Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing device according to the present disclosure detects the establishment of communication between a vehicle and a user terminal. A notification unit provided to the vehicle is controlled at the timing when communication is established.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

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

[0002] Today, with the development of automobiles, everyone owns a car and uses it as a means of transportation to various places. In Asia in particular, many users use motorcycles, and it has become difficult to find one's own vehicle among the many vehicles lined up in parking lots.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a vehicle that receives a signal from a mobile phone turns on its lights or sounds its horn, thereby confirming the location of the vehicle.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300453

[0005] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, the user must perform an operation via a mobile terminal simply to activate the vehicle's lights or horn, which is troublesome.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device that enables the location of a parked vehicle to be confirmed without user operation.

[0007] According to the present invention, an information processing device is provided, characterized by comprising: a detection means for detecting that communication between a vehicle and a user terminal has been established; and a control means for controlling a notification unit provided in the vehicle at the timing when the communication is established.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that enables the location of a parked vehicle to be confirmed without user operation.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a right side view of a saddle-riding type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the saddle-riding type vehicle of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device for a saddle-riding type vehicle. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overview of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining positional relationships when performing pairwise control. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an information processing device according to an embodiment.

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0011] In each figure, arrows X, Y, and Z indicate directions that are perpendicular to one another, with the X direction indicating the front-to-rear direction of the saddle-riding vehicle, the Y direction indicating the width direction (left-to-right direction) of the saddle-riding vehicle, and the Z direction indicating the up-to-down direction. The left and right of the saddle-riding vehicle are the left and right when viewed in the forward direction. Hereinafter, the front or rear in the front-to-rear direction of the saddle-riding vehicle may be simply referred to as the front or rear. Furthermore, the inside or outside in the width direction (left-to-right direction) of the saddle-riding vehicle may be simply referred to as the inside or outside.

[0012] The information processing device according to the present embodiment is used in a control system that controls vehicle notification according to the communication status between the vehicle and a user terminal, and provides a vehicle location confirmation service that involves notification by a notification unit provided in the vehicle. In this embodiment, the information processing device is described as an on-board device mounted on the vehicle (saddle-ride type vehicle 1) shown in FIG. 1 , but is not limited thereto as long as it is capable of performing similar processing. For example, the information processing device may be a server device that communicates with the vehicle and the user terminal, or the user terminal may function as the information processing device. Here, the user terminal is assumed to be a terminal that can be operated by a user, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or wearable terminal, but may also be, for example, a communication device that only has the function of communicating with the vehicle.

[0013] [Overview of saddle riding type vehicle] First, a vehicle in a control system according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a right side view of a saddle riding type vehicle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the saddle riding type vehicle 1.

[0014] The saddle-type vehicle 1 is, for example, a touring motorcycle suitable for long-distance travel, but the present invention is applicable to various types of saddle-type vehicles including other types of motorcycles, and is also applicable to electric vehicles using a motor as a drive source in addition to vehicles using an internal combustion engine as a drive source. Hereinafter, the saddle-type vehicle 1 may be referred to as vehicle 1.

[0015] The vehicle 1 is provided with a power unit 2 between front wheels FW and rear wheels RW. In this embodiment, the power unit 2 includes a horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine 21 and a transmission 22. The driving force of the transmission 22 is transmitted to the rear wheels RW via a drive shaft (not shown), thereby rotating the rear wheels RW.

[0016] The power unit 2 is supported by a body frame 3. The body frame 3 includes a pair of left and right main frames 31 extending in the X direction. A fuel tank 5 and an air cleaner box (not shown) are disposed above the main frames 31. A meter panel MP equipped with an electronic image display device and the like that displays various information to the rider is provided in front of the fuel tank 5.

