JP7798628B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a storage medium.

In recent years, a technology has been known in which, when a moving person such as a child carries an electronic device and an object such as a vehicle approaches the vicinity of the electronic device (when a traffic situation occurs in which the vehicle approaches a dangerous area), the electronic device notifies the moving person (Patent Document 1). Such a technology allows the moving person such as a child to avoid dangerous situations.
(Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2021/085583

However, when electronic devices are used with a generous distance between the vehicle and the traveler set to ensure high safety, the electronic devices may issue alerts more frequently. If alerts are issued too frequently to the traveler, the traveler may become accustomed to the alerts, which could prevent them from taking prompt action in the event of a serious danger. Alternatively, if the traveler finds the alerts annoying, they may even stop using the electronic devices.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to realize technology that can appropriately support travelers in avoiding danger.

According to the present invention,
a first acquisition means for acquiring data related to the running of the vehicle from the vehicle;
a second acquiring means for acquiring location information of a communication device carried by the mobile person;
a determining means for determining the driving skill of a driver of the vehicle based on data related to the running of the vehicle;
providing means for providing notification information to the communication device, for causing the communication device to notify the moving person;
An information processing device is provided in which the providing means provides the communication device with the notification information that, when there is a vehicle approaching the communication device within a predetermined range, causes the notification to the moving person by the communication device to differ depending on the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle.

This invention makes it possible to realize technology that can appropriately assist travelers in avoiding danger.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a communication device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data transmitted from a vehicle to an information processing device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of a notification control process according to a first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of when a notification is given to a moving person according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram conceptually illustrating modeling by machine learning according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of a notification control process according to a second embodiment.

The following embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Furthermore, the same reference numbers are used for identical or similar components, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
<Configuration of information provision system>
The configuration of an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The information processing system 10 includes, for example, a vehicle 100, a server 110 as an example of an information processing device, and a communication device 120.

Vehicle 100 is driven by a driver and is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle, but may also be a two-wheeled vehicle. Vehicle 100 connects to network 140 via wireless communication, such as Wi-Fi or fifth-generation mobile communications. Vehicle 100 measures conditions inside and outside the vehicle (such as the vehicle's position, driving conditions, and surrounding object landmarks) using various sensors and can transmit the measured data to server 110. Data collected and transmitted in this manner is generally referred to as floating data, probe data, traffic information, etc. This vehicle-related information (floating data) is transmitted to server 110 at regular intervals or in response to the occurrence of a specific event.

The server 110 acquires vehicle-related information transmitted from the vehicle 100 and location information transmitted from the communication device 120 via the network 140. The server 110 can also acquire driving location-related information, driver attribute information, and statistical information related to traffic accidents from one or more external servers (not shown). The driving location-related information includes, for example, weather information at each location where the vehicle is traveling and information indicating the times of sunrise and sunset. The driver attribute information includes, for example, information such as the driver's gender, age, and place of residence. The statistical information related to traffic accidents includes, for example, statistical information related to traffic accidents according to the driver's attributes. The driving location-related information and driver attribute information are also referred to as environmental information in the following description.

The communication device 120 is a device that can be carried by the moving person 130, such as a child, and is a wearable terminal that can be worn on a part of the body, such as the shoulder. The communication device 120 is not limited to this, and may also be a portable terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a game console, etc. The communication device 120 connects to the network 140 via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or fifth-generation mobile communication. The communication device 120 transmits location information of the communication device 120 based on GPS signals or the like to the server 110. In the following embodiment, an example is described in which the moving person 130 is a pedestrian, but the present invention is also applicable to moving people who are not pedestrians but are also traveling by bicycle.

The network 140 includes a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile phone network, and transmits information between the server 110 and the vehicle 100, and between the server 110 and the communication device 120.

In this information processing system 10, when a vehicle 100 is approaching the communication device 120 within a predetermined range, the communication device 120 issues a notification to the moving person 130 to notify the moving person that a vehicle is approaching.

