Vehicle behavior reproduction device and vehicle behavior reproduction method

Abstract

A vehicle behavior reproduction device (10) causes a model (20) to execute an action corresponding to a behavior of a vehicle (40) on the basis of acquired behavior information of the vehicle (40). A control unit (16) of the vehicle behavior reproduction device (10) includes a start notification unit (163) and a stop notification unit (164). If the acquired behavior information indicates that a drive unit (46) of the vehicle (40) has started, the start notification unit (163) executes a start notification process to notify of the starting. If the acquired behavior information indicates that the drive unit (46) of the vehicle (40) has stopped, the stop notification unit (164) executes a stop notification process to notify of the stopping.

Description

Vehicle Behavior Reproduction Device and Vehicle Behavior Reproduction Method

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle behavior reproduction device and a vehicle behavior reproduction method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle behavior reproduction system that reproduces the behavior of an actual vehicle on a model such as a toy car for the purpose of analyzing near misses and providing entertainment to users. Specifically, in the vehicle behavior reproduction system disclosed in Patent Document 1, information on the behavior of a vehicle during travel is acquired and stored in a storage unit of a service center. After travel, a user such as the driver of the vehicle places a toy car on a turntable. Then, the vehicle behavior reproduction system reproduces the posture of the vehicle by rotating the turntable while acquiring the information stored in the service center through communication. Further, the vehicle behavior reproduction system reproduces the lighting and extinguishing of the brake lamp of the vehicle by controlling an LED (light-emitting diode) equipped on the toy car.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-026425

[0004] The vehicle behavior reproduction system described in Patent Document 1 basically reproduces the behavior of a vehicle only by controlling an LED (light-emitting diode) equipped on the model and controlling a turntable on which the model is placed. Therefore, the change in the model during the reproduction of the behavior is scarce, and it is difficult for the user to know when the reproduction of the behavior starts or ends.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle behavior reproduction device and a vehicle behavior reproduction method that enable a user to easily recognize when the reproduction of the behavior of a vehicle starts or ends.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle behavior reproduction device according to the present invention causes a model to execute an operation corresponding to the behavior of a vehicle based on the acquired vehicle behavior information. The vehicle behavior reproduction device includes a notification process execution unit that executes a notification process for notifying that the acquired behavior information indicates that the drive unit of the vehicle has started or stopped.

[0007] The present invention performs a notification process that notifies the user when behavioral information indicating that a vehicle has started or stopped has been acquired. This makes it easy for the user to recognize when the reproduction of the vehicle's behavior begins or ends.

[0008] This is a front view of a vehicle behavior reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a block diagram of a vehicle behavior reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a plan view of a vehicle behavior reproduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of the vehicle behavior reproduction device as seen from arrow IV in Figure 3. This is a plan view of the vehicle behavior reproduction device in its initial state. This is a flowchart of the behavior reproduction process according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart of the start notification process according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a flowchart of the stop notification process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] The vehicle behavior reproduction system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Figure 1 shows a front view of the vehicle behavior reproduction system 1 according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 shows a block diagram. The vehicle behavior reproduction system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention causes a model 20 to perform actions corresponding to the behavior of an actual vehicle 40, and plays back images corresponding to the view of the vehicle 40 at that time on a smartphone 30 in synchronization with the actions of the model 20. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle behavior reproduction system 1 according to this embodiment comprises a vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 provided on, for example, the dashboard 2 of the vehicle 40, a model 20 placed on the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10, and a smartphone 30 as a display device supported by the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. As shown in this figure, during the reproduction of the behavior of the vehicle 40, the model 20 is positioned to face the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30. During the reproduction of the behavior, images corresponding to the view of the vehicle 40 are played back on the touch panel 34 in synchronization with the reproduction of the behavior. This makes it possible to recreate the realistic behavior of the model 20 as if it were driving through a landscape shown in the image displayed on the touch panel 34.

[0010] Model 20 is a vehicle-shaped model that reproduces the behavior of vehicle 40, and is, for example, a miniature car. As shown in Figure 2, model 20 includes a control unit 23, a speaker 24, an LED (light-emitting diode) 25, a memory 26, and a communication unit 27.

