Vehicle line adjustment device, vehicle line adjustment server, vehicle line adjustment method, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle line adjustment device, a vehicle line adjustment server, a vehicle line adjustment method, and a recording medium that can appropriately prompt a change in the order of vehicles among drivers of a vehicle group that performs platooning.　The vehicle line adjustment device comprises: an acquisition means for acquiring a face image of a driver of one vehicle of a vehicle group that performs platooning; a measurement means for measuring an alertness level of the driver on the basis of at least an eye opening degree in the face image of the driver; a determination means for determining, on the basis of the alertness level, whether a change in position of the one vehicle in the entire platoon is necessary; and a request means for requesting a driver of another vehicle of the vehicle group to change the position of the vehicle in the platoon when it is determined that the order of the one vehicle is to be changed.

Description

Train formation adjustment device, train formation adjustment server, train formation adjustment method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a train formation adjustment device, a train formation adjustment server, a train formation adjustment method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that can suppress a vehicle in which a driver who has difficulty taking over driving is located at the head of a queue. The driving support device described in the same document calculates an index representing the ease of a driver taking over driving based on the state of the driver. When it is determined that this index is below the above-mentioned lowering criterion, the driving support device instructs the queue running unit to lower the order of the first vehicle below the current order. This driving support device repeats the above processing, and in a situation where all vehicles are performing autonomous driving, when an abnormality occurs ahead, the takeover (switching to manual driving) is delayed because a driver who has difficulty taking over driving is driving at the head, so the order is constantly switched according to the above index.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-159711

[0004] In addition to queue running that automatically changes the order as in Patent Document 1, there are cases where a queue is formed by agreement among drivers. Even in such a queue, there are variations in the driver load between vehicles, so it is necessary to appropriately alternate.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a train formation adjustment device, a train formation adjustment server, a train formation adjustment method, and a recording medium that can appropriately prompt a change in the order of vehicles among drivers of a group of vehicles performing queue running.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a train formation adjustment device including: acquisition means for acquiring a face image of a driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles performing queue running; measurement means for measuring the arousal level of the driver based at least on the degree of opening of the eyes in the face image of the driver; determination means for determining whether or not to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire queue based on the arousal level; and request means for requesting other vehicle drivers in the vehicle group to change the position of the vehicle in the queue when it is determined to change the order of the one vehicle.

[0007] From a second perspective, a convoy adjustment server is provided, comprising: acquisition means for acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a convoy of vehicles; measurement means for measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; collection means for collecting the measured level of alertness from the convoy; determination means for determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and request means for requesting the driver of the vehicle whose position needs to be changed to change the position of the vehicle in the convoy, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle needs to be changed.

[0008] From a third perspective, a convoy adjustment method is provided which involves acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy, measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the facial image, determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness, and if it is determined that the order of the vehicle should be changed, requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy.

[0009] From a fourth perspective, a recording medium is provided which contains a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process of acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; a process of measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; a process of determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed, a process of requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy.

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a convoy adjustment device, a convoy adjustment server, a convoy adjustment method, and a recording medium that can appropriately prompt drivers of a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy to change the order of vehicles.

[0011] This figure shows 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 figure shows one configuration of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle terminal of the present disclosure. This is a sequence diagram for explaining 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 functional block diagram showing another configuration of the in-vehicle terminal of the present disclosure. This is another sequence a figure showing another configuration of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the in-vehicle terminal of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing another configuration of the in-vehicle terminal of the present disclosure. This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the convoy adjustment server of the present disclosure. This is another sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the present disclosure. This figure shows the configuration of the computer constituting the platooning support device or platooning support server of the present disclosure.

[0012] 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.

[0013] In one embodiment, this disclosure can be realized by a convoy adjustment device 10, as shown in Figure 1, which includes an acquisition means 11, a measurement means 12, a determination means 13, and a request means 14. More specifically, the acquisition means 11 acquires a facial image of the driver of one vehicle V in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy. This facial image can be acquired, for example, from a camera C mounted on the vehicle V. This "driver" includes not only the person who drives the vehicle V at all times, but also the person who drives the vehicle V only when necessary (for example, sometimes called a security officer).

[0014] The measuring means 12 measures the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image. The determination means 13 determines, based on the level of alertness, whether or not it is necessary to change the position of the first vehicle in the entire convoy. If the request means 14 determines that the order of the first vehicle should be changed, it requests the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy. The request to change the position of vehicle V in the convoy may be transmitted to the in-vehicle terminal of each vehicle, or it may be transmitted to the mobile terminal of each vehicle's driver that has been registered in advance.

