Device, distribution system, and method

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to control unintended sudden acceleration in a variety of vehicles.　This device includes: a place determination part 10 for determining a position of a vehicle V on the basis of information on a position of a terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V; an acceleration determination part 15 for determining whether it is necessary to control an accelerator opening of the vehicle V on the basis of a determination result from the place determination part 10; and an opening command part 17 for commanding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control part 3 on the basis of a determination result from the acceleration determination part 15.

Description

Apparatus, distribution system, and method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, a distribution system, and a method.

[0002] In a vehicle, a driver may mistakenly press the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal and press it hard. In this case, the accelerator pedal is pressed hard, causing the vehicle to suddenly accelerate. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device that suppresses sudden acceleration of a vehicle caused by accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal. This device determines the vehicle's location based on location information acquired from a car navigation system installed in the vehicle. Then, this device suppresses sudden acceleration depending on the vehicle's location.

[0003] JP 2012-107602 A

[0004] Depending on the type of vehicle, there may be cases where an on-board device capable of acquiring location information, such as a car navigation system, is not installed in the vehicle, and in such cases, it is not possible to control the vehicle based on the location information of the on-board device, as in the device described in Patent Document 1.

[0005] Therefore, this disclosure describes an apparatus, distribution system, and method that can control unintended sudden acceleration in a variety of vehicles.

[0006] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a location determination unit that determines the location of the vehicle based on information regarding the location of a terminal brought into the vehicle, an accelerator determination unit that determines whether or not control of the vehicle's accelerator opening is necessary based on the determination result of the location determination unit, and an opening instruction unit that issues instructions regarding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control unit that controls the accelerator opening based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

[0007] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, unintended sudden acceleration can be controlled in various vehicles.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a distribution system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a terminal. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow of a method for controlling an accelerator opening degree performed in a terminal. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of each of a terminal and a server in a distribution system according to a second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal and a server according to the first and second embodiments.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment First, a first embodiment will be described. A terminal 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a mobile communication terminal that connects to a mobile communication network and performs mobile communication in a mobile communication network. In this embodiment, a smartphone is assumed as the terminal 1. However, the terminal 1 may also be a mobile communication terminal such as a tablet terminal other than a smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0011] The terminal 1 is carried by the user R of the terminal 1. The terminal 1 is brought into the vehicle V when the user R drives the vehicle V. The vehicle V is equipped with an accelerator control unit 3 that controls the accelerator opening of the vehicle V. The accelerator opening is related to the output of the drive source (engine, motor, etc.) of the vehicle V. The greater the accelerator opening, the greater the output of the drive source. The terminal 1 can give instructions regarding the accelerator opening to the accelerator control unit 3. For example, the terminal 1 can give instructions to the accelerator control unit 3 via wireless communication. The terminal 1 may also give instructions to the accelerator control unit 3 via wired communication.

[0012] The form of the accelerator control unit 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can control the accelerator opening degree. For example, as shown in Fig. 1 , the accelerator control unit 3 may be configured with a mechanism that pushes back the accelerator pedal P that has been depressed. In this case, the accelerator control unit 3 may have, for example, an extendable rod 3a for pushing back the accelerator pedal P, and a rod drive unit 3b that extends and retracts the rod 3a. The rod drive unit 3b extends and retracts the rod 3a based on instructions from the terminal 1.

[0013] In addition to this, the accelerator control unit 3 may be composed of, for example, a throttle control unit that electronically controls the throttle opening of an engine as a driving source mounted on the vehicle V, or an output control unit that controls the output of a motor as a driving source mounted on the vehicle V.

[0014] The terminal 1 can communicate wirelessly with the server 5. For example, the terminal 1 can communicate with the server 5 via a mobile communication network. The server 5 can transmit notification information to a receiving terminal 7 located within a predetermined area. The server 5 may be configured to include, for example, an Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS). The receiving terminal 7 that receives the notification information may be, for example, the same device as the terminal 1. This notification information is information that notifies the receiving terminal 7 that a vehicle that requires accelerator opening control is present around the receiving terminal 7.

