Driving skill evaluation device and vehicle

The driving skill evaluation device adjusts output based on passenger presence to ensure drivers receive constructive feedback privately, addressing the embarrassment issue and encouraging its use even with passengers.

WO2026105293A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-05-21SUBARU CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
SUBARU CORP
Filing Date
2024-11-15
Publication Date
2026-05-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing driving skill evaluation systems discourage drivers from using the assessment function when passengers are present due to embarrassment about revealing their driving deficiencies.

Method used

A driving skill evaluation device that determines the presence of passengers and adjusts the output method and content of skill evaluations, such as canceling or altering the presentation of critical feedback when passengers are present, ensuring the driver receives praise and constructive feedback without sharing sensitive information with them.

Benefits of technology

Enables drivers to perform skill evaluations without feeling intimidated by potential embarrassment, maintaining a positive evaluation experience even with passengers, thus increasing the likelihood of using the evaluation feature.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

A driving skill evaluation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is capable of performing the processes of evaluating the skill of the driver of a vehicle on the basis of travel data, and when it is determined that there is a fellow passenger in the vehicle on the basis of fellow passenger data, presenting a skill evaluation to the driver of the vehicle by using an output method and output details that are different from the output method and output details used for the skill evaluation when it is determined that there is no fellow passenger in the vehicle.
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Description

Driving Skill Evaluation Device and Vehicle

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

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

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-31050, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-41407, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-17047

[0004] A driving skill evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires passenger data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle, and a processing unit that can process the passenger data and the driving data. The processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving data, and when it is determined that there is a passenger in the vehicle based on the passenger data, the processing unit can perform a process of presenting a skill evaluation to the driver of the vehicle with an output method and output content different from those when it is determined that there is no passenger in the vehicle.

[0005] A vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires passenger data of the vehicle and driving data of the vehicle, and a processing unit that can process the passenger data and the driving data. The processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving data, and when it is determined that there is a passenger in the vehicle based on the passenger data, the processing unit can perform a process of presenting a skill evaluation to the driver of the vehicle with an output method and output content different from those when it is determined that there is no passenger in the vehicle.

[0006] The accompanying drawings are provided for further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in this specification and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings show an embodiment and serve to explain the principle of the present disclosure together with the specification.

[0007] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a driving skill evaluation device according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a modified example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle equipped with the driving skill evaluation device described in Figures 1, 2 to 7. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a driving skill evaluation device according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a portable terminal that can communicate with the driving skill evaluation device of Figure 9. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the notification processing procedure for skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation device shown in Figure 9. Figure 12 is a diagram showing a modified example of the notification processing procedure for skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation device shown in Figure 9. Figure 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle equipped with the driving skill evaluation device described in Figure 9.

[0008] <1. Background> In recent years, various technologies for evaluating a driver's driving skills have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). In the invention described in Patent Document 1, if the driver is a novice, the diagnostic results for a small number of diagnostic items are displayed as the driving skills diagnostic results, making it easy for novice drivers to see which items they should focus on mastering.

[0009] By the way, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, if a driver with insufficient driving skills undergoes a driving skills assessment, there is a high probability that the assessment results will include information pointing out the driver's lack of skill. Such information is something that drivers would rather not have others know. Therefore, when driving a vehicle with a passenger, the driver may hesitate to use the driving skills assessment function out of embarrassment for the passenger. In this case, there was a problem in that the opportunities to use the driving skills assessment function decreased.

[0010] Inventions relating to the presentation of information to passengers are disclosed, for example, in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 2 and 3.

[0011] In the invention described in Patent Document 2, if an abnormal condition is observed in the driver, and the abnormal condition is not such that it interferes with driving, the abnormal condition is notified only to the driver; if the abnormal condition is such that it interferes with driving, the abnormal condition is also notified to the passengers. In the invention described in Patent Document 3, in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving, the driving status of the vehicle related to autonomous driving is presented to the passengers as graphical information for passengers, separate from the information presented to the driver.

[0012] Patent documents 2 and 3 do not disclose any methods for dealing with situations where the information presented to the passenger includes information that the driver does not want the passenger to know.

[0013] It is desirable to provide a driving skills evaluation device and vehicle that allows the driver to perform driving skills evaluations without feeling intimidated, even when there are passengers present.

[0014] Hereinafter, several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is intended to illustrate specific examples of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure. For example, elements such as numerical values, shapes, materials, parts, the location of each part, and the method of connecting each part are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure. Furthermore, in the following exemplary embodiments, components not described in separate sections based on the highest-level concepts of the present disclosure are optional and may be provided as needed. The drawings are schematic and are not intended to be to scale. Throughout this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function and substantially the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, components not directly related to an embodiment of the present disclosure are not shown in the drawings.

[0015] <2. First Embodiment> [Configuration Example] An example of the configuration of the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 shows a schematic configuration example of the driving skill evaluation device 100. The driving skill evaluation device 100 is a device that can evaluate the driver's proficiency (skill) in driving operations and present the evaluation result (skill evaluation) to the driver.

