Driving skill evaluation system and vehicle

Abstract

Provided is a driving skill evaluation system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the following three steps can be executed. (1) Identifying a driver on the basis of driver data of a vehicle, and calculating a margin of the driver with respect to a driving operation, on the basis of travel data of the vehicle. (2) Performing a skill evaluation of the driver of the vehicle on the basis of the travel data and the margin. (3) If the margin is equal to or greater than a first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation during a period in which the margin is maintained at a value equal to or greater than the first threshold. If the margin is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation from when the margin was smaller than the first threshold, after the margin had risen to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold or after the calculation of the margin has been completed.

Description

Driving skill evaluation system and vehicle

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving skill evaluation system and a vehicle.

[0002] In recent years, various techniques for evaluating a driver's driving skill have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-338625

[0004] A driving skill evaluation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit capable of acquiring driver data and vehicle driving data of a vehicle, and a processing unit capable of processing the driver data and the driving data. The processing unit is capable of performing the following four operations: (A1) identifying a driver based on the driver data; (A2) calculating a degree of ease with respect to the driver's driving operation based on the driving data; (A3) evaluating the driver's skill based on the driving data and the ease; and (A4) outputting a skill evaluation while the ease is maintained at or above the first threshold when the ease is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and outputting a skill evaluation when the ease is less than the first threshold after the ease is increased to or above the first threshold or after the calculation of the ease is completed.

[0005] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit capable of acquiring driver data and vehicle driving data of the vehicle, and a processing unit capable of processing the driver data and the driving data. The processing unit is capable of performing the following four operations: (B1) identifying the driver based on the driver data; (B2) calculating the driver's ease of mind for driving operations based on the driving data; (B3) evaluating the driver's skill based on the driving data and the ease of mind; and (B4) outputting a skill evaluation while the ease of mind is maintained at or above the first threshold when the ease of mind is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and outputting a skill evaluation when the ease of mind is less than the first threshold after the ease of mind has increased to or above the first threshold or after the calculation of the ease of mind has been completed.

[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 a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a driving skill evaluation system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a calculation process for a degree of comfort and a skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a comparison between the driving situation of a vehicle and the calculation status of a degree of comfort and a skill evaluation. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with the driving skill evaluation system of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration in which the driving skill evaluation system of FIG. 1 is distributed between a vehicle and a server device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a calculation process for a degree of comfort and a skill evaluation in the vehicle and the server device of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a driving skill evaluation system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a calculation process for a degree of comfort and a skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a comparison between the driving situation of a vehicle and the calculation status of a degree of comfort and a skill evaluation. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle equipped with the driving skill evaluation system of FIG. 7. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the driving skill evaluation system of Fig. 7 is distributed to a vehicle and a server device. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a calculation process procedure for the margin of safety and skill evaluation in the vehicle and server device of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the calculation process procedure following Fig. 12.

[0008] <1. Background> In recent years, various technologies for evaluating a driver's driving skill have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the invention described in Patent Document 1, calculation of the driver's driving skill is performed only when the driver's degree of dedication to driving operations satisfies a predetermined condition, and calculation of the driver's driving skill is omitted (stopped) when the degree of dedication does not satisfy the predetermined condition. Furthermore, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the vehicle is stopped, not only calculation of the driving skill but also calculation of the degree of dedication is omitted (stopped).

[0009] In the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the calculation of the driver's driving skill is executed, the calculation result (calculated driving skill result) is presented to the driver in real time. However, depending on the level of concentration, presenting the calculated driving skill result to the driver in real time may increase the driving burden on the driver.

[0010] Inventions relating to presenting information to drivers are disclosed, for example, in the following Patent Documents 2 and 3. Patent Document 2: JP 2019-086822 A Patent Document 3: JP 2021-117126 A

[0011] In the invention described in Patent Document 2, whether or not a driver needs to be warned is determined depending on whether the driver is familiar with the points of interest and the driver's level of proficiency in driving operations.In the invention described in Patent Document 3, when the driver's margin of safety in driving operations is lower than a predetermined value, the output of display information to an image display unit located in front of the driver is prohibited.

[0012] Patent Documents 2 and 3 also do not disclose anything about the increase in the driver's driving load caused by the information provided to the driver.

[0013] It is desirable to provide a driving skill evaluation system and a vehicle that can present the calculation results of the driving skill to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 2. First embodiment> [Configuration example] A configuration example of a driving skill evaluation system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration example of the driving skill evaluation system 100. The driving skill evaluation system 100 includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a processing unit 130, and a notification unit 140, as shown in Fig. 1 .

[0016] The sensor unit 110 includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera 111, a biometric sensor 112, and a vehicle state quantity sensor 113, as shown in FIG.

[0017] In-vehicle camera 111 is a camera installed inside the vehicle and is positioned so that at least the face of the driver in the vehicle is included in the angle of view. In-vehicle camera 111 is capable of outputting image data obtained by capturing an image to processing unit 130 as driver data Da. Driver data Da corresponds to a specific example of "driver data" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] The biosensor 112 is capable of detecting biometric data Db of the vehicle driver and outputting it to the processing unit 130. The biometric data Db corresponds to a specific example of "biometric data" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The biosensor 113 includes, for example, an electronic device capable of detecting at least the heart rate and respiration of the vehicle driver's heart rate, respiration, brain waves, and sweating. This electronic device is capable of outputting time series data on at least the heart rate of the vehicle driver's heart rate, respiration, brain waves, and sweating to the processing unit 130 as the biometric data Db. It is preferable that the biometric data Db include time series data on the heart rate and respiration.

[0019] Here, the heartbeat can be derived from, for example, a pulse wave, an electrocardiogram, or a blood flow velocity. Therefore, examples of electronic devices capable of detecting the heartbeat include a pulse wave sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, and a blood flow velocity sensor. Respiration can be derived from, for example, lung sounds. Therefore, examples of electronic devices capable of detecting respiration include a sound sensor such as a microphone that can detect lung sounds. Electroencephalograms can be derived from, for example, a weak potential of the scalp. Therefore, examples of electronic devices capable of detecting electroencephalograms include a sensor that can detect the weak potential of the scalp. Sweating can be derived from, for example, the impedance of the skin surface. Therefore, examples of electronic devices capable of detecting sweating include a sensor that can detect the impedance of the skin surface.

[0020] The vehicle state quantity sensor 113 is capable of detecting vehicle state quantities, which are information indicating the state of the vehicle during driving operations by the driver. The vehicle state quantity sensor 113 is capable of outputting time-series data on the detected vehicle state quantities to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state quantity data Dc. The vehicle state quantity data Dc corresponds to a specific example of "sensor data" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle state quantity sensor 113 is configured to include, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a steering angle sensor as sensors capable of detecting the vehicle state quantities.