[0015] Terminal 1 can communicate with a wearable terminal 9 worn by user R. The wearable terminal 9 may be, for example, a watch-type terminal. The wearable terminal 9 can measure the heart rate of user R. Terminal 1 can acquire information related to the heart rate of user R from the wearable terminal 9.

[0016] The terminal 1 controls the accelerator opening degree of the vehicle V by issuing instructions to the accelerator control unit 3. In this embodiment, the terminal 1 functions as a device that controls the accelerator opening degree of the vehicle V. The terminal 1 can control sudden acceleration of the vehicle V by issuing instructions on the accelerator opening degree of the vehicle V based on information such as the position of the vehicle V.

[0017] In the following, a case will be described in which the terminal 1 is brought into the vehicle V and controls the accelerator opening of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the user R of the terminal 1 drives the vehicle V. In other words, the user R of the terminal 1 becomes the driver of the vehicle V.

[0018] 2, terminal 1 includes a location determination unit 10, an acceleration determination unit 11, a sound determination unit 12, a heart rate determination unit 13, an age determination unit 14, an accelerator determination unit 15, a notification unit 16, an opening degree instruction unit 17, and a distribution instruction unit 18. The functional blocks in terminal 1 do not have to be configured as shown in Fig. 2; some functional blocks may be missing, multiple functional blocks may be integrated into one functional block, or one functional block may be separated into multiple functional blocks.

[0019] The location determination unit 10 acquires information related to the location of the terminal 1. For example, the terminal 1 is equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System). The location determination unit 10 may acquire information related to the location from the GPS. Alternatively, for example, the location determination unit 10 may acquire information related to the location obtained by the terminal 1 through base station positioning.

[0020] When the terminal 1 is brought into the vehicle V, the place determination unit 10 can acquire information about the position of the terminal 1 as information about the position of the vehicle V. The place determination unit 10 determines the position of the vehicle V based on the information about the position of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V. More specifically, the place determination unit 10 determines whether the vehicle V is located in a place where sudden acceleration is permitted, based on the information about the position of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V.

[0021] Here, examples of places where a vehicle may suddenly accelerate include a merging lane where a vehicle merges onto a main lane of a highway. Conversely, examples of places where a vehicle may not suddenly accelerate include a parking lot. The place determination unit 10 stores in advance each place where a vehicle may suddenly accelerate. The place determination unit 10 can make a determination based on the pre-stored places where sudden acceleration is permitted.

[0022] The acceleration determination unit 11 acquires information related to the acceleration of the terminal 1. The acceleration of the terminal 1 is acceleration occurring in the terminal 1. For example, the terminal 1 is equipped with an acceleration sensor. The acceleration determination unit 11 can acquire information related to the acceleration of the terminal 1 from the acceleration sensor of the terminal 1.

[0023] When the terminal 1 is brought into the vehicle V, the acceleration determination unit 11 can acquire information regarding the acceleration of the terminal 1 as information regarding the acceleration of the vehicle V. The acceleration determination unit 11 determines the acceleration state of the vehicle V based on the information regarding the acceleration acquired by the terminal 1. More specifically, the acceleration determination unit 11 determines whether the vehicle V is rapidly accelerating based on the information regarding the acceleration of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V.

[0024] Here, the sudden acceleration of the vehicle V determined by the acceleration determination unit 11 may be, for example, a sudden acceleration that occurs when the accelerator pedal P is accidentally depressed too hard. The sudden acceleration of the vehicle V determined by the acceleration determination unit 11 may also be a sudden acceleration that does not occur during normal driving of the vehicle V. For example, the acceleration determination unit 11 may determine that the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly when the acceleration of the vehicle V is equal to or greater than a predetermined acceleration threshold.

[0025] The sound determination unit 12 acquires information related to sound. The information related to sound includes information related to sound inside the vehicle V. The information related to sound may also include information related to sounds around the vehicle V (sounds outside the vehicle V). For example, the terminal 1 is equipped with a microphone. The sound determination unit 12 can acquire information related to sounds detected by the microphone of the terminal 1.

