Monitoring device, monitoring method, and monitoring program

Abstract

A monitoring device (100) is characterized by including: an acquisition unit (122) that acquires coordinates of a moving body identified on the basis of information detected by a moving body sensor provided in a vehicle; a directional risk calculation unit (123) that calculates a risk value relating to the traveling direction of the moving body on the basis of the coordinates of the moving body acquired by the acquisition unit (122); and a determination unit (125) that determines the presence or absence of danger according to the risk value relating to the traveling direction of the moving body calculated by the directional risk calculation unit (123).

Description

Monitoring device, monitoring method, and monitoring program

[0001] The present invention relates to a monitoring device, a monitoring method, and a monitoring program.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there exists a technique for preventing damage to a vehicle by determining whether the vehicle is safe and issuing a warning or alert before an illegal act is committed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2013-228912 A

[0004] However, conventional technologies may not be able to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle. For example, if a determination is made using only the distance between a person and a vehicle, it may be determined that there is no danger even when there is a risk of danger to the vehicle. Furthermore, it may be determined that there is a danger when, for example, a person simply passes close to the vehicle. Thus, the above-mentioned problems are examples of the issues that the present invention aims to solve.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized by having an acquisition unit that acquires the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle, a directional risk calculation unit that calculates a risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit, and a judgment unit that judges whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit.

[0006] The invention described in claim 9 is a method executed by a monitoring device, characterized in that it includes an acquisition process for acquiring the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle, a directional risk calculation process for calculating a risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition process, and a judgment process for determining whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation process.

[0007] The invention described in claim 10 is characterized in that the computer executes an acquisition step of acquiring the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle, a directional risk calculation step of calculating a risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition step, and a judgment step of determining whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation step.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a problem with the conventional technology. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a directional risk calculation process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a directional risk calculation process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position risk calculation process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a position risk calculation process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of a position risk calculation process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a determination process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a change process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a monitoring device system according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a monitoring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 16 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of a computer that realizes the functions of a monitoring device.

[0009] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as an embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

[0010] [First Embodiment] [1. Overview] First, an overview of a monitoring device 100 according to a first embodiment will be described. The monitoring device 100 is a device that determines whether or not there is a danger to a vehicle. Here, an example of a problem with the conventional technology will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a problem with the conventional technology. Conventionally, parked vehicles have been monitored for the purpose of preventing crimes such as car theft and break-ins. In such devices that monitor parked vehicles, a determination may be made as to whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle based on information about the distance between the vehicle and a moving object.

[0011] However, when determining whether or not there is a possibility of danger to the vehicle based on information on the distance between the vehicle and a moving object, a determination may be made that does not match the actual situation. For example, as shown in Figure 1 (1), a situation in which a moving object passes by the side of the vehicle may be determined to be dangerous. Also, as shown in Figure 1 (2), a situation in which a moving object located far from the vehicle moves toward the vehicle may be determined to be not dangerous.

[0012] Therefore, the monitoring device 100 determines whether or not there is a danger based on a risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated from the coordinates of the moving object. For example, the monitoring device 100 acquires the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle, identifies a risk related to the moving object's direction of travel based on the acquired coordinates of the moving object, and determines whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel. This allows the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle. The following embodiment will be described as an example in which monitoring is achieved solely by the monitoring device 100.

[0013] 2. Configuration of the Monitoring Device Next, the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the monitoring device 100 has a communication unit 110, a storage unit 130, and a control unit 120. Each unit of the monitoring device 100 will be described below.

[0014] The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is connected to the network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the in-vehicle device 10, for example.

[0015] The storage unit 130 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk. The storage unit 130 stores the location where the motion sensor is installed, the strength of the signal to be transmitted, the sensitivity for receiving the signal, the strength of the received signal, the angle calculated from the received signal, the distance, the coordinates of the moving object, the direction of travel, the risk related to the direction of travel of the moving object, the risk related to the position of the moving object, a threshold, an interval, a period, information about the size of the vehicle (body type, model, etc.), the installation location of the motion sensor, information about notifications (notification settings, user terminal information, address information, etc.), images (including moving images and still images), and other information necessary for determining the presence or absence of danger and for determining actions.

[0016] The control unit 120 is realized using a CPU (Central Processing Unit), NP (Network Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., and executes processing programs stored in memory. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 120 has a sensor unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, a directional risk calculation unit 123, a position risk calculation unit 124, a determination unit 125, and an output unit 126. Each unit of the control unit 120 will be described below.

[0017] The sensor unit 121 detects (acquires) information using various sensors. For example, the sensor unit 121 detects a moving object using a motion sensor such as a distance sensor, a microwave sensor, or a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor. The sensor unit 121 also detects the position of the vehicle using a positioning sensor such as a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor or a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The sensor unit 121 also detects the acceleration of the vehicle using an acceleration sensor. For example, the sensor unit 121 also detects the angular velocity of the vehicle using a gyro sensor. For example, the sensor unit 121 also acquires images (moving images and still images) of the surroundings of the vehicle using an imaging device.

[0018] The acquisition unit 122 acquires the coordinates of a specified moving object based on information detected by a motion sensor provided in the vehicle. For example, the acquisition unit 122 analyzes a signal received by a motion sensor provided in a rearview mirror and acquires the coordinates of the specified moving object from distance and angle information. Here, the rearview mirror is given as an example of a location where the motion sensor may be installed, but the motion sensor may also be installed near the rearview mirror or on a side mirror. That is, the motion sensor may be installed in a location inside or outside the vehicle depending on the purpose, such as a front pillar, a center pillar, a rear pillar, a rearview mirror, a side mirror, a ceiling, a seat, or a rear window.

[0019] The directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates a risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122. For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 identifies the moving direction of the moving object from the coordinates of two or more consecutive points of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122, and calculates a risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object from the moving direction of the moving object at predetermined intervals. Details of the calculation of the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object performed by the directional risk calculation unit 123 will be explained below in [3. Directional Risk Calculation Process].

[0020] The position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122. For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object at predetermined intervals according to the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object. Details of the calculation of the risk value related to the position of the moving object performed by the position risk calculation unit 124 will be explained later in [4. Position Risk Calculation Process].

