JP6754314B2 - Notification system and notification method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a notification system and a notification method for notifying a user carrying a mobile terminal of the state of an in-vehicle device.

Conventionally, a notification system has been developed that notifies a user carrying a mobile terminal about the state of an in-vehicle device.

In Patent Document 1, when the position of the mobile terminal changes from within the communication range to outside the communication range, the vehicle is unintentionally unfavorable by the user based on the confirmation information periodically transmitted from the vehicle communication device ( As an example, a system has been proposed that notifies that the door has been forgotten to be closed).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-107792

For example, when the user moves with the mobile terminal in the pocket of clothing, the communication performance is remarkable even though the mobile terminal is within the communication range depending on the positional relationship between the mobile terminal, the vehicle communication device, and the user. May decrease. In such a state, there is a possibility that the communication performance can be improved simply by changing the direction of the user.

However, in the system proposed in Patent Document 1, it may be determined that the position of the mobile terminal has changed out of the communication range based on the deterioration of the communication performance, and the above-mentioned notification may be started.

The user who receives this notification misunderstands that he / she is already out of the communication range, and approaches the vehicle to return to a position where the in-vehicle device can be remotely controlled (that is, within the communication range). Alternatively, if the user is near the vehicle at the start of the notification, the user mistakenly thinks that a problem has occurred in the communication device or software. As described above, there is ample room for improvement regarding the coping method when the communication performance unexpectedly deteriorates within the communication range.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a notification system and a notification method capable of further improving user convenience by notification suitable for the state of a mobile terminal.

The first notification system according to the present invention is mounted on a vehicle and carried by a user with an in-vehicle communication device that transmits a status signal regarding the state of the in-vehicle device to the surroundings of the vehicle through wireless communication. A system including a mobile terminal configured to be able to execute a notification operation or notification control according to the status signal received from the in-vehicle communication device, and the reception strength of the mobile terminal when receiving the status signal. The mobile terminal further includes a reception intensity detecting means for detecting and a distance estimating means for estimating the distance from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal has the reception intensity detected by the reception intensity detecting means as a first threshold value. The notification operation or the notification control is performed in a different notification mode according to the distance estimated by the distance estimating means, using the lower value as a trigger.

In this way, the mobile terminal performs the notification operation or the notification control in a different notification mode according to the estimated distance, triggered by the detected reception intensity becoming lower than the first threshold value. The convenience of the user can be further improved by the notification suitable for the state (that is, the combination of communication performance and position).

Further, the notification system is configured to be wearable by the user, and further includes a wearable terminal capable of wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal, and the mobile terminal is a command of the user using the wearable terminal. Depending on the operation, a command signal for operating the in-vehicle device may be transmitted to the in-vehicle communication device.

In a notification system that works with a wearable terminal, it is assumed that the mobile terminal, which is a relay device, is stored and used without being taken out. In this situation, there is a high possibility that the communication performance will deteriorate, so the effect of changing the notification form will be noticeable.

Further, the wearable terminal accepts the command operation when the distance does not exceed the second threshold value in the first notification mode in which the command operation cannot be accepted when the distance exceeds the second threshold value. The notification operation may be performed in the second notification mode capable of performing the notification operation. As a result, the user can grasp that the command operation cannot be accepted because he / she is far from the vehicle, and that he / she can accept the command operation because he / she is near the vehicle.

In addition, the wearable terminal may perform the next notification operation that prompts the user to act to point the mobile terminal at the vehicle after receiving the command operation in the second notification mode. As a result, the user can take an action to improve the reception intensity on the spot without approaching the vehicle.

Further, the wearable terminal may present to the user communication state information indicating a communication state between the in-vehicle communication device and the mobile terminal. As a result, the user can grasp the communication performance of the mobile terminal, which is another device, by a simple action without taking out the mobile terminal.

Further, the distance estimating means may estimate the distance using at least one of a position sensor, a pedometer and a geomagnetic sensor. By using a sensor that is installed as standard in a mobile terminal or a wearable terminal, the system configuration is simplified.