[0026] The sound determination unit 12 determines the state of the user R based on the acquired information about the sound. More specifically, the sound determination unit 12 may determine the state of the user R as the state of the user R, that is, the state of tension of the user R. Here, the sound determination unit 12 determines whether the user R is tense. This tense state may be a state in which the user R is surprised and tense because the vehicle V is not in a normal driving state. For example, if the vehicle V makes a movement that the user R does not intend, the user R, surprised by the movement of the vehicle V, may speak out loudly. For example, the sound determination unit 12 can determine that the user is tense when a loud sound equal to or greater than a predetermined volume threshold is detected by the microphone of the terminal 1.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, the sound determination unit 12 recognizes the content of the user R's utterance based on the sound acquired by the microphone of the terminal 1. Note that the sound determination unit 12 may also recognize the content of utterances other than those of the user R. The sound determination unit 12 may determine whether the user R is nervous or not based on the recognized content of the utterance. For example, if the recognized content of the utterance includes words such as "dangerous," "not stopping," or "crash," the driving state of the vehicle V may be a driving state that the user R did not intend. Therefore, the sound determination unit 12 can determine that the user R is nervous when these predetermined words are recognized.

[0028] Furthermore, the sound determination unit 12 determines the running state of the vehicle V based on the acquired information about the sound. The sound determination unit 12 determines, as the running state of the vehicle V, whether the vehicle V is behaving differently from normal. For example, the vehicle V may be behaving differently from normal, such as by suddenly accelerating. In this case, loud noises may be generated by the sound of tires slipping or the vehicle V hitting a surrounding wall or the like. The sound determination unit 12 can determine whether the vehicle V is behaving differently from normal based on the presence or absence of these sounds. For example, if a loud sound equal to or greater than a predetermined volume threshold is detected by the microphone of the terminal 1, the sound determination unit 12 can determine that the vehicle V is behaving differently from normal.

[0029] The heart rate determination unit 13 acquires information related to the heart rate of the user R. For example, the heart rate determination unit 13 may acquire information related to the heart rate measured by the wearable device 9 worn by the user R. The heart rate determination unit 13 determines the state of the user based on the acquired information related to the heart rate of the user R. More specifically, the heart rate determination unit 13 may determine the state of tension of the user R as the state of the user R. Here, the heart rate determination unit 13 determines whether the user R is tense or not.

[0030] For example, if the vehicle V makes a movement that the user R does not intend, the user R's heart rate may differ from normal due to nervousness, such as becoming higher than normal. For this reason, for example, the heart rate determination unit 13 can determine that the user R is nervous based on information about the user R's heart rate when the user R's heart rate differs from normal. Furthermore, for example, the heart rate determination unit 13 may determine that the user R is nervous based on information about the user R's heart rate when the user R's heart rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined heart rate threshold.

[0031] The age determination unit 14 determines whether or not the user R is elderly based on information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1. For example, the age determination unit 14 can determine that the user R is elderly if the user R is above a predetermined age threshold. The information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1 may be set in advance in the age determination unit 14. The age determination unit 14 may also acquire information about the age of the user R from a management server that manages the terminal 1. Generally, as people get older, their cognitive and motor functions decline, making them more likely to confuse the brake pedal with the accelerator pedal. The age determination unit 14 determines whether or not the user R is elderly, at which point they are more likely to confuse the accelerator pedal with the brake pedal.

[0032] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening of the vehicle V. The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening based on the respective determination results of the location determination unit 10, the acceleration determination unit 11, the sound determination unit 12, the heart rate determination unit 13, and the age determination unit 14. The accelerator determination unit 15 determines that it is necessary to control the accelerator opening when it is necessary to suppress sudden acceleration of the vehicle V.

[0033] Specifically, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary when the location determination unit 10 determines that the location is not suitable for sudden acceleration, the acceleration determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly, the sound determination unit 12 determines that the user R is nervous or the vehicle V is moving differently than usual, the heart rate determination unit 13 determines that the user R is nervous, and the age determination unit 14 determines that the user R is elderly.

[0034] The accelerator determination unit 15 may determine whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening of the vehicle V by using at least the determination result of the location determination unit 10. For example, the accelerator determination unit 15 may determine whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening of the vehicle V without using at least one of the determination results of the acceleration determination unit 11, the sound determination unit 12, the heart rate determination unit 13, and the age determination unit 14.