[0021] The position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of a moving object so that the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases within a predetermined distance range between the moving object sensor and the moving object. For example, when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is in the range of 100 cm to 180 cm, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object so that the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases. Note that the distance range of 100 cm to 180 cm described above is an example, and the range in which the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases can be changed to a value appropriate for the purpose.

[0022] The determination unit 125 determines whether or not there is danger, based on the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123. For example, the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger when the integrated value (total value) of the risk related to the traveling direction of the moving object calculated at predetermined intervals by the directional risk calculation unit 123 over a predetermined period exceeds a predetermined threshold. More specifically, the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger because the integrated value of the risk related to the traveling direction of the moving object calculated at 50 millisecond intervals by the directional risk calculation unit 123 over a 0.5 second period is 16, which exceeds the predetermined threshold of "10."

[0023] The determination unit 125 determines whether or not there is a risk based on the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value related to the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124. For example, the determination unit 125 determines that there is a risk when the integrated value over a predetermined period of time of the value obtained by multiplying the risk related to the moving direction of the moving object calculated at predetermined intervals by the directional risk calculation unit 123 by the risk value related to the position of the moving object calculated at predetermined intervals by the position risk calculation unit 124 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0024] More specifically, the judgment unit 125 determines that there is danger because the cumulative value of the product of the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 at 50 millisecond intervals and the risk related to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124 at 50 millisecond intervals is 11 over 0.5 seconds, which exceeds the predetermined threshold value of "10."

[0025] That is, when a moving object approaches the vehicle, the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger because the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel and the risk value related to the moving object's position increase, and when a moving object moves away from the vehicle, the determination unit 125 determines that there is no danger because the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel and the risk value related to the moving object's position decrease.In addition, even when a moving object is not approaching the vehicle, the determination unit 125 can determine that there is no danger because the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel and the risk value related to the moving object's position do not increase.

[0026] Furthermore, the determination unit 125 can use the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object not only to determine whether or not there is a danger, but also to classify the moving object. For example, the determination unit 125 classifies the moving object based on the change in the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object per unit time.

[0027] More specifically, if the rate of change in the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel exceeds a predetermined threshold and the rate of change in the risk value related to the moving object's position is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the determining unit 125 classifies the moving object as grass or trees, since it is considered that the moving object is moving in various directions within a predetermined range. Although grass and trees have been given as an example of classification of moving objects, the determining unit 125 may also classify the moving object into objects that can be classified based on the characteristics of the changes per unit time in the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel and the risk value related to the moving object's position, such as whether the moving object is rain or a flag.

[0028] When the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger, it determines the behavior of the moving object according to the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value related to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124. For example, when the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger, if the product of the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value related to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124 is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, it determines the behavior of the moving object to be approaching, and if it exceeds the second threshold, it determines the behavior of the moving object to be reconnaissance.

[0029] For example, when the judgment unit 125 determines that there is danger, if the integrated value over a specified period of time obtained by multiplying the risk value regarding the moving object's direction of travel calculated at specified intervals by the directional risk calculation unit 123 by the risk value regarding the moving object's position calculated at specified intervals by the position risk calculation unit 124 is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold, it judges the moving object's behavior to be approaching, and if it exceeds the second threshold, it judges the moving object's behavior to be reconnaissance.

[0030] More specifically, when the judgment unit 125 determines that there is danger, it judges that the behavior of the moving object is approaching because the cumulative value 55 over 1.5 seconds of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 at 50 millisecond intervals by the risk value related to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124 at 50 millisecond intervals exceeds the first threshold value "30" and is less than the second threshold value "60".

[0031] As another example, when the judgment unit 125 determines that there is danger, the cumulative value 72 of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value regarding the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 at 50 millisecond intervals by the risk value regarding the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit at 50 millisecond intervals, over 1.5 seconds, exceeds the second threshold value "60", and the judgment unit 125 judges that the moving object's behavior is reconnaissance.

[0032] Furthermore, the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is vehicle intrusion when the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 enter the range of the vehicle. For example, when the determination unit 125 determines that there is a danger, the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is vehicle intrusion when the X-axis coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is within the X-axis range where the vehicle is located and the Y-axis coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is within the Y-axis range where the vehicle is located.

[0033] In addition, when determining the behavior of the moving object, if the coordinates of the moving object are moving away from the vehicle, the determination unit 125 can again determine that there is no danger. For example, even if the determination unit 125 has determined that there is danger, if the movement of the coordinates of the moving object is in a direction away from the vehicle, it can again determine that there is no danger.

[0034] The determination unit 125 changes the first threshold and the second threshold depending on the location of the vehicle equipped with the motion sensor. For example, the determination unit 125 acquires vehicle location information from a GPS or the like, and if the vehicle is located in a congested location, the determination unit 125 increases the first threshold and the second threshold. Conversely, the determination unit 125 acquires vehicle location information from a GPS or the like, and if the vehicle is located in a quiet location, the determination unit 125 decreases the first threshold and the second threshold.

[0035] The determination unit 125 changes the first threshold and the second threshold depending on the time. For example, the determination unit 125 increases the first threshold and the second threshold during a time period when congestion is expected. Conversely, the determination unit 125 decreases the first threshold and the second threshold during a time period when quietness is expected.

[0036] The output unit 126 performs a predetermined output in accordance with the behavior of the moving object determined by the determination unit 125. For example, when the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is approaching, the output unit 126 notifies a pre-registered user terminal that the moving object is approaching the vehicle. Note that notifications to the user terminal include those that can be performed using functions provided in the user terminal, such as email, incoming call, and notification to an app. In this case, the output unit 126 may transmit an image captured by an imaging device such as a camera provided in the vehicle to the user terminal.

[0037] Furthermore, for example, the output unit 126 issues a sound or light alarm around the vehicle when the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is reconnaissance. When the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is reconnaissance, the output unit 126 can also perform a predetermined output process that is performed when the behavior is determined to be approaching.

[0038] 3. Directional Risk Calculation Process Next, an example of the directional risk calculation process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the directional risk calculation process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. Figs. 3(1) and 3(2) are diagrams for explaining the calculation of risk related to the traveling direction of a moving object. In Fig. 3(1), the risk value for the traveling direction of a moving object is indicated by 1 to 4 points.

