Map creation system, map creation method, and recording medium

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a map creation system, a map creation method, and a recording medium capable of contributing to facilitation of grasping of various problems latent in a specific area.　This map creation system includes: acquisition means for acquiring an image obtained by photographing a user on board a vehicle; measurement means for analyzing an image of the user in the image and measuring vital information of the user; and map management means for creating a map in which the measured vital information of the user is recorded in association with a position of the vehicle.

Description

Map Creation System, Map Creation Method, and Recording Medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a map creation system, a map creation method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle data collection device that can record weak point information indicating a state where a vehicle driver fails to recognize that he / she has been driving a vehicle with a high risk, and can utilize the information to prevent traffic accidents. The same document also describes acquiring map data from a car navigation device and recording the map data in a state associated with weak point information and near miss information. Further, the vehicle data collection device of Patent Document 1 determines whether to record biometric reaction data (heart rate, blood pressure, sweating state, body temperature, etc.) of a vehicle driver when the vehicle is in a state with a high risk of colliding with an obstacle, as weak point information.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-065997

[0004] When a vehicle is traveling in a specific area with a passenger on board, the passenger rather than the vehicle driver may feel unwell or have an uneasy feeling due to various problems latent in the specific area.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a map creation system, a map creation method, and a recording medium that can contribute to facilitating the grasping of various problems latent in a specific area.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a map creation system including an acquisition unit that acquires an image of a user on board a vehicle, a measurement unit that analyzes an image of the user in the image to measure vital information of the user, and a map management unit that creates a map in which the measured vital information of the user is recorded in association with the position of the vehicle.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided a map creation method including acquiring an image of a user on board a vehicle, analyzing an image of the user in the image to measure vital information of the user, and creating a map in which the measured vital information of the user is recorded in association with the position of the vehicle.

[0008] From a third perspective, a recording medium is provided that contains a program that causes a computer to perform the following processes: acquiring images of a user riding in a vehicle; analyzing the user's image in the images to measure the user's vital information; and creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the vehicle's location.

[0009] This disclosure makes it possible to provide a map creation system, a map creation method, and a recording medium that can contribute to facilitating the identification of various problems that may be present in a specific area.

[0010] This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. This is another diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of user information held by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of user information held by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system of the present disclosure. This figure shows an example of a map created by the mapping system of this disclosure. This figure shows the configuration of the computers that make up the scene search system of this disclosure.

[0011] First, an overview of one embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings are associated with one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings appended to this overview are provided for convenience as examples to aid understanding and are not intended to limit this disclosure to the illustrated embodiments. In addition, the connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and other references referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows schematically indicate the flow of the main signal (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. The program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and a display device as needed. This computer device is also configured to communicate with devices (including computers) inside or outside the device via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. In addition, there are ports or interfaces at the input / output connection points of each block in the figures, but these are omitted from the illustration.

[0012] In one embodiment, this disclosure can be realized by a map creation system 10 comprising an acquisition means 11, a measurement means 12, and a map management means 13, as shown in Figure 1. More specifically, the acquisition means 11 acquires an image of a user riding in a vehicle. The measurement means 12 analyzes the image of the user to measure the user's vital information. The map management means 13 creates a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle.

[0013] The map creation system 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the map creation system 10 acquires images of a user riding in the vehicle (step S01 in Figure 2). For example, the map creation system 10 acquires images taken by cameras or other devices that constitute a driver monitoring system or an in-cabin sensing system.

[0014] Next, the mapping system 10 analyzes the user's image in the image and measures the user's vital information (step S02 in Figure 2). Examples of vital information obtained from the user's image in the image include respiratory rate, pulse rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), etc.

[0015] Next, the map creation system 10 creates a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle (step S03 in Figure 2). The location of the vehicle may be received from the vehicle along with the image, or it may be received from a separate system that manages the location of the vehicle.

[0016] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the acquisition means 11 acquires images of users riding in a vehicle. In the example in Figure 3, four people are shown sitting in the driver's seat, passenger seat, and rear seat, respectively. The measurement means 12 analyzes the images of the users in such images to measure the vital information of the users. In the example in Figure 3, vital data xxx is measured for each person A to D.