[0011] Multiple LEDs 25 are provided to correspond to various light-emitting parts in the vehicle 40, namely brake lights, turn signals, headlights, high-mounted stop lamps, stop lamps, taillights, and other lamps. The control unit 23 controls the lighting and extinguishing of the LEDs 25. The speaker 24 outputs various sounds based on the control from the control unit 23. The speaker 24 is used to reproduce the sound of the vehicle 40's horn, for example.

[0012] The control unit 23 performs control to reproduce the behavior of the vehicle 40 in the model 20. The memory 26 is equipped with RAM (Random Access Memory) and functions as a workspace for the control unit 23. The communication unit 27 is a communication device compatible with short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and communicates with the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. The control unit 23, having received instructions from the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 via the communication unit 27, controls the LED 25 and speaker 24 to cause the model 20 to perform actions corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle 40.

[0013] Next, we will describe the vehicle 40 that is the target of the vehicle behavior reproduction system 1. The vehicle 40 is equipped with a vehicle information collection device 41 and a communication device 42. The vehicle information collection device 41 is connected to the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 and the smartphone 30 via the communication device 42 and a network N1 such as CAN (Controller Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), or the Internet.

[0014] The vehicle information collection device 41 is connected to a controller 43 that controls various parts of the vehicle 40, such as the drive unit 46 and brakes, various sensors 44 installed in the vehicle 40, and a camera 45 that captures images of the driver's view from inside the vehicle. The vehicle information collection device 41 is a computer that collects various information about the vehicle 40 from these connected devices. Specifically, the vehicle information collection device 41 collects information about the behavior of the vehicle 40, such as information indicating the illumination status of various lamps such as headlights, brake lights, and turn signals, information indicating whether the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 is activated or not, information indicating the attitude of the vehicle 40, information indicating the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 40, information indicating the open / closed status of each door of the vehicle 40, information indicating the status of the transmission, information indicating the status of the steering, information indicating the output of the horn sound, and information indicating the position of the vehicle 40, at predetermined time intervals. The vehicle information collection device 41 then transmits the collected behavior information to the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 via the communication device 42 and the network N1 as needed. In the following explanation, information regarding the behavior of vehicle 40 will also be referred to as behavioral information.

[0015] Furthermore, in parallel with collecting and transmitting vehicle information, the vehicle information collection device 41 acquires images of the driver's field of view of the vehicle 40, captured by the camera 45 inside the vehicle 40, at predetermined time intervals. The vehicle information collection device 41 then transmits the acquired images to the smartphone 30 via the communication device 42. The vehicle information collection device 41 continues to perform the above-described process of collecting and transmitting behavioral information and images as long as, for example, the ACC power (accessory power) of the vehicle 40 is ON.

[0016] Next, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 will be described. The vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 causes the model 20 to perform actions corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle 40 based on the behavior information received from the vehicle information collection device 41. Figure 3 is a plan view of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. Figure 4 is a side view of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 as seen from arrow IV in Figure 3. As shown in these figures, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 has a cylindrical main body 11 and an end support portion 12 extending laterally from the main body. In the following description, the horizontal direction from the main body 11 to the end support portion 12 will be defined as "forward," and the opposite direction will be defined as "rear."

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the main body 11 has a control circuit unit 111 that constitutes the lower part and a mounting unit 112 that constitutes the upper part. The control circuit unit 111 functions as a base for mounting the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the mounting unit 112 functions as a table for mounting the model 20 on its upper surface. As shown in Figure 3, the mounting unit 112 is a so-called turntable that can rotate relative to the control circuit unit 111 in either direction of the bidirectional arrow R shown in the figure, around an axis passing through the center of the mounting unit 112. The mounting unit 112 is driven by a servo motor 18 shown in Figure 2. This allows the model 20 mounted on the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 to be oriented in a desired direction. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the mounting unit 112 has a guide display P in the center that guides the position and orientation when setting the model 20. When reproducing the behavior of the vehicle 40 on the model 20, the model 20 is positioned so that it faces the direction of the arrow indicated by the guide display P, and the dotted line indicated by the guide display P is used as a guide for positioning the model 20. The mounting unit 112 is an example of a mounting part of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 shows the mounting unit 112 when the behavior of the vehicle 40 is being reproduced with the model 20. That is, during the reproduction of the behavior, the model 20 on the mounting unit 112 faces the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30 supported by the terminal support unit 12 (see Figure 1), enabling a realistic reproduction of the behavior. In contrast, Figure 5 shows the mounting unit 112 in its initial state before the reproduction of the vehicle 40's behavior has started. When the reproduction of the behavior begins, the user sets the model 20 on the mounting unit 112 in the opposite direction to when the behavior is being reproduced.