[0039] First, the directional risk calculation unit 123 identifies the traveling direction of the moving object from the coordinates of two or more consecutive points of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122. Then, if the identified traveling direction of the moving object is a direction away from the vehicle, for example, as shown in 1 in Fig. 3 (2), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is "1", as shown in Fig. 3 (1).

[0040] Furthermore, for example, as shown in 2 in Figure 3(2), if the direction of travel of the identified moving object is parallel to the vehicle, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the direction of travel of the moving object is "2," as shown in Figure 3(1). Furthermore, for example, as shown in 3 in Figure 3(2), if the direction of travel of the identified moving object is toward the vehicle, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the direction of travel of the moving object is "3," as shown in Figure 3(1).

[0041] Also, for example, if the direction of travel of the identified moving object is toward the door part of the vehicle, as shown in 4 of Figure 3 (2), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value regarding the direction of travel of the moving object is "4", as shown in Figure 3 (1).

[0042] 3(1) and 3(2) show an example of calculating a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object present to the side of the vehicle for the sake of explanation, but the moving objects that are the targets of the process of calculating the risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object performed by the directional risk calculation unit 123 are not only moving objects present to the side of the vehicle, but also moving objects that are present around the vehicle, including in the forward and backward directions. Furthermore, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object at predetermined intervals. For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object at intervals of 50 milliseconds.

[0043] Next, the specific process of calculating a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object performed by the directional risk calculation unit 123 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process of calculating a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object performed by the monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment. First, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the X coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is the same as the X coordinate of the moving object acquired previously (step S101).

[0044] If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that they are the same (step S101: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the traveling direction of the moving object is 1 (step S102). In other words, because the X coordinates are the same and the moving object is moving parallel to the vehicle, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates a low value as the risk value for the traveling direction of the moving object.

[0045] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that they are not the same (step S101: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the slope (step S103). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the slope by dividing the value obtained by subtracting the Y coordinate of the current moving object from the Y coordinate of the previous moving object by the value obtained by subtracting the X coordinate of the current moving object from the X coordinate of the previous moving object.

[0046] Next, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the X coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is smaller than 0 (step S104). If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the X coordinate is smaller (step S104: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the X coordinate or Y coordinate of the intersection of the moving object with the door wall, outer wall, or bottom wall (step S105).

[0047] Here, the door wall is a line extending forward and backward on the side of the vehicle, and is a line marked with four and three points in FIG. 3(1). In FIG. 3(1), the door wall is set outside the vehicle, but this is not limited to this. It may also be a line set inside the vehicle as long as it is parallel to the side of the vehicle. Furthermore, as long as a risk value is defined for each point on the line inside the vehicle, the risk value of the intersection with the direction of travel of the moving object is determined, so the line does not have to be parallel. The outer wall is a line parallel to the door wall at a certain distance from the side of the vehicle, and is a line marked with one point in FIG. 3(1). The lower wall is a line extending from the door wall to the outer wall on the rear side of the vehicle, and is a line at the rear of the vehicle marked with two points in FIG. 3(1). The upper wall, described below, is a line parallel to the lower wall extending from the door wall to the outer wall on the front side of the vehicle, and is a line at the front of the vehicle marked with two points in FIG. 3(1).

[0048] Returning to the description of step S105 in Fig. 4, for example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the door wall by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the current X coordinate of the moving object from the X coordinate of the position where the vehicle door is located by the slope, and then adding the current Y coordinate of the moving object to the result.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving direction of the moving object and the outer wall by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the current X coordinate of the moving object from the X coordinate of the outer wall of the vehicle by the inclination, and then adding the current Y coordinate of the moving object.Further, for example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the X coordinate of the intersection between the moving direction of the moving object and the wall by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the current Y coordinate of the moving object from the Y coordinate of the lower wall by the inclination, and then adding the current X coordinate of the moving object.

[0050] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the difference is not small (step S104: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 similarly calculates the X coordinate or Y coordinate of the intersection of the door wall, outer wall, or bottom wall with the moving object (step S106). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the Y coordinate of the intersection of the moving object's traveling direction with the door wall by multiplying the negative X coordinate of the position of the vehicle door minus the current X coordinate of the moving object by the slope, and then adding the current Y coordinate of the moving object.

[0051] Furthermore, for example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving direction of the moving object and the outer wall by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the current X coordinate value of the moving object from the negative X coordinate value of the outer wall of the vehicle by the inclination, and then adding the current Y coordinate value of the moving object.Further, for example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the X coordinate of the intersection between the moving direction of the moving object and the wall by multiplying the value obtained by subtracting the current Y coordinate value of the moving object from the Y coordinate value of the lower wall by the inclination, and then adding the current X coordinate value of the moving object.

[0052] Next, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the absolute value of the X coordinate of the current moving object is less than or equal to the absolute value of the X coordinate of the previous moving object (step S107). That is, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the moving object is moving toward the vehicle. Here, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the absolute value of the X coordinate of the previous moving object is less than or equal to the absolute value of the X coordinate of the previous moving object (step S107: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle door wall is within the door range (step S108). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle door wall is within the Y coordinate range in which the vehicle door is located.

[0053] If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is within the range of the door (step S108: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel is 4 (step S109). In other words, since the moving object is moving toward the vehicle door, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the highest value as the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel.

[0054] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is not within the range of the door (step S108: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle's outer wall is within the vehicle's range (step S110). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle's outer wall is within the Y coordinate range in which the vehicle exists.

[0055] If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is within the range of the vehicle (step S110: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel is 3 (step S111). In other words, because the moving object is moving toward the outer wall of the vehicle, a high value is calculated as the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel.

[0056] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is not within the vehicle range (step S110: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 then determines whether the X coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the bottom wall of the vehicle is within the vehicle range (step S112). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the X coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the bottom wall of the vehicle is within the X coordinate range in which the vehicle exists.

[0057] If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is within the range of the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S112: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel is 3 (step S113). In other words, because the moving object is moving toward the bottom wall of the vehicle, a high value is calculated as the risk for the moving object's direction of travel.

[0058] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is not within the range of the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S112: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel is 2 (step S114). In other words, because the moving object is not moving in the direction of the bottom wall of the vehicle, a low value is calculated as the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel.

[0059] Returning to step S107, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the absolute value of the X coordinate of the moving object is not less than or equal to the absolute value of the previous X coordinate of the moving object (step S107: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle's outer wall is within the vehicle range (step S115). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines whether the Y coordinate of the intersection between the moving object's traveling direction and the vehicle's outer wall is within the Y coordinate range in which the vehicle's outer wall exists.

