Data collection system, on-vehicle device, management center, data collection method, and program

Abstract

A first acquisition unit (S110) acquires, from the vehicle, determination data used in a trigger condition. A first determination unit (S120) uses the acquired determination data to determine whether or not the trigger condition is satisfied. When it is determined that the trigger condition is satisfied, a question unit (S140) executes an inquiry to a driver. A third acquisition unit (S150) acquires driver reaction data for the inquiry from the vehicle. A second acquisition unit (S170) acquires, from the vehicle, one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition.

Description

Data collection system, on-board device, management center, data collection method, and program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-223266, filed with the Japan Patent Office on December 28, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a technique for collecting data from a vehicle that is necessary for improving an application.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which information indicating collection conditions and data to be collected is distributed from a server to multiple vehicles, and data representing the situation when the collection conditions are met is collected from each vehicle.

[0004] JP 2023-84379 A

[0005] In order to efficiently improve application programs that realize vehicle functions, it is considered to collect meaningful data, such as data detected in situations in which the driver feels dissatisfied.

[0006] However, when the condition for collecting information such as one-off vehicle operations obtained via an in-vehicle network is set, a problem has been found in that it is not possible to accurately detect the driver's dissatisfaction.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a technique for accurately collecting meaningful data.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a data collection system including a distribution unit, a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a second acquisition unit, a questioning unit, and a third acquisition unit.

[0009] The distribution unit is configured to distribute the trigger information to one or more vehicles. The trigger information is information in which a trigger condition is associated with one or more acquired data to be acquired when the trigger condition is met. The trigger condition is defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied by judgment data based on one or more data acquired from the vehicle.

[0010] The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, determination data used in the trigger condition in accordance with the trigger information, with the vehicle to which the trigger information is distributed by the distribution unit as the target vehicle. The first determination unit is configured to determine whether the trigger condition is satisfied using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit. The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, one or more pieces of acquisition data associated with the trigger condition when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0011] The interrogation unit is configured to execute a query to a driver of the target vehicle when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied. The third acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, driver response data indicating the driver's response to the query by the interrogation unit.

[0012] According to this configuration, data that represents the situation when the driver feels dissatisfied, that is, meaningful data, can be collected with high accuracy.

[0013] One aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device comprising a trigger memory unit, a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a questioning unit, a third acquisition unit, a second determination unit, a second acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0014] The trigger memory unit stores trigger information. The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire judgment data used in the trigger condition from the vehicle in accordance with the trigger information. The first determination unit is configured to determine whether the trigger condition is established or not using the judgment data acquired by the first acquisition unit. The questioning unit is configured to execute a question to the driver of the vehicle when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is established. The third acquisition unit is configured to acquire driver response data from the vehicle indicating the driver's response to the question by the questioning unit. The second determination unit is configured to determine whether the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit indicates driver dissatisfaction or not. The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more pieces of acquired data associated with the trigger condition from the vehicle when the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction. The transmission unit is configured to transmit the one or more pieces of acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit to an external device that wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle device.

[0015] According to this configuration, by using the above-described data collection system as an in-vehicle device, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the above-described data collection system.

[0016] One aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle device including a trigger memory unit, a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a second acquisition unit, a question unit, a third acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0017] The trigger storage unit stores trigger information. The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the vehicle, determination data used in the trigger condition according to the trigger information. The first determination unit is configured to determine whether the trigger condition is satisfied using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit. The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the vehicle, one or more pieces of acquired data associated with the trigger condition when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied. The interrogation unit is configured to execute a query to the driver of the vehicle when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied. The third acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the vehicle, driver response data indicating the driver's response to the query by the interrogation unit. The transmission unit is configured to transmit the one or more pieces of acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit and the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit to an external device that wirelessly communicates with the in-vehicle device.

[0018] With this configuration, by using the in-vehicle device that forms the above-mentioned data collection system, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the above-mentioned data collection system. Furthermore, with this configuration, the processing as the second determination unit in the above-mentioned data collection system is performed outside the in-vehicle device, thereby reducing the processing load on the in-vehicle device.

[0019] One aspect of the present disclosure is a data collection method that uses trigger information. The data collection method, with a vehicle to which the trigger information is delivered designated as a target vehicle, acquires determination data used in a trigger condition from the target vehicle in accordance with the trigger information, and determines whether the trigger condition is met using the determination data. The data collection method, if it is determined that the trigger condition is met, acquires one or more pieces of acquired data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle. Furthermore, if it is determined that the trigger condition is met, the data collection method executes a query to a driver of the target vehicle, and acquires driver response data from the target vehicle that indicates the driver's response to the query. The data collection method determines whether the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, and if it is determined that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, stores the one or more pieces of acquired data in a storage device as dissatisfaction survey data, thereby collecting dissatisfaction survey data.

[0020] By using such a method, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the data collection system described above.

[0021] One aspect of the present disclosure is a program that uses trigger information and causes a computer installed in a vehicle to function as a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a questioning unit, a third acquisition unit, a second determination unit, a second acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0022] By executing such a program, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the above-mentioned in-vehicle device equipped with a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a questioning unit, a third acquisition unit, a second determination unit, a second acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0023] One aspect of the present disclosure is a program that uses trigger information and causes a computer installed in a vehicle to function as a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a second acquisition unit, a questioning unit, a third acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0024] By executing such a program, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the above-mentioned in-vehicle device equipped with a first acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a second acquisition unit, a questioning unit, a third acquisition unit, and a transmission unit.