[0015] The convoy adjustment device 10, configured as described above, operates as follows: First, the convoy adjustment device 10 acquires a facial image of the driver of one vehicle V in the group of vehicles traveling in a convoy (step S01 in Figure 2). Next, the convoy adjustment device 10 measures the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image (step S02 in Figure 2).

[0016] Next, the convoy adjustment device 10 determines, based on the level of alertness, whether or not it is necessary to change the position of the first vehicle in the entire convoy (step S03 in Figure 2). If the determination results in a decision to change the order of the first vehicle (Yes in step S03 in Figure 2), the convoy adjustment device 10 requests the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy (step S04 in Figure 2). If the determination in step S03 results in a decision to not change the order of the first vehicle (No in step S03 in Figure 2), the series of processes ends, and measurement and determination will be performed again when the next image is acquired.

[0017] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the present disclosure. In Figure 3, "one vehicle" is vehicle V1 at the leading position (or leading group) of the convoy, and the convoy adjustment device 10 is mounted on vehicle V1. In the following description, a higher value of the alertness level indicates a greater degree of alertness. If the alertness level of the driver of vehicle V1 is measured and is below a predetermined threshold, the convoy adjustment device 10 requests the driver of the following vehicle V2 to change the position of the vehicle in the convoy. This allows the driver of vehicle V1, whose alertness level has decreased, to have another driver take over driving at the leading position of the convoy.

[0018] The aforementioned "one vehicle" may be the leading vehicle (or leading group) in the convoy, but it may also be any other vehicle in the convoy. For example, the last vehicle Vn in the convoy requires attention to what is behind it and is considered to have the second greatest driving burden after the leading vehicle. By equipping the last vehicle Vn in the convoy with the convoy adjustment device 10, the alertness level of the driver of the last vehicle Vn can be measured, and if the alertness level is low, the driver of another vehicle in the convoy can be asked to take over driving at the last position in the convoy. In the example in Figure 3, the request for a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy is made to the driver of vehicle V2, but the request may also be made to the driver of any other vehicle. For example, the request may be made to the driver of a vehicle selected from the other vehicles in the convoy according to a predetermined criterion, or to the driver of a vehicle in a predetermined position in the convoy. In addition, the request for a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy may be made to the drivers of multiple vehicles.

[0019] Furthermore, the vehicle described as "Vehicle 1" and the vehicle on which the convoy adjustment device 10 is installed do not have to be the same vehicle. For example, the vehicle in the center of the convoy may acquire a facial image of the driver of Vehicle 1 via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, measure their level of alertness, and determine whether or not it is necessary to change the position of Vehicle 1. In this case, the request to change the position of a vehicle in the convoy can also be transmitted via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0020] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle requesting a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy may be lower than that of the driver of the "first vehicle." In that case, mediation may be conducted between the two vehicles. For example, if the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle requesting a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy is lower than that of the driver of the "first vehicle," the driver may request the other vehicles in the convoy to change their positions. Also, if the alertness level of the drivers of the other vehicles in the convoy is also lower than a predetermined threshold, the change in the position of the vehicles in the convoy may be canceled altogether, and the entire convoy may be advised to take a break. Furthermore, if, as a result of repeating the above request, it is found that the alertness level of the drivers of all vehicles in the convoy is lower than the threshold, the change in the position of the vehicles in the convoy may be canceled altogether, and the entire convoy may be advised to take a break.

[0021] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment using an in-vehicle terminal 100 equipped with a convoy adjustment device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 4 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 4, vehicles V1 to Vn that constitute a convoy of n vehicles are shown. Each of the vehicles V1 to Vn is equipped with an in-vehicle terminal 100. The vehicle in the leading position in Figure 4 is vehicle V1. There may be multiple vehicles in the leading position of the convoy, in which case the multiple vehicles traveling at the front form the leading group of the convoy.

[0022] Figure 5 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the in-vehicle terminal 100 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 5, the configuration includes an acquisition unit 101, a measurement unit 102, a determination unit 103, a communication unit 104, and a message transmission / reception unit 105.

[0023] The acquisition unit 101 acquires a facial image of the driver of the vehicle V (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the vehicle will be referred to as "vehicle V") from a camera C mounted on the vehicle V and sends the acquired image to the measurement unit 102. Such a camera C can be a driver monitoring camera or a drive recorder camera capable of recording the interior of the vehicle. This acquisition unit 101 corresponds to the acquisition means 11 described above.

[0024] The measurement unit 102 measures the driver's level of alertness based on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image and outputs it to the determination unit 103. This level of alertness is a quantitative measure of how alert a person is, and can be expressed as a value from 0 to 100. For example, if a person's eyes tend to close and their pupils do not move much, the level of alertness will be a low value (for example, 50). Conversely, if a person's eyes are open and moving appropriately, the level of alertness will be a high value (for example, 100). Alternatively, a similar index such as eye-opening rate can be calculated and used instead of the level of alertness. This measurement unit 102 corresponds to the measurement means 12 described above.