[0035] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening degree using the determination result of the acceleration determination unit 11. That is, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening degree based on information related to acceleration acquired by the terminal 1. The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening degree using the determination result of the sound determination unit 12. That is, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not it is necessary to control the accelerator opening degree based on information related to sound acquired by the terminal 1.

[0036] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary using the determination result of the heart rate determination unit 13. That is, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information related to the heart rate of the user R of the terminal 1. The accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary using the determination result of the age determination unit 14. That is, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information related to the age of the user R of the terminal 1.

[0037] The notification unit 16 issues a notification based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit 15. More specifically, the notification unit 16 issues a notification when the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary. The notification issued by the notification unit 16 is a notification that notifies the user R that there is a possibility that the accelerator pedal is being pressed hard by mistake for the brake pedal, or that the accelerator pedal is being pressed hard by mistake. The notification unit 16 may issue the notification by outputting a notification sound from a speaker mounted on the terminal 1. This notification sound may be voice. The notification unit 16 may also issue the notification using a display mounted on the terminal 1. For example, the notification unit 16 may issue the notification by displaying a message on the display of the terminal 1, or by flashing the display.

[0038] The opening degree instruction unit 17 issues an instruction regarding the accelerator opening to the accelerator control unit 3 based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit 15. More specifically, when the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary, the opening degree instruction unit 17 issues an instruction to the accelerator control unit 3 to reduce the accelerator opening. This instruction may be, for example, an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening to 0%, an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening to a predetermined small opening, or an instruction to reduce the current accelerator opening by a predetermined opening. This instruction may be any instruction regarding the accelerator opening that can suppress acceleration of the vehicle V.

[0039] When issuing an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening, the opening instruction unit 17 may issue an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening in stages.

[0040] The opening degree instructing unit 17 may also instruct to change the accelerator opening degree at a rate of change according to the age of the user R of the terminal 1. More specifically, the opening degree instructing unit 17 may instruct to reduce the accelerator opening degree more quickly when the age of the user R of the terminal 1 is high, compared to when the age is low. In this case, the opening degree instructing unit 17 can adjust the rate of change of the accelerator opening degree according to the age, based on information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1. The information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1 may be set in advance in the opening degree instructing unit 17. Similarly to the age determination unit 14, the opening degree instructing unit 17 may also acquire information about the age of the user R from a management server or the like that manages the terminal 1.

[0041] For example, the accelerator control unit 3 may be configured with a mechanism for pushing back the accelerator pedal P, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the opening degree instructing unit 17 may instruct the accelerator control unit 3 to cancel the operation of pushing back the accelerator pedal P after issuing an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening degree and stopping the vehicle V.

[0042] When the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary, the distribution instruction unit 18 instructs the server 5 to distribute notification information. This notification information is information that notifies the server 5 that a vehicle V is rapidly accelerating. At this time, the distribution instruction unit 18 transmits information regarding the position of the vehicle V along with the instruction to transmit the notification information. This information regarding the position of the vehicle V may be information regarding the position obtained from a GPS provided in the terminal 1, or may be information regarding the position obtained by the terminal 1 using base station positioning.

[0043] The server 5 distributes the notification information to the receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V that is the target of accelerator opening control, based on an instruction from the distribution instruction unit 18. In other words, the server 5 distributes the notification information based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit 15 of the terminal 1.

[0044] The server 5 can recognize the position of the vehicle V based on information about the position of the vehicle V transmitted from the distribution instruction unit 18. The range around the vehicle V to which the notification information is distributed is determined based on the position of the vehicle V, the setting conditions for the distribution range, etc. For example, the server 5 can distribute the notification information to receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V using the ETWS function.

[0045] The receiving terminal 7 that has received the notification information may display a message on a display or may sound a buzzer, etc. Based on the distributed notification information, the user of the receiving terminal 7 can recognize that a vehicle V that is suddenly accelerating is present in the vicinity.

[0046] In this way, the terminal 1 and the server 5 constitute a distribution system 100 that distributes notification information to receiving terminals 7 around a vehicle V that requires control of the accelerator opening.

