Notification device and vehicle

Abstract

A notification device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a processing circuit that can play back music pieces and is capable of notifying a vehicle driver of an evaluation result of the driving skills of the driver by playing back a notification music piece according to the evaluation result; and a speaker that can output music pieces and the notification music piece. The processing circuit, when playing back a music piece, can set a first timing which is a timing candidate for switching the playback target from the music piece being played back to a notification music piece, and set a second timing for switching the playback target from the music piece being played back to the notification music piece on the basis of the time remaining until the first timing. The processing circuit can switch the playback target at the second timing.

Description

Notification devices and vehicles

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification device that notifies a driver of an evaluation result of driving skill, and a vehicle equipped with such a notification device.

[0002] In recent years, there has been a technology that evaluates the driving skills of a driver when the driver is driving a vehicle such as an automobile and presents the evaluation results to the driver. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology that changes the music playback based on whether the driver's eco-driving was successful or not.

[0003] JP 2010-003186 A

[0004] A notification device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processing circuit and a speaker. The processing circuit is capable of playing music and notifying a driver of an evaluation result of the driving skill of the driver of a vehicle by playing a notification music corresponding to the evaluation result. The speaker is capable of outputting the music and the notification music. When playing music, the processing circuit is capable of setting a first timing as a candidate timing for switching the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music, and is capable of setting a second timing for switching the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music based on the time until the first timing, and is capable of switching the playback target at the second timing.

[0005] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is equipped with the notification device.

[0006] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one embodiment and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0007] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle equipped with an on-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the on-vehicle device illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3A is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the on-vehicle device illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3B is another flowchart illustrating an example operation of the on-vehicle device illustrated in Fig. 1.

[0008] In a vehicle, a driver often selects a piece of music that the driver wants to listen to, and the selected piece of music is played. In such a case, if a piece of music corresponding to the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill is played, the driver may find it difficult to listen to the piece of music corresponding to the evaluation result. Therefore, it is difficult for the vehicle to notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0009] It is desirable to provide a notification device and a vehicle that can appropriately notify a driver of the results of an evaluation of driving skills.

[0010] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following description illustrates one specific example of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. For example, each element, including numerical values, shapes, materials, parts, the position of each part, and the connection method of each part, is merely an example and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the following exemplary embodiments, components not described in independent claims based on the highest concept of the present disclosure are optional and may be provided as needed. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. Furthermore, components not directly related to one embodiment of the present disclosure are not shown in the drawings.

[0011] 1 shows an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device 10 equipped with a notification device according to an embodiment. The in-vehicle device 10 is installed in a vehicle 9. The in-vehicle device 10 evaluates the driving skill of a driver with respect to driving operations based on driving data such as the acceleration, angular velocity, and position of the vehicle 9. The in-vehicle device 10 is configured to present the evaluation result of the driving skill to the driver by playing music corresponding to the evaluation result.

[0012] 2 shows an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device 10. The in-vehicle device 10 includes a display operation unit 11, a speaker 12, a communication unit 13, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiving unit 14, an acceleration sensor 15, an angular velocity sensor 16, a storage unit 17, and a processing unit 20.

[0013] The display operation unit 11 and the speaker 12 are user interfaces. The display operation unit 11 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a touch sensor, various indicators, various buttons, etc. The display operation unit 11 accepts operations by the driver and displays the processing results of the in-vehicle device 10. The speaker 12 outputs the processing results of the in-vehicle device 10 using sound.

[0014] The communication unit 13 is configured to communicate via the Internet by performing mobile phone communication, network communication, etc. The communication unit 13 can receive, for example, music data transmitted from a distribution server (not shown). The communication unit 13 may receive music data in data file units, or may receive music data by streaming.

[0015] The GNSS receiver 14 is configured to acquire the position of the vehicle 9 on the ground using a GNSS such as a Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0016] The acceleration sensor 15 is configured to detect acceleration in each of three directions in the coordinate system of the vehicle 9 .

[0017] The angular velocity sensor 16 is configured to detect three angular velocities (yaw angular velocity, roll angular velocity, and pitch angular velocity) in the coordinate system of the vehicle 9 .

[0018] The storage unit 17 is, for example, a non-volatile memory, and is configured to store program data and setting data of various software executed in the in-vehicle device 10. The storage unit 17 also stores music data DM1, DM2, and switching evaluation data DT.