[0017] Figure 4 is a continuation of Figure 3. The map management means 13 creates a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle. In the example in Figure 4, a map is created showing the section in which the vital sign values ​​worsened. Whether or not the vital sign values ​​worsened may be determined using the vital sign values ​​of a specific person among persons A to D, or it may be determined using the average of the vital sign values ​​of persons A to D. By creating such a map, it is possible to obtain a map that shows roads and sections in which the vital sign values ​​of at least one person in the vehicle worsened. Here, the causes of worsening vital sign values ​​include the following. For example, in addition to the person's health condition and the driver's driving style, factors that can cause feeling unwell include the course traveled having many curves, feeling danger from the scenery seen from the car window, and the presence of an unpleasant odor. Such a map may be used by the driver as a reference for route creation, or it may be provided to a car navigation system, etc. By creating a route that avoids roads and sections in which vital sign values ​​worsen and reaches the destination, the car navigation system can prevent users heading to their destination from experiencing discomfort. Furthermore, in cases of harmful substance diffusion or unpleasant noise, even if humans or sensors cannot detect them, these may be reflected in the vital signs of people who come into contact with them. This disclosure enables the detection of these as well.

[0018] As explained above, this disclosure makes it possible to easily identify various problems that may be present in a specific area. The map creation system 10 described above may be located on the vehicle itself, or it may consist of an external server that receives images from the vehicle.

[0019] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of creating a map by receiving images from a vehicle equipped with a camera, etc., will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, a configuration is shown that includes a vehicle 200 equipped with a camera C, a map creation system 100 that receives images from the vehicle 200, and a user terminal 500 that refers to the map created by the map creation system 100.

[0020] Vehicle 200 transmits images captured by camera C to the map creation system 100. Camera C is a camera capable of capturing images of users sitting in the vehicle's seats. Such a camera could be an in-cabin sensing system camera, for example. Of course, a camera mounted on the user's smartphone or the like may also be used.

[0021] The user terminal 500 is a personal computer or mobile terminal, etc., for referencing maps created by the map creation system 100. The user terminal 500 may also be equipped with various navigation functions. In this case, the user terminal 500 can create a user navigation route using the maps created by the map creation system 100.

[0022] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of the map creation system 100 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 6, a configuration comprising an acquisition unit 101, a measurement unit 102, a map management unit 103, and a map information storage unit 104 is shown.

[0023] The acquisition unit 101 acquires an image of a person (user) inside the vehicle 200. This image has the vehicle's location information attached to it at the time the image was taken. As location information, the location information from the GPS (Global Positioning System) or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) installed in the vehicle can be used. Furthermore, the location information can be attached to the image file transmission message, or it can be included in the Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) information of the image. The acquisition unit 101 corresponds to the acquisition means 11 described above.

[0024] The measurement unit 102 analyzes the image of the person in the image, measures the vital sign values ​​of each person, and outputs them to the map management unit 103 along with the location information mentioned above. Examples of vital sign values ​​include respiratory rate, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Hereinafter, these will also be referred to collectively as "vital information." Respiratory rate can be measured by extracting periodic, subtle movements from the image of the person over a certain period. Pulse rate can be measured by extracting changes in the brightness value of a specific color that appears in the image of the person's skin over a certain period. Oxygen saturation can be measured by extracting changes in a specific red component that appears in the image of the person's skin over a certain period. These are just examples of items measured as vital sign values, and other items can also be added to the measurement targets. The measurement unit 102 corresponds to the measurement means 12 described above.

[0025] The map information storage unit 104 stores maps for recording vital information.

[0026] The map management unit 103 uses the vehicle's location and vital information received from the measurement unit 102 to create a map plotting vital sign values ​​on the map information storage unit 104. There may be multiple maps for each vital information, such as respiratory rate, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). The map management unit 103 corresponds to the map management means 16 described above.

[0027] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the map creation system 100 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 7, first, the map creation system 100 acquires an image with location information from the vehicle 200 (step S001).

[0028] Next, the map creation system 100 measures the vital information of the person in the image (step S002).