[0016] The skills evaluation includes positive evaluations and evaluations of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills. A positive evaluation corresponds to one specific example of the "first evaluation" according to one embodiment of this disclosure. An evaluation of areas for improvement corresponds to one specific example of the "second evaluation" according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0017] Positive evaluations refer to comments that praise safe driving and operations that lead to stable vehicle behavior. Positive evaluations include, for example, specific operations that are praised and evaluation values ​​corresponding to those specific operations. Evaluations that need improvement include evaluations related to safety and evaluations related to ride comfort. Evaluations related to safety correspond to one specific example of the "third evaluation" in one embodiment of this disclosure. Evaluations related to ride comfort correspond to one specific example of the "fourth evaluation" in one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0018] Safety-related evaluations refer to content that encourages improvements to operations that could lead to dangerous driving. Ride comfort-related evaluations refer to content that encourages improvements to operations that could lead to unstable vehicle behavior. Both safety-related and ride comfort-related evaluations include, for example, specific operations that should be improved and evaluation values ​​corresponding to those specific operations.

[0019] The driving skills evaluation device 100 includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a processing unit 130, and a notification unit 140, as shown in Figure 1.

[0020] The sensor unit 110 includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera 111 and a vehicle state sensor 112, as shown in Figure 1.

[0021] The in-vehicle camera 111 is a camera installed inside the vehicle and is positioned so that the faces of all occupants in the vehicle are within its field of view. Occupants include the driver sitting in the driver's seat and passengers sitting in the front passenger seat or rear seat. The in-vehicle camera 111 is capable of outputting the image data obtained by imaging as occupant data Da to the processing unit 130. Occupant data Da corresponds to one specific example of "passenger data" according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] The vehicle state quantity sensor 112 is capable of detecting vehicle state quantities, which are information indicating the state of the vehicle during the driver's operation. The vehicle state quantity sensor 112 is capable of outputting time-series data of the detected vehicle state quantities as vehicle state quantity data Db to the processing unit 130. The vehicle state quantity sensor 112 is composed of sensors capable of detecting vehicle state quantities, such as a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a steering angle sensor.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor is capable of detecting the speed of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor can output time-series data (vehicle speed data) of the detected vehicle speed as vehicle state variable data Db to the processing unit 130. The acceleration sensor is capable of detecting the acceleration applied to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor can output time-series data (acceleration data) of the three detected acceleration directions (longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, vertical acceleration) as vehicle state variable data Db to the processing unit 130. The angular velocity sensor is capable of detecting the angular velocity of the vehicle. The angular velocity sensor can output time-series data (angular velocity data) of the three detected angular velocities (yaw angular velocity (yaw rate), roll angular velocity, pitch angular velocity) as vehicle state variable data Db to the processing unit 130. The steering angle sensor is capable of detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel of vehicle 1. The steering angle sensor is capable of outputting time-series data (steering angle data) of the detected steering angle to the processing unit 130 as vehicle state data Db.

[0024] The storage unit 120 is composed of, for example, non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, or resistive random-access memory. The storage unit 120 stores, for example, map data 121 and driving history 122, as shown in Figure 1.

[0025] Map data 121 includes high-precision road map information (dynamic map). This high-precision road map information primarily contains road information.

[0026] Road information consists of, for example, roads and structures on roads, structures surrounding roads, lane information, road surface information, and permanent regulatory information. "Roads" include, for example, road location and shape information, as well as intersection and road attribute information (e.g., national roads, prefectural roads, municipal roads, private roads, priority roads, non-priority roads, general roads, expressways, number of lanes, presence or absence of a median strip, presence or absence of a right-turn-only lane, time-staggered traffic, pedestrian-vehicle separation). "Structures on roads" include, for example, traffic signs, traffic lights, convex mirrors, pedestrian overpasses, and bus stops. "Structures surrounding roads" include, for example, various buildings and parks.

[0027] The driving history 122 is data that shows the number of times and frequency of travel on roads that the driver has previously traveled on (hereinafter referred to as "previously traveled roads"), which are included in the road information of the map data 121. The driving history 122 is, for example, a table data that associates the location information of previously traveled roads with the number of times and frequency of travel on those previously traveled roads.

[0028] The processing unit 130 includes, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a crew identification unit 132, a skills evaluation unit 133, and an output control unit 134, as shown in Figure 1. The data acquisition unit 131 corresponds to one specific example of the "acquisition unit" according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The crew identification unit 132, the skills evaluation unit 133, and the output control unit 134 correspond to one specific example of the "processing unit" according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The crew identification unit 132, the skills evaluation unit 133, and the output control unit 134 are, for example, ECUs (Electronic Control Units) and are configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0029] The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring data output from the sensor unit 110 (occupant data Da and vehicle state data Db) and data stored in the storage unit 120 (map data 121 and driving history 122). The data acquisition unit 131 is also capable of outputting the driver data Da acquired from the sensor unit 110 to the occupant identification unit 132.

[0030] The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring the driver's identifier (described later) from the occupant identification unit 132. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of acquiring map data 121 and data from the driving history 122 that is associated with the driver's identifier from the storage unit 120. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of outputting vehicle state quantity data Db acquired from the sensor unit 110 and data acquired from the storage unit 120 (map data 121 and data from the driving history 122 that is associated with the driver's identifier) ​​to the skill evaluation unit 133.

