JP7702235B2 - Control device and program - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Announced at the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan 2019 Autumn Meeting on October 18, 2019

The present invention relates to a control device and a program.

In situations where a user is performing a certain action (e.g., driving a vehicle), it may be necessary for the user to maintain an awakened state (hereinafter, simply referred to as an "awakened state"). In recent years, various techniques for maintaining a user's awakened state have become known. For example, a technique for maintaining a user's awakened state by providing the user with external stimuli (e.g., warning sounds, scents, vibrations, chewing gum, etc.) is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-8734 A

However, common techniques for keeping a user awake have the problem that external stimuli may cause discomfort to the user.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved technology that enables a user to maintain an alert state while reducing discomfort to the user.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a control device is provided that includes a presentation control unit that controls the presentation of suggested information to the user to encourage goal setting according to first information regarding the user's behavior.

In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to function as a control device having a presentation control unit that controls the computer to present to the user suggested information for encouraging goal setting according to first information regarding the user's behavior.

As described above, the present invention provides technology that reduces discomfort to the user while allowing the user to remain awake.

1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first example of presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a second example of presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a third example of presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

<0. Overview>
First, an overview of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In recent years, various techniques have been known for keeping a user awake. For example, techniques are known for keeping a user awake by providing the user with external stimuli (e.g., warning sounds, scents, vibrations, chewing gum, etc.). However, with typical techniques for keeping a user awake, there is a possibility that the external stimuli may cause discomfort to the user. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, a technique is proposed that makes it possible to keep a user awake while reducing discomfort to the user.

More specifically, the applicants of the present application conducted research into technology for maintaining a user's wakefulness by presenting the user with information that does not constitute an external stimulus (i.e., information that directly affects the user's psychology). In this research, the applicants of the present application focused on the fact that a relationship between intrinsic motivation and maintaining a wakefulness can be derived from various physiological theories. Note that intrinsic motivation can refer to a person's willingness (motivation) to take action voluntarily.

Therefore, the applicants of the present application conducted an experiment to verify whether a user's wakefulness would be maintained if presented with information that induces intrinsic motivation, as an example of information that does not fall under the category of external stimuli.

There are no limitations on the specific content of the presented information that induces intrinsic motivation. However, psychological findings have shown that intrinsic motivation can be induced by satisfying the needs for self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness. Self-efficacy can correspond to the tendency to learn while effectively interacting with the environment. Autonomy can correspond to the tendency to initiate action on one's own. Relatedness can correspond to the tendency to interact with others or the community. Therefore, in the verification experiment, presented information that satisfies these three needs was used as an example of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation.

As a result of the verification experiment, the applicants of the present application have found that it is possible to maintain the user's wakefulness while reducing the discomfort felt by the user by presenting the user with presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, the applicants of the present application have found that the user's wakefulness can be maintained more effectively by presenting the user with presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation than by providing the user with external stimuli.

Therefore, below we will provide a detailed description of a technology that maintains a user's wakefulness by presenting the user with information that induces intrinsic motivation.

In the embodiments of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the user is an occupant of a moving body (e.g., an occupant of a moving body during automatic driving, or an occupant of a moving body during manual driving, etc.). In such cases, the occupant of the moving body can be kept awake. In particular, in the following, it is mainly assumed that the user is an occupant (driver) of a moving body during manual driving. However, during automatic driving, the occupant's level of wakefulness tends to decrease due to the reduction or monotony of operations by the occupant. Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are also suitable for occupants of a moving body during automatic driving.

The user is not limited to a passenger of a moving body. That is, the user according to the embodiment of the present invention may be a person other than a passenger of a moving body, and may be various types of people who are required to maintain an alert state (e.g., athletes, etc.). Furthermore, the embodiment of the present invention mainly assumes that the moving body is a vehicle. However, the moving body may be a moving body other than a vehicle (e.g., an aircraft or a ship, etc.).

The above describes an overview of an embodiment of the present invention.

1. One embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

<<1.1. Configuration example>>
An example of the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control device 10, a vehicle state detection device 20, a surrounding environment detection device 30, and an occupant state detection device 40.

(Vehicle condition detection device 20)
The vehicle state detection device 20 detects information indicating the vehicle state (vehicle state information). For example, the vehicle state detection device 20 may detect the vehicle state information by one or more sensors (e.g., instruments, cameras, radars, etc.) mounted on the vehicle. For example, the vehicle state information may include information indicating the driving state of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle's running speed, the vehicle's running position, the accelerator operation amount and operation timing, the brake operation amount and operation timing, the steering wheel operation amount and operation timing, etc.). Such vehicle state information may be an example of information regarding the user's behavior (i.e., the vehicle state detection device 20 may be an example of a detection device that detects information regarding the user's behavior).