[0020] Furthermore, a line LED 113, which is a circumferentially shaped light-emitting device, is provided around the periphery of the mounting unit 112. The lighting and extinguishing of the line LED 113 are controlled by the control unit 23. The line LED 113 is formed by a plurality of LEDs arranged in a circular pattern. It is also possible to control only a part of the line LED 113 to light up, blink, or extinguish. In the start notification process and stop notification process described later, the line LED 113 lights up in a specific pattern. The line LED 113 is an example of the lighting device of the present invention.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the terminal support section 12 extends from the main body section 11 (control circuit unit 111) and supports the smartphone 30. The terminal support section 12 has a horizontal section 12a extending laterally from the main body section 11, an inclined section 12b extending diagonally upward from the tip of the horizontal section 12a, and widened sections 12c extending laterally from both sides of the tip of the inclined section 12b. The horizontal section 12a supports the smartphone 30 from below. The inclined section 12b supports the smartphone 30 so that the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30 faces diagonally upward. The widened sections 12c secure an area that supports the smartphone 30 along its longitudinal direction and stabilize the posture of the smartphone 30. In addition, the widened sections 12c may be provided with members such as clips for fixing the smartphone 30, or with bumps or grooves to prevent the smartphone 30 from slipping. Since the terminal support portion 12 extends from the control circuit unit 111, the terminal support portion 12 does not rotate even when the mounting unit 112 rotates.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the main body 11 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 is equipped with a communication unit 13, an operation unit 15, a control unit 16, a storage unit 17, and a servo motor 18. These configurations will be described below.

[0023] The communication unit 13 is a communication device compliant with wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and 4G. Under the control of the control unit 16, the communication unit 13 communicates with the model 20 and the smartphone 30 via short-range wireless communication. The communication unit 13 communicates with the vehicle information collection device 41 wirelessly via the network N1 and the communication device 42.

[0024] The control unit 16 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM, etc. In the control unit 16, the CPU reads programs and data stored in the ROM and uses the RAM as a work area to control the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. Functionally, the control unit 16 includes a behavior information acquisition unit 161, a behavior reproduction unit 162, a start notification unit 163, a stop notification unit 164, an abnormality notification unit 165, and a playback control unit 166.

[0025] The behavior information acquisition unit 161 acquires behavior information of the vehicle 40 from the vehicle information collection device 41 via the communication unit 13. The acquired behavior information is temporarily stored in the storage unit 17.

[0026] The behavior reproduction unit 162 causes the model 20 on the mounting unit 112 to perform actions corresponding to the time-series behavior of the vehicle 40, based on the behavior information acquired by the behavior information acquisition unit 161. In this way, the behavior reproduction unit 162 reproduces the behavior of the vehicle 40 on the model 20. For example, if the acquired behavior information indicates that the steering angle of the vehicle 40 has changed, the behavior reproduction unit 162 controls the servo motor 18 to rotate the mounting unit 112, thereby changing the orientation of the model 20. For example, if the acquired behavior information indicates that a lamp on the vehicle 40 has been lit or that a horn sound has been emitted, the behavior reproduction unit 162 lights up the LED 25 on the model 20 corresponding to the lit lamp on the vehicle 40 and outputs a sound that mimics a horn sound from the speaker 24.

[0027] The startup notification unit 163 controls the illumination state of the LED 25 on the model 20, the rotation of the mounting unit 112, and the illumination state of the line LED 113 to notify the user of the startup notification when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has started up. For example, if the vehicle 40 is a gasoline vehicle, the drive unit 46 is the engine. In this case, the startup notification unit 163 executes the startup notification process when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the engine has been ignited by the operation of the ignition key or ignition button. For example, if the vehicle 40 is an electric vehicle, the drive unit 46 is the motor. In this case, the startup notification unit 163 executes the startup notification process when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the power switch of the vehicle 40 has been turned on. Details of the startup notification process will be described later.

