JP7074575B2 - Vehicle driving restriction system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle driving restriction system.

With regard to driving a vehicle such as a car, traffic accidents are more likely to occur due to, for example, a rough driving tendency due to the driver's personal habits, a decline in driving ability due to the aging of the driver, drinking, etc. Is regarded as a problem as a general social phenomenon. Therefore, in situations where traffic accidents are likely to occur as described above, it is desirable to limit driving in advance.

For example, in the control device and the driving safety protection method of Patent Document 1, the guardian of the driver sets the limit of the driving operation of the driver (protected person) by himself / herself, and according to the limitation of the driving operation. It shows the technology to enable control of driving operation. Specifically, the information that identifies the user who uses the vehicle or the information that identifies the category to which the user is classified, the action of the user or the state of the vehicle when the user is driving, and the action or the state of the vehicle are The control information that defines the operation control method when it is detected is stored in the control information storage unit. When a driver actually drives a vehicle, an operation control method corresponding to the detection result information supplied from the in-vehicle detection unit by referring to the control information corresponding to the driver specified by the user authentication unit. Is specified, and the motion control unit performs motion control (drive control, warning notification, notification to the guardian) of the in-vehicle device based on the motion control method.

Further, the driving qualification confirmation system of Patent Document 2 shows a technique for suppressing a crew member from operating a vehicle despite a warning. Specifically, the PC records the alcohol measurement result by the alcohol detector and the license confirmation result by the license reader on the memory card. When the memory card is inserted into the digital tachograph, the digital tachograph issues a voice message to warn the user if it is determined from the measurement / confirmation results that the driving qualification is not valid. In addition, the PC transmits the alcohol measurement result and the license confirmation result to the smartphone. If the smartphone determines that the driving qualification is not valid as a result of measurement and confirmation, it will issue a voice message for a certain period of time to warn, and when it is notified that the digital tachograph has started recording, it will stop recording. Continue to warn by issuing a voice message until.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-19031 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-140484

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, it is necessary for a guardian or the like to set a fixed restricted state in advance for each user who performs operation. Therefore, for example, when the driving ability of the user changes suddenly, the necessary driving restriction cannot be implemented. In addition, when the driving ability of the user is restored, the driving restriction may become excessive. However, the operation for removing the restriction is not easy and takes time.

Further, in the technique of Patent Document 2, it is possible to impose driving restrictions when the user is drinking alcohol or when he / she does not have a driver's license, but the driving restrictions are changed in response to other changes in the user's condition. It is not possible. Moreover, since only a warning is issued, it is not possible to reliably restrict operation even in a dangerous state. In addition, if the state of the user changes after the user starts the operation, the operation cannot be restricted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving restriction system capable of appropriate driving restriction according to an actual state of a user who drives a vehicle. be.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle driving restriction system according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (5).
(1) A vehicle operation restriction system including an on-board unit mounted on a vehicle and having a function of restricting the operation of the vehicle and an external server arranged outside the vehicle.
The on-board unit is configured so that the limit rank indicating the degree of the regulation can be selectively specified from a plurality of stages.
The external server has a function of determining or changing the limit rank in the in-vehicle device, a function of receiving a report by a third party and reflecting the report in the limit rank, and a function of giving an instruction to the in-vehicle device by wireless communication. And, including
The on-board unit includes a function of accepting an instruction from the external server and permitting a change of the restriction rank regardless of whether or not the vehicle is traveling.
A vehicle driving restriction system characterized by that.

(2) The external server periodically or repeatedly identifies the conditions for changing the restriction rank in the direction of strengthening the regulation and the direction of relaxing the regulation, based on the information acquired in association with the in-vehicle device. However, if the above conditions are satisfied, an instruction for changing the limit rank is given to the in-vehicle device by wireless communication in real time.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to (1) above.

(3) The on-board unit has a function of reflecting data read from a detachable predetermined recording medium in the change of the limit rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to (1) above.

(4) The on-board unit includes a function of acquiring information related to a driver's image taken on the vehicle.
The external server determines the presence or absence of suspicious behavior based on the information of the image acquired from the vehicle-mounted device, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restriction rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to (1) above.