[0025] One aspect of the present disclosure is a management center including a distribution unit, a second acquisition unit, and a third acquisition unit. The distribution unit is configured to distribute trigger information to one or more vehicles. A vehicle to which the trigger information is distributed by the distribution unit is a target vehicle. The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, one or more pieces of acquisition data associated with the trigger condition when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied. The third acquisition unit is configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, driver response data indicating the driver's response to a question posed by the questioning unit when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is satisfied.

[0026] According to this configuration, by using it as an external device that forms the above-mentioned data collection system, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the above-mentioned data collection system.

[0027] One aspect of the present disclosure is a data collection method that includes distributing trigger information to one or more vehicles; acquiring one or more pieces of acquired data associated with the trigger condition from a target vehicle when a first determination unit determines that a trigger condition is met; and acquiring driver response data from the target vehicle that indicates the driver's response to a question posed by a questioning unit when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met.

[0028] By using this method, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the management center described above.

[0029] One aspect of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer included in a management center to function as a distribution unit, a second acquisition unit, and a third acquisition unit.

[0030] By executing such a program, the same effect as that of the management center described above can be obtained.

[0031] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a data collection system; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle device; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a management center; FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional arrangement of a data collection system of a first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of trigger conditions and question information included in trigger information; FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a list of acquired data included in trigger information; FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing basic operations between an in-vehicle device and an ECU / exterior device group; FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing operations between the management center and an in-vehicle device in the first embodiment; FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a dissatisfaction survey process in the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the functional arrangement of a data collection system of a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a dissatisfaction survey process in the second embodiment; and FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing operations between the management center and an in-vehicle device in the second embodiment.

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0033] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Overall Configuration] The data collection system 1 of this embodiment collects dissatisfaction survey data. The dissatisfaction survey data is data that has been assigned meaning and can be used to improve application programs that implement vehicle functions, such as data that represents situations when a driver feels dissatisfied with vehicle functions.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the data collection system 1 includes a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices 2 and a management center 3 .

[0035] The in-vehicle device 2 is mounted on a vehicle and has a function of performing data communication with the management center 3 via a wide area wireless communication network NW.

[0036] The management center 3 has a function of performing data communication with the vehicle-mounted device 2 via the wide area wireless communication network NW.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2 , the in-vehicle device 2 includes a control unit 21 , a communication unit 22 , a storage unit 23 , a vehicle interface (hereinafter referred to as vehicle I / F) unit 24 , and an external device I / F unit 25 .

[0038] The control unit 21 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 211, a ROM 212, a RAM 213, etc. Various functions of the microcomputer are realized by the CPU 211 executing a program stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium. In this example, the ROM 212 corresponds to the non-transitory tangible recording medium storing the program. Note that some or all of the functions executed by the CPU 211 may be configured as hardware using one or more ICs, etc. Furthermore, the number of microcomputers constituting the control unit 21 may be one or more.

[0039] The communication unit 22 performs data communication with the management center 3 via the wide area wireless communication network NW.

[0040] The storage unit 23 is a storage device for storing various data.

[0041] The vehicle I / F unit 24 is connected to a plurality of ECUs 26 via a CAN bus installed in the vehicle so as to be able to communicate with them. CAN stands for Controller Area Network. The vehicle I / F unit 24 transmits and receives data in accordance with a CAN communication protocol.

[0042] The exterior device I / F unit 25 is connected to a group of exterior devices 27 that are retrofitted to the vehicle so as to be able to communicate data with each other. The exterior devices may include a camera, a microphone, a speaker, a display, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, the management center 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a storage unit 33.

[0044] The control unit 31 is an electronic control device mainly composed of a microcomputer including a CPU 311, a ROM 312, a RAM 313, etc. Various functions of the microcomputer are realized by the CPU 311 executing a program stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium. In this example, the ROM 312 corresponds to the non-transitory tangible recording medium storing the program. Note that some or all of the functions executed by the CPU 311 may be configured as hardware using one or more ICs, etc. Furthermore, the number of microcomputers constituting the control unit 31 may be one or more.

[0045] The communication unit 32 performs data communication with a plurality of in-vehicle devices 2 via the wide area wireless communication network NW.

[0046] The storage unit 33 is a storage device for storing various data.

[0047] [1-2. Functional Configuration] The functional configuration of the data collection system 1 will be described.

[0048] 4, the management center 3 includes a distribution unit 51 and a data receiving unit 53 as functional blocks realized by the CPU 311 executing a program stored in the ROM 312. The management center 3 includes a distribution information storage unit 54 and a complaint database (hereinafter, complaint DB) 56 in the storage unit 33.

[0049] The distribution information storage unit 54 stores one or more pieces of trigger information to be distributed to the vehicle. The trigger information is information that associates a trigger condition, question information, and a list of acquired data. Each piece of trigger information is identified by a trigger ID.