[0021] The vehicle speed sensor is capable of detecting the speed of the vehicle (vehicle speed). The vehicle speed sensor is capable of outputting time-series data (vehicle speed data) about the detected vehicle speed to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state quantity data Dc. The acceleration sensor is capable of detecting acceleration applied to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor is capable of outputting time-series data (acceleration data) about detected acceleration in three directions (longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, and vertical acceleration) to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state quantity data Dc. The angular velocity sensor is capable of detecting the angular velocity of the vehicle. The angular velocity sensor is capable of outputting time-series data (angular velocity data) about detected three angular velocities (yaw angular velocity (yaw rate), roll angular velocity, and pitch angular velocity) to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state quantity data Dc. The steering angle sensor is capable of detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle 1. The steering angle sensor is capable of outputting time-series data (steering angle data) on the detected steering angle to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state quantity data Dc.

[0022] The storage unit 120 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, a resistance change memory, etc. As shown in Fig. 1 , the storage unit 120 stores, for example, map data 121, a driving history 122, and a threshold value 123. The storage unit 120 also stores a margin of safety 124 and a skill evaluation 125 generated by calculation processing in the processing unit 130.

[0023] The map data 121 corresponds to a specific example of "map data" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The driving history 122 corresponds to a specific example of "driving history" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The margin 124 corresponds to a specific example of "margin" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The skill evaluation 125 corresponds to a specific example of "skill evaluation" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The map data 121 includes high-precision road map information (dynamic map). This high-precision road map information mainly includes road information.

[0025] Road information includes, for example, roads, structures on roads, structures around roads, lane information, road surface information, permanent regulation information, etc. "Roads" include, for example, road location information and shape information, as well as intersection and road attribute information (e.g., national highways, prefectural roads, city roads, private roads, priority roads, non-priority roads, general roads, expressways, number of lanes, presence or absence of median strips, presence or absence of dedicated right-turn lanes, time-delayed systems, pedestrian and vehicle separation systems), etc. "Structures on roads" include, for example, traffic signs, traffic lights, convex mirrors, pedestrian bridges, bus stops, etc. "Structures around roads" include, for example, various buildings, parks, etc.

[0026] The driving history 122 is data indicating the number of times and frequency of driving on roads that the driver has driven on in the past (hereinafter referred to as "traveled roads") among the roads included in the road information of the map data 121. The driving history 122 is, for example, table data that associates the position information of the traveled roads with the number of times and frequency of driving on the traveled roads.

[0027] The threshold 123 is a threshold to be compared with a margin 124 described below. The threshold 123 includes a first threshold 123A and a second threshold 123B. The first threshold 123A corresponds to a specific example of a "first threshold" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The second threshold 123B corresponds to a specific example of a "second threshold" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The second threshold 123B is a value smaller than the first threshold 123A. The first threshold 123A and the second threshold 123B are expressed, for example, as values ​​in the range of 0 to 1.

[0028] The margin 124 indicates the driver's mental margin for driving operations. The margin 124 is time-series data expressed as a numerical value, for example, in the range of 0 to 1. For example, when the value of the margin 124 is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than 0.3, it indicates that the driver's margin is low, when the value of the margin 124 is greater than 0.3 and less than 0.7, it indicates that the driver's margin is medium, and when the value of the margin 124 is equal to or greater than 0.7 and equal to or less than 1, it indicates that the driver's margin is high.

[0029] The skill evaluation 125 indicates the driver's driving proficiency. The skill evaluation 125 is, for example, time-series data expressed numerically, and is expressed, for example, as a value in the range of 0 to 1. For example, when the value of the skill evaluation 125 is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than 0.3, the proficiency level is low, when the value of the skill evaluation 125 is greater than 0.3 and less than 0.7, the proficiency level is medium, and when the value of the skill evaluation 125 is equal to or greater than 0.7 and equal to or less than 1, the proficiency level is high.

[0030] 1 , the processing unit 130 includes, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a driver identification unit 132, a reserve calculation unit 133, a skill evaluation unit 134, and an output control unit 135. The data acquisition unit 131 corresponds to a specific example of an "acquisition unit" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The driver identification unit 132, reserve calculation unit 133, skill evaluation unit 134, and output control unit 135 correspond to a specific example of a "processing unit" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The driver identification unit 132, reserve calculation unit 133, skill evaluation unit 134, and output control unit 135 are, for example, electronic control units (ECUs), and are configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0031] The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring data (driver data Da, biological data Db, and vehicle state quantity data Dc) output from the sensor unit 110 and data (map data 121, driving history 122, and threshold value 123) stored in the storage unit 120. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of outputting the driver data Da acquired from the sensor unit 110 to the driver identification unit 132.

[0032] The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring a driver identifier (described later) from the driver identification unit 132. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring map data 121 and data associated with the driver's identifier from the driving history 122 from the storage unit 120. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of outputting the biometric data Db and vehicle state quantity data Dc acquired from the sensor unit 110, and the data acquired from the storage unit 120 (the map data 121 and the data associated with the driver's identifier from the driving history 122) to the margin calculation unit 133.

[0033] The data including the vehicle state quantity data Dc, the map data 121, and the data of the driving history 122 that is associated with the driver's identifier corresponds to a specific example of "driving data" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The data including the vehicle state quantity data Dc, the map data 121, and the data of the driving history 122 that is associated with the driver's identifier is referred to as driving data Dd. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring the margin 124 obtained by the margin calculation unit 133. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of outputting the margin 124 and the driving data Dd to the skill evaluation unit 134.

[0034] The driver identification unit 132 is capable of identifying a driver based on the driver data Da. For example, the driver identification unit 132 is capable of identifying a driver whose face has features that match the facial features included in the driver data Da, from among a plurality of facial features registered as drivers. The driver identification unit 132 is capable of outputting the identifier of the identified driver to the data acquisition unit 131.

[0035] The margin calculation unit 133 is capable of calculating the margin of safety (margin of safety 124) for the driver's driving operation based on at least the driving data Dd out of the driving data Dd and the biological data Db. The margin calculation unit 133 is capable of continuing to calculate the margin of safety 124 for a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations. The margin calculation unit 133 is capable of outputting the obtained margin of safety 124 to the storage unit 120 and the data acquisition unit 131.