[0031] The data including vehicle status data Db, map data 121, and driving history data 122 associated with the driver's identifier corresponds to one specific example of "driving data" according to one embodiment of this disclosure. The data including vehicle status data Db, map data 121, and driving history data 122 associated with the driver's identifier is referred to as driving data Dd. The data acquisition unit 131 is capable of outputting the driving data Dd to the skill evaluation unit 133.

[0032] The crew identification unit 132 is capable of identifying drivers based on crew data Da. For example, the crew identification unit 132 can identify a driver whose face has features that match the facial features included in the crew data Da, from among multiple facial features registered as drivers. The crew identification unit 132 is capable of outputting the identifier of the identified driver to the data acquisition unit 131.

[0033] The crew identification unit 132 is also capable of detecting the presence or absence of passengers based on the crew data Da. The crew identification unit 132 is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating whether or not a passenger is present. If a passenger is detected, the crew identification unit 132 is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating the presence of a passenger. If no passenger is detected, the crew identification unit 132 is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating that no passenger is present.

[0034] The skill evaluation unit 133 is capable of performing a driver skill evaluation based on the driving data Dd. The skill evaluation unit 133 is also capable of outputting the results (skill evaluation) obtained from the driver skill evaluation to the output control unit 134.

[0035] The output control unit 134 is capable of determining the output method and content of the skill evaluation based on the passenger data included in the passenger data Da. The output control unit 134 is capable of performing the process of outputting the determined output content using the determined output method. When the output control unit 134 determines, based on the passenger data Da, that there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of performing the process of presenting the skill evaluation to the vehicle driver using a different output method and content than when it is determined that there is no passenger in the vehicle. In the following, the skill evaluation will include both positive evaluations and evaluations indicating areas for improvement.

[0036] The output control unit 134 can determine the output method and content of the skill evaluation based on the skill evaluation obtained by the skill evaluation unit 133 and a flag obtained by the occupant identification unit 132 indicating whether or not there is a passenger. When the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is no passenger in the vehicle, the output control unit 134 can perform processing to output both a positive evaluation and an evaluation requiring improvement. Specifically, when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is no passenger in the vehicle, the output control unit 134 can generate a video signal to notify both the positive evaluation and the evaluation requiring improvement in video and output it to the notification unit 140. Furthermore, the output control unit 134 can generate an audio signal to notify both the positive evaluation and the evaluation requiring improvement in audio and output it to the notification unit 140.

[0037] The output control unit 134 is capable of performing a process to stop outputting the "needs improvement" evaluation and outputting a positive evaluation when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is an occupant in the vehicle. The output control unit 134 is capable of generating a non-notification log indicating, for example, that it will not generate a video signal to notify the "needs improvement" evaluation visually or an audio signal to notify the "needs improvement" evaluation audibly, when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is an occupant in the vehicle, and storing it in the storage unit 120. The output control unit 134 is capable of generating a video signal to notify the positive evaluation visually and outputting it to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 134 is also capable of generating an audio signal to notify the positive evaluation audibly and outputting it to the notification unit 140.

[0038] The notification unit 140 has a display panel capable of displaying images based on video signals obtained from the output control unit 134. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel. The notification unit 140 has a speaker capable of outputting voice messages based on audio signals obtained from the output control unit 134. When a video signal is input from the output control unit 134, the notification unit 140 is capable of displaying images based on the input video signal. When an audio signal is input from the output control unit 134, the notification unit 140 is capable of outputting voice messages based on the input audio signal.

[0039] [Operation] Next, the operation of the driving skills evaluation device 100 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows an example of the notification processing procedure for skills evaluation in the driving skills evaluation device 100. In the following, it will be assumed that the skills evaluation includes both positive evaluations and evaluations indicating areas for improvement.

[0040] First, the driving skills evaluation device 100 determines whether the skills evaluation function is turned on or off (step S101). The skills evaluation function can be turned on or off by input to, for example, the vehicle's center panel display. If the skills evaluation function is turned on (step S101; Y), the driving skills evaluation device 100 identifies the driver based on the occupant data Da (step S102). Subsequently, the driving skills evaluation device 100 performs an evaluation of the driver's driving skills (skill evaluation) based on the identified driver's driving data Dd (step S103).

[0041] Next, the driving skill evaluation device 100 detects the presence or absence of a passenger based on the passenger data Da (step S104). When there is no passenger (step S104; N), the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies both a positive evaluation and an evaluation requiring improvement by video and voice (step S105). When there is a passenger (step S104; Y), the driving skill evaluation device 100 performs a process of canceling the output of the evaluation requiring improvement and notifies the positive evaluation by video and voice (step S106). The driving skill evaluation device 100 continuously performs the skill evaluation as long as the skill evaluation function is not turned off (step S107; N). In this way, the notification process of the skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation device 100 is performed.

[0042] [Effect] Next, the effect of the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0043] In the present embodiment, the skill of the driver of the vehicle is evaluated based on the running data Dd. When it is determined that there is a passenger in the vehicle based on the passenger data Da, a process of presenting a skill evaluation to the driver of the vehicle is performed with an output method and output content different from the output method and output content of the skill evaluation when it is determined that there is no passenger in the vehicle. As a result, when there is a passenger, the possibility that information that the passenger does not want to know very much, such as an evaluation requiring improvement regarding the driving skill of the driver, is transmitted to the passenger is reduced. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can execute the driving skill evaluation without being discouraged.