(5) The on-board unit includes a function of monitoring the driving situation of the driver on the vehicle and acquiring information related to the driving situation.
The external server determines whether the operation is good or bad based on the information on the operating condition acquired from the on-board unit, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restriction rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to (1) above.

According to the vehicle driving restriction system having the configuration of (1) above, the restriction rank is determined step by step, so that appropriate driving restriction can be performed according to the change in the situation of the vehicle user. Further, since the external server can control the limit rank of the in-vehicle device, the driving limit can be changed by the instruction of remote control even in the situation where the vehicle has already started running. Furthermore, since reports from third parties can be received and reflected in the restricted rank, even if the vehicle user is not under the control of its manager or family, for example, if the vehicle user behaves abnormally. , You can change the driving restrictions.

According to the vehicle driving restriction system having the configuration of (2) above, the external server can control in real time so that the on-board unit appropriately changes the driving restriction of the vehicle user. In addition, since it is possible to change the direction to relax the regulations, it is possible to lift the excessive driving restriction when the driving ability of the vehicle user is temporarily deteriorated.

According to the vehicle operation restriction system having the configuration of (3) above, the manager or family of the vehicle user can change the restriction rank by using the recording medium even in the situation where the on-board unit cannot use wireless communication.

According to the vehicle driving restriction system having the configuration of (4) above, when a vehicle user performs a suspicious behavior before or during driving, for example, it is detected and reflected in the restriction rank for driving. It is possible to tighten the restrictions.

According to the vehicle driving restriction system of the above configuration (5), when the tendency of the driving operation changes while the vehicle user is driving, it is detected and reflected in the restriction rank to strengthen or strengthen the driving restriction. It can be mitigated.

According to the vehicle driving restriction system of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately restrict driving according to the actual state of the user who drives the vehicle. That is, since the restriction rank is determined step by step, it becomes possible to appropriately restrict driving according to changes in the situation of the vehicle user. Further, since the external server can control the limit rank of the in-vehicle device, the driving limit can be changed by the instruction of remote control even in the situation where the vehicle has already started running. Furthermore, since reports from third parties can be received and reflected in the restricted rank, even if the vehicle user is not under the control of its manager or family, for example, if the vehicle user behaves abnormally. , You can change the driving restrictions.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. ..

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle driving restriction system. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the correspondence between the restriction rank and the restriction content. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the main functions of the external server. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the on-board unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the external server.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to each figure.
<Vehicle driving restriction system configuration example>
FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of the vehicle driving restriction system.

The vehicle driving restriction system shown in FIG. 1 includes an on-board unit 10, an external server 30, and a customer PC 40. The on-board unit 10 is mounted on each vehicle to be managed, and is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with an external server 30 outside the vehicle. The on-board unit 10 uses a vehicle that requires restrictions on driving from the viewpoint of family members, in-house managers, and other related parties, such as elderly people with impaired ability to drive a car and young people who drive recklessly. Used to control and limit people.

The external server 30 is installed in, for example, a data center or a management department in a company that manages vehicles. The external server 30 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with an on-board unit 10 mounted on each vehicle and a customer PC 40 arranged in a home or the like. The basic function of the external server 30 is to appropriately adjust the restriction rank of the vehicle user. This limit rank is managed by the limit information in the external server 30 associated with the vehicle user.

The details will be described later, but the functions of the external server 30 include driving restrictions that reflect the intentions of the operation manager, family members, and other related parties, and driving restrictions that reflect the actual driving conditions (reflection of speed violations and alcohol detection). , Driving restrictions in response to reports from external third parties, driving restrictions that reflect the history of suspicious behavior vehicles obtained from image recognition results, etc.

The customer PC (personal computer, etc.) 40 is installed in the family of a specific vehicle user who needs restrictions, in the home or office of the administrator, and is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with the external server 30. Has been done. Further, the customer PC 40 of FIG. 1 includes a card reader / writer 41. The card reader / writer 41 can write and read data to a recording medium 20 such as an SD card.

