JP7382668B2 - equipment and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, devices and programs.

In recent years, various in-vehicle devices that increase driver convenience have been on sale. Examples of such devices include drive recorders, car navigation systems, and radar detectors. Such devices can be attached to vehicles and have functions such as recording images, guiding destinations, and reporting radar locations.

Publication No. 2016-57822

Incidentally, accidents that occur when the driver is an elderly person have been a problem. In such accidents, elderly drivers are sometimes the victims, but there are also many cases where elderly drivers are the perpetrators, especially when elderly drivers are the perpetrators. , families of elderly drivers continue to feel very anxious, as the remaining family members are likely to be forced to bear a heavy burden.

On the other hand, some believe that the elderly should simply return their driving licenses, but considering the environment in which the elderly live and their relationship with their families, it is recommended that all elderly people not drive. cannot be discussed all together. For example, if an elderly couple lives alone in a rural area, or if they have their own job such as farming, they may not be able to live without a car.

However, it cannot be denied that elderly drivers are more likely to cause accidents than regular drivers. ), (2) decreased concentration, (3) attention taken away by other things, and (4) difficulty in seeing. "Accidents - their trends and characteristics", Itarda Information, [online], Traffic Accident Comprehensive Analysis Center, June 2007, No. 68, p. 2-12, [searched on January 24, 2017] , see the Internet (URL: http://www.itarda.or.jp/itardainfomation/info68.pdf).

Although accidents involving elderly drivers have been a problem for a long time, very few solutions have been considered. In particular, to prevent elderly drivers from becoming victims, it may be sufficient to take measures to prevent accidents involving all drivers, including ordinary drivers, but elderly drivers may be the perpetrators of accidents. No focused countermeasures have been considered.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is, for example, to suppress the occurrence of danger caused by elderly drivers driving a vehicle, to reduce the possibility that elderly drivers become perpetrators or victims of accidents, and to reduce the possibility that elderly drivers become perpetrators or victims of accidents. Our goal is to provide equipment that allows drivers to drive with peace of mind.

The purpose of the invention of the present application is not limited to this, and we intend to acquire rights through divisional applications, amendments, etc. for structures that aim to obtain effects from the parts of the structure disclosed in this specification, drawings, etc. . For example, in this specification, a problem is disclosed in which the phrase ``can be done'' is replaced with ``the problem is ...'', and the structure for solving this problem is also disclosed in the divisional application and amendment. have the intention to acquire rights by such means. The present applicant intends to claim a part of the structure described in this specification in an amendment or divisional application.

(1) For example, a device that can be attached to a vehicle driven by an elderly driver, which acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle driven by the elderly driver, and based on the vehicle information, the elderly driver It is preferable that the vehicle is characterized by determining whether or not the driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving, and causing the notification means to issue a warning based on the determination.

In this way, in a situation where an elderly driver of a vehicle could become an assailant, a warning will be given to the elderly driver, reducing the possibility that the elderly driver will become an assailant. The driver's family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive. It is also possible that driving a car becomes a reason to go out, preventing elderly drivers from becoming cooped up at home, leading to improved health.

Equipment that can be attached to a vehicle should be one that can be attached to a vehicle such as a car. For example, it may be equipped with a mounting part, and the mounting part may be attached to the dashboard or the top of the windshield of the car. good.

"Elderly drivers" are, for example, elderly drivers who are not old enough to enter a facility or require nursing care, and who are able to go to the bathroom by themselves and eat meals at home. It is best to assume an elderly person. Also, for example, the person may be an elderly person who lives with his son in his 40s or 50s and works in the fields during the day.

For example, such an elderly person can drive a light truck to the fields, but when he goes out, he accompanies his son and his wife, so the area around his house is the only area he can drive alone. It is assumed that he is an elderly man living in a rural area where there are no buses and where he needs a car to get around on his own, so he has no choice but to be an elderly driver. Alternatively, elderly people who do not live with their families and who rely on a car for daily life have no choice but to become elderly drivers, as they need a car to go to the hospital or buy daily necessities.

The "vehicle information regarding the vehicle" may be, for example, information acquired by the vehicle itself, or information acquired by this device attached to the vehicle. For example, the information may be obtained by a sensor provided in the vehicle itself, or may be obtained by a sensor provided in the machine.

For example, it may be external image information as seen from inside the vehicle or image information inside the vehicle, detection information detected by a detection device installed on the vehicle or equipment attached to the vehicle, GPS information acquired by GPS, etc. . The image information may be obtained from a photographing device such as a camera, for example. Further, the detection device may be, for example, a sensor such as a speed sensor or an acceleration sensor.

``Determining from vehicle information whether or not there is a situation where an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle'' is, for example, determined by matching the acquired vehicle information with predetermined condition information. It's good to do that. The predetermined condition information may be incorporated into a program for operating the device according to the present invention, or stored in a storage means provided in the device, for example. The predetermined condition information may be, for example, vehicle information that is considered to be acquired by a vehicle in a past incident where the vehicle was the perpetrator of an accident. For example, accidents may be recorded using a vehicle simulator, and predetermined condition information may be determined based on the recorded vehicle information. Then, by comparing the condition information with the vehicle information, it is preferable to determine whether the situation is such that the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of the accident by driving the vehicle.

Furthermore, "determining based on vehicle information whether or not there is a situation where an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" can be achieved by, for example, incorporating the control means of the device according to the present invention into a program. Preferably, the process compares the acquired vehicle information with the acquired vehicle information and determines whether or not the vehicle information conforms to the condition information.

Additionally, in cases where an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, it is recommended to determine whether individual information such as image information, GPS information, or speed information matches predetermined condition information. It is more preferable to determine the compatibility between a plurality of pieces of information and predetermined condition information. By determining compatibility with multiple pieces of information, it is possible to more accurately determine ``situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident'' than when determining compatibility with a single piece of information. The predetermined condition information may be a plurality of condition information such as image information, GPS information, and speed information.

When determining whether or not a plurality of pieces of information match the predetermined condition information, for example, as in the configuration (8) described later, the judgment can be made based on whether the traffic light information and the speed information match the predetermined condition information. good. In this case, the "predetermined condition" information may be, for example, information indicating that the traffic light information is a yellow light or a red light, and the speed information is a certain speed or higher. Further, "stagger" in (9), which will be described later, may be determined based on whether or not a plurality of pieces of information such as acceleration information, speed information, GPS information, and image information conform to predetermined condition information.

For example, some of the "predetermined condition" information stored in the storage means may be set as a fixed initial setting, while the other part may be set as an individual setting in (2) described later. , it is preferable to make them individually configurable. Among the predetermined conditions, it is preferable that conditions that are easy to set can be set individually.

"Notifying a warning based on the determination" may be performed such that, for example, a warning is issued when it is determined that a situation in which an elderly driver could be the perpetrator of an accident satisfies a predetermined condition. Therefore, it is determined whether the situation in which the vehicle is in conforms to a predetermined condition, and if it is determined that the condition is met, a warning is issued, and if it is determined that the condition is not met, a warning is not issued. It is recommended to process the

However, on the other hand, even if it is determined that the elderly driver satisfies the conditions for becoming the perpetrator of an accident, it is preferable to perform processing so that no warning is issued when other conditions are taken into account. When driving a vehicle, the situation in which the vehicle is placed may meet multiple conditions at the same time, and in some cases, it may be safer to drive without issuing a warning.

For example, a warning may be issued when it is determined that multiple conditions are met. It is a good idea to determine that a person could be the perpetrator of an accident and issue a warning.

For example, even if it is determined that a condition is met, if it is determined that another condition is not met, a warning may not be issued. For example, as described in (11) below, even if it is determined that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident because the vehicle has moved to the right by more than a predetermined value, the condition is that there is no oncoming vehicle. It is best to process the warning so that it is not reported.

"Giving a warning" may be, for example, a weak warning compared to a general driver, a warning to the extent of calling attention or giving advice, and not a strong beep sound or the like. As elderly drivers get older, they tend to become impatient, so it is best to issue warnings that do not startle or irritate them. For example, the warning function may be configured to switch between a warning for general drivers and a warning for elderly drivers, which is weaker than the warning for general drivers.

The device according to the present invention may have, for example, a control mode for elderly drivers as described above, and a control mode for ordinary drivers other than elderly drivers, and it is even more preferable that both modes be switchable.

In the general driver mode, for example, a device that can be attached to a vehicle driven by a general driver other than an elderly driver acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle driven by the general driver, and uses the vehicle information from the device. It is preferable to determine whether or not a general driver may become a victim of an accident by driving the vehicle, and cause the notification means to issue a warning based on the determination. For example, the warning function may be configured to switch between a warning for general drivers and a warning for elderly drivers as described above; It is even better if the mode is changed by switching the mode.

(2) For example, the elderly driver's family has a function of setting the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, the family members of each elderly driver can individually set the settings that they think are optimal for the elderly driver, and if the settings are made appropriately, they can set the settings that are considered optimal for the elderly driver. Because a warning is given, the elderly driver's anxiety is reduced compared to when the situation where the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident is set by default, and the family can feel more secure about the elderly driver. I can get you to drive.

The "function for the family of the elderly driver to set the situation" may be, for example, a function for the family to set a part of the predetermined conditions for which compatibility with the acquired information is determined. For example, conditions related to "position information" in (3) to be described later may be set, or conditions related to "traffic information" and "speed information" in (8) may be set. The set conditions may be stored in the storage means of the device as setting data, for example.

For example, the condition related to "location information" in (3) may be set as a condition that the vehicle reaches a specific position or a specific range, and for example, the condition related to "traffic light information" in (8) may be set as a condition that the vehicle reaches a specific location or a specific range. The condition regarding "speed information" may be set as a condition that the color of the light is recognized as a predetermined color, and the condition regarding "speed information" may be set as a condition that the speed of the vehicle exceeds a certain threshold value.

The device may also include, for example, a display device, and the “setting function” may be, for example, a function in which the items to be set are displayed on the display device and the settings are made by appropriately selecting the items. For example, multiple items are displayed on the display device, including items for setting conditions related to climate information such as (12), and when (12) is selected, items such as temperature, weather, humidity, etc. are displayed, When temperature is selected, a display may be displayed in which the temperature at which the warning is to be issued can be selected in 1 degree increments. The selection may be made using a setting section such as an input button or a touch panel provided on the display device. Alternatively, the "function to be set" may be set by the external setting device (5).

In addition, for example, by preparing in advance items such as location, time, event, etc. that can be considered as ``situations in which an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle,'' and options for each item, elderly drivers can It may be a good idea for the child's family to choose the option. Further, such settings may be repeated many times in consideration of the elderly driver's condition and driving situation, which change daily.

For example, a "function set by the elderly driver's family" may have a configuration that is more difficult for the elderly driver to set than for the elderly driver's family, and more preferably, it is more difficult for the elderly driver's family to set the function. It is recommended that the settings be set only by the user. For example, it is preferable to provide a function for inputting information that identifies the elderly driver's family.

Furthermore, this device preferably has a function that allows only the elderly driver's family to set "situations in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle," and functions that cannot be set by the elderly driver. Good to have. For example, if the device has a function that requires a password, the password is required before configuration, and only family members who know the password can set it by entering the password. It is good to have functions that elderly drivers cannot set.

(3) For example, the situation where the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle can be detected by the elderly driver's family regarding location information where danger specific to the elderly driver is predicted. It would be good to have a function to set it.

In this way, a warning will be comprehensively broadcast at locations where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive. Note that because elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the locations where danger can be predicted are limited. Therefore, the family can comprehensively set a unique position for each elderly driver.

The "danger unique to elderly drivers" may be, for example, a danger common to general elderly drivers, and may be a danger that focuses on the driving habits or driving habits of general elderly drivers. For example, the risk may be taken as a risk that arises from the driving habits of general elderly drivers, such as repeating the movement of approaching the center line and returning.

The average elderly driver is unable to drive straight, and tends to drive all the way to the right, to the center line and then back, or to the center line and then back, which is scary because there is a guardrail on the left side. Even if you cross the center line, if there is no oncoming vehicle, you won't be hit, so you tend to drive as if you are basically on the inside. Also, sometimes when a large truck comes by, I get surprised and swerve to the left, hitting the left side. Therefore, specific locations where such driving is likely to occur may be designated as ``positions where danger is predicted.''

On the other hand, the "danger unique to elderly drivers" may be a danger that a specific elderly driver has, and may be set by the elderly driver's family. For example, a convenience store or a hardware store that the particular elderly driver regularly visits, and a place where there are many people and cars coming and going, is assumed to be a location where danger is expected to occur. It is recommended that the family set this as ``location information that is predicted to be accurate.''

Also, for example, families often set locations where there have been accidents in the past as ``positions where danger is expected.'' It would be best to set this as an example of "location information where danger specific to persons is expected to occur."

