] If it is determined in step S706 that the control period has ended (step S706: YES), the control unit 75 transmits control information to enable the second monitoring function to the in-vehicle device 10 (step S707).

[0302] After executing step S707, the control unit 75 ends the control routine RT7 and starts the next control routine RT7.

[0303] In the control routine RT7, after the end of the control period, control based on weather forecast information is not performed, so it is unclear whether the temperature inside the vehicle will be maintained at an appropriate level. According to the control routine RT7, if the vehicle continues to be parked after the end of the control period, the second monitoring function can be enabled to detect if a living body has been left inside the vehicle.

[0304] In addition, in the control routine RT7, instead of step S707, it is also possible to enable all monitoring functions, return to step S702, acquire weather forecast information again, and perform control to disable at least some of the monitoring functions based on the weather forecast information.

[0305] As described above, the control device of Example 4 is a control device that controls the monitoring function for leaving a living organism inside a vehicle, and includes a detection unit that detects parking of the vehicle, a weather forecast information acquisition unit that acquires weather forecast information about the location of the vehicle when parking is detected, and a monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the weather forecast information.

[0306] According to the fourth embodiment, for example, when it is predicted based on weather forecast information that the temperature inside the vehicle will be maintained at an appropriate temperature for living organisms, at least a part of the monitoring function can be disabled.

[0307] Therefore, according to Example 4, it is possible to provide a control device, a control method, a control program, and a storage medium that can automatically control the operating state of a monitoring function for preventing living organisms from being left inside a vehicle depending on the situation when the vehicle is parked.

[0308] The configurations, routines, etc. of the in-vehicle device 10, the server 70, and the registration terminal 50 in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and can be appropriately selected, combined, or changed depending on the application, etc.

[0309] For example, two or more of Examples 1 to 4 may be combined, thereby making it possible to more reliably determine situations in which disabling at least a part of the monitoring function is acceptable. For example, by combining Example 1 and Example 2, it is possible to disable at least a part of the monitoring function when the vehicle is expected to be parked for a short time and there is a high probability that no children are in the vehicle.

[0310] For example, by combining Example 1 and Example 4, when it is expected that the vehicle will be parked for a short time and that the temperature inside the vehicle will be maintained appropriately, it is possible to disable at least a part of the monitoring function, and it is possible to more reliably determine situations in which it is not necessary to perform patrols using the first monitoring function, for example.

[0311] For example, by combining the second and third embodiments, it is possible to more reliably determine a scene in which there is a high probability that no children are riding in the vehicle.

[0312] For example, by combining Example 2 and Example 4, it is possible to disable at least part of the monitoring function when there is a high probability that no children are in the vehicle and the temperature inside the vehicle is expected to be maintained appropriately.

[0313] The in-vehicle device 10 may have all or part of the server functions related to the above-mentioned monitoring control. For example, if the in-vehicle device 10 has all of the server functions, the control unit 37 of the in-vehicle device 10 executes a control routine similar to the control routine executed by the server 70. Depending on the result, the control unit 37 either keeps the monitoring function enabled or disables at least part of the monitoring function.

[0314] In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the in-vehicle device 10 has both the first and second monitoring functions. However, the in-vehicle device 10 may have only the first monitoring function and not the second monitoring function. In this case, the control unit 75 controls to disable the first monitoring function or to disable part of the first monitoring function. Alternatively, the in-vehicle device 10 may have only the second monitoring function and not the first monitoring function. In this case, the control unit 75 controls to disable the second monitoring function or to disable part of the second monitoring function.

[0315] In the above embodiment, the registration terminal 50 is described as a smartphone, but is not limited to this. The registration terminal 50 may be any terminal device configured to receive an abandoned vehicle notification from the monitoring function of the in-vehicle device 10 and present the notification to the user via a display screen, audio, or the like. For example, the registration terminal 50 may be a terminal device such as a tablet, PC, or wearable device.