Vehicle drivers include age groups with statistically higher accident rates, such as young drivers and elderly drivers. Drivers are not limited to certain ages. While some drivers have poor driving skills, such as those with potentially dangerous driving habits or who are inexperienced drivers, others include excellent drivers who have achieved a certain level of safe driving skills. Naturally, it is expected that drivers who are mindful of safe driving have a lower accident risk, while dangerous drivers tend to have a higher accident risk. The driving skills of such drivers are digitized and evaluated. When a vehicle driven by a driver with poor driving skills approaches a moving person (communication device 120), server 110 causes communication device 120 to issue a strong alert (via voice or vibration) to the moving person. However, the alert intensity from communication device 120 is varied depending on the driver's driving skill level, etc. This prevents notifications (i.e., alerts) from the communication device from becoming routine and becoming less effective, and allows the traveler 130 to pay attention to notifications in high-risk situations. In other words, it is possible to appropriately support the traveler 130 in avoiding danger and prevent collisions between vehicles and traveler.

<Vehicle configuration>
An example of the functional configuration of the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Note that each of the functional blocks described with reference to the following figures may be integrated or separated, and the described functions may be realized by different blocks. Furthermore, what is described as hardware may be realized by software, and vice versa.

The sensor unit 201 may include various sensors such as a GPS, gyro sensor, acceleration sensor, and other sensors that output the acceleration, position information, steering angle, etc. of the vehicle 100. It also includes a camera that outputs images of the area in front of the vehicle (and its surroundings and interior). The sensor unit 201 may further include a Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) that outputs a distance image obtained by measuring the distance in front of (and around) the vehicle. The sensor unit 201 may include an image recognition function that can detect routes and moving vehicles, and may further include a function for detecting the activation of collision mitigation braking and route departure prevention functions, and a function for monitoring the distance between vehicles.

The communication unit 202 is a communication device that includes, for example, a communication circuit, and communicates with the server 110 and surrounding transportation systems via mobile communications standardized, for example, LTE, LTE-Advanced, or so-called 5G. The communication unit 202 receives some or all of the map data, traffic information, and the like from other information processing servers and surrounding transportation systems.

The operation unit 203 includes operation elements such as buttons and touch panels attached inside the vehicle 100, as well as elements that accept inputs for driving the vehicle 100, such as a steering wheel and brake pedal. The power supply unit 204 includes a battery, such as a lithium-ion battery, and supplies power to each component inside the vehicle 100. The power unit 205 includes, for example, an engine or motor that generates power to run the vehicle.

The driving control unit 206 converts the driver's operations into control variables or corrects those control variables to control the driving of the vehicle 100. In the description of this embodiment, the driving control unit 206 is illustrated as having a different configuration from the control unit 208, but it may also be included in the control unit 208.

The memory unit 207 includes a non-volatile, large-capacity storage medium (storage device) such as a semiconductor memory. It temporarily stores the actual image output from the sensor unit 201 and various other sensor data output from the sensor unit 201.

The control unit 208 includes, for example, a CPU 210, RAM 211, and ROM 212, and controls the operation of each part of the vehicle 100. The control unit 208 also acquires image data from the sensor unit 201 and performs functions such as route deviation prevention and inter-vehicle distance monitoring. The control unit 208 performs the functions of each part of the control unit 208, such as the vehicle driving data provision unit 214, by having the CPU 210 load and execute computer programs stored in the ROM 212 into the RAM 211.

The CPU 210 includes one or more processors. The RAM 211 is composed of a volatile storage medium such as a DRAM, and functions as a work memory for the CPU 210. The ROM 212 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium, and stores computer programs executed by the CPU 210 and setting values for operating the control unit 208. The control unit 208 may also include one or more other processors (e.g., GPUs) for performing image processing at high speed.

The navigation information generation unit 213 generates candidate routes to the destination based on destination information set by the driver. When the driver selects the route to travel, the route the vehicle will travel is transmitted to the server 110. The navigation information generation unit 213 monitors the route the vehicle 100 is traveling, and if the vehicle 100 deviates from the planned route, it generates a new route and transmits the generated route to the server 110.

The vehicle driving data providing unit 214 transmits various data collected from the sensor unit 201 and information on the route deviation prevention function, etc., processed within the control unit 208, as information about the vehicle to the server 110. At this time, information identifying the vehicle 100 and information identifying the driver may be added to the information about the vehicle and transmitted.

<Configuration of communication device>
Next, an example configuration of the communication device 120 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The configuration shown in Fig. 3 shows functional blocks constituting a wearable device as an example of the communication device 120 of this embodiment. Note that each of the functional blocks described may be integrated or separated, and the described functions may be realized by different blocks. Furthermore, what is described as hardware may be realized by software, and vice versa.

The communication unit 301 is a communication device that includes, for example, a communication circuit, and transmits and receives necessary data to and from the server 110 via mobile communication such as LTE.