[0060] If the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is within the range of the outer wall of the vehicle (step S115: Yes), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel is 1 (step S116). In other words, because the moving object is traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the lowest value as the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel.

[0061] On the other hand, if the directional risk calculation unit 123 determines that the moving object is not within the range of the outer wall of the vehicle (step S115: No), the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates that the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel is 2 (step S117). In other words, because the moving object is moving in a direction away from the vehicle, a low value is calculated as the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel. The directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel by performing the above-mentioned processing.

[0062] 4. Position Risk Calculation Process Next, an example of the position risk calculation process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are diagrams illustrating an example of the position risk calculation process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 5 (1) and (2) are diagrams for explaining the calculation of risk related to the position of a moving object. In Fig. 5 (1), a risk value ranging from 0 to 1 point is displayed according to the distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

[0063] In other words, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of a moving object according to the distance between the vehicle and the moving object. Here, the calculation method for the distance between the vehicle and the moving object sensor differs depending on the location of the moving object. For example, as shown in 1 of Figure 5 (2), if the moving object is located above the upper wall of the vehicle, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the distance from the upper wall to the moving object as the distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

[0064] Furthermore, for example, when the moving object is located below the bottom wall of the vehicle, as shown in 2 of Fig. 5 (2), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the distance from the bottom wall to the moving object as the distance between the vehicle and the moving object. Furthermore, for example, when the moving object is located above the top wall of the vehicle and outside the door wall, as shown in 3 of Fig. 5 (2), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the distance from the intersection of the top wall and the door wall to the moving object as the distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, when the moving object is located below the bottom wall of the vehicle and outside the door wall, as shown in 4 of Fig. 5 (2), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the distance from the intersection of the bottom wall and the door wall to the moving object as the distance between the vehicle and the moving object.Furthermore, for example, when the moving object is located between the top wall and the bottom wall of the vehicle and outside the door wall, as shown in 5 of Fig. 5 (2), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the distance from the door wall to the moving object as the distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

[0066] Here, the position risk calculation unit 124 can calculate the risk value related to the position of the moving object so that the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases within a predetermined distance range between the moving object sensor and the moving object. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is in the range of 0 to 100 cm, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object to be 1, and when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is in the range of 100 cm to 180 cm, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object so that the risk value related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly from 1 to 0 as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases.

[0067] The position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object at predetermined intervals. For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object at intervals of 50 milliseconds.

[0068] Next, the specific process of calculating a risk value related to the position of a moving object performed by the position risk calculation unit 124 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the process of calculating a risk value related to the position of a moving object according to this embodiment. First, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the X coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is inside a door wall (step S201). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the value of the X coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is within a range inside the left and right doors of the vehicle (for example, -90≦X coordinate≦90).

[0069] If the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the X coordinate of the moving object is inside the door wall of the vehicle (step S201: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is above the top wall of the vehicle (step S202). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the Y coordinate value of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is greater than the Y coordinate value of the top wall of the vehicle (for example, Y coordinate > 360).

[0070] Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the moving object is located above the upper wall of the vehicle (step S202: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk judgment distance as the value obtained by subtracting the Y coordinate value of the upper wall of the vehicle from the Y coordinate value of the moving object (step S203).

[0071] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the moving object is not above the upper wall of the vehicle (step S202: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is below the lower wall of the vehicle (step S204). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the Y coordinate value of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is smaller than the Y coordinate value of the lower wall of the vehicle (for example, Y coordinate < -90).

[0072] Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the moving object is located below the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S204: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk determination distance as the value obtained by subtracting the Y coordinate value of the bottom wall from the Y coordinate value of the moving object (step S205).

[0073] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the moving object is not below the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S204: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates that the risk determination distance is 0 (step S206). In other words, since the coordinates represent a case where a moving object is present inside the vehicle, the moving object is not subject to risk determination.

[0074] Returning to step S201, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the X coordinate of the moving object is not inside the door wall (step S201: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 continues by calculating the coordinates to be used for the determination (step S207). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the value obtained by subtracting the X coordinate of the door wall from the X coordinate of the moving object as the determination X coordinate. Also, for example, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the Y coordinate of the moving object as the determination Y coordinate.

[0075] Next, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the Y coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is above the upper wall (step S208). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the Y coordinate value of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is greater than the Y coordinate value of the upper wall of the vehicle (for example, Y coordinate > 360).

[0076] Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the location is above the upper wall (step S208: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the square root of the value obtained by adding the square of the determined X coordinate value to the square of the difference between the estimated Y coordinate value and the Y coordinate value of the upper wall as the risk determination distance (step S209).

[0077] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the moving object is not above the upper wall of the vehicle (step S208: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 then determines whether the Y coordinate of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is below the lower wall of the vehicle (step S210). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the Y coordinate value of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 is smaller than the Y coordinate value of the lower wall of the vehicle (for example, Y coordinate < -90).

[0078] Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the location is below the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S210: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the square root of the value obtained by adding the square of the determined X coordinate value to the square of the difference between the estimated Y coordinate value and the Y coordinate value of the bottom wall as the risk determination distance (step S211).

[0079] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the location is not below the bottom wall of the vehicle (step S210: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the determination X coordinate as the risk determination distance (step S212).

[0080] Thereafter, the position risk calculation unit 124 performs a determination on the calculated determination distance. The subsequent processing is performed following the processing of S203, S205, S206, S209, S211, and S212. First, the position risk calculation unit 124 determines whether the risk determination distance is 100 cm or less (step S213). Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the risk determination distance is 100 cm or less (step S213: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates that the risk related to the moving object's position is 1 (step S214).

[0081] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the risk judgment distance is not 100 cm or less (step S213: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 then determines whether the risk judgment distance is 180 cm or less (step S215). Here, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the risk judgment distance is 180 cm or less (step S215: Yes), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a value obtained by dividing the risk judgment distance by -80 and adding 2.25 to the value (step S216) as the risk value related to the position of the moving object. That is, if the risk judgment distance is within the range of 100 cm to 180 cm, the risk value related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly from 1 to 0.