The recording medium 20 is removable from the card reader / writer 41, and is also removable from the housing of the vehicle-mounted device 10. That is, data can be transferred between the vehicle-mounted device 10 and the customer PC 40 by attaching / detaching and carrying the same recording medium 20. Further, the customer PC 40 can rewrite the contents of the recording medium 20. Further, when the data collected by the vehicle-mounted device 10 is recorded on the recording medium 20, the customer PC 40 can read the data of the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the recording medium 20.

If the customer PC 40 can communicate with the vehicle-mounted device 10 via the external server 30, the recording medium 20 and the card reader / writer 41 are unnecessary. Further, when the external server 30 independently adjusts the limit rank of each vehicle user, a system may be configured in which the customer PC 40 is omitted.

<Configuration of on-board unit 10>
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the on-board unit 10 includes a microcomputer (CPU) 11, an authentication unit 12, a memory 13, a vehicle signal processing unit 14, a position detection unit 15, a video processing unit 16, an alcohol detection unit 17, and a wide area radio. It includes a communication unit 18, an antenna 19, a recording medium 20, a display unit 21, and an external output unit 22.

The microcomputer 11 realizes the control function required for the vehicle-mounted device 10 by executing a program of software incorporated in advance. For example, a function of collecting and recording various information on the own vehicle, a function of acquiring information of a vehicle user (driver), communication with an external server 30, and management of a limit rank for each vehicle user. The microcomputer 11 is equipped with a function, a function of reflecting the state of the limit rank in the state of the own vehicle, and the like.

The authentication unit 12 is a device that authenticates an individual vehicle user (driver), and specifically, is a reader / writer capable of reading the contents of an identification card such as a driver's license or an employee ID card. For example, when the driver is fixed for each vehicle, the driver can be identified by the ID of the vehicle or the on-board unit 10, so that the authentication unit 12 can be omitted.

The memory 13 is a semiconductor storage device that can freely write and read data by accessing the microcomputer 11, and temporarily collects or generates information on the own vehicle, information received from the external server 30, and the like. Used to hold.

The vehicle signal processing unit 14 processes, for example, a vehicle speed pulse signal, an engine rotation pulse signal, a shift signal, an accelerator opening signal, a brake signal, etc. input from the vehicle side, and outputs information indicating the latest state of the vehicle to a microcomputer. Can be given to 11.

The position detection unit 15 is configured by, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or the like, and can give information representing the current position (latitude / longitude) of the own vehicle to the microcomputer 11.

The image processing unit 16 processes an image signal taken by an in-vehicle camera (not shown) mounted on the own vehicle to generate and record image data for each frame, and outputs an image recognition result. be able to. As the image input to the image processing unit 16, for example, the content of photographing the situation of the driver in the own vehicle or the content of photographing the scenery of the road or the like reflected in the field of view ahead of the traveling direction of the own vehicle is assumed. For example, when the drive recorder is mounted on the own vehicle, the image taken by the camera of the drive recorder may be input to the image processing unit 16.

Therefore, for example, abnormal behavior of the driver of the own vehicle, abnormal driving operation of the driver of the own vehicle (for example, meandering driving, driving protruding from the driving lane, abnormal approach to another vehicle, reverse driving of the road), or other vehicles The video processing unit 16 can collect video information representing abnormal driving behavior and the like.

The alcohol detection unit 17 has a built-in sensor that detects the concentration of the alcohol component contained in the driver's exhaled breath before the start of operation. That is, information indicating whether or not the state corresponds to drunk driving can be given to the microcomputer 11.

The wide area wireless communication unit 18 has a function of wirelessly connecting to a predetermined wireless base station that provides a wide area wireless communication service such as a mobile phone via the antenna 19. Further, by using the wireless base station, the on-board unit 10 can be connected to the external server 30 via the Internet.

The recording medium 20 is configured as, for example, an SD card, and is detachably connected to a slot (not shown) provided in the vehicle-mounted device 10. The storage area on the recording medium 20 is used, for example, for storing predetermined constant data, storing data collected by the on-board unit 10, passing various parameters created by the customer PC 40, etc., and transferring the collected data. Will be done.