[0028] The stop notification unit 164 controls the illumination state of the LED 25 on the model 20, the rotation of the mounting unit 112, and the illumination state of the line LED 113 to notify the vehicle 40 when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has stopped. For example, if the vehicle 40 is a gasoline vehicle, the stop notification unit 164 executes the stop notification process when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the engine, which is the drive unit 46, has stopped. For example, if the vehicle 40 is an electric vehicle, the stop notification unit 164 executes the stop notification process when the acquired behavioral information indicates that the motor, which is the drive unit 46, has stopped. Details of the stop notification process will be described later. The start notification unit 163 and the stop notification unit 164 are examples of notification processing execution units of the present invention.

[0029] If the abnormality notification unit 165 detects an abnormality while the model 20 is performing actions corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle 40, it controls the rotation of the mounting unit 112 and the lighting state of the line LED 113 to perform an abnormality notification process to notify the system of the abnormality. Here, abnormalities refer to communication abnormalities between the model 20, the smartphone 30, and the vehicle information collection device 41, as well as internal abnormalities in the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. Details of the abnormality notification process will be described later.

[0030] The playback control unit 166, via the communication unit 13, instructs the smartphone 30 to play back images of the vehicle 40's field of view on the touch panel 34 in synchronization with the operation of the model 20 by the behavior reproduction unit 162. Upon receiving this instruction, the smartphone 30 sequentially plays back images of the vehicle 40's field of view received from the vehicle information collection device 41 on the touch panel 34.

[0031] The storage unit 17 is equipped with non-volatile flash memory or the like and stores information necessary for processing the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. For example, the storage unit 17 stores behavior information acquired from the vehicle information collection device 41. The servo motor 18 rotates the mounting unit 112 based on instructions from the control unit 16.

[0032] Next, the smartphone 30 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the smartphone 30 comprises a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, and a touch panel 34.

[0033] The communication unit 31 communicates with the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 wirelessly under the control of the control unit 33. The communication unit 31 also communicates with the vehicle information collection device 41 via the network N1 and the communication device 42.

[0034] The storage unit 32 is equipped with non-volatile flash memory and stores various types of data. For example, the storage unit 32 stores the program for the application software used for behavior reproduction processing (hereinafter referred to as the behavior reproduction application). The storage unit 32 also temporarily stores images of the view from the driver of the vehicle 40, received from the vehicle information collection device 41 via the communication device 42 and the network N1.

[0035] The control unit 33 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the entire smartphone 30. The control unit 33 also launches the behavior reproduction application by executing a program stored in the memory unit 32. Then, as part of the processing of the behavior reproduction application, the control unit 33 instructs the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 to start the vehicle behavior reproduction process, which will be described later.

[0036] The touch panel 34 displays various images based on the control of the control unit 33. The touch panel 34 also accepts user input and outputs a signal corresponding to the received input to the control unit 33. When the behavior of the vehicle 40 is being reproduced in the model 20, the touch panel 34 plays back an image of the driver's view of the vehicle 40 at that time.

[0037] Next, the operation of the behavior reproduction process performed by the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 configured as described above will be explained in accordance with the flowchart in Figure 6. Before the start of the behavior reproduction process, the mounting unit 112 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 is in the initial state shown in Figure 5. In parallel with the behavior reproduction process, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 is constantly receiving behavior information of the vehicle 40 from the vehicle information collection device 41. Similarly, the smartphone 30 is constantly receiving images of the driver's field of view of the vehicle 40 from the vehicle information collection device 41. For example, the user, who is the driver of the vehicle 40, places the model 20, whose behavior they want to reproduce, on the mounting unit 112 according to the guidance display P (see Figure 5) before driving. That is, the user places the model 20 in the center of the mounting unit 112, facing the opposite direction from the terminal support part 12. The user also has the smartphone 30 supported by the terminal support part 12. Then, the user operates the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30 to launch the behavior reproduction application. When the behavior reproduction app is launched, the control unit 33 of the smartphone 30 instructs the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 to start processing, and the behavior reproduction process begins. The user then drives the vehicle 40 after the behavior reproduction process has started.

