JP7668567B2 - 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 convenience for drivers have been sold. Examples of such devices include drive recorders, car navigation systems, and radar detectors. Such devices can be installed in vehicles and have the functions of recording video, guiding to destinations, and informing the driver of the radar's position.

Publication No. 2016-57822

Incidentally, accidents caused by elderly drivers have been a problem for some time. In such accidents, elderly drivers may be the victims, but there are also many cases where elderly drivers are the perpetrators. In particular, when an elderly driver is the perpetrator, a heavy burden is often imposed on the surviving family members, and the family members of the elderly driver continue to feel strong anxiety.

On the other hand, some people think that elderly people should be required to surrender their driver's licenses, but when we consider the living environment of the elderly and their relationships with their families, we cannot generalize and say that all elderly people should not drive. For example, elderly couples living alone in the countryside, or elderly people who have their own jobs such as farm work, may not be able to survive without a car.

However, it cannot be denied that elderly drivers are more likely to cause accidents than normal drivers, and information has been released regarding accidents involving elderly drivers, such as the four major errors that elderly drivers are prone to make: (1) assuming that there is no one around, (2) decreased concentration, (3) being distracted by other things, and (4) difficulty seeing (see "Accidents caused by elderly drivers driving four-wheelers: trends and characteristics," Itarda Information, [online], Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Traffic Accident Comprehensive Analysis Center, June 2007, No. 68, pp. 2-12, [searched January 24, 2017], Internet <URL: http://www.itarda.or.jp/itardainfomation/info68.pdf>).

Though accidents involving elderly drivers have been a problem for a long time, little thought has been given to solving this problem. In particular, preventing elderly drivers from becoming victims may be sufficient in some cases with measures aimed at preventing accidents involving all drivers, including regular drivers, but no measures have been considered that focus specifically on elderly drivers becoming the perpetrators of accidents.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide equipment, etc., that suppresses the occurrence of dangers caused by elderly drivers driving vehicles, reduces the possibility of elderly drivers becoming the perpetrator or victim of accidents, and allows family members to allow elderly drivers to drive with peace of mind.

The purpose of the invention of this application is not limited to this, and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations that aim to obtain effects from parts of the configuration disclosed in this specification and drawings, etc., through divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, this specification discloses a problem in which the phrase "can be" is read as "the problem is," and the applicant intends to obtain rights to configurations that solve this problem through divisional applications, amendments, etc. The applicant intends to include parts of the configurations described in this specification in the scope of the patent claims through amendments or divisional applications.

(1) For example, a device that can be installed in a vehicle driven by an elderly driver may be characterized as acquiring vehicle information about the vehicle driven by the elderly driver, determining from the vehicle information whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, and causing a notification means to issue a warning based on the determination.

In this way, by issuing a warning to an elderly driver in a situation where the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of a vehicle accident, the possibility of the elderly driver becoming the perpetrator of a vehicle accident is reduced, and the elderly driver's family can feel more secure about having the elderly driver drive the vehicle. In addition, driving a car can be a reason to go out, which may prevent elderly drivers from staying at home, leading to improved health.

The vehicle-mountable device may be one that can be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and used, and may, for example, have a mounting part that is structured to be mounted on the dashboard or the top of the windshield of the automobile.

An "elderly driver" may be, for example, an elderly person who is not yet old enough to enter a nursing home and who does not yet require nursing care, who can go to the toilet by himself, and who can eat his meals at home. It may also be, for example, an elderly person who lives with a son in his 40s or 50s and who does farm work during the day.

For example, such an elderly person can drive a light truck to the fields, but when they go out further, they accompany their son and his wife, so their range of independent movement by vehicle is limited to the area around their own house. They are likely to live in a rural area where there are no buses and they need a car to get around alone, so they have no choice but to become an elderly driver. Or, an elderly person who does not live with their family and for whom a car is essential for daily life must use a car to go to the hospital or buy daily necessities, so they have no choice but to become an elderly driver.

"Vehicle information relating to the vehicle" may be, for example, information acquired by the vehicle itself, or may be information acquired by this device attached to the vehicle. For example, it may be information acquired by a sensor or the like provided in the vehicle itself, or it may be information acquired by a sensor or the like provided in this device.

For example, the information may be image information of the outside as seen from inside the vehicle or image information of the inside of the vehicle, detection information detected by a detection device provided on the vehicle or equipment attached to the vehicle, GPS information obtained by GPS, etc. The image information may be obtained from a photographing device such as a camera. The detection device may be a sensor such as a speed sensor or an acceleration sensor.

"Determining from vehicle information whether or not a situation exists in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" may be determined, for example, by matching the acquired vehicle information with predetermined condition information. The predetermined condition information may be, for example, incorporated into a program that operates the device of the present invention, or stored in a storage means provided in the device. The predetermined condition information may be, for example, vehicle information that is considered to be acquired by a vehicle in a past incident in which the elderly driver became the perpetrator of an accident. For example, an accident may be recorded using a vehicle simulator, and the predetermined condition information may be determined based on the recorded vehicle information. Then, by comparing the condition information with the vehicle information, it may be determined whether or not a situation exists in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle.

In addition, "determining from vehicle information whether or not a situation exists in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" may be, for example, a process in which the control means of the device according to the present invention compares the acquired vehicle information with predetermined condition information incorporated in a program or stored in a storage means, and determines whether the vehicle information conforms to the condition information.

In addition, "situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" may be determined by determining the compatibility of a single piece of information, such as image information, GPS information, or speed information, with specified condition information, but it is even better to determine the compatibility of multiple pieces of information with the specified condition information. By determining the 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" compared to determining the compatibility with a single piece of information. The specified condition information may be multiple pieces of condition information, such as image information, GPS information, or speed information.

When judging the conformity of a plurality of pieces of information with the predetermined condition information, for example, as in the configuration of (8) described later, it is preferable to judge whether the traffic light information and the speed information conform to the predetermined condition information. In this case, the "predetermined condition" information may be, for example, information indicating that the traffic light information is in a yellow or red state and the speed information is at or above a certain speed. In addition, the "sway" in (9) described later may be judged based on whether a plurality of pieces of information, such as acceleration information, speed information, GPS information, and image information, conform to the predetermined condition information.

For example, some of the "predetermined condition" information stored in the storage means may be fixed as initial settings, while the other part may be individually configurable, as in the individual setting in (2) described below. Among the predetermined conditions, those that are easy to set may be individually configurable.

"Issuing a warning based on a judgment" may, for example, be processed so that a warning is issued when it is judged that a situation in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident meets a specified condition. Therefore, it is appropriate to judge whether or not the situation in which the vehicle is placed meets a specified condition, and if it is judged that it does meet the condition, to process so that a warning is issued, and if it is judged that it does not meet the condition, to process so that no warning is issued.

However, on the other hand, even if it is determined that an elderly driver meets the conditions that could make them the perpetrator of an accident, it would be better to process the system so that a warning is not issued if other conditions are taken into consideration. When driving a vehicle, the situation in which the vehicle finds itself may meet multiple conditions at the same time, and in some cases, it may be safer to drive without issuing a warning.

In addition, for example, if it is determined that multiple conditions are met, a warning may be issued. For example, if the vehicle drifts to the left or right by more than a predetermined value at a speed above a predetermined value, it may be determined that the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident, and a warning may be issued.

Also, for example, even if it is determined that a condition is met, if it is determined that other conditions are not met, a warning should not be issued. For example, as in (11) described below, even if it is determined that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident because the vehicle has shifted to the right by more than a predetermined value, a warning should not be issued provided that there is no oncoming vehicle.

"Issuing a warning" may be, for example, a weaker warning than for general drivers, a warning that calls attention or provides advice, and not a loud beep or the like. As older drivers get older, they tend to become more impatient, so it is best to issue a warning that does not surprise or irritate them. For example, the warning function may be able to switch between warnings for general drivers and warnings for elderly drivers that are weaker than those for general drivers.

The device according to the present invention may, for example, have a control mode for the above-mentioned control for elderly drivers, and a control mode for general drivers other than elderly drivers, and it is even better if the two modes can be switched.

In the mode for general drivers, for example, the device can be attached to a vehicle driven by a general driver other than an elderly driver, and can obtain vehicle information about the vehicle driven by the general driver, determine from the vehicle information whether or not the general driver is in a situation where he or she could 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 function of issuing a warning can be switched between warnings for general drivers and warnings for elderly drivers as described above, but it is even more preferable to switch between a mode for general drivers and a mode for elderly drivers, and have the function switch in response to the mode switch.

(2) For example, the system has a function that allows a family member of the elderly driver to set the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, each family member of an elderly driver can individually set the settings they consider optimal for that elderly driver, and if the settings are appropriate, a warning will be issued in the situation that is considered optimal for that elderly driver. This reduces the elderly driver's anxiety and allows the family member to feel more at ease when the elderly driver is driving, compared to when the initial settings are set to situations in which the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident.

The "function for the family of the elderly driver to set the situation" may be, for example, a function for the family to set some of the predetermined conditions that are judged to match the acquired information. For example, the family may set conditions related to the "location information" in (3) described below, or conditions related to the "traffic light information" and "speed information" in (8). The set conditions may be stored in the storage means of the device as setting data, for example.

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

The device may also be provided with, 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 items are set by appropriately selecting the items. For example, a plurality of items including an item for setting the weather information situation such as (12) may be displayed on the display device, and when (12) is selected, items such as temperature, weather, and humidity may be displayed, and when temperature is selected, a display may be displayed in which the temperature at which a warning is issued may be selected in increments of one degree. The selection may be made by a setting unit such as an input button or touch panel provided on the display device. Alternatively, the "setting function" may be set by an external setting device such as (5).

For example, it would be a good idea to prepare in advance items such as locations, times, events, etc. that could be considered as "situations in which an elderly driver could become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle," along with options for each item, and have the elderly driver's family member select an option. It would also be a good idea to repeat such settings many times, taking into account the elderly driver's condition and driving conditions, which change daily.

For example, the "function set by the elderly driver's family" should be configured to be more difficult for the elderly driver to set than for the elderly driver's family, and more preferably, should be set only by the elderly driver's family. For example, it should be equipped with a function for inputting information that identifies the elderly driver's family.

Furthermore, the device may have a function that allows only family members to set "situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle," and the device may have a function that prevents the elderly driver from setting it. For example, the device may have a function that requests a password, and the password is requested before setting, and only family members who know the password can set it by entering the password, and the device may have a function that prevents an elderly driver who does not know the password from setting it.

(3) For example, it may be preferable for the vehicle to have a function that allows a family member of the elderly driver to set the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, in relation to location information in which dangers specific to the elderly driver are predicted.

In this way, comprehensive warnings are issued in locations where the elderly driver is likely to become a perpetrator, allowing family members to feel more secure about letting the elderly driver drive. Furthermore, because elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the locations where danger is predicted are limited. Therefore, family members can comprehensively set specific locations that are appropriate for each elderly driver.

"Dangers specific to elderly drivers" may be, for example, dangers common to all elderly drivers, and may be dangers that focus on the driving habits and patterns of elderly drivers in general. For example, they may be dangers that arise from the driving habits of elderly drivers in general, such as repeatedly pulling toward the center line and then returning to it.

The average elderly driver cannot drive straight, and instead always drives to the right, moving towards the center line and then back, moving towards the center line and then back. Although the left side is scary because of the guard rail, they tend to drive on the inside of the center line because they are aware that if they cross the center line, they will not hit it unless there is an oncoming vehicle. Also, sometimes when a large truck comes, they get startled and swerve left, hitting it on the left. Therefore, it is a good idea to mark specific places where they are likely to drive in this way as "positions where danger is predicted."