[0082] On the other hand, if the position risk calculation unit 124 determines that the risk determination distance is not 180 cm or less (step S215: No), the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates that the risk related to the position of the moving object is 0 (step S217). The position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk related to the position of the moving object by performing the above-mentioned processing.

[0083] 5. Determination Process Next, an example of the determination process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the determination process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. The determination unit 125 performs the determination process according to the flow shown in Fig. 8. First, the determination unit 125 calculates an integrated value over 0.5 seconds of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object calculated at 50 millisecond intervals by the directional risk calculation unit 123 by the risk value related to the position of the moving object calculated at 50 millisecond intervals by the position risk calculation unit 124.

[0084] Next, the judgment unit 125 judges whether the cumulative value of the value obtained by multiplying the risk related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 at 50 millisecond intervals by the risk related to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124 at 50 millisecond intervals exceeds a predetermined threshold value of "10" over 0.5 seconds, and if it does not exceed the threshold value, it judges that there is no risk, and if it does exceed the threshold value, it judges that there is a risk (approach or reconnaissance).

[0085] Next, the determination unit 125 calculates the integrated value for the most recent three seconds of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value for the moving object's direction of travel by the risk value for the moving object's position. Next, the determination unit 125 determines whether the integrated value for the most recent three seconds of the value obtained by multiplying the risk for the moving object's direction of travel calculated at 50 millisecond intervals by the direction risk calculation unit 123 by the risk for the moving object's position calculated at 50 millisecond intervals by the position risk calculation unit 124 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value of "120." If the integrated value does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, the determination unit 125 determines that the moving object's behavior is approaching, and if the integrated value exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the determination unit 125 determines that the moving object's behavior is reconnaissance.

[0086] [6. Flowchart] Next, an example of the flow of processing by the monitoring device 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 9 is mainly executed by the control unit 120. Furthermore, this flowchart can be configured as a program executed by the CPU of the control unit 120 to form a monitoring program. Note that the steps below can be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0087] First, the acquisition unit 122 acquires the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in the vehicle (step S301). For example, the acquisition unit 122 analyzes a signal received by the moving object sensor provided in the vehicle and acquires the coordinates of the moving object identified from information on distance and angle.

[0088] Next, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates a risk value for the moving direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 (step S302). For example, the directional risk calculation unit 123 calculates a risk value for the moving direction of the moving object by performing the processes of steps S101 to S117 described above.

[0089] Next, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 (step S303). For example, the position risk calculation unit 124 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object by performing the processes of steps S201 to S217 described above.

[0090] Next, the determination unit 125 determines whether the cumulative value of the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object over a predetermined period of time is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S304). For example, the determination unit 125 determines whether the cumulative value of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object by the risk value related to the position of the moving object over 0.5 seconds is greater than 10.

[0091] If the determination unit 125 determines that the difference is smaller than the threshold value (step S304: No), the determination unit 125 determines that there is no danger (step S305). On the other hand, if the determination unit 125 determines that the difference is larger than the threshold value (step S304: Yes), the determination unit 125 determines that there is danger (step S306).

[0092] Next, the determination unit 125 determines whether the cumulative value of the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel and the risk value related to the moving object's position over a predetermined period of time is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S307). For example, the determination unit 125 determines whether the cumulative value of the value obtained by multiplying the risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel by the risk value related to the moving object's position over 1.5 seconds is greater than 60.

[0093] Here, if the determination unit 125 determines that the distance is greater than the threshold (step S307: Yes), the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is reconnaissance (step S308). On the other hand, if the determination unit 125 determines that the distance is not greater than the threshold (step S307: No), the determination unit 125 then determines whether the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122 are moving in a direction away from the vehicle (step S309). For example, the determination unit 125 identifies the moving direction of the moving object from the coordinates of two or more consecutive points of the moving object, and determines whether the moving direction of the moving object is a direction away from the vehicle.

[0094] If the determination unit 125 determines that the coordinates of the moving object are moving in a direction away from the vehicle (step S309: Yes), the determination unit 125 determines that there is no danger (step S305). On the other hand, if the determination unit 125 determines that the coordinates of the moving object are not moving in a direction away from the vehicle (step S309: No), the determination unit 125 determines that the behavior of the moving object is approaching (step S310).

[0095] 7. Effects The monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit that acquires the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle, a directional risk calculation unit 123 that calculates a risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122, and a determination unit 125 that determines whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123.

[0096] As a result, the monitoring device 100 can determine the presence or absence of danger according to a risk value related to the moving object's direction of travel calculated based on the coordinates of the moving object, and can accurately determine the presence or absence of danger to the vehicle. In other words, by using the moving object's direction of travel relative to the vehicle's position, the monitoring device 100 can prevent erroneous detections that would occur if the presence or absence of danger were determined based solely on the distance between the moving object and the vehicle.

[0097] The monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment further includes a position risk calculation unit 124 that calculates a risk value relating to the position of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit 122, and the determination unit 125 determines whether or not there is danger based on the risk value relating to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value relating to the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124.

[0098] This allows the monitoring device 100 to determine whether or not there is a danger based on the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated based on the coordinates of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object, thereby enabling the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0099] When the judgment unit 125 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment judges that there is danger, it judges the behavior of the moving object based on the risk value relating to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value relating to the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124.

[0100] As a result, when the monitoring device 100 determines that there is danger, it can determine the behavior of the moving object based on the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated based on the coordinates of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object, and can accurately determine dangerous behavior toward the vehicle.

[0101] The position risk calculation unit 124 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment calculates a risk value related to the position of a moving object so that the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases within a predetermined distance range between the moving object sensor and the moving object. As a result, when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is within a predetermined range, the monitoring device 100 calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object so that the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases, and uses the calculated risk value for judgment, thereby enabling highly accurate judgment of danger to the vehicle.

[0102] When the judgment unit 125 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment judges that there is danger, if the product of the risk value relating to the moving object's direction of travel calculated by the directional risk calculation unit 123 and the risk value relating to the moving object's position calculated by the position risk calculation unit 124 is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold, it judges the moving object's behavior to be approaching, and if it exceeds the second threshold, it judges the moving object's behavior to be reconnaissance.

[0103] As a result, when the monitoring device 100 determines that there is danger, it can accurately determine dangerous behavior toward the vehicle by making a threshold judgment on the value of the integrated value of the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated based on the coordinates of the moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object.