[0017] A head pipe 32 is provided at the front end of the main frame 31, rotatably supporting a steering shaft (not shown) that is turned by the handlebars 8. A pair of left and right pivot plates 33 is provided at the rear end of the main frame 31. The lower ends of the pivot plates 33 are connected to the front end of the main frame 31 by a pair of left and right lower arms (not shown), and the power unit 2 is supported by the main frame 31 and the lower arms. A pair of left and right seat rails (not shown) extending rearward is also provided at the rear end of the main frame 31, and the seat rails support a seat 4a on which a rider sits, a seat 4b on which a passenger sits, a rear trunk 7b, etc.

[0018] The pivot plate 33 supports the front end of a rear swing arm (not shown), which extends in the fore-and-aft direction, so that it can swing freely. The rear swing arm is capable of swinging up and down, and supports the rear wheel RW at its rear end. An exhaust muffler 6 that silences exhaust from the engine 21 is provided on the sides of the lower part of the rear wheel RW, extending in the X direction. Left and right saddlebags 7a are provided on the sides of the upper part of the rear wheel RW.

[0019] A front suspension mechanism 9 that supports a front wheel FW is configured at the front end of the main frame 31. The front suspension mechanism 9 includes an upper link 91, a lower link 92, a fork support 93, a cushion unit 94, and a pair of left and right front forks 95.

[0020] The upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are disposed at a vertical interval at the front end of the main frame 31. The rear end portions of the upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are pivotally connected to supports provided at the front end portion of the main frame 31. The front end portions of the upper link 91 and the lower link 92 are pivotally connected to a fork support 93. The upper link 91 and the lower link 92 each extend in the fore-and-aft direction and are disposed substantially parallel to each other.

[0021] The cushion unit 94 has a structure in which a shock absorber is inserted into a coil spring, and its upper end is supported so as to be able to swing freely by the main frame 31. The lower end of the cushion unit 94 is supported so as to be able to swing freely by the lower link 92.

[0022] The fork support 93 is cylindrical and tilts rearward. The front end of an upper link 91 is rotatably connected to the front upper portion of the fork support 93. The front end of a lower link 92 is rotatably connected to the rear lower portion of the fork support 93.

[0023] A steering shaft 96 is supported by the fork support 93 so as to be rotatable about its axis. The steering shaft 96 has a shaft portion (not shown) that passes through the fork support 93. A bridge (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the steering shaft 96, and a pair of left and right front forks 95 are supported on this bridge. A front wheel FW is rotatably supported by the front forks 95. The upper end of the steering shaft 96 is connected via a link 97 to a steering shaft (not shown) that is rotated by the handlebars 8. The steering shaft 96 rotates when the handlebars 8 is steered, and the front wheel FW is steered.

[0024] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a brake device 19F that brakes the front wheels FW and a brake device 19R that brakes the rear wheels RW. The brake devices 19F, 19R are configured to be operable by the rider's operation of the brake lever 8a or the brake pedal 8b. The brake devices 19F, 19R are, for example, disc brakes. When there is no need to distinguish between the brake devices 19F, 19R, they will be collectively referred to as brake devices 19.

[0025] A headlight unit 11 that emits light ahead of the vehicle 1 is disposed at the front of the vehicle 1. The headlight unit 11 of this embodiment is a twin-lens type headlight unit that includes a right light emitting portion 11R and a left light emitting portion 11L that are symmetrical on the left and right. However, a single-lens type or triple-lens type headlight unit, or an asymmetric twin-lens type headlight unit may also be employed.

[0026] The front of the vehicle 1 is covered by a front cowl 12, and the front sides of the vehicle 1 are covered by a pair of left and right side cowls 14. A screen 13 is disposed above the front cowl 12. The screen 13 is a windshield that reduces wind pressure experienced by the rider while riding, and is formed, for example, from a transparent resin member.

[0027] A pair of left and right side mirror units 15 are disposed on the sides of the front cowl 12. The side mirror units 15 support side mirrors (not shown) that allow the rider to view the rear.