On the other hand, "risks specific to elderly drivers" may be risks that a particular elderly driver has, and may be set by the family of the elderly driver. For example, convenience stores that the particular elderly driver visits daily or home improvement stores that the driver visits regularly, and where there is a lot of traffic of people and vehicles, are assumed to be locations where danger is predicted, and may be set by the family as "location information where dangers specific to elderly drivers are predicted."

Families can set locations where previous accidents have occurred as "locations where danger is predicted." For example, if the accident was caused by mistaking the accelerator for the brake, the location can be set as an example of "location information where danger specific to elderly drivers is predicted."

(4) For example, it is preferable that the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle be related to the location information, and that the family of the elderly driver be able to set event information that predicts danger specific to the elderly driver.

In this way, the family of an elderly driver can comprehensively set situations specific to elderly drivers in which they may become perpetrators, based on limited location information and event information corresponding to that location. This allows comprehensive warnings to be issued for locations and events in which the elderly driver may become a perpetrator, allowing family members to feel more secure about letting the elderly driver drive. Note that elderly drivers have a limited driving range, and therefore the events in which danger is predicted within that driving range are also limited, so it is particularly useful to have a function that allows family members to set location information.

The "event information related to the location information and predicting a particular danger to the elderly driver" may be, for example, information related to the time, content, and weather of the event related to the location. Specifically, for example, if a school route for elementary school children is within the driving range of the elderly driver, the event information related to the location information of the school route may be information related to the event that elementary school children are commuting to school during a specific time period.

There are countless places throughout Japan where tragic vehicle accidents, such as school routes, can occur, but if the driving range of an elderly driver is limited, location information and event information can be narrowed down to a level that can be set, so it is not a big burden for family members to go out of their way to set it up for the elderly driver, and family members can set it up for the elderly driver and feel more secure about letting the elderly driver drive.

(5) For example, an external setting device for setting the situation in the device in (4) may have a display unit, and may display map information, the position information on the map, the event information related to the position information, and warning information related to the content of the warning on the display unit, and may have a function for a family member of the elderly driver to set the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, map information, location information, event information, warning information, and other information can be displayed on the display means of the external device, and the external device can be used to set situations in which an elderly driver may be a potential perpetrator. Since map information and other information can be set more easily when displayed in a large size, each setting can be made easier if it can be displayed on a display device of an external device other than a device that can be attached to a vehicle, as in the present invention.

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

The "setting function" of the external setting device may be, for example, a function to set each setting of the specified conditions stored in the storage means of this device by the external setting device on behalf of this device, without relying on the setting section of this device. For example, this device may be connected to the external setting device by wire or wirelessly, and have a function to set conditions for determining the situation by the external setting device.

The external setting device allows the user to select the condition while viewing the display of the external device, and creates setting data as a condition for determining suitability of the situation. The setting data can then be stored as the condition in the storage means of this device. If this device can be connected to such an external setting device, for example, the device according to the present invention can be provided with only a connection section to the external setting device, and no 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 may be displayed on a portion of the display screen of the display unit. The "location information on the map" may be, for example, displayed as a pin placed at a predetermined position on the displayed map.

The "warning information" may be, for example, a warning displayed on the display screen of the device in (13) described below, or generated by a warning sound output means, and may be information indicating which notification means will notify the warning and how. Specifically, the "warning information" may be, for example, information indicating that the warning will be notified by a single color background and large letters on the display screen, or information indicating that the warning will be notified by a beep or a recorded voice of a family member.

(6) For example, the vehicle may further include 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 on behalf of the elderly driver, the location information registration unit may be operated to register the location information.

In this way, a family member of an elderly driver can drive on behalf of the elderly driver, registering only dangerous locations in anticipation of the elderly driver's next driving experience, and register other information related to the registered locations after the elderly driver has finished driving.

The other information may be information such as that the location is a location with poor visibility, that there is a traffic light at the location, that the location is a route for elementary school children to go to school, etc. In this way, it becomes easy to register location information based on actual driving. Therefore, the task of setting the situation becomes easy, dangerous locations can be reliably registered, and the possibility of an elderly driver having an accident can be reduced.

The external setting device (5) may be configured so that a family member of the elderly driver can set it together with the elderly driver. For example, the family member of the elderly driver can use the location information registration unit to register location information while driving, and after registering the location information, the family member can set up situations where the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle together with the elderly driver. This is expected to improve communication between family members and the elderly driver.

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 while driving, so location information can be appropriately registered on the spot.

Furthermore, the "location information registration unit" may be provided in an external registration means, such as a remote control connected wirelessly or via a wire. In this way, the remote control can be placed within reach of the driver, and the driver does not need to reach for the device and can register location information without changing his or her posture while driving.

(7) For example, a warning may be issued when the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident, and the warning may be terminated when the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she is no longer the perpetrator of an accident.

In this way, by ending the notification once the situation has become such that the elderly driver is no longer able to become a perpetrator, the elderly driver will be able to recognize the accuracy of their driving and will be more likely to drive appropriately compared to when the notification continues even in situations where the elderly driver is no longer able to become a perpetrator.

"A situation in which it is impossible to become the perpetrator of an accident" may be, for example, a situation in which there is absolutely no possibility of becoming the perpetrator. "A situation in which it is impossible to become the perpetrator of an accident" may be, for example, a situation in which the vehicle's moving speed is 0 km/h (when the vehicle is stopped). Alternatively, "a situation in which it is impossible to become the perpetrator of an accident" may be, for example, a situation in which there is normally no possibility of becoming the perpetrator.

If the notification ends when there is no possibility that the elderly driver will become a perpetrator, the elderly driver will be able to more accurately recognize the accuracy of their own driving compared to when the notification ends when it is normally considered unnecessary and only when there is absolutely no possibility that the elderly driver will become a perpetrator.

The "situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident" may be, for example, a fixed condition. In general, the situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident are broader than the situations in which a normal driver other than an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, and the situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident include the situations in which a normal driver other than an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident. Therefore, the "situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident" may be initially set to a broader range than the situations in which a normal driver may be the perpetrator of an accident.

In addition, the "situations in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident" may be, for example, a fixed condition. In general, the situations in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident are narrower than the situations in which a normal driver other than an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident, and the situations in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident are included in the situations in which a normal driver other than an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident. Therefore, for example, the "situations in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident" may be initially set to a narrower range than the situations in which a normal driver can be the perpetrator of an accident.

In addition, for example, at least one of "a situation in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident" and "a situation in which an elderly driver may not be the perpetrator of an accident" is set as the initial setting, or (2)
It is advisable for the elderly driver's family to set the following:

In particular, it would be advisable for the family of an elderly driver to set both "situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident" and "situations in which an elderly driver may not be the perpetrator of an accident." In this way, by having the family set the situations, it is possible to encourage the elderly driver to drive in an appropriate manner that suits his or her own characteristics.

For example, it would be a good idea to have family members set only "situations in which an elderly driver could be the perpetrator of an accident" rather than setting "situations in which an elderly driver cannot be the perpetrator of an accident." In this way, the circumstances under which the notification should end are left to the initial settings, and the family members can set only the circumstances under which the notification should begin, making it possible to easily set up the system while still ensuring that warnings are issued in circumstances specific to elderly drivers.

(8) For example, traffic light information regarding the color of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle and speed information regarding the speed of the vehicle are acquired, and based on the traffic light information and speed information, it is determined whether the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, the possibility of accidents frequently occurring among elderly drivers can be reduced by determining that elderly drivers are the perpetrators of accidents based on the relationship between traffic light information and speed information. Furthermore, elderly drivers are prone to making driving errors and becoming the perpetrators of accidents due to a decrease in concentration caused by aging and their tendency to be distracted by other things while driving. For these reasons, they often overlook traffic lights or are late in noticing them.

For example, the notification means may be configured to issue a warning when the traffic light ahead of the vehicle is red or yellow and the vehicle's speed does not decrease. This can reduce the possibility of an accident occurring in which the elderly driver is largely at fault, such as entering an intersection where they should be stopping and being hit by another vehicle.

In addition, for example, if the vehicle's speed does not change even when the traffic light changes from red to green, a warning may be issued to encourage the driver to start the vehicle. This can prevent the driver from making driving errors by hastily trying to start the vehicle when he or she belatedly realizes that the traffic light has turned green.

In particular, elderly drivers tend to become more impatient as they get older, and may become irritated if someone honks at them. Even if no accident occurs at the scene, 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 when the light is green, other vehicles will not honk the horn, and irritation of elderly drivers can be reduced.

"Traffic light information" can be obtained, for example, by an imaging means such as a camera that captures the image ahead of the vehicle. When the image captured by the imaging means is processed, the traffic light information can be obtained by recognizing the traffic light and understanding its color using the countless flashing LEDs of the traffic light as a key.

"Speed information" can be obtained based on speed obtained from GPS or OBD or acceleration obtained from an acceleration sensor, and can be information on the vehicle's speed or acceleration.

In this case, it is also preferable to further include the configuration of (7). For example, based on the traffic light information and the speed information, a warning can be started when the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident, and the warning can be ended when the elderly driver is no longer in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident.

In this way, by ending the notification when the elderly driver is unlikely to be the perpetrator of an accident based on traffic light information and speed information, for example, by starting the notification when the traffic light information is red and the speed information is equal to or greater than a predetermined moving speed, and ending the notification when the moving speed of the speed information falls below the predetermined moving speed in relation to the distance to the traffic light, the elderly driver can recognize that he or she responded appropriately to the red light.

If the warning continues for a while even after the moving speed falls below a certain value, elderly drivers may easily feel as if they made a mistake in slowing down, and the warning may end up making them more anxious. Therefore, it is very effective to end the warning warning appropriately.

(9) For example, the system may have a function for determining whether the vehicle driven by the elderly driver is swerving from the vehicle information and, based on the determination, determining whether the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

Elderly drivers are generally prone to swaying from side to side when driving, so this system will issue a warning based on swaying when the elderly driver is in a situation where they could be the perpetrator, thereby reducing the possibility of accidents that frequently occur among elderly drivers due to their swaying driving, which is a characteristic of elderly drivers.

"Wobble" can be, for example, a so-called wobbling state in which a vehicle moves unsteadily from side to side while traveling, or a state in which the direction of travel changes significantly to the right or to the left, as in (10) described below, and can be determined from vehicle information. The vehicle information used to determine "wobble" can be obtained, for example, from changes in left and right acceleration using an acceleration sensor. It can also be obtained from changes in position information obtained by GPS. It can also be obtained from images captured by a capturing device such as a camera.

"Wandering" may be, for example, a situation resulting from a driving habit specific to elderly drivers, such as repeatedly moving toward the center line and then returning to the center line, or may be a situation resulting from the narrow field of vision specific to elderly drivers. It is also advisable not to distinguish between swerving and turning, and for example, if the vehicle information meets certain conditions for swerving, it may be uniformly determined to be swerving.

In addition to left-right sway, the "determination of sway" can also include sway caused by changes in the vehicle's forward and backward speed or acceleration, such as sudden starts or sudden braking, and a warning can be issued about sudden starts or sudden braking.

(10) For example, it is possible to determine from the vehicle information that the vehicle has drifted to the right by a predetermined value or more, and based on this determination, to determine whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

This will reduce the chance of the vehicle drifting to the right and causing a serious accident such as a head-on collision if an oncoming vehicle approaches.