In the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the vehicle state detection device 20 outputs the detected vehicle state information itself to the control device 10. However, the vehicle state detection device 20 may output the result obtained by evaluating the vehicle state information (i.e., the evaluation result based on the vehicle state information) to the control device 10 instead of the information indicating the vehicle state. For example, the evaluation result based on the vehicle state information may correspond to an example of the evaluation result of the driver's performance (driving performance) during manual driving. An example of the evaluation of the vehicle state information will be described in detail later.

(Ambient environment detection device 30)
The surrounding environment detection device 30 detects information about the environment around the vehicle (surrounding environment information). For example, an example of the surrounding environment information is information indicating a relationship between the vehicle and another vehicle (hereinafter, simply referred to as "other vehicle"). Such information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and the other vehicle may be an example of information about the user's behavior (i.e., the surrounding environment detection device 30 may be an example of a detection device that detects information about the user's behavior). Another example of the surrounding environment information is information about the other vehicle.

Examples of information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles include whether or not there is another vehicle around the vehicle (presence or absence of another vehicle), the relative speed of the other vehicle to the vehicle, or the relative position of the other vehicle to the vehicle. For example, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may detect information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles using one or more sensors (e.g., a camera, radar, ultrasonic sensor, etc.) mounted on the vehicle.

Alternatively, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles by communicating with equipment installed on the road around the vehicle (road-to-vehicle communication). For example, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain the traveling speed of the other vehicles through road-to-vehicle communication, and calculate the relative speed of the other vehicles with respect to the vehicle based on the traveling speed of the other vehicles and the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device 20. Alternatively, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain the traveling position of the other vehicles through road-to-vehicle communication, and calculate the relative position of the other vehicles with respect to the vehicle based on the traveling position of the other vehicles and the traveling position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device 20.

Alternatively, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain information indicating the relationship between the host vehicle and the other vehicle through communication with the other vehicle (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). For example, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain the traveling speed of the other vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and calculate the relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle based on the traveling speed of the other vehicle and the traveling speed of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device 20. Alternatively, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain the traveling position of the other vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and calculate the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle based on the traveling position of the other vehicle and the traveling position of the host vehicle detected by the vehicle state detection device 20.

Examples of information about the other vehicle include information about the driver of the other vehicle (e.g., the place of origin or driving history of the driver of the other vehicle). For example, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain information about the driver read by a predetermined reading device (e.g., the smartphone of the driver of the other vehicle) from an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip embedded in the driver's license of the driver of the other vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In this case, the place of origin can be identified based on the "number of the public safety commission of the prefecture where the driver was first issued the license" out of the "license number" read from the IC chip. In addition, the driving history can be identified based on the "last two digits of the year in which the driver was first issued the license" out of the "license number" read from the IC chip.

Alternatively, when a driver of another vehicle purchases a car and takes out automobile insurance, information that associates the license plate information of the other vehicle with information about the driver (including, for example, the driver's address and the year the driver's license was obtained) may be registered in a specified server as a purchase history. In such a case, when the license plate of the other vehicle is captured by the camera of the vehicle, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may obtain information about the driver of the other vehicle from a specified server based on the license plate information recognized from the captured license plate. For example, the place of origin may be identified based on the driver's address. In addition, the driving history may be identified based on the year the driver's license was obtained.

In the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the surrounding environment detection device 30 outputs information indicating the relationship between the detected vehicle and other vehicles to the control device 10. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the surrounding environment detection device 30 outputs information regarding the detected other vehicles to the control device 10. However, instead of the information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles, the surrounding environment detection device 30 may output the result obtained by evaluating the information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles (i.e., the evaluation result based on the information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles) to the control device 10. For example, the evaluation result based on the information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles may be an example of the evaluation result of the driver's performance (driving performance) during manual driving. An example of the evaluation of the information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles will be described in detail later.

(Occupant state detection device 40)
The occupant state detection device 40 detects information related to the occupant state (occupant state information). An example of the occupant state information is information indicating the gaze position of the occupant. The occupant state detection device 40 can detect information indicating the gaze position of the occupant using a sensor (e.g., a camera) mounted on the vehicle. Such information indicating the gaze position of the occupant may be an example of information related to the user's behavior (i.e., the occupant state detection device 40 may be an example of a detection device that detects information related to the user's behavior). Another example of the occupant state information is measurement data on the occupant.

The measurement data for the occupant is data that can be a physiological index that reflects the occupant's level of alertness. For example, examples of the measurement data for the occupant include a facial image obtained by capturing an image of the occupant's face, a body image obtained by capturing an image of the occupant's body, or an eye image obtained by capturing an image of the occupant's eyes. For example, the occupant state detection device 40 may detect these images using a sensor (e.g., a camera) mounted on the vehicle.