[0038] When the behavior reproduction process is started, the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 first analyzes the behavior information received most recently to determine whether or not the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has been activated (step S10).

[0039] If the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 is not activated (step S10; No), the vehicle 40 is not yet in operation and does not need to reproduce its behavior, so it remains in standby mode. On the other hand, if it is determined that the drive unit 46 has been activated (step S10; Yes), the control unit 16 performs an activation notification process to notify the system of this (step S20). As a result of the activation notification process, the mounting unit 112 rotates 180 degrees, and its rotational position changes from Figure 5 to Figure 3. This causes the model 20 mounted on the mounting unit 112 to face the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30.

[0040] Next, the control unit 16 reproduces the behavior of the vehicle 40 on the model 20 by having the model 20 execute actions corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle 40 based on behavior information acquired from the vehicle information collection device 41 (step S30). As a result, the on / off switching of various lights on the vehicle 40 while it is in operation is reproduced moment by moment by the LED 25 on the model 20, and the horn sound output from the vehicle 40's horn is reproduced moment by moment by the speaker 24 on the model 20.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 16 instructs the smartphone 30 to play back the image of the driver's view of the vehicle 40 at that time, in synchronization with the reproduction of the behavior (step S40). Upon receiving this instruction, the control unit 33 of the smartphone 30 plays back the latest image acquired from the vehicle information collection device 41 on the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30.

[0042] Next, the control unit 16 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 (step S50). This abnormality includes not only abnormalities that occur inside the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10, but also abnormalities in communication with other devices (model 20, smartphone 30, vehicle information collection device 41). Abnormalities that occur inside the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 can be detected by referring to log data that records the state of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 or error codes that are output when an abnormality occurs. Furthermore, if the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 cannot acquire behavior information from the vehicle information collection device 41, or if the model 20 does not execute the operation instructed by the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 or if the operation is delayed, the control unit 16 should determine that a communication abnormality has occurred.

[0043] When no abnormality occurs in the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 (step S50; No), the process proceeds to step S70. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 (step S50; Yes), the control unit 16 executes an abnormality notification process for notifying the fact (step S60). For example, as the abnormality notification process, the control unit 16 causes the line LED 113 to blink while rotating the mounting unit 112 360 degrees, and outputs an error sound from the speaker 24 of the model 20. Thereby, the user can immediately know that an abnormality has occurred. Then the process proceeds to step S70.

[0044] In step S70, the control unit 16 analyzes the most recently received behavior information to determine whether or not the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has stopped. If it has not stopped (step S70; No), the process returns to step S30.

[0045] On the other hand, when it is determined that the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has stopped (step S70; Yes), the control unit 16 executes a stop notification process for notifying the fact (step S80). By the stop notification process, the mounting unit 112 rotates 180 degrees. That is, the rotational position of the mounting unit 112 changes as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and returns to the initial state.

[0046] After the end of the stop notification process, the control unit 16 ends the reproduction of the behavior by the model 20 and the reproduction of the image by the smartphone 30 (step S90). Thus, the behavior reproduction process ends.

[0047] Subsequently, the details of the startup notification process (step S20) executed in the above-described behavior reproduction process will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 7.

[0048] First, the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 transmits a control signal to the model 20 to light the LED 25 of the model 20 corresponding to the headlight of the vehicle 40 (step S21). The reason for lighting the LED 25 of the model 20 corresponding to the headlight is that the placement unit 112 before the execution of the startup notification process is in the initial state shown in FIG. 5, and the front of the model 20 faces the user side. In step S21, it is desirable for the control unit 16 to light the LED 25 at the maximum brightness as much as possible. Thereby, it is possible to notify the user that the production of the startup notification process will start from now on.

[0049] Subsequently, the control unit 16 controls the servo motor 18 to rotate the placement unit 112 in the initial state shown in FIG. 3 at the first rotation speed (step S22). The rotation direction here may be either clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0050] Also, while the placement unit 112 is rotating, the control unit 16 causes the line LED 113 to emit light in a specific pattern (step S23). For example, while the placement unit 112 is rotating, the control unit 16 gradually expands the portion of the line LED 113 that lights up, and when the whole is lit, repeats the process of gradually reducing the lit portion at a predetermined cycle to cause the line LED 113 to emit light.