[0044] In the present embodiment, when there is no passenger in the vehicle, a process of outputting both a positive evaluation and an evaluation requiring improvement is performed, and when there is a passenger in the vehicle, the output of the evaluation requiring improvement is canceled and a process of outputting a positive evaluation is performed. As a result, when there is a passenger, the possibility that information that the passenger does not want to know very much, such as an evaluation requiring improvement regarding the driving skill of the driver, is transmitted to the passenger is eliminated. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can execute the driving skill evaluation without being discouraged.

[0045] <3. Variations of the First Embodiment> Next, variations of the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0046] [Variation 1-1] In the above embodiment, the output control unit 134 may be capable of performing a process of canceling the voice output of the evaluation that needs improvement when there is a passenger in the vehicle. At this time, the output control unit 134 can generate a video signal for notifying the evaluation that needs improvement in video and output it to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 134 can further generate a non-notification log indicating that it does not generate an audio signal for notifying the evaluation that needs improvement in audio, and store it in the storage unit 120.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows an example of the notification processing procedure of the skill evaluation in the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to this variation. In this variation, the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies a positive evaluation in video and audio at step S106, and notifies the evaluation that needs improvement in video at step S108 following step S106. As a result, when there is a passenger, the possibility that information that the passenger may not want to know, such as an evaluation that needs improvement regarding the driver's driving skill, is transmitted to the passenger is reduced. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can execute the driving skill evaluation without being discouraged.

[0048] [Variation 1-2] In the above embodiment, the output control unit 134 may be capable of performing a process of outputting both a positive evaluation and an evaluation that needs improvement in video instead of audio when there is a passenger in the vehicle. At this time, the output control unit 134 can generate a video signal for notifying a positive evaluation and an evaluation that needs improvement in video and output it to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 134 can further generate a non-notification log indicating that it does not generate an audio signal for notifying a positive evaluation and an evaluation that needs improvement in audio, and store it in the storage unit 120.

[0049] Figure 4 shows an example of the skill evaluation notification process procedure in the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to this modified version. In this modified version, the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies both positive evaluations and evaluations requiring improvement using only video in step S109, which is provided instead of step S106. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would rather not share with passengers, such as evaluations of areas requiring improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, will be conveyed to passengers when they are present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when there are passengers present.

[0050] [Modification 1-3] In the above embodiment, the output control unit 134 may be capable of stopping the output of both positive evaluations and evaluations requiring improvement when there are passengers in the vehicle. In this case, the output control unit 134 is capable of generating a non-notification log indicating that it will not generate video signals and audio signals for notifying positive evaluations and evaluations requiring improvement via video and audio, and storing this log in the storage unit 120.

[0051] Figure 5 shows an example of the skill evaluation notification process procedure in the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to this modified example. In this modified example, the driving skill evaluation device 100 does not provide notification of the technical evaluation (both positive evaluations and evaluations indicating areas for improvement) in step S110, which is provided instead of step S106. This eliminates the possibility that information that the driver would rather not know, such as evaluations indicating areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, will be conveyed to passengers when they are present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when there are passengers present.

[0052] [Modification 1-4] In the above embodiment, the output control unit 134 may be capable of stopping the output of the ride comfort evaluation and outputting a positive evaluation and a safety evaluation when there is a passenger in the vehicle. In this case, the output control unit 134 is capable of generating a video signal for notifying the positive evaluation and the safety evaluation with video and outputting it to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 134 is also capable of generating an audio signal for notifying the positive evaluation and the safety evaluation with voice and outputting it to the notification unit 140. The output control unit 134 is also capable of generating a non-notification log indicating that it will not generate a video signal for notifying the ride comfort evaluation with video and an audio signal for notifying the ride comfort evaluation with voice, and storing it in the storage unit 120.

[0053] Figure 6 shows an example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to this modified example. In the following, the skill evaluation will include both positive evaluations and evaluations requiring improvement, and the evaluations requiring improvement will include both safety-related evaluations and ride comfort-related evaluations.

[0054] In this modified example, the driving skill evaluation device 100 performs steps S111, S112, and S113 instead of step S106. The driving skill evaluation device 100 determines whether or not the obtained skill evaluation includes safety-related evaluations (step S111). If the obtained skill evaluation includes safety-related evaluations (step S111; Y), the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies the positive evaluation and safety-related evaluations via video and audio (step S113). On the other hand, if the obtained skill evaluation does not include safety-related evaluations (step S111; N), the driving skill evaluation device 100 does not notify the skill evaluation (step S112). This eliminates the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations related to ride comfort, will be conveyed to passengers when there are passengers present. At the same time, information that should be conveyed to both the driver and passengers (safety-related evaluations) can be conveyed to both the driver and passengers. Therefore, even when there are passengers, the driver can perform the driving skills assessment without hesitation, and information that should be conveyed to both the driver and passengers (safety-related assessments) can be communicated to both the driver and passengers.

[0055] [Modification 1-5] In the above embodiment and modifications 1-1 to 1-4, the occupant identification unit 132 may be capable of detecting whether or not a passenger is sleeping based on the occupant data Da.