[0025] The determination unit 103 determines whether it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V in the entire convoy based on the driver's alertness level. If the determination determines that it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V in the entire convoy, the determination unit 103 instructs the message transmission / reception unit 105 to send a message to the other vehicles V requesting them to change their positions in the convoy. For example, if the driver's alertness level is below a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 103 determines that it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V. This threshold may be set to a different value for each position of vehicle V in the entire convoy. For example, the threshold may be set to 60 for the lead vehicle and 40 for the last vehicle, with different values ​​set for each position of vehicle V. In this way, the alertness level of the driver of the lead vehicle can be maintained at 61 or higher, and the alertness level of the driver of the last vehicle can be maintained at 41 or higher. This determination unit 103 corresponds to the determination means 13 described above.

[0026] When the message transmission / reception unit 105 receives a message transmission instruction from the determination unit 103, it creates a message requesting other vehicles V to change their position in the convoy and sends it to the communication unit 104. When the message transmission / reception unit 105 receives a response from the communication unit 104 to the request to change the position of the vehicles in the convoy, it displays the content of the response on the vehicle's display device 109. This message transmission / reception unit 105 corresponds to a receiving means for receiving acceptance notifications from the drivers of other vehicles who accept the request.

[0027] The communication unit 104 transmits the message created by the message transmission / reception unit 105 to the on-board terminal 100 of another vehicle V. Furthermore, when the communication unit 104 receives a message from the on-board terminal 100 of another vehicle V, it sends it to the message transmission / reception unit 105. Such a communication unit 104 could also be a communication module for vehicle-to-vehicle communication during platooning. The message transmission / reception unit 105 and the communication unit 104 described above correspond to the request means 14 described above.

[0028] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram for illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. In the following description, an in-vehicle terminal mounted on vehicle Vn will be referred to as in-vehicle terminal 100-n. For example, in-vehicle terminal 100-1 is mounted on the leading vehicle V1 in the convoy, and in-vehicle terminal 100-2 is mounted on vehicle V2 following vehicle V1. In the following description, the operation of in-vehicle terminal 100-1 mounted on vehicle V1 will be described in detail. Referring to Figure 6, first, in-vehicle terminal 100-1 measures the driver's level of alertness from the driver's facial image at predetermined time intervals (step S001).

[0029] Next, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 determines, based on the alertness level, whether or not it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V1 within the entire convoy (step S002). Here, it is assumed that the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 determines that it is necessary to change the position of its own vehicle within the entire convoy. In this case, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 sends a message to the in-vehicle terminal 100-2 of vehicle V2 requesting that the vehicle change its position within the convoy (step S003).

[0030] Upon receiving the message, the in-vehicle terminal 100-2 of vehicle V2 displays a request for a change of location from vehicle V1 on its display device 109 (step S004). When the driver of vehicle V2 performs an affirmative operation on the in-vehicle terminal 100-2 using the touch panel or the like on the vehicle display device 109, the in-vehicle terminal 100-2 sends a message to the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 indicating that it has accepted the request for a change of location of the vehicle (step S005).

[0031] As described above, once an agreement is reached between the drivers of vehicles V1 and V2 to swap positions in the convoy, the positions of vehicles V1 and V2 in the convoy are actually swapped (see Figure 7). As a result, the driver of vehicle V1, whose alertness level had decreased, moves to the second position in the convoy and can switch to automatic driving mode or follow-me driving mode to rest. Note that the swapping of positions of vehicles V1 and V2 can be done by overtaking while driving, or by changing the departure order at a parking area, etc.

[0032] It is also possible that the driver of vehicle V2 performs a negation operation using the in-vehicle terminal 100-2. In this case, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 should send a message to the in-vehicle terminal 100-3 of vehicle V3, which is following vehicle V2, requesting a change in the vehicle's position in the convoy. By repeating this operation, vehicle V1 can find a vehicle to swap positions with in the convoy.

[0033] In the example described above, the positions of vehicles V1 and V2 were swapped, but similarly, the positions of the last vehicle Vn and the vehicle n-1 running in front of vehicle Vn may also be swapped. Furthermore, the vehicle that vehicle V1 requests to change positions from is not necessarily vehicle V2, but may be another vehicle in a designated position or another vehicle that has been found to have a high level of alertness.

[0034] Furthermore, although the above example described the display of a location change request from vehicle V1 on the display device 109, the output method for the location change request from vehicle V1 is not limited to this. For example, instead of displaying it on the display device 109, the location change request from vehicle V1 may be output as voice from a speaker or the like provided on vehicle V. In addition, affirmative or negative responses from the driver to the location change request can be made using voice recognition or gesture recognition, in addition to the touch panel provided on the display device 109.