[0050] The trigger condition is defined by a combination of one or more individual conditions. The individual conditions indicate conditions that one piece of judgment data must satisfy. The judgment data may use individual values ​​of various data acquired by the vehicle, or may use the results of predetermined specific processing applied to various data acquired by the vehicle. The specific processing may include, for example, voice recognition processing, image recognition processing, statistical processing, etc. Voice recognition processing may, for example, recognize words uttered by the driver. Image recognition processing may, for example, recognize the driver's state (e.g., facial expressions, behavior, etc.). Statistical processing may, for example, include processing to remove outliers from a large amount of data.

[0051] The question information is information used to ask the driver whether he or she is dissatisfied or not when the trigger condition is met.

[0052] The list of acquired data indicates one or more pieces of data to be acquired as dissatisfaction survey data when the trigger condition is met.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows an example of defining trigger conditions and question information.

[0054] The trigger condition is defined in association with the trigger ID. The trigger condition lists individual conditions as shown by numbers 2 to 4 in Fig. 5, and also indicates how the individual conditions are combined as shown by number 1 in Fig. 5. Here, all the individual conditions are combined by logical AND, but logical OR, negation logic, etc. may also be included.

[0055] The individual conditions indicate the judgment data to be used and the value that the judgment data should satisfy. The judgment data for the individual conditions may include, for example, "ACC operation status," "inter-vehicle distance," and "brake operation force." The "ACC operation status" may be satisfied, for example, when the control is in progress. The "inter-vehicle distance" may be satisfied, for example, when the distance from the vehicle ahead is 10 meters or less. The "brake operation force" may be satisfied, for example, when the force is medium. Note that the trigger condition using the above-mentioned three individual conditions is used to detect a situation in which the driver operates the brake while the ACC is operating, thereby forcibly releasing the control, and there is a vehicle ahead that is relatively close.

[0056] The question information is set for each trigger ID. The question information may include "whether to ask," "question content," and "options for driver response." The "whether to ask" indicates whether to ask the driver a question when the trigger condition specified by the trigger ID is met, with Y (i.e., question necessary) / N (i.e., question not necessary).

[0057] The "question content" indicates the method and content of the question to be given to the driver. The question can be asked by voice, screen display, vehicle behavior control, or the like. When voice is used, the "question content" may indicate which of a plurality of pre-prepared voice patterns to use, or may directly indicate the content to be conveyed by voice if the environment allows for output of synthesized voice. Specifically, for example, when forced release of ACC control is detected due to a trigger condition, the question is asked, "Were you dissatisfied with the cruise control just now?"

[0058] The method of questioning may be a visual question using a screen display instead of or in addition to an auditory question using a voice. Furthermore, a tactile question using vehicle behavior control may be used instead of or in addition to a voice or screen display question. Specifically, a question using vehicle control may be a one-off operation such as instantaneous acceleration / deceleration or instantaneous steering operation. Note that when a question using vehicle behavior control is used in conjunction with a voice or screen display, the driver can be made aware of a question even if the driver does not notice the voice or screen display question.

[0059] The "driver response options" indicate one or more means for detecting the driver's response. For example, the options may include the driver's voice, the driver's facial expression, the driver's gestures, and the driver's vehicle operation. Alternatively, the options may indicate which of a plurality of pre-prepared option patterns to use. The content of the "driver response options" may be communicated to the driver by voice or the like along with a question to the driver. In particular, when the driver's vehicle operation is used, a voice guide may be provided indicating a specific response method by vehicle operation, such as, for example, "If yes, turn the steering wheel to the right; if no, turn the steering wheel to the left."

[0060] FIG. 6 shows an example of a defined list of acquired data.

[0061] The acquisition data list is defined in association with a trigger ID. That is, it is associated with a trigger condition via the trigger ID. Furthermore, the trigger condition and the acquisition data list associated via the trigger ID form one piece of trigger information. The acquisition data list lists the data to be acquired, as shown by numbers 3 to 7 in FIG. 6. Furthermore, the acquisition data list may indicate the data acquisition period, as shown by numbers 1 and 2 in FIG. 6. The acquisition period may be specified as being divided into a period before the trigger is fired (i.e., the trigger condition is satisfied) and a period after the trigger is fired.

[0062] The acquired data may include control data (e.g., ACC), driving operations by the driver (e.g., braking operations), vehicle position (e.g., latitude and longitude), conditions around the vehicle (e.g., whether there are any surrounding vehicles, distance to surrounding vehicles), etc.

[0063] 4, the complaint DB 56 stores complaint survey data transmitted in response to trigger information from the vehicle to which the acquired information is distributed. The complaint survey data is data shown in the acquired data list.

[0064] When a predetermined distribution condition is met, the distribution unit 51 distributes the trigger information stored in the distribution information storage unit 54 to each vehicle that is a distribution target.

[0065] When the data receiving unit 53 receives the complaint survey data from the vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed, the data receiving unit 53 classifies the received complaint survey data by driver ID and by trigger ID and stores the data in the complaint DB 56 .

[0066] 4, the in-vehicle device 2 includes a data collection unit 41, a complaint investigation unit 42, and an ID acquisition unit 43 as functional blocks realized by the CPU 211 executing a program stored in the RMO 212. The in-vehicle device 2 includes a vehicle database (hereinafter, vehicle DB) 44, a trigger storage unit 45, and an ID storage unit 46 in the storage unit 23.