[0029] Next, the map creation system 100 records vital information at locations corresponding to the location information on the map (step S003). By performing the above process, a map can be created that plots the vital information of the person riding in the vehicle 200. This map can take the form of a heat map with vital sign values ​​color-coded. If there are multiple people in the vehicle, the map creation system 100 may take the average of the vital sign values ​​of the people riding in the same vehicle and create a map that plots that value.

[0030] Furthermore, by repeating steps S001 to S003 for different vehicles 200, it is possible to create a map that integrates and plots the vital information of multiple people who boarded multiple vehicles 200.

[0031] Figure 8 shows an example of a map created by the map creation system 100 of this disclosure. The sections indicated by arrows in Figure 8 represent sections where vital sign values ​​were obtained. Of these, the sections indicated by thick arrows represent sections where vital sign values ​​exceeded normal values. By looking at such a map, it becomes possible to understand sections where not only the driver but also other passengers felt danger or anxiety. This is one of the differences from the near-miss and weak point maps of Patent Document 1. Furthermore, by providing such a map to the vehicle driver, it can be used to help in selecting routes for future driving. In addition, if the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, such a map can be used as data for changing or tuning the autonomous driving route.

[0032] Furthermore, while driving issues are a factor that can cause other passengers to feel danger or anxiety, other issues such as road construction (structure), scenery visible from the vehicle window, unpleasant odors, noise, and air pollution can also be anticipated. Providing such maps to road administrators and vehicle operation managers will make it possible to address issues other than those related to vehicle operation.

[0033] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described in which the system identifies the person riding in the vehicle and determines whether or not the vital information is abnormal for each person. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The differences from the first embodiment shown in Figure 6 are that a personal identification unit 105 and a user information storage unit 106 have been added to the map creation system 100a, and that the system determines whether or not the vital information is abnormal by referring to the user information. The other configurations are almost the same as those of the first embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0034] The personal identification unit 105 identifies the person in the image acquired from the vehicle 200. As a method of identifying the person, for example, the user can be identified using the user's biometric information previously stored in the user information storage unit 106. The personal identification unit 105 then outputs the information of the identified user along with the image to the measurement unit 102a.

[0035] The user information storage unit 106 stores the normal values ​​of each user's vital signs, in addition to the user's biometric information mentioned above. Figure 10 shows an example of the normal values ​​of each user's vital signs stored in the user information storage unit 106. As shown in Figure 10, the normal values ​​of vital signs have different ranges depending on age, gender, and individual. The user information storage unit 106 stores these normal values ​​of vital signs for each user.

[0036] In this embodiment, the measurement unit 102a measures the vital sign values ​​of a person in an image, compares them with the normal vital sign values ​​of the corresponding person stored in the user information storage unit 106, and determines whether or not they are abnormal. The measurement unit 102a then outputs the location information, the person's vital sign values, and the determination result of whether or not the vital sign values ​​are abnormal to the map management unit 103a.

[0037] The map management unit 103a uses the vehicle's position, vital information, and the abnormality detection result of the vital information received from the measurement unit 102 to create a map on the map information storage unit 104 that shows the sections where abnormal vital sign values ​​were observed.

[0038] Figure 11 shows an example of a map created by the mapping system 100a of this embodiment. In the example in Figure 11, the interval in which the pulse rate exceeded the normal value for the person in question (the interval exceeding the upper limit (UL)) is shown by a thick arrow. Similarly, intervals with abnormal respiratory rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2) can also be shown on the map.

[0039] As explained above, this embodiment makes it possible to create a more accurate map by determining whether or not there are abnormalities in vital sign values ​​for each user. In the above description, it was explained that the presence or absence of abnormalities in vital sign values ​​is determined for each user and the section in which the abnormality was observed is shown on the map, but the map creation form can be modified in various ways. For example, the map management unit 103a may determine whether or not the vital sign values ​​of multiple people riding in the same vehicle are outside the normal range, and create a map that records the result of the combined determination. For example, if there are abnormalities in the vital information of three out of three people, the map creation system 100a may designate that section as a high-risk section. On the other hand, if there are abnormalities in the vital information of only one out of three people, the map creation system 100a may designate that section as a medium-risk section, and so on.