For example, elderly drivers often move toward the center line and then back toward the center. This is a driving habit typical of elderly drivers, who are wary of the left side because there is a guard rail on the left side, but believe that there is no danger on the right side even if they cross the center line as long as there is no oncoming vehicle. However, if the vehicle moves to the right side and an oncoming vehicle approaches, it can cause a serious accident, such as a head-on collision.

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 that are unique to elderly drivers. Also, for example, it is advisable to issue a warning when there is a large change to the left. In this way, elderly drivers can be informed that there may be a pedestrian or cyclist in their direction.

The determination of "the vehicle has shifted to the right by a predetermined amount or more" may be based on, for example, whether the vehicle has crossed the center line or whether the distance between the vehicle and the center line has decreased.

(11) Furthermore, even if the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle is determined, and it is determined that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle based on the determination that the vehicle has drifted to the right by more than a predetermined amount, if it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle, a warning is not issued.

Even if elderly drivers drift to the right, which is a characteristic of driving, there is little chance of causing a serious accident if there is no oncoming vehicle. Therefore, if a warning is issued every time a driver frequently drifts to the right, it will cause discomfort to elderly drivers. Therefore, by not issuing a warning when there is no oncoming vehicle, repeated warnings will be avoided and discomfort to the driver can be reduced.

Oncoming vehicle information can be obtained, for example, based on whether or not an image captured by an imaging means such as a camera includes an image of a vehicle seen from the front.

(12) For example, in addition to the vehicle information, weather information may be acquired, and based on the vehicle information and the weather information, it may be determined whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, a warning can be issued based on weather information related to the vehicle's location, reducing the risk of weather-related dangers to elderly drivers. Elderly drivers are generally more susceptible to physical discomfort due to the weather, and therefore are more susceptible to dangers specific to elderly drivers due to the weather while driving than general drivers.

Therefore, when issuing a warning to general drivers based on the weather, it is advisable to issue the warning at an earlier stage and under stricter conditions than those considered dangerous for general drivers. At the time of filing this application, a configuration that uses weather information along with vehicle information is described, but we intend to obtain rights to a configuration that uses weather information instead of vehicle information by division, etc.

"Weather information" may be information about the atmosphere or physical conditions in the atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, weather, wind speed, etc. For example, the control means may directly obtain information from various sensors such as a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and wind speed sensor, and may indirectly obtain information about rainfall by obtaining information that the wipers have been operated via an OBD connector.

The vehicle information may be, for example, vehicle location information. In this way, the family of the elderly driver can comprehensively set situations where the elderly driver may become a perpetrator, based on limited location information and weather information corresponding to that location. This allows a comprehensive warning to be issued based on the location and weather where the elderly driver is likely to become a perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure about letting the elderly driver drive. Note that elderly drivers have a limited driving range, so the location information is limited based on that driving range.

For example, when the temperature is high enough to predict the risk of heat stroke, etc., a warning to encourage hydration may be issued after moving a certain distance from the position information of the starting position. This can reduce the possibility of an accident occurring in which an elderly driver becomes the assailant due to a mistake in driving operation caused by heat stroke.

In addition, "issuing a warning based on weather information" can be, for example, some kind of warning, such as a notification encouraging people to drink fluids, when the temperature gets too high in the summer or when the temperature inside the car rises rapidly. Since elderly people tend to be tolerant of changes in the weather, issuing a warning based on weather information can make elderly drivers aware of changes in the weather and prevent dangers particular to elderly drivers.

The warning should not strongly restrict behavior, but should encourage the driver to take action by giving advice such as, for example, drinking water or opening a window, etc. Furthermore, the warning should be something like, "If you drive for too long, your concentration will decrease," or, when it is raining, "It's difficult to see ahead."

(13) For example, the notification means may have a display screen capable of displaying a single-color background 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 issued as a single color change in the background of the entire display screen, which is visual information most easily recognized by elderly drivers, and where changes are particularly easy to recognize. This ensures that elderly drivers are aware of the warning, reducing the probability of accidents caused by elderly drivers and allowing their families to feel at ease when the elderly driver drives.

The "color change" should be such that the display screen changes from a state in which it normally displays an image such as a camera image to a solid red. This makes it easier for elderly drivers to understand that the state is different from the normal state compared to a change to a color other than red, and can reduce the probability of accidents caused by elderly drivers. The "color change" should also be such that the background flashes on and off in one color, or that backgrounds of different colors are switched in sequence.

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

(14) For example, the notification means may include a warning sound output means for issuing a warning by sound, and the display screen may display a warning by text in addition to the display background, and the notification means may issue a warning by combining the color of the display background with at least one of the text and the sound in accordance with the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this way, warnings are issued using a combination of text and/or sound in addition to the color of the display background, making it easier for elderly drivers to recognize warnings. In particular, elderly drivers may have physical problems, and in such cases, even if it is difficult for them to recognize a warning using one method, elderly drivers can recognize the warning.

The display screen may be configured to have no elements other than the background and text, and may have a function to notify warnings using only the text and background colors, without displaying icons or maps. Also, for example, it may be possible to set the color red to a color that is easily recognizable by elderly drivers.

For example, elderly drivers with vision problems may have difficulty recognizing text, but if the warning is accompanied by a change in the background color of the display or a sound, the driver can properly recognize the warning. Also, elderly drivers with hearing problems can properly recognize the warning if the warning is accompanied by a change in the background color of the display or text. Also, even if they have difficulty recognizing text while driving, they can recognize the text when the vehicle is stopped.

(15) For example, it is preferable that the system has a function that allows a family member of the elderly driver to set at least one of the display background color, the characters, and the sound in accordance with the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this way, family members who know the elderly driver best can configure the display settings to suit the elderly driver's characteristics and issue warnings that are most easily recognized. This allows the elderly driver to drive the vehicle with the support of their family, and also increases their awareness of preventing accidents.

One way to set this up, for example, is to prepare multiple combinations of background and text colors in the initial settings, and then change only the content of the text warning. In this way, the content to be warned can be individually set in a color combination that is easy to see, in accordance with the characteristics of elderly drivers.

The color combinations can be, for example, complementary, but it is even better if they are selected according to the personality of the elderly driver. Also, it is a good idea to record a family member's voice, such as "Be careful, Grandpa," and set it to warn depending on the situation. If it is a family member's voice, the elderly driver will be more likely to accept the warning.

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

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

By displaying reward information according to the number of days that an elderly driver has continuously driven a vehicle, elderly drivers are motivated to drive and are encouraged to drive every day. This prevents elderly drivers from coming to dislike driving and becoming reclusive, and provides an environment in which the elderly driver's family members can feel safe when driving.

"Counting the number of days" should not simply refer to the distance, number of times, or frequency of driving, but should instead count, for example, the days on which the vehicle was driven even once. Furthermore, when a "predetermined number of days has been counted," it should count every day that the vehicle was driven during a predetermined period, such as one month. Specifically, for example, if the vehicle is driven safely for 10 days, an image of an egg hatching and an animal emerging from it should be displayed on the device's display device.

Furthermore, for example, if the elderly person drives safely for the next 10 days, more animals will hatch from the eggs. This will encourage the elderly person to drive every day, along with their desire to collect animals. The number of days driven can be counted, for example, based on the vehicle's engine being started. Or, it can be counted based on the vehicle traveling a specified distance.

In addition to images of animals, the "reward information" may be, for example, a photograph of the elderly driver's family. Elderly drivers have a deep affection for their families, so this can strengthen the motivation for driving based on the reward information. For example, the reward information may be displayed from time to time according to the number of days driving is continued, and it is even better to change the reward information according to the number of days driving is continued. When changing the reward information, for example, it is good to change it so that the value of the reward increases. The number of days driving is to be displayed for two days or more when the reward information is displayed, but it is good to set it to several days, and it is especially good to set it to five days. The number of days may be five days or more, but if it is too long, there is a possibility that the driver will stop driving halfway, so it is even better to set it to around two to five days.

For example, it is advisable to display reward information without performing point deduction processing for the frequency with which the vehicle is driven. In this way, elderly drivers are not discouraged from driving due to point deductions, and incentive information is not hindered from motivating them to drive. For example, even if information from an acceleration sensor indicates a sudden start or sudden braking while driving, or if the driving distance does not reach the specified distance normally planned for driving, the number of days that the elderly driver has driven without causing an accident can be counted. In particular, when counting the frequency with which the vehicle is driven as the number of days as in (16) above, it is advisable to use the following (17).

(17) For example, the count may only be added.

If the number of days were to be subtracted, this could reduce the motivation for elderly drivers to continue driving every day, but since the number of days is only added to, elderly drivers simply need to think about driving the vehicle and can continue driving every day. This can provide an environment where the family of an elderly driver can feel safe when the elderly driver drives.

In addition, the number of times or frequency that the vehicle has been driven is calculated, and when the calculated value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, incentive information that can motivate the elderly driver to drive is displayed on the display means, and no subtraction is made when the calculation is performed.

In this way, drivers can be given only good information and not bad information, which can increase their motivation to drive.

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

The above-mentioned configurations are examples, and some may be expanded or limited. Furthermore, the configurations may be combined to the extent that there is no contradiction. For example, the above-mentioned inventions (1) to (17) can be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, for example, it is possible to have at least one of the other configurations (2) to (17) without all or part of the configuration (1). However, it is particularly preferable to have all or part of the configuration (1) and combine it with at least one of the configurations (2) to (17). Furthermore, any component may be extracted from at least one of (1) to (17) and combined. The applicant of the present application intends to obtain patent rights for such configurations as well.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a device or the like that suppresses the occurrence of dangers caused by elderly drivers driving vehicles, reduces the possibility that the elderly driver will become the perpetrator or victim of an accident, and allows family members to drive the elderly driver with peace of mind. The effects of the invention of the present application are not limited to this, and effects achieved by the configuration parts disclosed in the present specification and drawings, etc. are also disclosed, and it is intended to obtain rights to the configuration that achieves the effects by divisional applications, amendments, etc. For example, in this specification, the parts that state "can..." are descriptions that clearly indicate the effects that are achieved, and there are also parts that show the effects even without the description "can...".

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a safety system including a device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the main unit of the device is mounted on a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a front view of the external appearance of the display device shown in FIG. 1 . 11A and 11B are diagrams showing how the display screen of the display device changes; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a driving state when a vehicle equipped with the device moves to the right of the lane. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a driving state when a vehicle equipped with an instrument staggers. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen of an external setting device connected to the device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a display screen of a display device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how reward information is displayed on a display screen of a display device.

Figures 1 to 9 show the configuration of a safety system including a drive recorder as a device according to 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 the "main body") 1 equipped with a control means 10, and a front view camera 11, a GPS unit 12, an OBD connector 13, an acceleration sensor 14, an additional camera 15, a temperature and humidity sensor 16, a remote control 17, a display device 18, a touch panel 19, input buttons 20, a built-in microphone 21, a speaker 22, a short-range wireless communication device 23, a memory card slot 24, and a storage means 25 (not shown).

The control means 10, acceleration sensor 14, temperature and humidity sensor 16, built-in microphone 21, speaker 22, short-range wireless communication device 23, memory card slot 24, and storage means 25 are provided in the main unit 1. In addition, the front view camera 11, GPS unit 12, OBD connector 13, additional camera 15, remote control 17, and display device 18 are provided in 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 by attaching its bottom surface to, for example, a center console located to the front left of the driver's seat or an undercover of an instrument panel using double-sided tape.

The main unit 1 has an AV output terminal that outputs a video signal and an audio signal to a display device 18 provided separately from the main unit 1, a microphone 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).