[0019] The music data DM1 and DM2 are data of music for notification that is played when the driver is notified of the driving skill evaluation result. For example, the music data DM1 is data of music that is played when the evaluation result is good, and the music data DM2 is data of music that is played when the evaluation result is bad. The music data DM1 includes multiple music data relating to multiple songs. When the evaluation result is good, the in-vehicle device 10 plays a song based on one of the multiple music data included in the music data DM1. Similarly, the music data DM2 includes multiple music data relating to multiple songs. When the evaluation result is bad, the in-vehicle device 10 plays a song based on one of the multiple music data included in the music data DM2. Each of the music data DM1 and DM2 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 17, for example, during manufacturing of the in-vehicle device 10. Furthermore, each of the music data DM1 and DM2 may be stored in the storage unit 17 by, for example, an operation by the driver. In this case, the driver can use a song selected by the driver as the notification song. Each of the multiple songs indicated by the song data DM1 and DM2 may be a song that people can listen to for a long time, such as background music (BGM) for a game, or a song that is suitable for loop playback.

[0020] The switching evaluation data DT includes data indicating how the driver felt when, for example, while a song was being played, the playback target was switched from the song being played to the notification song associated with the song data DM1 or DM2. This switching evaluation data DT includes identifier data for identifying the song being played, timing data indicating the timing at which the playback target was switched from the song being played to the notification song, and evaluation data indicating how the driver felt about the song switch. The timing indicated by this timing data is defined, for example, using the time in the song being played.

[0021] For example, if the playback target is switched from the currently playing music to the notification music midway through playback of music, the driver may feel unnatural. For example, if the driver is enjoying listening to a favorite music, the music may suddenly switch to the notification music, potentially ruining the driver's entertainment experience. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10, for example, prompts the driver to evaluate the music switch after the music switch and stores the driver's evaluation in the switching evaluation data DT. If the music continues to be played after this, the in-vehicle device 10 sets the switching timing based on the switching evaluation data DT when switching the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to switch music at a more appropriate timing.

[0022] The processing unit 20 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and is configured using, for example, one or more processors, one or more memories, etc. The processing unit 20 can operate as a user interface processing unit 21, a playback processing unit 22, a driving skill evaluation unit 23, a switching candidate timing setting unit 24, a switching timing setting unit 25, a music analysis unit 26, and a switching evaluation processing unit 27 by executing software installed in the in-vehicle device 10.

[0023] The user interface processing unit 21 is configured to control the operations of the display operation unit 11 and the speaker 12 .

[0024] The playback processing unit 22 is configured to perform playback processing of music. Specifically, for example, the playback processing unit 22 performs playback processing of music related to music data based on the music data received by the communication unit 13. Note that this is not limited to this. For example, if the in-car device 10 has a CD (Compact Disc) player, the playback processing unit 22 may perform playback processing of music related to the music data based on the music data included on a compact disc. Furthermore, for example, the playback processing unit 22 performs playback processing of music related to music data DM1 based on music data DM1 stored in the storage unit 17, and performs playback processing of music related to music data DM2 based on music data DM2 stored in the storage unit 17. As a result of the playback processing by the playback processing unit 22, the speaker 12 outputs the sound of the music.

[0025] The driving skill evaluation unit 23 is configured to evaluate the driving skill based on the driving data of the vehicle 9. Specifically, the driving skill evaluation unit 23 collects driving data including time series data of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 15, time series data of angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor 16, and time series data of the vehicle position of the vehicle 9 obtained by the GNSS receiving unit 14. In this example, the driving data includes time series data of acceleration, angular velocity, and vehicle position, but is not limited thereto. For example, the driving data may include time series data of speed obtained by integrating the time series data of acceleration. Furthermore, the driving data may include time series data corresponding to the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle 9, such as time series data of accelerator opening and time series data of steering angle. The driving skill evaluation unit 23 then evaluates the driving skill of the driver regarding the driving operation of the driver based on this driving data.

[0026] The switch candidate timing setting unit 24 is configured to set switch candidate timings that are candidates for the timing at which to switch songs. Specifically, the switch candidate timing setting unit 24 sets switch candidate timings when, for example, a song is being played back and the playback target is switched to a notification song related to the song data DM1, DM2.