[0028] In this embodiment, the front cowl 12 is made up of cowl members 121 to 123. The cowl member 121 extends in the Y direction and constitutes the main body of the front cowl 12, and the cowl member 122 constitutes the upper portion of the cowl member 121. The cowl member 123 is disposed below and spaced apart from the cowl member 121.

[0029] An opening exposing the headlight unit 11 is formed between the cowl member 121 and the cowl member 123 and between the pair of left and right side cowls 14, with the upper edge of this opening being defined by the cowl member 121, the lower edge being defined by the cowl member 123, and the left and right side edges being defined by the side cowls 14.

[0030] An imaging unit 16A and a radar 16B are disposed behind the front cowl 12 as detection devices that detect the situation ahead of the vehicle 1. The radar 16B is, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The imaging unit 16A includes an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, and an optical system such as a lens, and captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 1. The imaging unit 16A is disposed behind a cowl member 122 that constitutes the upper part of the front cowl 12. An opening 122a is formed through the cowl member 122, and the imaging unit 16A captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 1 through the opening 122a.

[0031] The radar 16B is disposed behind the cowl member 121. The presence of the cowl member 121 makes the presence of the detection unit 16 less noticeable when viewed from the front of the vehicle 1, thereby preventing the deterioration of the appearance of the vehicle 1. The cowl member 121 is made of a material that is permeable to electromagnetic waves, such as resin.

[0032] The imaging unit 16A and the radar 16B are disposed in the center of the front cowl 12 in the Y direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle. By disposing the imaging unit 16A and the radar 16B in the center of the vehicle 1 in the Y direction, wider imaging and detection ranges can be obtained on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle 1, making it possible to detect the situation ahead of the vehicle 1 more accurately. Furthermore, since the front of the vehicle 1 can be monitored equally on the left and right sides with one imaging unit 16A and one radar 16B, it is particularly advantageous to provide one imaging unit 16A and one radar 16B instead of multiple units.

[0033] [Control Device for Saddle-Riding Vehicle] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control device 10 of the vehicle 1, illustrating an example of a partial functional configuration including components necessary for the description that follows. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a control unit (ECU) 10a. The control unit 10a includes a processor such as a CPU, a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, an input / output interface or a communication interface with an external device, etc. The storage device stores programs executed by the processor, data used by the processor for processing, etc. The control unit 10a may include multiple sets of processors, storage devices, interfaces, etc. corresponding to the respective functions of the vehicle 1.

[0034] The control unit 10a can control the actuators of the power unit 2 and the brake 19. In this embodiment, the control unit 10a controls these when performing speed limit processing, which will be described later. The control unit 10a can also control the display of the meter panel MP. In this embodiment, various warning displays for the rider are displayed on the meter panel MP. In this embodiment, the warning is issued by displaying an image on the meter panel MP, but it may also be issued by lighting or flashing a lamp, or by issuing an audio warning. The audio warning may be issued by controlling the sound to be output via wireless communication from a speaker provided in the rider's helmet.

[0035] [Control System] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system according to this embodiment. In the system 400, an information processing device 420 provided in a vehicle 430 and a user terminal 410 are communicably connected to the audio output device 420 and the vehicle 430, respectively. The vehicle 430 may be the same as the vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the user terminal 430 according to this embodiment is a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or wearable terminal, as described above.

[0036] In the control system according to this embodiment, the information processing device 420 provided in the user terminal 410 and the vehicle 430 detects the timing when communication between the vehicle and the user is established. For example, when a user having the user terminal 410 walks toward the vehicle 430 and the communication is established in response to the user terminal 410 and the vehicle 430 becoming closer in distance, the information processing device 420 can detect this timing. The information processing device 420 controls the notification unit 440 provided in the vehicle 430 at the timing when the communication is established.