Other examples of measurement data for occupants include biological information of the occupant (e.g., alpha wave content of brain waves, skin conductance level, breathing interval, heart rate, RSA (Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia) component of heart rate variability, skin temperature, etc.). For example, the occupant condition detection device 40 may detect such biological information measured by a measuring device attached to each part of the occupant's body.

In the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the occupant state detection device 40 outputs information indicating the detected gaze position of the occupant to the control device 10. However, instead of the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant, the occupant state detection device 40 may output the result obtained by evaluating the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant (i.e., the evaluation result based on the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant) to the control device 10. For example, the evaluation result based on the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant may correspond to an example of the evaluation result of the driving performance of the driver of the vehicle during manual driving, and may also correspond to an example of the evaluation result of the performance (safety confirmation performance) of the occupant during automatic driving. An example of the evaluation of the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant will be described in detail later.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the occupant state detection device 40 outputs measurement data for the detected occupant to the control device 10. However, the occupant state detection device 40 may output an estimated level of alertness based on the measurement data for the occupant to the control device 10, instead of the measurement data for the occupant. An example of estimating the level of alertness will also be described in detail later.

(Control device 10)
The control device 10 has a function (agent function) of presenting information to the occupant. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the control device 10 is mounted on a vehicle. In this case, the control device 10 may be detachably installed on the vehicle, or may simply be placed inside the vehicle. For example, the control device 10 is placed in the vicinity of the occupant (for example, within reach of the occupant's hand or voice). This allows the occupant to easily input to the control device 10 and perceive outputs from the control device 10.

The control device 10 is connected to each of the vehicle state detection device 20, the surrounding environment detection device 30, and the occupant state detection device 40 via a wired or wireless communication network. The communication network may be an in-vehicle communication network that complies with any standard, such as, for example, CAN (Controller Area Network), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), or LAN (Local Area Network).

The form of the control device 10 is not particularly limited. For example, the control device 10 may be a mobile terminal of the occupant (e.g., a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, etc.), or may be a device other than a mobile terminal of the occupant (e.g., a personal computer (PC)). Alternatively, the control device 10 may be a device installed in the vehicle (e.g., a navigation system, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 10 includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, an input unit 130, a presentation unit 140, and a memory unit 160.

(Communication unit 110)
The communication unit 110 has a function of communicating wirelessly or wired with devices present in the vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "in-vehicle devices"). The in-vehicle devices may include various sensors constituting the vehicle state detection device 20, the surrounding environment detection device 30, and the occupant state detection device 40. The communication between the communication unit 110 and the in-vehicle devices may be performed using an in-vehicle communication network conforming to any standard such as CAN, LIN, or LAN.

The communication unit 110 may also have a function of communicating with a device that exists outside the vehicle (hereinafter, also referred to as an "external device"). The communication unit 110 may be implemented with, for example, a cellular communication protocol such as WiMAX or LTE (Long Term Evolution), or other wireless communication protocols such as a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), as a function of communicating with the external device. The communication unit 110 may be connected to a predetermined server that exists on an external network (for example, the Internet) via a base station and an access point.
(Control unit 120)
The control unit 120 controls each functional block of the control device 10. The control unit 120 may be configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). At this time, the control unit 120 may be realized by a program read from a ROM (Read Only Memory) by the processor, which is expanded into a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the program is executed by the processor. At this time, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded may also be provided. Alternatively, the control unit 120 may be configured by dedicated hardware, or may be configured by a combination of multiple hardware.

Alternatively, the control unit 120 may be realized by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) mounted on the vehicle, or by a microcomputer mounted on the ECU. That is, when the control unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle, the control unit 10 may communicate with the ECU wirelessly or via a wire, and information may be presented to the occupant according to control by the ECU. Alternatively, the control unit 120 may be realized by an external device not mounted on the vehicle (e.g., a cloud server on the Internet, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 120 includes an alertness estimation unit 121 and a presentation control unit 124. Details of these blocks will be described later.

(Input unit 130)
The input unit 130 accepts input from an occupant. In the present embodiment, it is mainly assumed that the input unit 130 includes a microphone and accepts the occupant's speech as input through the microphone. At this time, the speech accepted by the input unit 130 may be converted into text data by the control unit 120. However, the input unit 130 is not limited to including a microphone. For example, the input unit 130 may include another input device (for example, a touch panel, a button, a keyboard, or a mouse). At this time, for example, text data is directly accepted by the other input device as an input by the occupant.