[0035] Furthermore, the message sent by the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 to the in-vehicle terminal 100-2 requesting a change in the vehicle's position within the convoy may include the driver's alertness level of the in-vehicle terminal 100-1, as shown in Figure 8. This allows the driver of vehicle V2 to be informed that the driver of vehicle V1 is alert and to be prompted to perform an affirmative action.

[0036] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which the alertness level of each driver is shared among the vehicles constituting the convoy, instead of sending a message requesting a change in the vehicle's position. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 9, a configuration comprising an acquisition unit 101, a measurement unit 102, a message transmission / reception unit 105a, and a communication unit 104 is shown. The differences from the first embodiment shown in Figure 4 are that the determination unit 103 is omitted, and the message transmission / reception unit 105a exchanges messages including the alertness level with other in-vehicle terminals instead of sending a message requesting a change in the vehicle's position. The other configurations are almost the same as in the first embodiment, so the differences in operation will be described below.

[0037] The message transmission / reception unit 105a creates a message for other vehicles V that includes the alertness level measured by the measurement unit 102 and sends it to the communication unit 104. When the message transmission / reception unit 105a receives a message from the communication unit 104 that includes the alertness level of the driver of another vehicle V, it displays it on the vehicle's display device 109 in a list along with the alertness level of its own driver.

[0038] The communication unit 104 transmits the message created by the message transmission / reception unit 105a to the on-board terminal 100 of another vehicle V. Furthermore, when the communication unit 104 receives a message transmitted from the on-board terminal 100 of another vehicle V, it sends it to the message transmission / reception unit 105a. Thus, the message transmission / reception unit 105a and the communication unit 104 correspond to a receiving means for receiving the alertness level of the driver of another vehicle in the vehicle group, and an alertness level presentation means for presenting the alertness level of the driver of the other vehicle in the convoy.

[0039] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 10 is another sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 10, first, the in-vehicle terminals 100-1 to 100-n each measure the driver's alertness level from the driver's facial image (step S101).

[0040] Next, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 transmits a message containing the measured driver alertness level to the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n in other vehicles (step S102).

[0041] Similarly, the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n each send a message to the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 that includes the measured driver's alertness level (step S103).

[0042] The in-vehicle terminal 100-1 extracts the alertness levels contained in the messages received from the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n of the other vehicles and displays them in a list on the display device 109. By having the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n perform the above operations, each vehicle can share the alertness levels of its respective drivers.

[0043] Figure 11 is another diagram illustrating the operation of this disclosure. The speech bubble in Figure 11 shows a list of alertness levels displayed on the display device 109. In the example in Figure 11, the alertness level of the driver of vehicle V1 is 40, which is lower than that of the other vehicles. In this way, by sharing the alertness levels of the drivers of each vehicle, it is possible to encourage changes in the position of vehicles within a convoy among the vehicles driven by vehicle V. The selection rules for the vehicle that replaces vehicle V1 can be predetermined, for example, by selecting the vehicle with the highest alertness level, or the vehicle directly following vehicle V1 (vehicle V2).

[0044] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example of sharing the arousal levels of respective drivers has been described instead of a message for requesting a change in the position of the vehicle. However, both the transmission of a message for requesting a change in the position of the vehicle and the sharing of the arousal levels of the drivers may be performed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, a function similar to that of the message transceiver 105a may be added to the message transceiver 105b similar to that in the first embodiment. Also, in this case, the in-vehicle terminal 100b will perform both the transmission and reception of a message for requesting a change in the position of the vehicle and its response, and the exchange of messages including the arousal levels of the drivers.

[0045] [Third Embodiment] Subsequently, a third embodiment in which, in addition to the above-described arousal level, the cumulative driving time at the leading position in the queue is shared among the vehicles constituting the queue will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 13, a configuration including an acquisition unit 101, a measurement unit 102, a message transceiver 105c, a communication unit 104, and a driving time recording unit 106 is shown. The difference from the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is that the driving time recording unit 106 is added, and the message transceiver 105c exchanges messages including the arousal level and the cumulative driving time at the leading position in the queue with other in-vehicle terminals. Since other configurations are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment, the difference in operation will be mainly described below.

[0046] The driving time recording unit 106 records the cumulative driving time (driving time) during which the host vehicle has traveled at the leading position (or leading group) in the queue. This cumulative driving time (hereinafter also simply referred to as "driving time") can be updated by recording the driving time at the leading position since the queue is formed.

[0047] The message transceiver 105c creates a message including the measured arousal level and the cumulative driving time at the leading position, and sends it to the communication unit 104 for another vehicle V. Also, when the message transceiver  105c receives, from the communication unit 104, a message including the arousal level of the driver of another vehicle V and the cumulative driving time at the leading position, it displays a list of the arousal level and the cumulative driving time at the leading position on the display device 109 of the vehicle.

