JP6374834B2 - Vehicle information providing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle information providing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vehicle information providing apparatuses that provide various kinds of information to vehicle occupants are known. The vehicle information providing device provides information according to the request of the occupant. However, in recent years, from the viewpoint of convenience, even when there is no request from the occupant, the device side needs to provide information. There is known a method for determining information and automatically providing information.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a navigation device that blinks a part of a display area of a display screen when predetermined additional information is displayed on a display screen for navigation. According to this device, the driver can easily notice that the additional information is displayed.

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an in-vehicle device control apparatus that controls an in-vehicle device. In this device, when a message for inquiring whether or not to control the in-vehicle device is read, a reaction in which the occupant shakes the face vertically while looking at the predetermined direction is affirmed, or the occupant looks at the face while looking at the predetermined direction. The motion of shaking is detected as a negative reaction. When a positive reaction is detected, a control signal for performing control related to the message is transmitted to the in-vehicle device.

JP 2009-145270 A JP 2010-76602 A

  However, even if the information providing scene is determined and the information is automatically provided, the occupant may not be ready to receive the information. For this reason, there is a possibility that the provision of information may be bothersome or awkward.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicular information providing apparatus capable of providing information that is easily received by a passenger.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a situation in which a current driving situation is determined based on a vehicle signal transmitted and received in a vehicle and an action model in which a pattern of the vehicle signal is pre-modeled for each driving situation. A determination unit, an occupant state determination unit that determines the state of the occupant with respect to the guidance control, and the current traveling state determined by the state determination unit An information providing device for a vehicle is provided that includes a dialogue control unit that provides information to the occupant based on the state of the occupant determined by the state determination unit. In this case, the occupant state determination unit determines whether the information to be provided is highly urgent, does not perform guidance control on information with high urgency, and performs guidance control on information with low urgency. . Then, the dialogue control unit provides information to the occupant at the information provision timing for highly urgent information, and the occupant is ready to receive the information in a scene where the information should be provided for information that is not urgent. If it is determined that the vehicle is ready, information will be provided to the passengers.

  Further, in the present invention, the dialogue control unit determines an occupant's intention based on the occupant's response to information provided to the occupant, and based on the determined intention, an operation command for operating a function mounted on the vehicle. It is preferable to output.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that a passenger | crew state determination part recognizes at least one of a passenger | crew's audio | voice and a passenger | crew's gaze direction, and determines the passenger | crew state with respect to guidance control based on the said recognition result.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to create an attitude in which an occupant receives information by promoting the consciousness of the occupant in advance. Since information is provided on the premise that there is a receiving posture, it is possible to provide information that is easy to receive for the occupant without being bothered by annoyance and nuisance.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the information provision apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this embodiment. Explanatory drawing showing the meter unit The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of the information provision apparatus for vehicles of this embodiment. The block diagram which shows notionally operation | movement of the information provision apparatus 1 for vehicles.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle information providing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle information providing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that provides information to a vehicle occupant (typically a driver) and provides a predetermined service.

  This vehicle information providing apparatus 1 is mainly configured by a control unit 10, a storage unit 11, a communication IF 12, a microphone 13, a camera 14, a speaker 15, a display 16, an LED 17, and a switch 18. Yes.

  The control unit 10 controls the entire vehicle information providing apparatus 1, and a microcomputer mainly composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an I / O interface can be used. The CPU performs various controls according to the control program. The ROM stores a program executed by the CPU or data necessary for executing the program. The RAM is a work area when the CPU executes the program.

  The storage unit 11 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk device, for example, and the behavior model database 11a is stored in the storage unit 11. The storage unit 11 stores various data necessary for the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 to provide information.

  The behavior model database 11a is a database in which vehicle signal patterns (to be described later) are associated with travel situations, and vehicle signal patterns corresponding to various travel situations are stored therein. The behavior model database 11a is created by statistically processing a vehicle signal pattern corresponding to a driving operation pattern performed by a general driver for each of various driving situations. Has been created. In other words, the behavior model database 11a corresponds to a behavior model in which a vehicle signal pattern is modeled in advance for each traveling situation.