(4) For example, the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle is related to the position information and is related to event information that predicts a danger specific to the elderly driver. It is preferable to have a function that can be set by the elderly driver's family.

In this way, based on limited location information and event information corresponding to that location, it is possible to comprehensively set up situations in which the elderly driver's family may become the perpetrator, which is unique to the elderly driver. . As a result, a comprehensive warning is given for the location and event where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive. Incidentally, since the driving range of an elderly driver is limited, the events that can be expected to be dangerous within that driving range are also limited, and it is particularly advantageous to have a function for family members to set location information.

The "event information related to the location information and predicted to pose a danger specific to the elderly driver" may be, for example, information regarding the time, content, and weather of the event related to the location. Specifically, for example, if there is an elementary school student's school route within the driving range of the elderly driver, the information may be related to the location information of the school route and may be information about the event that the elementary school student is commuting to school during a predetermined time period.

There are countless places in Japan where tragic vehicle accidents can occur, such as on school routes, but if you limit the driving range of elderly drivers, location information and event information can be narrowed down to a level that can be set. It is not a big burden to set up a car for an elderly driver, and if the family sets it up for the elderly driver, the family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive the car.

(5) For example, an external setting device for setting the situation to the device in (4), comprising a display section, and displaying map information, the location information on the map, and information related to the location information. Article event information and warning information regarding the content of the warning are displayed on the display section, and the family of the elderly driver is informed of the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. It would be good to have a setting function.

In this way, information such as map information, location information, event information, warning information, etc. can be displayed on the display means of the externally configured device, and the externally configured device can be used to identify situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator. Can be set. Settings can be made easier when information such as map information is displayed in a larger size, so each setting will be easier if it can be displayed on a display device of an external setting device that is separate from the device that can be attached to a vehicle like the present invention. .

The external setting device may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or the like. Alternatively, the connection to the external setting device may be made, for example, via a wired or wireless connection, or via a storage medium such as an SD card.

The "setting function" of an external setting device is, for example, a function that allows the external setting device to set predetermined conditions stored in the storage means of this device on behalf of this device, without using the settings section of this device. It would be good to have a function to do this. For example, the device may be connected to an external setting device by wire or wirelessly, and have a function of setting conditions for determining the situation using the external setting device.

The external setting device makes it possible to select the condition while looking at the display section of the external device, and creates setting data as a condition for determining suitability of the situation. After that, it is preferable to store the setting data as the condition in the storage means of this device. If the device can be connected to such an external setting device, for example, the device according to the present invention may be provided with only a connection section to the external setting device and not a setting section such as a button. . In this way, the structure of this device can be simplified.

The "map information" may be, for example, an electronic map and displayed on a part of the display screen of the display unit. Further, the "location information on the map" may be displayed on the displayed map, for example, as a pin placed at a predetermined position.

"Warning information" is, for example, a warning displayed on the display screen of the device in (13) described later or generated by a warning sound output means, and which notification means uses which method to notify the warning. It would be good to use information that indicates that. Specifically, "warning information" includes, for example, a display screen with a single color background and information indicating that a warning will be announced in large letters, a beep, or a recorded voice of a family member. It is best to use information that indicates that

(6) For example, the device further includes a location information registration unit for registering the location information, and when a family member of the elderly driver drives the vehicle driven by the elderly driver in place of the elderly driver, It is preferable that the location information registration unit has a function of registering the location information by being operated.

In this way, the elderly driver's family members can register only dangerous locations while driving in place of the elderly driver, assuming that the elderly driver is driving. Other information can be registered.

The other information may be information such as that the position has poor visibility, that there is a traffic light, or that the position is on a school route for elementary school students. This makes it easier to register location information based on actual driving. Therefore, the task of setting the situation becomes easier, dangerous positions can be reliably registered, and the possibility of an elderly driver causing an accident can be reduced.

In addition, the external setting device (5) may be configured so that the elderly driver's family can set it together with the elderly driver. For example, the location information registration section allows the elderly driver's family to set the location information when driving. After registering the location information, you can work with the elderly driver to set up a situation in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. We can also expect to improve communication with people.

The "location information registration unit" may be, for example, a pressing means such as a button or a touch panel provided on the device. In this way, the pressing means can be easily pressed even during driving, so that positional information can be registered as appropriate on the spot.

Further, the "location information registration section" may be provided in an external registration means such as a remote control connected wirelessly or by wire, for example. In this way, the remote control can be placed within the driver's reach, the driver does not have to reach for the device, and the driver can register location information without changing his posture while driving.

(7) For example, it is preferable to start giving a warning after the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could become the assailant of an accident, and end the notification after the elderly driver becomes unable to be the assailant of the accident.

In this way, by ending the notification after the situation has reached a point where it is impossible for the elderly driver to become the perpetrator, the elderly driver can recognize the accuracy of his or her driving, and the notification can continue even in situations where the driver cannot become the perpetrator. This will help you drive more appropriately than if you had to put it away.

The "situation in which it is impossible to become the assailant of the accident" may be, for example, a situation in which there is no possibility of becoming the assailant. The "situation in which there is no possibility of becoming an assailant" may be, for example, a case where the moving speed of the vehicle becomes 0 km/h (when the vehicle stops). Alternatively, the "situation in which the person cannot become the assailant of the accident" may be, for example, a situation in which there is normally no possibility of becoming the assailant.

Normally, if the notification ends in a situation where there is no possibility of becoming the perpetrator, the notification ends in a situation where it is considered unnecessary, and if the notification ends only in a situation where there is no possibility of becoming the perpetrator. Older drivers are better able to recognize the accuracy of their own driving compared to older drivers.

For example, the "situation in which the person may become the perpetrator of the accident" may be a fixed condition. In general, for example, the situations in which an elderly driver can be the assailant of an accident are broader than the situations in which a regular driver other than the elderly driver can be the assailant, and Possible situations include situations in which a normal driver other than an elderly driver could be the perpetrator of the accident. Therefore, it is preferable to initially set the "situation in which an elderly driver may be the assailant of an accident" to be wider than the situation in which an ordinary driver may be the assailant of the accident.

Further, the "situation in which the person cannot be the perpetrator of the accident" may be set as a fixed condition, for example. In general, for example, the circumstances in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident are narrower than the circumstances in which an ordinary driver other than the elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of the accident. Situations in which an ordinary driver other than an elderly driver cannot become the perpetrator of an accident include situations in which an ordinary driver other than an elderly driver cannot become the perpetrator of an accident. Therefore, for example, it is preferable to initially set the "situation in which the driver cannot be the assailant of an accident" to be narrower than the situation in which a general driver can be the assailant of the accident.

Further, for example, the initial setting is at least one of "a situation in which an elderly driver can become the assailant of an accident" and "a situation in which an elderly driver cannot become the assailant of an accident," or (2)
It is recommended that the elderly driver's family set the settings, such as:

In particular, it is a good idea for the elderly driver's family to set both ``situations in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident'' and ``situations in which the elderly driver cannot become the perpetrator of the accident.'' . In this way, the elderly driver can be encouraged to drive appropriately according to his/her own characteristics by making settings for the elderly driver.

Further, for example, it is preferable for the family to set only ``situations in which an elderly driver can become the perpetrator of an accident'' without setting ``situations in which the elderly driver cannot become the perpetrator of the accident''. In this way, the circumstances in which the warning ends are left to the initial settings, and the family can set only the circumstances in which the warning begins, making the settings easy and ensuring that warnings are sent in situations specific to elderly drivers. can do.

(8) For example, the elderly driver drives the vehicle by acquiring traffic light information regarding the color of the light of the traffic light in front of the vehicle and speed information regarding the speed of the vehicle, and based on the traffic light information and speed information. By doing so, it is determined whether the person is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of the accident.

In this way, it is possible to reduce the possibility of frequent accidents involving elderly drivers by determining that the elderly driver is the perpetrator based on the relationship between traffic light information and speed information. It should be noted that elderly drivers are more likely to make driving mistakes and be the perpetrators of accidents due to a decline in their concentration level due to aging and a tendency to be distracted by other things while driving. As a result, there are many cases where people miss traffic lights or are delayed in noticing them.

For example, the notification means may issue a warning when the color of the traffic light in front of the vehicle is red or yellow and the speed of the vehicle does not decrease. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the possibility of an accident occurring where the elderly driver is largely at fault, such as entering an intersection where the elderly driver should have stopped and being collided with another vehicle.

Further, for example, if the moving speed of the vehicle does not change even if the color of the traffic light changes from red to blue, a warning urging the vehicle to start may be issued. In this way, when the driver notices too late that the color of the traffic light has changed to blue, it is possible to prevent the driver from making a driving mistake by trying to start the vehicle in a hurry.

In particular, elderly drivers tend to become more impatient as they get older, and may become irritated when someone honks at them. In this case, even if an accident does not occur at that location, there is a possibility that an accident may occur at another location due to driving in an irritated and unstable mental state. Therefore, if the start is announced with a green light, the horns from other vehicles will not be honked, and this will prevent elderly drivers from getting irritated.

The "traffic light information" may be acquired, for example, by a photographing means such as a camera that photographs the front of the vehicle. The traffic light information can be obtained by recognizing the traffic light and understanding its color based on the fact that when the image taken by the photographing means is processed, the LED of the traffic light blinks countless times.

The "speed information" can be obtained based on the speed obtained from GPS or OBD or the acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, and is preferably information on the speed or acceleration of the vehicle.

In addition, at this time, it is preferable to further include the configuration (7). For example, based on the traffic light information and the speed information, a warning is issued from when the elderly driver becomes a potential perpetrator of an accident. It is a good idea to start the notification and end the notification when it becomes impossible to be the perpetrator of the accident.

In this way, by ending the notification in a situation where the elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident based on the traffic light information and speed information, for example, if the traffic light information is a red light and the speed information is a predetermined By starting the notification when the moving speed is higher than the specified speed and terminating the notification when the speed information falls below the predetermined speed in relation to the distance to the traffic light, elderly drivers can It can be recognized that the signal has been appropriately responded to.

If the notification continues for a while even if the speed of travel falls below a predetermined value, elderly drivers may feel as if they made a mistake in slowing down, and the notification may actually aggravate their anxiety. Therefore, the effect of appropriately terminating the warning notification is great.

(9) For example, from the vehicle information, determine whether the vehicle driven by the elderly driver is swaying, and based on the determination, determine whether the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. It is preferable to have a function to determine whether or not.

Generally speaking, elderly drivers tend to sway from side to side when driving, so if we do this, a warning will be issued based on the sway in situations where the elderly driver is the perpetrator. , it is possible to reduce the possibility of accidents that frequently occur among elderly drivers due to erratic driving, which is a characteristic of elderly drivers.

"Wobbling" includes, for example, a state in which a running vehicle moves unsteadily from side to side, a so-called swaying state, as well as a state in which the direction of travel changes significantly to the right or to the left, as described in (10) below. It is preferable to set the condition to be a state in which the vehicle has changed significantly to one side, and it is preferable to determine this from the vehicle information. The vehicle information used to determine the "stagger" may be obtained by, for example, changes in left and right acceleration using an acceleration sensor. Alternatively, the information may be acquired based on changes in position information acquired by GPS. Further, it is preferable to obtain the information from an image taken by a photographing means such as a camera.

For example, "wobble" may be a situation that arises from driving habits typical of elderly drivers, such as repeatedly moving toward the center line and back, or it may be a situation caused by the narrow field of vision typical of elderly drivers. It's good to do that. In addition, it is preferable not to distinguish between wobbling and turning. For example, it is preferable to uniformly determine that the vehicle is wobbling when the vehicle information meets a predetermined condition that indicates wobbling.

Furthermore, in addition to lateral wobbling, ``judgment of sway'' may be used to determine sway caused by changes in the vehicle's longitudinal speed or acceleration, such as sudden starts or sudden braking. It is a good idea to notify.

(10) For example, based on the vehicle information, it is determined that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined amount or more, and based on the determination, the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. It is advisable to determine whether or not.

In this way, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a serious accident such as a head-on collision will occur if the vehicle veers to the right side and an oncoming vehicle approaches.

For example, elderly drivers often move toward the center line and back. This is a driving habit peculiar to elderly drivers who are cautious of the left side because there is a guardrail on the left side, but are aware that there is no danger even if they cross the center line on the right side unless there is an oncoming vehicle. However, if the vehicle veers to the right, it may cause a serious accident such as a head-on collision if an oncoming vehicle approaches.

Therefore, by issuing a warning when there is a large change to the right in the sway information, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of serious accidents peculiar to elderly drivers. Further, for example, it is preferable to issue a warning when there is a significant change to the left. In this way, the elderly driver can be informed that there may be pedestrians or bicycles in the direction of travel.

The determination that "the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more" may be made based on, for example, that the vehicle has crossed the center line or that the distance to the center line has shortened.