[0048] Next, the operations of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 14 is another sequence diagram for explaining the operations of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 14, first, the in-vehicle terminals 100-1 to 100-n measure the arousal level of the driver of their own vehicle from the face image of the driver (step S201). Next, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 updates the driving time at the head position of the queue (step S202).

[0049] Next, the in-vehicle terminal 100-1 transmits a message including the measured arousal level of the driver and the driving time at the head position of the queue to the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n of other vehicles (step S203).

[0050] Similarly, the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n also transmit a message including the measured arousal level of the driver and the driving time at the head position of the queue to the in-vehicle terminal 100-1, respectively (step S204).

[0051] The in-vehicle terminal 100-1 extracts the arousal level and the driving time at the head position of the queue included in the messages received from the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n of the other vehicles and displays them in a list on the display device 109 (step S205). By performing the above operations, the in-vehicle terminals 100-2 to 100-n can also share the arousal level of each driver and the driving time at the head position for each vehicle.

[0052] FIG. 15 is another diagram for explaining the operations of the present disclosure. The inside of the balloon in FIG. 15 is a list of the arousal level and the driving time at the head position displayed in a list on the display device 109. In the example of FIG. 15, it can be seen that the arousal level of the driver of vehicle V1 is 40, which is lower than that of other vehicles. It can also be seen that the driver of vehicle V1 has the longest driving time at the head position. The selection rule for the vehicle to replace vehicle V1 may be determined in advance, for example, as the vehicle with the highest arousal level, the vehicle with the shortest driving time at the head position, or the vehicle (vehicle V2) directly following vehicle V1. In this way, by sharing the arousal level of each driver and the driving time at the head position for each vehicle, it is possible to promote the change of the vehicle position within the queue during the driving interval of vehicle V.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the in-vehicle terminals 100-1 to 100-n were described as extracting the driving time at the leading position and displaying it in a list on the display device 109. However, laws and regulations may stipulate upper limits on continuous driving time or daily driving time. In this case, it is desirable for the in-vehicle terminals 100-1 to 100-n to display these regulatory values ​​along with the driving time at the leading position. Doing so facilitates agreement among the drivers of vehicles V1 to Vn regarding changes in their positions.

[0054] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the driving time recording unit 106 was described as recording the cumulative driving time (driving time) when the vehicle was traveling at the leading position (or leading group) in the convoy. However, the driving time recording unit 106 may also be configured to record the driving time at other positions in the convoy. For example, the driving time recording unit 106 may be configured to record the cumulative driving time (driving time) for each position in the convoy (leading / middle / last, etc.) and share these values.

[0055] In the embodiment described above, instead of a message requesting a change in the vehicle's position, an example was given in which the alertness level of each driver and the driving time at the leading position are shared. However, it is also possible to perform both sending a message requesting a change in the vehicle's position and sharing information. In this case, as shown in Figure 16, the same functions as those of the message transmission / reception unit 105c can be added to the message transmission / reception unit 105d, which is the same as in the first embodiment. In this case, the in-vehicle terminal 100d will perform both sending and receiving messages requesting a change in the vehicle's position and responses to them, and sending and receiving messages that include the driver's alertness level and the driving time at the leading position.

[0056] [Fourth Embodiment] In the embodiments described above, a form in which messages are exchanged between vehicles (between in-vehicle terminals) has been shown. However, this disclosure can also be modified to include a central management device (vehicle convoy adjustment server 300) that collects data from each vehicle and adjusts the order within the convoy. Next, a fourth embodiment in which the central management device (vehicle convoy adjustment server 300) collects data from each vehicle and adjusts the order within the convoy will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 17 is a diagram showing another configuration of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 17, vehicles V1 to Vn that constitute a convoy of n vehicles and the vehicle convoy adjustment server 300 are shown. Vehicles V1 to Vn are each equipped with an in-vehicle terminal 100e that can communicate with the vehicle convoy adjustment server 300.

[0057] Figure 18 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of another in-vehicle terminal 100e of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 18, a configuration comprising an acquisition unit 101, a measurement unit 102, a communication unit 104e, and a message transmission / reception unit 105e is shown.

[0058] The functions of the acquisition unit 101 and the measurement unit 102 are the same as in the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted. The message transmission / reception unit 105e creates a message including the alertness level measured by the measurement unit 102 and sends it to the communication unit 104e. When the message transmission / reception unit 105e receives a message from the communication unit 104e requesting a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy, it displays the contents of the message on the vehicle's display device 109. Furthermore, the driver may accept or reject the request to change the vehicle's position via the touch panel or voice input of the display device 109. In this case, the message transmission / reception unit 105e requests the communication unit 104e to send a message to the convoy adjustment server 300 indicating whether the request has been accepted or rejected.