[0036] The skill evaluation unit 134 performs a skill evaluation of the driver based on the driving data Dd and the margin 124. The skill evaluation unit 134 is capable of continuing to perform the skill evaluation of the driver for at least a part of the period during which the margin 124 is calculated. The skill evaluation unit 134 is capable of outputting the result (skill evaluation 125) obtained by the skill evaluation of the driver to the storage unit 120 and the output control unit 135.

[0037] The skill evaluation unit 134 is capable of calculating the stability of the vehicle's behavior based on the driving data Dd. The output control unit 135 is capable of calculating the pitch according to the magnitude of the yaw rate, for example, and outputting the calculated time-series data of the pitch (pitch data) to the output control unit 135 as the stability of the vehicle's behavior.

[0038] When the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, the output control unit 135 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A after the margin 124 increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A. When the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A and is equal to or greater than the second threshold 123B, the output control unit 135 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A after the margin 124 increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A.

[0039] The output control unit 135 is capable of omitting calculation of the skill evaluation when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B. Furthermore, when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B, the output control unit 135 is capable of omitting output of the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B.

[0040] When outputting the skill evaluation 125, the output control unit 135 is capable of generating a video signal for displaying a video including the skill evaluation 125 and outputting the video signal to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 135 is capable of generating an audio signal capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 as audio and outputting the audio signal to the notification unit 140. When outputting the skill evaluation 125 in real time, the output control unit 135 is capable of generating an audio signal capable of outputting a tone or reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior in conjunction with the audio output of the skill evaluation 125 and outputting the audio signal to the notification unit 140.

[0041] The notification unit 140 has a display panel capable of displaying a video based on a video signal obtained from the output control unit 135. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel. The notification unit 140 has a speaker capable of outputting a voice message based on an audio signal obtained from the output control unit 135. When a video signal is input from the output control unit 135, the notification unit 140 is capable of displaying a video based on the input video signal. When an audio signal is input from the output control unit 135, the notification unit 140 is capable of outputting a voice message based on the input audio signal.

[0042] [Operation] Next, the operation of the driving skill evaluation system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows an example of a calculation process procedure for the margin of safety and skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system 100. In the following, it is assumed that αth1 is set as the first threshold value 123A and αth2 is set as the second threshold value 123B.

[0043] First, the driving skill evaluation system 100 detects whether the vehicle has started to move (step S101). If the driving skill evaluation system 100 detects that the vehicle has started to move (step S101; Y), it identifies the driver based on the driver data Da (step S102). Next, the driving skill evaluation system 100 detects whether the vehicle has stopped (step S103). If the driving skill evaluation system 100 detects that the vehicle has stopped (step S103; Y), it stops calculating the margin of safety 124 and the skill evaluation 125.

[0044] When the driving skill evaluation system 100 does not detect that the vehicle has stopped (step S103; N), that is, while the vehicle continues to travel, it calculates the margin of safety 124 based on at least the driving data Dd of the identified driver's driving data Dd and biometric data Db (step S104). At this time, the value of the margin of safety 124 obtained by the calculation is set to α.

[0045] The driving skill evaluation system 100 compares the calculated level of comfort α with a threshold value αth1 (step S105). If the calculated level of comfort α is equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (step S105; Y), the driving skill evaluation system 100 calculates a skill evaluation 125 based on the identified driver's driving data Dd and the calculated level of comfort α (step S106). At this time, the value of the calculated skill evaluation 125 is set to β1. The driving skill evaluation system 100 outputs the calculated skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0046] If the calculated margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 (step S105; N), the driving skill evaluation system 100 compares the margin of safety α with the threshold value αth2 (step S107). If the calculated margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 but equal to or greater than the threshold value αth2 (step S107; Y), the driving skill evaluation system 100 calculates the driving skill evaluation 125 (step S108). At this time, the calculated value of the driving skill evaluation 125 is designated as β2. The driving skill evaluation system 100 temporarily stores the calculated driving skill evaluation β2 in a memory in the control unit 130, and when the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (timing), reads out the driving skill evaluation β2 from the memory and outputs it to the notification unit 140 (step S108). As a result, when the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (timing), the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the driving skill evaluation β2.

[0047] If the margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth2 (step S107; N), the driving skill evaluation system 100 omits (stops) the calculation of the skill evaluation (step S109). In this way, the calculation process of the margin of safety and the skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system 100 is performed.

[0048] 3 shows a comparison between the vehicle's driving conditions and the calculation conditions of the margin of safety α and the skill evaluations β1 and β2. Assume that the vehicle starts driving at time t1, first drives through an urban area, then drives through a mountainous region from time t4, drives through the urban area again at time t7, and stops at time t9. Assume also that αth1 is set as the first threshold 123A, and αth2 is set as the second threshold 123B. Assume also that the margin of safety 124 calculated while the vehicle is driving on the above-mentioned road is α, and the skill evaluations 125 calculated while the vehicle is driving on the above-mentioned road are β1 and β2.

[0049] The processing unit 130 identifies the driver at time t2 after the vehicle starts traveling, and starts calculating the driver's reserve level and driving skill evaluation at time t3. When the vehicle is traveling in an urban area, the reserve level α is assumed to be equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1. At this time, the processing unit 130 outputs the driving skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the driving skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0050] Suppose the vehicle leaves an urban area and enters a mountainous region, and at time t5, the margin of safety α becomes smaller than the threshold value αth1 and equal to or greater than the threshold value αth2. At this time, the processing unit 130 temporarily stores the calculated skill evaluation β2 in the memory of the control unit 130 and does not output it to the notification unit 140. In other words, the notification unit 140 does not notify the driver of the skill evaluation β2 in real time.

[0051] Suppose that while the vehicle is traveling through a mountainous area, at time t6, the margin of safety α becomes smaller than the threshold value αth2. At this time, the processing unit 130 stops calculating the skill evaluation and also stops outputting the skill evaluation. As a result, the notification unit 140 does not notify the driver of the skill evaluation.

[0052] Assume that the vehicle enters an urban area from a mountainous region, and at time t8, the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1. At this time, the processing unit 130 starts calculating the skill evaluation again. At this time, the processing unit 130 reads from its memory the skill evaluation β2 that was calculated between time t5 and time t6 but not yet output, and outputs it to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β2 between time t5 and time t6 when (at the timing) the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1. The processing unit 130 also outputs the skill evaluation β1 obtained by calculations from time t8 onwards to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 obtained by calculations from time t8 onwards in real time.