[0040] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described in which the attributes of the people riding in the vehicle and maps for each driver are created. Figure 12 is a diagram showing another configuration of this disclosure. The differences from the second embodiment shown in Figure 9 are that the user information held in the user information storage unit 106b has been modified, and the operation of the personal identification unit 105b, the measurement unit 102b, and the map management unit 103b is different. The other configurations are almost the same as in the second embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0041] The user information storage unit 106b stores the user's biometric information and normal vital sign values ​​mentioned above, as well as attribute information such as each user's age group and gender. Figure 13 shows an example of attribute information for each user that has been added to the user information storage unit 106b. In the example in Figure 13, each user's age group and gender are set.

[0042] The personal identification unit 105b of the present embodiment identifies the person shown in the image acquired from the vehicle 200. Then, the personal identification unit 105b outputs the attribute information of the identified user, etc. together with the image to the measurement unit 102a. Therefore, the personal identification unit 105b functions as a means for specifying the attributes of the user. Further, the personal identification unit 105b specifies the seat on which the person is sitting from the position where the person in the image is shown. Then, the personal identification unit 105b outputs the information of the identified user and the seat information together with the image to the measurement unit 102b.

[0043] When the measurement unit 102b of the present embodiment measures the vital sign value of the person in the image, it outputs the position information, the vital sign value of the person, the corresponding person's attribute information, and the seat information to the map management unit 103b.

[0044] The map management unit 103b creates an attribute-based map on the map of the map information storage unit 104 using the position of the vehicle, the vital information, the user's attribute information, and the seat information received from the measurement unit 102b.

[0045] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 14, the sections where abnormalities in vital information are observed for children and the elderly are indicated by dashed arrows. By referring to a generation-based map such as FIG. 14, it becomes possible to grasp that the sections where discomfort is felt or uneasiness is felt during vehicle boarding differ depending on the generation (age group). Also, by providing such a map to the driver of the vehicle 200, it becomes possible to cause the driver to select a route considering the age group and gender of the passengers. In the same procedure, it is also possible to create a map showing the sections where abnormalities in vital information are observed for each gender. Thus, the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment creates a map that can be switched for display for each attribute of the user.

[0046] Figure 15 shows another example of a map created by the map creation system 100b of this embodiment. In the example in Figure 15, the sections in which abnormalities in vital information were observed are indicated by dashed arrows, separately for a person sitting in the passenger seat and a person sitting in the rear seat. By referring to a seat-specific map like Figure 15, it becomes possible to understand that the sections in which passengers felt uncomfortable or anxious while riding in the vehicle differ depending on the seat. Furthermore, by providing such a map to a user riding in the vehicle 200, it becomes possible to allow them to choose the seat they should sit in. In this way, the map creation system 100b of this embodiment can create a map for each seat that records the vital information of users who have ridden in the past. In addition, in the example described above, the seat in which a person is sitting was identified from the camera image, but by improving the camera placement or increasing the number of cameras installed, it becomes possible to measure the vital sign values ​​of multiple people sitting in seats facing different directions. Furthermore, this makes it possible to create a map that records the vital information of users who have ridden in the past, not only for each seat, but also for each seat and seat orientation. Providing users with such maps makes it possible to offer them reference information to help them decide whether or not to change the orientation of their seats and which seat they should sit in.

[0047] Also, the above-mentioned map may be created for each driver. As described above, in the present embodiment, the personal identification unit 105b identifies the seat of the user. By using this, it is also possible to create a map for each user sitting in the driver's seat. Therefore, the above-mentioned personal identification unit 105b functions as a means for identifying the driving subject. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another example of the map created by the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 16, for each driver, the section where an abnormality in vital information is observed is indicated by a dashed arrow. By referring to the map for each driver as shown in FIG. 16, it is possible to grasp that the sections where discomfort is felt or uneasiness is felt are different due to the driving of the driver. Also, by providing such a map to the user boarding the vehicle 200, it is possible to let the user select the driver. Furthermore, when the vehicle 200 includes an autonomous vehicle, this map can also be a map for each driving subject such as an autonomous vehicle. By referring to such a map for each driving subject, it is possible to grasp that the sections where discomfort is felt or uneasiness is felt are different due to the setting or tuning of the autonomous vehicle. As described above, the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment can create a map in which the vital information of the users who have boarded in the past is recorded for each driving subject of the vehicle.