[0104] The determination unit 125 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value depending on the location of the vehicle equipped with the moving object sensor. By changing the threshold value depending on the location of the vehicle, the monitoring device 100 can increase the accuracy of threshold value determination and accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0105] The determination unit 125 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value depending on time. In this way, the monitoring device 100 can increase the accuracy of threshold value determination by changing the threshold value depending on time, and can accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0106] The monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment further includes an output unit 126 that performs a predetermined output in accordance with the behavior of the moving object determined by the determination unit 125. This allows the monitoring device 100 to perform an output such as a notification or an alarm in accordance with the determined behavior of the moving object, thereby preventing danger to the vehicle.

[0107] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the presence or absence of a danger to a vehicle was determined based on a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object and a risk value related to the position of the moving object. In the second embodiment described below, an example will be described in which the settings of the risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object and the risk value related to the position of the moving object are changed. Note that descriptions of content common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0108] [1. Overview] First, an overview of the monitoring device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described. The monitoring device 100 is a device that changes the setting of a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object. It is desirable that the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object, as described in the first embodiment, be changed according to information related to the size of the vehicle, such as the body type and model.

[0109] This is because, for example, in the case of large (small) vehicles, the size of each part of the vehicle, such as the length from the top wall to the bottom wall, the size and position of the doors, etc., differs from that of a typical vehicle, and therefore, if the risk value setting regarding the direction of travel of a moving object compared to a typical vehicle is applied to all vehicles, there is a risk of false detection occurring.

[0110] Therefore, the monitoring device 100 acquires information about the size of the vehicle body and changes the setting of the risk value related to the direction of travel of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor according to the acquired information, thereby enabling the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0111] 2. Configuration of the Monitoring Device Next, a monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the monitoring device 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the control unit 120 of the monitoring device 100 has a sensor unit 121, an acquisition unit 122, a directional risk calculation unit 123, a position risk calculation unit 124, a determination unit 125, an output unit 126, and a change unit 127. Each unit of the control unit 120 will be described below.

[0112] The acquisition unit 122 acquires information related to the size of the vehicle body. For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information on the body type. More specifically, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information on the body type "sedan." As another example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information on the vehicle model. For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires a model number "****" as information on the vehicle model. Note that, although the model number has been exemplified as information on the vehicle model, the information is not limited to this as long as it can identify the size of the vehicle body.

[0113] As another example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the installation position of the motion sensor in addition to information about the size of the vehicle body. For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the installation position of the motion sensor by accepting input from a user. For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the installation position of the motion sensor by accepting input from an external device.

[0114] The change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor, in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122. For example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor, in accordance with information related to the size of the vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit 122. Furthermore, for example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor, in accordance with information related to the installation position of the moving object sensor acquired by the acquisition unit 122.

[0115] The change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object, in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122. For example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object, in accordance with information related to the size of the vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit 122. Furthermore, for example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object, in accordance with information related to the installation position of the moving object sensor acquired by the acquisition unit 122.

[0116] 11 and 12, a description will be given of a change process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing an example of a change process performed by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. First, an example of changing the setting of a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object will be described. FIGS. 11(1) and 11(2) are overhead views for explaining a change of the setting of a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object.

[0117] The dimensions of the vehicle body (for example, the overall length of the vehicle body, the position of the doors, etc.) vary depending on the body type and the vehicle model. Therefore, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor, in accordance with the information related to the size of the vehicle body acquired by the acquisition unit 122. In other words, since the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is set in accordance with the dimensions of the vehicle body, the change unit 127 identifies the overall length of the vehicle body, the position of the doors, etc., from the acquired information related to the size of the vehicle body, and changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object in accordance with the identified overall length of the vehicle body, the position of the doors, etc.

[0118] In the following example, before the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object (FIG. 11(1)), the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is set as follows: the length from the upper wall of the vehicle to the door on the side of the vehicle that corresponds to the traveling direction of the moving object and calculates the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object as 3 points is 1400 mm, the range where the door is located on the side of the vehicle that calculates the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object as 4 points is between 1400 mm and 3800 mm from the upper wall, and the length from the lower wall to the door that calculates the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object as 3 points is 900 mm. Note that, as an example, only the change of the range in which the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is calculated as 3 points and the range in which the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is calculated as 4 points is shown, but the processing by the change unit 127 is not limited to this.

[0119] When the body type "sedan" is acquired as information related to the vehicle body, the modification unit 127 first identifies typical vehicle dimensions for the body type "sedan" (total length "4950 mm", length from the top wall to the door "1500 mm", length from the bottom wall to the door "1000 mm", etc.). Next, as shown in FIG. 11 (2), the modification unit 127 changes the length from the top wall to the door of the vehicle on the side of the vehicle, which corresponds to the traveling direction of the moving object and for which the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is calculated as 3 points, to 1500 mm.

[0120] 11(2), the modification unit 127 modifies the range of the door on the side of the vehicle, which corresponds to the traveling direction of the moving object and calculates the risk value for the traveling direction of the moving object to 1500 mm to 3950 (4950-1000) mm from the upper wall. The modification unit 127 modifies the length from the lower wall of the vehicle to the door on the side of the vehicle, which corresponds to the traveling direction of the moving object and calculates the risk value for the traveling direction of the moving object to 3, to 1000 mm.

[0121] As another example, if the vehicle model "****" is acquired as information related to the vehicle body, the change unit 127 first identifies the vehicle body dimensions of the vehicle model "****" (total length "4800 mm", length from the upper wall to the door "1450 mm", length from the lower wall to the door "950 mm", etc.). Next, the change unit 127 changes the length from the upper wall to the door of the vehicle on the side of the vehicle, which corresponds to the traveling direction of the moving object and for which the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object is calculated as 3 points, to 1450 mm.

[0122] The modification unit 127 also modifies the range of the door on the side of the vehicle where the risk value for the moving object's traveling direction is calculated to be 4 points, to 1450 mm to 3850 mm (4800-950) mm from the upper wall, corresponding to the traveling direction of the moving object. The modification unit 127 also modifies the length from the lower wall of the vehicle to the door on the side of the vehicle where the risk value for the moving object's traveling direction is calculated to be 3 points, to 950 mm, corresponding to the traveling direction of the moving object.