[0056] The occupant identification unit 132 is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating whether or not the passenger is asleep. If the occupant identification unit 132 detects that the passenger is asleep, it is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating that the passenger is asleep. If the occupant identification unit 132 detects that the passenger is not asleep, it is capable of outputting a flag to the output control unit 134 indicating that the passenger is not asleep.

[0057] The output control unit 134 can execute step S106 described in the above embodiment, steps S106 and S108 described in the above modification 1-1, S109 described in the above modification 1-2, S110 described in the above modification 1-3, or S111, S112, and S113 described in the above modification 1-4 when the flag indicating whether or not the passenger is sleeping indicates that the passenger is not sleeping.

[0058] The output control unit 134 is capable of outputting the skill evaluation (positive evaluation and evaluation requiring improvement) as video instead of audio when the flag indicating whether the passenger is asleep indicates that the passenger is asleep. The output control unit 134 is also capable of generating a video signal to notify the skill evaluation (positive evaluation and evaluation requiring improvement) as video and outputting it to the notification unit 140 when the flag indicating whether the passenger is asleep indicates that the passenger is asleep.

[0059] Figure 7 shows an example of the skill evaluation notification processing procedure in the driving skill evaluation device 100 according to this modified example. In this modified example, if there is a passenger (step S104; Y), the driving skill evaluation device 100 determines whether the passenger is asleep or not (step S114). If the passenger is not asleep, the driving skill evaluation device 100 executes step S106 as described in the above embodiment, steps S106 and S108 as described in Modified Example 1-1, S109 as described in Modified Example 1-2, S110 as described in Modified Example 1-3, or S111, S112, and S113 as described in Modified Example 1-4. On the other hand, if the passenger is asleep, the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies the positive evaluation and the evaluation of needing improvement via video (step S117).

[0060] In this modified version, when there is a passenger sleeping in the vehicle, the skills evaluation is output as a video instead of audio. This avoids stimulating the passenger with audio, allowing the skills evaluation to be conveyed to the driver without waking the passenger. As a result, the possibility of sensitive information, such as evaluations of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to the passenger is reduced. Therefore, even with a passenger present, the driver can perform the driving skills evaluation without hesitation.

[0061] [Example of application to vehicle 200] Figure 8 shows a schematic configuration example of a vehicle 200 equipped with a driving skills evaluation device 100. The vehicle 200 is equipped with a driving skills evaluation device 100 according to the first embodiment and modifications 1-1 to 1-4, and for example, as shown in Figure 8, it comprises a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a control unit 210, a notification unit 140, and a driving device 220.

[0062] The control unit 210 is, for example, an ECU and is composed of, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. The control unit 210 has, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a crew identification unit 132, a skill evaluation unit 133, an output control unit 134 and a driving control unit 211, as shown in Figure 8.

[0063] The driving control unit 211 includes, for example, an accelerator control unit, a brake control unit, and a steering control unit, and it is possible to control the driving device 220 using these control units. The driving device 220 includes, for example, a prime mover, brakes, and an EPS motor.

[0064] The accelerator control unit is capable of controlling the torque of the prime mover included in the running gear 220 based on the requested torque corresponding to the amount the driver of the vehicle 200 depresses the accelerator pedal. The prime mover is configured to drive the steering wheels of the vehicle 200 and is capable of driving the steering wheels of the vehicle 200 according to the requested torque input from the accelerator control unit.

[0065] The brake control unit is capable of controlling the torque (braking force) of the brakes included in the running gear 220 based on the requested torque corresponding to the amount the driver of the vehicle 200 presses the brake pedal. The brakes are configured to brake the steering wheels of the vehicle 200 and are capable of braking the steering wheels of the vehicle 200 according to the requested torque input from the brake control unit.

[0066] The steering control unit can derive a steering assist torque to assist the steering torque generated by the driver's steering wheel operation, and set an EPS torque corresponding to the derived steering assist torque. The steering control unit can output a control signal to the EPS motor included in the running gear 220 so that the output torque of the EPS motor becomes the set EPS torque. The EPS motor generates an output torque based on the input control signal and can control the steering angle of the steering wheel.

[0067] In vehicle 200, the output method and content of the skill evaluation are determined based on the passenger data Da, and the determined output content is output using the determined output method. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, may be conveyed to the passenger when one is present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when a passenger is present.

[0068] In the vehicle 200, the output control unit 134 may be capable of performing a process to stop the audio output of the evaluation of areas for improvement and instead outputting the evaluation of areas for improvement as a video when there is a passenger in the vehicle. In this case, when there is a passenger, the possibility of information that the driver does not want the passenger to know, such as the evaluation of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to the passenger is reduced. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can perform the driving skills evaluation without feeling intimidated.

[0069] In the vehicle 200, the output control unit 134 may be capable of outputting both positive and negative evaluations as video rather than audio when there is a passenger in the vehicle. In this case, when there is a passenger, the possibility of information that the driver would not want the passenger to know, such as an evaluation of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to the passenger is reduced. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can perform a driving skills evaluation without feeling intimidated.

[0070] In the vehicle 200, the output control unit 134 may be capable of stopping the output of both positive and negative evaluations when there is a passenger in the vehicle. In this case, when there is a passenger, there is no possibility that information that the driver would not want the passenger to know, such as an evaluation of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, will be conveyed to the passenger. As a result, even when there is a passenger, the driver can perform the driving skills evaluation without feeling intimidated.