[0053] [Effects] Next, effects of the advertising information display system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0054] In this embodiment, a driver is identified based on driver data Da. Of the identified driver's driving data Dd and biometric data Db, a reserve level 124 is calculated based on at least the driving data Dd, and a skill evaluation 125 is calculated based on the driving data Dd and the reserve level 124. If the reserve level 124 is equal to or greater than a first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 125 is output while the reserve level 124 maintains a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A. If the reserve level 124 is less than the first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 125 obtained when the reserve level 124 was less than the first threshold 123A is output after the reserve level 124 has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A. This prevents the presentation of the skill evaluation 125 when the driver is unable to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125. Then, when the driver has time to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has a need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while suppressing the possibility of increasing the driving load on the driver.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the ease level 124 is calculated based on both the driving data Dd and the biometric data Db of the identified driver, it is possible to determine with even greater accuracy whether the driver has the ease to receive the skill evaluation 125 or whether the driver has a need to receive the skill evaluation 125. Therefore, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver while reliably minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0056] In this embodiment, the margin of safety 124 is continuously calculated for at least a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations. If the margin of safety 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 215 that was used when the margin of safety 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A is output after the margin of safety 124 rises to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A. As a result, when the driver is unable to afford to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is stopped from being presented. Then, when the driver is able to afford to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is a need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0057] In this embodiment, when the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A and equal to or greater than the second threshold 123B, after the margin 124 rises to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 125 that was output when the margin 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A is output. As a result, when the driver does not have the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the presentation of the skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is a need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0058] In this embodiment, when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold 123B, the calculation of the skill evaluation 125 is omitted (stopped), and the output of the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold 123B is also omitted (stopped). This omits the calculation of data that is not intended to be presented to the driver, thereby reducing the calculation load on the processing unit 130.

[0059] In this embodiment, the driving data includes the vehicle state quantity data Dc, the map data 121, and the driving history 122 data associated with the driver's identifier. This provides the driver's ease level 124 and skill evaluation 125 when the driver is actually driving the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to determine with even greater accuracy whether the driver has the ease to receive the skill evaluation 125 or whether the driver needs to receive the skill evaluation 125. Furthermore, it is possible to calculate the skill evaluation 125 with even greater accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver with even greater accuracy while reliably minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0060] In this embodiment, the driving skill evaluation 125 is output along with a tone or a reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior. Here, the stability of the vehicle's behavior has a predetermined correlation with the difficulty of the driving situation. Therefore, the driver can understand the driving skill evaluation 125 while taking into account the difficulty of the driving situation.

[0061] [Example of application to vehicle 200] Fig. 4 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle 200 equipped with the driving skill evaluation system 100. The vehicle 200 is equipped with the above-described driving skill evaluation system 100, and includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a memory unit 120, a control unit 210, a notification unit 140, and a driving device 220, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0062] The control unit 210 is, for example, an ECU, and is configured to include, for example, one or more processors, one or more memories, etc. The control unit 210 has, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a driver identification unit 132, a margin calculation unit 133, a skill evaluation unit 134, an output control unit 135, and a driving control unit 211, as shown in FIG.

[0063] The traveling control unit 211 has, for example, an accelerator control unit, a brake control unit, and a steering control unit, and is able to use these control units to control the traveling device 220. The traveling device 220 has, for example, a prime mover, a brake, and an EPS motor.

[0064] The accelerator control unit is capable of controlling the torque of a prime mover included in the traveling device 220 based on a required torque corresponding to the amount of accelerator pedal depression by the driver of the vehicle 200. The prime mover is configured to drive the steered wheels of the vehicle 200, and is capable of driving the steered wheels of the vehicle 200 in accordance with the required torque input from the accelerator control unit.

[0065] The brake control unit is capable of controlling the torque (braking force) of the brakes included in the traveling device 220 based on the required torque corresponding to the amount of brake pedal depression by the driver of the vehicle 200. The brakes are configured to brake the steered wheels of the vehicle 200, and are capable of braking the steered wheels of the vehicle 200 in accordance with the required torque input from the brake control unit.

[0066] The steering control unit is capable of deriving a steering assist torque that assists the steering torque generated by the driver's steering wheel operation and setting an EPS torque corresponding to the derived steering assist torque. The steering control unit is capable of outputting a control signal to the EPS motor included in the traveling device 220 so that the output torque of the EPS motor becomes the set EPS torque. The EPS motor generates an output torque based on the input control signal and is capable of controlling the steering angle of the steering wheel.

[0067] In vehicle 200, vehicle 200 presents skill evaluation 125 to the driver. As a result, when the driver cannot afford to receive skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has no need to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has the ability to receive skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has a need to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is performed. As a result, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver while suppressing the possibility of increasing the driving load on the driver.

[0068] [Example of Application to Vehicle 200 and Server Device 300] FIG. 5 shows an example of a configuration in which the driving skill evaluation system 100 is distributed between the vehicle 200 and the server device 300. In FIG.

[0069] For example, as shown in Fig. 5 , the vehicle 200 has a configuration similar to that of the driving skill evaluation system 100 described above, excluding the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 135. In the vehicle 200, the memory unit 120 stores map data 121 and a driving history 122. The memory unit 120 stores a margin of safety 124. For example, as shown in Fig. 5 , the vehicle 200 further includes a communication unit 230 capable of communicating with the server device 300.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 5 , the server device 300 includes, for example, a communication unit 310 capable of communicating with the vehicle 200 , a calculation unit 320 , and a storage unit 330 .

[0071] The calculation unit 320 is, for example, an ECU, and is configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the calculation unit 320 includes the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 135. That is, the calculation unit 320 is capable of executing a series of calculation processes that can be executed by the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 135. The calculation unit 320 is capable of acquiring data necessary for the calculation processes in the calculation unit 320 from the vehicle 200 via the communication unit 310. The calculation unit 320 is capable of outputting data obtained by the calculation processes in the calculation unit 320 to the vehicle 200 via the communication unit 310.

[0072] The storage unit 330 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, a flash memory, a resistance change memory, etc. The storage unit 330 stores, for example, the threshold value 123 as shown in Fig. 5. The storage unit 330 stores the skill evaluation 125 generated by the calculation processing in the calculation unit 320.

[0073] Next, the operation of vehicle 200 and server device 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows an example of a calculation process procedure for the margin and skill evaluation in vehicle 200 and server device 300.

[0074] First, the vehicle 200 detects whether the vehicle 200 has started traveling (step S201). When the vehicle 200 detects that the vehicle 200 has started traveling (step S201; Y), the vehicle 200 identifies the driver based on the driver data Da (step S202). Next, the vehicle 200 detects whether the vehicle 200 has stopped (step S203). When the vehicle 200 detects that the vehicle 200 has stopped (step S203; Y), the vehicle 200 stops calculating the spare capacity 124 and the skill evaluation 125.