[0123] Next, an example of changing the setting of a risk value related to the position of a moving object will be described. Fig. 12(1) is an overhead view for explaining the setting of a risk value related to the position of a moving object. Fig. 12(2) is a diagram showing the change of the setting of a risk value related to the position of a moving object. As shown in Fig. 12(1), the setting of the risk related to the position of a moving object is set so that a value between 0 and 1 is calculated according to the distance between the vehicle (or the moving object sensor) and the moving object.

[0124] Here, even if a moving object is present at the same distance from the vehicle, the degree of risk varies between a vehicle of a typical size and a vehicle of a size larger (smaller) than typical. Therefore, the change unit 127 identifies the dimensions of the vehicle from the acquired information on the size of the vehicle, and changes the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object in accordance with the identified dimensions of the vehicle.

[0125] More specifically, first, when the body type "SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle)" is acquired as information about the vehicle body, the change unit 127 identifies the general vehicle body dimensions for the body type "SUV" (total length "4300 mm").

[0126] Then, as shown in Figure 12 (2), the modification unit 127 calculates the risk value related to the position of the moving object as 1 when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is in the range of 0 to 80 cm, and when the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object is in the range of 80 cm to 160 cm, changes the settings to calculate the risk value related to the position of the moving object so that the risk value related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly from 1 to 0 as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases.

[0127] Next, an example will be described in which the setting of the risk value related to the direction of travel of a moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of a moving object are changed depending on the installation position of the moving object sensor.Moving object sensors are conceivably installed in locations inside or outside a vehicle according to their purpose, such as the front pillar, center pillar, rear pillar, room mirror, side mirror, ceiling, seat, rear window, etc. If the installation position of the moving object sensor changes, the positional relationship between the moving object sensor and the vehicle body also changes, so it is necessary to change the setting of the risk value related to the direction of travel of a moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object sensor depending on the installation position of the moving object sensor.

[0128] That is, for example, when a motion sensor is attached to a rearview mirror, a risk value relating to the direction of travel of the motion sensor (Figure 11 (1)) and a risk value relating to the position of the motion sensor (Figure 12 (1)) are set according to the position of the rearview mirror. If the risk value setting is not changed accordingly when the attachment location of the motion sensor is changed to the rear window, the risk value relating to the direction of travel of the motion sensor and the risk value relating to the position of the motion sensor will be calculated for coordinates that are shifted by the distance from the rearview mirror to the rear window.

[0129] Therefore, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object according to the mounting position of the moving object sensor. More specifically, when the mounting position of the moving object sensor "rear window" is acquired by the acquisition unit 122, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object sensor and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object so that they become coordinate positions according to the mounting position of the moving object sensor "rear window."

[0130] [4. Flowchart] Next, processing by the monitoring device 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing by the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 13 is mainly executed by the control unit 120. Furthermore, this flowchart can be configured as a program executed by the CPU of the control unit 120 to form a monitoring program. Note that the steps below may be executed in a different order, and some processing may be omitted.

[0131] First, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the size of the vehicle body (step S401). For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the body type "sedan." Next, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the installation position of the motion sensor (step S402). For example, the acquisition unit 122 acquires information about the installation position of the motion sensor "room mirror."

[0132] Next, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122 (step S403). For example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor in accordance with the information related to the size of the vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit 122.

[0133] The change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122 (step S404). For example, the change unit 127 changes the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object in accordance with the information related to the size of the vehicle acquired by the acquisition unit 122.

[0134] 5. Effects The monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 122 that acquires information related to the size of the vehicle body, and a change unit 127 that changes the setting of a risk value related to the traveling direction of a moving object detected by a moving object sensor, in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122.

[0135] This allows the monitoring device 100 to change the setting of the risk value related to the direction of travel of a moving object detected by the moving object sensor according to information related to the size of the vehicle body, thereby enabling highly accurate determination of whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0136] In the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment, the information relating to the size of the vehicle body is the body type. This allows the monitoring device 100 to change the setting of the risk value relating to the traveling direction of a moving object detected by the moving object sensor according to the body type, thereby enabling the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0137] In the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment, the information relating to the size of the vehicle body is the vehicle model. This allows the monitoring device 100 to change the setting of the risk value relating to the direction of travel of a moving object detected by the moving object sensor depending on the vehicle model, thereby enabling the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0138] The acquisition unit 122 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment acquires information about the mounting position of the motion sensor in addition to information about the size of the vehicle body. This allows the monitoring device 100 to change the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the motion sensor detected by the motion sensor in accordance with the information about the size of the vehicle body and the information about the mounting position of the motion sensor, thereby enabling the monitoring device 100 to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0139] The change unit 127 of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment changes the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object and the setting of the risk value related to the position of the moving object, in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit 122. This allows the monitoring device 100 to change the setting of the risk value related to the traveling direction of the moving object detected by the moving object sensor and the risk value related to the position of the moving object, in accordance with information related to the size of the vehicle body, and to accurately determine whether or not there is a danger to the vehicle.

[0140] [Modifications] [1. System Configuration] Up to this point, examples have been described in which the monitoring according to the first and second embodiments is achieved solely by the monitoring device 100 provided in a vehicle. Below, modifications of the above embodiments will be described. As a modification, an example will be described in which the monitoring according to the first and second embodiments is achieved by communication between the monitoring device 100 present on the cloud and the in-vehicle device 10 provided in the vehicle. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 shows a monitoring system 1 as an example of a monitoring system according to an embodiment. Note that description of content common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

[0141] As shown in FIG. 14 , the monitoring system 1 includes an in-vehicle device 10 and a monitoring device 100. The in-vehicle device 10 and the monitoring device 100 are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. The monitoring system 1 shown in FIG. 14 may include any number of in-vehicle devices 10 and any number of monitoring devices 100. Here, if the in-vehicle device 10 is an edge computer that performs edge processing near a user, the monitoring device 100 may be, for example, a cloud computer that performs processing on the cloud side. In other words, the monitoring device 100 may be a server device. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14 , monitoring according to the embodiment is realized in the monitoring system 1 by transmitting and receiving information between the monitoring device 100, which is a server device on the cloud, and the in-vehicle device 10 provided in the vehicle.

[0142] The in-vehicle device 10 may be a dedicated sensor device built into or externally attached to the vehicle VEx, or may be a recording device (drive recorder) or other device installed in the vehicle VEx for crime prevention or to prevent tailgating.