[0067] The vehicle DB 44 stores data collected by the data collection unit 41. The vehicle DB 44 stores data for a predetermined period or more, which is set to include the entire acquisition period indicated in the acquired data list.

[0068] The trigger storage unit 45 stores trigger information distributed from the management center 3. The trigger information may be added, updated, or deleted as appropriate in accordance with instructions from the management center 3.

[0069] The ID storage unit 46 stores the driver ID acquired by the ID acquisition unit 43. The driver ID is information for identifying the driver currently riding in the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 2 is installed.

[0070] The data collection unit 41 chronologically collects various data provided from the ECU 26 and the external device group 27 via the vehicle I / F unit 24 and the external device I / F unit 25. The data collected via the vehicle I / F unit 24 may include behavior data representing the behavior of the vehicle, operation data representing driving operations by the driver, status data representing the status of on-board devices, and fault diagnosis data generated by each ECU 26. Hereinafter, the behavior data, operation data, status data, and fault diagnosis data will be collectively referred to as vehicle data.

[0071] The data collected via the exterior device I / F unit 25 may include voice data of the driver, image data capturing the driver's facial expressions and movements of the driver's upper body, biometric data indicating the driver's body temperature, heart rate, etc. Hereinafter, the voice data, image data, biometric data, etc. related to the driver will be collectively referred to as driver data.

[0072] The data collection unit 41 may acquire the driver data from a device that is originally installed in the vehicle via the vehicle I / F unit 24. The data collection unit 41 may also acquire the vehicle data from an exterior device group 27 that is retrofitted to the vehicle via the exterior device I / F unit 25.

[0073] The complaint investigation unit 42 may be realized, for example, by executing an application program distributed from the management center 3. The complaint investigation unit 42 transmits the vehicle data and driver data acquired in accordance with the trigger information stored in the trigger memory unit 45 to the management center 3 as complaint investigation data. Details of the processing by the complaint investigation unit 42 will be described later.

[0074] When the in-vehicle device 2 is started up, the ID acquisition unit 43 recognizes the driver currently riding in the vehicle in which the in-vehicle device 2 is installed, acquires a driver ID that identifies the recognized driver, and stores it in the ID storage unit 46.

[0075] [1-3. Operation] The operation of the data collection system 1 will be described with reference to the sequence diagrams shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the vehicle is powered on, the in-vehicle device 2 and the ECU 26 start up and an initialization process is executed. Once the initialization process enables communication with the ECU 26 via the vehicle I / F unit 24 and communication with the exterior device group 27 via the exterior device I / F unit 25, the control unit 21 of the in-vehicle device 2 executes processing as the ID acquisition unit 43. That is, the control unit 21 acquires a driver ID and stores the acquired driver ID in the ID storage unit 46. The driver ID may be acquired, for example, via an application program interface (hereinafter, API) through which the vehicle provides various vehicle functions. Specifically, for example, the driver may be identified based on an image of the driver.

[0077] Thereafter, the control unit 21 executes processing as the data collection unit 41. Specifically, the control unit 21 monitors data flowing through the CAN bus, extracts vehicle data that needs to be collected, and stores the extracted vehicle data in the vehicle DB 44. The control unit 21 may also acquire required vehicle data and driver data at any time by using an API.

[0078] 8, the control unit 31 of the management center 3 generates trigger information as needed and updates the contents of the distribution information storage unit 54. Note that the contents of the distribution information storage unit 54 may be updated by trigger information generated outside the management center 3.

[0079] The control unit 31 appropriately executes processing as the distribution unit 51. Specifically, in accordance with an external instruction, the control unit 31 distributes the trigger information stored in the distribution information storage unit 54 to the in-vehicle device 2 mounted in a specified vehicle. Note that the distribution of the trigger information may be performed to all vehicles.

[0080] When the control unit 21 of the in-vehicle device 2 receives the trigger information distributed from the management center 3, it executes processing as the complaint investigation unit 42. Specifically, the control unit 21 stores the distributed trigger information in the trigger memory unit 45, and repeatedly executes the complaint investigation processing to collect complaint investigation data in accordance with the trigger information stored in the trigger memory unit 45.

[0081] The dissatisfaction investigation process executed by the control unit 21 will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 9. The dissatisfaction investigation process is executed for each piece of trigger information identified by a trigger ID.

[0082] In S110, the control unit 21 acquires the determination data used in the trigger condition of the trigger information of interest. The determination data may be acquired from the vehicle DB 44, or may be acquired directly from the ECU 26 or the exterior device group 27 using an API.

[0083] In S120, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the trigger condition is met, and if the trigger condition is met, the process proceeds to S130, and if the trigger condition is not met, the process ends.

[0084] In S130, the control unit 21 refers to the "question necessity" included in the question information of the trigger information and determines whether or not a question to the driver is necessary. If the control unit 21 determines that a question is necessary, the process proceeds to S140. If the control unit 21 determines that a question is not necessary, the process proceeds to S170.