[0027] The switching timing setting unit 25 is configured to set a switching timing, which is the timing at which the music is actually switched, based on the switching candidate timing.

[0028] The music analysis unit 26 is configured to analyze a song based on its music data. The music data includes, for example, data on the sound of the song and attribute data. The attribute data includes, for example, data on the song title, artist name, and playback time of the song. If the song includes vocals, the attribute data may also include lyric data. The attribute data may also include data indicating which parts of the song are frequently played.

[0029] The switching evaluation processing unit 27 is configured to update the switching evaluation data DT based on the driver's evaluation when switching songs. Furthermore, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 is configured to estimate the switching timing that will not cause the driver any discomfort by analyzing the driver's past evaluation of switching songs based on the switching evaluation data DT.

[0030] Here, the processing unit 20 corresponds to a specific example of a "processing circuit" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The speaker 12 corresponds to a specific example of a "speaker" in an embodiment of the present disclosure. The music pieces related to the music data DM1 and DM2 correspond to a specific example of a "notification music piece" in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] [Operation and Function] Next, the operation and function of the in-vehicle device 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0032] (Overall Operation Overview) First, the operation of the in-vehicle device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . The communication unit 13 receives music data transmitted from, for example, a distribution server (not shown). The playback processing unit 22 performs playback processing based on the music data. The speaker 12 outputs the sound of music related to the music data. The driving skill evaluation unit 23 collects driving data including time series data of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 15, time series data of angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor 16, and time series data of the vehicle position of the vehicle 9 obtained by the GNSS receiving unit 14. The driving skill evaluation unit 23 then evaluates the driver's driving skill with respect to driving operation based on the driving data. The playback processing unit 22 performs playback processing of music based on the music data DM1 and DM2 in accordance with the evaluation result of the driving skill. The driver understands the evaluation result of his driving skill by listening to music corresponding to the evaluation result of his driving skill.

[0033] During playback of a song, the playback processing unit 22 switches the playback target from the song being played to the notification song associated with the song data DM1 and DM2. Specifically, the switch candidate timing setting unit 24 sets a switch candidate timing, which is a candidate for the timing to switch songs. The song analysis unit 26, for example, analyzes song data. The switch evaluation processing unit 27 analyzes the driver's past evaluation of switching the song being played based on the switch evaluation data DT. The switch timing setting unit 25 sets a switch timing, which is the timing to actually switch songs, based on the switch candidate timing set by the switch candidate timing setting unit 24, the analysis results of the song analysis unit 26, and the analysis results of the switch evaluation processing unit 27. At this switch timing, the playback processing unit 22 switches the playback target from the song being played to the notification song.

[0034] (Detailed Operation) As the vehicle 9 travels through an evaluation section of a road, the in-vehicle device 10 collects driving data. Then, while the vehicle 9 is traveling through the evaluation section, the in-vehicle device 10 evaluates the driving skill of the driver with respect to driving operations based on the driving data. The in-vehicle device 10 presents the evaluation result of the driving skill to the driver by playing music corresponding to the evaluation result. This operation will be described in detail below.

[0035] 3A and 3B show an example of the operation of the in-vehicle device 10. FIG.

[0036] First, the driving skill evaluation unit 23 evaluates the driving skill based on the driving data (step S101).

[0037] Next, the playback processor 22 checks whether the in-vehicle device 10 is playing music (step S102). If the in-vehicle device 10 is not playing music ("N" in step S102), the in-vehicle device 10 plays a notification song corresponding to the driving skill evaluation result (step S103). Specifically, if the evaluation result is good, the playback processor 22 plays a song based on one of the multiple music data included in the music data DM1, and the speaker 12 outputs the sound of that song. If the evaluation result is bad, the playback processor 22 plays a song based on one of the multiple music data included in the music data DM2, and the speaker 12 outputs the sound of that song. By listening to this song, the driver can intuitively understand whether the driving skill evaluation result is good or bad. However, this is not limited to this; the display operation unit 11 may also display details of the driving skill evaluation result. Specifically, the display / operation unit 11 can display the characteristics of the driver's driving operation, driving operation advice, etc. This allows the driver to understand the details of the evaluation result and use it to improve their driving skills. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 plays the notification music for a predetermined time, and then stops playing the music. Then, this process ends.