The second notification method according to the present invention includes an in-vehicle communication device mounted on a vehicle and transmitting a state signal regarding the state of the in-vehicle device to the surroundings of the vehicle through wireless communication, and a vehicle-mounted communication device carried by a user and carried through wireless communication. A method using a notification system including a mobile terminal configured to be able to execute a notification operation or notification control according to the status signal received from an in-vehicle communication device, and the mobile when receiving the status signal. A detection step for detecting the reception intensity of the terminal, an estimation step for estimating the distance from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and a trigger for the mobile terminal to detect that the reception intensity is lower than the first threshold value. As a result, the notification step for performing the notification operation or the notification control in a different notification mode according to the estimated distance is provided.

According to the notification system and the notification method according to the present invention, the convenience of the user can be further improved by the notification suitable for the state of the mobile terminal.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the notification system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the 1st example of the operation of a notification system. It is a figure which shows typically the 2nd example of the operation of a notification system. It is a flowchart provided for the operation explanation of the notification system shown in FIG. 5A to 5C are screen transition diagrams of the wearable terminal. 6A and 6B are screen transition diagrams of the wearable terminal.

Hereinafter, the notification method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, citing suitable embodiments in relation to the notification system.

[Configuration of notification system 10]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a notification system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The notification system 10 is a smart key link system that notifies the user U carrying the mobile terminal about the state of the in-vehicle device 26. The notification system 10 is basically composed of a vehicle 12, a smartphone 14 (mobile terminal), and a wearable terminal 16 (optional mobile terminal).

<Structure of vehicle 12>
The vehicle 12 includes an in-vehicle communication device 20, a battery 22, a vehicle state sensor 24, an in-vehicle device 26, and an integrated control unit 28. The vehicle-mounted communication device 20, the battery 22, the vehicle status sensor 24, and the vehicle-mounted device 26 are communicably connected to and from the integrated control unit 28 by an vehicle-mounted communication network including a CAN (Controller Area Network).

The in-vehicle communication device 20 is a communication device including a communication module conforming to the standard of "near field wireless communication" including ZigBee (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark), or "narrow range wireless communication" including WiFi. .. For example, the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 can transmit or receive a Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio signal via the BT antenna 30.

The battery 22 supplies power to electrical and electronic devices related to the vehicle 12. The vehicle state sensor 24 is one or a plurality of sensors that detect the state (operating state or operating state) of the vehicle 12, and is, for example, an ignition switch, a door lock state sensor, a door switch, a communication state sensor, or an in-vehicle device 26. It is a switch of. The in-vehicle device 26 is a device that operates according to a predetermined operation by an occupant, and is, for example, a door lock unit, an automatic door opening / closing unit, an air conditioner, a display device, or a speaker.

The integrated control unit 28 is composed of, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU), and comprehensively controls each part of the vehicle 12 related to notification. The operation of the integrated control unit 28 will be described later.

<Configuration of smartphone 14>
The smartphone 14 is a kind of terminal device that can be carried by the user U, and may be a tablet terminal instead. Specifically, the smartphone 14 includes a first terminal-side communication unit 40, a sensor group 42, a first terminal-side UI (User Interface) unit 44, and a first terminal-side control unit 46.

The first terminal side communication unit 40 is a standard of "wide area wireless communication" including the above-mentioned narrow range wireless communication and short range wireless communication, or 4G, 5G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). It is a communication module that complies with. For example, the first terminal-side communication unit 40 can transmit or receive a Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio signal via the BT antenna 48.

The sensor group 42 is one or more sensors that are standardly mounted on the smartphone 14, and includes, for example, a position sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or a pedometer.

The first terminal-side UI unit 44 realizes a user interface by combining an input / output device that is standardly mounted on the smartphone 14, for example, a display panel, a touch sensor, a microphone, a speaker, or a vibrator.

The first terminal side control unit 46 is composed of a processor of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), and reads and executes a program stored in a memory (not shown) to perform a distance estimation unit 50 (distance). It functions as an estimation means), an intensity detecting unit 52 (reception intensity detecting means), a notification processing unit 54, and a remote operation processing unit 56.

<Configuration of wearable terminal 16>
The wearable terminal 16 is an optional terminal that can be worn and carried by the user U (FIG. 2, etc.). Examples of the form of the wearable terminal 16 include a wristwatch, eyeglasses, a ring, a bracelet, and an activity meter (activity tracker). The wearable terminal 16 includes a second terminal side communication unit 60, a motion sensor 62, a second terminal side UI unit 64, and a second terminal side control unit 66.