[0048] Also, the above-mentioned map may be created for each user and used as a personal map for grasping the roads or areas that an individual is not good at. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of the map created by the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 17, for each user, the section where an abnormality in vital information is observed is indicated by a dashed arrow. By referring to the map for each seat as shown in FIG. 17, it is possible to grasp that the sections where discomfort is felt or uneasiness is felt during vehicle boarding are different for each user. Also, by providing such a map to the user boarding the vehicle 200, it is possible to let the user grasp the location of the roads where he / she feels discomfort or uneasiness. As described above, the map creation system 100b of the present embodiment can also create a map in which vital information is recorded for each user.

[0049] Furthermore, by combining the map features described above, it is possible to create maps that specify multiple attributes such as attribute information, seat, and driver. This makes it possible to perform cross-analysis combining these elements. For example, it becomes possible to understand the differences between sections where a child felt uncomfortable or anxious when sitting in the back seat and sections where a child felt uncomfortable or anxious when sitting in the front passenger seat.

[0050] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described in which a function for measuring a person's stress level is added to the map creation system. Figure 18 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The difference from the second embodiment shown in Figure 9 is that a second measurement unit 107 for measuring a person's stress level is added to the map creation system 100c, and the operation of the measurement unit 102c and the map management unit 103c has been modified. The other configurations are almost the same as in the second embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0051] When the measurement unit 102c measures the vital sign values ​​of a person in the image, it outputs location information, the person's vital sign values, attribute information of the person, and seating information to the map management unit 103b. Furthermore, the measurement unit 102c sends the image or vital sign values ​​used for measurement to the second measurement unit 107.

[0052] The second measurement unit 107 measures the stress level of a person in an image based on the image or vital sign values ​​received from the measurement unit 102c. This stress level can be measured, for example, from the facial expression and eye movements of the person in the image. Alternatively, the stress level can be measured based on the behavior of vital sign values. It is generally known that when stress levels are high, breathing becomes shallow and short. It is also known that when stressed, heart rate (pulse rate) increases. By utilizing these, the stress level of a person can be measured.

[0053] The map management unit 103c uses the information obtained from the measurement unit 102c and the stress status received from the second measurement unit 107 to create a map on the map information storage unit 104 that records the stress status at each location.

[0054] Figure 19 shows an example of a map created by the map creation system 100c of this embodiment. In the example in Figure 19, a map is shown on the left side where sections where abnormal vital information was observed are represented by thick arrows, and a map is shown on the right side where sections where high stress levels were observed are represented by thick arrows. By referring to such maps, it becomes possible to identify sections that may cause stress to the occupants. Furthermore, by comparing the map showing abnormal vital information with the map showing stress levels, it becomes easier to investigate the factors causing stress. Of course, in this embodiment as well, maps may be created for age, gender, seat type, and driver type, similar to the third embodiment.

[0055] [Fifth Embodiment] Next, a fifth embodiment will be described in which a function for measuring the level of alertness of a person is added to the map creation system. Figure 20 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. The difference from the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 18 is that a third measurement unit 108 for measuring the level of alertness of a person is added to the map creation system 100d, and the operation of the map management unit 103d has been changed. The other configurations are almost the same as those of the fourth embodiment, so the differences in operation will be explained below.

[0056] The third measurement unit 108 acquires an image from the acquisition unit 101 and measures the level of alertness of the person in the image. This level of alertness is a quantitative measure of how alert a person is, and can be expressed as a three-level value such as high, medium, or low. Such a level of alertness can be estimated, for example, based on the image of the person's eyes. For example, if a person's eyes tend to be closed and there is little pupil movement, the level of alertness will be "low". Conversely, if a person's eyes are open and moving appropriately, the level of alertness will be "high". In addition to the level of alertness, similar indicators such as eye opening rate can also be used.

[0057] The map management unit 103d uses the information obtained from the measurement unit 102c and the alertness level received from the third measurement unit 108 to create a map on the map information storage unit 104 that records the alertness level at each location.