[0047] Next, the flow of processing of the method for controlling the accelerator opening degree performed in the terminal 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that when the processing shown in Fig. 3 reaches an end, the processing is restarted from the start after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0048] 3, the location determination unit 10 determines the location of the vehicle V based on information about the location of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V. Here, the location determination unit 10 determines whether or not the location is one in which sudden acceleration is permitted for the vehicle V (S101: location determination step). If the vehicle V is located in a location in which sudden acceleration is permitted (S101: YES), the process proceeds to END. If the vehicle V is not located in a location in which sudden acceleration is permitted (S101: NO), the acceleration determination unit 11 determines whether or not the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly (S102: sudden acceleration determination step). If the vehicle V is not accelerating suddenly (S102: NO), the process proceeds to END.

[0049] If the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly (S102: YES), the sound determination unit 12 determines whether the user R is nervous or whether the vehicle V is moving differently from normal based on information about the sound (S103: sound determination step). If the user R is not nervous or the vehicle V is not in a normal driving state (S103: NO), the process proceeds to end. If the user R is nervous or the vehicle V is not in a normal driving state (S103: YES), the heart rate determination unit 13 determines whether the user R is nervous based on information about the user R's heart rate (S104: heart rate determination step). If the user R is not nervous (S104: NO), the process proceeds to end.

[0050] If the user R is nervous (S104: YES), the age determination unit 14 determines whether the user R is elderly based on information about the user R's age (S105: age determination step). If the user R is not elderly (S105: NO), the processing proceeds to end. If the user R is elderly (S105: YES), the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary (S106: accelerator determination step). That is, the accelerator determination unit 15 determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary in S106 based on the determination results of S101 to S105.

[0051] If it is determined that accelerator opening control is necessary, the notification unit 16 notifies the user R that there is a possibility that the accelerator pedal is being pressed hard by mistake, instead of the brake pedal (S107: notification step). The opening degree instruction unit 17 gives instructions regarding the accelerator opening to the accelerator control unit 3 (S108: instruction step). Specifically, the opening degree instruction unit 17 instructs the accelerator control unit 3 to reduce the accelerator opening. The distribution instruction unit 18 instructs the server 5 to distribute the notification information (S109: distribution instruction step). As a result, the server 5 distributes the notification information to the receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V that require accelerator opening control.

[0052] Next, the effects of the terminal 1, the distribution system 100, and the accelerator control method according to the embodiment will be described.

[0053] In the terminal 1 and accelerator control method according to the embodiment, it is determined whether the vehicle V is located in a place where sudden acceleration is permitted, based on information about the location of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V. If it is determined that the vehicle V is not located in a place where sudden acceleration is permitted, it is determined that control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary. If it is determined that control of the accelerator opening is necessary, an instruction regarding the accelerator opening is given.

[0054] This makes it possible to control the acceleration of the vehicle in places where sudden acceleration is prohibited, such as parking lots. Furthermore, information about the location of the terminal 1 brought into the vehicle V is used as the location of the vehicle V. In other words, the vehicle V does not need to be equipped with an on-board device that acquires information about the location of the vehicle V. With the terminal 1 and accelerator control method according to the embodiment, it is possible to control the accelerator opening even in a vehicle that does not have an on-board device that can acquire information about the location installed. In this way, the terminal 1 and accelerator control method according to the embodiment can control (suppress) unintended sudden acceleration in various vehicles.

[0055] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines that accelerator opening control is necessary when the location determination unit 10 determines that the location is not suitable for sudden acceleration and the acceleration determination unit 11 determines that the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly. For example, if the vehicle V is accelerating suddenly, it is possible that the user R has mistaken the accelerator pedal for the brake pedal and pressed it hard. On the other hand, if the vehicle V is not accelerating suddenly, it is considered that the vehicle is traveling normally. In this way, the accelerator determination unit 15 can more appropriately determine whether or not accelerator opening control is necessary by further using whether or not sudden acceleration is occurring.

[0056] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary when the location determination unit 10 determines that the location is not suitable for sudden acceleration, and when the sound determination unit 12 determines that the user R is nervous or the vehicle V is not in a normal driving state. In this way, the accelerator determination unit 15 can more appropriately determine whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary by further using the state of the user R or the driving state of the vehicle V obtained from the information about the sound.