(11) Furthermore, it is determined whether there is an oncoming vehicle, and based on the determination that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined amount or more, it is determined whether the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of the accident by driving the vehicle. Even if it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle, no warning will be issued if it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle.

Even if an elderly driver veers to the right side of the road, as long as there is no oncoming vehicle, the possibility of causing a serious accident is small. Therefore, if a notification is issued every time the vehicle frequently moves to the right, the elderly driver will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, by not issuing a warning when there is no oncoming vehicle, it is possible to prevent repeated notifications and to reduce the driver's discomfort.

Oncoming vehicle information can be acquired, for example, based on whether an image taken by a photographing means such as a camera includes an image of the vehicle seen from the front.

(12) For example, in addition to the vehicle information, climate information is acquired, and based on the vehicle information and the climate information, whether the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle? It is better to judge whether or not.

In this way, it is possible to issue a warning based on climate information related to the location of the vehicle, thereby reducing the risk of elderly driving caused by climate. In general, elderly drivers are more likely to suffer from physical ailments due to the weather, so compared to regular drivers, they are more likely to experience risks specific to the weather while driving.

Therefore, when issuing a warning to a general driver based on the climate, it is preferable to issue the warning more severely and at an earlier stage than under conditions that are assumed to be dangerous for the general driver. Note that at the time of filing this application, a configuration that uses climate information together with vehicle information is described, but the company intends to obtain rights for a configuration that uses climate information instead of vehicle information through division, etc.

"Climate information" may be information about the atmosphere or physical conditions in the atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, fair weather, wind speed, etc. For example, the control means may include various sensors such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and wind speed sensors. In addition to directly acquiring information from the OBD connector, it is preferable to acquire information about the wiper operation through the OBD connector to indirectly acquire information about rainfall.

The vehicle information may be, for example, vehicle position information. In this way, it is possible to comprehensively set situations in which the elderly driver's family may become the perpetrator, which is unique to the elderly driver, based on limited location information and climate information corresponding to the location. This provides comprehensive warnings based on the location and climate where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so family members can feel more at ease letting the elderly driver drive. Note that since the driving range of an elderly driver is limited, position information is limited due to the driving range.

For example, when the temperature is high enough to predict the risk of heat stroke, warnings can be issued based on climate information and location information. It would be a good idea to issue a warning to encourage replenishment. This can reduce the possibility of an accident in which an elderly driver makes a driving mistake due to heatstroke and becomes the perpetrator.

Also, "notifying a warning based on climate information" means, for example, when the temperature rises in the summer or when the temperature inside the car rises rapidly, some kind of warning, such as a notification urging people to drink water, may be used. good. Many elderly people tend to be patient with climate changes, so providing warnings based on climate information can make elderly drivers aware of climate changes and prevent them from facing dangers specific to them. .

Warnings are not meant to strongly restrict behavior; for example, they are just advice, such as telling people to drink water or opening the window, but rather to call for attention. It would be good to do something that will give you a boost. Furthermore, the warnings to be issued may be such as, ``If you drive for too long, you will lose your concentration,'' or in the event of rain, ``It will be difficult to see what's ahead.''

(13) For example, it is preferable that the notification means includes a display screen capable of displaying a background of a single color on the entire surface, and the display screen notifies the warning by changing the color of the background.

In this way, a warning is given as a single color change in the background of the entire display screen, where a change in color is visual information that is most easily recognized by an elderly driver. This allows the elderly driver to reliably recognize the warning, reducing the probability of an accident caused by the elderly driver's driving, and allowing the elderly driver's family to drive with peace of mind.

The "color change" is preferably such that the display screen changes from normally displaying an image such as a camera image to a solid red color. This makes it easier for elderly drivers to understand that the condition is different from normal compared to a change to a color other than red, and can reduce the probability of accidents caused by elderly drivers driving. . Further, the "change in color" may be a change in which a background of the same color blinks or a change in which backgrounds of different colors are sequentially replaced.

For example, even for elderly drivers who drive with various vision-related illnesses such as cataracts, changes in the color of the display background are easier to intuitively recognize than text warnings. By remembering that color signals danger, the possibility of becoming the perpetrator of an accident is reduced.

(14) For example, the notifying means includes a warning sound outputting means for notifying a warning by sound, and the display screen displays a warning by text in addition to the display background, and according to the characteristics of the elderly driver, It is preferable that the warning means be notified by the warning means based on a combination of the color of the display background and at least one of the letters and the sounds.

This makes it easier for elderly drivers to recognize the warning by notifying the warning using a combination of text and/or sound in addition to the color of the display background. In particular, older drivers may have physical problems that would make it difficult for them to recognize the warning using one method.

For example, the display screen may be configured to have no elements other than the background and text, and may have a function of notifying the user of a warning using only the text and the color of the background, without displaying icons or maps. Further, for example, it may be possible to set the red color to a color that is easy for elderly drivers to recognize.

For example, elderly drivers with vision problems may have difficulty recognizing text, but if a warning is given in conjunction with the color of the display background or a sound, they can be made to recognize the warning properly. In addition, elderly drivers with hearing problems can properly recognize the warning if the warning is given in the color of the display background or in text. Furthermore, even if it is difficult to recognize characters while driving, it is possible to recognize characters when the vehicle is stopped.

(15) For example, it is preferable that the elderly driver's family has a function of setting at least one of the color of the display background, the characters, and the sound according to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this way, a family member who knows the elderly driver best can set the display according to the characteristics of the elderly driver, and can issue a warning that is most easily recognized. This allows elderly drivers to drive their vehicles with the love of their families, and increases their awareness of preventing accidents.

As for the setting method, for example, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of combinations of display background color and text color by initial setting, and change only the content of the text of the text warning. In this way, it is possible to individually set the content to be alerted to using color combinations that are easy to see, depending on the characteristics of elderly drivers.

For example, it is preferable that the color combinations be complementary colors, but it is even better if they are selected according to the personality of the elderly driver. Also, it may be possible to record the voice of a family member, such as "Grandpa, be careful," and set it to notify you depending on the situation. Elderly drivers can readily accept warnings from family members.

By the way, for example, it is preferable that the display means displays reward information that can motivate the elderly driver to drive, based on the distance or frequency of driving the vehicle. In particular, as shown in (16) below, for example, the frequency of driving may be measured by counting the number of days the vehicle is driven.

(16) For example, it is preferable to count the number of days that the vehicle has been continuously driven, and when a predetermined number of days has been counted, reward information that can motivate the elderly driver to drive may be displayed on the display means.

By displaying reward information according to the number of days that the elderly driver continues to drive the vehicle, it is possible to motivate the elderly driver to drive and to motivate him or her to drive every day. This prevents the elderly driver from becoming a shut-in due to a dislike of driving, and provides an environment in which the elderly driver's family can feel at ease in allowing the elderly driver to drive.

"Counting the number of days" is not simply the distance, number of times, or frequency of driving, but for example, it is better to count the days when the vehicle is driven at least once in a day. In addition, "when a predetermined number of days has been counted" may mean that the vehicle has been driven every day during a predetermined period such as one month, for example. Specifically, for example, if the vehicle can be operated safely for 10 days, an image of an egg hatching and an animal appearing may be displayed on the display device of the device.

Furthermore, for example, if the game can be successfully driven in the next 10 days, the number of animals hatched from the eggs may increase. In this way, combined with the desire to collect animals, the elderly can be motivated to drive every day. The number of days the vehicle was driven may be counted based on, for example, starting the engine of the vehicle. Alternatively, the count may be based on the fact that the vehicle has traveled a predetermined distance.

The "reward information" may be, for example, a photographic image of the elderly driver's family in addition to the animal image. Since elderly drivers have a deep love for their families, doing so can strengthen their motivation to drive based on reward information. For example, reward information may be displayed at any time depending on the number of days the vehicle continues to drive, and it is even better to change the reward information depending on the number of days the vehicle continues to drive. When changing the reward information, it is preferable to change it so that the value of the reward increases, for example. When displaying reward information, the number of days for which driving is to be continued may be two or more days, but may be several days, particularly five days. Further, the number of days may be 5 days or more, but if it is too long, there is a possibility that the driver will stop continuing the operation, so it is more preferable to set the number of days to about 2 to 5 days.

Further, for example, reward information may be displayed without deducting points regarding the frequency with which the vehicle is driven. If this is done, elderly drivers will not be discouraged from driving due to demerit points, and motivation to drive based on reward information will not be inhibited. For example, an elderly driver may be involved in an accident even if information from an acceleration sensor indicates a sudden start or sudden braking while driving, or even if the driving distance is less than the predetermined distance expected for normal driving. All you have to do is count the days you drive without waking up. In particular, when counting the frequency with which the vehicle is driven as the number of days as in (16) above, it is preferable to do the following (17).

(17) For example, the count may be performed only by addition.

While the days count may be subtracted, which could reduce the incentive for older drivers to continue driving each day, since the days count is only added, the elderly driver may simply drive the vehicle. All you have to think about is driving, and you can keep driving every day. This makes it possible to provide an environment in which the elderly driver's family can feel at ease in allowing the elderly driver to drive.

Further, the number of times or frequency with which the vehicle is driven is calculated, and when the calculated value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, reward information that can motivate the elderly driver to drive is displayed on the display means, and when calculating It is recommended not to subtract.

In this way, the driver's motivation to drive can be increased by providing only good information and excluding bad information.

(18) It may be configured as a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of the device described in any one of (1) to (17).

The configuration described above is an example, and a part may be expanded or a part may be limited. Moreover, the configurations may be combined within a range that does not conflict with the configurations. For example, the inventions (1) to (17) described above can be combined arbitrarily. Further, for example, the device may not include all or a part of the configuration (1) but include at least one of the other configurations (2) to (17). However, it is particularly preferable to include all or part of the configuration (1) and at least any one of the configurations (2) to (17) in combination. Further, arbitrary constituent elements may be extracted from at least one of (1) to (17) and combined. The applicant of this application intends to obtain patent rights for such configurations as well.

According to the present invention, for example, the occurrence of danger caused by elderly drivers driving a vehicle is suppressed, the possibility that elderly drivers become perpetrators or victims of accidents is reduced, and family members It is possible to provide equipment that allows people to drive with peace of mind. The effects of the invention of the present application are not limited to these, but the effects obtained from the parts of the structure disclosed in the specification, drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and the rights to the structure that produces the effects have also been acquired through divisional applications, amendments, etc. have the intention to For example, in this specification, a portion where it is written as "can be done" is a statement that clearly indicates the effect to be achieved, and there are parts that show an effect even if there is no mention of "can be done".

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a safety system including equipment that is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the main unit of the device is attached to the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a front view of the external appearance of the display device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. It is a figure showing the state where the display screen of a display device changes. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a driving state when a vehicle to which the device is attached moves to the right side of the lane. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a driving state when a vehicle to which the device is attached is swaying. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen of an external setting device connected to the device. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a display screen of a display device. It is a figure showing an example of displaying reward information on a display screen of a display device.

1 to 9 are diagrams showing the configuration of a safety system including a drive recorder as a device, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a safety system including equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main unit (hereinafter also referred to as "main body") 1 including a control means 10, and a main unit 1 connected to the control means 10. front view camera 11, GPS unit 12, OBD connector 13, acceleration sensor 14, additional camera 15, temperature and humidity sensor 16, remote control 17, display device 18, touch panel 19, input button 20, built-in microphone 21, speaker 22, It includes a distance wireless communication device 23, a memory card slot 24, and a storage means 25 (not shown).

The control means 10 , the acceleration sensor 14 , the temperature and humidity sensor 16 , the built-in microphone 21 , the speaker 22 , the short-range wireless communication device 23 , the memory card slot 24 , and the storage means 25 are provided in the main unit 1 . Further, the front view camera 11, the GPS unit 12, the OBD connector 13, the additional camera 15, the remote control 17, and the display device 18 are provided inside the vehicle separately from the main unit 1.

The control means 10 of the main unit 1 includes a microcomputer, and the processing in this embodiment is realized by a computer included in the microcomputer executing a program stored in the microcomputer.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main unit 1 is fixed to, for example, a center console located to the left front of the driver's seat, an undercover of an instrument panel, or the like by pasting the bottom surface using double-sided tape.

The main unit 1 has an AV output terminal that is a terminal that outputs a video signal and an audio signal to a display device 18 that is provided separately from the main unit 1, and a microphone terminal that is a terminal that inputs an audio signal from an external microphone. and an SD card slot (corresponding to the memory card slot 24 in FIG. 1).

Each of these terminals is connected to a corresponding connector, and is connected to a corresponding device via a cord (cable) connected to each connector. That is, the control means 10 is connected to the display device 18 via an AV output connector connected to an AV output terminal. Further, the main unit 1 is provided with an opening, and has a built-in microphone 21 connected to the control means 10 inside the opening. Furthermore, the main unit 1 is provided with a speaker 22 connected to the control means 10 inside thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the display device 18 is a conventionally well-known liquid crystal monitor, and is removably attached to, for example, a dashboard in a vehicle via a mounting tool. The display device 18 receives and displays an NTSC signal from a car navigation system, car television, or the like. The touch panel 19 is provided on the display of the display device 18 and can be operated by touching the touch portion. Further, a plurality of input buttons 20 are provided on both sides of the display of the display device 18.