[0038] In step S102, if the in-car device 10 is playing music ("Y" in step S102), the switching candidate timing setting unit 24 sets a switching candidate timing based on the end timing of the music being played (step S104). That is, the switching candidate timing setting unit 24 sets the end timing of the music being played as the switching candidate timing.

[0039] Next, the playback processing unit 22 checks whether the time until the candidate switching timing is within a predetermined time (step S105). Specifically, the playback processing unit 22 calculates the time from the present to the end timing of the song being played based on the data on the duration of the song included in the song data being played and the current playback time. Then, the playback processing unit 22 compares the calculated time with a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to check whether the time until the candidate switching timing is within the predetermined time.

[0040] In step S105, if the time until the candidate switching timing is within the predetermined time ("Y" in step S105), the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing based on the candidate switching timing (step S106). That is, the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing so that the playback target is switched from the currently playing song to the notification song when the currently playing song ends, for example.

[0041] The music analysis unit 26 then analyzes the music being played to select a notification song based on the evaluation result (step S107). Specifically, the music analysis unit 26 first analyzes the music being played based on the music data of the music being played. Then, for example, if the driving skill evaluation result is good, the music analysis unit 26 selects a song similar to the music being played from among the songs included in the music data DM1. Similarly, for example, if the driving skill evaluation result is poor, the music analysis unit 26 selects a song similar to the music being played from among the songs included in the music data DM2. The music analysis unit 26 can determine that two songs are similar if their BPM (Beats Per Minute) values ​​are similar, for example. The music analysis unit 26 can obtain the BPM value by, for example, analyzing sound data included in the music data. Furthermore, for example, if the attribute data of the music data includes a BPM value, the music analysis unit 26 can obtain the BPM value using the attribute data. This allows the in-car device 1 to use a piece of music similar to the piece of music being played as the music for notification.

[0042] Then, at the switching timing, the playback processing unit 22 switches the playback target from the music being played to the notification music selected in step S107 (step S108). That is, the playback processing unit 22 switches the playback target to the notification music selected in step S107 when the music being played ends. By listening to this notification music, the driver can intuitively understand whether the evaluation result of his / her driving skill is good or bad. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 plays the notification music for a predetermined time and then stops playing this music. Then, this process ends.

[0043] If, in step S105, the time until the candidate switching timing is not within the predetermined time ("N" in step S105), the in-car device 10 sets a timing within the period until the end of the currently playing music as the candidate switching timing (step S109). Specifically, the music analysis unit 26 analyzes the music data of the currently playing music to determine a timing at which the driver would be unlikely to feel uncomfortable if the music were switched. Specifically, the music analysis unit 26 analyzes, for example, the interval between the first and second verses of the music, the divisions of various elements such as the intro, bridge, and chorus, the divisions of measures, and the end of frequently played sections in the music to determine a timing at which the driver would be unlikely to feel uncomfortable if the music were switched. Then, the candidate switching timing setting unit 24 sets, based on the analysis results of the music analysis unit 26, a timing at which the driver would be unlikely to feel uncomfortable if the music were switched as the candidate switching timing.

[0044] Next, the playback processing unit 22 checks whether the time until the candidate switching timing is within a predetermined time (step S110). Specifically, the playback processing unit 22 calculates the time from the present until the candidate switching timing based on the current playback time of the song being played and the candidate switching timing for the song being played determined in step S109. The playback processing unit 22 then compares the calculated time with a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds) to check whether the time until the candidate switching timing is within the predetermined time.

[0045] If the time until the candidate switching timing is within the predetermined time in step S110 ("Y" in step S110), the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing based on the candidate switching timing (step S111). That is, the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing so that the playback target is switched from the currently playing music to the notification music at a timing when the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable when the music is switched.

[0046] Then, the playback processing unit 22 sets the sound processing to be performed when switching music (step S112). Specifically, the playback processing unit 22 can set the sound processing to perform so-called cut-in processing when switching music, for example. That is, in this case, as shown in steps S109 to S111, the switching timing is a timing at which the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable when switching music. Therefore, even if the playback processing unit 22 performs the cut-in processing to switch music instantaneously, the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the playback processing unit 22 can set the sound processing to perform the cut-in processing. Furthermore, the playback processing unit 22 can set the sound processing to play a predetermined sound effect indicating that the driver is being notified of the evaluation result of the driving skill when switching music, for example.