[0057] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary when the location determination unit 10 determines that the location is not suitable for sudden acceleration and the heart rate determination unit 13 determines that the user R is nervous. In this way, the accelerator determination unit 15 can more appropriately determine whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary by further using the state of the user R obtained from the heart rate of the user R.

[0058] The accelerator determination unit 15 determines that accelerator opening control is necessary when the location determination unit 10 determines that the location is not suitable for sudden acceleration and the age determination unit 14 determines that the user R is elderly. Generally, the older a person is, the more likely they are to accidentally press the accelerator pedal. Therefore, the accelerator determination unit 15 can more appropriately determine whether accelerator opening control is necessary by further using whether the user R is elderly.

[0059] The opening degree instructing unit 17 may instruct the accelerator control unit 3 to reduce the accelerator opening degree or to reduce it in stages. By instructing the accelerator opening degree to be reduced, the terminal 1 can suppress sudden acceleration of the vehicle V. Furthermore, by instructing the accelerator opening degree to be reduced in stages, the terminal 1 can suppress sudden stopping of the vehicle V.

[0060] The opening degree instructing unit 17 may instruct to change the accelerator opening degree at a rate of change according to the age of the user R of the terminal 1. Here, the opening degree instructing unit 17 may instruct to reduce the accelerator opening degree more quickly when the user R of the terminal 1 is older than when the user R is younger. In this case, the terminal 1 can more quickly decelerate the vehicle V driven by an older user R who is more likely to make operational errors.

[0061] When the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary, the notification unit 16 notifies the user R. This enables the terminal 1 to notify the user R that the accelerator pedal is being pressed by mistake and urge the user R to perform a correct driving operation.

[0062] When the accelerator determination unit 15 determines that control of the accelerator opening is necessary, the server 5 distributes notification information to the receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V. In this way, the distribution system 100 can make the users of the receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V aware that a vehicle V that is suddenly accelerating is nearby.

[0063] The accelerator determination unit 15 may further determine whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on the sleeping time of the user R. For example, the accelerator determination unit 15 may acquire the sleeping time of the user R from the wearable device 9 worn by the user R. It is considered that when the sleeping time is short, the accelerator pedal is more likely to be accidentally depressed due to a decline in cognitive function and motor function, etc. For this reason, for example, the accelerator determination unit 15 may determine that control of the accelerator opening is necessary if the sleeping time is shorter than a predetermined time threshold in addition to the determination result of the acceleration determination unit 11, etc.

[0064] Furthermore, if the user R driving the vehicle V has a short sleep time or is nervous, the terminal 1 may warn the user R about accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal. For example, the terminal 1 may warn the user R by displaying a message on the display or by outputting a sound. In this way, the terminal 1 can prevent the user R from accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal.

[0065] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the terminal 1 performed various determinations using the location determination unit 10, the acceleration determination unit 11, the sound determination unit 12, the heart rate determination unit 13, the age determination unit 14, and the accelerator determination unit 15. In the second embodiment, these determinations are performed in the server.

[0066] 4, the terminal 1A includes a determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19, a notification unit 16, and an opening degree instructing unit 17. The determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 communicates with the server 5A. Similar to the location determination unit 10 of the first embodiment, the determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 acquires information related to the location of the terminal 1A. The determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 transmits the acquired information related to the location to the server 5A.

[0067] The determination information transmitting and receiving unit 19, like the acceleration determination unit 11 of the first embodiment, acquires information related to the acceleration of the terminal 1A. The determination information transmitting and receiving unit 19 transmits the acquired information related to the acceleration to the server 5A. The determination information transmitting and receiving unit 19, like the sound determination unit 12 of the first embodiment, acquires information related to sound. The determination information transmitting and receiving unit 19 transmits the acquired information related to sound to the server 5A.

[0068] Similar to the heart rate determination unit 13 of the first embodiment, the determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 acquires information relating to the heart rate of the user R. The determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 transmits the acquired information relating to the heart rate of the user R to the server 5A.

[0069] In addition, when sudden acceleration occurs in the vehicle V, the judgment information transmitting / receiving unit 19 may transmit various information, such as information regarding the position of the terminal 1A described above, to the server 5A.