(Presentation unit 140)
The presentation unit 140 has a function of presenting information to the occupant according to the control by the control unit 120. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that the presentation unit 140 includes a speaker, and information is presented to the occupant by the speaker. At this time, as an example of the presented information, auditory information (audio) is output by the speaker. However, the presentation unit 140 is not limited to the case where it includes a speaker. For example, the presentation unit 140 may include another output device (e.g., a display or a projector). At this time, as an example of the presented information, visual information (image) is displayed by the other output device.

(Storage unit 160)
The storage unit 160 is a storage device capable of storing programs and data for operating the control unit 120. The storage unit 160 can also temporarily store various data required in the course of operation of the control unit 120. For example, the storage device may be a non-volatile storage device.

The above describes an example configuration of the control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<<1.2. Function details>>
Next, the detailed functions of the control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. In the examples shown in Figures 2 to 4, the user is mainly assumed to be a passenger (driver) of the vehicle during manual driving. However, as described above, the user is not limited to a passenger (driver) of the vehicle during manual driving. Figures 2 to 4 are diagrams for explaining examples of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation.

(Presenting positive feedback information)
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a first example of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation. With reference to FIG. 2, the first example of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation will be explained. In the first example, "suggestion information for encouraging goal setting" corresponds to an example of the above-mentioned "presented information that induces intrinsic motivation". Also, in the first example, "feedback information showing a positive evaluation" also corresponds to an example of the above-mentioned "presented information that induces intrinsic motivation".

First, the occupant state detection device 40 detects measurement data for the occupant 70. Then, the alertness estimation unit 121 estimates the alertness of the occupant 70 based on the measurement data for the occupant 70 detected by the occupant state detection device 40. For example, if the occupant state detection device 40 detects an image of the occupant 70 (e.g., a facial image, a body image, or an eye image of the occupant 70) as measurement data for the occupant 70, the alertness estimation unit 121 may estimate the alertness based on the image of the occupant 70. The method for estimating the alertness based on the image of the occupant 70 is not limited.

For example, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may estimate the level of arousal according to the state of the face shown in the face image (for example, the greater the degree of opening of the mouth, the lower the level of arousal may be determined). Alternatively, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may estimate the level of arousal according to the state of the body shown in the body image (for example, the greater the degree of inclination of the body relative to the vertical direction, the lower the level of arousal). Alternatively, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may estimate the level of arousal according to the state of the eyes shown in the eye image (for example, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may determine that the smaller the degree of opening of the eyes, the lower the level of arousal, or that the greater the number of blinks measured from multiple eye images, the lower the level of arousal.

Alternatively, it is also possible that a trained alertness estimation model that estimates the alertness based on an image of the occupant 70 (e.g., a facial image, a body image, or an eye image of the occupant 70) has been constructed in advance. In such a case, the alertness estimation unit 121 may estimate the alertness by obtaining the alertness output from the trained alertness estimation model in response to inputting an image of the occupant 70 to the trained alertness estimation model.

Alternatively, when the occupant state detection device 40 detects biological information of the occupant 70 (e.g., alpha wave content of brain waves, skin conductance level, breathing interval, heart rate, RSA component of heart rate variability, or skin temperature) as measurement data for the occupant 70, the alertness estimation unit 121 may estimate the alertness based on the biological information of the occupant 70. The method of estimating the alertness based on the biological information of the occupant 70 is not limited.

For example, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may determine that the arousal level is higher as the value of the alpha wave content rate of the brainwave, the respiratory interval, the RSA component of the heart rate fluctuation, or the skin temperature is smaller. Alternatively, the arousal level estimation unit 121 may determine that the arousal level is higher as the value of the skin conductance level or the heart rate is larger.

Alternatively, it is also possible that a trained alertness estimation model that estimates the alertness based on the biometric information of the occupant 70 has been constructed in advance. In such a case, the alertness estimation unit 121 may estimate the alertness by obtaining the alertness output from the trained alertness estimation model in response to input of the biometric information of the occupant 70 to the trained alertness estimation model.

When it is determined that the alertness of the occupant 70 is lower than the threshold value, the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that feedback information (hereinafter, simply referred to as "positive feedback information") indicating a positive evaluation corresponding to information (second information) related to the behavior of the occupant 70 is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140. It is expected that the positive feedback information perceived by the occupant 70 satisfies the occupant's 70 desires for self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness, induces the intrinsic motivation of the occupant 70, and maintains the alertness.

In more detail, it is assumed that the information (second information) on the behavior of the occupant 70, the pre-set conditions (second conditions, hereinafter also referred to as "highly-rated conditions"), and the positive feedback information are pre-associated and stored in the storage unit 160. In such a case, when the presentation control unit 124 determines that the information (second information) on the behavior of the occupant 70 satisfies the highly-rated conditions associated with the information (second information) on the behavior of the occupant 70, it may obtain the positive feedback information associated with the highly-rated conditions from the storage unit 160 and control the presentation unit 140 so that the information is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

The information (second information) regarding the behavior of the occupant 70 may include at least one of vehicle state information, information indicating the relationship between the vehicle and other vehicles, and information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70.