[0085] In S140, the control unit 21 executes a query to the driver in accordance with the "question content" included in the question information of the trigger information. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 21 outputs a query instruction to the ECU 26 or an external device equipped with a means for realizing the query method, using an API or the like.

[0086] In S150, the control unit 21 acquires the driver response data indicated in the "user response options" included in the question information of the trigger information from the ECU 26 or an exterior device having that information, using an API or the like, as shown in FIG. 8 . Note that some or all of the driver response data may be acquired from the vehicle DB 44. Note that when the driver's response is confirmed from the driver's voice, the driver's voice data is used as the driver response data. When the driver's response is confirmed from the driver's facial expression, image data including the driver's face is used as the driver response data. When the driver's response is confirmed from the driver's gestures, image data including the driver's upper body is used as the driver response data. When the driver's response is confirmed from the driver's driving operation, vehicle data representing the vehicle operation is used as the driver response data.

[0087] In S160, the control unit 21 determines whether the driver's response data indicates dissatisfaction with the driver. If the driver's response data indicates dissatisfaction with the driver, the control unit 21 proceeds to S170. If the driver's response data indicates no dissatisfaction with the driver, the control unit 21 terminates the process. If the driver's response data is voice data, the control unit 21 may determine whether the driver is dissatisfied or not based on the results of a voice recognition process. If the driver's response data is image data, the control unit 21 may determine whether the driver is dissatisfied or not based on the results of an image recognition process. If the driver does not respond, the control unit 21 may determine that the driver has responded positively to the question, or conversely, that the driver has responded negatively to the question. The driver may be able to set whether the driver's response is determined to be positive or negative when the driver does not respond.

[0088] In S170, the control unit 21 refers to the acquired data list of the trigger information and collects the data indicated in the acquired data list. The data indicated in the acquired data list may be acquired from the vehicle DB 44, or may be acquired directly from the ECU 26 or the exterior device group 27 using an API.

[0089] In S180, the control unit 21 sets the data collected in S170 as dissatisfaction survey data, and transmits it to the management center 3 together with the driver ID and trigger ID, and then ends the process.

[0090] 8 , when the control unit 31 of the management center 3 receives the complaint survey data from the in-vehicle device 2, it executes processing as the data receiving unit 53. Specifically, the control unit 31 classifies the received complaint survey data using the driver ID and trigger ID added to the complaint survey data, and stores the data in the complaint DB 56 for each classification.

[0091] The data stored in the complaint DB 56 is used to improve the application program related to the situation in which the trigger condition was met.

[0092] [1-4. Correspondence of Terms] In this embodiment, S110 corresponds to the first acquisition unit of the present disclosure, S120 corresponds to the first determination unit of the present disclosure, S170 and S190 correspond to the second acquisition unit of the present disclosure, and S140 corresponds to the question unit of the present disclosure. S150 in this embodiment corresponds to the third acquisition unit of the present disclosure, S160 corresponds to the second determination unit of the present disclosure, the data receiving unit 53 corresponds to the collection unit of the present disclosure, and the management center 3 corresponds to the external device of the present disclosure. S180 in this embodiment corresponds to the transmission unit of the present disclosure.

[0093] [1-5. Effects] According to the embodiment described above in detail, the following effects are achieved.

[0094] (1a) When a trigger condition is met, the data collection system 1 asks the driver whether or not he or she is dissatisfied with the situation related to the fulfillment of the trigger condition (for example, the processing result of an application program), and determines whether or not the driver is dissatisfied based on the driver's response to the question. Therefore, vehicle data and driver data representing the situation when the driver felt dissatisfied can be efficiently collected.

[0095] (1b) In the data collection system 1, options for driver responses include the driver's voice, facial expressions, and gestures, as well as vehicle operation by the driver. This makes it possible to acquire driver response data in various situations, such as when the driver is under stress, without placing as much strain on the driver as possible.

[0096] [2. Second Embodiment] [2-1. Differences from the First Embodiment] The second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment, so differences will be described below. Note that the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment indicate the same configuration, and the preceding description will be referred to.

[0097] In the first embodiment described above, the process of determining the driver's dissatisfaction based on the driver response data is performed by the in-vehicle device 2. In the second embodiment, the dissatisfaction determination process is performed by the management center 3a, which is different from the first embodiment. Specifically, the functional configuration of the management center 3a and the content of the dissatisfaction investigation process executed by the control unit 21 of the in-vehicle device 2a are different from those of the first embodiment.

[0098] [2-2. Functional Configuration] The functional configuration of the data collection system 1a according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0099] 10, the management center 3a includes a distribution unit 51, a data receiving unit 53, and an information processing unit 52 as functional blocks realized by the CPU 311 executing a program stored in the ROM 312. The information processing unit 52 will be described in detail later.

[0100] [2-3. Processing] Next, the complaint investigation process that the control unit 21 of the in-vehicle device 2a of the second embodiment executes in place of the complaint investigation process shown in Fig. 9 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 12. Note that the processes of S110 to S150, S170, and S180 in Fig. 11 are the same as the processes of S110 to S150, S170, and S180 in Fig. 9, and therefore will not be described here.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 11, when the control unit 21 acquires the driver response data in S150, the control unit 21 advances the process to S190.