In the display device 18, the displays displayed on the display unit are generally layered. In a layered display, first, by touching a menu button displayed as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) input screen on a higher layer, , a new menu screen at a lower level is displayed, and menu buttons are touched one after another until the user reaches the screen for executing the desired predetermined processing mode.

For example, if you want to determine the destination by entering the address when setting the destination, first touch the menu button from the initial screen to set the location information. The user displays the screen and then touches the menu button to display the address input screen.

The main unit 1 also includes an OBD connection terminal that connects to an OBD connector 13 provided on the vehicle, a GPS unit connection terminal that connects to the GPS unit 12, an additional camera connection terminal that connects to the additional camera 15, and a front view camera. 11 and a front view camera connection terminal, each of which is connected to the control means 10.

The front view camera 11 is a camera for photographing the front of the vehicle to obtain a running image, and outputs an NTSC signal as a video signal of the photographed image. The front view camera 11 is fixed to the windshield inside the vehicle with double-sided tape so that the lens faces the direction of travel of the vehicle, which is the direction in which the front of the vehicle is photographed. The fixed position shall be within 20% of the height of the entire windshield from the top of the windshield inside the vehicle. Power for the front view camera 11 is supplied from the control means 10.

The GPS unit 12 is installed in the front position of the dashboard, receives a GPS signal, calculates the current position from the received GPS signal, and converts the position information (longitude, latitude), etc. of the calculated current position into NMEA format data. and sends it to the control means 10.

Further, the control means 10 is connected to a vehicle speed signal line, a blinker signal line, a brake signal line, a ground line of the vehicle, an ACC system power source of the vehicle, etc. via an OBD connector 13 connected to an OBD connection terminal. There is. Thereby, the control means 10 obtains vehicle speed information, blinker information, brake information, engine rotation output information, etc. from the vehicle via the OBD connector 13.

The acceleration sensor 14 detects the behavior of the vehicle from acceleration in three dimensions: X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Detect the acceleration applied in the direction. As a result, predetermined vehicle behaviors such as sudden acceleration/deceleration, sudden steering, running over steps, and falling into potholes are detected. Acceleration sensor 1
4 is provided inside the main unit 1 and connected to the control means 10.

The additional camera 15 is a camera that can be attached to an arbitrary position to photograph images around the vehicle, and outputs an NTSC signal as a video signal of the photographed image. For example, it is fixed to the windshield inside the vehicle with double-sided tape, with the photographing direction pointing toward the interior (from the windshield to the rear of the vehicle). Thereby, the behavior of the driver can be photographed. Power for the additional camera 15 is supplied from the control means 10.

The temperature and humidity sensor 16 is a conventionally well-known temperature and humidity meter, and measures the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle. The temperature and humidity sensor 16 is provided inside the main unit 1 and connected to the control means 10.

The remote control 17 is provided with a location information registration button that functions as a location information registration section, and is fixed by pasting the back side with double-sided tape to a location where the driver can easily operate, such as a center console or an undercover of an instrument panel. As will be described later, when the location information registration button on the remote controller 17 is pressed at a location desired to be stored while driving, the location information of that location is registered.

The short-range wireless communication device 23 performs so-called Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication, and connects an external device such as a smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC, which functions as an external setting device, and the control means 10 by short-range wireless communication so that they can communicate. do.

[Notification of warning regarding traffic lights]

A case will be described in which it is determined based on traffic light information and speed information whether or not an elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, and a warning is issued by a notification means based on the determination. .

In the safety system, a front view camera 11 photographs the front of the vehicle, a control means 10 recognizes an LED traffic light from the photographed image information, and acquires information on the color of the traffic light as traffic light information. Further, the control means 10 of the main unit 1 acquires vehicle speed information from the OBD connector 13 and acquires longitudinal acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. Here, the vehicle speed information and acceleration information are included in speed information regarding the speed of the vehicle.

Based on the traffic light information and speed information, the control means 10 determines whether or not the situation is such that the elderly driver could become the perpetrator by driving the vehicle. Specifically, the traffic light information meets the condition that the color of the traffic light is red or yellow, and the speed information indicates that the vehicle is at a predetermined speed, such as 10 km/h, or more, and the vehicle is decelerating. If this condition is met, the elderly driver may not be aware of the red light, so it is determined that the elderly driver could be the perpetrator by entering an intersection with a red light.

If it is determined that the elderly driver could be the perpetrator, the display section displays the images in FIGS. 4(B) and (C) from the driving screen photographing the front of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 4(A). The screen switches to a notification screen that notifies you of a warning, as shown in . On the notification screen, the words 41 "Watch out for the traffic lights" are displayed in white, and the background 42 has only a red background color (displayed in gray in FIG. 4(B)) and a black background color (displayed in gray in FIG. 4(B)). (see (C))) will flash alternately. Additionally, the speaker 22 issues a warning with a message "Be careful of the traffic lights" in a soft voice.

In this way, the system can recognize red lights, the speed of the vehicle, such as moving speed, and changes in speed, such as acceleration and deceleration, based on the results of the main body's judgment of blinking caused by the power supply of the LED traffic light. , if the acceleration does not decrease significantly, it can alert you in advance that the light is red and you should stop immediately.

Further, the control means 10 recognizes the distance to the traffic light, which is the basis of the traffic light information, from the image information, and ends the warning notification according to the distance and speed information. Specifically, the condition is that the vehicle has decelerated below the speed expected to be able to stop at the stop position corresponding to the traffic light, and if the actual speed of the vehicle meets the conditions, the person cannot be the perpetrator of the accident. It is determined that the situation has occurred and the notification is terminated.

[Notification of warning regarding light-headedness, etc.]

Based on the vehicle information, it is determined that the vehicle driven by the elderly driver has moved to the right in the lane by more than a predetermined value, and from this determination, it is determined whether or not the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of the accident by driving the vehicle. A case will be described in which the notification means is made to issue a warning based on the determination.

As shown in FIG. 5, when a vehicle C driven by an elderly driver moves to the right side of the lane, the acceleration sensor 14 of the vehicle detects acceleration in the left and right direction, and the control means 10 outputs the detected acceleration information. get. The control means 10 also acquires image information in front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11 and recognizes the distance between the vehicle C and the center line L of the road. Thereby, the control means 10 determines from the acceleration information and image information that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more, and issues a warning based on the determination.

Specifically, based on the acceleration information, the vehicle C is moved to the right by a certain value or more, and the distance between the vehicle C and the center line L is below a certain value. If the behavior meets the conditions, the control means 10 determines that the situation is such that the elderly driver could be the perpetrator.

Certain values regarding the fact that the vehicle C has moved to the right and the distance between the vehicle C and the center line L are predetermined in the determination program of the control device. In this embodiment, the constant value of the distance between the right end of the vehicle C and the center line L is set to 10 cm, but the constant value may be set to 0 or a negative number. However, in order to more safely determine that an elderly driver has approached the center line, the certain value may be set within a range of 5 cm to 50 cm. When the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the display of the display device 18 starts blinking and issues a warning.

Elderly drivers tend to drive from the center of the lane to the right, then back, and when an oncoming vehicle approaches, they sense danger and return to the left. By notifying the driver of such sway, which is characteristic of elderly drivers, when the vehicle moves to the right, it is possible to determine whether a general elderly driver could be the perpetrator.

Next, from the vehicle information, determine whether the vehicle driven by the elderly driver is swaying, and based on the determination, determine whether or not the elderly driver is likely to be the perpetrator of the accident by driving the vehicle, A case will be described in which the warning means is caused to issue a warning based on the determination.

As shown in FIG. 6, when a vehicle C driven by an elderly driver sways, the acceleration sensor 14 of the vehicle C detects acceleration in the left and right direction, and the control means 10 acquires information on the detected acceleration. The control means 10 also acquires image information in front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11 and recognizes the distance between the vehicle C and the center line L of the road. Thereby, the control means 10 recognizes from the acceleration information and image information that the vehicle C has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more, and that the vehicle has moved to the left by a predetermined position or more.

The control means 10 determines that the vehicle C is wobbling when the vehicle C has repeatedly moved to the right by a predetermined value or more and the vehicle has moved to the left by a predetermined position or more, and based on the determination, the control means 10 determines that the vehicle C is staggering. to issue a warning.

Specifically, based on the image information acquired from the front view camera 11, the vehicle C is located between the center line L, the outer road line M, and the virtual road line M between the center line L and the outer road line M shown in FIG. Recognize the positional relationship with the intermediate line N. Then, from the acceleration information and the image information, it is determined that the vehicle C has moved to the right by more than a certain value, and the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual median line N has become more than a certain value in the right direction. It is recognized that C has moved to the left by a certain value or more, and the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual median line N has become more than a certain value in the left direction. Then, the control means moves left and right, and the control means sets the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the imaginary median line N to be repeatedly equal to or greater than a certain value in the left and right directions within a predetermined period of time. 10 is determined to be a situation in which an elderly driver could be the perpetrator.

A certain value when the vehicle C moves to the right is predetermined in a determination program that operates the control means 10. In this embodiment, the constant value when the vehicle C moves to the right is set to 50 cm as the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual median line N. Further, when the vehicle C moves to the left, the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual median line N is set to 50 cm. The predetermined time for determining wobbling is set to 30 seconds. These values can be changed as appropriate. When the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the display of the display device 18 starts blinking and issues a warning.

Elderly drivers tend to drive from the center of the lane to the right and back, then to the right and then back. By notifying the driver of such sway that is unique to elderly drivers, it is possible to determine situations in which a general elderly driver may be the perpetrator.

Judgment of such deviation to the right or wobbling is carried out under a predetermined condition, that is, a predetermined value, which is built into a judgment program that operates the control means 10, and the control means 10 automatically performs the judgment without making any settings. Based on this judgment, the system determines whether the elderly driver could be the perpetrator and issues a warning.

[Notification of warning based on location information]

Location information and event information related to the location are registered as situations in which an elderly driver could be the perpetrator of an accident. Thereafter, when a vehicle driven by an elderly driver arrives at the registered location, a warning is issued.

Registration of location information is performed from a viewer 71 as shown in FIG. 7 using an external setting device. Various types of information registered by the external setting device are stored as setting data in a memory card inserted into the external setting device. The memory card storing the setting data is inserted into the memory card slot 24 of the main unit 1. Then, the control means 10 transfers the setting data from the memory card to the storage means 25 of the main unit 1. Thereby, the storage means 25 of the main unit 1 stores the setting data.

When the vehicle reaches a position corresponding to the position information in the setting data, the control means 10 displays related event information on the display means and also issues a sound notification through the speaker 22, which is a warning sound output means.

The PC of the external setting device displays a viewer 71 as shown in FIG. 7 on the display. The viewer 71 displays map information 72, event information 73, and image information 74 taken by the front view camera 11 at a specific position of the map information 72. The map information 72, the event information 73, and the image information 74 are each linked, and for example, a position 72a where the event information 72a is registered is displayed on the map. Furthermore, the image information 73 displays image information at the position pointed by the cursor on the map.

To register location information, for example, move the cursor on the map and click at the location where you want to register event information. At that location, register the event information according to the menu. By clicking the cursor at any position on the map, event information at that position can be registered. As the event information, the time of the event, the target period of notification, the direction in which the event occurs, the content displayed on the display section, the color of the background of the display section, etc. can be registered. Each item is configured so that it can be set using options.

If you do this, for example, you can register conditions such as Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., the target vehicle, elementary school students commuting, etc., and the elderly driver will be able to drive in accordance with the registered conditions. This makes it possible to issue a warning when an accident occurs, reducing the possibility of an accident occurring to elementary school students on their way to school and becoming the perpetrator.

[Notification of climate warnings]

Explaining the case where weather information is acquired in addition to vehicle information, and the determination of whether or not an elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle is made based on the vehicle information and weather information. do.

The control means 10 acquires temperature information and humidity information inside the vehicle from the temperature/humidity sensor 16 as weather information. Further, the control means 10 acquires mileage information from the OBD connector 13 as vehicle information. Thereby, the control means 10 determines from the vehicle information and weather information whether or not the situation is such that the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. If it is determined that the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the control means 10 notifies other devices of a warning.

Specifically, under the conditions that the temperature inside the vehicle is above a certain value and the distance traveled is above a certain distance, control is performed when temperature information and mileage information meet the conditions. Means 10 determines that the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of the accident. Although certain temperatures and travel distances are initially set, the elderly driver's family uses a setting device to set them according to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this case, the control means 10 displays on the display of the display device 18 the words 81 "You should drink water because the temperature is high", as shown in FIG. 8(A). Further, a similar warning is announced by voice from the speaker 22.