[0037] The notification unit 440 notifies a user outside the vehicle 430. The notification unit 440 according to this embodiment may be, for example, a light source provided in the vehicle 430. In this embodiment, the light emitted by the notification unit 440, which is a light source, allows the user of the user terminal 410 to confirm the location of the vehicle. The light source according to this embodiment may be, for example, a headlight of the vehicle 430, a hazard lamp (emergency flashing indicator light), a turn signal (direction indicator), or another light provided in the vehicle 430. Furthermore, for example, the notification unit 440 may be an external light source different from one originally provided in the vehicle 430.

[0038] Furthermore, for example, the notification unit 440 may be an audio output unit provided in the vehicle 430. For example, the vehicle 430 can emit a sound to allow the user of the user terminal 410 to confirm the location of the vehicle. The audio output unit according to this embodiment may be, for example, a warning horn provided in the vehicle 430, or a speaker that outputs audio. This speaker may be an in-vehicle device of the vehicle 430, or may be an external device that is not an in-vehicle device of the vehicle 430.

[0039] The duration of each notification by the notification unit 440 is not particularly limited, but may be set to 15 seconds here. Furthermore, when the notification by the light source and the notification by the audio output unit are performed simultaneously, the duration of each notification may be different. For example, the notification by the light source may be performed until the door is unlocked (until an operation is performed to turn off the notification), and the notification by the audio output unit may be performed for 15 seconds.

[0040] Furthermore, if the notification unit 440 only notifies the user once upon establishing communication, the notification unit 440 may overlook the notification. From this perspective, the notification unit 440 may be configured to notify at a predetermined interval (which can be set arbitrarily). The notification unit 440 may notify the user, for example, every 15 seconds, every 20 seconds, every 30 seconds, or every 45 seconds. Furthermore, the number of times the notification unit 440 notifies the user may be set to a predetermined number in advance. These settings may be set by the user via an application on the user terminal 410 (or on the in-vehicle device of the vehicle 430), or may be set as initial settings. In this way, controlling the notification interval or the number of times the notification is made can reduce the possibility that the user will overlook the notification.

[0041] Furthermore, since notifications by the audio output unit may be noisy to people in the vicinity, the duration of each notification may be set to a predetermined time or less. For example, the duration of each notification by the audio output unit may be set to a predetermined time or less (e.g., 1 second). Also, for example, the duration of each notification by the audio output unit may be set to be shorter than the duration of each notification by the light source.

[0042] In this embodiment, the term "establishment of communication between the vehicle and the user terminal" refers to the information processing device 420 provided in the vehicle 430 establishing communication with the user terminal 410. However, the term "establishment of communication between the vehicle and the user terminal" may also refer to the establishment of communication between an in-vehicle device other than the information processing device 420 and the user terminal 410. Hereinafter, when simply referring to "communication," this refers to communication between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410.

[0043] [Hardware Configuration] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 420. The information processing device 420 includes a processing unit 610, a storage unit 620, and a communication unit 630. The processing unit 610 is a central processing unit such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 620 to perform various processes. The storage unit 620 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, or a hard disk. The programs stored in the storage unit 620 include an application program for a vehicle location confirmation service provided by the control system according to this embodiment. This application program may be downloaded from a server or distributed on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0044] The storage unit 620 can also store information about the associated user terminal 410 and refer to it when establishing communication. The storage unit 620 can also store information about the content of notification control by the notification unit 440, such as what kind of notification control to perform when establishing communication.

[0045] The communication unit 530 includes a wireless communication interface capable of communicating with the user terminal 410. In the present embodiment, as described above, the information processing device 420 (communication unit 530) and the user terminal 410 communicate with each other, but an in-vehicle device of the vehicle 430 different from the information processing device 420 may communicate with the user terminal 410, and the information processing device 420 may control the notification by the notification unit 440 depending on the communication state.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 410. The user terminal 410 includes a processing unit 710, a storage unit 720, a communication unit 730, and a display unit 740. The processing unit 710 is a central processing unit such as a CPU, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 720 to perform various processes. The storage unit 720 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, or a hard disk. The programs stored in the storage unit 720 include an application program for a vehicle location confirmation service provided by the control system according to this embodiment. This application program may be downloaded from a server or distributed on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0047] The storage unit 720 may also store location information and map data of the vehicle 430, which may be referenced when the user checks the location of the vehicle 430 on an application. The location information of the vehicle 430 may be acquired from a GPS sensor or the like provided in the vehicle 430, or may be the location information of the user terminal 410 when the ignition of the vehicle 430 is turned off.