The operation unit 303 includes buttons and a touch panel provided on the communication device 120, and allows operations to be performed on various GUIs for operations displayed on a display unit (not shown). The sensor unit 304 includes a GPS for determining the current location, as well as an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor for measuring the acceleration and rotation of the communication device 120.

The notification unit 305 includes one or more of a speaker, a vibration element, and a display panel such as an LCD or OLED, and issues notifications using the speaker, vibration element, and display panel in response to instructions from the notification control unit 314. The notification unit 305 can change the operation frequency per unit time of the speaker, vibration element, and display panel, and can change the intensity of the notification, such as output intensity (volume, vibration intensity, display brightness).

The storage unit 306 includes non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory, and stores programs executed by the control unit 302.

The control unit 302 includes a CPU 310 and RAM 311, and controls the operation of each functional block within the control unit 302 and each unit within the communication device 120, for example, by the CPU 310 executing a program stored in the memory unit 306.

The behavioral information providing unit 312 acquires position information, acceleration information, etc. from the sensor unit 304, and transmits behavioral information such as the position information of the communication device 120, the direction of movement of the communication device 120, and the movement acceleration of the communication device 120 to the server 110.

The notification information acquisition unit 313 acquires notification information transmitted from the server 110. The notification information includes, for example, information such as the output mode used for notification (e.g., audio output only, or a combination of audio output and vibration output) and its output strength (e.g., expressed as a numerical value between 0 and 1 from minimum to maximum). The notification information may further include information such as the frequency of operation per unit time and the length of time for continuous output.

The notification control unit 314 controls the notification to the traveler 130 and the notification mode based on the notification information received from the server 110. As described above, the notification unit 305 includes, for example, one or more of a speaker, a vibration element, and a display panel, and therefore issues a notification using the speaker, vibration element, and display panel in accordance with the notification information. The notification control unit 314 changes the operation frequency per unit time of the speaker, vibration element, and display panel, and changes the intensity of the notification, such as output intensity (volume, vibration intensity, display brightness), in accordance with the notification information.

<Configuration of information processing device>
Furthermore, the configuration of a server 110 as an example of an information processing device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The server 110 is composed of one or more server devices. Note that each of the functional blocks described may be integrated or separated, and the described functions may be realized by different blocks. Also, what is described as hardware may be realized by software, and vice versa.

The communication unit 401 includes a communication circuit that communicates with the communication device 120 and the vehicle 100 via the network 140.

The control unit 402 includes a CPU 410, which is a central processing unit, and a RAM 411. The control unit 402 controls the operation of each unit within the control unit 402 and the operation of each unit of the server 110 by loading and executing programs stored in the storage unit 403 into the RAM 411. The control unit 402 also executes the notification control process described below. The RAM 411 includes a volatile storage medium such as a DRAM, and temporarily stores parameters and processing results used by the control unit 402 to execute programs.

The memory unit 403 includes a non-volatile storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, and stores settings and programs required for the operation of the server 110. The memory unit 403 stores vehicle-related information received from multiple vehicles via the communication unit 401. As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle-related information includes data 501 obtained from various data sources. For example, this includes data based on a gyro sensor and acceleration sensor, vehicle data, data based on advanced driver assistance technology, and data obtained from a drive recorder or smartphone. The data based on the gyro sensor and acceleration sensor includes data indicating the driver's driving characteristics, such as accelerator pressure and braking pressure. Furthermore, the vehicle data includes data indicating the appropriateness of vehicle operation required for safe driving. Data based on advanced driver assistance technology includes a history of functions activated by the vehicle to prevent hazards. Other vehicle-related information includes image information captured by a drive recorder showing the driver's surroundings while checking the surroundings, and history information on smartphone operation while driving (i.e., a record of actions that may hinder safe driving).

The memory unit 403 also stores the above-mentioned environmental information, i.e., information related to the driving location (including, for example, weather information at each location where the vehicle is driving and information indicating the times of sunrise and sunset), and driver attribute information (including, for example, information such as the driver's gender, age, and place of residence), obtained from one or more external servers (not shown). The memory unit 403 also stores statistical information related to traffic accidents (including, for example, statistical information related to traffic accidents according to the driver's attributes).