The control means 10 also acquires the fact that the wiper has operated as weather information regarding rainfall from the OBD connector 13. Further, the control means 10 acquires mileage information from the OBD connector 13 as vehicle information. Thereby, the control means 10 determines from the vehicle information and weather information whether or not the situation is such that the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. If it is determined that the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the control means 10 notifies other devices of a warning.

Specifically, the control means 10 is configured to prevent an elderly driver from having an accident due to rain if the wipers operate and if the driving distance exceeds a certain distance in that state. It is determined that the situation is such that the person could become the perpetrator. Although certain temperatures and travel distances are initially set, the elderly driver's family uses a setting device to set them according to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this case, the control means 10 displays on the display of the display device 18 the words 82 "It's raining, so it's slippery", as shown in FIG. 8(B). Further, a similar warning is announced by voice from the speaker 22.

[Display changes adapted to elderly drivers]
An example will be described in which the display notifies a warning by changing the color of a single background.

The control means 10 issues a warning based on warning information determined from a plurality of pieces of warning information stored in the storage means 25 depending on the situation in which the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of the accident. For example, as shown in Figures 4 (B) and (C), the warning information is displayed with the text "Be careful of traffic lights" in white, and the background color is only red and only black. A set of warning information is a pattern that flashes alternately. Therefore, the control means 10 determines one or more sets of warning information depending on the situation in which the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, and issues a warning.

The warning information is preferably set by the elderly driver's family, and can be input by the elderly driver's family using the setting button and touch panel 19 so that the display is suitable for the target elderly driver. For example, the elderly driver's family sets the content and color of displayed characters and the color of the display background in accordance with the elderly driver's personality and preferences.

For example, when a family member of an elderly driver selects "Warning display settings" on the touch panel 19, settings for items such as "Text content", "Text color", "Background color", and "Flashing" are set. You will be guided through the display so that you can In the "Text content" item, characters such as "Watch out for traffic lights" can be entered using the keyboard displayed on the touch panel 19. In the "Text color" and "Background color" items, colors such as red, blue, yellow, green, white, and black can be selected. In the "blinking" item, you can select whether or not to blink, the blinking interval, etc. Each item is registered in a selective manner and one warning pattern is set.

[Encouraging elderly drivers to continue driving safely]

A case will be described in which the number of days the vehicle has been driven is counted, and when a predetermined number of days is counted, reward information that gives an incentive to the elderly driver to drive is displayed on the display means.

The control means 10 recognizes that the engine of the vehicle has started and counts the number of days the vehicle has been driven. Specifically, the engine rotation speed output is acquired via the OBD connector 13, and it is recognized that the engine has started. Then, the date and time when the engine was started is stored in the storage means 25. Further, a predetermined number of days is counted from the date and time stored in the storage means 25.

The control means 10 displays reward information on the display means when a predetermined number of days has been counted. Specifically, the storage means 25 stores a plurality of pieces of reward information, and the control means 10 selects reward information according to the number of days counted from the plurality of reward information, and causes the display means to display the selected reward information.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the reward information, on the first day when the elderly driver starts the engine, one day is counted and an image of an egg is displayed (FIG. 9(A)). Next, when the number of days has been counted continuously for 5 days, an image of the egg with a crack is displayed (FIG. 9(B)). Next, when the number of days continues to be counted for 10 days, an image of the egg cracking and the chick's face exposed is displayed (FIG. 9(C)). Next, when the number of days continues to be counted for 15 days, an image of the eggs hatching and chicks appearing is displayed (FIG. 9(D)). Then, when the number of consecutive days has been counted for 20 days, a photo of the elderly driver's family is displayed together with a message (FIG. 9(E)). In this way, the reward information may be image information that shows an animal hatching from an egg and growing according to the number of days counted.

In this way, the elderly driver will enjoy seeing the image change and will be motivated to continue driving. If elderly drivers' families worry too much about becoming the perpetrators of accidents, this will prevent elderly drivers from staying indoors.

[Modified example]

In this embodiment, the means determines whether or not an elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle based on traffic light information and speed information, and issues a warning based on the determination result. Although a case has been described in which the notification is made, it is also preferable to take position information into consideration when determining the situation.

For example, in the case of a place where the lane is curved and the traffic light cannot be recognized until immediately before the traffic light, the control means 10 registers the position where the traffic light can be recognized, and acquires the traffic light information after the vehicle reaches the position. It's good to do that. Specifically, when the vehicle reaches the registered position, the control means 10 changes the color of the light of the traffic light to red from the moment it recognizes the target traffic light in the image information taken by the front view camera 11. If the acceleration sensor 14 or vehicle speed does not change at all even though the color of the light is red, a warning may be issued.

As another example of notifying a warning regarding traffic light information, start information may be notified when the color of a traffic light changes from red to blue. By doing so, elderly drivers will no longer be surprised and jump out when a car behind them honks at them while they are waiting at a traffic light and looking blankly to the side. Also, if the driver tells you when the light is green, you will know when to proceed, and you will not be surprised or irritated, so your heart rate will not increase and you will be able to continue driving with a calm mind.

Generally speaking, elderly drivers tend to become more impatient as they get older, so preventing heart rate from increasing can be very effective in maintaining safe driving. When the color changes to blue, the background color of the notification screen should be blue to convey the image of ``You can go!''. Note that "start information" is a function that informs that the vehicle in front has proceeded when the vehicle is stopped, and is also referred to as stop-and-go. Therefore, it is preferable to have a function of detecting that the vehicle in front has started and notifying the driver.

Regarding the timing of the notification, it is preferable to notify the warning earlier than in the normal case where the warning is notified to the general driver. It is best for the elderly driver's family to set the timing of the notification. Let the elderly driver drive once and set the timing at what seems to be a good time. If the timing does not suit the elderly driver, have the elderly driver drive again. It is a good idea to try the settings several times, such as by setting the settings again.

The additional camera 15 acquires image information inside the vehicle, mainly from elderly drivers. The control means 10 acquires image information of the elderly driver from the additional camera 15 and recognizes the driving state of the elderly driver. Based on this, the control means 10 may make a comprehensive judgment from the images of the front view camera 11 and the additional camera 15 and issue a warning. For example, an elderly driver may recognize from the image information from the front view camera 11 that the vehicle has approached the center line, and may determine whether the elderly driver was looking forward or away from the image information from the additional camera 15 at this time. Recognize driving conditions. Based on this image information, if you are looking in front of the vehicle and the system is moving too far, the system will issue a warning message such as "You are moving to the right", and if the system is looking away, it will issue a warning message such as "Look ahead". It is possible to issue a warning according to the situation, such as by issuing a warning using a voice like this.

In this embodiment regarding notification of a warning regarding a traffic light, an example is shown in which a warning is provided when it is determined that an elderly driver may become the perpetrator, but the position or timing at which the notification of a warning is started is For example, it is recommended that the elderly driver's family set the settings individually. In this way, the elderly driver's family can set the timing in accordance with the elderly driver's personality and tastes, which only the family can know.

Further, the position or timing at which the warning is issued is such that, for example, when the control means 10 recognizes that the color of the light of the traffic light is red from 200 to 500 meters before the traffic light, the control means 10 starts issuing the warning, and the acceleration sensor 14 starts issuing the warning. If it is determined that the elderly driver has decelerated, it can be determined that the elderly driver is aware of the traffic light, and the warning may be turned off.

If the warning continues to be issued until the vehicle speed reaches 0 km/h, it may offend the elderly driver who has already stepped on the brake to stop the vehicle. This can make elderly drivers feel unstable, increasing the risk of them becoming the perpetrators of an accident. For individual settings by the elderly driver's family, it is preferable to allow the vehicle speed to be set as a condition for ending the warning, for example, by tuning and setting a numerical value 200 to 500 meters before the driver.

Furthermore, for example, in this embodiment, several situations have been exemplified as situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, but there are also other situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident. It is assumed that the driver presses the wrong button. For example, if a vehicle is stopped at a specific registered location such as a convenience store and the engine is started, a message such as "depart safely" will be displayed, and the elderly driver will begin to press the accelerator and the vehicle will experience acceleration. If this occurs, the control means 10 determines that the vehicle has begun to move slowly, and it is preferable to end the display such as "depart safely" to prevent the vehicle from crashing into a convenience store.

In this embodiment, in the notification of a warning regarding sway, etc., when determining sway, a certain value is determined when the vehicle C moves to the right, a certain value is determined when the vehicle C moves to the left, and sway is determined. The predetermined time for this can be changed as appropriate. For example, a certain value serving as a reference for determining whether the vehicle C has moved to the left or right may be determined from the distance between the center line L and the outside line M of the roadway. For example, when the distance between the center line L and the outer roadway line M is 250 cm, it is preferable to set 50 cm, which is one-fifth of the value, as a constant value when the vehicle C moves to the right. Also, if the distance from the center line L is less than a certain value, it is determined that the vehicle has moved to the right, and based only on the acceleration information from the state where it has moved to the right, it has moved to the left and then to the right again. Therefore, it may be determined that the condition is unsteady.

Elderly drivers tend to drive closer to the center line on the right and back, or back to the center line, and may not be able to drive straight. This is thought to be due to the awareness that, ``It's scary on the left side because there is a guardrail, but even if you cross the center line, it won't cause a direct accident as long as the other side doesn't come.'' With this kind of awareness, the average elderly driver basically drives inside the road, and occasionally when a large truck approaches, he becomes surprised and turns the steering wheel to the left, hitting the left guardrail and causing an accident. may become the perpetrator. Assuming such a situation, if the vehicle moves to the right and changes significantly, we will notify you, ``Are you crossing the center line?'', and if you move to the left, there may be pedestrians, so be careful in that area. It is good to evoke it. A possible cause of such sway is that elderly drivers have a narrow field of vision.

Further, although an example in which a warning is issued when the vehicle C moves to the right has been described using FIG. 5, it is preferable to issue a warning also in the following cases.

First, a warning is issued when the vehicle C continues to move to the right for a certain period of time or more (Situation 1). Here, a state in which the vehicle C has moved to the right is a state in which the distance between the right end of the vehicle C and the center line L is equal to or less than a certain value. For example, the fixed value may be, for example, 50 cm, and the fixed time may be, for example, 30 seconds.

Next, when an oncoming vehicle approaches from the opposite lane and vehicle C moves to the left to avoid it (Situation 2), a warning is issued. In this case, the presence of an oncoming vehicle is determined based on image information from the front view camera 11. Moreover, it is preferable that the distance between the right end of the vehicle C and the center line L becomes 150 cm or more, for example, that the vehicle C has moved to the left.

Next, when the oncoming vehicle disappears and the vehicle C moves to the right again (step 3), a warning is issued. It is determined from the image information of the front view camera 11 that the oncoming vehicle has disappeared. Moreover, it is preferable that the distance between the right end of the vehicle C and the center line L becomes 50 cm or less, for example, that the vehicle C has moved to the right again.

Further, if Situation 1 to Situation 3 are repeated several times (Situation 4), a warning is issued. Further, it is preferable to issue a warning in each of Situation 1, Situation 2, Situation 3, and Situation 4. For example, a warning is not issued in situation 1, a warning is issued in situation 2, a warning is not issued in situations 1 and 2, but only in situation 3, and a warning is issued in situation 2 and 3. It is preferable to set a warning to be issued in Situation 1 and Situation 4 instead of notifying . Whether the vehicle C has moved to the right or left may be determined by another method, regardless of the relationship with the center line L.

In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which sway is determined and a warning is issued. For example, when attempting to determine sway only based on acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14, it is possible to When driving along the road, driving similar to sway may occur. In that case, it may be determined whether or not there is wobbling, but it is preferable not to decide whether it is wobbling or a curve, but to uniformly determine that it is wobbling even if the curve is repeated.

Alternatively, for example, the vicinity of an intersection may be treated as a prohibited area and warnings may not be issued uniformly. In this way, areas near intersections are excluded from the sway determination, which reduces the number of unauthorized warnings and allows elderly drivers to concentrate on driving. If the elderly driver's family makes such a setting, the elderly driver will be protected by the family's kindness. Similarly, it is preferable not to issue a warning when making a sharp curve.

In this embodiment, swaying was determined based on the acceleration information in the left and right direction detected by the acceleration sensor 14, but it is preferable to determine sudden start or sudden braking from changes in front and rear acceleration information, and issue a warning. . In this way, it is possible to determine whether the accelerator is pressed too much or the brake is pressed incorrectly, and a warning can be issued.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the control means 10 recognizes the sway of the vehicle based on image information in front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11 and left and right acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. However, it is preferable that the control means 10 recognize the sway of the vehicle only from the image information in front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11, for example. That is, the control means 10 preferably recognizes the sway of the vehicle from a single piece of information.