For example, the vehicle state information may be information indicating the driving state of the vehicle (e.g., the vehicle's traveling speed, the vehicle's traveling position, the accelerator operation amount and operation timing, the brake operation amount and operation timing, the steering wheel operation amount and operation timing, etc.). The information indicating the relationship between the host vehicle and another vehicle may be whether or not another vehicle is present around the host vehicle (presence or absence of another vehicle), the relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, or the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, etc.

For example, assume that the presentation control unit 124 evaluates the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle as an example of information indicating the relationship between the own vehicle and the other vehicle. More specifically, assume that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle satisfies a high evaluation condition (e.g., a condition that the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is within a predetermined appropriate range). In such a case, as shown in FIG. 2, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the presentation unit 140 presents to the occupant 70 positive feedback information associated with this high evaluation condition, "the vehicle distance was appropriate."

Note that positive feedback information is not limited to these examples.

For example, assume that the presentation control unit 124 evaluates the vehicle's driving speed as an example of vehicle state information. More specifically, assume that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the vehicle's driving speed satisfies a high evaluation condition (e.g., a condition that the vehicle's driving speed falls within a pre-set appropriate range). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the positive feedback information "the vehicle's driving speed is appropriate" associated with this high evaluation condition is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 evaluates the timing of steering wheel operation as an example of vehicle state information. More specifically, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that a highly evaluated condition (e.g., a condition that the steering wheel is operated within an appropriate time after a vehicle behind is detected) is satisfied. In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the positive feedback information "yielding the right of way to the vehicle behind" associated with this highly evaluated condition is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 evaluates information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70. In more detail, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that a high evaluation condition (for example, a condition that the gaze of the occupant 70 has moved to at least one of a rearward direction based on the occupant 70, a mirror showing the rearward direction, and a video monitor showing the rearward direction) is satisfied. In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the positive feedback information "rearward check has been made" associated with this high evaluation condition is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70 satisfies a high evaluation condition (for example, a condition that the gaze of the occupant 70 moves to the left (which may be a diagonally forward left direction or a diagonally backward left direction) relative to the occupant 70, to the right (which may be a diagonally forward right direction or a diagonally backward right direction) relative to the occupant 70, to a mirror reflecting these directions, and/or to a video monitor reflecting these directions). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the positive feedback information "surroundings have been checked" associated with this high evaluation condition is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Assume that after the positive feedback information is presented to the occupant 70, a predetermined input from the occupant 70 is detected by the input unit 130. FIG. 2 shows an example in which a voice input of "thank you" is made as the predetermined input from the occupant 70. In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that suggested information for encouraging goal setting according to information (first information) on the behavior of the occupant 70 is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140. It is expected that the occupant 70's sense of self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness needs are satisfied, the occupant 70's intrinsic motivation is induced, and the arousal level is maintained by the occupant 70 perceiving the suggested information for encouraging goal setting.

In more detail, it is assumed that a preset condition (first condition, hereinafter also referred to as a "low-evaluation condition") and suggested information for encouraging goal setting are associated with each other in advance and stored in the storage unit 160. In such a case, when the presentation control unit 124 determines that the information on the behavior of the occupant 70 satisfies the low-evaluation condition associated with the information on the behavior of the occupant 70, the presentation control unit 124 may obtain the suggested information associated with the low-evaluation condition from the storage unit 160 and control the presentation unit 140 to present the suggested information to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

The information (first information) regarding the behavior of the occupant 70 may include at least one of vehicle state information, information indicating the relationship between the own vehicle and other vehicles, and information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70, similar to the information (second information) regarding the behavior of the occupant 70. The vehicle state information may be information indicating the driving state of the vehicle. The information indicating the relationship between the own vehicle and other vehicles may be whether or not there is another vehicle around the own vehicle (presence or absence of the other vehicle), the relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, or the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle, etc.

For example, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the vehicle's traveling speed satisfies a low evaluation condition (e.g., a condition that the vehicle's traveling speed is lower than a preset appropriate range) as an example of vehicle state information. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 2, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the presentation unit 140 presents to the occupant 70 the suggestion information for encouraging the goal setting of "driving without decelerating" that is associated with this low evaluation condition.