The second terminal side communication unit 60 is a communication module conforming to the above-mentioned short-range wireless communication or narrow-range wireless communication standard. For example, the second terminal side communication unit 60 can transmit or receive a Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio signal via the BT antenna 68.

The motion sensor 62 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor, and is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of movement of the wearable terminal 16 (that is, the gesture of the user U).

The second terminal-side UI unit 64 realizes a user interface by a combination of a display panel, a touch sensor, or a speaker in the example of an input / output device and a wristwatch (smart watch) mounted according to the type of the wearable terminal 16.

The second terminal side control unit 66 is composed of a CPU or an MPU processor, and executes various functions related to notification (details will be described later) by reading and executing a program stored in a memory (not shown).

[Operation of notification system 10]
<Outline of notification operation>
The notification system 10 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above. Subsequently, the notification operation by the notification system 10 will be schematically described.

Here, a pairing connection of Bluetooth (registered trademark) is set between the vehicle 12 and the smartphone 14 and between the smartphone 14 and the wearable terminal 16. That is, in this notification system 10, while [1] wireless communication is performed between the vehicle 12 and the smartphone 14 and [2] between the smartphone 14 and the wearable terminal 16, [3] wireless communication is performed between the vehicle 12 and the wearable terminal 16. Keep in mind that it will not be done.

The integrated control unit 28 acquires the detected value from the vehicle state sensor 24 and detects the state of the vehicle-mounted device 26 to be monitored. The vehicle-mounted communication device 20 transmits a wireless signal (hereinafter, status signal) relating to the state of the vehicle-mounted device 26 around the vehicle 12 through wireless communication (hereinafter, BT communication) via the BT antenna 30 according to transmission control by the integrated control unit 28. Send regularly to.

The status signal includes, for example, information indicating on / off of the ignition switch, unlocking / locking of the door lock unit, opening / closing of the door, or on / off of the power supply. Together with or separately from this, the status signal contains information indicating the agreement between the ideal condition after disembarkation and the current condition.

When the smartphone 14 is located within a predetermined communication range (hereinafter, BT range), the smartphone 14 receives the status signal transmitted from the vehicle 12 side via the BT antenna 48 of the first terminal side communication unit 40. As a result, the smartphone 14 can acquire the state of the in-vehicle device 26.

When the smartphone 14 is located in a range outside the BT range (hereinafter, outside the BT range), the smartphone 14 cannot receive the status signal transmitted from the vehicle 12 side. At this time, the smartphone 14 analyzes the latest received status signal, and when it is determined that the user U has "forgot to operate", the smartphone 14 performs control to notify the wearable terminal 16 (hereinafter, notification control).

<Problems with conventional methods>
The user U shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 carries the smartphone 14 in the pocket 83 of the clothing 82 (here, trousers). Further, the user U carries the wearable terminal 16 while being worn on the arm 84.

In the example of FIG. 2, the user U is moving away from the vehicle 12 while maintaining a state (body orientation) in which the radio signal is unlikely to be shielded. At this time, the wearable terminal 16 displays the notification screen 86 with the trigger that the user U goes out of the communication range 80 (that is, the communication performance has deteriorated), so that the user U is "forgot to operate" (that is, the communication performance has deteriorated). For example, the door on the other side is open).

On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 3, the user U is moving away from the vehicle 12 while maintaining a state (body orientation) in which the radio signal is likely to be shielded. At this time, the wearable terminal 16 displays the notification screen 86 having the same form as in the case of FIG. 2 even though the user U is within the communication range 80, triggered by the deterioration of the communication performance.

Upon receiving this notification, the user U misunderstands that he / she is already out of the communication range 80, and approaches the vehicle 12 to return the vehicle-mounted device 26 to a position where the vehicle-mounted device 26 can be remotely controlled (that is, within the communication range 80). Alternatively, if the user U is near the vehicle 12 at the start of the notification, the user U misunderstands that a problem has occurred in the communication device or software. Hereinafter, a notification method will be proposed in consideration of a case where the communication performance unexpectedly deteriorates within the communication range 80.

<Explanation of this notification method>
The notification method using the notification system 10 of FIG. 1 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, it should be noted that the smartphone 14 mainly operates.