Further, the control means 10 can further improve the recognition of the sway from, for example, GPS information, information about the steering angle of the steering wheel, etc., and can accurately recognize the sway by comprehensively determining the sway of the vehicle from a plurality of these pieces of information. be able to.

In this embodiment, an example of notifying a warning regarding location information has been shown, but location information can be set in places where other people have had accidents in the past, places where accidents often occur, or where only locals know. It is a good idea to enter places where accidents are likely to occur, register in advance the places where local residents are careful, and send notifications. Although such location information may be shared via Internet communication, it is preferable to set it completely individually and individually. It is best to limit the information to this unit alone and register information only for specific elderly drivers.

Therefore, instead of creating a special site on the Internet where information about the area can be entered, it is better to have family members, such as the sons of elderly drivers, do the settings individually. . Additionally, when a vehicle dealer buys a car from an elderly driver, it would be a good idea to register the location of the vehicle, which people in the area would normally pay attention to, in the same position as a family member.

The number of location information that can be registered is preferably limited to about 10. For example, elderly drivers often drive for about 15 or 20 minutes at a time, and are unlikely to drive for as long as an hour. Places where it is necessary to drive occasionally, but not on a daily basis, include hospitals, hardware stores, and barbershops, but even then, the place to go is fixed, and in most cases the distance from home is about 5 to 10 km. Therefore, elderly drivers often have a limited range of movement, and the positional information that can be registered in the safety device can be limited.

Therefore, in the safety device according to the present invention, the number (locations) that can be set is limited, and a warning is issued repeatedly when the location and time match. If you try to set the location and time for the average driver, a huge amount of registration work is required, but compared to this, elderly drivers have a limited range and time of action, so this is not necessary. It doesn't require much setup work.

If individual settings can be made using an external setting device such as a PC or a smartphone, settings from the main unit 1 or display device 18 of the device will become unnecessary. Therefore, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the main unit 1 and the display device 18 are not provided with buttons for settings. For example, if the display device 18 is not provided with buttons for settings, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in design, such as making the screen wider.

Providing a warning is not limited to highly urgent warnings, but may also be a warning in advance by registering a location near your home and saying, ``You're almost there'' or ``You're almost there, so be careful.'' . A warning may be issued based only on location information without registering event information.

It is recommended that the elderly driver and the elderly driver's family jointly register the location information. For example, even if an elderly driver says that he/she is fine, if the elderly driver and his/her family jointly check the actual driving information and find that he or she is driving dangerously at a particular point, the elderly driver and his or her family can come to a common understanding. can have Elderly drivers will provide their families with all the information they are going to, their driving skills, etc., which can strengthen the relationship of trust.

In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the location information is registered by an external setting device. However, it is preferable that the position information is registered by a position information registration means while driving, without using an external setting device. Specifically, location information may be registered by pressing a button on the remote controller 17 corresponding to location information registration means. For example, position information may be registered by pressing a button on the remote control 17 while driving, and after driving is finished, this information may be retrieved into an external setting device and event information etc. may be set in the registered position information. In this way, an elderly driver can create a highly accurate registration pattern by registering locations where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident while driving and adding information to the registered locations.

The elderly driver's family registers location information using the remote control 17 while driving in place of the elderly driver, and together with the elderly driver adds or modifies information to the registered location information. After that, it is recommended that the elderly driver actually drive the vehicle. Furthermore, it is advisable for the elderly driver's family to work together to reset the information while looking at the elderly driver's actual driving situation.

By repeating the setting process, communication between elderly drivers and their families will become closer. In accordance with this, it would be even better if a warning notification method could also be registered for the registered location. When registering location information while driving, it is preferable that the elderly driver drive and his or her family register the location information using the remote control 17.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which it is determined from mileage information and temperature information whether or not an elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle. Therefore, it is preferable that the control means 10 has a function of determining that the elderly driver is likely to be the perpetrator when the predetermined condition is that the temperature condition continues for a certain period of time or more. .

In this way, in the summer when the temperature inside the car rises rapidly, it is possible to issue some kind of warning by playing notifications such as the need to replenish water or the driver becoming drowsy if he or she drives for too long. Elderly drivers often have a lot of patience mentally; for example, they may endure heatstroke even inside their homes. Therefore, it is useful to provide information about the climate.

When issuing a warning based on weather information, it is determined from the date and time detected by the temperature/humidity sensor 16 and the GPS unit 12 that it is early in the morning, during the day, or when heat stroke is more likely to occur.

When issuing a warning based on weather information, it is preferable that a change in temperature is detected and the warning is issued after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the engine was started. For example, a warning may be issued only when returning from field work in the summer if the temperature is higher than a certain level compared to when going out. Further, for example, it is preferable to issue a warning when the difference in temperature is large when the user goes out in the morning and returns home in the afternoon.

In addition, even if the control device is in a situation where a warning is to be issued based on weather information, if a highly urgent event occurs based on other information such as vehicle information and it is necessary to issue a warning, the control device will issue a warning based on weather information. It is best not to issue warnings based on information.

When setting the location information, it is preferable to set, for example, the distance from the elderly driver's home to fields, hospitals, etc. that the elderly driver regularly visits. In this case, if the distance exceeds a certain distance, it is considered to be an unusual situation such as getting lost. In unusual situations, we often do not pay attention to things like temperature, so it is important to issue a warning when the temperature is high.

In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the warning information displayed on the display is set by the elderly driver's family. As a premise for such settings, it is preferable that there be one or more default warning patterns determined as initial settings for the colors and text contents. On top of that, a warning pattern can be added by being set by the family.

For example, depending on the personality and preferences of an elderly driver, it may be more appropriate for the text to have a strong tone such as ``Be careful'' instead of ``Be careful.'' The warning information displayed on the display is preferably such that predetermined parts can be placed at any position on the display, such as in New Year's card creation software. It would be a good idea to write New Year's greetings on the top right and Happy New Year on the left, similar to how you arrange photos. Many people experience such settings at least once a year, so configuring the screen is relatively easy. Then, it is a good idea to have an elderly driver actually drive the vehicle and change the settings while trying it out. It is a good idea to find something that the person can easily notice by emphasizing the background color, changing the blinking or lighting, etc.

In addition, text warning notifications are most effective when the vehicle is stopped. For example, if the message ``Be careful when operating the accelerator'' appears when you park your car at a convenience store and start the engine, you can prevent yourself from pressing the accelerator by mistake. Furthermore, by repeatedly issuing warnings, there is a possibility that it will become a habit to be careful every time.

For the warning notification by the display device 18, a plurality of registered patterns are stored in the storage means by default. In this way, it is preferable to register a registered pattern that is easy for elderly drivers to recognize by default. Furthermore, it would be a good idea to allow the elderly driver's family members to use the system by rewriting the default registration pattern as a user. It is preferable to change only the characters or only the combination of the color of the characters and the color of the background based on the registered pattern. Examples of color combinations include complementary colors.

In addition to the warning provided by the display device 18, it is preferable to notify the user of the warning by voice. For example, the control means 10 acquires audio information via the built-in microphone 21 and stores it in the storage means 25. Family members register audio information as warning information corresponding to the situation. As a result, when a vehicle driven by an elderly driver is placed in a corresponding situation, a warning is issued using the audio information. Since it is difficult for elderly drivers to read text while driving, it is effective to provide audible warnings.

It is preferable that the audio notification be performed using, for example, a son, daughter, or grandchild's familiar voice. In this embodiment, the sound is stored in the storage means by the built-in microphone 21, but it is also possible to acquire the sound data using an external setting device and store it in the storage means of the main unit 1 via the SD card. good. Further, in addition to voice, a startling sound such as a beep may be used, but it is more likely that elderly drivers will be motivated to drive safely if the warning is issued in a gentle voice or sound.

The audio can be set to suit elderly drivers, but you can also add sounds that describe how the vehicle should behave. Alternatively, the voice of the great-grandchild saying "It's dangerous" may be obtained using a smartphone application and stored in the storage means of the main unit 1. The audio information is tailored to the target elderly driver and provides information that the elderly driver is most concerned about, such as the voice of his wife, who is riding beside him, and notifies him that he is not driving alone. It may be arranged to give a sense of security.

In other words, it is preferable that it resonates with the hearts of each elderly driver. It is a good idea to change the settings and discover which is better, such as a completely unknown voice, a simple sound, the voice of a person close to you, or the voice of a grandchild or great-grandchild whom you cherish. There may be times when you are embarrassed to use your voice or when writing is better.

The audio warning may be announced once or may be repeated multiple times. If repeated notifications irritate and make elderly drivers uncomfortable, it may be advisable to notify them only once. As an initial setting, it is advisable to set the notification so that it is notified only once, and to set it to repeat multiple times in the individual settings. It is preferable to have a function of setting the number of repetitions and the period of notification (for example, number of seconds). It would be good to have registration patterns such as one for grandpa, one for grandma, one for gentle type of grandpa, one for gentle people, and one for short-tempered people. However, it is even better to set such a registration pattern individually for a specific elderly driver (for example, a grandfather), assuming that the driver is the only one driving the vehicle.

The content of the text is often a text or message written by the grandchild of an elderly driver, such as something like "Grandpa, please be careful," or something like "Welcome home" after driving home. Good to have. Even if the information is not read while driving, the fact that the grandchild has set it for you will motivate the elderly driver to take safety into consideration. By making individual settings, rather than using a notification method that is suitable for everyone, it is possible to provide notifications that resonate with the elderly driver.

For example, you can individually set the thickness of the letters and whether the image of the letters should be more broken down, softer, or harder. Even if the color is red, some elderly drivers find it easier to see a slightly brighter color, while others find it easier to see a darker red, such as wine red. You can customize these things while checking them on an external configuration device such as a computer and having conversations such as, ``Is this easy to see?

For example, if a person has difficulty seeing certain colors due to a physical illness or eye disease, it is possible to change the gradation instead of using a viewer or display that previously only had fixed colors. It would be good to provide it as a PC viewer that can be used.

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which reward information is given such that one egg grows until safe driving continues for 20 days, but after 20 days, the next egg is prepared and another egg grows. It is better to let the animals hatch. In this way, elderly drivers will be given the pleasure of increasing the number of animals and collecting them, and will be more motivated to continue driving safely.

In such a case, a distance target can be set for the number of days, or points can be deducted when there is a sudden start or sudden stop based on acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. However, in this case, reward information is displayed to the elderly driver as a reward for being able to drive every day. If we do this, we will encourage people to go out without making driving unpleasant due to aggressive goal setting or point deductions, and we will prevent the onset of diseases caused by social withdrawal.

Further, in this embodiment, an example in which the reward image changes every five days has been described, but it is preferable to display a reward image that changes every day. Further, it is preferable that the storage means stores a plurality of character images in the storage means, forming a series of character images that grow in accordance with each stage of the number of acquired points. Specifically, if you create a character image with multiple stages, such as a larva molting multiple times before becoming an adult, users can imagine the coupon they are trying to obtain as a pet and use it as a pet. You can continue driving as if you were raising a pet.

Also, it would be a good idea to create a system where if you continue playing for 10 days, you will receive an egg, and if you play for another 10 days, it will hatch and your point card will be filled up on the screen. This will stimulate the collecting habit and motivate elderly drivers to continue driving safely.

The reward information provides on-screen images that are thought to be pleasing to elderly drivers. The reward information is often of interest to elderly drivers, such as videos, images, illustrations of dogs, images of cats, animal series, fish series from around the world, trains, photos of grandchildren, old photos of themselves, etc. Preferably dinosaurs, mountains, ports, world heritage sites, etc. In particular, it is preferable that it is something that stimulates the collecting habit of elderly drivers. In order to obtain such reward information, the elderly driver starts driving the vehicle every day and maintains this state.

Additionally, it is preferable that family members be able to set the reward image. For example, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of photos that memorize the growth of an elderly driver's grandchild, and to display a photo of the grandchild who has grown up as the number of days counted increases. By setting a reward image by the family, images tailored to the preferences of the elderly driver can be displayed, so the reward image is set by default to motivate the elderly driver to continue driving safely. This can be further increased compared to the case.

When setting a reward image, the external setting device may request a password known only to the elderly driver's family. The reward image may be kept a secret from the elderly driver as a small surprise for the elderly driver, and the elderly driver may not be able to view it even if the image is operated. In this way, the elderly driver cannot know what kind of reward image will be registered, and can increase his motivation to continue driving safely in order to see the reward image.

When elderly drivers drive their vehicles every day, the battery does not run down due to the engine running every day, and oil circulates, which helps reduce breakdowns. In this way, it will be possible to prevent elderly drivers from becoming secluded and reduce vehicle breakdowns using only the cost of gasoline, and unnecessary money will not be spent.

The safety system is designed by the elderly driver's family to set up situations in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, and the elderly driver's family can set up a situation in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. Set warning information to notify a warning.