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

As shown in FIG. 3, the display device 18 is a conventionally well-known liquid crystal monitor, and is, for example, removably attached to the dashboard of a vehicle via a mounting device. The display device 18 receives and displays NTSC signals, such as those of a car navigation system or car television. A touch panel 19 is provided on the display of the display device 18, and can be operated by touching the touch section. In addition, a number of input buttons 20 are provided on both sides of the display of the display device 18.

In the display device 18, the displays shown on the display unit are generally arranged in a hierarchical structure. In a hierarchical display, a menu button displayed as a GUI (Graphical User Interface) input screen in a higher hierarchy is first touched to display a new menu screen in a lower hierarchy, and successive menu buttons are touched until a screen that executes the desired specified processing mode is reached.

For example, if you want to set a destination by entering an address, you would go from the initial screen to the location information setting screen, then to the address input screen, and then touch the menu button from the initial screen to display the location information setting screen, and then touch the menu button again to display the address input screen.

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

The front view camera 11 is a camera for capturing images of the area in front of the vehicle and acquiring images of the vehicle as it travels, and outputs an NTSC signal as a video signal for the captured image. The front view camera 11 is fixed to the windshield inside the vehicle cabin with double-sided tape so that the lens faces in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling in order to capture images of the area in front of the vehicle. The camera is fixed to a position within 20% of the total height of the windshield from the top of the windshield inside the vehicle cabin. Power for the front view camera 11 is supplied from the control means 10.

The GPS unit 12 is installed in a front position on the dashboard, receives GPS signals, determines the current position from the received GPS signals, and sends the position information (longitude, latitude, etc.) of the determined current position to the control means 10 in NMEA format data.

The control means 10 is also connected to the vehicle speed signal line, turn signal line, brake signal line, vehicle earth line, vehicle ACC system power supply, etc., via the OBD connector 13 connected to the OBD connection terminal. As a result, the control means 10 obtains vehicle speed information, turn signal 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 the acceleration in three dimensions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The X-axis detects the acceleration in the lateral direction, the Y-axis detects the acceleration in the forward direction, and the Z-axis detects the acceleration in the vertical direction. This allows the detection of specific vehicle behaviors such as sudden acceleration/deceleration, sudden steering, climbing up a step, or falling into a pothole.
4 is provided inside the main unit 1 and is connected to the control means 10 .

The additional camera 15 is a camera that can be attached at any position to capture images of the vehicle's surroundings, and outputs an NTSC signal as a video signal for the captured image. For example, it is fixed to the windshield inside the vehicle with double-sided tape, facing the interior of the vehicle (from the windshield to the rear of the vehicle). This makes it possible to capture images of the driver's behavior. Power for the additional camera 15 is supplied from the control means 10.

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

The remote control 17 has a location information registration button that functions as a location information registration unit, and is fixed by attaching the back side of the button using double-sided tape to a location that is easy for the driver to operate, such as the center console or the under cover of the instrument panel. As described below, when the location information registration button on the remote control 17 is pressed at a location that the driver wishes to store 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 the control means 10 to an external device that functions as an external setting device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC, via short-range wireless communication so that the control means 10 can communicate with each other.

[Traffic signal warning notification]

This section describes a case where a situation is determined based on traffic light information and speed information as to whether an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, and a warning is issued by the notification means based on this determination.

In the safety system, the front view camera 11 captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, and the control means 10 recognizes the LED traffic light from the captured image information and acquires information on the color of the traffic light as traffic light information. The control means 10 of the main unit 1 also acquires vehicle speed information from the OBD connector 13 and longitudinal acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. Here, the vehicle speed information and acceleration information are included in the speed information relating to the vehicle speed.

From this traffic light information and speed information, the control means 10 judges whether or not the situation is such that the elderly driver could become a perpetrator by driving the vehicle. Specifically, if the traffic light information meets the condition that the traffic light color is red or yellow, and the speed information meets the condition that the vehicle is traveling at or above a certain speed, for example 10 km/h, and is not decelerating, it is possible that the elderly driver has not noticed the red light, and therefore it is judged that the situation is such that the elderly driver could become a perpetrator by entering an intersection when the light is red.

When it is determined that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, the display unit switches from a driving screen showing the view ahead of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 4(A) to a notification screen that issues a warning as shown in FIGS. 4(B) and (C). On the notification screen, the words "Watch out for the traffic lights" 41 are displayed in white, and the background 42 alternates between a red background color only (displayed in gray in FIG. 4(B)) and a black background color only (see FIG. 4(C)). The message "Watch out for the traffic lights" is also issued as a warning from the speaker 22 in a voice that gives a soft impression.

In this way, the main unit uses the results of its judgment about the flashing of the LED traffic light caused by its power source as a key to recognize the red light and the vehicle's speed, for example the speed of travel, and any changes in speed, for example acceleration or deceleration, and if the acceleration does not decrease significantly, it can notify the driver in advance that the light is red and that it is better to stop immediately.

The control means 10 also recognizes the distance to the traffic light that is the basis of the traffic light information from the image information, and terminates the issuance of the warning according to the distance and the speed information. Specifically, the condition is that the vehicle has decelerated to a speed below that which is assumed to allow the vehicle to stop at the stop position corresponding to the traffic light, and if the actual vehicle speed meets the condition, it is determined that the vehicle is in a situation where it is unlikely to be the cause of an accident, and the warning is terminated.

[Warning regarding wobble, etc.]

This section describes a case where it is determined from vehicle information that a vehicle driven by an elderly driver has drifted to the right of the lane by a predetermined amount or more, and from this determination, it is determined whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, and a warning is issued by the notification means based on this determination.

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

Specifically, the acceleration information indicates that vehicle C has drifted to the right by a certain value or more, and the distance between vehicle C and center line L is equal to or less than a certain value. If the behavior of vehicle C meets these conditions, the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident.

The fixed value for vehicle C drifting to the right and the distance between vehicle C and the center line L are preset in the judgment program of the control device. In this embodiment, the fixed value for the distance between the right edge of vehicle C and the center line L is set to 10 cm, but the fixed value may be set to 0 or a negative number. However, in order to more safely judge that an elderly driver has drifted to the center line, it is preferable to set the fixed value in the range of 5 cm to 50 cm. When the control means 10 judges that a situation exists in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the display of the display device 18 starts flashing to issue a warning.

Elderly drivers tend to drive from the center of the lane to the right, then back again, then back again to the right, and when an oncoming vehicle approaches, they sense the danger and return to the left. By notifying the driver of this swerving tendency, which is typical of elderly drivers, when they drift to the right, it is possible to determine situations in which a typical elderly driver may become a perpetrator.

Next, we will explain a case where the swerving of a vehicle driven by an elderly driver is judged from vehicle information, and based on this judgment, it is judged whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, and a warning is issued by the notification means based on this judgment.

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

When the vehicle C repeatedly veers to the right by a predetermined amount or more and to the left by a predetermined amount or more, the control means 10 determines that the vehicle C is swaying and issues a warning based on this determination.

Specifically, based on image information acquired from the front view camera 11, the control means 10 recognizes the positional relationship of the vehicle C with the center line L, the outer roadway line M, and the virtual middle line N that is halfway between the center line L and the outer roadway line M, as shown in FIG. 6. Then, based on the acceleration information and image information, the control means 10 recognizes that the vehicle C has moved to the right by a certain value or more, and the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual middle line N has become a certain value or more to the right, and then that the vehicle 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 middle line N has become a certain value or more to the left. Then, based on the predetermined condition that the vehicle C has moved left and right and the distance between the center of the vehicle C and the virtual middle line N has repeatedly become a certain value or more to the left and right within a predetermined time, the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator.

The certain value when vehicle C veers to the right is preset in a judgment program that operates control means 10. In this embodiment, the certain value when vehicle C veers to the right is set to 50 cm as the distance between the center of vehicle C and the imaginary median line N. Also, the certain value when vehicle C veers to the left is set to 50 cm as the distance between the center of vehicle C and the imaginary median line N. The specified time for judging swaying is set to 30 seconds. These values can be changed as appropriate. When the control means 10 judges that a situation exists in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the display of the display device 18 starts flashing to issue a warning.

Elderly drivers tend to drive in a lane that moves from the center to the right, then back again, then back to the right. By notifying the driver of this swerving behavior that is unique to elderly drivers, it is possible to determine situations in which a typical elderly driver may become a perpetrator.

The determination of such excessive drift to the right and swaying is built into a judgment program that operates the control means 10 based on predetermined conditions, i.e., predetermined values. The control means 10 automatically makes the judgment without any settings, and based on that judgment, determines a situation in which the elderly driver may be a perpetrator and issues a warning.

[Location-based warning notification]

Location information and event information related to that location are registered as situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident. If a vehicle driven by an elderly driver subsequently reaches the registered location, a warning is issued.

The location information is registered by the external setting device using a viewer 71 as shown in FIG. 7. The various information registered by the external setting device is stored as setting data on 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. The control means 10 then transfers the setting data from the memory card to the storage means 25 of the main unit 1. As a result, the storage means 25 of the main unit 1 stores the setting data.

When the vehicle reaches a location that corresponds to the location information in the setting data, the control means 10 displays the relevant event information on the display means and issues an audio alert through the speaker 22, which is the 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 captured by the front view camera 11 at a specific position on the map information 72. The map information 72, event information 73, and image information 74 are linked to each other, and for example, the 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 on the map pointed to by the cursor.

To register location information, for example, move the cursor on the map and click at the location where you want to register the event information. At that location, register the event information by following the menu. By clicking the cursor at any location on the map, event information at that location can be registered. Event information that can be registered includes the time of the event, the period for which notifications are to be sent, the direction in which the event will occur, the content to be displayed on the display unit, the background color of the display unit, etc. Each item is configured so that it can be set by selecting options.

In this way, for example, conditions can be registered such as 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, target vehicles, and elementary school children commuting to school. If an elderly driver drives in a manner that meets the registered conditions, a warning can be issued, reducing the possibility of the elderly driver becoming the perpetrator of an accident involving elementary school children commuting to school.

[Climate warning announcement]

We will explain a case where weather information is acquired in addition to vehicle information, and a determination as to whether or not an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle is made based on the weather information as well as the vehicle information.

The control means 10 acquires temperature and humidity information inside the vehicle as weather information from the temperature and humidity sensor 16. The control means 10 also acquires mileage information from the OBD connector 13 as vehicle information. From the vehicle information and weather information, the control means 10 determines whether or not the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. Then, if it is determined that the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the control means 10 issues a warning to other devices.

Specifically, if the temperature information and mileage information meet the conditions that the temperature inside the vehicle is equal to or greater than a certain value and the mileage is equal to or greater than a certain distance, the control means 10 determines that the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident. The certain temperature and mileage are initially set, but the elderly driver's family members can set them using a setting device according to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the control means 10 displays text 81 saying "It's high temperature, so you should drink water" on the display of the display device 18. A similar warning is also issued by voice from the speaker 22.

The control means 10 also acquires, from the OBD connector 13, weather information about rainfall, indicating that the wipers have been operated. The control means 10 also acquires mileage information from the OBD connector 13 as vehicle information. Based on the vehicle information and weather information, the control means 10 determines whether or not the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. If it is determined that the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, the control means 10 issues a warning to other devices.

Specifically, when the conditions are met that the wipers are operated and the mileage in that state exceeds a certain distance, the control means 10 judges that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident due to rain. The certain temperature and mileage are initially set, but the elderly driver's family can set them by the setting device according to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the control means 10 causes the text 82 "It's raining, so it's slippery" to be displayed on the display device 18. A similar warning is also issued by voice from the speaker 22.