[0051] Subsequently, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the placement unit 112 has reached a state suitable for behavior reproduction shown in FIG. 3 after rotating 180 degrees from the initial state shown in FIG. 5 where rotation started (step S24).

[0052] If the mounting unit 112 is not rotated 180 degrees (step S24; No), the control unit 16 determines whether the most recently received vehicle behavior information indicates a shift operation when the vehicle 40 starts moving (step S25). A shift operation when starting to move means, for example, a shift to the drive range (hereinafter also referred to as "D") or reverse range (hereinafter also referred to as "R") in the case of an automatic car, or a shift to 1st gear or "R" in the case of a manual car. If the received behavior information does not indicate a shift operation when starting to move (step S25; No), the process moves to step S24.

[0053] On the other hand, if the received behavior information indicates a shift operation when starting to drive (step S25; Yes), there is a high probability that the vehicle 40 will start moving soon, so it is necessary to quickly bring the model 20 on the mounting unit 112 into a state suitable for reproducing the behavior (Figure 3). For this reason, the control unit 16 controls the drive of the servo motor 18 to increase the rotational speed of the mounting unit 112 by a predetermined amount from the first rotational speed (step S26). In addition, the control unit 16 may shorten the period of the light emission pattern of the line LED 113 in conjunction with increasing the rotational speed of the mounting unit 112. Then the process moves to step S24.

[0054] When the mounting unit 112 rotates 180 degrees (step S24; Yes), the mounting unit 112 will be in the state shown in Figure 3, and the model 20 on the mounting unit 112 will be in a position suitable for reproducing the behavior, facing the touch panel 34 of the smartphone 30. Therefore, the control unit 16 stops the rotation of the mounting unit 112 and turns off the line LED 113 and the LED 25 of the model 20 that was lit in step S21 (step S27). This completes the startup notification process. Then the process returns to the behavior reproduction process.

[0055] Next, the details of the stop notification process (step S80) executed in the behavior reproduction process described above will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8.

[0056] First, the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 transmits a control signal to the model 20, thereby lighting up the LED 25 on the model 20, which corresponds to the reverse lights of the vehicle 40 (step S81). The reason for lighting up the LED 25 on the model 20, which corresponds to the reverse lights, is that the mounting unit 112 is in the state shown in Figure 3 before the stop notification process is executed, and the rear of the model 20 is facing the user. In step S81, it is desirable for the control unit 16 to light up the LED 25 at the maximum brightness possible. This informs the user that the stop notification process is about to begin.

[0057] Next, the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 controls the drive of the servo motor 18 to rotate the mounting unit 112 at a constant speed from the state shown in Figure 5 (step S82). The direction of rotation here can be either clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0058] Furthermore, while the mounting unit 112 is rotating, the control unit 16 causes the line LED 113 to light up in a specific pattern (step S83). This specific pattern may be the same as the pattern in step S23 of the startup notification process (see Figure 7) described above, or it may be a different pattern.

[0059] Then, when the mounting unit 112 rotates 180 degrees (step S84; Yes), the mounting unit 112 returns to the initial state shown in Figure 5, and the control unit 16 stops the rotation of the mounting unit 112 and turns off the line LED 113 and the LED 25 of the model 20 that was lit in step S81 (step S85). This completes the startup notification process. The process then returns to the behavior reproduction process.

[0060] As described above, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment performs a start notification process to notify the user when the received behavior information indicates that the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has started. Also, when the received behavior information indicates that the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40 has stopped, it performs a stop notification process to notify the user when the vehicle 40 has stopped. Therefore, by confirming the animation of the start notification process, the user (especially passengers in the vehicle 40 other than the driver) can easily visually recognize that the vehicle 40 will start moving soon and the behavior reproduction will begin. Also, by confirming the animation of the stop notification process, the user (especially passengers in the vehicle 40 other than the driver) can easily visually recognize that the vehicle 40 will stop soon and the behavior reproduction will end. Specifically, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment performs the following as a start notification process and stop notification process: first, it lights up the LED 25 of the model 20, then rotates the mounting unit 112 on which the model 20 is placed, and while rotating, it performs a visual effect in which the line LED 113 provided on the mounting unit 112 lights up in a specific pattern. As a result, with the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment, the user can easily recognize when the reproduction of the vehicle 40's behavior will start or end.