The display unit 21 is arranged at a position that is easily visible to the driver of the own vehicle, and has a function of displaying an operating state, a message, and the like of the vehicle-mounted device 10 according to an instruction from the microcomputer 11.

The external output unit 22 is used by the on-board unit 10 to give a control signal regarding the operation restriction of the own vehicle to the vehicle side. Specifically, a signal for controlling the door lock of the vehicle, a signal for limiting the traveling speed of the vehicle, a signal for controlling an alarm sound, a signal for controlling whether or not the engine can be started, and the like are transmitted from the external output unit 22 to the vehicle. It is supposed to be given to the side. Therefore, the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted device 10 is mounted needs to be provided with a function for appropriately responding to each signal output by the external output unit 22 of the vehicle-mounted device 10.
The power supply for the on-board unit 10 is always supplied from the vehicle side even when the vehicle is parked, regardless of whether or not the engine of the own vehicle is started, and the on-board unit 10 is configured to always operate.

<Correspondence between restriction rank and restriction content>
FIG. 2 shows a specific example of the correspondence between the restriction rank and the restriction content.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the limit ranks that can be handled by the on-board unit 10, the external server 30, and the customer PC 40 have four ranks of "0", "1", "2", and "3". is doing. The functions of each rank are as follows.

The restriction rank "0" represents a state in which there is no restriction on driving.
The restriction rank "1" represents a state accompanied by function execution such as an alarm sounding, an alarm sound becoming louder, or an alarm interval becoming shorter when the corresponding vehicle user actually tries to use the vehicle.
The restriction rank "2" represents a state in which the upper limit of the traveling speed is restricted when the corresponding vehicle user actually drives the vehicle.
The restriction rank "3" represents a state in which the vehicle door cannot be unlocked and the key cannot be unlocked when the corresponding vehicle user tries to get into the vehicle. In this case, the door lock is automatically executed after the vehicle user gets off the vehicle, and the subsequent unlocking is impossible. However, if the authentication unit 12 of the on-board unit 10 can authenticate a family member or a vehicle manager registered in advance, unlocking of the door lock is permitted.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, four types of restricted ranks of "0", "1", "2", and "3" can be used properly for each vehicle user. That is, it becomes possible to apply appropriate driving restrictions step by step to the same vehicle user according to the actual situation. The types of such restricted ranks may be increased or decreased as necessary.

<External server configuration example>
FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the main functions of the external server 30. In addition to the components shown in FIG. 3, the external server 30 is equipped with hardware such as a computer, a storage device, and a communication device necessary for server processing and basic control software, similar to a general server. is doing.

The external server 30 shown in FIG. 3 includes a database 31, communication functions 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e, and limit rank control functions 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d.

The database 31 holds various information for managing each vehicle managed by the external server 30, each on-board unit 10 mounted on the vehicle, and a vehicle user (driver) who uses this vehicle. It is managed individually for each user or for each vehicle. Further, the information managed by the database 31 includes control information 31a for each vehicle user. The control information 31a represents, for example, the latest value (0 to 3) of the "restricted rank" shown in FIG.

The communication functions 32a to 32d are each connected to the radio base station 36 via the Internet 35. The wireless base station 36 is a facility of a public telecommunications carrier that provides a wide area wireless communication service such as a mobile phone. Therefore, the external server 30 can communicate with various communication partners by using the Internet 35 and the wireless base station 36. The communication partner includes an on-board unit 10 mounted on each vehicle, a customer PC 40 in each home, a terminal owned by a third party, and the like.

The communication function 32a is a function for communicating between the specific on-board unit 10 mounted on the vehicle to be monitored and the external server 30. The communication function 32a acquires information indicating the connection destination of the vehicle-mounted device 10 from the database 31 based on information that identifies the corresponding vehicle user (user ID, etc.), and communicates with the vehicle-mounted device 10 by wireless connection. Can be done.