[0071] In the vehicle 200, the output control unit 134 may be capable of stopping the output of ride comfort evaluations and outputting positive evaluations and safety evaluations when there are passengers in the vehicle. In this case, when there are passengers, there is no possibility that information that the driver would not want passengers to know, such as ride comfort evaluations, will be conveyed to them. On the other hand, information that should be conveyed not only to the driver but also to passengers (safety evaluations) can be conveyed to both the driver and passengers. Therefore, even when there are passengers, the driver can perform a driving skill evaluation without hesitation, and furthermore, information that should be conveyed not only to the driver but also to passengers (safety evaluations) can be conveyed to both the driver and passengers.

[0072] In the vehicle 200, the occupant identification unit 132 may be capable of detecting whether or not a passenger is asleep based on occupant data Da. This avoids giving the passenger any auditory stimuli, allowing the driver to receive skill evaluations without waking the passenger from sleep. As a result, when a passenger is present, the possibility of information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to the passenger is reduced. Therefore, even when a passenger is present, the driver can perform driving skill evaluations without hesitation.

[0073] <3. Second Embodiment> [Configuration Example] An example of the configuration of the driving skills evaluation device 300 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 9 shows a schematic configuration example of the driving skills evaluation device 300. The driving skills evaluation device 300 includes, for example, a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a processing unit 310, an HMI (Human-Machine Interface) 320, and a communication unit 330, as shown in Figure 9.

[0074] The driving skills evaluation device 300 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 400 via the communication unit 330. The mobile terminal 400 is equipped with a display capable of generating a video signal based on display data input from the driving skills evaluation device 300 and displaying video corresponding to the display data. The mobile terminal 400 is further equipped with a speaker capable of generating an audio signal based on audio data input from the driving skills evaluation device 300 and outputting an audio message corresponding to the audio data.

[0075] The processing unit 310 includes, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a crew identification unit 132, a skills evaluation unit 133, and an output control unit 311, as shown in Figure 9. The crew identification unit 132, the skills evaluation unit 133, and the output control unit 311 correspond to a specific example of the "processing unit" according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The crew identification unit 132, the skills evaluation unit 133, and the output control unit 311 are, for example, ECUs and are configured to include, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0076] The output control unit 311 is capable of determining the output method and content of the skill evaluation based on the occupant data Da. The output control unit 311 is capable of performing the process of outputting the determined output content using the determined output method. When the output control unit 311 determines, based on the occupant data Da, that there is an occupant in the vehicle, it is capable of performing the process of presenting the skill evaluation to the vehicle driver using a different output method and content than when it is determined that there is no occupant in the vehicle. In the following, the skill evaluation will include both positive evaluations and evaluations indicating areas for improvement.

[0077] The output control unit 311 is capable of determining the output method and content of the skill evaluation based on the skill evaluation obtained by the skill evaluation unit 133 and a flag obtained by the occupant identification unit 132 indicating whether or not there is a passenger. When the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is no passenger in the vehicle, the output control unit 311 is capable of outputting both a positive evaluation and an evaluation requiring improvement. Specifically, when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is no passenger in the vehicle, the output control unit 311 is capable of generating display data to notify both the positive evaluation and the evaluation requiring improvement visually and outputting it to the terminal device 400 via the communication unit 330. Furthermore, the output control unit 311 is capable of generating audio data to notify both the positive evaluation and the evaluation requiring improvement audibly and outputting it to the terminal device 400 via the communication unit 330.

[0078] The output control unit 311 is capable of outputting both positive and negative evaluations as video rather than audio when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is an occupant in the vehicle. When the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 indicates that there is an occupant in the vehicle, the output control unit 311 is capable of generating display data to notify both positive and negative evaluations as video, for example, and outputting it to the mobile terminal 400 via the communication unit 330. Furthermore, the output control unit 311 is capable of generating a non-notification log indicating that it will not generate audio data to notify both positive and negative evaluations as audio, and storing it in the storage unit 120.

[0079] Figure 10 shows a schematic example of the configuration of the HMI 320 when it is composed of the HMI of the vehicle 500. The HMI 320 is composed of, for example, a steering wheel 321, an accelerator pedal 322, a brake pedal 323, an instrument panel display 324, a center panel display 325, a speaker 326, and a microphone 327, as shown in Figure 10.

[0080] The mobile terminal 400 is installed in a location where its display is difficult for passengers to see, but is easily visible to the driver. For example, as shown in Figure 10, the mobile terminal 400 is detachably fixed to a holder 340 installed at the passenger-side end of the meter panel display 324, and the display of the mobile terminal 400 is fixed to the holder 340 facing the driver. In this case, it is difficult for passengers in the front passenger seat to see the display of the mobile terminal 400. Also, since the display of the mobile terminal 400 is installed far away from passengers in the rear seats, it is difficult for them to see the display content of the mobile terminal 400's display in a way that they can understand.

[0081] [Operation] Next, the operation of the driving skills evaluation device 300 will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 shows an example of the notification processing procedure for skills evaluation in the driving skills evaluation device 300. In the following, it will be assumed that skills evaluation includes both positive evaluations and evaluations indicating areas for improvement.