[0061] Furthermore, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment rotates the mounting unit 112 as a startup notification process until the model 20 is facing a direction that the smartphone 30, which reproduces the image of the vehicle 40's field of view, is facing. This makes it possible to set the model 20 in the appropriate orientation when the startup notification process is completed and the reproduction of the vehicle's behavior by the model 20 begins.

[0062] Furthermore, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment increases the rotation speed of the mounting unit 112 when it acquires behavioral information indicating the shift operation when the vehicle 40 starts moving, before the model 20 is facing the smartphone 30. This makes it possible to quickly set the model 20 in the appropriate orientation in situations where there is a high probability that the vehicle 40 will start moving soon.

[0063] Furthermore, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 according to this embodiment performs an abnormality notification process to notify the user of the occurrence of an abnormality when it occurs. This enables the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 to promptly inform the user of the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0064] (Variations) This invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, parts of the above embodiments can be omitted or replaced, or arbitrary configurations can be added. Also, the hardware configuration, functional configuration, flowchart, etc. shown in the above embodiments are examples and can be changed as appropriate.

[0065] The above-described demonstrations for the start and stop notification processes are just examples; various demonstrations can be used as long as they can notify the user of the start and stop of the drive unit 46 of the vehicle 40. For example, the start or stop notification process could consist only of lighting up the LED 25 of the model 20, rotating the mounting unit 112, or lighting up the line LED 113. In addition, the start or stop notification process could output audio from the speaker 24 of the model 20, such as "The behavior reproduction will now begin" or "The behavior reproduction will now end."

[0066] The vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 described above performs both a start notification process and a stop notification process in the behavior reproduction process, but it is also possible to perform only one of the notification processes.

[0067] In step S30 of the behavior reproduction process (Figure 6), while the behavior of the vehicle 40 is being reproduced in the model 20, the control unit 16 may control the lighting state of the line LED 113 by making it light up or blink. In this way, the user can easily recognize whether the vehicle 40 is currently being reproduced by the model 20 by checking the line LED 113.

[0068] For example, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 may be newly equipped with an illuminance sensor to measure the ambient illuminance. Then, the brightness of the LED 25 of the model 20 that is lit in step S21 of the start notification process or step S81 of the stop notification process may be adjusted according to the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor. For example, if the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor is below a threshold, in step S21 or step S81, the brightness of the LED 25 may be made lower than normal, or it may not be lit at all. This prevents the LED 25 of the model 20 from emitting a strong light in a dark environment, which could cause discomfort to the user.

[0069] Model 20 may be equipped with light-emitting parts other than the LED 25. For example, incandescent light bulbs, organic ELs, etc., corresponding to the lamps of the vehicle 40 may be provided on model 20. Mounting unit 112 may be equipped with lighting devices other than the line LED 113. For example, instead of the line LED 113, multiple incandescent light bulbs or organic ELs, etc., may be provided on the mounting unit 112.

[0070] In the above embodiment, a behavior reproduction process was described in which the behavior of the vehicle 40 is reproduced in real time using the model 20. However, the present invention is also applicable when reproducing the behavior of the vehicle 40 at times other than real time. In this case, time-series behavior information of the vehicle 40 and time-series images of its field of view are stored in a database or the like. When reproducing the behavior, the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 reads the behavior information from the database in time series and causes the model 20 to reproduce the behavior of the vehicle 40 based on the behavior information. The smartphone 30 reads the images from the database in time series at the same timing as the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 and plays the read images on the touch panel 34 in synchronization with the reproduction on the model 20. The vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 should then execute a start notification process if the behavior information read from the database indicates the start of the drive unit 46, and execute a stop notification process if it indicates the stop of the drive unit 46. In this way, even when reproducing the behavior of the vehicle 40 at times other than real time, the user can easily recognize when the behavior reproduction starts or ends.