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

The control means 10 issues a warning based on warning information determined from multiple pieces of warning information stored in the storage means 25 according to a situation in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident. For example, as shown in Figures 4 (B) and (C), one set of warning information is a pattern in which the words "Watch out for the traffic lights" are displayed in white on a background of only red and only black flashing alternately. Therefore, the control means 10 determines one or more sets of warning information according to a situation in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, and issues a warning.

The warning information can be set by the elderly driver's family, who can input information using the setting buttons and touch panel 19 so that the display is suited to the elderly driver in question. For example, the elderly driver's family can set the content and color of the text to be displayed, as well as the color of the display background, to suit the elderly driver's personality and preferences.

For example, the elderly driver's family member may select "Warning display settings" on the touch panel 19, and be guided on the display to set items such as "Text content," "Text color," "Background color," and "Blinking." In the "Text content" item, the user can enter text such as "Watch out for the traffic lights" using the keyboard displayed on the touch panel 19. In the "Text color" and "Background color" items, the user can select colors such as red, blue, yellow, green, white, and black. In the "Blinking" item, the user can select whether to blink and the blinking interval. Each item is registered as a selection and one warning pattern is set.

[Ensuring elderly drivers continue driving safely]

This section describes a case where the number of days that a vehicle has been driven is counted, and when a predetermined number of days has been counted, reward information that motivates elderly drivers to drive is displayed on the display means.

The control means 10 recognizes that the vehicle engine has started and counts the number of days that the vehicle has been driven. Specifically, it acquires the engine speed output via the OBD connector 13 and recognizes that the engine has started. It then stores the date and time that the engine started in the storage means 25. It also counts a predetermined number of days from the date and time stored in the storage means 25.

When a predetermined number of days have been counted, the control means 10 displays the reward information on the display means. Specifically, the storage means 25 stores a plurality of pieces of reward information, and the control means 10 selects reward information corresponding to the number of days counted from the plurality of pieces of reward information and displays it on the display means.

As shown in Fig. 9, the reward information is as follows: 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 is counted for five consecutive days, an image of a cracked egg is displayed (Fig. 9(B)). Next, when the number of days is counted for ten consecutive days, an image of an egg cracking and a chick emerging is displayed (Fig. 9(C)). Next, when the number of days is counted for fifteen consecutive days, an image of an egg hatching and a chick emerging is displayed (Fig. 9(D)). And when the number of days is counted for twenty consecutive 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 in which an animal hatches from an egg and grows according to the number of days counted.

In this way, elderly drivers will look forward to the changing images and be more motivated to continue driving. This will also prevent elderly drivers from staying indoors due to excessive worry about their family members becoming the perpetrators of an accident.

[Variations]

In this embodiment, a case has been described in which a determination is made based on traffic light information and speed information as to whether or not an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, and a warning is issued by the notification means based on the determination result, but it is also preferable to take location information into account when determining the situation.

For example, in a location where the lane is curved and the traffic light cannot be seen until the vehicle is about to approach, the control means 10 may register the location where the traffic light can be seen, and acquire traffic light information after the vehicle reaches that location. Specifically, when the vehicle reaches the registered location, the control means 10 may determine whether the traffic light is red or green from the moment it recognizes the target traffic light in the image information captured by the front view camera 11, and may issue a warning if the acceleration sensor 14 or vehicle speed does not change even though the light is red.

As another example of issuing a warning regarding traffic light information, start information can be provided when the color of the traffic light changes from red to green. In this way, elderly drivers will not be startled and rush out when a following vehicle honks while they are waiting for the light to turn red and looking absent-mindedly to the side. Also, if the driver is notified that the light is green, he or she will know to proceed and will not be surprised or irritated, so his or her heart rate will not increase and he or she will be able to continue driving with a stable mind.

Generally, older drivers tend to become more impatient as they get older, so preventing their heart rate from increasing can be very effective in maintaining safe driving. When the light turns blue, the notification screen should have a blue background to convey the image of "You can go!". Note that "start information" is a function that notifies the driver when the vehicle ahead is moving forward when the vehicle is stopped, and is also known as stop and go. Therefore, it is good to have a function that detects when the vehicle ahead has started moving and notifies the driver.

The timing of the notification should be earlier than when a warning is normally given to a general driver. The timing of the notification should be set by the elderly driver's family, who should have the elderly driver drive once and set a timing that seems good. If the timing does not suit the elderly driver, they should have the elderly driver drive again and set it again, trying the setting several times.

The additional camera 15 acquires image information of the inside of the vehicle, focusing on the elderly driver. 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 comprehensively judge from the images of the front view camera 11 and the additional camera 15 and issue a warning. For example, the control means 10 recognizes that the elderly driver has moved toward the center line from the image information of the front view camera 11, and recognizes the driving situation, such as whether the elderly driver was looking ahead or looking away, from the image information of the additional camera 15. Based on these image information, a warning can be issued according to the situation, such as a warning with a voice such as "You're moving to the right" when the elderly driver is looking ahead but has moved away, and a warning with a voice such as "Look ahead" when the elderly driver is looking away.

In this embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which a warning is issued when it is determined that an elderly driver may be a perpetrator of a traffic light. However, the position or timing at which the warning is issued can be set individually by, for example, the elderly driver's family. In this way, the elderly driver's family can set the timing to suit the elderly driver's personality and preferences, which they can only know as family members.

The location or timing of the warning may be such that, for example, if the control means 10 detects that the traffic light is red and detects that the driver is 200 to 500 meters away from the traffic light, the warning may be started, and if the acceleration sensor 14 determines that the driver has decelerated, it can be determined that the elderly driver has recognized the traffic light, and the warning may be stopped.

If the warning continues until the vehicle speed really reaches 0 km/h, it may upset the elderly driver who has already applied the brakes to stop the vehicle, making the elderly driver feel unstable and increasing the risk of him or her becoming the perpetrator of an accident. For individual settings by the elderly driver's family, it would be good to allow them to set the vehicle speed at which the warning ends, for example, by tuning the value to 200 to 500 meters before the target distance.

In addition, for example, in this embodiment, several situations have been given as examples in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident, but other situations such as accidentally stepping on the accelerator at a specific location such as a convenience store parking lot can also be assumed. For example, when the engine is started while the vehicle is parked at a specific registered location such as a convenience store, a message such as "Leave safely" is displayed, and when the elderly driver begins to step on the accelerator and the vehicle accelerates, the control means 10 determines that the vehicle has started to move slowly, and since there is no risk of the vehicle crashing into the convenience store, it is advisable to end the message such as "Leave safely."

In this embodiment, when a warning is issued regarding swaying, the certain value when vehicle C veers to the right, the certain value when vehicle C veers to the left, and the specified time for judging swaying can be changed as appropriate. For example, the certain value that serves as the standard for judging whether vehicle C has veered to the left or right can be obtained from the distance between the center line L and the outer roadway line M. For example, if the distance between the center line L and the outer roadway line M is 250 cm, one-fifth of this value, or 50 cm, can be set as the certain value when vehicle C veers to the right. Also, it is possible to judge that vehicle C has veered to the right when the distance from the center line L becomes equal to or smaller than a certain value, and then judge that swaying has occurred when vehicle C veers to the left and then to the right again based only on acceleration information from that state of swaying.

Elderly drivers may end up driving by approaching the center line on the right side and then returning to the center line, and may not be able to drive straight normally. This is thought to be due to the mindset that "the left side is scary because of the guardrail, but even if I cross the center line, there will be no direct accident if the other side does not come." With this mindset, typical elderly drivers basically go to the inside of the road, and sometimes when a large truck comes, they get startled and turn the steering wheel to the left, hitting the left guardrail and becoming the perpetrator of an accident. In anticipation of such a situation, when the vehicle moves to the right and makes a big change, it is good to inform the driver by saying "Are you crossing the center line?" or to draw attention to the possibility of pedestrians if they approach the left side. The cause of such swaying is thought to be the elderly driver's narrow field of vision.

Also, using Figure 5, we have explained an example of issuing a warning when vehicle C moves to the right, but it is also advisable to issue a warning in the following cases:

First, if vehicle C continues to veer to the right for a certain period of time (situation 1), a warning is issued. Here, the state in which vehicle C veers to the right is defined as a state in which the distance between the right edge of vehicle C and center line L is equal to or less than a certain value. For example, the certain value may be 50 cm, and the certain period of time may be 30 seconds.

Next, if 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 approach of an oncoming vehicle is determined based on image information from the front view camera 11. Also, moving to the left may be determined when the distance between the right edge of vehicle C and the center line L is, for example, 150 cm or more.

Next, when the oncoming vehicle disappears and vehicle C moves to the right again (step 3), a warning is issued. The disappearance of the oncoming vehicle is determined from image information from the front view camera 11. Also, the re-moval to the right may be determined when the distance between the right edge of vehicle C and the center line L becomes, for example, 50 cm or less.

Furthermore, if situations 1 to 3 are repeated several times (situation 4), a warning is issued. It is also preferable to issue a warning in each of situations 1, 2, 3, and 4. For example, it is preferable to set it so that no warning is issued in situation 1 and one in situation 2, or no warning is issued in situations 1 and 2 and one is issued only in situation 3, or no warning is issued in situations 2 and 3 and one is issued in situations 1 and 4. Whether vehicle C has drifted to the right or left may be determined by another method, regardless of its relationship with the center line L.

In this embodiment, an example of determining sway and issuing a warning has been described, but for example, when attempting to determine sway using only the acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14, driving that resembles swaying may occur when driving along a road with successive curves, rather than swaying. In such cases, it may be possible to determine whether or not there is swaying, but it is better not to determine whether there is swaying or a curve, and to uniformly determine that there are repeated curves as swaying, even if there are repeated curves.

Alternatively, for example, it would be a good idea to treat areas near intersections as prohibited areas and not issue warnings across the board. In this way, by excluding areas near intersections from the swerving judgment, unauthorized warnings are issued less frequently, allowing elderly drivers to concentrate on driving. If the elderly driver's family sets such a setting, it would be a good idea to protect the elderly driver out of the kindness of the family. Similarly, it would be a good idea to not issue warnings around sharp curves.

In this embodiment, swaying is determined based on left-right acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14, but it would be better to determine sudden starts and sudden braking from changes in forward and backward acceleration information and issue a warning. In this way, excessive accelerator pedal application, incorrect brake application, etc. can be determined and a warning can be issued.

In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the control means 10 recognizes vehicle sway based on image information of the front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11 and left and right acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. However, the control means 10 may, for example, recognize vehicle sway only from image information of the front of the vehicle from the front view camera 11. In other words, the control means 10 may recognize vehicle sway from a single piece of information.

Moreover, it is even better if the control means 10 recognizes swaying from, for example, GPS information, steering wheel steering angle information, etc., and can accurately identify swaying by comprehensively determining vehicle swaying from these multiple pieces of information.

In this embodiment, an example of issuing a warning regarding location information has been shown, but the location information can be set by inputting places where other people have had accidents in the past, places where accidents often occur, places where accidents are likely to occur that only locals know about, etc., and places that all local residents should be careful of can be registered in advance and notifications can be sent. Such location information can be shared via Internet communication, but it is best to set it completely individually. It is best to keep the information on this main unit alone and register the information of specific elderly drivers only.