The communication function 32b is a function for communicating between the specific customer PC 40 associated with the vehicle user to be monitored and the external server 30. The communication function 32b acquires information indicating the connection destination of the corresponding customer PC 40 from the database 31 based on the information (user ID, etc.) that identifies the corresponding vehicle user, and communicates with the customer PC 40 by wireless connection. Can be done.

The communication function 32c is a function for receiving a report from a third party other than the related parties as an external complaint. It should be noted that the source of a third party who can accept external complaints may be limited to a predetermined person or public institution. Further, when accepting an external complaint, the vehicle subject to the complaint can be specified by receiving the information for specifying the vehicle number.

The communication function 32d receives information such as an image transmitted from a specific on-board unit 10 mounted on the vehicle to be monitored, an image taken by an in-vehicle camera of another vehicle, an image taken by a public facility such as a surveillance camera, and the like. It is a function for receiving.

The communication function 32e is a function of transmitting the value of the limit rank for each vehicle user managed by the external server 30 to the vehicle-mounted device 10 of the corresponding vehicle as control information 31a.

The limit rank control function 33a is a function that monitors the actual driving situation of the vehicle for each vehicle based on the information received from the vehicle-mounted device 10 by the communication function 32a, and reflects the result in the value of the "limit rank". ..

The limit rank control function 33b is a function that reflects the limit set by the person concerned (administrator or family member) of the vehicle user in the value of the "limit rank" based on the information received from the customer PC 40 by the communication function 32b. be.

The limit rank control function 33c is a function that receives an external claim received by the communication function 32c, registers it in the database 31, and reflects this external claim in the value of the "limit rank" of the vehicle user who drives the corresponding vehicle. ..

The limit rank control function 33d automatically detects an abnormal behavior in the driving of the corresponding vehicle or an abnormal behavior of the vehicle user (driver) based on the recognition result of the image received by the communication functions 32a and 32d. , It is a function to reflect the result in the value of the "restricted rank" of the corresponding vehicle user.

<Operation example of in-vehicle device>
FIG. 4 shows an operation example of the on-board unit 10. The operation shown in FIG. 4 is executed repeatedly, for example, periodically.

The microcomputer 11 of the on-board unit 10 grasps the latest vehicle state (vehicle speed, etc.) based on various vehicle signals input from the vehicle signal processing unit 14, and is currently based on the information from the position detection unit 15. Grasp the position (S11). If the recording medium 20 is attached, the information is read from the recording medium 20.

The microcomputer 11 of the on-board unit 10 identifies the vehicle user by reading the driver's license, employee ID, etc. using the authentication unit 12 in S12 before the vehicle user starts driving the own vehicle. Further, the alcohol detection unit 17 is used to perform an alcohol check on the exhaled breath of the current vehicle user. When the recording medium 20 is mounted on the vehicle-mounted device 10, the information corresponding to the current vehicle user is read from the recording medium 20. When the control information 31a exists on the recording medium 20, this value is set as the initial value of the "limit rank".

The microcomputer 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 establishes a wireless connection with the external server 30 via the wide area wireless communication unit 18 in S13, and transfers necessary information to and from the external server 30. Here, the on-board unit 10 acquires the control information 31a associated with the user who is driving or is about to drive the own vehicle from the external server 30. The value of the control information 31a represents the "limit rank" of the user, and is sequentially updated according to the situation.

The microcomputer 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 identifies in S14 whether or not a change has occurred in the "limit rank" of the control information 31a acquired in S13, and if there is a change, notifies the driver of the change in the next S15. do.

For example, when the "limit rank" changes from "1" to "2" shown in FIG. 2, for example, "the maximum speed is 40 km" in order to inform the driver that the speed limit is enforced. A message such as "Limited to / h" is notified to the driver by outputting a pseudo voice or displaying the screen of the display unit 21.

The microcomputer 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 refers to the “limit rank” of the control information 31a in S16, and identifies whether or not the vehicle is subject to driving restrictions. That is, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 2, when the "restriction rank" is any one of "1", "2", and "3", the process proceeds to S17 in order to implement the operation restriction.