The suggested information for encouraging goal setting is not limited to this example. For example, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the vehicle's driving position satisfies a low evaluation condition (e.g., a condition in which the steering wheel is not operated even though a vehicle behind is detected). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the suggested information for encouraging the goal setting of "give way to the vehicle behind" is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle satisfies a low evaluation condition (for example, a condition that the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle is smaller than an appropriate range). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the presentation unit 140 presents to the occupant 70 suggestion information for encouraging the occupant 70 to set a goal of "maintaining an appropriate distance between the vehicles."

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70 satisfies a low evaluation condition (for example, a condition that the gaze of the occupant 70 has not moved to any of the rearward direction relative to the occupant 70, the mirror showing the rearward direction, and the video monitor showing the rearward direction). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that suggested information for encouraging the occupant 70 to set the goal of "checking the rearward" is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Alternatively, it is assumed that the presentation control unit 124 determines that the information indicating the gaze position of the occupant 70 satisfies a low evaluation condition (for example, a condition that the gaze of the occupant 70 has not moved to the left (which may be a diagonally forward left direction or a diagonally backward left direction) relative to the occupant 70, to the right (which may be a diagonally forward right direction or a diagonally backward left direction) relative to the occupant 70, to a mirror reflecting these directions, or to a video monitor reflecting these directions). In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that suggested information for encouraging the occupant 70 to set a goal of "checking the surroundings" is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140.

Furthermore, the predetermined input from the occupant 70 is not limited to the input of words expressing gratitude, such as "thank you." For example, the predetermined input from the occupant 70 may be the input of words that are simply spoken when providing a response, such as "yes," "yes," etc. Alternatively, the predetermined input from the occupant 70 may be the input of any word (i.e., it may be considered that the predetermined input has been made by the occupant 70 when any word is uttered by the occupant 70), or may be a touch operation on a touch panel, a button press, or the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that after presentation of the positive feedback information "You maintained a relaxed driving distance and drove with ease," presentation of the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting, "Try driving without slowing down," begins. This is because it is considered that a person is more likely to accept the suggestion information after having positive feelings due to the positive feedback information. However, the order in which the positive feedback information and the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting are presented is not limited.

In other words, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation of either the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting or the positive feedback information to begin after presentation of the other has ended. In this case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation of either the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting or the positive feedback information to begin when a predetermined input from the occupant 70 is detected by the input unit 130 after presentation of the other has ended.

Note that the positive feedback information is not essential. In other words, when the presentation control unit 124 determines that the alertness of the occupant 70 is lower than the threshold value, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the presentation unit 140 presents to the occupant 70 suggested information for encouraging goal setting, without presenting the positive feedback information to the occupant 70. Furthermore, a specific input from the occupant 70 is not essential either. In other words, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that, after presentation of either the suggested information for encouraging goal setting or the positive feedback information has ended, presentation of the other information begins without waiting for a specific input from the occupant 70.

The presentation control unit 124 may also control the presentation unit 140 to present either the positive feedback information or the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting before it is determined that the alertness of the occupant 70 is lower than the threshold. Then, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 to present the other information after it is determined that the alertness of the occupant 70 is lower than the threshold. Alternatively, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 to present the positive feedback information and the suggestion information for encouraging goal setting without comparing the alertness of the occupant 70 with the threshold.

The threshold value to be compared with the alertness level may be set to any value. However, once the alertness level has fallen to its minimum value, the occupant 70 may not be able to perceive the suggested information to encourage goal setting. Alternatively, once the alertness level has fallen to its minimum value, even if the occupant 70 is able to perceive the suggested information to encourage goal setting, it is expected that the alertness level will not recover easily. Therefore, it is desirable for the threshold value to be greater than the minimum value (for example, if 1 is the minimum value and 5 is the maximum value, it is desirable for the threshold value to be 3 or 4).

In addition, once the alertness of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold, even if the alertness of the occupant 70 rises as a result of the occupant 70 perceiving the presented information, there is a high possibility that the alertness of the occupant 70 will fall again. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is mainly assumed that, once the alertness of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold, the presentation unit 140 is controlled so that the alertness of the occupant 70 is not compared with the threshold, and positive feedback information and suggested information to encourage goal setting are presented to the occupant 70 every predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes). This makes it possible to maintain an alert state more effectively.

However, the presentation control unit 124 may compare the alertness of the occupant 70 with the threshold again even after the alertness of the occupant 70 has once fallen below the threshold. The presentation control unit 124 may also control the presentation unit 140 so that positive feedback information and suggestion information to encourage goal setting are presented to the occupant 70 when the alertness of the occupant 70 is lower than the threshold even after the alertness of the occupant 70 has once fallen below the threshold.

(Provision of information about other vehicles)
Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a second example of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation. Next, the second example of presented information that induces intrinsic motivation will be explained with reference to Fig. 3. In the second example, "information about other vehicles" corresponds to the above-mentioned example of "presented information that induces intrinsic motivation".