[0059] The communication unit 104e sends a message to the convoy adjustment server 300 that includes the alertness level created by the message transmission / reception unit 105e. The communication unit 104e also sends a message to the convoy adjustment server 300 indicating whether it accepts or rejects the request to change the position of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the communication unit 104e receives a message from the convoy adjustment server 300 requesting a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy, it sends it to the message transmission / reception unit 105e.

[0060] Figure 19 is a functional block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the vehicle convoy adjustment server 300 of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 19, a configuration comprising a determination unit 301, a message transmission / reception unit 302, and a communication unit 303 is shown.

[0061] When the communication unit 303 receives a message from the vehicle terminal 100e of vehicle V, including a message containing the level of alertness or a message responding to a request to change the vehicle's position, it sends it to the message transmission / reception unit 302. The communication unit 303 also sends a message to the vehicle designated by the determination unit 301 requesting a change in the vehicle's position in the convoy. This communication unit 303 corresponds to a collection means for collecting the measured level of alertness from the group of vehicles. This communication unit 303 also corresponds to a receiving means for receiving acceptance notifications from the drivers of other vehicles in the group of vehicles who accept the request.

[0062] When the message transmission / reception unit 302 receives a message from the communication unit 303 that includes the level of alertness or a message responding to a request to change the position of a vehicle, it sends it to the determination unit 301. The message transmission / reception unit 302 also creates a message requesting a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy, specifying the vehicle to be sent to, based on instructions from the determination unit 301, and sends it to the communication unit 303. If the message transmission / reception unit 302 determines that the order of one of the vehicles needs to be changed, it corresponds to a request means for the driver of the vehicle whose position needs to be changed to request that the vehicle change in the convoy.

[0063] The determination unit 301 determines whether it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V in the entire convoy based on the driver alertness level received from each vehicle. As mentioned above, the determination unit 301 collects the driver alertness levels of the vehicles belonging to the convoy. For example, if the driver alertness level of the leading vehicle V1 in the convoy is lower than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 301 determines that it is necessary to change the position of vehicle V1, and selects a vehicle to swap positions with vehicle V1 based on the alertness level and the vehicle's position. Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 301 can select the vehicle driven by the driver with the highest alertness level among the vehicles V in the convoy and decide to swap vehicles so that that vehicle becomes the leading vehicle.

[0064] If, as a result of the above determination, the determination unit 301 determines that the position of vehicle V in the entire convoy needs to be changed, it instructs the message transmission / reception unit 105e to send a message requesting the driver of the vehicle whose position needs to be changed to change the position of the vehicle in the convoy. If the determination unit 301 does not receive a message in response to the request to change the position of the vehicle within a predetermined time, it may select another vehicle and send a message in response to the request to change the position of the vehicle. This determination unit 301 corresponds to a determination means that determines whether or not the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy needs to be changed based on the alertness level described above.

[0065] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 20 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of this disclosure. Referring to Figure 20, first, the in-vehicle terminals 100e of vehicles V1 to Vn measure the driver's level of alertness from the driver's facial image (step S301).

[0066] Next, the in-vehicle terminal 100e transmits the measured level of alertness to the convoy adjustment server 300 (step S302).

[0067] Next, the convoy adjustment server 300 determines whether it is necessary to change the position of the vehicles in the convoy based on the alertness levels received from vehicles V1 to Vn (step S303). Here, the convoy adjustment server 300 determines that it is necessary to swap the positions of vehicle V1, which is the leading vehicle in the convoy, and vehicle V2. In this case, the convoy adjustment server 300 sends a message to the onboard terminals 100e of vehicle V1, which is the leading vehicle, and vehicle V2, which will be swapped with it, requesting that they change the position of the vehicles in the convoy (step S304).

[0068] Upon receiving the message, the in-vehicle terminals 100e of vehicles V1 and V2 display a request to change the vehicle's position on their display devices 109 (step S305). When the drivers of vehicles V1 and V2 perform an affirmative operation using the touch panel or the like on the vehicle display device 109, the in-vehicle terminals 100e send a message to the convoy adjustment server 300 indicating that the request to change the vehicle's position has been accepted (step S306).

[0069] As described above, once an agreement is reached between the drivers of vehicles V1 and V2 to swap positions in the convoy, the positions of vehicles V1 and V2 in the convoy are actually swapped. As a result, the driver of vehicle V1, whose alertness level was low, moves to the second position in the convoy and can switch to autonomous driving mode or follow-me driving mode to rest. Note that the swapping of positions between vehicles V1 and V2 can be done by overtaking while driving, or by changing the departure order at a parking area, etc.