When the "limit rank" is "1", the microcomputer 11 of the vehicle-mounted device 10 controls the alarm output via the external output unit 22 in S17. When the "limit rank" is "2", a control signal for limiting the maximum speed of the own vehicle is output from the external output unit 22 and given to the vehicle side. When the "limit rank" is "3", a control signal for controlling the door lock of the own vehicle (making the lock not open after getting off) is output from the external output unit 22 and given to the vehicle side. ..

<Operation example of external server>
An operation example of the external server 30 is shown in FIG.
The computer of the external server 30 establishes a wireless connection with the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle by using the communication function 32a, and identifies the user (driver) who is using or intends to use the corresponding vehicle. Information to be used (vehicle user ID, etc.) is acquired in S21.

The computer of the external server 30 sequentially acquires image information using the communication functions 32a and 32d, and when the behavior of the vehicle or driver is suspicious (abnormal operation) by image recognition, the history is registered in the database 31. do. Further, the restriction rank control function 33d refers to the database 31 in S22 and identifies the presence or absence of a suspicious behavior history of the corresponding vehicle or driver. Then, if there is a history of suspicious behavior, the process proceeds to the next S23 to identify whether or not the "restricted rank" should be raised.

For example, if the "restricted rank" is "1" and the added behavior suspicious history is detected, the restricted rank control function 33d raises the "restricted rank" to "2" and this "restricted rank". : 2 ”is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in the next S24. The suspicious behavior history that has become old after a long time may be ignored or automatically deleted from the database 31.

When updating the control information 31a of the database 31 in S24 or the like, it is assumed that the "limit rank" is changed stepwise in the order of "0"-"1"-"2"-"3". However, when a special abnormal situation is detected, for example, the "restricted rank" may be changed from "0" to "3" at once.

When the computer of the external server 30 receives a report from a third party as an external complaint by the communication function 32c, the computer identifies the vehicle or the user, and the database 31 is associated with this information with the vehicle or the user. Register with. Further, the restriction rank control function 33c identifies the presence / absence of the corresponding external claim on the database 31 in S25. Further, when the restricted rank control function 33c finds a valid external claim, S26 identifies whether or not the “restricted rank” should be increased.

For example, when the "restricted rank" is "0" and the added external claim is detected, the restricted rank control function 33c raises the "restricted rank" to "1", and this "restricted rank:: 1 ”is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in the next S27. External claims that have become obsolete after a long period of time may be ignored or automatically deleted from the database 31.

Information indicating the abnormal driving condition of the vehicle collected by the on-board unit 10 of each vehicle, for example, information such as speed violation, meandering driving, overrunning driving from the traveling lane, abnormal approach to the vehicle in front, sudden acceleration, sudden deceleration, etc. It is sequentially transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 10 by wireless communication. The computer of the external server 30 acquires the information representing the operation status transmitted from the vehicle-mounted device 10 by the communication function 32a and registers it in the database 31 as the operation history.

The limit rank control function 33a of the external server 30 refers to the operation history on the database 31 and generates information indicating whether the operation status is good or bad (whether or not the operation has no safety problem). Then, it is identified in S28 whether or not there is a change in the information indicating the quality of the operating condition, and if there is a change, it is determined in the next S29 whether or not the "restricted rank" should be changed.

For example, when the "limit rank" is "1" and the driving condition changes from "good" to "no", the limit rank control function 33a raises the "limit rank" to "2". The "limit rank: 2" is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in the next S30. Further, when the "limit rank" is "1" and the driving condition changes from "no" to "good", the limit rank control function 33a lowers the "limit rank" to "0". The "limit rank: 0" is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in the next S30.

A related person, that is, a family member of a vehicle user to be monitored, a vehicle manager in the same company, or the like, uses the customer PC 40 to determine control information 31a on the customer PC 40 or give an instruction to change the control information 31a. Can be issued. Further, the data of the control information 31a changed by the customer PC 40 can be transferred to the vehicle-mounted device 10 by physical movement via the recording medium 20, or can be transmitted from the customer PC 40 to the external server 30 by wireless communication. can.