[0070] The determination information transmitting / receiving unit 19 also receives an accelerator control signal from the server 5A. The accelerator control signal is transmitted from the server 5A to the terminal 1A when the server 5A (accelerator determination unit 55) determines that control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary.

[0071] The notification unit 16 issues a notification in the same manner as the notification unit 16 of the first embodiment when the accelerator control signal is received by the accelerator determination unit 15. The opening degree instruction unit 17 issues an instruction regarding the accelerator opening degree in the same manner as the opening degree instruction unit 17 of the first embodiment when the accelerator control signal is received by the accelerator determination unit 15.

[0072] The server 5A includes a location determination unit 50, an acceleration determination unit 51, a sound determination unit 52, a heart rate determination unit 53, an age determination unit 54, an accelerator determination unit 55, and a distribution unit 56.

[0073] The location determination unit 50 determines the location of the vehicle V, similar to the location determination unit 10 of the first embodiment, based on information about the location of the terminal 1A transmitted from the terminal 1A. The acceleration determination unit 51 determines the acceleration state of the vehicle V, similar to the acceleration determination unit 11 of the first embodiment, based on information about the acceleration of the terminal 1A transmitted from the terminal 1A.

[0074] Similar to the sound determination unit 12 of the first embodiment, the sound determination unit 52 determines the state of the user R (driver of the vehicle V) or the running state of the vehicle V based on information related to the sound transmitted from the terminal 1A. Similar to the heart rate determination unit 13 of the first embodiment, the heart rate determination unit 53 determines the state of the user R (driver of the vehicle V) based on information related to the heart rate transmitted from the terminal 1A.

[0075] Similar to the age determination unit 14 of the first embodiment, the age determination unit 54 determines whether or not the user R is elderly based on information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1. The information about the age of the user R of the terminal 1 may be set in advance in the age determination unit 54. Furthermore, the age determination unit 54 may obtain information about the age of the user R from a management server that manages the terminal 1, etc.

[0076] Similar to the accelerator judgment unit 15 of the first embodiment, the accelerator judgment unit 55 judges whether or not control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary based on the judgment results of the location judgment unit 50, the acceleration judgment unit 51, the sound judgment unit 52, and the heart rate judgment unit 53.

[0077] When it is determined that control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle V is necessary, the accelerator determination unit 55 transmits an accelerator control signal to the terminal 1A.

[0078] When the accelerator judgment unit 55 determines that accelerator opening control is necessary, the distribution unit 56 distributes notification information to receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V that is the subject of accelerator opening control, similar to the server 5 in the first embodiment.

[0079] Thus, in this embodiment, the terminal 1A and the server 5A function as a device that controls the accelerator opening of the vehicle V. The terminal 1A and the server 5A also constitute a distribution system 100A that distributes notification information to receiving terminals 7 around the vehicle V that require control of the accelerator opening.

[0080] As described above, in the second embodiment, various determination processes such as determining the accelerator opening control are performed in the server 5A. Even in this case, the terminal 1A, the server 5A, and the distribution system 100A can achieve the same effects as those described in the first embodiment.

[0081] In the second embodiment, the various determination processes using the location determination unit 50 to the accelerator determination unit 55 are performed in the server 5A. At least one of the various determination processes performed by the location determination unit 50 to the accelerator determination unit 55 may be performed in the terminal 1A.

[0082] The device, distribution server, and method of the present disclosure have the following configuration.

[0083] [1] A device comprising: a location determination unit that determines the location of a vehicle based on information about the location of a terminal brought into the vehicle; an accelerator determination unit that determines whether or not control of an accelerator opening of the vehicle is necessary based on the determination result of the location determination unit; and an accelerator opening instruction unit that issues an instruction regarding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control unit that controls the accelerator opening based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

[0084] [2] The device according to [1], wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information about acceleration acquired by the terminal.

[0085] [3] The device according to [1] or [2], wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information related to the sound acquired by the terminal.

[0086] [4] The device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information about a heart rate of the user of the terminal.

[0087] [5] The device according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information about the age of the user of the terminal.

[0088] [6] The device according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the opening instruction unit issues an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening or to reduce it in stages.