[0048] The communication unit 730 includes a wireless communication interface capable of communicating with the vehicle 430 (information processing device 420). The display unit 740 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or a touch panel, and can display an application screen including rough position information of the vehicle 430 or notification instructions to the vehicle 430. The display unit 740 can also acquire user input based on the user's contact with the touch panel, for example.

[0049] [Information Processing] Next, a process of detecting that communication between the vehicle and the user terminal has been established by the information processing device 420 will be described. In this embodiment, the information processing device 420 is a communication unit that performs communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), and establishes a connection with the user terminal 410. Note that this communication method is an example, and the information processing device 420 may perform communication using other communication methods that perform short-range wireless communication, such as ad hoc communication such as UWB or ZigBee (registered trademark).

[0050] The information processing device 420 refers to the communication state via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, and detects whether or not communication has been established with a pre-registered user terminal 410. For example, the information processing device 420 monitors whether a connection with the user terminal 410 has been established, and when communication is established due to the user having the user terminal 410 approaching, for example, the information processing device 420 can control the subsequent notification process.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where the information processing device 420 according to this embodiment detects the establishment of communication between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410. In FIG. 5, an area 502 is illustrated, where communication is established when the user terminal 410 is present within the area 502 relative to the vehicle 430. In FIG. 5( a), a user 501 carrying the user terminal 410 is walking toward the vehicle 430, but communication is not established, and the notification unit of the vehicle 430 is not controlled. In FIG. 5( b), communication is established as the user 501 moves into the area 502, and the notification unit of the vehicle 430 is activated by the information processing device 420. This process enables the user to confirm the location of a parked vehicle without operating the terminal device.

[0052] In this embodiment, the information processing device 420 performs the communication processing via, for example, an application running on the user terminal 410. This application may perform the communication processing while running in the background of the user terminal 410, or may perform the communication processing while running in the foreground. This processing can generally be performed in the same manner as processing when performing short-range wireless communication using an application, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] Note that if the information processing device 420 is kept in a standby state at all times to detect whether communication has been established, it is conceivable that the battery will be consumed more than necessary. From this perspective, the information processing device 420 may be configured to detect whether communication has been established while a predetermined time condition is satisfied. That is, the information processing device 420 according to this embodiment may be in a standby state in which it determines whether communication has been established while the predetermined time condition is satisfied, and in a sleep mode in which it does not make such determination otherwise.

[0054] For example, if a person temporarily stops the vehicle to run an errand, it is conceivable that the person will finish the errand and return to the vehicle within a short period of time. From this perspective, the information processing device 420 may be configured to detect that communication has been established for a predetermined period of time after the ignition of the vehicle 430 is turned off. This predetermined period of time can be set by the user as desired, and may be, for example, two hours, three hours, or four hours. In this way, the predetermined time condition may be within a predetermined period of time based on when the ignition of the vehicle 420 is turned off.

[0055] It is also possible that the time of getting into a vehicle is somewhat fixed, such as the time to go to work or return home. From this perspective, the information processing device 420 may be configured to detect that communication has been established during a predetermined time period. This predetermined time period can be set by the user as desired, and may be, for example, 6:00 to 9:00 or 17:00 to 19:00. In this way, the predetermined time condition may be a predetermined time period.