The computer of the external server 30 can receive information such as control information 31a transmitted from the customer PC 40 by using the communication function 32b. Further, the restriction rank control function 33b identifies the presence / absence of information transmitted from the customer PC 40 in S31 as a restriction of the related parties, and if there is a restriction of the related parties, the "restricted rank" should be changed in the next S32. Judge whether it is possible or not.

For example, when the "restriction rank" is "2" and a family member or the like instructs the customer PC 40 to strengthen the restriction, the restriction rank control function 33b changes the "restriction rank" to "3". Then, this is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in S33. Further, when the "restriction rank" is "2" and the vehicle manager instructs the customer PC40 to relax the restriction, the restriction rank control function 33b changes the "restriction rank" to "1". It is changed and this is reflected in the control information 31a on the database 31 in S33.

When the "restricted rank" of the control information 31a is updated in any of S24, S27, S30, and S33, for example, the communication function 32e includes information including the updated "restricted rank" or "restricted". Information including instructions for raising or lowering the rank is transmitted to the on-board unit 10. In the example of FIG. 3, the information transmitted by the communication function 32e is transmitted to the corresponding vehicle-mounted device 10 via the communication function 32a, the Internet 35, and the radio base station 36.

<Possibility of deformation of vehicle driving restriction system>
In the example of the "restricted rank" shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle becomes unusable when the rank is changed to the maximum "3", but when the user is already in the vehicle, the "restricted rank" is used. Even if you change "", you cannot restrict the use of the vehicle. Therefore, for example, when the "limit rank" is changed to "3" while driving, the on-board unit 10 outputs a signal for controlling the engine of the vehicle, and the vehicle is gradually decelerated while ensuring safety. May be controlled to stop.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the external server 30 and the customer PC 40 are individually prepared, but the external server 30 and the customer PC 40 may be integrated. Further, a plurality of terminals having the same functions as the customer PC 40 may be configured to be connected to the external server 30. This allows the family and the vehicle manager to change the "restricted rank" to reflect their respective intentions.

The device that transmits an external complaint to the external server 30 may be a device that makes a voice call such as a mobile phone, or may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. When accepting a report of an external complaint by voice call, the voice recognition device is connected to the external server 30 to recognize the content of the report, or the automatic answering system receives a telephone tone signal or the like to receive the external complaint. It becomes possible to grasp the contents.

In the vehicle driving restriction system shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a dedicated on-board unit 10 for restricting driving is mounted on each vehicle, but the on-board unit 10 and other existing on-board units are used. The combination may be integrated. For example, the system may be configured by incorporating the functions of the vehicle-mounted device 10 into a drive recorder, a digital tachograph, a car navigation device, or the like.

Further, when the on-board unit 10 has a structure that can be removed from the vehicle, the vehicle is controlled so as to limit the operation of the vehicle whenever the on-board unit 10 is not connected, and the on-board unit 10 is connected. When it is done, it may be controlled to release the restriction according to the "limit rank".

<Advantages of vehicle driving restriction system>
When using the vehicle driving restriction system shown in FIG. 1, for example, for elderly people with reduced driving ability, young people who drive recklessly, vehicle users who repeatedly drive in violation of traffic rules, etc., their families and vehicles It is possible to restrict the operation even during the operation by the instruction reflecting the intention of the administrator or by the automatic judgment of the external server 30. Moreover, since the restrictions can be set in stages, the restrictions can be appropriately strengthened or relaxed according to the actual user situation. In addition, since external reports can be received and reflected in the "restricted rank", even in an environment where the vehicle is used in an area or time zone that cannot be monitored by the vehicle user's family or manager, the "restricted rank" Can be changed appropriately. In addition, since the driving situation can be grasped based on the result of image recognition and reflected in the "restricted rank", the driving can be appropriately restricted even in an environment where there is no observer at all.