The driving data acquisition unit 412 acquires the above-mentioned vehicle-related information from each of the multiple vehicles and stores it in the memory unit 403. The driving data acquisition unit 412 may associate the vehicle-related information with information that identifies the vehicle and store it. Note that the vehicle-related information does not necessarily have to be stored in the memory unit 403, and may be handled in real time by the control unit 402.

The behavioral information acquisition unit 413 acquires the above-mentioned behavioral information (such as the positional information of the communication device 120, the movement direction of the communication device 120, and the movement acceleration of the communication device 120) from each of the multiple communication devices, and stores it in the memory unit 403. Note that the behavioral information does not necessarily have to be stored in the memory unit 403, and may be handled in real time by the control unit 402.

The driving skill assessment unit 414 evaluates the driver's driving skill based on some or all of the vehicle-related information described above. For example, the driving skill assessment unit 414 inputs vehicle driving data, such as accelerator pressure, degree of sudden acceleration, braking pressure, degree of sudden braking, handling strength, and degree of abrupt steering, from the vehicle-related information acquired for each driver, into a predetermined driving skill calculation function. The driving skill calculation function can calculate a score representing the driver's driving skill on a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being the highest score). The driving skill calculation function may be configured to calculate the driver's driving skill by further inputting vehicle data items shown in Figure 5, such as proper seat belt use, and items related to advanced driving assistance technology. The driving skill calculation function may also calculate the driver's driving skill by further taking into account other information, such as the results of surrounding checks and stop sign judgments shown in Figure 5.

When evaluating a driver's driving skill, the driving conditions when the driver is driving the vehicle may also be taken into consideration. To take the driving conditions into consideration, the driving skill determination unit 414 uses environmental information obtained from an external server or the like and stored in the memory unit 403.

When taking driving conditions into account, for example, if the driver is driving near a familiar residential area, there is no need to adjust the driver's driving skill (score). However, if the driver is driving in an unfamiliar location, the risk is relatively high, so the driver's driving skill may be adjusted to lower it by a predetermined amount related to the location. Furthermore, the driver's driving skill may be adjusted according to the weather, for example. For example, if the driver is driving on a sunny day, there is no need to adjust the driver's driving skill. However, if the driver is driving on a rainy day, the risk is relatively high, so the driver's driving skill may be adjusted to lower it by a predetermined amount related to the rain. Furthermore, when taking driving conditions into account, the driver's driving skill may be adjusted according to the time of day, for example. For example, if the driver is driving in the morning, no adjustment is necessary, but if the driver is driving at dusk or at night, the driver's driving skill may be adjusted to lower it by a predetermined amount related to the time of day. By doing this, the driving skill assessment can reflect driving conditions that vary in weather and lighting, as elderly people may be at greater risk of accidents due to reduced physical abilities such as poor night vision.

In addition, when taking into account the driving conditions, the driver's driving skill may be adjusted, for example, taking into account whether or not there are passengers. For example, if there are passengers, no adjustment is necessary, but if there are no passengers, the driver's driving skill may be lowered. In this way, by taking into account the driving conditions such as weather, distance from home, time of day, and whether or not there are passengers, the driving skill can be obtained from a comprehensive perspective.

The driving skill determination unit 414 may also determine the driver's driving skill based on statistical information on the driver's attributes. For example, even if the driver is a safe driver, if the driver is elderly or otherwise statistically at increased risk, the driver's driving skill obtained based on the vehicle information may be corrected to be lower.

The notification providing unit 415 provides notification information to the communication device 120 based on the driver's driving skill determined by the driving skill determining unit 414. The notification providing unit 415 provides notification information to the communication device 120 that causes the notification to the traveler by the communication device 120 to differ depending on the driver's driving skill.

The notification providing unit 415 may generate and provide to the communication device 120 notification information such that, for example, the lower the driver's driving skill, the louder the notification volume of the notification to the moving person by the communication device 120. Alternatively, the notification providing unit 415 may generate and provide to the communication device notification information such that the lower the driver's driving skill, the more frequently or for how long the notification time of the notification to the moving person by the communication device 120 will be, and provide that notification information. Alternatively, when the driver's driving skill is equal to or above a predetermined threshold, the notification providing unit 415 may generate and provide to the communication device 120 notification information such that the notification volume of the notification to the moving person by the communication device 120 is not perceptible.