[0056] Furthermore, for example, when it is determined that the battery is degraded, the information processing device 420 may not determine whether communication has been established (enter a sleep mode) regardless of other conditions in order to avoid battery drain. The conditions for determining that the battery is degraded can be set using desired conditions. For example, the information processing device 420 may determine that the battery is degraded when the battery voltage measured using a sensor by a known voltage measurement technique is below a predetermined value (e.g., 12.5 V).

[0057] In this embodiment, the notification unit is controlled when communication is established, but the timing at which the notification is made by this control may or may not be the same as the timing at which communication is established. For example, the information processing device 420 may be configured to make a notification a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after communication is established.

[0058] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the description has been given assuming that the notification unit 440 provided in the vehicle 430 notifies the user, but the notification unit 440 can also notify the user by controlling the user terminal 410. That is, the notification unit 440 may control the user terminal 410 to notify the user when communication is established. In this case, the notification unit 440 may vibrate the user terminal 410, output a sound from the user terminal 410, display a message on the user terminal 410, or perform a combination of these controls.

[0059] Furthermore, the notification unit 440 may control the content of the notification depending on the distance between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410. For example, the notification unit 440 may control the volume of the sound output from the user terminal 410 so that the volume increases as the distance between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410 decreases. Here, the distance between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410 may be evaluated depending on the strength of communication, or may be calculated based on location information.

[0060] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the notification unit provided in the vehicle is automatically controlled in response to the establishment of communication without the user operating the terminal. In addition, the notification unit 440 may be configured to provide an additional notification in response to a user operation via the user terminal 410. For example, in response to the establishment of communication, an application screen that accepts user input may be opened on the information processing device 420, and an input for providing another notification may be accepted by the user 410.

[0061] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the information processing device 410 in the control system according to this embodiment. The following description will be given assuming that the processing according to Fig. 8 is started by the control unit 610 of the information processing device 420 when the ignition of the vehicle 430 is turned off.

[0062] In S801, the information processing device 420 determines whether a predetermined time condition is satisfied, which is a condition for determining whether communication has been established between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410. If the predetermined time condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to S802; if not, the process in FIG. 8 ends.

[0063] In S802, the information processing device 420 determines whether communication has been established between the vehicle 430 according to this embodiment and the user terminal. If communication has been established, the process proceeds to S803; if not, the process returns to S801.

[0064] In S803, the information processing device 420 acquires the content of notification control to be performed by the notification unit. Here, it is assumed that the predetermined content of notification control is stored in the storage unit 620 and the content is acquired. However, for example, if notification control is performed based on the distance between the vehicle 430 and the user terminal 410, the notification content may be set in S803.

[0065] In S804, the information processing device 420 controls the notification unit 440 based on the content of the notification control acquired in S803. In S805, the information processing device 420 determines whether or not to end the notification control. For example, if the information processing device 420 is set to issue a notification a predetermined number of times, the information processing device 420 determines whether or not the notification in accordance with the control instruction in S804 has been issued a predetermined number of times. If it is determined that the notification control should be terminated, the processing of FIG. 8 ends; otherwise, the processing returns to S804. Note that if the information processing device 420 is set to issue notifications at predetermined intervals, the processing returns to S804 when the predetermined interval has elapsed.

[0066] With this configuration, it is possible to detect that communication between the vehicle and the user terminal has been established and control the notification unit provided in the vehicle at the timing when the communication has been established. Therefore, it is possible to provide an information processing device that allows the location of a parked vehicle to be confirmed without user operation.

[0067] [Summary of the embodiment] The above embodiment discloses at least the following information processing device, information processing method, and program.

[0068] 1. The information processing device (e.g., 410) according to the above embodiment includes: a detection unit (e.g., 610) that detects that communication between a vehicle and a user terminal has been established; and a control unit (e.g., 610) that controls a notification unit provided in the vehicle when the communication is established. According to this embodiment, it is possible to check the location of a parked vehicle without user operation.