Regarding a situation in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, conditions that serve as a standard for determining the situation may be incorporated into the program of the control means 10 and stored in the storage means 25 as an initial setting. or may be set by the elderly driver's family.

Regarding initial settings, the safety system is registered at least as a default setting. Without default settings, some settings must be made individually, which may be inconvenient for those who want to use the product quickly. If the elderly driver is able to respond to the danger under the initial settings, the initial settings can be used as is, but if the elderly driver is unable to respond to the danger, the settings can be set individually and conditions can be added.

By default, warnings will be sent earlier than to the average person in their 30s or 40s. For example, when the condition for notifying a warning is distance, the distance is set to be 1.5 times or twice as long as the normal distance. Depending on the personality and preferences of the elderly driver, individual settings can be made to determine whether it would be better to warn the elderly driver repeatedly by warning them ``It's dangerous, it's dangerous'' from 500 meters or 600 meters before the driver, or if they would be able to understand by just warning them once. It is recommended to do so.

For example, one of the targets for the safety system is people between the ages of 65 and 80. If the driver is close to 65 years old, a single alarm will be enough to tell, while if the driver is close to 80 years old, some elderly drivers will need to be notified multiple times. First, once an elderly driver drives a vehicle, the driving details are recorded along with the initial notification. When the family checks the recorded driving details, for example, if they do not notice the alarm at all, try increasing the number of alarms, such as repeating the alarm two more times, or increasing the volume. It is a good idea to make individual settings for the content you want to be notified, such as changing the notification color or changing the color.

According to the above-mentioned device, it can be attached to a vehicle driven by an elderly driver as illustrated in FIG. information, climate information, etc., and based on this information, determine whether or not there is a possibility that an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. The display device 18, the speaker 22, and other notification means are provided with a function to notify the user. Therefore, in a situation where an elderly driver driving a vehicle could become an assailant, by giving a warning to the elderly driver, the possibility of the elderly driver becoming an assailant is reduced, and the elderly driver's family This allows elderly drivers to drive with greater peace of mind.

The equipment that can be attached to a vehicle is preferably a main unit 1 that can be attached to a vehicle driven by an elderly driver or his or her family. It is preferable that the structure is such that it is attached to the dashboard of a car, the top of the windshield, etc.

The "vehicle information regarding the vehicle" may be, for example, information acquired by the vehicle itself, or information acquired by this device attached to the vehicle. For example, the vehicle information may include external image information as seen from inside the vehicle or image information inside the vehicle, detection information detected by a detection device installed on the vehicle or equipment attached to the vehicle, and information acquired by the GPS unit 12. It is preferable to use GPS information or the like. The image information may be obtained from a photographing device such as the front view camera 11, for example. Further, the detection device may be a sensor such as the acceleration sensor 14, for example.

``Determining from vehicle information whether or not there is a situation where an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle'' means, for example, determining whether the acquired vehicle information matches a predetermined condition. good. The predetermined conditions may be incorporated into a program for operating the control means 10 of the device according to the present invention, or stored in the storage means 25 provided in the main unit 1, for example.

Therefore, "determining based on vehicle information whether or not there is a situation where an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" is, for example, performed by the device control means 10 according to the present invention in a program. Preferably, the process compares the installed predetermined condition or the predetermined condition stored in the storage means 25 with the acquired vehicle information to determine whether the information conforms to the condition.

In addition, "a situation in which an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" includes image information taken by the front view camera 11 or additional camera 15, GPS information acquired from the GPS unit 12, OBD It is preferable to determine whether a single piece of information such as the speed information acquired from the connector 13 matches a predetermined condition, but it is even better to determine whether a plurality of pieces of information match the predetermined condition. By determining compatibility with multiple pieces of information, it is possible to more accurately determine ``situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident'' than when determining compatibility with a single piece of information.

"Notifying a warning based on a determination" means, for example, issuing a warning by flashing the display screen of the display device 18 when it is determined that a situation in which an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident meets a predetermined condition. It is better to process it so that it is notified. Therefore, it is determined whether the situation in which the vehicle is in conforms to a predetermined condition, and if it is determined that the condition is met, a warning is issued, and if it is determined that the condition is not met, a warning is not issued. It is recommended to process the

"Giving a warning" may be, for example, a weaker warning than that for ordinary drivers, or a warning to the extent of calling attention or giving advice. , it is best not to make a strong beeping sound. As elderly drivers get older, they tend to become impatient, so it is best to issue warnings that do not startle or irritate them.

Furthermore, the device according to the present invention preferably has a control mode for elderly drivers, for example, and a control mode for general drivers other than elderly drivers, such as the touch panel 19 of the display device 18 and input buttons. It is even better if the two modes can be switched by the switch 20.

In the general driver mode, for example, a device that can be attached to a vehicle driven by a general driver other than an elderly driver acquires vehicle information regarding the vehicle driven by the general driver, and uses the vehicle information from the device. It is preferable to determine whether or not a general driver may become a victim of an accident by driving the vehicle, and cause the notification means to issue a warning based on the determination.

Further, as shown in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the elderly driver's family has a function of setting a situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, if each family member of an elderly driver individually configures the settings that they think are optimal for the elderly driver, a warning will be issued in a situation that is considered optimal for that elderly driver. Compared to a case where the initial setting is such that the driver could become the perpetrator of an accident, the elderly driver's anxiety is reduced, and the family can feel more at ease allowing the elderly driver to drive.

The "function for the elderly driver's family to set the situation" may be, for example, a function for the family to set part of the predetermined conditions that are determined to be compatible with the acquired information. For example, conditions related to the position of the vehicle may be set from an external setting device or the touch panel 19 or input button 20 of the display device 18, or conditions related to the color and speed of a traffic light may be set. The conditions set by the external setting device are preferably stored as setting data in the storage means of the device via a memory card. In particular, the condition related to "position information" may be set to the position of the vehicle or a predetermined range, and for example, the condition related to speed may be set to a threshold value.

Further, this device may be equipped with a display device 18, for example, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the function is set by selecting an item as appropriate. For example, items for setting conditions related to traffic light information and items for setting conditions related to climate information are displayed on the display device 18, and when an item related to climate information is selected, items such as temperature, weather, humidity, etc. are displayed, When the temperature is selected, it is preferable to display a display in which the temperature at which the warning is to be issued can be selected in 1 degree increments using the input button 20. The selection is preferably made by the setting section.

Furthermore, this device preferably has a function that allows only the elderly driver's family to set "situations in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle," and functions that cannot be set by the elderly driver. Good to have. For example, it is preferable that the device has a function of requesting a password, a password is required before setting, and only a family member who knows the password can set it by inputting the password on the touch panel 19. It is good to have a function that cannot be set by elderly drivers who do not know the password.

For example, the elderly driver's family may use an external setting device to detect a situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. It is preferable to have a function for setting using the touch panel 19 or input button 20 of the display device 18.

In this way, a warning will be comprehensively broadcast at locations where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive. Note that because elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the locations where danger can be predicted are limited. Therefore, the family can comprehensively set a unique position for each elderly driver.

The "danger unique to elderly drivers" may be, for example, a danger common to general elderly drivers, and may be a danger that focuses on the driving habits or driving habits of general elderly drivers. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, image information acquired by the front view camera 11 and the acceleration sensor 14 detect the driving habits of a typical elderly driver, such as repeatedly moving toward the center line and returning. It is preferable to make the determination based on acceleration information in the left and right direction.

The average elderly driver is unable to drive straight and keeps moving to the right, to the center line and back, or to the center line and back, which is scary because there is a guardrail on the left side. Even if you cross the center line, you tend to drive in such a way that if the other side doesn't come, you won't be hit by a car, so basically you drive on the inside. Also, sometimes when a large truck comes by, I get surprised and swerve to the left, hitting the left side. Therefore, specific locations where such driving is likely to occur may be designated as ``positions where danger is predicted.''

On the other hand, the "danger unique to elderly drivers" may be a danger that a specific elderly driver has, and may be set by the elderly driver's family. For example, a convenience store or a hardware store that the particular elderly driver regularly visits, and a place where there are many people and cars coming and going, is assumed to be a location where danger is expected to occur. It is recommended that family members work together with the elderly driver to set the predicted location information using an external setting device.

Also, for example, families often set locations where there have been accidents in the past as ``positions where danger is expected.'' It is recommended that event information be set as event information related to "location information where danger specific to persons is expected to occur."

Further, for example, the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle may be determined in relation to the position information and in relation to event information in which a danger specific to the elderly driver is predicted. It would be good to have a function that can be set by the elderly driver's family.

In this way, it is possible to comprehensively set situations in which the elderly driver's family may become the perpetrator, which is unique to the elderly driver, based on limited location information and event information corresponding to the location. As a result, a comprehensive warning is given for the location and event where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure and have the elderly driver drive. Furthermore, since elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the number of events that can be predicted to be dangerous within that driving range is also limited. It would be good to have a function to do so.

The "event information related to location information and predicting danger specific to elderly drivers" may be, for example, information regarding the time, content, and weather of the location-related event. Specifically, for example, if an elementary school student's school route is within the driving range of an elderly driver, the elderly driver's information regarding the event that an elementary school student is commuting to school during a predetermined time period is related to the location information of the school route. It is preferable for the family to memorize it in the storage means 25.

For example, an external setting device for setting the status of the device is equipped with a display section like a computer or a smartphone, and displays map information, location information on the map, and events related to the location information. information and warning information regarding the contents of the warning are displayed on the display device 18, and the elderly driver's family has a function of setting a situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. It's good to do that.

In this way, information such as map information, location information, event information, warning information, etc. can be displayed on the display section of the external setting device, and situations in which an elderly driver is considered to be the perpetrator can be displayed on the external setting device. Can be configured via user interface. Settings can be made easier when information such as map information is displayed in a larger size. Therefore, as shown in FIG. , each setting becomes easier.

The external setting device may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or the like. Alternatively, the connection to the external setting device may be made, for example, via a wire or wirelessly such as the short-range wireless communication device 23, or via a storage medium such as an SD card.

For example, the "setting function" of an external setting device can be used to set the conditions for determining the situation stored in the storage means of this device to the external setting device on behalf of this device, without relying on the settings section of this device. It is recommended that the function be set by For example, this device does not have a setting section such as the input button 20, but is connected to an external setting device by wire or wirelessly via the short-range wireless communication device 23, and the external setting device sets conditions for determining the situation. This is a function to be set.

The "map information" may be, for example, an electronic map and displayed on a part of the screen of the display unit, as shown in FIG. Further, the "location information on the map" may be displayed on the displayed map, for example, as a pin placed at a predetermined position.

"Warning information" is, for example, a warning displayed on the display screen of the display device 18 or generated by a warning sound output means, and information indicating which notification means uses which method to notify the warning. It is good to say. Specifically, for example, a single color background on the display screen and information indicating that a warning will be issued in large letters, a beep sound, or a family member's voice recorded by the built-in microphone 21 may be used to notify the alarm. It is good to use information that indicates.

For example, the remote control 17 of the device is equipped with a location information registration section for registering location information, and when a family member of the elderly driver drives a vehicle driven by the elderly driver in place of the elderly driver, the remote control 17 of the device is provided with a location information registration section to register location information. It is preferable to have a function of registering location information when the information registration section is pressed. In this way, the elderly driver's family members can register only dangerous locations while driving in place of the elderly driver, assuming that the elderly driver is driving. Other information can be registered.

The other information may be information such as that the position has poor visibility, that there is a traffic light, or that the position is on a school route for elementary school students. In this way, it becomes easy to register position information based on actual driving. Therefore, the task of setting the situation becomes easier, dangerous positions can be reliably registered, and the possibility of an elderly driver causing an accident can be reduced.

The external setting device may be configured so that the elderly driver's family can set the settings together with the elderly driver while viewing the viewer shown in FIG. After registering information while driving and registering location information, you can work with the elderly driver to set up a situation in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, and it is possible to do so together with the elderly driver. It is also expected to improve communication with elderly drivers.

The "location information registration unit" may be, for example, a button provided on the device or a pressing means such as the touch panel 19. In this way, the pressing means can be easily pressed even during driving, so that positional information can be registered as appropriate on the spot.

Further, the "location information registration section" may be, for example, a button on an external registration means such as the remote control 17 connected wirelessly or by wire. In this way, the remote control 17 can be placed within the reach of the driver, and the driver does not need to reach for the device, and can register position information without changing his posture while driving.

For example, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the warning notification is started after the elderly driver becomes in a situation where he or she could become the assailant of the accident, and that the notification is ended after the elderly driver becomes unable to be the assailant of the accident.

In particular, for example, the elderly driver's family can make external settings such as ``situations in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident'' and ``situations in which the elderly driver cannot become the perpetrator of the accident'' as shown in Figure 7. It is recommended that the settings be made depending on the device. In this way, the elderly driver can be encouraged to drive appropriately according to his/her own characteristics by making settings for the elderly driver.