The notification providing unit 415 may also generate notification information to the communication device 120 that changes the notification to the moving person 130 by the communication device 120 depending on the moving direction of the communication device 120 and the moving direction of the vehicle 100, and provide the notification information to the communication device 120. For example, when the moving direction of the communication device 120 and the moving direction of the vehicle 100 are the same, the notification providing unit 415 may increase at least one of the notification volume, notification frequency, and notification time of the notification to the moving person by the communication device 120 compared to when the moving direction of the communication device 120 and the moving direction of the vehicle 100 are different. When the moving direction of the moving person and the moving direction of the vehicle are the same, it is highly likely that the moving person has not seen the vehicle, so by strengthening the output of the notification compared to when the moving directions of the two are different, the moving person can be more easily aware of danger.

Figure 7(a) shows a specific example of the operation of the driving skill determination unit 414 and the notification provision unit 415. For example, it shows a situation in which the vehicle 100 is approaching within a predetermined range (e.g., within 30 meters) of the moving person 130. The driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 100 is calculated by the driving skill determination unit 414 to be, for example, 80 points based on information about the vehicle. The driving skill determination unit 414 also subtracts 5 points from the driving skill based on environmental information, such as rainy weather, and an additional 10 points based on the driver's attributes. Furthermore, the notification provision unit 415 increases the notification volume because the direction of movement of the communication device and the direction of movement of the vehicle are the same. As a result, notification information is provided that is, for example, a notification at a volume of 6 out of a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 10.

On the other hand, the example of Figure 7(b) shows, similar to Figure 7(a), a state in which vehicle 100 is approaching within a predetermined range of moving person 130. In this example, the driving skill of the driver of vehicle 100 is calculated by driving skill determination unit 414 to be, for example, 80 points based on information about the vehicle. However, based on environmental information, driving skill determination unit 414 adds 0 points to the driving skill because the weather is sunny, and further subtracts 10 points based on the driver's attributes. The notification providing unit 415 does not increase the notification volume of the notification because the direction of movement of the communication device and the direction of movement of the vehicle differ. As a result, notification information is provided that causes the notification to be made at a volume of 4 out of a minimum of 0 and a maximum of 10, for example.

<Series of operations in notification control processing in server>
Next, a series of operations of the notification control process in the server 110 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that this process is realized by the CPU 410 of the control unit 402 executing a program stored in the storage unit 403.

In S601, the control unit 402 acquires the above-mentioned vehicle-related information for multiple vehicles. The vehicle-related information may be transmitted from the vehicle 100 to the server 110 at regular intervals or when an arbitrary trigger occurs, such as when the vehicle stops.

In S602, the control unit 402 acquires behavioral information of the communication device. The behavioral information includes the above-mentioned location information of the communication device 120, the movement direction of the communication device 120, the movement acceleration of the communication device 120, etc.

In S603, the control unit 402 identifies the vehicle to be processed. For example, the control unit 402 identifies a vehicle that is located within a predetermined range based on the location information from the communication device 120 as the vehicle to be processed.

In S604, the control unit 402 determines whether the vehicle being processed is approaching a moving person. For example, the control unit 402 determines whether the vehicle being processed is traveling toward the position of the communication device 120. If the control unit 402 determines that the vehicle being processed is approaching a moving person, the process proceeds to S605; if not, the control unit 402 terminates this series of processes.

At S605, the control unit 402 acquires environmental information about the vehicle. As described above, the environmental information includes information related to the driving position (including weather information at each location where the vehicle is driving and information indicating the times of sunrise and sunset) and driver attribute information (including information such as the driver's gender, age, and place of residence).

In S606, the control unit 402 calculates the driver's driving skill based on information about the vehicle using the driving skill determination unit 414. As described above, the driving skill determination unit 414 can calculate the driver's driving skill by taking into account environmental information in addition to information about the vehicle.

In S607, the control unit 402 causes the notification providing unit 415 to generate notification information according to the driver's driving skill. As described above, the notification providing unit 415 generates notification information such that, for example, the lower the driver's driving skill, the louder the notification volume of the notification sent to the moving person by the communication device 120. In addition, the notification providing unit 415 may generate the notification information taking into account the movement direction of the communication device 120 and the movement direction of the vehicle 100.

In addition, if the driver's driving skill calculated in S606 is lower than a predetermined threshold (TH1), the notification providing unit 415 may generate notification information so that the communication device 120 notifies the moving person in multiple output modes. For example, the notification providing unit 415 may generate notification information so that the communication device 120 notifies the moving person by voice and vibration. If the driving skill is lower than a certain level, the moving person can more easily perceive the notification by using not only voice notification but also vibration.