[0075] If the vehicle 200 does not detect that the vehicle 200 has stopped (step S203; N), that is, while the vehicle 200 continues to travel, the vehicle 200 calculates the margin of safety 124 based on at least the driving data Dd of the identified driver out of the driving data Dd and the biometric data Db (step S204). At this time, the value of the margin of safety 124 obtained by the calculation is set to α. The vehicle 200 transmits the margin of safety α obtained by the calculation and the driving data Dd of the identified driver to the server device 300 (step S205).

[0076] The server device 300 receives the spare capacity α and the driving data Dd from the vehicle 200 (step S206). The server device 300 compares the received spare capacity α with a threshold value αth1 (step S207). If the spare capacity α is equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (step S207; Y), the server device 300 calculates a skill evaluation 125 based on the identified driver's driving data Dd and the calculated spare capacity α (step S208). At this time, the calculated value of the skill evaluation 125 is designated as β1. The server device 300 transmits the calculated skill evaluation β1 to the vehicle 200 (step S208). The vehicle 200 receives the skill evaluation β1 from the server device 300 (step S209). The vehicle 200 outputs the received skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140 (step S210). As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0077] If the calculated margin α is smaller than the threshold αth1 (step S207; N), the server device 300 compares the margin α with the threshold αth2 (step S211). If the calculated margin α is smaller than the threshold αth1 but equal to or greater than the threshold αth2 (step S211; Y), the server device 300 calculates the skill evaluation 125 (step S212). At this time, the calculated value of the skill evaluation 125 is designated as β2. The server device 300 temporarily stores the calculated skill evaluation β2 in a memory in the control unit 210, and when the margin α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold αth1, reads the skill evaluation β2 from the memory and transmits it to the vehicle 200 (step S212). The vehicle 200 receives the skill evaluation β2 from the server device 300 (step S213). The vehicle 200 outputs the received skill evaluation β2 to the notification unit 140 (step S214), which then notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0078] If the margin α is smaller than the threshold value αth2 (step S211; N), the server device 300 omits (stops) the calculation of the skill evaluation (step S215). In this manner, the calculation process of the margin and skill evaluation is performed in the vehicle 200 and the server device 300.

[0079] In vehicle 200 and server device 300, vehicle 200 presents skill evaluation 125 to the driver. As a result, when the driver cannot afford to receive skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has the ability to receive skill evaluation 125 or when there is a need for the driver to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is performed. As a result, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0080] 3. Second embodiment> [Configuration example] A configuration example of a driving skill evaluation system 400 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 7 shows a schematic configuration example of the driving skill evaluation system 400. The driving skill evaluation system 400 includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a processing unit 430, and a notification unit 140, as shown in Fig. 7 .

[0081] 7 , the storage unit 120 stores map data 121, driving history 122, threshold value 123, and evaluation section 126. The storage unit 120 stores a margin of safety 124 and a skill evaluation 125 generated by calculations in the processing unit 430. The evaluation section 126 refers to a section of a road for which the margin of safety 124 is continuously calculated. The evaluation section 126 includes, for example, information about the start point, route, and end point of the section of the road for which the margin of safety 124 is continuously calculated, which is included in the road information of the map data 121.

[0082] 7 , the processing unit 430 includes a data acquisition unit 131, a driver identification unit 132, a reserve level calculation unit 433, a skill evaluation unit 134, and an output control unit 435. The driver identification unit 132, the reserve level calculation unit 433, the skill evaluation unit 134, and the output control unit 435 correspond to a specific example of a "processing unit" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The driver identification unit 132, the reserve level calculation unit 433, the skill evaluation unit 134, and the output control unit 435 are, for example, ECUs, and are configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0083] The margin calculation unit 433 is capable of calculating the margin of safety (margin of safety 124) for the driver's driving operation based on at least the driving data Dd out of the driving data Dd and the biological data Db. The margin calculation unit 433 is capable of continuing to calculate the margin of safety 124 for a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations (while the vehicle is traveling within the evaluation section 126). The margin calculation unit 433 is capable of outputting the obtained margin of safety 124 to the storage unit 120 and the data acquisition unit 131.

[0084] When the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, the output control unit 435 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 that would have been obtained if the margin 124 had been smaller than the first threshold 123A after the calculation of the margin 124 has been completed. When the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, the output control unit 435 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 that would have been obtained if the margin 124 had been smaller than the first threshold 123A after a predetermined period has elapsed (after the vehicle has finished traveling within the evaluation section 126). When the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A and is equal to or greater than the second threshold 123B, the output control unit 135 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 that would have been obtained if the margin 124 had been smaller than the first threshold 123A after a predetermined period has elapsed (after the vehicle has finished traveling within the evaluation section 126).

[0085] The output control unit 435 is capable of omitting calculation of the skill evaluation when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B. Furthermore, when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B, the output control unit 435 is capable of omitting output of the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold value 123 B.

[0086] When outputting the skill evaluation 125, the output control unit 435 is capable of generating a video signal for displaying a video including the skill evaluation 125 and outputting the video signal to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 435 is capable of generating an audio signal capable of outputting the skill evaluation 125 as audio and outputting the audio signal to the notification unit 140. When outputting the skill evaluation 125 in real time, the output control unit 435 is capable of generating an audio signal capable of outputting a tone or reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior in conjunction with the audio output of the skill evaluation 125 and outputting the audio signal to the notification unit 140.

[0087] [Operation] Next, the operation of the driving skill evaluation system 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows an example of a calculation process procedure for the margin of safety and skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system 400. In the following, it is assumed that αth1 is set as the first threshold value 123A and αth2 is set as the second threshold value 123B.

[0088] First, the driving skill evaluation system 400 detects whether the vehicle has started to move (step S301). If the driving skill evaluation system 400 detects that the vehicle has started to move (step S301; Y), it identifies the driver based on the driver data Da (step S302). Next, the driving skill evaluation system 400 detects whether the vehicle has stopped (step S303). If the driving skill evaluation system 400 detects that the vehicle has stopped (step S303; Y), it stops calculating the margin of safety 124 and the skill evaluation 125.

[0089] If the driving skill evaluation system 400 does not detect that the vehicle has stopped (step S303; N), that is, while the vehicle continues to travel, it detects whether the vehicle is traveling within the evaluation section D (step S304). If the vehicle is traveling within the evaluation section D (step S304; Y), the driving skill evaluation system 400 calculates the margin of safety 124 based on at least the traveling data Dd of the identified driver's traveling data Dd and biometric data Db (step S305). At this time, the value of the margin of safety 124 obtained by the calculation is set to α.