In step S1, the distance estimation unit 50 starts the operation of estimating the distance Dis from the vehicle 12 to the smartphone 14. Specifically, the distance estimation unit 50 estimates the distance Dis using at least one of a position sensor, a pedometer, and a geomagnetic sensor. By using the sensor group 42 (or motion sensor 62) that is standardly mounted on the smartphone 14 (or the wearable terminal 16), the system configuration is simplified.

For example, when a position sensor is used, if the initial position of the smartphone 14 is stored as the "position of the vehicle 12", the distance Dis at the current position of the smartphone 14 can be estimated.

In addition, when using a pedometer and a geomagnetic sensor together, the movement vector per step is calculated based on the orientation at the time of measuring the number of steps under the premise that the stride is constant, and this movement vector is sequentially integrated. , It is possible to estimate the distance Dis at the current position of the smartphone 14.

In step S2, the first terminal side control unit 46 determines the magnitude relationship between the reception strength (hereinafter, RSSI; Received Signal Strength Indicator) when receiving the status signal from the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 and the first threshold value Th1. To do. Prior to this determination, the intensity detection unit 52 detects the RSSI of the most recently received state signal. The first threshold value Th1 corresponds to, for example, a lower limit value at which communication quality is guaranteed.

When RSSI ≧ Th1 is satisfied (step S2: NO), the process remains in step S2 until RSSI <Th1 is satisfied. On the other hand, when RSSI <Th1 is satisfied (step S2: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S3.

In step S3, the first terminal side control unit 46 determines the magnitude relationship between the distance Dis from the vehicle 12 to the smartphone 14 and the second threshold Th2. Prior to this determination, the distance estimation unit 50 estimates the distance Dis in the latest state at the time when the relationship of RSSI <Th1 is first established (current position of the smartphone 14) in step S2. The second threshold Th2 is a value that roughly matches the radius of the communication range 80 (for example, 3 to 10 m), but may be a value smaller than this radius.

When Dis ≦ Th2 is satisfied (step S3: YES), the process proceeds to step S6 described later. On the other hand, when Dis> Th2 is satisfied (step S3: NO), the process proceeds to the next step S4.

In step S4, the notification processing unit 54 performs notification processing for the outside of the BT area (here, notification control for the wearable terminal 16). First, the notification processing unit 54 analyzes the most recently received state signal and determines the necessity of notification to the user U. When there is a difference between the ideal state after getting off and the current state of one or more in-vehicle devices 26, the notification processing unit 54 determines that notification for "forgot to operate" is necessary. .. Here, it is assumed that the user U is notified of forgetting to close the door of the vehicle 12.

The notification processing unit 54 transmits a control signal for executing a notification operation indicating that the door is open to the outside via the communication unit 40 on the first terminal side. The paired and connected wearable terminal 16 (second terminal side control unit 66) starts the notification operation in the first notification mode by receiving the control signal via the second terminal side communication unit 60.

As shown in FIG. 5A, a notification screen 86 for notifying the forgetting to close the door of the vehicle 12 is displayed on the UI unit 64 on the second terminal side. On the notification screen 86, a message 88 written as [door is open], an icon 89 schematically showing the open state of the door, and a button 90p written as [CLOSE] are arranged. In this notification mode, the button 90p is displayed in a lighter color than the surrounding image area, and is in a "passive mode" that does not accept the touch operation of the user U.

The notification operation is not limited to the display of the notification screen 86 (visible information), and may be any output that appeals to the five senses of the user U, or a combination thereof. Specifically, the sound may be output from the speaker, or the wearable terminal 16 may be vibrated by operating the vibrator.

In step S5, the first terminal side control unit 46 determines the magnitude relationship between the RSSI when receiving the state signal from the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 and the first threshold value Th1 as in the case of step S2. Specifically, when RSSI <Th1 is satisfied (step S5: YES), the process returns to step S4, and steps S4 and S5 are sequentially repeated thereafter.

Using the display form of the button 90p as a clue, the user U recognizes that he / she is already out of the communication range 80, and approaches the vehicle 12 to return the in-vehicle device 26 to a position where it can be remotely controlled (that is, within the communication range 80). .. As a result, when the smartphone 14 reaches a position within the communication range 80, the RSSI exceeds the first threshold Th1.