As in the first example, in the second example, the alertness estimation unit 121 estimates the alertness of the occupant 70 based on the measurement data of the occupant 70 detected by the occupant state detection device 40. When the alertness of the occupant 70 is determined to be lower than the threshold, the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that information about other vehicles is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140. It is expected that the occupant 70's perception of information about other vehicles satisfies the occupant 70's desire for self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness, induces the occupant 70's intrinsic motivation, and maintains the alertness.

In more detail, as an example of information about the other vehicle, assume that information about the driver of the other vehicle (here, the birthplace or driving experience of the driver of the other vehicle 80) is detected by the surrounding environment detection device 30. In such a case, the presentation control unit 124 may control the presentation unit 140 so that the information about the other driver detected by the surrounding environment detection device 30 is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140. In the example shown in FIG. 3, presentation information including the birthplace of the driver of the other vehicle 80, "XX prefecture," and his driving experience, "15 years," is presented to the occupant 70.

As in the first example, in the second example, the threshold value to be compared with the alertness level may be set to any value. As in the first example, in the second example, after the alertness level of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold once, the presentation unit 140 may be controlled so that information about other vehicles is presented to the occupant 70 every predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes) without comparing the alertness level of the occupant 70 with the threshold. Alternatively, as in the first example, in the second example, the presentation control unit 124 may compare the alertness level of the occupant 70 with the threshold again even after the alertness level of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold once.

(Communication with the vehicle)
Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a third example of the presented information that induces intrinsic motivation. Next, the third example of the presented information that induces intrinsic motivation will be explained with reference to Fig. 4. In the third example, a "response to the speech of the occupant 70" corresponds to the above-mentioned example of "presented information that induces intrinsic motivation."

As in the first example, in the third example, the alertness estimation unit 121 estimates the alertness of the occupant 70 based on the measurement data of the occupant 70 detected by the occupant state detection device 40. When the alertness of the occupant 70 is determined to be lower than the threshold, the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that a response to the speech from the occupant 70 is presented to the occupant 70 as presentation information by the presentation unit 140. It is expected that the occupant 70's perception of the response to the speech satisfies the occupant 70's desire for self-efficacy, autonomy, and relatedness, induces the occupant 70's intrinsic motivation, and maintains the alertness.

In more detail, when an utterance from the occupant 70 is detected by the input unit 130, the presentation control unit 124 obtains dialogue language data by performing voice recognition processing on the speech data from the occupant 70. FIG. 4 shows the occupant 70 responding "Feeling good" in response to a question from the control device 10, "How are you doing?". The voice recognition processing is a process of detecting a speech section from the voice data and obtaining candidate words or phrases contained in the detected speech section as dialogue language data. The presentation control unit 124 then obtains candidate sentences by performing natural language processing on the dialogue language data. The natural language processing is a process of obtaining candidate sentences by performing syntactic analysis on the dialogue language data.

The presentation control unit 124 then estimates the intention of the occupant 70 based on the sentence candidates obtained by natural language processing. The presentation control unit 124 generates dialogue language data based on the estimated intention of the occupant 70, and generates dialogue data in a format that matches the output format of the presentation unit 140 based on the dialogue language data. For example, if the presentation unit 140 includes a speaker, the presentation control unit 124 generates response data as auditory information. Alternatively, if the presentation unit 140 includes a display, the presentation control unit 124 generates response data as visual information. Figure 4 shows an example in which the response data "That was good" is presented. However, the method of generating the response data is not limited.

As in the first example, in the third example, the threshold value to be compared with the alertness level may be set to any value. As in the first example, in the third example, the presentation unit 140 may be controlled so that, after the alertness level of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold once, the presentation unit 140 does not compare the alertness level of the occupant 70 with the threshold, but presents the occupant 70 with positive feedback information and suggestion information to encourage goal setting every predetermined time (e.g., 3 minutes). Alternatively, as in the first example, in the third example, the presentation control unit 124 may compare the alertness level of the occupant 70 with the threshold again, even after the alertness level of the occupant 70 falls below the threshold once.

The above describes the detailed functions of the control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<<1.3. Operation example>>
Next, an operation example of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 merely shows an example of the operation of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the operation of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in FIG. 5, the alertness estimation unit 121 estimates the alertness of the occupant 70 based on the measurement data of the occupant 70 detected by the occupant state detection device 40 (S11). Next, the presentation control unit 124 determines whether the alertness of the occupant 70 estimated by the alertness estimation unit 121 is lower than a threshold value (S12). If the presentation control unit 124 determines that the alertness of the occupant 70 estimated by the alertness estimation unit 121 is equal to or higher than the threshold value ("NO" in S12), the operation proceeds to S11.