[0090] The driving skill evaluation system 400 compares the calculated level of comfort α with a threshold value αth1 (step S306). If the calculated level of comfort α is equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (step S306; Y), the driving skill evaluation system 400 calculates a skill evaluation 125 based on the identified driver's driving data Dd and the calculated level of comfort α (step S307). At this time, the value of the calculated skill evaluation 125 is set to β1. The driving skill evaluation system 400 outputs the calculated skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0091] If the calculated margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 (step S306; N), the driving skill evaluation system 400 compares the margin of safety α with the threshold value αth2 (step S308). If the calculated margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 but equal to or greater than the threshold value αth2 (step S308; Y), the driving skill evaluation system 400 calculates the driving skill evaluation 125 (step S309). At this time, the calculated value of the driving skill evaluation 125 is designated as β2. The driving skill evaluation system 400 temporarily stores the calculated driving skill evaluation β2 in a memory in the processing unit 430, and when the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1, reads the driving skill evaluation β2 from the memory and outputs it to the notification unit 140 (step S309). As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the driving skill evaluation β2 when the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1.

[0092] If the margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth2 (step S308; N), the driving skill evaluation system 400 omits (stops) the calculation of the skill evaluation (step S310). In this way, the calculation process of the margin of safety and the skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation system 400 is performed.

[0093] 9 shows a comparison between the vehicle's driving conditions and the calculation conditions of the margin of safety α and the skill evaluations β1 and β2. Assume that the vehicle starts driving at time t1, first drives through an urban area, then drives through a mountainous region from time t4, drives through the urban area again at time t7, and stops at time t9. Assume also that αth1 is set as the first threshold 123A, and αth2 is set as the second threshold 123B. Assume also that the margin of safety 124 calculated while the vehicle is driving on the above-mentioned road is α, and the skill evaluations 125 calculated while the vehicle is driving on the above-mentioned road are β1 and β2.

[0094] The processing unit 430 identifies the driver at time t2 after the start of driving, and starts calculating the driver's composure and skill evaluation at time t3 when the vehicle enters evaluation section D. When the vehicle is driving in an urban area, it is assumed that the driver's composure α is equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1. At this time, the processing unit 430 outputs the skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0095] Suppose the vehicle leaves an urban area and enters a mountainous region, and at time t5, the margin of safety α becomes smaller than the threshold value αth1 and equal to or greater than the threshold value αth2. At this time, the processing unit 430 temporarily stores the calculated skill evaluation β2 in the memory of the control unit 430 and does not output it to the notification unit 140. In other words, the notification unit 140 does not notify the driver of the skill evaluation β2 in real time.

[0096] Suppose that while the vehicle is traveling through a mountainous area, at time t6, the margin of safety α becomes smaller than the threshold value αth2. At this time, the processing unit 430 stops calculating the skill evaluation and also stops outputting the skill evaluation. As a result, the notification unit 140 does not notify the driver of the skill evaluation.

[0097] Assume that the vehicle leaves a mountainous region and enters an urban area, and at time t8, the margin of safety α becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1. At this time, the processing unit 430 starts calculating the driving skill evaluation again. The processing unit 130 outputs the driving skill evaluation β1 obtained by calculations from time t8 onwards to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the driving skill evaluation β1 obtained by calculations from time t8 onwards in real time.

[0098] The vehicle is parked at time t9. At this time, the processing unit 130 stops calculating the margin of safety α and the skill evaluation β1 either simultaneously with time t9 or at time t10, which is slightly after time t9. At this time, the processing unit 430 reads out from the memory within the processing unit 430 the skill evaluation β2 that was calculated between time t5 and time t6 but that has not yet been output, and outputs this to the notification unit 140. As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β2 from time t5 to time t6.

[0099] [Effects] Next, effects of the advertising information display system 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0100] In this embodiment, a driver is identified based on driver data Da. Of the identified driver's driving data Dd and biometric data Db, a reserve level 124 is calculated based on at least the driving data Dd, and a skill evaluation 125 is calculated based on the driving data Dd and the reserve level 124. If the reserve level 124 is equal to or greater than a first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 125 is output while the reserve level 124 maintains a value equal to or greater than the first threshold 123A. If the reserve level 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, the skill evaluation 125 that was used when the reserve level 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A is output after the calculation of the reserve level 124 is completed. As a result, when the driver does not have the reserve level to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, presentation of the skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has time to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has a need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while suppressing the possibility of increasing the driving load on the driver.

[0101] In this embodiment, when the ease level 124 is calculated based on both the driving data Dd and the biometric data Db of the identified driver, it is possible to determine with even greater accuracy whether the driver has the ease to receive the skill evaluation 125 or whether the driver has a need to receive the skill evaluation 125. Therefore, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver while reliably minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0102] In this embodiment, the margin 124 is continuously calculated while the vehicle is traveling within the evaluation section 126, and if the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (after the vehicle has finished traveling within the evaluation section 126), the skill evaluation 215 that was used when the margin 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A is output. As a result, when the driver does not have the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or does not have the need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the presentation of the skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has the need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0103] In this embodiment, when the margin 124 is smaller than the first threshold 123A and equal to or greater than the second threshold 123B, after the calculation of the margin 124 is completed, the skill evaluation 125 that was used when the margin 124 was smaller than the first threshold 123A is output. As a result, when the driver does not have the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the presentation of the skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has the capacity to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when there is a need for the driver to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0104] In this embodiment, when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold 123B, the calculation of the skill evaluation 125 is omitted (stopped), and the output of the skill evaluation 125 when the margin 124 is smaller than the second threshold 123B is also omitted (stopped). This omits the calculation of data that is not intended to be presented to the driver, thereby reducing the calculation load on the processing unit 430.

[0105] In this embodiment, the driving data includes the vehicle state quantity data Dc, the map data 121, and the driving history 122 data associated with the driver's identifier. This provides the driver's ease level 124 and skill evaluation 125 when the driver is actually driving the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to determine with even greater accuracy whether the driver has the ease to receive the skill evaluation 125 or whether the driver needs to receive the skill evaluation 125. Furthermore, it is possible to calculate the skill evaluation 125 with even greater accuracy. Therefore, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver with even greater accuracy while reliably minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0106] In this embodiment, the driving skill evaluation 125 is output along with a tone or a reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior. Here, the stability of the vehicle's behavior has a predetermined correlation with the difficulty of the driving situation. Therefore, the driver can understand the driving skill evaluation 125 while taking into account the difficulty of the driving situation.