Therefore, rather than creating a special website on the Internet where local information can be entered, it would be better to have family members, such as the elderly driver's sons, set up the site individually. Also, when a vehicle dealer buys a car for an elderly driver, they could, in a similar position to a family member, register locations that people in the area usually pay attention to.

The number of location information that can be registered should be limited to around 10. Elderly drivers, for example, often only drive for around 15 or 20 minutes at a time, and are not expected to drive for an hour in most cases. Places that are not daily trips but that they occasionally need to drive to include hospitals, home improvement stores, and barber shops, but even then, the destinations are fixed and often only about 5 to 10 km away from home. Thus, elderly drivers often have a limited range of movement, and the location information that can be registered in the safety device can be limited.

Therefore, in the safety device of the present invention, the number of settings (locations) that can be made is limited, and a warning is issued repeatedly when the location and time match. Setting the location and time for a typical driver requires a huge amount of registration work, but in comparison, elderly drivers have a limited range of movement and time, so the setting work required is not as extensive.

If individual settings can be made using an external setting device such as a PC or smartphone, there is no need to make settings from the main unit 1 or display device 18 of the device. Therefore, it is possible to configure the main unit 1 or display device 18 without providing setting buttons. For example, if setting buttons are not provided on the display device 18, it is possible to increase the design freedom, such as by making the screen larger.

The warnings issued are not limited to highly urgent warnings, but may also be advance notices such as "It's almost there," or "Be careful, it's almost there" by registering a location near the home. Warnings may also be issued based only on location information without registering event information.

It is recommended that the elderly driver and his/her family register the location information together. For example, even if the elderly driver himself/herself says that it is fine, by checking the actual driving information together and finding that dangerous driving is occurring at a specific point, the elderly driver and his/her family can reach a common understanding. The elderly driver will have to provide all information to the family, such as their destination and driving skills, and this will strengthen the relationship of trust.

In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the location information is registered by an external setting device. However, the location information may be registered by a location information registration means while driving, without using an external setting device. Specifically, the location information may be registered by pressing a button on the remote control 17, which corresponds to the location information registration means. For example, when the button on the remote control 17 is pressed while driving, the location information is registered, and after driving is finished, this information is taken out to the external setting device, and event information, etc. is set to the registered location information. In this way, a highly accurate registration pattern can be created by registering the locations where an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident while driving, and adding information to the registered locations.

It is advisable for the elderly driver's family member to register location information using the remote control 17 while driving on behalf of the elderly driver, and then work with the elderly driver to add or modify information to the registered location information, after which the elderly driver actually drives the vehicle. It is also advisable for the elderly driver's family member to reset the information together with the elderly driver, while observing the elderly driver's actual driving conditions.

Repeated setup procedures will foster closer communication between elderly drivers and their families. It would be even better if the method of warning notification could be registered together with the registered location. When registering location information while driving, it would be best for the elderly driver to drive and for the family member to register the location information using the remote control 17.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which it is determined whether or not an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, based on mileage information and temperature information. However, it is preferable that the control means 10 has a function to determine that the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident if a temperature condition continues for a certain period of time or more based on time information from GPS information, for example, and if the condition is met.

In this way, in the summer when the temperature inside the car rises rapidly, some kind of warning can be given, such as a message that the driver needs to replenish fluids, or that driving for too long can make the driver feel drowsy. Elderly drivers tend to be mentally patient, and may endure heatstroke even when at home, for example. Therefore, it is useful to provide information about the weather.

When issuing a warning based on meteorological information, the temperature and humidity sensor 16 and the GPS unit 12 are used to determine the date and time, and whether areas are prone to heatstroke in the morning or during the day.

When issuing a warning based on weather information, it is preferable that the warning be issued when a change in temperature is detected a predetermined time after the engine is started. For example, a warning may be issued only when returning from farm work in the summer and the temperature has risen by a certain amount compared to when the driver went out. Also, for example, a warning may be issued if there is a large difference in temperature between when the driver goes out in the morning and when he returns home in the afternoon.

Even if a warning should be issued based on meteorological information, if a highly urgent event has occurred based on other information, such as vehicle information, and a warning needs to be issued, the control device should refrain from issuing a warning based on meteorological information.

When setting location information, for example, it is a good idea to set the distance from home to fields, hospitals, etc. that an elderly driver regularly visits. Then, if the distance exceeds a certain amount, it is considered to be an unusual situation, such as getting lost. In unusual situations, people often do not pay attention to things like temperature, so it is particularly meaningful to issue a warning when the temperature is high.

In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the warning information displayed on the display is set by a family member of the elderly driver. As a prerequisite for such setting, it is preferable that there are one or more default warning patterns determined as initial settings for the color and text content. On top of that, it is preferable that additional warning patterns are added by setting by the family member.

For example, depending on the personality and preferences of the elderly driver, it may be more appropriate to use a stronger tone of "Watch out" rather than "Be careful." The warning information shown on the display should be able to be positioned anywhere on the display, like New Year's card creation software. It should be possible to set it in a similar way to how you arrange photos, such as writing "New Year" or "Happy New Year" in the upper right and "Happy New Year" on the left. Since many people go through such settings at least once a year, it is relatively easy to configure the screen. Then, have an elderly driver actually drive the vehicle and try changing the settings as you go. It is a good idea to change the background color, flash or light up, etc., to find something that the person will notice easily.

Furthermore, text-based warnings are particularly effective when the vehicle is stopped. For example, if the message "Be careful with the accelerator" appears the moment you park in a parking lot at a convenience store and start the engine, this can help prevent you from accidentally stepping on the accelerator. Also, by receiving repeated warnings, it may become a habit to be careful every time.

For the warning notification by the display device 18, multiple registered patterns are stored in the storage means by default. In this way, it is advisable to register registered patterns that are easy for elderly drivers to recognize by default. Furthermore, it is advisable for the elderly driver's family members to be able to rewrite and use the registered patterns from the default settings as users. It is advisable to change only the characters based on the registered pattern, or to change only the combination of the color of the characters and the color of the background. An example of a color combination is a complementary color relationship.

In addition to the warning on the display device 18, it is advisable to issue a warning by voice. For example, the control means 10 acquires voice information via the built-in microphone 21 and stores it in the storage means 25. A family member registers the voice information as warning information corresponding to the situation. In this way, when a vehicle driven by an elderly driver is placed in a corresponding situation, a warning is issued by the voice information. Since elderly drivers have difficulty reading while driving, issuing a warning by voice is effective.

The audio notification should be made in a familiar voice, for example that of a son, daughter, or grandchild. In this embodiment, the voice is stored in the storage means by the built-in microphone 21, but audio data may be acquired by an external setting device and stored in the storage means of the main unit 1 via an SD card. Also, other than voice, a startling sound such as a beep may be used, but a warning given in a gentle voice or sound is more likely to motivate elderly drivers to drive safely.

The audio can be set to suit an elderly driver, but it is also possible to record the sound that the driver thinks should be heard. Alternatively, the voice of a great-grandchild saying "It's dangerous" can be acquired by a smartphone app and stored in the storage means of the main unit 1. The audio information can be set in a way that suits the elderly driver in question, such as the voice of the elderly driver's wife, who is most careful of the elderly driver, as if he were sitting next to the driver, to give the driver a sense of security that he is not driving alone.

In other words, it would be best if the voice resonates with each elderly driver. By changing the settings, the driver can discover whether they prefer a completely unfamiliar voice, a simple sound, the voice of a familiar person, or the voice of a beloved grandchild or great-grandchild. There may also be cases where the driver feels embarrassed to use their own voice, or where a sentence would be better.

The warning by voice may be given once or may be repeated several times. If repeated notifications may irritate and annoy the elderly driver, it is preferable to give the notification only once. The initial setting may be set to give the notification only once, and then the notification may be set to be repeated several times by individual settings. It is preferable to have a function for setting the number of repetitions and the notification period (e.g., the number of seconds). It is preferable to have registration patterns for grandpas, grandmas, gentle grandpas, gentle people, and short-tempered people. However, it is even better to set such registration patterns individually for a specific elderly driver (e.g., a grandpa) assuming that only the driver will drive.

The text content can be a sentence or message created by the elderly driver's grandchild, such as "Be careful, Grandpa," or "Welcome home" when the driver returns home from driving. Even if the message is not read while driving, the fact that it was set by a grandchild will motivate the elderly driver to be more considerate of safety. By setting the message individually, rather than using a notification method that is popular with everyone, it is possible to provide a notification that resonates with the elderly driver.

For example, it would be good to individually set the thickness of the letters and the impression of the letters, whether they should be more distorted, softer, or harder. Even if the color is the same red, some elderly drivers find it easier to see if it is a little brighter, while others find it easier to see if it is a really dark red, like wine red. Such things can be customized by checking an external setting device such as a computer and having a conversation such as, "Is this easy to see? What do you think?"

For example, for people who have difficulty seeing certain colors due to a physical or eye illness, it would be a good idea to provide them with a PC viewer that allows them to change the gradation, whereas previously there were only viewers and displays that could only use fixed colors.

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 have passed, it is preferable that the next egg is prepared and a different animal hatches. In this way, elderly drivers can increase the number of animals, are given the joy of collecting them, and are more motivated to continue driving safely.

In such cases, it is possible to set a distance target for the number of days, or to deduct points for sudden starts or stops based on the acceleration information from the acceleration sensor 14. However, in this case, the system is characterized by displaying reward information to the elderly driver as a reward for being able to drive every day. In this way, the elderly driver is encouraged to go outside without becoming discouraged by driving due to the setting of aggressive goals or deducting points, and the onset of illnesses due to social isolation is suppressed.

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. The storage means may store a plurality of character images in the storage means, and the character images may be a series of characters that grow according to each stage of the number of points acquired. Specifically, if the character images of the multiple stages are created with an image of a larva that becomes an adult after multiple moltings, the user can continue driving while imagining the coupon he is trying to obtain as a pet and raising that pet.

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

The reward information is provided on the screen with images that are considered to please the elderly driver. The reward information should be something that the elderly driver is interested in, such as dog videos, images, illustrations, cat images, animal series, fish series of the world, railways, photos of grandchildren, old photos of the elderly driver, dinosaurs, mountains, ports, world heritage sites, etc. In particular, it should be something that stimulates the elderly driver's collecting habit. In order to obtain such reward information, the elderly driver will drive the vehicle every day and maintain that state.

It is also advisable to allow family members to set the reward image. For example, multiple photos that record the growth of the elderly driver's grandchildren can be prepared, and as the number of counted days increases, photos of the grown-up grandchildren are displayed. By having family members set the reward image, an image that matches the elderly driver's preferences can be displayed, further increasing the elderly driver's motivation to continue driving safely compared to when the reward image is set by default.

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 secret from the elderly driver as a little surprise for the elderly driver, and the elderly driver may not be able to view it even if he or she operates the device. In this way, the elderly driver will not know what reward image will be registered, and the elderly driver will be more motivated to continue driving safely in order to be able to view the reward image.

By having elderly drivers drive their vehicles every day, the engine will not run out of battery power, and the oil will circulate, which will also reduce breakdowns. In this way, preventing elderly drivers from becoming reclusive and reducing vehicle breakdowns can be achieved with just the cost of gasoline, so no unnecessary expenses are incurred.

The safety system allows the family of an elderly driver to set situations in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, and also allows the family of the elderly driver to set warning information to issue a warning tailored to the characteristics of the elderly driver.

Regarding situations in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle, the criteria for determining the situation may be incorporated into the program of the control means 10, may be stored in the storage means 25 as initial settings, or may be set by the elderly driver's family.