[0082] First, the driving skills evaluation device 300 determines whether the skills evaluation function is turned on or not (step S201). If the skills evaluation function is turned on (step S201; Y), the driving skills evaluation device 300 identifies the driver based on the occupant data Da (step S202). Next, the driving skills evaluation device 300 performs an evaluation of the driver's driving skills (skill evaluation) based on the identified driver's driving data Dd (step S203).

[0083] Next, the driving skills evaluation device 300 detects the presence or absence of a passenger based on the passenger data Da (step S204). If there is no passenger (step S204; N), the driving skills evaluation device 300 notifies the mobile terminal 400 of both positive and negative evaluations via video and audio (step S205). If there is a passenger (step S204; Y), the driving skills evaluation device 300 stops the audio output of both positive and negative evaluations and notifies the mobile terminal 400 of both positive and negative evaluations via video (step S206). The driving skills evaluation device 300 continues to perform the skills evaluation unless the skills evaluation function is turned off (step S207; N). In this way, the skills evaluation notification process is performed in the driving skills evaluation device 300.

[0084] [Effects] Next, the effects of the driving skills evaluation device 300 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0085] In this embodiment, the driver's skills are evaluated based on driving data Dd. When it is determined that there is a passenger in the vehicle based on passenger data Da, the driver is presented with a skill evaluation using a different output method and content than when it is determined that there is no passenger. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, may be conveyed to the passenger when there is a passenger present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when there is a passenger.

[0086] In this embodiment, when there are no passengers in the vehicle, the system outputs both positive and negative evaluations. When there are passengers in the vehicle, the system outputs both positive and negative evaluations as images on the display of a portable terminal 400, which is installed in a location that is difficult for passengers to see but easy for the driver to see. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, may be conveyed to passengers when they are present. As a result, the driver can perform a driving skills evaluation without hesitation, even when there are passengers present.

[0087] <5. Modifications of the Second Embodiment> Next, a modification of the driving skill evaluation device 300 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0088] [Modification 5-1] In the second embodiment, a filter may be provided on the display surface of the mobile terminal 400 that is difficult for passengers to see but easy for the driver to see. In this case, the notification processing described in the second embodiment can be used as is, while increasing the degree of freedom in the installation position and orientation of the mobile terminal 400.

[0089] [Modification 5-2] In the second embodiment, the mobile terminal 400 may be equipped with a directional speaker that is difficult for passengers to see but easy for the driver to see. In this case, the driving skill evaluation device 300 is capable of performing notification processing using the directional speaker of the mobile terminal 400.

[0090] Figure 12 shows an example of the skill evaluation notification process procedure in the driving skill evaluation device 300 according to this modified example. In this modified example, the driving skill evaluation device 100 notifies the mobile terminal 400 of positive evaluations and evaluations requiring improvement via video and audio in step S208, instead of step S206. At this time, the audio message is output from the directional speaker of the mobile terminal 400. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would not want passengers to know, such as evaluations of areas requiring improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, will be conveyed to passengers when they are present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when there are passengers present.

[0091] [Example of application to vehicle 500] Figure 13 shows a schematic configuration example of a vehicle 500 equipped with a driving skills evaluation device 300. The vehicle 500 is equipped with a driving skills evaluation device 300 according to the second embodiment and modified examples 5-1 to 5-2, and for example, as shown in Figure 13, it comprises a sensor unit 110, a storage unit 120, a control unit 510, an HMI 320, a communication unit 330, and a driving device 220.

[0092] The control unit 510 is, for example, an ECU and is composed of, for example, one or more processors and one or more memories. The control unit 510 has, for example, a data acquisition unit 131, a crew identification unit 132, a skill evaluation unit 133, an output control unit 311 and a driving control unit 211, as shown in Figure 13.

[0093] In vehicle 500, the output method and content of the skill evaluation are determined based on the passenger data Da, and the determined output content is output using the determined output method. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as evaluations of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, may be conveyed to the passenger when one is present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skill evaluation without hesitation, even when a passenger is present.

[0094] In vehicle 500, when there are no passengers in vehicle 500, processing is performed to output both a positive evaluation and an evaluation of areas needing improvement. When there are passengers in vehicle 500, processing is performed to output both the positive evaluation and the evaluation of areas needing improvement as video on the display of a portable terminal 400, which is installed in a location that is difficult for passengers to see but easy for the driver to see. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would rather not share with passengers, such as evaluations of areas needing improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, will be conveyed to passengers when there are passengers present. As a result, even when there are passengers, the driver can perform a driving skill evaluation without hesitation.

[0095] In the vehicle 500, a filter may be provided on the display surface of the mobile terminal 400 that is difficult for passengers to see but easy for the driver to see. In this case, the notification processing described in the second embodiment can be used as is, while increasing the degree of freedom in the installation position and orientation of the mobile terminal 400.

[0096] In the vehicle 500, the mobile terminal 400 may be equipped with a directional speaker that is difficult for passengers to hear but easy for the driver to hear. In this case, since the voice message is output from the directional speaker of the mobile terminal 400, the possibility of information that the driver does not want passengers to know, such as an evaluation of areas for improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to passengers when passengers are present is reduced. As a result, even when passengers are present, the driver can perform the driving skills evaluation without hesitation.

[0097] The effects described herein are illustrative only, and the effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described herein. Therefore, other effects may be obtained with respect to this disclosure.