[0102] In S190, the control unit 21 refers to the acquired data list of the trigger information and collects the data shown in the acquired data list, similar to the process in S170. The data shown in the acquired data list may be acquired from the vehicle DB 44, or may be acquired directly from the ECU 26 or the exterior device group 27 using an API.

[0103] In S200, the control unit 21 sets the data collected in S190 as dissatisfaction survey data, and transmits it to the management center 3a together with the driver response data, driver ID, and trigger ID acquired in S150, and then ends the process.

[0104] 12 , when the control unit 31 of the management center 3a receives the driver response data together with the complaint survey data from the in-vehicle device 2a, the control unit 31 executes processing as the information processing unit 52. Specifically, the control unit 31 executes processing similar to the processing at S160 executed by the control unit 21 in the first embodiment. That is, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the driver's dissatisfaction is reflected in the driver response data. If it is determined that the driver's dissatisfaction is reflected in the driver response data, the control unit 31 executes processing as the data receiving unit 53. Specifically, the control unit 31 classifies the complaint survey data received together with the driver response data using the driver ID and trigger ID added to the complaint survey data, and stores each classification in the complaint DB 56.

[0105] If the control unit 31 determines that the driver's response data does not reflect any dissatisfaction by the driver, it discards the dissatisfaction survey data received together with the driver's response data. Instead of discarding this dissatisfaction survey data, it may be stored in the dissatisfaction DB 56 as data indicating no dissatisfaction.

[0106] In addition, when the control unit 31 receives dissatisfaction survey data without driver response data attached from the in-vehicle device 2a, it performs processing as the data receiving unit 53 without performing processing as the information processing unit 52.

[0107] [2-4. Correspondence of Terms] In this embodiment, S170 and S190 correspond to the second acquisition unit, and S200 corresponds to the transmission unit. In addition, the information processing unit 52 in the management center 3a corresponds to the second acquisition unit and the second determination unit, and the data receiving unit 53 corresponds to the third acquisition unit.

[0108] [2-5. Effects] According to the second embodiment described above in detail, the effect (1a) of the first embodiment described above is achieved, and further, the following effects are achieved.

[0109] (2a) In the data collection system 1a, the in-vehicle device 2a has the management center 3a process the driver response data, which may include high-load processes such as voice recognition, image recognition, and statistical processing. Therefore, even if the processing capacity of the in-vehicle device 2a is low, it is possible to collect highly accurate complaint survey data.

[0110] 3. Other Embodiments Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various modifications.

[0111] (3a) In the above embodiment, one management center 3, 3a has the function of a distribution unit 51, the function of a data receiving unit 53, and in the case of management center 3a, the function of an information processing unit 52, but each function may be provided by a different external device such as a server.

[0112] (3b) In the second embodiment, the control unit 31 of the management center 3a must process driver response data for a large number of drivers transmitted from a large number of in-vehicle devices 2a. When processing the driver response data, the control unit 31 may be configured to prepare adjustment parameters associated with driver IDs in advance and execute personalized processing for each driver using the adjustment parameters. In this case, it is possible to reduce variations in judgments due to individual differences between drivers.

[0113] (3c) Multiple functions of one component in the above embodiments may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Also, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Also, part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. Also, at least part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments.

[0114] (3d) In addition to the above-described in-vehicle device 2, management center 3, and data collection system 1, the present disclosure can also be realized in various forms, such as a program for causing a computer to function as an in-vehicle device and a management center, a non-transient physical recording medium such as a semiconductor memory on which this program is recorded, and a data collection method.

[0115] [Technical Idea Disclosed in the Present Specification] [Item 1] A distribution unit (51) configured to distribute to one or more vehicles trigger information that associates one or more acquired data to be acquired when a trigger condition is established with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that should be satisfied by judgment data based on one or more data acquired from the vehicle; a first acquisition unit (21: S110) configured to acquire the judgment data used in the trigger condition from the target vehicle in accordance with the trigger information, with the vehicle to which the trigger information was distributed by the distribution unit as the target vehicle; a first determination unit (21: S120) configured to determine whether the trigger condition is established or not using the judgment data acquired by the first acquisition unit; and a second acquisition unit (21: S170, S190) configured to acquire the one or more acquired data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is established; a questioning unit (21: S140) configured to execute a question to a driver of the target vehicle when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met; and a third acquisition unit (21: S150) configured to acquire, from the target vehicle, driver response data indicating the driver's response to the question posed by the questioning unit.

[0116] [Item 2] The data collection system according to Item 1, wherein the trigger information distributed by the distribution unit is additionally associated with question information indicating the content of the question to be posed to the driver when the trigger condition is met, and the question unit is configured, when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, to execute the question to the driver in accordance with the question information associated with the trigger condition.

[0117] [Item 3] The data collection system according to item 1 or 2, wherein the trigger information distributed by the distribution unit can be set with a trigger condition indicating whether or not the question should be posed to the driver when the trigger condition is met, and the questioning unit is configured to execute the question to the driver when the trigger condition for which a question is required is met in the distributed trigger information.

[0118] [Item 4] The data collection system according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising: a second determination unit (21: S160, 52) configured to determine whether the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit indicates dissatisfaction of the driver; and a collection unit (53) configured to collect the dissatisfaction survey data by storing the one or more pieces of acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit in a storage device as dissatisfaction survey data when the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates dissatisfaction of the driver.