As a result, RSSI is improved and RSSI ≧ Th1 is satisfied (step S5: NO). Therefore, the process proceeds to step S6 in the same manner as when Dis ≦ Th2 is satisfied in step S3 (step S3: YES).

In step S6, the notification processing unit 54 performs notification processing for the BT area (here, notification control for the wearable terminal 16). First, the notification processing unit 54 analyzes the most recently received state signal and determines the necessity of notification to the user U. As in the case of step S4, it is assumed that the user U is notified of forgetting to close the door of the vehicle 12.

The notification processing unit 54 transmits a control signal for executing a notification operation indicating that the door is open to the outside via the communication unit 40 on the first terminal side. The wearable terminal 16 (second terminal side control unit 66) starts the notification operation in the second notification mode by receiving the control signal via the second terminal side communication unit 60.

As shown in FIG. 5B, a notification screen 92 for notifying the forgetting to close the door of the vehicle 12 is displayed on the UI unit 64 on the second terminal side. Similar to FIG. 5A, a button 90a labeled as [CLOSE] is arranged on the notification screen 92 in addition to the message 88 and the icon 89. In this notification mode, the button 90a is displayed in the same color as the surrounding image area, and is in the "active mode" for accepting the touch operation of the user U.

That is, in the wearable terminal 16, the distance Dis does not exceed the second threshold Th2 in the first notification mode (notification screen 86 in FIG. 5A) in which the command operation cannot be accepted when the distance Dis exceeds the second threshold Th2. In this case, the notification operation is performed in the second notification mode (notification screen 92 in FIG. 5B) that can accept the command operation. As a result, the user U can grasp that the command operation cannot be accepted because he / she is at a position far from the vehicle 12, and can grasp that he / she can accept the command operation because he / she is at a position close to the vehicle 12.

In step S7, the remote control processing unit 56 determines whether or not the command operation of the user U using the wearable terminal 16 has been accepted. Here, the "command operation" means a specific operation for commanding the operation of the in-vehicle device 26, which is the target of the "forgot to operate". Specifically, the user U's finger 94 touches the button 90a. It may be an operation to be performed (see FIG. 5C) or another operation (for example, a gesture of strongly shaking the wearable terminal 16).

When the wearable terminal 16 (second terminal side control unit 66) detects a specific operation from the second terminal side UI unit 64, the wearable terminal 16 (second terminal side control unit 66) remotely controls the in-vehicle device 26 via the second terminal side communication unit 60. Command signal is transmitted to the outside. The remote control processing unit 56 receives the command operation of the user U by receiving the command signal via the communication unit 40 on the first terminal side.

If the command operation has not yet been accepted (step S7: NO), the process returns to step S3, and steps S3 to S7 are repeated until the operation is accepted. On the other hand, when the command operation is accepted (step S7: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S8.

In step S8, the first terminal side control unit 46 determines the magnitude relationship between the RSSI when receiving the state signal from the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 and the first threshold value Th1 as in the case of step S2. If RSSI ≧ Th1 is satisfied when the process has passed through steps S4 and S5 in the past (step S8: YES), the process proceeds to step S10 described later. On the other hand, if it does not go through steps S4 and S5 in the past, RSSI <Th1 is satisfied (step S8: NO), so the process proceeds to the next step S9.

In step S9, in order to improve RSSI, the notification processing unit 54 performs notification processing (here, notification control for the wearable terminal 16) that prompts an action of pointing the smartphone 14 toward the vehicle 12. Specifically, the notification processing unit 54 transmits a control signal including a communication state (for example, RSSI, communication speed, etc.) between the in-vehicle communication device 20 and the smartphone 14 to the outside via the communication unit 40 on the first terminal side. Send to. The wearable terminal 16 (second terminal side control unit 66) starts the next notification operation by receiving a control signal via the second terminal side communication unit 60.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the next notification screen 96 is displayed on the second terminal side UI unit 64 in place of the notification screen 92 (FIGS. 5B and 5C). On the next notification screen 96, a radio wave mark 97 (reception strength information) indicating the communication status, a caution mark 98 calling attention, and a message 99 stating "Please take out the smartphone and point it at the car" are displayed. Have been placed.