[0070] In the example shown in Figure 20, the drivers of vehicles V1 and V2 agreed to the request to change their vehicle positions. However, it is also possible that the driver of vehicle V2 could reject the request to change its vehicle position. In this case, the convoy adjustment server 300 can select another vehicle (for example, vehicle V3) and send a request to change its vehicle position. By repeating this operation, the convoy adjustment server 300 can find a vehicle whose position in the convoy can be swapped.

[0071] Furthermore, the features of the first to third embodiments can be combined with the fourth embodiment described above. For example, when the convoy adjustment server 300 sends a message to vehicle V requesting a change in the vehicle's position in the convoy, it may also send the driver's alertness level and driving time of the vehicle to be changed.

[0072] 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.

[0073] For example, in the fourth embodiment described above, the convoy adjustment server 300 was described as sending a request to change the position of a vehicle and adjusting its position within the convoy. However, as in the second and third embodiments, it may also send the alertness level or the cumulative driving time at the leading position. In this case, instead of a request to change the position of a vehicle, the convoy adjustment server 300 sends the alertness level or the cumulative driving time at the leading position to each vehicle, allowing the vehicles to share the alertness level and the cumulative driving time at the leading position. The cumulative driving time at the leading position can be collected from each vehicle or managed by the convoy adjustment server 300.

[0074] Furthermore, while the first to third embodiments described above explained the case of changing the lead vehicle in a convoy, the necessity of changing the position of vehicles at other positions in the convoy may also be determined based on their alertness level. For example, the vehicle at the rear of the convoy needs to monitor the rear, and it is preferable that it is driven by a driver with a high level of alertness. From this perspective, if the driver of the vehicle at the rear of the convoy has a low level of alertness, a request to change the position may be sent to the vehicle in question.

[0075] Furthermore, although the above embodiments described the request for vehicle relocation as being sent one vehicle at a time, it is also possible to send a request for vehicle relocation to multiple vehicles simultaneously. In this case, coordination among the vehicles making the request will be necessary, but rules can be applied such as determining which vehicle will be relocated to the vehicle that accepts the request first, or determining which vehicle with the highest alert level among the vehicles that have accepted the request will be relocated. In this case, it is also preferable to notify the other vehicles of the result of determining which vehicle will be relocated.

[0076] (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 21. Figure 21 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

[0077] 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 21 executes an alertness measurement program, a judgment program, etc., 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 storage device 905 or ROM 902 in advance 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 a recording medium 906 in advance, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0078] 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 in-vehicle terminal or convoy adjustment server described above can be implemented by a computer program that causes the processor mounted on the device to execute the aforementioned processing using its hardware.

[0079] 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 be made up of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0080] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the circuits and programs described above.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: [Note 1] A convoy adjustment device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; a measurement means for measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; a determination means for determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and a request means for requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed. [Note 2] In the convoy adjustment device described above, the one vehicle may be the vehicle traveling in the leading group or at the rear of the convoy, and the other vehicles may be vehicles traveling in a position other than the leading group or at the rear of the convoy. [Note 3] The convoy adjustment device described above may further be configured to include a receiving means for receiving an acceptance notification from the driver of the other vehicle in the group of vehicles accepting the request. [Note 4] The request means of the convoy adjustment device described above may be configured to transmit to the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy a request for a change in the position of their vehicle in the convoy, along with the alertness level of the driver of the first vehicle. [Note 5] The convoy adjustment device described above may further be configured to include: a receiving means for receiving the alertness level of the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy; and an alertness level presenting means for presenting the alertness level of the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy. [Note 6] The convoy adjustment device described above may further be configured to include: a recording means for recording the driving time of the driver of the first vehicle in the first position in the convoy; and a driving time sharing means for transmitting the driving time of the driver of the first vehicle in the first position.[Note 7] A convoy adjustment server comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; a measurement means for measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; a collection means for collecting the measured level of alertness from the group of vehicles; a determination means for determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed, a request means for requesting the driver of the vehicle whose position needs to be changed to change the position of the vehicle in the convoy. [Note 8] In the convoy adjustment server described above, the one vehicle is a vehicle traveling in the leading group of the convoy, and the other vehicles may be vehicles traveling in groups other than the leading group of the convoy. [Note 9] The convoy adjustment server described above may further be configured to include a receiving means for receiving an acceptance notification from the driver of the other vehicle in the group of vehicles accepting the request. [Note 10] The request means of the convoy adjustment server described above can be configured to transmit to the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy a request for a change in the position of their vehicle in the convoy, along with the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle in question. [Note 11] The convoy adjustment server described above can further be configured to include: a collection means for collecting the alertness level of the drivers of each vehicle from the vehicles belonging to the convoy; and an alertness level sharing means for transmitting the alertness level of the drivers of each vehicle to the vehicles belonging to the convoy. [Note 12] The convoy adjustment server described above can further be configured to include: a recording means for recording the driving time of the drivers of the vehicles belonging to the convoy at the first position in the convoy; and a driving time sharing means for transmitting the driving time of the drivers of each vehicle at the first position to the vehicles belonging to the convoy.[Note 13] A convoy adjustment method comprising: acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the facial image of the driver; determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed, requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy. [Note 14] A recording medium that contains a program that causes a computer to execute: the process of acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; the process of measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the facial image of the driver; the process of determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed, the process of requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy. Note that 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 described in Appendix 2 and the contents described in Appendix 3 is also included within the scope of disclosure of this specification. In this case, the convoy adjustment device transmits a request for a change of position to a vehicle other than the leading group or the last vehicle in the convoy, and receives an acceptance notice from that vehicle acknowledging acceptance of the request. The forms described in Appendix 13 to Appendix 14 can be expanded into the forms described in Appendix 2 to 6, similar to Appendix 1.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 10 Vehicle convoy adjustment device 11 Acquisition means 12 Measurement means 13 Judgment means 14 Request means 100, 100a to 100e, 100-1 to 100-n In-vehicle terminal 101 Acquisition unit 102 Measurement unit 103 Judgment unit 104, 104e Communication unit 105, 105a to 105e Message transmission / reception unit 106 Driving time recording unit 109 Display device 300 Vehicle convoy adjustment server (central management device) 301 Judgment unit 302 Message transmission / reception unit 303 Communication unit 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 device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus C Camera V, V1-Vn Vehicle