[0119] [Item 5] A data collection system according to Item 4, comprising: an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle and including the first acquisition unit, the first determination unit, the second acquisition unit, the questioning unit, the third acquisition unit, and the second determination unit; and an external device that includes the distribution unit and the collection unit and performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, wherein the second acquisition unit is configured to acquire the one or more pieces of acquired data when the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates dissatisfaction by the driver, and the in-vehicle device further comprises a transmission unit (21: S180) configured to transmit the one or more pieces of acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit to the external device.

[0120] [Item 6] The data collection system according to Item 4, comprising: an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle and including the first acquisition unit, the first determination unit, the second acquisition unit, the interrogation unit, and the third acquisition unit; and an external device that includes the distribution unit, the second determination unit, and the collection unit and performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, wherein the in-vehicle device further comprises a transmission unit (21: S200) configured to transmit the one or more pieces of acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit and the driver reaction data acquired by the third acquisition unit to the external device.

[0121] [Item 7] The data collection system according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the interrogator uses at least one of voice, screen display, and vehicle behavior control to make the inquiry.

[0122] [Item 8] The data collection system according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the second acquisition unit acquires at least one of voice data of the driver, image data including a face of the driver, and vehicle operations by the driver as the driver response data.

Claims

1. A data collection system for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, A distribution unit (51) is configured to distribute trigger information to one or more of the vehicles, which is defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data acquired from the vehicles, and associates one or more acquired data to be acquired when the trigger condition is met. A first acquisition unit (21: S110) is configured to acquire the determination data used in the trigger condition from the target vehicle, in accordance with the trigger information, with the vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed by the distribution unit being the target vehicle, A first determination unit (21: S120) is configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a second acquisition unit (21: S170, S190) is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a questioning unit (21: S140) is configured to ask the driver of the target vehicle a question regarding the processing result of the application program, A third acquisition unit (21: S150) is configured to acquire driver response data from the target vehicle, which shows the driver's response to the question posed by the question unit, A data collection system equipped with the following features.

2. A data collection system according to claim 1, The trigger information distributed by the distribution unit includes, in addition to the trigger condition, question information indicating the content of the inquiry made to the driver when the trigger condition is met. The questioning unit is configured to execute the question to the driver according to the question information associated with the trigger condition when the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met. Data collection system.

3. A data collection system according to claim 1, The trigger information distributed by the distribution unit includes, for each trigger condition, a setting value indicating whether or not to ask the driver when the trigger condition is met. The questioning unit is configured to determine whether or not to perform the question to the driver when the trigger condition is met, by referring to the setting value of whether or not to ask a question, which is associated with the met trigger condition. Data collection system.

4. A data collection system according to claim 1, A second determination unit (21: S160, 52) is configured to determine whether the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit indicates dissatisfaction with the driver, The collection unit (53) is configured such that if the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, it stores one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit as dissatisfaction survey data in the storage device, thereby collecting the dissatisfaction survey data. However, if the second determination unit does not determine that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, it does not store one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit as dissatisfaction survey data in the storage device. A data collection system further equipped with [features / features].

5. A data acquisition system according to claim 4, An on-board device mounted on the vehicle, comprising the first acquisition unit, the first determination unit, the second acquisition unit, the questioning unit, the third acquisition unit, and the second determination unit, An external device comprising the distribution unit and the collection unit, which performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, Equipped with, The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more acquired data when the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates dissatisfaction with the driver. The aforementioned in-vehicle device is The second acquisition unit further comprises a transmission unit (21:S180) configured to transmit one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit to the external device. Data collection system.

6. A data acquisition system according to claim 4, An on-board device mounted on the vehicle, comprising the first acquisition unit, the first determination unit, the second acquisition unit, the questioning unit, and the third acquisition unit, An external device comprising the distribution unit, the second determination unit, and the collection unit, which performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, Equipped with, The in-vehicle device further includes a transmission unit (21:S200) configured to transmit one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit and the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit to the external device. Data collection system.

7. A data collection system according to claim 1, The questioning unit makes the question using at least one of the following: voice, screen display, and vehicle behavior control. Data collection system.

8. A data collection system according to claim 1, The second acquisition unit acquires at least one of the following as driver response data: the driver's voice data, the driver's image data including the driver's face, and the vehicle operation performed by the driver. Data collection system.

9. An in-vehicle device for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, A trigger storage unit (45) stores trigger information that associates one or more acquired data obtained when a trigger condition is met with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from a vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device, A first acquisition unit (21: S110) is configured to acquire the determination data used in the trigger condition from the vehicle according to the trigger information, A first determination unit (21: S120) is configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a questioning unit (21: S140) is configured to ask the vehicle driver a question regarding the processing result of the application program, A third acquisition unit (21: S150) is configured to acquire driver response data from the vehicle, which shows the driver's response to the question posed by the questioning unit, A second determination unit (21: S160) is configured to determine whether the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit indicates dissatisfaction with the driver, If the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, a second acquisition unit (21: S170) is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the vehicle, A transmitting unit (21:S180) is configured to transmit one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit to an external device that performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device. An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features.