  The communication IF 12 is an interface for performing communication between the control unit 10 and various control devices (ECU: Electric Control Unit) 20 on the vehicle side, and corresponds to, for example, the CAN (Controller Area Network) standard. Via the communication IF 12, vehicle signals relating to vehicle conditions such as travel speed, steering angle, brakes, turn signals and the like are input to the control unit 10 from the vehicle side. Further, a vehicle signal related to a vehicle position (for example, information on an expressway or a general road, information on an up lane or a down lane) that the navigation ECU has is input to the control unit 10 from the vehicle side via the communication IF 12.

  The microphone 13 is disposed in the vicinity of the driver's seat and inputs a voice spoken by the driver. The sound input to the microphone 13 is output as an audio signal and input to the control unit 10.

  The camera 14 is disposed in front of the driver's seat (for example, an instrument panel), captures a predetermined range including the driver's face, and outputs the captured image. The image output from the camera 14 is subjected to A / D conversion and image processing, and is input to the control unit 10 as image data.

  The speaker 15 is controlled by the control unit 10 and outputs a predetermined voice message or sound.

  The display 16 is a display device that is controlled by the control unit 10 and displays an image, text, or graphic corresponding to predetermined information. As the display 16, for example, an LCD or a TFT can be used. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the display 16 is realized by a meter display disposed in the meter unit 30 together with various instruments.

  The LED 17 is a display unit that is controlled by the control unit 10 to turn on and off. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of LEDs 17 are arranged around the display 16.

  The switch 18 is used to input an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the driver to the control unit 10 and is constituted by, for example, a steering switch provided on the steering wheel.

  In the present embodiment, the microphone 13, the camera 14, the speaker 15, the display 16, the LED 17, and the switch 18 correspond to a device (communication device) that performs communication between the driver and the control unit 10. That is, it is possible to grasp the state of the driver using the microphone 13, the camera 14, and the switch 18, and to transmit information to the driver using the speaker 15, the display 16, and the LED 17.

  As one of the features of the present embodiment, the control unit 10 has a function of providing information to the driver, and information needs to be provided according to the driver's request or regardless of the driver's request. If the scene is determined, information can be provided to the driver. In providing information to the driver, the scene is judged by the control unit 10 and the information is created. And as a method of providing information to the driver, output of a voice message using the speaker 15, display output using the display 16, and the like can be mentioned.

  The control part 10 has the situation determination part 10a, the passenger | crew state determination part 10b, and the dialogue control part 10c, when this is caught functionally.

  The situation determination unit 10a determines the current driving situation based on the vehicle signal acquired via the communication IF 12 and the behavior model database 11a. The current traveling situation determined by the situation determination unit 10a is output to the occupant state determination unit 10b.

  The occupant state determination unit 10b performs guidance control that works on the driver's senses (sight and hearing) to promote the driver's consciousness. In other words, this guidance control corresponds to the control for prompting the information provision automatically performed by the vehicle information provision apparatus 1 to receive the information. The occupant state determination unit 10 b performs guidance control by outputting a voice message or sound from the speaker 15 or turning on the LED 17.

  And the passenger | crew state determination part 10b determines a driver | operator's state (response) with respect to this guidance control. The state of the driver is determined by recognition of the driver's voice or recognition of the driver's line of sight.

(voice recognition)
The occupant state determination unit 10b processes the audio signal input from the microphone 13 and recognizes the audio generated by the driver. And the passenger | crew state determination part 10b determines a driver | operator's state with the recognized audio | voice. For example, if the driver does not make any sound even after performing the guidance control, it is determined that the driver is not responding to the guidance control. On the other hand, when the driver utters some sound corresponding to the guidance control, it is determined that the driver has reacted to the guidance control.

(Gaze recognition)
The occupant state determination unit 10b processes the image data input from the camera 14 and recognizes the driver's line-of-sight direction. And the passenger | crew state determination part 10b determines a driver | operator's state with the recognized eyes | visual_axis direction. For example, if the driver keeps his line of sight outside the vehicle even after performing the guidance control, it is determined that the driver is not responding to the guidance control. On the other hand, when the driver moves his / her line of sight into the vehicle (for example, the meter unit 30 or the speaker 15) in response to the guidance control, it is determined that the driver has responded to the guidance control.