[0047] If the time until the candidate switching timing is not within the predetermined time in step S110 ("N" in step S110), the in-vehicle device 10 determines whether to immediately switch the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music based on the switching evaluation data DT (step S113). Specifically, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 analyzes the driver's past evaluation of the switching of the currently playing music. Specifically, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 checks, for example, what the driver's evaluation was when the music was switched. Then, based on the driver's past evaluation, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 estimates whether the driver would feel uncomfortable if the music were switched immediately. If it is estimated that the driver would not feel uncomfortable if the music were switched immediately, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 determines that the music should be switched immediately. On the other hand, if it is estimated that the driver would feel uncomfortable if the music were switched immediately, the switching evaluation processing unit 27 determines that the music should not be switched immediately.

[0048] If the switching evaluation processing unit 27 determines in step S114 that the music should not be switched immediately ("N" in step S114), the process proceeds to step S111. In this case, as shown in steps S109 to S111, the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing so that the music to be played is switched from the music being played to the music for notification at a timing when the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable when the music is switched.

[0049] In step S114, if the switching evaluation processing unit 27 determines that the song should be switched immediately ("Y" in step S114), the switching timing setting unit 25 sets the switching timing so that the playback target is immediately switched from the song being played to the song for notification (step S115).

[0050] Then, the playback processing unit 22 sets sound processing to make the driver less likely to feel uncomfortable when switching songs (step S116). Specifically, the playback processing unit 22 can set sound processing, for example, to perform a so-called cross-fade process when switching songs. That is, in this case, as shown in steps S109 and S110, the switching timing is a timing at which the driver may feel uncomfortable when switching songs. Therefore, the playback processing unit 22 performs cross-fade processing to switch songs so as to reduce the likelihood that the driver will feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, the playback processing unit 22 can set sound processing, for example, to play a predetermined sound effect indicating that the driver's driving skill evaluation result is notified when switching songs.

[0051] The music analysis unit 26 then analyzes the music being played and selects a music piece for notification based on the evaluation result (step S117). Specifically, similar to the process of step S107, the music analysis unit 26 analyzes the music being played based on the music data of the music piece. Then, for example, if the driving skill evaluation result is good, the music analysis unit 26 selects a music piece similar to the music being played from among the music pieces included in music data DM1. Similarly, for example, if the driving skill evaluation result is poor, the music analysis unit 26 selects a music piece similar to the music being played from among the music pieces included in music data DM2. The music analysis unit 26 can determine that the two music pieces are similar if, for example, the BPM values ​​of the two music pieces are similar. This allows the in-car device 1 to use a music piece similar to the music being played as a music piece for notification.

[0052] Then, at the switching timing, the playback processing unit 22 switches the music from the music being played to the notification music selected in step S107 (step S118). By listening to this notification music, the driver can intuitively understand whether the evaluation result of his driving skill is good or bad. For example, the in-vehicle device 10 plays the notification music for a predetermined time, and then stops playing this music. Then, this process ends.

[0053] The in-vehicle device 10 then accepts the driver's input of an evaluation of the music change and updates the switching evaluation data DT (step S119). Specifically, the user interface processing unit 21 controls the display operation unit 11 to display a message prompting the driver to evaluate the music change. The driver operates the display operation unit 11 to input whether the timing of the music change was appropriate. The user interface processing unit 21 accepts the driver's operation input to the display operation unit 11. The switching evaluation processing unit 27 then updates the switching evaluation data DT based on the driver's operation input.

[0054] This completes the process.

[0055] In this way, the in-vehicle device 10 is provided with a processing circuit (processing unit 20) that can play music and notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driving skill of the driver who drives the vehicle 9 by playing a notification music according to the evaluation result, and a speaker 12 that can output the music and the notification music. When playing music, the processing circuit can set a first timing that is a candidate timing for switching the playback target from the music being played to the notification music, and can set a second timing for switching the playback target from the music being played to the notification music based on the time until the first timing, and can switch the playback target at the second timing.