[0089] [7] The device according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the opening degree instruction unit issues an instruction to change the accelerator opening degree at a rate of change according to the age of the user of the terminal.

[0090] [8] The device according to any one of [1] to [7], further comprising a notification unit that notifies based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

[0091] [9] A distribution system comprising: the device according to any one of [1] to [8]; and a server that transmits notification information to a receiving terminal, wherein the server distributes the notification information to the receiving terminal around the vehicle based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

[0092]

[10] A method including: a location determination step of determining the location of the vehicle based on information about the location of a terminal brought into the vehicle; an accelerator determination step of determining whether or not control of an accelerator opening of the vehicle is necessary based on the determination result of the location determination step; and an instruction step of issuing an instruction regarding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control unit that controls the accelerator opening based on the determination result of the accelerator determination step.

[0093] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, one aspect of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0094] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (e.g., wired, wireless, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining the single device or multiple devices with software.

[0095] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regard, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0096] For example, the terminal 1, 1A and the server 5, 5A in the embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the method of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal 1, 1A and the server 5, 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal 1, 1A and the server 5, 5A described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0097] In the following description, the term "device" can be read as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the terminals 1, 1A and the servers 5, 5A may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

[0098] Each function of the terminal 1, 1A and the server 5, 5A is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001, memory 1002, etc., so that the processor 1001 performs calculations, controls communication via the communication device 1004, and controls at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0099] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the location determination unit 10 to the distribution instruction unit 18 in the first embodiment and the notification unit 16, opening degree instruction unit 17, determination information transmission / reception unit 19, and location determination unit 50 to distribution unit 56 in the second embodiment may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0100] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The program used may be a program that causes a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the location determination unit 10 of the terminal 1 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0101] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by, for example, at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0102] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0103] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the opening instruction unit 17, the distribution instruction unit 18, the determination information transmission / reception unit 19, the distribution unit 56, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004. The determination information transmission / reception unit 19 may be implemented as a transmission unit 19a and a reception unit 19b that are physically or logically separated.

[0104] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that accepts input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0105] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0106] Furthermore, the terminals 1, 1A and the servers 5, 5A may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0107] The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI) and Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB) and System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0108] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0109] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0110] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0111] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0112] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0113] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0114] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0115] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0116] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0117] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0118] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0119] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0120] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0121] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining something that is considered a "determination," and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judgment" or "decision." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judgment" or "decision." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0122] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0123] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0124] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0125] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0126] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0127] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0128] 1, 1A...terminal (device), 3...accelerator control unit, 5, 5A...server (device), 7...receiving terminal, 10, 50...location determination unit, 15, 55...accelerator determination unit, 16...notification unit, 17...opening degree instruction unit, 100, 100A...distribution system, R...user, V...vehicle.

Claims

1. A device comprising: a location determination unit that determines the location of a vehicle based on information regarding the location of a terminal brought into the vehicle; an accelerator determination unit that determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle is necessary based on the determination result of the location determination unit; and an accelerator opening instruction unit that issues instructions regarding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control unit that controls the accelerator opening based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is required based on information relating to acceleration acquired by the terminal.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information about the sound acquired by the terminal.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information relating to the heart rate of the user of the terminal.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the accelerator determination unit further determines whether or not control of the accelerator opening is necessary based on information relating to the age of the user of the terminal.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the opening instruction unit issues an instruction to reduce the accelerator opening or to reduce it in stages.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the opening degree instruction unit issues an instruction to change the accelerator opening degree at a rate corresponding to the age of the user of the terminal.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that issues a notification based on the determination result of said accelerator determination unit.

9. A distribution system comprising: the device according to claim 1; and a server that transmits notification information to a receiving terminal, wherein the server distributes the notification information to the receiving terminals around the vehicle based on the determination result of the accelerator determination unit.

10. A method comprising: a location determination step of determining the location of the vehicle based on information regarding the location of a terminal brought into the vehicle; an accelerator determination step of determining whether or not control of the accelerator opening of the vehicle is necessary based on the determination result of the location determination step; and an instruction step of issuing an instruction regarding the accelerator opening to an accelerator control unit that controls the accelerator opening based on the determination result of the accelerator determination step.

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