On the other hand, when the presentation control unit 124 determines that the arousal level of the occupant 70 estimated by the arousal level estimation unit 121 is equal to or higher than the threshold level ("YES" in S12), the presentation control unit 124 controls the presentation unit 140 so that presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation is presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140. An example of the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation is suggestion information that encourages goal setting according to information (first information) related to the behavior of the occupant 70. Another example of the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation is positive feedback information according to information (second information) related to the behavior of the occupant 70.

The presentation control unit 124 determines whether a predetermined time has passed since the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation was last presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140 (S14). If the presentation control unit 124 determines that a predetermined time has passed since the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation was last presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140 ("YES" in S14), it executes S13 again. On the other hand, if the presentation control unit 124 determines that a predetermined time has not passed since the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation was last presented to the occupant 70 by the presentation unit 140 ("NO" in S14), the operation proceeds to S15.

Next, the presentation control unit 124 determines whether or not to end the operation (S15). For example, the presentation control unit 124 may determine whether or not to end the operation based on whether or not a predetermined operation for ending the presentation of the presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation has been input by the occupant 70. If the presentation control unit 124 determines to continue the operation ("NO" in S15), it executes S14 again. On the other hand, if the presentation control unit 124 determines to end the operation ("YES" in S15), it ends the operation.

The above describes an example of the operation of system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<<1.3. Effects>>
According to the above embodiment, a control device is provided that includes a presentation control unit that controls so that suggested information for encouraging goal setting according to first information regarding the user's behavior is presented to the user. With this configuration, it is possible to maintain the user's wakefulness while reducing discomfort to the user. Furthermore, with this configuration, it is possible to maintain the user's wakefulness more effectively than by providing the user with an external stimulus.

<<1.4. Modifications>>
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

In the above examples, it is mainly assumed that the user is an occupant of a moving body (e.g., an occupant of a moving body during automatic driving, or an occupant of a moving body during manual driving, etc.). In particular, in the above examples, it is mainly assumed that the user is an occupant (driver) of a moving body during manual driving. However, as already mentioned, during automatic driving, the occupant's level of awareness tends to decrease due to the reduction or monotony of operations by the occupant. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention is also suitable for occupants of a moving body during automatic driving.

1: System, 10: Control device, 110: Communication unit, 120: Control unit, 121: Arousal level estimation unit, 124: Presentation control unit, 130: Input unit, 140: Presentation unit, 160: Memory unit, 20: Vehicle state detection device, 30: Surrounding environment detection device, 40: Occupant state detection device, 70: Occupant, 80: Other vehicle.

Claims (12)

an alertness estimation unit that estimates an alertness level of a user from an image or biological information of the user;
a presentation control unit that controls, when it is determined that the awakening level of the user is lower than a threshold, to present to the user presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation according to information regarding the user's behavior; and
Equipped with
The user is a passenger of a moving body,
The information on the user's behavior includes information indicating the gaze position of the occupant.
Control device. The information regarding the user's behavior includes first information regarding the user's behavior;
The presentation information includes suggestion information for encouraging goal setting according to the first information.
The control device according to claim 1 . When it is determined that the first information satisfies a first condition set in advance, the presentation control unit controls so that the proposed information associated with the first condition is presented to the user.
The control device according to claim 2. The information regarding the user's behavior includes second information regarding the user's behavior;
The presentation information includes feedback information indicating a positive evaluation corresponding to the second information.
The control device according to claim 2 or 3. When it is determined that the second information satisfies a second condition set in advance, the presentation control unit controls so that the feedback information associated with the second condition is presented to the user.
The control device according to claim 4. The presentation control unit controls so that after presentation of one of the proposal information and the feedback information is completed, presentation of the other information is started.
The control device according to claim 4 or 5. the presentation control unit performs control so that presentation of the other of the two images is started when a predetermined input from the user is detected after presentation of the one of the images is ended.
The control device according to claim 6. The presentation control unit controls so that presentation of the suggestion information is started after presentation of the feedback information is ended.
The control device according to claim 6 or 7. The user is a passenger of the moving body during automatic driving.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The second information includes at least one of information indicating a state of the moving object and information indicating a relationship between the moving object and another moving object.
The control device according to any one of claims 4 to 8 . The presentation control unit controls the presentation information to be presented to the user by audio information or visual information.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 . Computer,
an alertness estimation unit that estimates an alertness level of a user from an image or biological information of the user;
a presentation control unit that controls, when it is determined that the awakening level of the user is lower than a threshold, to present to the user presentation information that induces intrinsic motivation according to information regarding the user's behavior; and
Functioning as a
The user is a passenger of a moving body,
The information on the user's behavior includes information indicating the gaze position of the occupant.
program.

Images