With regard to the initial settings of the safety system, at least the settings are registered as default settings. Without default settings, some settings would have to be made individually, which could be inconvenient for people who want to use the system quickly. If the elderly driver can respond to danger with the initial settings conditions, the initial settings can be used as is, but if the elderly driver cannot respond to danger, the conditions can be added by individual settings.

In the initial settings, the system will issue warnings earlier than would typical people in their 30s and 40s. For example, if the condition for issuing a warning is distance, the condition can be 1.5 or 2 times the normal distance. Individual settings can be made to suit the personality and preferences of elderly drivers, determining whether repeated warnings of "It's dangerous, it's dangerous" from 500 or 600 meters before the vehicle will motivate them, or whether a single warning will suffice.

For example, one target age group for a safety system is 65 to 80 years old. If the driver is close to 65 years old, one notification will be enough to notice the driver, but if the driver is close to 80 years old, multiple notifications will be required to notice the driver. First, once an elderly driver drives a vehicle, the driving details are recorded along with the initial notification. The family can check the recorded driving details and, for example, if the driver does not notice the notification at all, the system can set the notification to be made two more times, by increasing the number of notifications, making the sound louder, or changing the color, and then making individual settings for the notification.

The above-mentioned device can be installed in a vehicle driven by an elderly driver as shown in FIG. 2, and the control means 10 of the device acquires vehicle information, traffic light information, weather information, etc. related to the vehicle driven by the elderly driver, and determines from the information whether the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, and based on the determination, issues a warning through a display device 18 or a notification means such as a speaker 22 installed in the vehicle. Therefore, by issuing a warning to the elderly driver in a situation where the elderly driver driving the vehicle could be the perpetrator, the possibility of the elderly driver becoming the perpetrator is reduced, and the family of the elderly driver can feel more secure about having the elderly driver drive the vehicle.

The device that can be installed in a vehicle may serve as a main unit 1 that can be installed in a vehicle driven by an elderly driver or a family member and used by the elderly driver. For example, the device may have an attachment part that can be attached to the dashboard or the top of the windshield of the vehicle.

"Vehicle information relating to 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 be external image information seen from inside the vehicle or internal image information of the vehicle, detection information detected by a detection device provided on the vehicle or a device attached to the vehicle, GPS information acquired by the GPS unit 12, etc. Image information may be acquired from a photographing device such as the front view camera 11. The detection device may be, for example, a sensor such as the acceleration sensor 14.

"Determining from vehicle information whether or not a situation exists in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle" may be determined, for example, by matching the acquired vehicle information with a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition may be incorporated, for example, in a program that operates the control means 10 of the device according to the present invention, or may be stored in the storage means 25 provided in the main unit 1.

Therefore, "determining from vehicle information whether or not a situation exists in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" may be performed by, for example, the control means 10 of the device according to the present invention comparing the acquired vehicle information with predetermined conditions built into the program or stored in the storage means 25, and determining whether or not the information meets the conditions.

In addition, "situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle" may be determined by determining whether a single piece of information, such as image information captured by the front view camera 11 or additional camera 15, GPS information obtained from the GPS unit 12, or speed information obtained from the OBD connector 13, matches a specified condition, but it is even better to determine whether multiple pieces of information match the specified condition. By determining whether multiple pieces of information match, it is possible to more accurately determine "situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident" compared to determining whether a single piece of information matches.

"Issuing a warning based on a judgment" may be, for example, processed so that a warning is issued by flashing the display screen of the display device 18 when it is judged that a situation in which an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident meets a predetermined condition. Therefore, it is preferable to judge whether or not the situation in which the vehicle is placed meets a predetermined condition, and if it is judged that it does meet the condition, to process so as to issue a warning, and if it is judged that it does not meet the condition, to process so as not to issue a warning.

When "issuing a warning," it is advisable to issue a weaker warning than that issued to general drivers, for example, a warning that calls attention or provides advice, and if the warning is issued through the speaker 22, it is advisable not to issue a loud beep or the like. As elderly drivers get older, they tend to become more impatient, so it is advisable to issue a warning that does not surprise or irritate them.

Furthermore, the device according to the present invention may have, for example, a control mode for the above-mentioned control for elderly drivers and a control mode for general drivers other than elderly drivers, and it is even more preferable that the two modes can be switched using the touch panel 19 or input button 20 of the display device 18.

In the general driver mode, for example, the device can be installed in a vehicle driven by a general driver other than an elderly driver, and can obtain vehicle information about the vehicle driven by the general driver, determine from the vehicle information whether or not the general driver is in a situation where he or she could become a victim of an accident by driving the vehicle, and cause the notification means to issue a warning based on the determination.

As shown in this embodiment, it is also preferable for the system to have a function that allows the family of an elderly driver to set situations 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 sets the settings they consider optimal for that elderly driver, a warning will be issued in the situation that is considered optimal for that elderly driver. This reduces the elderly driver's anxiety and allows the family member to feel more at ease when the elderly driver is driving, compared to when the initial settings are set to situations in which the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident.

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

The device may also be provided with a display device 18, as shown in FIG. 2, and the "setting function" may be, for example, a function in which items to be set are displayed on the display device 18 of the device and an item is appropriately selected using a touch panel 19. For example, an item for setting the status related to traffic light information and an item for setting the status related to weather information may be displayed on the display device 18, and when an item related to weather information is selected, items such as temperature, weather, and humidity are displayed, and when temperature is selected, a display may be displayed in which the temperature at which a warning is issued may be selected in 1 degree increments using the input buttons 20. The selection may be made by a setting unit.

Furthermore, this device may have a function that allows only family members to set "situations in which an elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving a vehicle," and may have a function that prevents the elderly driver from setting it. For example, this device may have a function that requests a password, and the password is requested before setting, and only family members who know the password may set it by entering the password via touch panel 19, and an elderly driver who does not know the password may not set it.

In addition, for example, it would be desirable for the vehicle to have a function that allows a family member of an elderly driver to set, using an external setting device or the touch panel 19 or input buttons 20 of the display device 18, situations in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, with regard to location information that predicts danger specific to the elderly driver.

In this way, comprehensive warnings are issued in locations where the elderly driver is likely to become a perpetrator, allowing family members to feel more secure about letting the elderly driver drive. Furthermore, because elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the locations where danger is predicted are limited. Therefore, family members can comprehensively set specific locations that are appropriate for each elderly driver.

The "danger specific to elderly drivers" may be, for example, a danger common to all elderly drivers, and may be a danger that focuses on the driving habits and routines of ordinary elderly drivers. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the driving habit of an ordinary elderly driver, such as repeatedly approaching the center line and then returning to the center line, may be determined based on the image information acquired by the front view camera 11 and the left-right acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14.

Generally, elderly drivers are unable to drive straight, and instead always drive to the right, moving towards the center line and then back, moving towards the center line and then back, and although it is scary because there is a guard rail on the left side, they tend to drive on the inside of the center line because they are aware that if they cross the center line, they will not be hit unless there is an oncoming vehicle. Also, sometimes when a large truck comes, they get startled and swerve left, hitting the left side. Therefore, it is a good idea to mark specific places where they are likely to drive in this way as "positions where danger is predicted."

On the other hand, "dangers specific to elderly drivers" may be risks that a specific elderly driver has, and may be set by the family of the elderly driver. For example, convenience stores that the specific elderly driver visits daily or home improvement stores that the driver visits regularly, and where there is a lot of traffic of people and vehicles, are assumed to be locations where danger is predicted, and the family may set these together with the elderly driver using an external setting device as "location information where dangers specific to elderly drivers are predicted."

Families can set locations where previous accidents have occurred as "locations where danger is predicted." For example, if the accident was caused by mistaking the accelerator for the brake, this can be set as event information related to "location information where danger specific to elderly drivers is predicted."

In addition, for example, it is preferable for the system to have a function that allows a family member of the elderly driver to set the situation in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle in relation to the location information and event information that predicts a particular danger to the elderly driver.

In this way, the family of an elderly driver can comprehensively set situations where the elderly driver may become a perpetrator, based on limited location information and event information corresponding to that location. This allows comprehensive warnings to be issued for locations and events where the elderly driver may become a perpetrator, allowing the family to have the elderly driver drive with greater peace of mind. Note that because elderly drivers have a limited driving range, the events that are predicted to be dangerous within that driving range are also limited, and it is particularly desirable to have a function that allows the family to set a number of location information that can all be displayed in the viewer shown in Figure 7.

"Event information related to location information and predicting danger specific to elderly drivers" may be, for example, information related to the time, content, and weather of an event related to the location. Specifically, for example, if a school route for elementary school children is within the driving range of an elderly driver, the elderly driver's family may store in the storage means 25 information related to the location information of the school route and the event that elementary school children are commuting to school during a specific time period.

For example, the external setting device for setting the situation in the device may have a display unit such as a display on a personal computer or smartphone, and may display map information, position information on the map, event information related to the position information, and warning information related to the content of the warning on the display device 18, and may have a function for a family member of an elderly driver to set situations in which the elderly driver may become the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, map information, location information, event information, warning information, and other information can be displayed on the display unit of the external device, and situations in which an elderly driver may be considered to be a potential perpetrator can be set using the user interface of the external device. Since setting is easier when map information and other information is displayed in a large size, each setting can be made easily if it can be displayed on the display unit of an external device other than the device that can be attached to the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 7.

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

The "setting function" of the external setting device may be, for example, a function that sets the conditions for determining the situation stored in the storage means of this device by the external setting device, instead of the setting section of this device. For example, this device does not have a setting section such as input button 20, but is connected to the external setting device by wire or wirelessly via short-range wireless communication device 23, and has the function of setting the conditions for determining the situation by the external setting device.

The "map information" may be, for example, an electronic map as shown in FIG. 7, and may be displayed on a portion of the screen of the display unit. The "location information on the map" may be, for example, displayed as a pin placed at a predetermined position on the displayed map.

The "warning information" may be, for example, a warning displayed on the display screen of the display device 18 or generated by the warning sound output means, and may be information indicating which notification means will notify the warning and how. Specifically, for example, the information may indicate that the warning will be notified by a single color background and large letters on the display screen, or by a beep sound or the voices of family members recorded by the built-in microphone 21.

For example, the remote control 17 of the device may have a location information registration unit for registering location information, and when a family member of an elderly driver drives a vehicle driven by an elderly driver in place of the elderly driver, the location information registration unit may be pressed to register the location information. In this way, the family member of the elderly driver may register only dangerous locations while driving in place of the elderly driver, assuming that the elderly driver will be driving, and may register other information related to the registered locations after the drive is completed.

The other information may be information such as that the location is poorly visible, that there is a traffic light at the location, or that the location is a route that elementary school students take to school. This makes it easier to register location information based on actual driving. This makes it easier to set up the situation, ensures that dangerous locations are registered, and reduces the possibility of elderly drivers having accidents.

The external setting device should be configured so that a family member of an elderly driver can set it together with the elderly driver while looking at the viewer shown in Figure 7. For example, the family member of an elderly driver can use the location information registration unit to register location information while driving, and after registering the location information, they can set up situations where the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle together with the elderly driver, which is expected to improve communication between family members and the elderly driver.

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

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

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a warning may be issued only after the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident, and the warning may be terminated only after the elderly driver is no longer in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident.

In particular, for example, it is advisable for the family of the elderly driver to set "situations in which the elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident" and "situations in which the elderly driver may not be the perpetrator of an accident" using an external setting device such as that shown in FIG. 7. In this way, the family can set the conditions and encourage the elderly driver to drive appropriately in accordance with his or her own characteristics.