Claims

1. A convoy adjustment device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; a measurement means for measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; a determination means for determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and a request means for requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change their positions in the convoy if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed.

2. The convoy adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is a vehicle traveling in the leading group or at the rear of the convoy, and the other vehicle is a vehicle traveling in a position other than the leading group or at the rear of the convoy.

3. The train convoy adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a receiving means for receiving an acceptance notification from the driver of the other vehicle in the group of vehicles accepting the request.

4. The vehicle convoy adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the request means transmits to the drivers of other vehicles in the vehicle group a request to change the position of their vehicle in the convoy, along with the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle in the convoy.

5. A convoy adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a receiving means for receiving the alertness level of the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy; and an alertness level presenting means for presenting the alertness levels of the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy.

6. A convoy adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: recording means for recording the driving time of the driver of one vehicle at a first position in the convoy; and driving time sharing means for transmitting the driving time of the driver of one vehicle at the first position.

7. A convoy adjustment server comprising: acquisition means for acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a convoy of vehicles; measurement means for measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; collection means for collecting the measured level of alertness from the convoy; determination means for determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and request means for requesting the driver of the vehicle whose position needs to be changed to change the position of the vehicle in the convoy, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle needs to be changed.

8. The convoy coordination server according to claim 7, wherein the first vehicle is a vehicle traveling in the leading group or at the rear of the convoy, and the other vehicle is a vehicle traveling in a position other than the leading group or at the rear of the convoy.

9. The convoy coordination server according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising receiving means for receiving acceptance notices from the drivers of the other vehicles in the convoy, indicating acceptance of the request.

10. The convoy adjustment server according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the request means transmits to the drivers of other vehicles in the convoy a request for a change in the position of a vehicle in the convoy, along with the alertness level of the driver of the vehicle in the convoy.

11. A convoy coordination server according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising: a collection means for collecting the alertness level of the drivers of each vehicle from the vehicles belonging to the group of vehicles; and an alertness level sharing means for transmitting the alertness level of the drivers of each vehicle to the vehicles belonging to the group of vehicles.

12. A convoy adjustment server according to any one of claims 7 to 11, further comprising: recording means for recording the driving time of the drivers of the vehicles belonging to the group of vehicles at a first position in the convoy; and driving time sharing means for transmitting the driving time of the drivers of each vehicle at the first position to the vehicles belonging to the group of vehicles.

13. A convoy adjustment method comprising: acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles traveling in a convoy; measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the facial image; determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the vehicle should be changed, requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy.

14. A recording medium that contains a program that causes a computer to execute the following: a process of acquiring a facial image of the driver of one vehicle in a group of vehicles driving in a convoy; a process of measuring the driver's level of alertness based at least on the degree of eye opening in the driver's facial image; a process of determining whether it is necessary to change the position of the one vehicle in the entire convoy based on the level of alertness; and, if it is determined that the order of the one vehicle should be changed, a process of requesting the drivers of the other vehicles in the group to change the position of their vehicles in the convoy.

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