[0069] 2. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the notification unit is a light source provided in the vehicle. According to this embodiment, it is possible to allow the user to confirm the position of the vehicle using the light source of the vehicle.

[0070] 3. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the light source is a headlight of the vehicle, and the information processing device according to claim 2 is characterized in that the light source is a headlight of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, it is possible for a user to confirm the position of the vehicle by using the headlight of the vehicle.

[0071] 4. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the light source is a hazard lamp of the vehicle, according to claim 2. According to this embodiment, it is possible for a user to confirm the location of the vehicle by using the hazard lamp of the vehicle.

[0072] 5. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the notification unit is an audio output unit provided in the vehicle, and the information processing device according to claim 2. According to this embodiment, it is possible to allow the user to confirm the location of the vehicle by audio emitted by the vehicle.

[0073] 6. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the detection means detects that the communication has been established when a predetermined time condition is satisfied. According to this embodiment, by limiting the detection of communication according to time, it is possible to reduce battery consumption.

[0074] 7. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the predetermined time condition is within a predetermined period of time from when the ignition of the vehicle is turned off. According to this embodiment, it is possible to put communication detection into a sleep mode during time periods when the vehicle is unlikely to be usable.

[0075] 8. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the predetermined time condition is a predetermined time period. According to this embodiment, it is possible to set communication detection to a sleep mode during time periods when the vehicle is unlikely to be usable.

[0076] 9. The information processing device according to the above embodiment further includes a determination unit that determines whether the battery of the vehicle has deteriorated, and if the detection unit determines that the battery has deteriorated, the detection unit does not detect whether the communication has been established. According to this embodiment, if the battery has deteriorated, it is possible to set communication detection to a sleep mode.

[0077] 10. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the notification unit controls the notification unit to issue a notification at predetermined intervals. According to this embodiment, by periodically controlling notifications, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a user will overlook a notification.

[0078] 11. In the information processing device according to the above embodiment, the notification unit controls the notification unit to issue a predetermined number of notifications. According to this embodiment, by executing notification control multiple times, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user will overlook a notification.

[0079] 12. The information processing method according to the above embodiment includes: a detection step of detecting that communication between a vehicle and a user terminal has been established; and a control step of controlling a notification unit provided in the vehicle at the timing when the communication has been established. According to this embodiment, it is possible to confirm the location of a parked vehicle without user operation.

[0080] 13. The program according to the above embodiment causes an information processing device to function as: a detection unit that detects that communication between a vehicle and a user terminal has been established; and a control unit that controls a notification unit provided in the vehicle when the communication is established. According to this embodiment, it is possible to check the location of a parked vehicle without user operation.

[0081] Although the embodiments of the invention have been described above, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0082] 410: User terminal, 420: Information processing device, 430: Vehicle

Claims

1. A detection means for detecting that communication between the vehicle and the user terminal has been established, A control means for controlling the notification unit of the vehicle at the time the aforementioned communication is established, An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification unit is a light source provided by the vehicle.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the light source is the headlight of the vehicle.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the light source is the hazard lamp of the vehicle.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the notification unit is an audio output unit provided by the vehicle.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection means detects whether or not the communication has been established when a predetermined time condition is met.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the predetermined time condition is within a predetermined period from the time the vehicle's ignition is turned off.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the predetermined time condition is a predetermined time period.

9. The vehicle further comprises a determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle's battery is degraded. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the detection means does not perform detection of whether or not the communication has been established if it is determined that the battery is degraded.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to make notifications at predetermined intervals.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the notification unit to make a predetermined number of notifications.

12. A detection process that detects when communication between the vehicle and the user terminal has been established, A control step is performed to control the notification unit equipped in the vehicle at the time the aforementioned communication is established. An information processing method characterized by comprising:

13. Information processing equipment, A detection means for detecting that communication between the vehicle and the user terminal has been established, A control means for controlling the notification unit of the vehicle at the time the aforementioned communication is established, A program characterized by being designed to function as such.