[0107] [Example of application to vehicle 500] Fig. 10 shows an example of the schematic configuration of a vehicle 400 equipped with a driving skill evaluation system 400. The vehicle 400 is equipped with the driving skill evaluation system 400 described above, and includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a memory unit 120, a control unit 510, a notification unit 140, and a driving device 220, as shown in Fig. 10 .

[0108] The control unit 510 is, for example, an ECU, and is configured to include, for example, one or more processors, one or more memories, etc. The control unit 510 has, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a driver identification unit 132, a margin calculation unit 433, a skill evaluation unit 134, an output control unit 435, and a driving control unit 211, as shown in FIG.

[0109] In vehicle 500, vehicle 500 presents skill evaluation 125 to the driver. As a result, when the driver cannot afford to receive skill evaluation 125 or when there is no need for the driver to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver can afford to receive skill evaluation 125 or when there is a need for the driver to receive skill evaluation 125, presentation of skill evaluation 125 is performed. As a result, it is possible to present the calculation result of the driving skill to the driver while suppressing the possibility of increasing the driving load on the driver.

[0110] [Example of Application to Vehicle 500 and Server Device 600] FIG. 11 shows an example of a configuration in which the driving skill evaluation system 400 is distributed to the vehicle 500 and the server device 600.

[0111] 11 , the vehicle 500 has the same configuration as the driving skill evaluation system 400 described above, excluding the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 435. In the vehicle 500, the memory unit 120 stores map data 121, a driving history 122, and an evaluation section 126. The memory unit 120 stores a margin of safety 124. The vehicle 500 further includes a communication unit 520 capable of communicating with a server device 600, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0112] Server device 600 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 11 , a communication unit 610 capable of communicating with vehicle 500, a calculation unit 620, and a storage unit 630.

[0113] The calculation unit 620 is, for example, an ECU, and is configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. For example, as shown in FIG. 11 , the calculation unit 620 includes the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 435. That is, the calculation unit 620 is capable of executing a series of calculation processes that can be executed by the skill evaluation unit 134 and the output control unit 435. The calculation unit 620 is capable of acquiring data necessary for the calculation processes in the calculation unit 620 from the vehicle 500 via the communication unit 610. The calculation unit 620 is capable of outputting data obtained by the calculation processes in the calculation unit 620 to the vehicle 500 via the communication unit 610.

[0114] The storage unit 630 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, a flash memory, a resistance change memory, etc. The storage unit 630 stores, for example, a threshold value 123 as shown in Fig. 11. The storage unit 630 stores a skill evaluation 125 generated by the calculation processing in the calculation unit 620.

[0115] Next, the operations of vehicle 500 and server device 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 shows an example of a calculation process procedure for the margin and skill evaluation in vehicle 500 and server device 600.

[0116] First, the vehicle 500 detects whether the vehicle 500 has started traveling (step S401). If the vehicle 500 detects that the vehicle 500 has started traveling (step S401; Y), the vehicle 500 identifies the driver based on the driver data Da (step S402). Next, the vehicle 500 detects whether the vehicle 500 has stopped (step S403). If the vehicle 500 detects that the vehicle 500 has stopped (step S403; Y), the vehicle 500 stops calculating the spare capacity 124 and the skill evaluation 125.

[0117] If the vehicle 500 does not detect that the vehicle 500 has stopped (step S403; N), that is, while the vehicle 500 continues to travel, it detects whether the vehicle 500 is traveling within the evaluation section D (step S404). If the vehicle 500 is traveling within the evaluation section D (step S404; Y), the vehicle 500 calculates the margin of safety 124 based on at least the traveling data Dd of the identified driver's traveling data Dd and biometric data Db (step S405). At this time, the value of the margin of safety 124 obtained by the calculation is set to α.

[0118] The vehicle 500 transmits the margin of safety α and the driving data Dd to the server device 600 (step S406). The server device 600 receives the margin of safety α and the driving data Dd from the vehicle 500 (step S407). The vehicle 500 transmits the evaluation section D and the position data De of the vehicle 500 to the server device 600 (step S408). The server device 600 receives the evaluation section D and the position data De of the vehicle 500 from the vehicle 500 (step S409).

[0119] The server device 600 compares the spare capacity α with a threshold value αth1 (step S410). If the spare capacity α is equal to or greater than the threshold value αth1 (step S410; Y), the server device 600 calculates the skill evaluation 125 based on the driving data Dd and the spare capacity α (step S411). At this time, the value of the skill evaluation 125 obtained by the calculation is set to β1. The server device 600 transmits the calculated skill evaluation β1 to the vehicle 500 (step S411).

[0120] The vehicle 500 receives the skill evaluation β1 from the server device 600 (step S412). The vehicle 500 outputs the received skill evaluation β1 to the notification unit 140 (step S413). As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the skill evaluation β1 in real time.

[0121] If the margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 (step S410; N), the server device 600 compares the margin of safety α with the threshold value αth2 (step S414). If the margin of safety α is smaller than the threshold value αth1 and equal to or greater than the threshold value αth2 (step S414; Y), the server device 600 calculates the skill evaluation 125 (step S415). At this time, the value of the skill evaluation 125 obtained by the calculation is designated as β2. The server device 600 temporarily stores the calculated skill evaluation β2 in a memory in the control unit 510, and when the vehicle has finished traveling within the evaluation section 126 (timing), reads out the skill evaluation β2 from the memory and transmits it to the vehicle 500 (step S415).

[0122] The vehicle 500 receives the driving skill evaluation β2 from the server device 600 (step S416). The vehicle 500 outputs the received driving skill evaluation β2 to the notification unit 140 (step S417). As a result, the notification unit 140 notifies the driver of the driving skill evaluation β2 when the vehicle has finished traveling within the evaluation section 126.

[0123] If the margin α is smaller than the threshold value αth2 (step S415; N), the server device 600 omits (stops) the calculation of the skill evaluation (step S418). In this manner, the calculation process of the margin and skill evaluation is performed in the vehicle 500 and the server device 600.

[0124] In the vehicle 500 and the server device 600, the vehicle 500 presents the skill evaluation 125 to the driver. As a result, when the driver cannot afford to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has no need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the presentation of the skill evaluation 125 is stopped. Then, when the driver has enough time to receive the skill evaluation 125 or when the driver has a need to receive the skill evaluation 125, the skill evaluation 125 is presented. As a result, the calculation result of the driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0125] 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.