Further, for example, the control means 10 acquires traffic light information regarding the color of the light of the traffic light in front of the vehicle and speed information regarding the speed of the vehicle, and based on the traffic light information and speed information, the elderly driver drives the vehicle. It is a good idea to determine whether or not you are in a situation where you could be the perpetrator of the accident.

In this way, the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver is the perpetrator based on the relationship between the traffic light information and the speed information, thereby reducing the possibility of frequent accidents involving elderly drivers. I can do it. It should be noted that elderly drivers are more likely to make driving mistakes and be the perpetrators of accidents due to a decline in their concentration level due to aging and a tendency to be distracted by other things while driving. As a result, there are many cases where people miss traffic lights or are delayed in noticing them.

For example, if the color of the traffic light in front of the vehicle acquired by the front view camera 11 is red or yellow, and the speed of the vehicle does not decrease in the acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14, the display device It is preferable that a warning means such as 18 or speaker 22 be used to notify the warning. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the possibility of an accident occurring where the elderly driver is largely at fault, such as entering an intersection where the elderly driver should have stopped and being collided with another vehicle.

The "traffic light information" may be acquired, for example, by a photographing means such as the front view camera 11 that photographs the front of the vehicle. The traffic light information can be obtained by recognizing the traffic light and understanding its color based on the fact that when the image taken by the photographing means is processed, the LED of the traffic light blinks countless times. The "speed information" can be acquired based on the speed that can be acquired from the GPS unit 12 or the OBD connector 13 or the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 14, and may be information on the speed or acceleration of the vehicle. In addition, at this time, for example, based on traffic light information and speed information, warning notifications are started when the elderly driver becomes a situation where he or she could become the perpetrator of an accident, and prevents the elderly driver from becoming the perpetrator of the accident. It is a good idea to end the notification when the situation arises.

For example, the sway of a vehicle driven by an elderly driver is determined from vehicle information such as acceleration information and image information, and based on this determination, the situation in which the elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle is determined. It is advisable to determine whether or not.

"Stagger" refers to, for example, a state in which a running vehicle moves unsteadily from side to side, a so-called swaying state, as well as a state in which the direction of travel changes significantly to the right or to the left. The control means 10 preferably determines from vehicle information, and the vehicle information used to determine "stagger" includes, for example, changes in left and right acceleration by the acceleration sensor 14, changes in positional information acquired by the GPS unit 12, and changes in the front view camera 11. It is preferable to obtain changes in images photographed by a photographing means such as the following.

In addition, the "determination of sway" is based on acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14, and includes not only lateral sway but also sway caused by changes in the longitudinal speed or acceleration of the vehicle, such as sudden starts or sudden braking. It is best to determine whether the vehicle is moving quickly or to issue a warning about sudden starts or sudden braking.

For example, it may be possible to determine from the vehicle information that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined amount or more, and from this determination, determine whether or not the situation is such that an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. . In this way, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a serious accident such as a head-on collision will occur if the vehicle moves to the right side and an oncoming vehicle approaches. For example, elderly drivers often move toward the center line and back. This is a driving habit peculiar to elderly drivers, who are cautious of the left side because there is a guardrail, but are aware that there is no danger even if they cross the center line on the right side unless there is an oncoming vehicle. However, if the vehicle veers to the right, it may cause a serious accident such as a head-on collision if an oncoming vehicle approaches. Therefore, when the acceleration sensor 14 detects a large change in the rightward direction in the sway information and issues a warning, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of serious accidents peculiar to elderly drivers. Further, for example, a warning may be issued when the acceleration sensor 14 detects a large change to the left. In this way, the elderly driver can be informed that there may be pedestrians or bicycles in the direction of travel.

The determination that "the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more" is based on image information acquired by the front view camera 11, for example, based on the fact that the vehicle has crossed the center line or that the distance to the center line has shortened. It is best to make a judgment based on this.

For example, the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle is determined based on the image information of the front view camera 11, and based on the determination that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined amount or more, it is determined that the elderly driver is driving the vehicle and the perpetrator of the accident is identified. Even if it is determined whether the situation is likely to occur, if it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle, processing may be performed so as not to issue a warning.

Even if an elderly driver veers to the right side of the road, as long as there is no oncoming vehicle, the possibility of causing a serious accident is small. Therefore, if a notification is issued every time the vehicle frequently moves to the right, the elderly driver will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, when there is no oncoming vehicle, the control means 10 does not issue a warning, thereby preventing repeated warnings and reducing the driver's discomfort.

For example, in addition to the vehicle information, climate information detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 16 is acquired, and it is determined whether or not an elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. , preferably based on climate information.

Therefore, when issuing a warning to a general driver based on the climate, it is preferable to issue the warning more severely and at an earlier stage than under conditions that are assumed to be dangerous for the general driver. The "climate information" may be information regarding the atmosphere or physical conditions in the atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, fair weather, and wind speed. In addition to directly acquiring information from various sensors, it is preferable to acquire rainfall information indirectly through the OBD connector 13 based on the fact that the wiper has operated.

The vehicle information may be, for example, vehicle position information. In this way, the elderly driver's family can set it using an external setting device, etc. to cover all situations in which the elderly driver's family may become the perpetrator based on limited location information and climate information corresponding to that location. can do. This provides comprehensive warnings based on the location and climate where the elderly driver is likely to become the perpetrator, so family members can feel more at ease letting the elderly driver drive. Note that since the driving range of an elderly driver is limited, position information is limited due to the driving range.

For example, issuing a warning based on climate information detected by the temperature/humidity sensor 16, etc. and position information acquired by the GPS unit 12, etc. means that the temperature is low enough to predict the danger of heatstroke, etc. If it is high, it is preferable that after moving a predetermined distance from the position information of the starting position, a warning urging replenishment of water is given by the display means or the speaker 22. This can reduce the possibility of an accident in which an elderly driver makes a driving mistake due to heatstroke and becomes the perpetrator.

The warnings provided by the display device 18 and the speaker 22 do not strongly restrict behavior, but are, for example, advice such as "You should drink water because the temperature is high" as shown in FIG. It's best to use words that encourage action, such as "It's better to open the window," etc., that call for attention. Furthermore, the warnings that are issued include messages such as ``If you drive for too long, you will lose your concentration,'' and when it is raining, as shown in Figure 8, ``It's raining and it's going to be slippery.'' It would be a good idea to notify them using words such as:

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the notification means may include a display screen capable of displaying a background of a single color over the entire surface, and the display screen may notify the warning by changing the color of the background.

In this way, a warning is given as a single color change in the background of the entire display screen, where a change in color is visual information that is most easily recognized by an elderly driver. This allows the elderly driver to reliably recognize the warning, reducing the probability of an accident caused by the elderly driver's driving, and allowing the elderly driver's family to drive with peace of mind.

The "color change" is preferably such that the display screen changes from a state in which it normally displays real-time image information taken by the front view camera 11 to a solid red color. As a result, compared to a change to a color other than red, it is easier for the elderly driver to understand that the state is different from the normal state, and it is possible to reduce the probability that an accident will occur due to driving by the elderly driver. Further, the "change in color" may be a change in which a background of the same color blinks or a change in which backgrounds of different colors are sequentially replaced.

For example, even for elderly drivers who drive with various vision-related illnesses such as cataracts, changes in the color of the display background are easier to intuitively recognize than text warnings. By remembering that color signals danger, the possibility of becoming the perpetrator of an accident is reduced.

Further, for example, the notification means includes a warning sound output means such as a speaker 22 that gives a warning sound, and the display screen of the display device 18 can display a warning in text in addition to the display background. It is preferable that the warning is notified by the notification means by a combination of the color of the previous display background and at least one of the letters and the above-mentioned sounds in accordance with the characteristics of the display.

This makes it easier for elderly drivers to recognize the warning by notifying the warning using a combination of text and/or sound in addition to the color of the display background. In particular, older drivers may have physical problems that would make it difficult for them to recognize the warning using one method.

The display screen of the display device 18 may have a configuration that does not include any elements other than the background and text, for example, and may have a function of notifying a warning using only the text and the color of the background without displaying icons or maps. Further, for example, it may be possible to set the red color to a color that is easy for elderly drivers to recognize.

Further, for example, the elderly driver's family may set at least one of the display background color displayed on the display screen of the display device 18, the characters, and the sound emitted from the speaker 22 to match the characteristics of the elderly driver. It is good to have a function.

In this way, the family member who knows the elderly driver best can set the warning information according to the characteristics of the elderly driver, and can issue a warning that is most easily recognized. This allows elderly drivers to drive their vehicles with the love of their families, and increases their awareness of preventing accidents.

The setting method is, for example, to prepare a plurality of combinations of display background color and text color in the initial settings, and to change only the content of the warning text using the touch panel 19 of the display device 18. good. In this way, it is possible to individually set the content to be alerted to using color combinations that are easy to see, depending on the characteristics of elderly drivers.

Furthermore, the device according to the present invention can prevent elderly drivers from becoming cooped up at home due to driving a car being a reason to go out, and may lead to improved health. An in-vehicle device designed to prevent such elderly drivers from becoming the perpetrators of accidents, for example, counts the frequency at which the vehicle is driven based on whether or not the engine is started from the OBD connector 13. It is preferable that the display device 18 displays reward information that can motivate the driver to drive. For example, the number of days the vehicle has been driven may be counted, and when a predetermined number of days has been counted, reward information that can motivate the elderly driver to drive may be displayed on the display means.

By displaying reward information based on the number of days the elderly driver starts the engine and drives the vehicle, it is possible to motivate the elderly driver to drive and motivate him or her to drive every day. . This prevents the elderly driver from becoming a shut-in due to a dislike of driving, and provides an environment in which the elderly driver's family can feel at ease in allowing the elderly driver to drive.

In addition to images of animals, the "reward information" may be, for example, a photographic image of the elderly driver's family as shown in FIG. 9(E). Since elderly drivers have a deep love for their families, doing so can strengthen their motivation to drive based on reward information.

Further, for example, the control means 10 may display reward information regarding the frequency with which the vehicle is driven without performing point deduction processing. If this is done, elderly drivers will not be discouraged from driving due to demerit points, and motivation to drive based on reward information will not be inhibited. For example, an elderly driver may All you have to do is count the days you drive without causing an accident. For example, the count may only be added. While the days count may be subtracted, which could reduce the incentive for older drivers to continue driving each day, since the days count is only added, the elderly driver may simply drive the vehicle. All you have to think about is driving, and you can keep driving every day. This makes it possible to provide an environment in which the elderly driver's family can feel at ease in allowing the elderly driver to drive.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modified examples, these embodiments and explanations are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. I would like to add that this is provided for the benefit of the public. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Of the present invention, the structure for which a patent is sought is specified in the attached claims, but even if the structure is not specified in the claims at present, it is not disclosed in this specification. We intend to include such configurations in the scope of claims in the future.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the embodiments described above. The components of each of the embodiments and modifications described above may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Also, any component of each embodiment or modification, any component described in the means for solving the invention, or a component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. It may be configured in any combination. The applicant intends to obtain rights to these matters through amendments to the application or divisional applications.

In addition, the applicant intends to obtain rights to the entire design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. Although the drawing depicts the entire device using solid lines, the drawing includes not only the overall design but also the partial design claimed for some parts of the device. For example, it is a drawing that not only includes some members of the device as a partial design, but also includes some parts of the device as a partial design regardless of the members. The part of the device may be a part of the device or a part of the device. We intend to obtain rights not only for the entire design, but also for partial designs in which arbitrary portions of the solid line portion of the drawing are broken line portions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Main unit, 10...Control means, 11...Front view camera, 12...GPS unit, 13...OBD connector, 14...Acceleration sensor, 15...Additional camera, 16...Temperature and humidity sensor, 17...Remote control, 18...Display device , 19...Touch panel, 20...Input button, 21...Built-in microphone, 22...Speaker, 23...Near field communication device, 24...Memory card slot, 25...Storage means

Claims (6)

A function is provided for counting the number of days in which a vehicle driven by an elderly driver has been continuously driven, and outputting reward information that is information that motivates the elderly driver to drive when a predetermined number of days has been counted;
a function of setting an image as the reward information by the elderly driver's family;
The number of days that the vehicle driven by the elderly driver is continuously driven is counted, and when the predetermined number of days is counted, the elderly driver receives reward information that is information that motivates the elderly driver to drive. A device characterized by having a function of displaying an image set by a family member on a display means. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting by the elderly driver's family is performed by requesting a password known only to the elderly driver's family. A function is provided to display an image other than the image set by the elderly driver's family when a predetermined number of days less than the predetermined number of days is counted.
The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: An image that includes a plurality of the predetermined days and is not an image set by the elderly driver's family is a different image for the plurality of predetermined days.
The device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: An image of an animal is provided as the image other than the image set by the elderly driver's family.
The device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: A program for causing a computer to implement the functions of the device according to claim 1 .

Images