[0056] In this way, when the processing unit 20 is playing music and then plays notification music corresponding to the driving skill evaluation result, the processing unit 20 switches the music to be played from the music to the notification music. This makes it easier for the driver to listen to the notification music compared to, for example, playing the notification music over the music that is being played. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can easily notify the driver of the driving skill evaluation result.

[0057] The processing unit 20 then sets a candidate switching timing and sets the timing for actually switching the playback target from the music to the notification music based on the time from the current time to the candidate switching timing. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driving skill. That is, it is desirable that the evaluation result of the driving skill be presented to the driver immediately after the driver performs a driving operation. However, for example, if the music being played is suddenly switched to the notification music while music is being played, the entertainment experience may be impaired. The processing unit 20 sets a candidate switching timing and sets the timing for actually switching the playback target from the music to the notification music based on the time from the current time to the candidate switching timing. Thus, for example, the processing unit 20 can switch the music immediately after the driver performs a driving operation, or, if the processing unit 20 cannot switch the music immediately after the driver performs a driving operation, can switch the music at another timing that is less likely to impair the entertainment experience. This allows the in-vehicle device 10 to appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0058] In the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) is configured to set the first timing based on the timing when the music being played ends. This allows the processing unit 20 to switch music when the music ends, for example, if the time between the current time and the music ending is short. This allows the processing unit 20 to switch music when, for example, not much time has passed since the driving operation, and when the driver's entertainment experience is less likely to be impaired. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0059] In the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can play music based on music data, and when the time until the first timing is longer than a first predetermined time, the processing circuit can update the first timing based on the music data to a timing before the end of the music being played. As a result, when the time until the end of the music is long, for example, the processing unit 20 can set a timing before the end of the music, at which the driver is less likely to feel uncomfortable, as the candidate switching timing. As a result, the processing unit 20 can switch music at a timing, for example, not long after a driving operation and at which the driver is less likely to feel uncomfortable. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0060] In the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) is configured to determine whether to set a second timing to immediately switch the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music based on the driver's past evaluation of the switching of the currently playing music when the time until the updated first timing is longer than a second predetermined time. As a result, the processing unit 20 can estimate, for example, when the time from the present to the timing at which the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable is long, whether the driver will feel uncomfortable even if the music is immediately switched based on the driver's past evaluation of the switching. If the processing unit 20 estimates that the driver will not feel uncomfortable even if the music is immediately switched, it can set the switching timing to immediately switch the playback target from the music to the notification music. As a result, the processing unit 20 can switch the music at a timing when, for example, not much time has passed since the driving operation and the driver is unlikely to feel uncomfortable. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0061] In the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) is configured to perform a predetermined sound processing around the second timing. Specifically, the processing unit 20 performs, for example, a cross-fade process. This allows the processing unit 20 to switch music so as to reduce the possibility that the driver will feel uncomfortable. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0062] In the in-vehicle device 10, the processing circuit (processing unit 20) can store multiple notification songs and can select a notification song to be played from the multiple notification songs based on the song audio. This allows the processing unit 20 to use a song similar to the song being played as the notification song. Therefore, the in-vehicle device 10 can make the driver feel less uncomfortable even when the song is switched. As a result, the in-vehicle device 10 can appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0063] [Effect] As described above, this embodiment provides a processing circuit capable of playing music and notifying a driver of the evaluation result of the driving skills of the driver who drives the vehicle by playing a notification music corresponding to the evaluation result, and a speaker capable of outputting the music and the notification music. When playing music, the processing circuit can set a first timing as a candidate timing for switching the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music, and can set a second timing for switching the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music based on the time until the first timing, and can switch the playback target at the second timing. This allows the driver to be appropriately notified of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skills.

[0064] In this embodiment, the processing circuit can set the first timing based on the timing when the music being played ends, thereby allowing the driver to be appropriately notified of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0065] In this embodiment, the processing circuit is capable of playing music based on music data, and when the time until the first timing is longer than a first predetermined time, the processing circuit is capable of updating the first timing based on the music data to a timing before the end of the music being played, thereby making it possible to appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0066] In this embodiment, when the time until the updated first timing is longer than the second predetermined time, the processing circuit determines whether to set the second timing so as to immediately switch the playback target from the currently playing music to the notification music based on the driver's past evaluation of the switching of the currently playing music, thereby allowing the driver to be appropriately notified of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0067] In this embodiment, the processing circuit is configured to perform a predetermined sound processing around the second timing, thereby making it possible to appropriately notify the driver of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0068] In this embodiment, the processing circuit can store a plurality of notification songs and can select a notification song to be played from the plurality of notification songs based on the audio of the song, thereby allowing the driver to be appropriately notified of the evaluation result of the driver's driving skill.