[0126] Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the following forms: (1) A driving skill evaluation system including: an acquisition unit capable of acquiring driver data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit capable of processing the driver data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit is capable of identifying the driver based on the driver data, calculating a degree of ease with respect to driving operations of the driver based on the driving data, evaluating a skill of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving data and the degree of ease, and, if the degree of ease is equal to or greater than a first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation while the degree of ease is maintained at a value equal to or greater than the first threshold, and, if the degree of ease is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that would have been used when the degree of ease was smaller than the first threshold after the degree of ease has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold or after calculation of the degree of ease has been completed. (2) The driving skill evaluation system according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of: continuing to calculate the degree of freedom during a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations; and, if the degree of freedom is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that would have been obtained if the degree of freedom had been smaller than the first threshold after the degree of freedom has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold. (3) The driving skill evaluation system according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of: continuing to calculate the degree of freedom during a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations; and, if the degree of freedom is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that would have been obtained if the degree of freedom had been smaller than the first threshold after the predetermined period has elapsed. (4) The processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation when the degree of leeway is smaller than the first threshold value after the degree of leeway has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold value or after completing the calculation of the degree of leeway. A driving skill evaluation system described in any one of (1) to (3).(5) The driving skill evaluation system according to (2), wherein the processing unit is capable of omitting calculation of the skill evaluation when the degree of ease is smaller than the second threshold, and omitting output of the skill evaluation when the degree of ease is smaller than the second threshold. (6) The driving skill evaluation system according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the acquisition unit is further capable of acquiring biometric data of the driver, and the processing unit is capable of calculating the degree of ease based on the driving data and the biometric data. (7) The driving skill evaluation system according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the driving data includes the driver's driving history, sensor data obtained from the vehicle during the driver's driving operation, and map data. (8) The driving skill evaluation system according to (6), wherein the biometric data includes data on the driver's heart rate and breathing. (9) The driving skill evaluation system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation together with a tone or a reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior. (10) A vehicle comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires driver data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit that is capable of processing the driver data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit is capable of: identifying the driver based on the driver data; calculating the driver's level of leeway for driving operations based on the driving data; evaluating the driver's skill based on the driving data and the level of leeway; and, if the level of leeway is equal to or greater than a first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation while the level of leeway maintains a value equal to or greater than the first threshold; and, if the level of leeway is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that was used when the level of leeway was smaller than the first threshold after the level of leeway has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold or after the calculation of the level of leeway has been completed.

[0127] In a driving skill evaluation system and vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a driver is identified based on driver data. A level of comfort is calculated based on at least the driving data of the identified driver's driving data and biometric data, and a driving skill evaluation is calculated based on the driving data and the level of comfort. If the level of comfort is equal to or greater than a first threshold, a driving skill evaluation is output while the level of comfort is maintained at or above the first threshold. If the level of comfort is less than the first threshold, a driving skill evaluation that was obtained when the level of comfort was less than the first threshold after the level of comfort increased to or above the first threshold is output. This prevents the driver from receiving the driving skill evaluation when the driver is unable to receive the driving skill evaluation or when the driver has no need for the driving skill evaluation. The driving skill evaluation is then presented when the driver is able to receive the driving skill evaluation or when the driver has a need for the driving skill evaluation. As a result, the calculated driving skill can be presented to the driver while minimizing the possibility of increasing the driver's driving load.

[0128] The driver identification unit 132, the reserve calculation unit 133, the skill evaluation unit 134, and the output unit 135 shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the control unit 210 and the calculation unit 320 shown in Figures 4 and 5, the driver identification unit 132, the reserve calculation unit 433, the skill evaluation unit 134, and the output unit 435 shown in Figures 7 and 9, and the control unit 510 and the calculation unit 620 shown in Figures 10 and 11 (hereinafter referred to as "various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc.") can be implemented by circuits 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 execute all or part of the various functions of the various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc. by reading instructions from at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Such media may 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 nonvolatile memories. Volatile memories may include DRAM and SRAM. Nonvolatile memories may include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or part of the various functions in the various functional units shown in FIG. 1, etc. An FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configurable after manufacture to perform all or part of the various functions in the various functional units shown in FIG. 1, etc.

Claims

1. A driving skill evaluation system comprising: an acquisition unit capable of acquiring driver data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit capable of processing the driver data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit is capable of: identifying the driver based on the driver data; calculating the driver's level of leeway for driving operations based on the driving data; evaluating the driver's skill based on the driving data and the level of leeway; and, if the level of leeway is greater than or equal to a first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation while the level of leeway maintains a value greater than or equal to the first threshold; and, if the level of leeway is less than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that would be used when the level of leeway was less than the first threshold after the level of leeway has increased to a value greater than or equal to the first threshold or after calculation of the level of leeway has been completed.

2. The driving skill evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of: continuing to calculate the degree of leeway for a predetermined period of time while the driver is performing driving operations; and, if the degree of leeway is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation when the degree of leeway was smaller than the first threshold after the degree of leeway has increased to a value equal to or greater than the first threshold.

3. The driving skill evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of continuing to calculate the degree of leeway during a predetermined period while the driver is performing driving operations, and if the degree of leeway is smaller than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that would have been obtained if the degree of leeway had been smaller than the first threshold after the predetermined period has elapsed.

4. The driving skill evaluation system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation when the degree of leeway was smaller than the first threshold value after the degree of leeway has increased to a value greater than or equal to the first threshold value or after calculation of the degree of leeway has been completed, when the degree of leeway is smaller than the first threshold value and greater than or equal to a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value.

5. The driving skill evaluation system of claim 2, wherein the processing unit is capable of: omitting calculation of the skill evaluation when the margin of safety is smaller than the second threshold; and omitting output of the skill evaluation when the margin of safety is smaller than the second threshold.

6. A driving skill evaluation system as described in claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit is further capable of acquiring biometric data of the driver, and the processing unit is capable of calculating the degree of leeway based on the driving data and the biometric data.

7. A driving skill evaluation system as described in claim 1, wherein the driving data includes the driver's driving history, sensor data obtained from the vehicle while the driver is driving, and map data.

8. A driving skill evaluation system according to claim 6, wherein the biometric data includes data on the driver's heart rate and breathing.

9. A driving skill evaluation system as described in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation together with a tone or reward sound according to the stability of the vehicle's behavior.

10. A vehicle comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires driver data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit that is capable of processing the driver data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit is capable of: identifying the driver based on the driver data; calculating the driver's level of leeway for driving operations based on the driving data; evaluating the driver's skill based on the driving data and the level of leeway; and, if the level of leeway is greater than or equal to a first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation while the level of leeway maintains a value greater than or equal to the first threshold; and, if the level of leeway is less than the first threshold, outputting the skill evaluation that was used when the level of leeway was less than the first threshold after the level of leeway has increased to a value greater than or equal to the first threshold or after calculation of the level of leeway has been completed.

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