Here, the features of the vehicle driving restriction system according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [5], respectively.
[1] A vehicle operation restriction system including an on-board unit (10) mounted on a vehicle and having a function of restricting the operation of the vehicle and an external server (30) arranged outside the vehicle.
The on-board unit is configured so that the limit rank indicating the degree of the regulation can be selectively specified from a plurality of stages (see FIG. 2).
The external server has a function of determining or changing the limit rank in the in-vehicle device (communication function 32e), a function of receiving a report from a third party and reflecting it in the limit rank (limit rank control function 33c), and wireless. Includes a function (communication function 32a, S34) for giving an instruction to the in-vehicle device by communication.
The on-board unit includes a function (S13 to S17) of receiving an instruction from the external server and permitting a change of the restriction rank regardless of whether or not the vehicle is traveling.
A vehicle driving restriction system characterized by that.

[2] The external server periodically sets the conditions for changing the restriction rank in the direction of strengthening the regulation and the direction of relaxing the regulation based on the information (S21) acquired in association with the in-vehicle device. Alternatively, if the identification is repeatedly performed and the above conditions are satisfied, an instruction for changing the restriction rank is given to the in-vehicle device by wireless communication in real time (see FIG. 5).
The vehicle driving restriction system according to the above [1].

[3] The on-board unit has a function (S11) of reflecting data read from a detachable predetermined recording medium (20) in the change of the limit rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to the above [1].

[4] The on-board unit includes a function (video processing unit 16) for acquiring information related to a driver's image taken on the vehicle.
The external server determines the presence or absence of suspicious behavior based on the information of the image acquired from the on-board unit, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restriction rank (S22 to S24, restriction rank control function 33d). ,
The vehicle driving restriction system according to the above [1].

[5] The on-board unit includes a function (vehicle signal processing unit 14) of monitoring the driving situation of the driver on the vehicle and acquiring information related to the driving situation.
The external server determines whether or not the operation is good or bad based on the information on the operating condition acquired from the on-board unit, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restricted rank (S28 to S30, restricted rank control function 33a). ,
The vehicle driving restriction system according to the above [1].

10 In-vehicle device 11 Microcomputer 12 Authentication unit 13 Memory 14 Vehicle signal processing unit 15 Position detection unit 16 Video processing unit 17 Alcohol detection unit 18 Wide area wireless communication unit 19 Antenna 20 Recording medium 21 Display unit 22 External output unit 30 External server 31 Database 31a Control information 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e Communication function 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d Restriction rank control function 35 Internet 36 Wireless base station 40 Customer PC
41 Card reader / writer

Claims (5)

A vehicle operation restriction system including an on-board unit mounted on a vehicle and having a function of restricting the operation of the vehicle and an external server arranged outside the vehicle.
The on-board unit is configured so that the limit rank indicating the degree of the regulation can be selectively specified from a plurality of stages.
The external server has a function of determining or changing the limit rank in the in-vehicle device, a function of receiving a report by a third party and reflecting the report in the limit rank, and a function of giving an instruction to the in-vehicle device by wireless communication. And, including
The on-board unit includes a function of accepting an instruction from the external server and permitting a change of the restriction rank regardless of whether or not the vehicle is traveling.
A vehicle driving restriction system characterized by that. Based on the information acquired in association with the on-board unit, the external server periodically or repeatedly identifies the conditions for changing the restriction rank in the direction of strengthening the regulation and the direction of relaxing the regulation, and the above-mentioned. If the conditions are met, instructions for changing the restriction rank are given to the on-board unit by wireless communication in real time.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to claim 1. The on-board unit has a function of reflecting data read from a detachable predetermined recording medium in the change of the limit rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to claim 1. The on-board unit includes a function of acquiring information related to a driver's image taken on the vehicle.
The external server determines the presence or absence of suspicious behavior based on the information of the image acquired from the vehicle-mounted device, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restriction rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to claim 1. The on-board unit includes a function of monitoring the driving situation of the driver on the vehicle and acquiring information related to the driving situation.
The external server determines whether the operation is good or bad based on the information on the operating condition acquired from the on-board unit, and reflects the determination result in the change of the restriction rank.
The vehicle driving restriction system according to claim 1.

Images