[0058] Figure 21 shows an example of a map created by the map creation system 100d of this embodiment. In the example in Figure 21, a map is shown on the left side where sections where abnormal vital information was observed are represented by thick arrows, and a map is shown on the right side where sections where a low level of alertness was observed are represented by thick arrows. By referring to such maps, it becomes possible to identify sections where the occupant's level of alertness decreases. In addition, by comparing the map showing abnormal vital information with the map showing the level of alertness, it becomes easier to investigate the factors causing the decrease in alertness. Of course, as in the third embodiment, maps may also be created for age, gender, seat type, and driver type.

[0059] Furthermore, the map management unit 103d can use the stress state received from the second measurement unit 107 and the arousal level received from the third measurement unit 108 to create a map on the map information storage unit 104 that records the stress state and arousal level at each location.

[0060] Figure 22 shows another example of a map created by the map creation system 100d of this embodiment. In the example in Figure 22, a map is shown with thick arrows indicating sections where high stress levels were observed (left side), and a map is shown with thick arrows indicating sections where low levels of arousal were observed (right side). By comparing the two, for example, it can be seen that between points A and B on the map in Figure 22, both stress levels and arousal levels are low. Such sections can be estimated to be sections that induce drowsiness, and can be shown as sections on the map, for example, as in Figure 23. Providing such information to road administrators can encourage road improvements, etc.

[0061] While the embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of this disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representations shown in the drawings are examples to aid in understanding this disclosure and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0062] For example, in the first to fifth embodiments described above, the maps created by the map creation systems 100 to 100d were provided to the user terminal 500. However, the use of the maps is not limited to providing them to the user terminal. For example, the map creation systems 100 to 100d may provide a map containing the vital information described above to a system that manages dynamic maps. This would enable the system that manages dynamic maps to create recommended routes for each vehicle and occupant.

[0063] (Regarding Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of this disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of each component of each device is realized by any combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in Figure 24. Figure 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: ・CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 ・ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 ・RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 ・Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 ・Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 ・Drive device 907 that reads and writes to the recording medium 906 ・Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 ・Input / output interface 910 that performs data input and output ・Bus 911 that connects each component

[0064] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes these functions. That is, the CPU 901 in Figure 24 executes an image analysis program and a map management program, and performs update processing of each calculation parameter held in RAM 903, storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the functions of each component of each device is, for example, stored in advance in storage device 905 or ROM 902, and read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via a communication network 909, or it may be stored in advance in a recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0065] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Alternatively, multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each part (processing means, function) of the map creation system described above can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor mounted on the device to execute the above-described processes using its hardware.

[0066] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device are realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may consist of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0067] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0068] When some or all of the components of each device are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-and-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0069] The embodiments described above are preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure to these embodiments alone. That is, a person skilled in the art can modify or substitute the embodiments described above to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0070] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following.

[0071] [Note 1] A map creation system comprising: acquisition means for acquiring images of a user riding in a vehicle; measurement means for analyzing the image of the user in the image and measuring the user's vital information; and map management means for creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user in association with the location of the vehicle. [Note 2] The map creation system described above further comprises: means for identifying the user; and storage means for storing the normal values ​​of the user's vital information. The map management means can be configured to create a map that records the locations where the user's vital information deviates from the normal values ​​of the user's vital information. [Note 3] The map creation system described above can collect images from multiple vehicles. The map management means can be configured to create a map that records the locations where the vital information of multiple users deviates from the normal values ​​of each user's vital information. [Note 4] The map creation system described above further comprises means for identifying the user's attributes. The map management means can be configured to manage the attributes of the multiple users and create a map that can be switched on display for each attribute. [Note 5] The map creation system described above further includes means for identifying the user's seat, and the map management means can be configured to create a map for each seat in the vehicle recording the vital information of users who have previously ridden in it. [Note 6] The map creation system described above further includes means for identifying the driver, and the map management means can be configured to create a map for each driver of the vehicle recording the vital information of users who have previously ridden in it. [Note 7] The map creation system described above further includes means for identifying the user, and the map management means can be configured to create a map for each user recording their vital information. [Note 8] The map creation system described above further includes a second measurement means for measuring the user's stress state from the user's image or vital information, and the map management means can be configured to create a map recording the user's stress state.[Note 9] The map creation system described above may further include a third measuring means for measuring the user's level of alertness from the user's image, and the map management means may be configured to create a map recording the user's level of alertness. [Note 10] The map creation system described above may be configured to create a map recording the sections that induce drowsiness based on the user's stress state and level of alertness. [Note 11] The map creation system described above may be configured to provide the map to a predetermined car navigation system and cause the system to calculate the route to the destination by referring to the user's vital information in the map. [Note 12] A map creation method comprising: acquiring an image of a user riding in a vehicle; analyzing the user's image in the image to measure the user's vital information; and creating a map recording the measured user's vital information in conjunction with the vehicle's location. [Note 13] A recording medium that records a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process of acquiring images of a user riding in a vehicle; a process of analyzing the image of the user in the said image to measure the user's vital information; and a process of creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle. The forms described in each of the above notes can be combined with each other after making the necessary modifications. For example, a configuration that combines the contents of Note 2 and the contents of Note 3, collects images from multiple vehicles, and creates a map that records the parts of the vital information of users riding in multiple vehicles that deviate from normal values ​​is also included in the scope of disclosure of this specification. The forms described in Notes 12 to 13 can be expanded into the forms of Notes 2 to 11, similar to Note 1.