[0098] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, and their variations, when there are no passengers, the output control units 134 and 311 may be capable of performing notification control for when there are no passengers, that is, processing to output an evaluation of needing improvement. The output control units 134 and 311 may be capable of performing processing to output an evaluation of needing improvement in at least one of video and audio when the flag obtained from the occupant identification unit 132 initially indicated that there were passengers in the vehicle, but at some point indicated that there were no passengers in the vehicle. In this case, the possibility of information that you do not want passengers to know, such as an evaluation of needing improvement regarding the driver's driving skills, being conveyed to passengers can be reduced.

[0099] Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the following forms: (1) A driving skill evaluation device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires passenger data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit that can process the passenger data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the vehicle driver based on the driving data, and when it determines based on the passenger data that there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is possible to perform a process to present the skill evaluation to the vehicle driver in a different output method and output content than when it determines that there is no passenger in the vehicle. (2) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation when there is no passenger in the vehicle, and when there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is possible to perform a process to stop outputting the second evaluation and output the first evaluation. (3) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations by voice when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of outputting the first evaluation by voice and ceasing the output of the second evaluation by voice when there is a passenger in the vehicle. (4) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations by voice when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations by video instead of voice when there is a passenger in the vehicle.(5) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations by voice when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, and when there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of stopping the output of both the first and second evaluations. (6) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and the second evaluation includes a third evaluation related to safety and a fourth evaluation related to ride comfort, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of stopping the output of the fourth evaluation and outputting the first and third evaluations. (7) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as video on a display installed in a location that is difficult for the passenger to see but is easily visible to the driver, when the skill evaluation includes a first positive evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle. (8) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as video on a display provided on the display surface with a filter that is difficult for the passenger to see but is easily visible to the driver, when the skill evaluation includes a first positive evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle. (9) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as audio from a directional speaker that is difficult for the passenger to hear but easy for the driver to hear, when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle.(10) The driving skill evaluation device according to (1), wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation as video instead of audio when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is a passenger sleeping in the vehicle. (11) A vehicle comprising an acquisition unit that acquires passenger data of the vehicle and driving data of the vehicle, and a processing unit capable of processing the passenger data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving data, and when it determines based on the passenger data that there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of presenting the skill evaluation to the driver of the vehicle in a different output method and output content than when it determines that there is no passenger in the vehicle.

[0100] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving skills evaluation device and vehicle perform a driving skills evaluation of the vehicle's driver based on driving data. Based on passenger data, the output method and content of the skills evaluation are determined, and the determined output content is output using the determined output method. This reduces the possibility that information that the driver would prefer not to know, such as an evaluation of areas for improvement in the driver's driving skills, may be conveyed to the passenger when a passenger is present. As a result, the driver can perform the driving skills evaluation without hesitation, even when a passenger is present.

[0101] The processing unit 130 shown in Figure 1, the control unit 210 shown in Figure 8, the processing unit 310 shown in Figure 9, and the control unit 510 shown in Figure 13 (hereinafter referred to as "various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc.") can be implemented by a circuit including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). At least one processor can be configured to execute all or part of the various functions of the various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc. by reading instructions from at least one non-temporary and tangible computer-readable medium. Such a medium can take various forms, including, but is not limited to, various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories such as volatile memory or non-volatile memory (i.e., semiconductor circuits). Volatile memory may include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memory may include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or some of the various functions in the various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc. An FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configurable after manufacturing to perform all or some of the various functions in the various functional units shown in Figure 1, etc.

Claims

1. A driving skill evaluation device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires passenger data of a vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit capable of processing the passenger data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the vehicle's driver based on the driving data, and when it determines that there is a passenger in the vehicle based on the passenger data, it is capable of presenting the skill evaluation to the vehicle's driver in a different output method and output content than when it determines that there is no passenger in the vehicle.

2. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of stopping the output of the second evaluation and outputting the first evaluation when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

3. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation by voice when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of outputting only the first evaluation by voice and ceasing the output of the second evaluation by voice when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

4. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as audio when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as video instead of audio when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

5. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation by voice when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is no passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation by voice, and when there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of stopping the output of both the first evaluation and the second evaluation.

6. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first and second evaluations when there is no passenger in the vehicle, and when there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of stopping the output of the fourth evaluation and outputting the first and third evaluations when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

7. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as video on a display installed in a location that is difficult for the passenger to see but easy for the driver to see, when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

8. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as video on a display provided on the display surface with a filter that is difficult for the passenger to see but easy for the driver to see, when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

9. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting both the first evaluation and the second evaluation as audio from a directional speaker that is difficult for the passenger to hear but easy for the driver to hear, when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

10. The driving skill evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is capable of outputting the skill evaluation as video instead of audio when the skill evaluation includes a positive first evaluation and a second evaluation that encourages improvement, and when there is a passenger sleeping in the vehicle.

11. A vehicle comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring passenger data of the vehicle and driving data of the vehicle; and a processing unit capable of processing the passenger data and the driving data, wherein the processing unit performs a skill evaluation of the vehicle's driver based on the driving data, and when it determines based on the passenger data that there is a passenger in the vehicle, it is capable of presenting the skill evaluation to the vehicle's driver in a different output method and output content than when it determines that there is no passenger in the vehicle.