[0316] In the above embodiment, an example of detecting whether a vehicle is parked by detecting that the ignition key is turned off has been described. However, this is not limiting, and whether a vehicle is parked may be detected by other methods. For example, whether a vehicle is parked may be detected by detecting that the vehicle's speed has reached zero and that the driver's door has been opened. Furthermore, for example, a seat occupancy sensor may be provided in the driver's seat of the vehicle, and whether a vehicle is parked may be detected by detecting that a person has left the driver's seat based on an image from an in-vehicle camera and a signal from the seat occupancy sensor.

[0317] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 In-vehicle device 11 Speaker 13 Alarm 15 Confirmation button 17 In-vehicle camera 19 Exterior camera 21 Microphone 23 Touch panel 25 GPS receiver 27 Acceleration sensor 33 Input unit 35 Memory unit 37 Control unit 39 Communication unit 41 Output unit 50 Registration terminal 51 Touch panel 53 Speaker 59 Memory unit 61 Control unit 63 Input unit 65 Output unit 67 Communication unit 70 Server 73 Large-capacity storage device 73A Map information database 75 Control unit 77 Communication unit

Claims

1. A control device that controls the monitoring function for leaving living organisms unattended inside a vehicle, A schedule acquisition unit that acquires the operational schedule of the facility associated with the aforementioned vehicle, A detection unit for detecting the parking of the aforementioned vehicle, A monitoring control unit that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the aforementioned work schedule and the date or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit, It has, The monitoring function includes a first monitoring function that, if the confirmation button provided on the vehicle is not pressed within a predetermined time after the vehicle is parked, issues an external alarm or sends a notification to a terminal associated with the vehicle. The control device is characterized in that the monitoring control unit performs control to disable the first monitoring function based on the work schedule and the time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

2. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the monitoring control unit performs control to disable the first monitoring function when the day on which parking is detected does not fall within the days on which the facility's operations are scheduled to be performed in the work schedule.

3. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the monitoring control unit performs control to disable the first monitoring function when the time at which parking is detected does not fall within the time period during which the facility's operations are scheduled to be performed in the work schedule.

4. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the monitoring control unit identifies the vehicle's operating schedule based on the work schedule, and performs control to disable the first monitoring function if the time at which parking is detected does not fall within the time period in which the vehicle is operating according to the operating schedule.

5. The monitoring function includes the first monitoring function and the second monitoring function which, when a biological presence is detected inside the vehicle after a predetermined time has elapsed since the vehicle was parked, issues an external alarm or notifies a terminal associated with the vehicle. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the monitoring control unit performs control to disable only the first monitoring function based on the work schedule and the date or time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection unit.

6. A control method, executed by a control device, that controls the function of monitoring whether a living organism is left behind inside a vehicle, A schedule acquisition step to acquire the operational schedule of the facility associated with the aforementioned vehicle, A detection step for detecting the parking of the aforementioned vehicle, A monitoring and control step that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the work schedule and the date or time when the parking of the vehicle was detected in the detection step, Includes, The monitoring function includes a first monitoring function that, if the confirmation button provided on the vehicle is not pressed within a predetermined time after the vehicle is parked, issues an external alarm or sends a notification to a terminal associated with the vehicle. The monitoring and control step is characterized by performing control to disable the first monitoring function based on the work schedule and the time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection step.

7. A control program that is executed by a control device equipped with a computer and controls the function of monitoring whether a living organism is left behind inside a vehicle, wherein the computer has, A schedule acquisition step to acquire the operational schedule of the facility associated with the aforementioned vehicle, A detection step for detecting the parking of the aforementioned vehicle, A monitoring and control step that performs control to disable at least a part of the monitoring function based on the work schedule and the date or time when the parking of the vehicle was detected in the detection step, Make it run, The monitoring function includes a first monitoring function that, if the confirmation button provided on the vehicle is not pressed within a predetermined time after the vehicle is parked, issues an external alarm or sends a notification to a terminal associated with the vehicle. The monitoring and control step is a control program characterized by performing control to disable the first monitoring function based on the work schedule and the time when the parking of the vehicle is detected by the detection step.

8. A storage medium readable by a computer that stores the control program described in Claim 7.