[0072] Furthermore, each disclosure in the above-mentioned patent documents is incorporated into this document by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure as necessary. Within the framework of this disclosure (including the claims), further modifications and adjustments to the embodiments or examples are possible based on their fundamental technical concept. Also, within the framework of this disclosure, various combinations or selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes the entire disclosure, including the claims, and various modifications and alterations that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the technical concept. In particular, with respect to the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or sub-range included within that range should be interpreted as being specifically described, even if not otherwise stated. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-mentioned cited documents may, as necessary, be used in part or in whole as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, and this is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of this application.

[0073] 10, 100, 100a-100d Map creation system 11 Acquisition means 12 Measurement means 13 Map management means 101 Acquisition unit 102, 102a-102d Measurement unit 103, 103a-103d Map management unit 104 Map information storage unit 105, 105b Personal identification unit 106, 106b User information storage unit 107 Second measurement unit 108 Third measurement unit 200 Vehicle 500 User terminal 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive unit 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus C Camera

Claims

1. A map creation system comprising: acquisition means for acquiring images of a user riding in a vehicle; measurement means for analyzing the image of the user in the image and measuring the user's vital information; and map management means for creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user and links it to the location of the vehicle.

2. The map creation system according to claim 1, further comprising means for identifying the user and storage means for storing normal values ​​of the user's vital information, wherein the map management means creates a map recording locations where the user's vital information deviates from the normal values ​​of the user's vital information.

3. The map creation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the images can be collected from multiple vehicles, and the map management means creates a map recording the locations where the vital information of multiple users deviates from the normal values ​​of each user's vital information.

4. The map creation system according to claim 3, further comprising means for identifying the user's attributes, wherein the map management means manages the attributes for the plurality of users and creates a map that can be displayed or switched for each attribute.

5. The map creation system according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising means for identifying the user's seat, wherein the map management means creates a map for each seat in the vehicle recording the vital information of users who have previously ridden in it.

6. A map creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising means for identifying the driver, wherein the map management means creates a map for each driver of the vehicle that records the vital information of users who have ridden in the vehicle in the past.

7. A map creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means for identifying the user, wherein the map management means creates a map recording vital information for each user.

8. A map creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a second measuring means for measuring the user's stress state from the user's image or vital information, wherein the map management means creates a map recording the user's stress state.

9. A map creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a third measuring means for measuring the user's level of alertness from the user's image, wherein the map management means creates a map recording the user's level of alertness.

10. The map creation system according to claim 9, wherein the map management means creates a map recording the sections that induce drowsiness based on the user's stress level and level of alertness.

11. A map creation system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which provides the map to a predetermined car navigation system and causes the system to calculate a route to a destination by referring to the user's vital information in the map.

12. A method for creating a map, comprising: acquiring an image of a user riding in a vehicle; analyzing the image of the user in the image to measure the user's vital information; and creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle.

13. A recording medium that contains a program that causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquiring an image of a user riding in a vehicle; analyzing the image of the user in the image to measure the user's vital information; and creating a map that records the measured vital information of the user, linked to the location of the vehicle.

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