[0069] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the in-vehicle device 10 installed in the vehicle 9 performs the processing, but this is not limited to this. Instead, for example, the driver's smartphone may perform the same processing as the processing of the in-vehicle device 10 according to the above embodiment.

[0070] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the in-vehicle device 10 performs the processing independently, but this is not limited to this. Instead, for example, the in-vehicle device and a server device connected to a network may communicate with each other to perform processing similar to that of the in-vehicle device 10 according to the above embodiment. Specifically, the server device may perform the processing of the driving skill evaluation unit 23, for example.

[0071] Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and variations to the extent that they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, different music is used for notification in two cases, a good evaluation result and a bad evaluation result, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, different music may be used for notification in three or more cases depending on the evaluation result.

[0073] For example, the processing procedures of the in-vehicle device 10 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these processing procedures.

[0074] The effects described in this specification are merely examples, and the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in this specification. Therefore, other effects may be obtained with respect to the present disclosure.

[0075] Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the following aspects.

[0076] (1) A notification device comprising: a processing circuit capable of playing music and notifying a driver of a vehicle of an evaluation result of the driver's driving skills by playing a notification music corresponding to the evaluation result of the driver; and a speaker capable of outputting the music and the notification music, wherein the processing circuit, while playing the music, is capable of setting a first timing as a candidate timing for switching a playback target from the music being played to the notification music, and is capable of setting a second timing for switching a playback target from the music being played to the notification music based on a time until the first timing, and is capable of switching the playback target at the second timing. (2) The notification device described in (1), wherein the processing circuit is capable of setting the first timing based on a time when the music being played ends. (3) The notification device described in (2), wherein the processing circuit is capable of playing the music based on music data, and is capable of updating the first timing based on a time before the time when the music being played ends, based on the music data, if the time until the first timing is longer than a first predetermined time. (4) The notification device according to (3), wherein the processing circuit is capable of determining whether to set the second timing so that the playback target is immediately switched from the music being played to the notification music, based on a driver's past evaluation of switching of the music being played, when the time until the updated first timing is longer than a second predetermined time. (5) The notification device according to (1) to (4), wherein the processing circuit is capable of performing predetermined acoustic processing around the second timing. (6) The notification device according to (1) to (5), wherein the processing circuit is capable of storing a plurality of the notification music pieces, and is capable of selecting the notification music piece to be played from the plurality of notification music pieces based on the music. (7) A vehicle equipped with the notification device according to (1) to (6).

[0077] The processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 can be implemented by circuitry including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The at least one processor can be configured to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 by reading instructions from at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Such media can take various forms, including, but not limited to, various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile or non-volatile memories. Volatile memories can include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memories can include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2. An FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configurable after manufacture to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the processing unit 20 shown in FIG. 2.

Claims

1. A notification device comprising: a processing circuit capable of playing music and notifying a driver of an evaluation result of the driving skills of a driver of a vehicle by playing a notification music according to the evaluation result of the driver's driving skills; and a speaker capable of outputting the music and the notification music, wherein the processing circuit is capable of: when playing the music, setting a first timing which is a candidate timing for switching the playback target from the music being played to the notification music, based on the time until the first timing, setting a second timing for switching the playback target from the music being played to the notification music, and switching the playback target at the second timing.

2. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is capable of setting the first timing based on the timing at which the music piece being played ends.

3. The notification device of claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is capable of playing the music based on music data, and when the time until the first timing is longer than a first predetermined time, is capable of updating the first timing based on the music data to a timing before the end of the music being played.

4. The notification device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is capable of determining whether to set the second timing so as to immediately switch the playback target from the song being played to the notification song based on the driver's past evaluation of the switching of the song being played when the time until the updated first timing is longer than a second predetermined time.

5. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is capable of performing predetermined sound processing around the second timing.

6. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is capable of storing a plurality of notification songs, and is capable of selecting the notification song to be played from the plurality of notification songs based on the song.

7. A vehicle equipped with the notification device according to claim 1.

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