10. An in-vehicle device for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, A trigger storage unit stores trigger information that associates one or more acquired data obtained when a trigger condition is met with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from a vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device, A first acquisition unit (21: S110) is configured to acquire the determination data used in the trigger condition from the vehicle according to the trigger information, A first determination unit (21: S120) is configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a second acquisition unit (21: S190) is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the vehicle, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a questioning unit (21: S140) is configured to ask the vehicle driver a question regarding the processing result of the application program, A third acquisition unit (21: S150) is configured to acquire driver response data from the vehicle, which shows the driver's response to the question posed by the questioning unit, A transmitting unit (21:S200) is configured to transmit one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit and the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit to an external device that performs wireless communication with the in-vehicle device, An in-vehicle device equipped with the following features.

11. A data collection method for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, Using trigger information that associates one or more acquired data obtained when a trigger condition is met with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from a vehicle, The vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed is designated as the target vehicle, and the determination data used in the trigger condition is obtained from the target vehicle in accordance with the trigger information. Using the aforementioned determination data, it is determined whether or not the trigger condition is met. If it is determined that the trigger condition is met, one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition are acquired from the target vehicle. If it is determined that the trigger condition is met, the driver of the target vehicle will be asked about the processing result of the application program. Driver response data, which shows the driver's response to the aforementioned question, is obtained from the target vehicle. The driver response data is used to determine whether or not the driver is dissatisfied. If the driver response data is determined to indicate dissatisfaction with the driver, the dissatisfaction survey data is collected by storing one or more of the acquired data in a storage device as dissatisfaction survey data. Data collection methods.

12. A program for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, Using trigger information that associates one or more acquired data obtained when a trigger condition is met with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from a vehicle, The computer installed in the aforementioned vehicle, According to the trigger information, the determination data used in the trigger condition is taken from the vehicle. A first acquisition unit configured to obtain, A first determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, the questioning unit is configured to ask the vehicle driver a question regarding the processing result of the application program, A third acquisition unit is configured to acquire driver response data from the vehicle, which shows the driver's response to the question posed by the questioning unit. A second determination unit is configured to determine whether the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit indicates dissatisfaction with the driver, If the second determination unit determines that the driver response data indicates driver dissatisfaction, the second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the vehicle, A transmitting unit is configured to transmit the one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit to an external device that performs wireless communication with the vehicle. A program that makes it function as such.

13. A program for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, Using trigger information that associates one or more acquired data obtained when a trigger condition is met with a trigger condition defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from a vehicle, The computer installed in the aforementioned vehicle, A first acquisition unit configured to acquire the determination data used in the trigger condition from the vehicle according to the trigger information, A first determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met using the determination data acquired by the first acquisition unit, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the vehicle, If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, the questioning unit is configured to ask the vehicle driver a question regarding the processing result of the application program, A third acquisition unit is configured to acquire driver response data from the vehicle, which shows the driver's response to the question posed by the questioning unit. A transmitting unit configured to transmit one or more acquired data acquired by the second acquisition unit and the driver response data acquired by the third acquisition unit to an external device that performs wireless communication with the vehicle, A program that makes it function as such.

14. A management center for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, A distribution unit is configured to distribute trigger information to one or more vehicles, which is defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from the vehicles, and associates one or more acquired data obtained when the trigger condition is met. A first determination unit is configured to determine whether the trigger condition is met, using the vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed by the distribution unit as the target vehicle, and using the determination data used in the trigger condition according to the trigger information. If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle. When the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a third acquisition unit is configured to acquire driver response data from the target vehicle, which indicates the driver's response to a question made by a questioning unit configured to ask the driver of the target vehicle a question regarding the processing result of the application program. A management center equipped with [the following features].

15. A data collection method for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, To distribute trigger information to one or more vehicles, which is defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from the vehicle, and to associate one or more acquired data obtained when the trigger condition is met, The vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed is designated as the target vehicle, and the first determination unit, configured to determine whether or not the trigger condition is met according to the trigger information and using the determination data used in the trigger condition, determines that the trigger condition is met, and then acquires one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle. When the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, driver response data indicating the driver's response to a question made by a questioning unit configured to ask the driver of the target vehicle about the processing result of the application program is obtained from the target vehicle. A data collection method that includes this.

16. A program for collecting data relating to user satisfaction with the processing results of an application program used in a vehicle, The computer installed in the management center A distribution unit is configured to distribute trigger information to one or more vehicles, which is defined by combining one or more individual conditions that must be satisfied for judgment data based on one or more data obtained from the vehicles, and associates one or more acquired data obtained when the trigger condition is met. A first determination unit is configured to determine whether the trigger condition is met, using the vehicle to which the trigger information has been distributed by the distribution unit as the target vehicle, and using the determination data used in the trigger condition according to the trigger information. If the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a second acquisition unit is configured to acquire one or more acquisition data associated with the trigger condition from the target vehicle. When the first determination unit determines that the trigger condition is met, a third acquisition unit is configured to acquire driver response data from the target vehicle, which indicates the driver's response to a question made by a questioning unit configured to ask the driver of the target vehicle a question regarding the processing result of the application program. A program that makes it function as such.