[0143] The in-vehicle device 10 may also be configured with a sensor device and a notification device. As an example, the in-vehicle device 10 may be a composite device in which a sensor device and a notification device that are independent of each other are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other. As another example, the in-vehicle device 10 may be a single device having a sensor function and a notification function.

[0144] Furthermore, a user can connect a predetermined sensor to a portable terminal device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook PC, a desktop PC, a PDA, or the like) that they use on a daily basis and install a predetermined application, thereby substituting the portable terminal device as the in-vehicle device 10. For example, a portable terminal device that is equipped with a predetermined sensor or to which a predetermined sensor is connected can be understood as the in-vehicle device 10 referred to here. When the portable terminal device is used as the in-vehicle device 10, it is installed, for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle VEx while driving.

[0145] The in-vehicle device 10 may also include various sensors, such as a distance sensor, a motion sensor such as a microwave sensor or LiDAR, a temperature sensor, a microphone, a positioning sensor such as a GNSS sensor or GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, an imaging device such as a camera, and an air pressure sensor.

[0146] The monitoring device 100 may acquire various types of data based on sensor information detected by these sensors (for example, by analyzing the sensor information). For example, the monitoring device 100 acquires information on moving objects inside and outside the vehicle from a moving object sensor. Also, for example, the monitoring device 100 acquires the temperature inside the vehicle from a temperature sensor. Also, for example, the monitoring device 100 acquires audio from a microphone. Also, for example, the monitoring device 100 acquires angular velocity from a gyro sensor. Also, for example, the monitoring device 100 acquires video data of the outside captured from inside the vehicle VEx by a camera. Note that the monitoring device 100 may acquire sensor information detected not only by sensors provided in the in-vehicle device 10, but also by sensors provided in the vehicle VEx itself.

[0147] 2. Configuration of the Monitoring Device Next, the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 15, the monitoring device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 130, and a control unit 120.

[0148] The control unit 120 is realized using a CPU, an NP, an FPGA, etc., and executes a processing program stored in memory. As shown in Fig. 15, the control unit 120 has an acquisition unit 122, a directional risk calculation unit 123, a position risk calculation unit 124, a determination unit 125, an output unit 126, and a change unit 127.

[0149] [Others] [1. Hardware Configuration] The monitoring device 100 according to the above-described embodiment and modified examples is realized, for example, by a computer 1000 configured as shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the monitoring device 100. The computer 1000 has a CPU 1100, a RAM 1200, a ROM 1300, a HDD 1400, a communication interface (I / F) 1500, an input / output interface (I / F) 1600, and a media interface (I / F) 1700.

[0150] The CPU 1100 operates and controls each unit based on programs stored in the ROM 1300 or the HDD 1400. The ROM 1300 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 starts up, programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 1000, and the like.

[0151] The HDD 1400 stores programs executed by the CPU 1100 and data used by the programs. The communication interface 1500 receives data from other devices via a predetermined communication network and sends the data to the CPU 1100, and transmits data generated by the CPU 1100 to other devices via the predetermined communication network.

[0152] The CPU 1100 controls output devices such as a display and a printer, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 acquires data from the input devices via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also outputs generated data to the output devices via the input / output interface 1600.

[0153] Media interface 1700 reads a program or data stored in recording medium 1800 and provides it to CPU 1100 via RAM 1200. CPU 1100 loads the program or data from recording medium 1800 onto RAM 1200 via media interface 1700 and executes the loaded program. Recording medium 1800 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disc), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0154] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the monitoring device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 executes programs loaded onto the RAM 1200 to realize the functions of the control unit 120. The CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 1800, but as another example, the CPU 1100 may obtain these programs from another device via a predetermined communication network.

[0155] [2. Other] While one example of an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above example. In other words, a person skilled in the art can implement various modifications in accordance with conventionally known knowledge without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as such modifications still comprise the monitoring device of the present invention, they are of course included in the scope of the present invention.

[0156] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 monitoring system 10 in-vehicle device 100 monitoring device 110 communication unit 120 control unit 121 sensor unit 122 acquisition unit 123 direction risk calculation unit 124 position risk calculation unit 125 determination unit 126 output unit 127 change unit 130 storage unit

Claims

1. A monitoring device characterized by having: an acquisition unit that acquires the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor equipped in a vehicle; a directional risk calculation unit that calculates a risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit; and a judgment unit that judges the presence or absence of danger depending on the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit.

2. The monitoring device described in claim 1, further comprising a position risk calculation unit that calculates a risk value relating to the position of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition unit, and the judgment unit judges the presence or absence of the danger based on the risk value relating to the direction of travel of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit and the risk value relating to the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit.

3. The monitoring device described in claim 2, characterized in that when the judgment unit judges that there is a danger, it judges the behavior of the moving object based on the risk value regarding the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit and the risk value regarding the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit.

4. The monitoring device described in claim 2, characterized in that the position risk calculation unit calculates a risk value related to the position of the moving object so that, within a specified distance range between the moving object sensor and the moving object, the risk related to the position of the moving object decreases linearly as the distance between the moving object sensor and the moving object increases.

5. The monitoring device described in claim 2, characterized in that when the judgment unit judges that there is a danger, it judges the behavior of the moving object to be approaching if the product of the risk value regarding the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation unit and the risk value regarding the position of the moving object calculated by the position risk calculation unit is greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold, and judges the behavior of the moving object to be reconnaissance if it exceeds the second threshold.

6. The monitoring device according to claim 5, characterized in that the determination unit changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value depending on the location of a vehicle equipped with the motion sensor.

7. The monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit changes the first threshold value and the second threshold value in accordance with time.

8. The monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising an output section which performs a predetermined output in response to the behavior of the moving object determined by the determination section.

9. A method executed by a monitoring device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor provided in a vehicle; a directional risk calculation step of calculating a risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition step; and a determination step of determining the presence or absence of danger based on the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation step.

10. A surveillance program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: an acquisition step of acquiring the coordinates of a moving object identified based on information detected by a moving object sensor equipped in a vehicle; a directional risk calculation step of calculating a risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object based on the coordinates of the moving object acquired by the acquisition step; and a judgment step of judging the presence or absence of danger based on the risk value related to the moving direction of the moving object calculated by the directional risk calculation step.

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