  The driver's state may be determined by an input operation to the switch 18. For example, if the driver does not operate the switch 18 even after performing the guidance control, it is determined that the driver is not responding to the guidance control. On the other hand, when the driver operates the switch 18 in response to the guidance control, it is determined that the driver has reacted to the guidance control.

  The dialogue control unit 10c provides information to the driver based on the current traveling state determined by the state determination unit 10a and the state of the driver determined by the occupant state determination unit 10b. Specifically, the dialogue control unit 10c determines a scene where information should be provided from the current driving situation, and determines whether or not the driver is ready to receive information from the state of the driver. Thereby, the dialogue control unit 10c can provide information to the driver in a scene where the information is to be provided and when the driver is ready to receive the information.

  Further, the dialogue control unit 10c confirms the driver's intention based on the driver's response to the information provided to the driver. Then, the dialogue control unit 10c outputs an operation command for operating the control device 20 (function mounted on the vehicle) based on the confirmed intention.

  Hereinafter, the operation of providing information by the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram conceptually showing the operation of the vehicle information providing apparatus 1.

  First, in step 10 (S10), the control unit 10 searches the behavior model database 11a based on the pattern of the vehicle signal acquired via the communication IF 12, and determines the current traveling state (FIG. 4A). ). For example, based on a vehicle signal pattern related to speed (for example, 97 km / h for 5 minutes) and a vehicle signal pattern related to vehicle position (for example, an up lane on a highway), It is determined that the speed is stable "(FIG. 4B).

  When the traveling state is determined in Step 10, in Step 11 (S11), the control unit 10 outputs a control command to the speaker 15 or the LED 17 (FIG. 4C). Along with this control command, sound (including a voice message) is output from the speaker 15, the LED 17 is lit, or both are performed (guidance control). Working on the driver's hearing and vision using sound or light can encourage the driver's consciousness, that is, the driver's attitude to receive information prior to providing information (FIG. 4 (D)). . Note that at this stage, the purpose is to promote the driver's consciousness, so it is preferable that the sound or light is such that the driver does not feel bothered.

  In step 12 (S12), the control unit 10 determines the state of the driver with respect to the guidance control, that is, whether or not the driver has noticed sound or light. Whether or not the driver has noticed the sound or light is determined from the driver's utterance or the intention display based on the driver's line of sight (FIG. 4E). The control unit 10 processes the audio signal input through the microphone 13 and recognizes the driver's voice to determine whether or not the driver has noticed the sound or light (FIG. 4 (F)). . Alternatively, the control unit 10 determines whether the driver has noticed sound or light by processing the image output from the camera 14 and recognizing that the driver's line-of-sight direction is in a predetermined direction. (FIG. 4F). The control unit 10 can also determine whether or not the driver has noticed sound or light on the condition that there has been an operation input to the switch 18.

  When the driver notices sound or light (FIG. 4G), an affirmative determination is made in step 12, and the process proceeds to step 15 (S15) described later. On the other hand, if the driver does not notice the sound or light, a negative determination is made in step 12, and the process proceeds to step 13 (S13).

  In step 13, the control part 10 outputs a control command again with respect to the speaker 15 or LED17 (FIG.4 (C)). Along with this control command, a sound (including a voice message) is output from the speaker 15, the LED 17 is lit, or both are performed (second guidance control). Since this step 13 is the guidance control again, it is desirable that the sound or light output mode be performed in a mode different from the guidance control executed in step 12. For example, the volume of the speaker 15 is increased, or the LED 17 is blinked.

  In step 14 (S14), similarly to step 12, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the driver notices sound or light (FIGS. 4E and 4F). When the driver notices sound or light (FIG. 4G), an affirmative determination is made in step 14 and the process proceeds to step 15 described later. On the other hand, if the driver is not aware of the sound or light, a negative determination is made in step 14 and the process returns to step 13.

  In step 15, since the driver is ready to receive information, the control unit 10 controls the speaker 15 or the display 16 to provide predetermined information. For example, the control unit 10 provides proposal information on “constant speed running” (FIG. 4H).

  In step 16 (S16), the control unit 10 receives the driver's response to the provided information and confirms the driver's intention (FIG. 4 (I)). The driver's intention can be confirmed by a method of recognizing the driver's utterance, a method of detecting an input operation of the switch 18 by the driver, a method of recognizing the driver's line of sight, and the like.