In this way, after receiving the command operation in the second notification mode (notification screen 92), the wearable terminal 16 may perform the next notification operation that prompts the user U to act to direct the smartphone 14 toward the vehicle 12. .. As a result, the user U can take an action to improve RSSI on the spot without approaching the vehicle 12.

Further, the wearable terminal 16 may present the communication state information (for example, the radio wave mark 97) indicating the communication state between the in-vehicle communication device 20 and the smartphone 14 to the user U. As a result, the user U can grasp the communication performance of the smartphone 14, which is another device, by a simple action without taking out the smartphone 14.

After recognizing from the contents of the next notification screen 96 that the communication performance of the smartphone 14 has deteriorated, the user U takes out the smartphone 14 from the pocket 83 and points the smartphone 14 toward the vehicle 12 as needed. As a result, RSSI is improved and RSSI ≧ Th1 is satisfied (step S8: YES), so the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the remote control processing unit 56 performs remote control processing according to the command operation received in step S7. Specifically, the remote control processing unit 56 transmits a command signal to the outside to remotely control the in-vehicle device 26 via the first terminal side communication unit 40. The paired and connected vehicle 12 (integrated control unit 28) controls the operation of the in-vehicle device 26 by receiving a command signal via the communication unit 60 on the second terminal side.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the waiting screen 100 is displayed on the second terminal side UI unit 64 until the operation of the in-vehicle device 26 is completed. On the waiting screen 100, a message 102 marked as [Operating], an icon 103 schematically indicating the opening operation of the door, and a button 104 marked as [STOP] are arranged. The button 104 is configured to be able to suspend or stop the operation of the vehicle-mounted device 26.

As described above, all the steps of the notification method using the notification system 10 are completed. As a result, the user U can recognize the "forgotten operation state" through notification and can solve the "forgotten operation state" on the spot by remote control.

<Others>
Although the notification system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is configured to include the wearable terminal 16, it may be configured without the wearable terminal 16 as an optional terminal. In this case, the smartphone 14 itself may perform the notification operation instead of the wearable terminal 16.

[Effect of notification system 10]
As described above, the notification system 10 is mounted on the vehicle 12 and [1] the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 that transmits a status signal regarding the state of the vehicle-mounted device 26 to the periphery of the vehicle 12 through wireless communication, and [2] the user. A smartphone 14 (mobile terminal) carried by U and configured to be able to execute a notification operation or notification control according to a status signal received from the vehicle-mounted communication device 20 through wireless communication, and [3] when receiving a status signal. It is equipped with an intensity detection unit 52 (reception intensity detection means) that detects RSSI of the smartphone 14 and a distance estimation unit 50 (distance estimation means) that estimates the distance Dis from the vehicle 12 to the smartphone 14. [5] Smartphone With the trigger that the RSSI is lower than the first threshold value Th1, the 14 14 performs the notification operation or the notification control in different notification modes (notification screens 86 and 92) according to the estimated distance Dis.

Further, the notification method using the notification system 10 includes [1] a detection step (S2) for detecting the RSSI of the smartphone 14 when receiving a status signal, and [2] estimating the distance Dis from the vehicle 12 to the smartphone 14. The estimation step (S3) to be performed and the [3] smartphone 14 are triggered by the RSSI being lower than the first threshold value Th1, and the notification modes (notification screens 86 and 92) are changed according to the estimated distance Dis. The notification step (S4, S6) for performing notification operation or notification control is provided.

As described above, the smartphone 14 performs the notification operation or the notification control in a different notification mode according to the estimated distance Dis, triggered by the detected RSSI being lower than the first threshold value Th1. The convenience of the user U can be further improved by the notification suitable for the 14 states (that is, the combination of communication performance and position).

Further, the notification system 10 is configured to be wearable by the user U, and further includes a wearable terminal 16 capable of wirelessly communicating with the smartphone 14, and the smartphone 14 is a command operation of the user U using the wearable terminal 16. Depending on the situation, a command signal for operating the vehicle-mounted device 26 may be transmitted to the vehicle-mounted communication device 20.

In the notification system 10 linked with the wearable terminal 16, it is assumed that the smartphone 14 which is a relay device is used without being taken out while being stored. In this situation, there is a high possibility that the communication performance will deteriorate, so the effect of changing the notification form will be noticeable.