[0071] For example, in the above embodiment, images captured by the camera 45 of the vehicle 40 were played back on the smartphone 30, but images other than those captured by the camera 45 may also be played back. For example, guidance images displayed on a car navigation system may be played back on the smartphone 30.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, images were played on a smartphone 30, but images may be played on a display device other than a smartphone 30. For example, images may be played on a tablet device, a portable game console, etc. Also, images may be played on a display device that is integrally provided with the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10. Furthermore, instead of being limited to the view in front of the vehicle 40, images corresponding to the view to the right of the vehicle 40, images corresponding to the view to the left of the vehicle 40, etc., may be played on the smartphone 30. In this case, the mounting unit 112 can be controlled as appropriate to adjust the positional relationship between the model 20 and the smartphone 30. For example, when playing an image corresponding to the view to the right of the vehicle 40 on the smartphone 30, the mounting unit 112 can be rotated so that the smartphone 30 is positioned to the right of the model 20.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 executes a program to realize each function, but the control unit 16 may also be configured with dedicated hardware to realize each function.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 16 of the vehicle behavior reproduction device 10 may be configured to realize each function by distributing a control program for executing the operations of the above embodiment on a recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), MO (Magneto Optical Disc), or memory card, and installing the program on a computer. In cases where each function is realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application, or through cooperation between the OS and the application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0075] The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. In other words, the scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of disclosure are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

[0076] 1 Vehicle behavior reproduction system, 2 Dashboard, 10 Vehicle behavior reproduction device, 11 Main unit, 111 Control circuit unit, 112 Mounting unit, 113 Line LED, 12 Terminal support unit, 12a Horizontal unit, 12b Inclined unit, 12c Widening unit, 13 Communication unit, 15 Operation unit, 16 Control unit, 161 Behavior information acquisition unit, 162 Behavior reproduction unit, 163 Start notification unit, 164 Stop notification unit, 165 Anomaly notification unit, 166 Playback control unit, 17 Memory unit, 18 Servo motor, 20 Model, 23 Control unit, 24 Speaker, 25 LED, 26 Memory, 27 Communication unit, 30 Smartphone, 31 Communication unit, 32 Memory unit, 33 Control unit, 34 Touch panel, 40 Vehicle, 41 Vehicle information collection device, 42 Communication device, 43 Controller, 44 Sensor, 45 Camera, 46 Drive unit, N1 Network, P Guidance display, R Arrow.

Claims

1. A vehicle behavior reproduction device that causes a model to perform actions corresponding to the behavior of a vehicle based on acquired vehicle behavior information, comprising a notification processing execution unit that performs a notification process to notify the user if the acquired behavior information indicates that the vehicle's drive unit has been started or stopped.

2. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 1, comprising a mounting section for mounting the model, wherein the notification processing execution unit performs a process of rotating the mounting section as the notification process.

3. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the notification processing execution unit, as part of the notification processing, lights up the light-emitting part of the model and then rotates the aforementioned mounting part.

4. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 2, wherein the mounting portion is provided with a lighting device, and the notification processing execution unit performs a process of illuminating the lighting device in a specific pattern while the mounting portion is rotating as the notification processing.

5. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 2, further comprising a playback control unit that plays back an image of the vehicle's field of view on a display device in synchronization with the movement of the model, wherein the notification processing execution unit rotates the aforementioned mounting unit until the model faces the display device as the notification processing for notifying that the drive unit has been activated.

6. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 5, wherein the notification processing execution unit increases the rotation speed of the aforementioned mounting unit when it obtains behavior information indicating a shift operation when the vehicle starts to move, before the model faces the direction of the display device.

7. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the notification processing execution unit determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the vehicle behavior reproduction device, and if it determines that an abnormality has occurred, it performs an abnormality notification process to notify the user of that fact.

8. The vehicle behavior reproduction device according to claim 3, comprising an illuminance sensor for measuring ambient illuminance, and adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting part to be lit in the notification process based on the illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor.

9. A vehicle behavior reproduction method for causing a model to perform actions corresponding to the behavior of a vehicle based on acquired vehicle behavior information, wherein if the acquired behavior information indicates that the vehicle's drive unit has started or stopped, a notification process is performed to notify that fact.

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