  In step 17 (S17), the control unit 10 outputs a predetermined operation command to the control device 20 when the consent to the provided information (the driver's intention) is confirmed (FIG. 4 (J)). . For example, an operation command for running at a constant speed is output to the control device 20 that controls the engine.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 is based on the vehicle signal transmitted and received in the vehicle and the behavior model (behavior model database 11a) in which the pattern of the vehicle signal is modeled in advance for each traveling situation. A situation determination unit 10a that determines the current driving situation, an occupant state determination unit 10b that performs guidance control for encouraging the driver's consciousness by working on the driver's senses, and that determines the driver's state with respect to the guidance control, And a dialogue control unit 10c that provides information to the driver based on the current traveling state determined by the unit 10a and the driver state determined by the occupant state determination unit 10b.

  Here, the dialogue control unit 10c provides information to the driver when it is determined that the driver is ready to receive information in a scene where the information is to be provided.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to create a system in which the driver receives information by prompting the driver's awareness in advance. Since information is provided with this attitude, it is possible to provide information that is easy for the driver to receive without feeling bothersome or messy. Moreover, since the information is provided by grasping the state of the driver, the burden on the driving task can be reduced.

  In addition, by creating a system in which the driver receives information, the driver himself acts to acquire information, and thus the driver's sense that information is pressed can be suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the dialogue control unit 10c determines the driver's intention based on the driver's response to the information provided to the driver, and the functions installed in the vehicle based on the determined intention. The operation command to operate is output.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to provide information suitable for the current driving situation and the state of the driver. Thereby, the function mounted in the vehicle can be utilized effectively.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the passenger | crew state determination part 10b recognizes at least one of a driver | operator's audio | voice and a driver | operator's gaze direction, and determines the driver | operator state with respect to guidance control based on the said recognition result.

  According to this configuration, the state of the driver can be determined by a simple method. Therefore, it is not necessary to mount an expensive sensor or device to determine the state, so that information can be provided without increasing the cost.

  Note that information provided by the vehicle information providing apparatus 1 includes highly urgent information. Therefore, the control unit 10 may determine whether the information to be provided is highly urgent. In this case, for information with high urgency, the guidance control as described above is not performed, and the information is provided at the provision timing. On the other hand, for information with low urgency, the driver is informed as described above. You may provide information on the condition that you are ready to accept.

  As mentioned above, although the vehicle information provision apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention was demonstrated, it cannot be overemphasized that a various deformation | transformation is possible within the scope of the invention, without this invention being limited to embodiment mentioned above. Nor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle information provision apparatus 10 Control part 10a Situation determination part 10b Passenger state determination part 10c Dialog control part 11 Memory | storage part 11a Behavior model database 12 Communication IF
13 Microphone 14 Camera 15 Speaker 16 Display 17 LED
18 switches

Claims (3)

A situation determination unit that determines a current running situation based on a vehicle signal transmitted and received in the vehicle and an action model in which a pattern of the vehicle signal is modeled in advance for each running situation;
An occupant state determination unit that works on the sensation of the occupant and performs guidance control to promote occupant consciousness, and determines the state of the occupant with respect to the guidance control,
A dialogue control unit that provides information to the occupant based on the current traveling state determined by the state determination unit and the state of the occupant determined by the occupant state determination unit;
The occupant state determination unit determines whether the information to be provided is highly urgent, does not perform the guidance control for highly urgent information, and performs the guidance control for information that is not urgent. Yes,
The dialogue control unit provides information to the occupant at the information provision timing for highly urgent information, and the occupant is ready to receive information in a scene where information should be provided for information that is not urgent. An information providing device for a vehicle that provides information to a passenger when it is determined that the vehicle is in place. The dialogue control unit determines an occupant's intention based on an occupant's response to information provided to the occupant, and outputs an operation command for operating a function mounted on the vehicle based on the determined intention. The vehicle information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle information providing apparatus is a vehicle information providing apparatus. The occupant state determination unit recognizes at least one of the occupant's voice and the passenger in the viewing direction, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that to determine the occupant of states for the guidance control based on the recognition result Vehicle information providing apparatus.

Images