[Remarks]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and of course, it can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Alternatively, each configuration may be arbitrarily combined as long as there is no technical contradiction.

In the present embodiment, the smartphone 14 includes the distance estimation unit 50 and the intensity detection unit 52, but the distance estimation means and / or the reception intensity detection means is a device different from the smartphone 14 (for example, a vehicle 12, a wearable terminal). 16) may be provided.

In the present embodiment, the smartphone 14 performs notification control or notification operation in two types of notification modes according to the distance Dis from the vehicle 12, but there may be three or more types of notification modes. For example, in the range where the improvement effect of RSSI is expected (the range where the distance Dis is short), a notification form accompanied by a stronger alert may be used.

10 ... Notification system 12 ... Vehicle 14 ... Smartphone (mobile terminal) 16 ... Wearable terminal 20 ... In-vehicle communication device 26 ... In-vehicle device 28 ... Integrated control unit 40 ... First terminal side communication unit 42 ... Sensor group 44 ... First terminal side UI unit 46 ... First terminal side control unit 50 ... Distance estimation unit (distance estimation means)
52 ... Strength detection unit (reception strength detection means) 54 ... Notification processing unit 56 ... Remote operation processing unit 60 ... Second terminal side communication unit 62 ... Motion sensor 64 ... Second terminal side UI unit 66 ... Second terminal side control unit 80 ... Communication range 86, 92 ... Notification screen 90a, 90p, 104 ... Button 96 ... Next notification screen 97 ... Radio wave mark (communication status information)
100 ... Wait screen Th1 ... First threshold Th2 ... Second threshold U ... User

Claims (7)

An in-vehicle communication device mounted on a vehicle and transmitting a status signal regarding the state of the in-vehicle device to the surroundings of the vehicle through wireless communication.
A mobile terminal carried by a user and configured to be able to execute a notification operation or notification control according to the status signal received from the in-vehicle communication device through wireless communication.
It is a notification system equipped with
A reception strength detecting means for detecting the reception strength of the mobile terminal when receiving the state signal, and
A distance estimating means for estimating the distance from the vehicle to the mobile terminal,
With more
The mobile terminal triggers that the reception intensity detected by the reception intensity detecting means is lower than the first threshold value, and the mobile terminal has a different notification mode according to the distance estimated by the distance estimation means. A notification system characterized by performing notification operation or the notification control. In the notification system according to claim 1,
A wearable terminal that is configured to be wearable by the user and is capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal is further provided.
The mobile terminal is a notification system characterized in that a command signal for operating the in-vehicle device is transmitted to the in-vehicle communication device in response to a command operation by the user using the wearable terminal. In the notification system according to claim 2,
The wearable terminal can accept the command operation when the distance does not exceed the second threshold value in the first notification mode in which the command operation cannot be accepted when the distance exceeds the second threshold value. A notification system characterized in that the notification operation is performed in the second notification mode. In the notification system according to claim 3,
The wearable terminal is a notification system characterized in that after receiving the command operation in the second notification mode, the wearable terminal performs the next notification operation for prompting the user to take an action of pointing the mobile terminal toward the vehicle. In the notification system according to claim 3 or 4.
The wearable terminal is a notification system characterized in that it presents communication state information indicating a communication state between the in-vehicle communication device and the mobile terminal to the user. In the notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The distance estimation means is a notification system characterized in that the distance is estimated by using at least one of a position sensor, a pedometer, and a geomagnetic sensor. An in-vehicle communication device mounted on a vehicle and transmitting a status signal regarding the state of the in-vehicle device to the surroundings of the vehicle through wireless communication.
A mobile terminal carried by a user and configured to be able to execute a notification operation or notification control according to the status signal received from the in-vehicle communication device through wireless communication.
It is a notification method using a notification system provided with
A detection step for detecting the reception strength of the mobile terminal when receiving the status signal, and
An estimation step for estimating the distance from the vehicle to the mobile terminal, and
A notification step in which the mobile terminal performs the notification operation or the notification control in a different notification mode according to the estimated distance, triggered by the detected reception intensity becoming lower than the first threshold value. ,
A notification method characterized by comprising.

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