For example, the control means 10 may obtain traffic light information related to the color of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle and speed information related to the vehicle's speed, and determine from the traffic light information and speed information whether or not the situation is such that an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

In this way, the control means 10 can determine, based on the relationship between traffic light information and speed information, that an elderly driver is a potential perpetrator of accidents, thereby reducing the possibility of accidents frequently occurring among elderly drivers. Note that elderly drivers are prone to driving errors and are more likely to become the perpetrators of accidents due to a decrease in the level of concentration caused by aging and their tendency to be distracted by other things while driving. For these reasons, there are many cases where traffic lights are overlooked or noticed late.

For example, if the color of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle captured by the front view camera 11 is red or yellow, and the acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14 indicates that the vehicle speed is not decreasing, the notification means such as the display device 18 or speaker 22 can issue a warning. This can reduce the possibility of an accident occurring in which the elderly driver is largely at fault, such as entering an intersection where they should be stopping and being hit by another vehicle.

The "traffic light information" may be obtained, for example, by an imaging means such as a front view camera 11 that captures an image in front of the vehicle. When the image captured by the imaging means is processed, the traffic light LEDs flash countless times, which is used as a key to recognize the traffic light and grasp its color. The "speed information" may be obtained based on the speed obtained 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. At this time, for example, a warning may be issued based on the traffic light information and speed information when the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident, and the notification may be terminated when the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she is not the perpetrator of an accident.

For example, it is possible to determine the swaying of a vehicle driven by an elderly driver from vehicle information such as acceleration information and image information, and based on this determination, to determine whether the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle.

The control means 10 can determine from the vehicle information that "wobble" is, for example, a state in which the vehicle moves unsteadily from side to side while in motion, or a state in which the direction of travel changes significantly to the right or to the left.The vehicle information used to determine "wobble" can be, for example, a change in acceleration from side to side obtained by the acceleration sensor 14, a change in position information obtained by the GPS unit 12, or a change in an image captured by an imaging means such as the front view camera 11.

In addition, the "determination of sway" can be done, for example, by determining sway caused by changes in the vehicle's forward/rearward speed or acceleration, such as sudden acceleration or sudden braking, in addition to left/right sway, based on acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor 14, and a warning can be issued about sudden acceleration or sudden braking.

For example, it is possible to determine from the vehicle information that the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more, and to determine from the determination whether or not the elderly driver is in a situation where he or she may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle. In this way, as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to reduce the possibility of a serious accident such as a head-on collision occurring when the vehicle moves to the right and an oncoming vehicle approaches. For example, elderly drivers often move toward the center line and then return. This is a driving habit specific to elderly drivers, in which the driver is wary of the left side because there is a guardrail on the left side, but is aware that there is no danger on the right side even if the center line is crossed, as long as there is no oncoming vehicle. However, if the vehicle moves to the right side, if an oncoming vehicle approaches, it will cause a serious accident such as a head-on collision. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of serious accidents specific to elderly drivers by detecting a large change to the right in the sway information when the acceleration sensor 14 detects a large change to the left and issues a warning. In addition, it is possible to issue a warning when the acceleration sensor 14 detects a large change to the left. In this way, it is possible to inform the elderly driver that there is a possibility of a pedestrian or bicycle in the direction of travel.

The determination that "the vehicle has moved to the right by a predetermined value or more" may be made, for example, based on image information acquired by the front view camera 11, such as when the vehicle crosses the center line or when the distance to the center line has decreased.

For example, even if the system determines whether there is an oncoming vehicle from image information from the front view camera 11, and determines whether the vehicle has drifted to the right by a predetermined amount or more, and determines whether the elderly driver could be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle, if it determines that there is no oncoming vehicle, it may be possible to process the system so that a warning is not issued.

Even if elderly drivers drift to the right, which is a characteristic of driving, there is little chance of causing a serious accident if there is no oncoming vehicle. Therefore, if an alert is issued each time the elderly driver drifts to the right, it will cause discomfort to the elderly driver. Therefore, by not issuing a warning when there is no oncoming vehicle, the control means 10 can avoid repeated alerts and reduce discomfort to the driver.

For example, in addition to the vehicle information, weather information detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 16 may be acquired, and a determination as to whether or not an elderly driver may be the perpetrator of an accident by driving the vehicle may be made based on the weather information as well as the vehicle information.

Therefore, when a warning based on the weather is issued to a general driver, it is preferable to issue the warning at an earlier stage and under stricter conditions than those considered dangerous for a general driver. The "weather information" may be information on the atmosphere or physical conditions in the atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, fine or rainy weather, and wind speed. For example, the control means 10 may directly acquire information from various sensors such as the temperature and humidity sensor 16, humidity sensor, and wind speed sensor, and may indirectly acquire information on rainfall by acquiring information on the operation of the wipers via the OBD connector 13.

The vehicle information may be, for example, vehicle location information. In this way, the family of the elderly driver can use an external setting device or the like to comprehensively set situations in which the elderly driver may become a perpetrator, based on limited location information and weather information corresponding to that location. This allows a comprehensive warning to be issued based on the location and weather in which the elderly driver is likely to become a perpetrator, so the family can feel more secure about having the elderly driver drive. Note that elderly drivers have a limited driving range, and so location information is limited based on that driving range.

Issuing a warning based on weather information detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 16, etc. and location information acquired by the GPS unit 12, etc., may be such that, for example, when the temperature is high enough to predict the risk of heat stroke, etc., a warning encouraging the driver to drink water may be issued by the display means or speaker 22 after moving a specified distance from the location information of the starting position. This can reduce the possibility of an accident occurring in which an elderly driver becomes the victim of heat stroke by making a driving mistake.

The warnings given by the display device 18 and the speaker 22 should not be of a strong nature that restricts the user's actions, but should be words that encourage the user to take action, such as advice such as "The temperature is high, so you should drink water" or "You should open a window," as shown in FIG. 8, to call attention to the situation. Furthermore, the warnings given may be messages such as "You will lose concentration if you drive for too long," or, in the case of rain, messages such as "It's raining, so it's slippery," as shown in FIG. 8.

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

In this way, a warning is issued as a single color change in the background of the entire display screen, which is visual information most easily recognized by elderly drivers, and where changes are particularly easy to recognize. This ensures that elderly drivers are aware of the warning, reducing the probability of accidents caused by elderly drivers and allowing their families to feel at ease when the elderly driver drives.

The "color change" may be such that the display screen changes from the usual state of displaying real-time image information captured by the front view camera 11 to a solid red color. This makes it easier for elderly drivers to understand that the current state is different from the normal state compared to a change to a color other than red, and reduces the probability of accidents occurring when driven by elderly drivers. The "color change" may also be such that the background flashes with the same color, or that backgrounds of different colors are switched in sequence.

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

For example, the notification means may include a warning sound output means such as a speaker 22 that issues a warning by sound, and the display screen of the display device 18 may be capable of displaying the warning by text in addition to the display background, and the notification means may issue a warning by combining the color of the display background with at least one of the text and the sound in accordance with the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this way, warnings are issued using a combination of text and/or sound in addition to the color of the display background, making it easier for elderly drivers to recognize warnings. In particular, elderly drivers may have physical problems, and in such cases, even if it is difficult for them to recognize a warning using one method, elderly drivers can recognize the warning.

The display screen of the display device 18 may be configured to have no elements other than the background and text, and may have a function to notify warnings using only the text and background colors, without displaying icons or maps, for example. Also, for example, it may be possible to set the color red to a color that is easily recognizable by elderly drivers.

For example, it may be desirable to have a function that allows a family member of an elderly driver to set at least one of the background color, characters, and sounds emitted from the speaker 22 displayed on the display screen of the display device 18 to suit the characteristics of the elderly driver.

In this way, family members who know the elderly driver best can set warning information according to the elderly driver's characteristics and issue warnings that are most easily recognized. This allows the elderly driver to drive the vehicle with the love and affection of their family, and also increases their awareness of preventing accidents.

As a setting method, for example, multiple combinations of display background color and text color are prepared as initial settings, and only the content of the text warning can be changed via the touch panel 19 of the display device 18. In this way, the content to be alerted can be individually set in an easy-to-see color combination according to the characteristics of elderly drivers.

The device according to the present invention may also prevent elderly drivers from staying at home because driving is a reason to go out, which may lead to improved health. An in-vehicle device designed to prevent elderly drivers from becoming the perpetrators of accidents may, for example, count the frequency with which the vehicle is driven based on whether the engine is started or not from the OBD connector 13, and display on the display device 18 reward information that may motivate the elderly driver to drive. For example, the number of days the vehicle is driven may be counted, and when a predetermined number of days have been counted, reward information that may motivate the elderly driver to drive may be displayed on the display means.

By displaying reward information according to the number of days that an elderly driver has started the engine and driven the vehicle, elderly drivers are motivated to drive and are encouraged to drive every day. This prevents elderly drivers from coming to dislike driving and becoming reclusive, and provides an environment in which the elderly driver's family members can feel at ease when driving.

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

Also, for example, the control means 10 may display the reward information without performing a demerit process for the frequency of driving the vehicle. In this way, the elderly driver will not be discouraged from driving due to the demerit, and the incentive information will not be hindered from motivating the elderly driver to drive. For example, even if a sudden start, sudden braking, etc. is acquired from the acceleration sensor 14 during driving, or the driving distance does not reach the predetermined distance that is normally planned for driving, the elderly driver may be counted for the days that he or she drove without causing an accident. For example, the count may only be added. If the count of the number of days is subtracted, it may reduce the elderly driver's motivation to continue driving every day, but since the count of the number of days is only added, the elderly driver simply needs to think only about driving the vehicle, and can continue driving every day. This can provide an environment in which the elderly driver's family can drive the elderly driver with peace of mind.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments and modified examples, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are provided to aid in the understanding of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed in this specification. The configurations of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, but it is our intention to include configurations disclosed in this specification that are not currently specified in the claims in the future.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. The components of each of the above-mentioned embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any of the components of each of the embodiments and variations may be arbitrarily combined with any of the components described in the means for solving the invention or any of the components that embody any of the components described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc.

In addition, we intend to obtain rights to the overall design or partial design by filing a conversion application to a design application. The drawings show the entire device in solid lines, but they include not only the overall design but also partial designs claimed for some parts of the device. For example, not only can some components of the device be made into partial designs, but they can also include some parts of the device as partial designs regardless of the components. A part of the device may be a component of the device, or it may be a part of that component. We intend to obtain rights to not only the overall design, but also partial designs in which any part of the solid line parts of the drawings are made into dashed lines.

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 wireless communication device, 24...memory card slot, 25...storage means

Claims (4)

A program for an external setting device that is a device other than an elderly driver's device and has a function of displaying information when a vehicle driven by the elderly driver reaches a position corresponding to position information of setting data,
A program for causing a computer of the external setting device to realize a function of setting a location selected on a map displayed on the display unit of the external setting device as a location corresponding to the location information of the setting data, and a function of setting the background color of the display as information to be displayed when the location corresponding to the location information of the setting data is reached. 2. The program according to claim 1 , further comprising a function for causing a computer of the external setting device to set at least one of a period for which notification is to be made, a direction in which an event will occur, and contents to be displayed on a display unit. An external setting device equipped with a computer that executes the program according to claim 1 or 2. A device having a function of displaying information when the vehicle reaches a position corresponding to the position information of the setting data based on the relationship between a position corresponding to the position information of the setting data set by the external setting device described in claim 3 and information to be displayed when the vehicle reaches a position corresponding to the position information of the setting data.

Images