Furthermore, if the driving skill of the driver calculated in S606 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (TH2), the notification providing unit 415 may generate notification information in which the volume of the notification sent by the communication device to the moving person is not perceptible. If the driving skill is higher than a certain level, the notification is made imperceptible, thereby preventing unnecessary notifications from being sent to the moving person. Note that the notification providing unit 415 may not issue a notification if the driving skill is higher than a certain level.

In S608, the control unit 402 provides (transmits) the generated notification information to the communication device 120. When the provision of the notification information is complete, the control unit 402 ends this series of operations.

As described above, in this embodiment, server 110 acquires data related to the vehicle's travel from the vehicle and also acquires location information from the communication device carried by the traveler. When a vehicle is approaching the communication device (i.e., the traveler), the server determines the driving skill of the driver of that vehicle based on the data related to the vehicle's travel. Server 110 is configured to provide notification information to the communication device to cause the communication device to issue a notification to the traveler, and the notification information is provided so that the notification to the traveler by the communication device varies depending on the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle. In this way, when a vehicle approaches a traveler, it is possible to distinguish between cases where the driver of the vehicle has low driving skill (high risk) and cases where the driver has high driving skill (low risk) and to notify the traveler accordingly. In other words, when information indicates a higher risk, the traveler can be more clearly notified of the danger, reducing the traveler's habituation to the notifications and appropriately supporting the traveler in avoiding danger.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the notification control process is executed by calculating the driver's driving skill through a predetermined calculation. In the present embodiment, an example was described in which the notification control process is executed by estimating a modeled accident risk. Note that in this embodiment, except for some differences in the configuration of the server 110 as an example of an information processing device and some steps in the notification control process, the other configurations and processes are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the substantially same configurations are assigned the same reference numbers and their descriptions are omitted, and the description will focus on the differences.

Figure 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of a server 800 as an example of an information processing device. In this example configuration, the configuration of the risk assessment unit 801 differs from that in embodiment 1.

The risk assessment unit 801 outputs the accident risk that takes into account the driver's driving skill using a machine learning model. An overview of the process for estimating the accident risk will be explained with reference to Figure 9.

Figure 9 uses the same data as that used in embodiment 1. Vehicle driving data 901, drive recorder information 902, map information 903, and smartphone operation information 904 correspond to the data shown in Figure 5. Driver individual information 905 corresponds to environmental information, and accident risk statistical information 906 corresponds to statistical information on driver attributes.

In step 910, for example, risky behaviors related to accident risk are extracted. Indicators of risky behavior include accelerator pressure, sudden braking judgment, turning right or left without using a turn signal, and activation of lane deviation prevention. For example, at least some of the items described in FIG. 5 may be extracted as risky behaviors. The lower the driver's driving skill, the more risky behaviors are extracted. Therefore, the results of risky behavior extraction in this embodiment correlate with an evaluation based on the driver's driving skill and may be equivalent to determining the driver's driving skill. In step 911, the risk associated with risky behavior is quantified. For example, risk is quantified as follows: if vertical G is 0.3 G, risk is set to 1; if vertical G is 0.4 G, risk is set to 2; and if a turn is made without using a turn signal, risk is set to 1.5. If risky behaviors are observed multiple times within a certain period of time, the value may be increased. In this embodiment, a machine learning model may be trained using the quantified samples as described above, and the risk associated with the extracted risky behavior may be calculated.

In step 912, the conditions for each individual's accident risk are further extracted. In other words, a model is created to determine under what conditions the risk is high. For example, a machine learning model may be generated using statistical information on accident risk according to the driver's gender, age, place of residence, etc. In this way, by inputting the driver's attributes in addition to the risk of risky behavior extracted in steps 911 and 912 (which can also be considered risk according to driving skill), it is possible to further consider risk according to individual attributes. In this way, the risk determination unit 801 can calculate the risk of an accident caused by the vehicle driver using data related to the vehicle's driving, environmental information, and statistical information on the driver's attributes. The accident risk may be, for example, a value between 0 and 1 that represents the probability of an accident occurring.

Figure 9 shows the operation of the notification control process according to this embodiment. Note that this process is realized by the CPU 410 of the control unit 402 executing a program stored in the memory unit 403.

The control unit 402 performs the processes of S601 to S605 in the same manner as in the embodiment. Then, the control unit 402 calculates the accident risk using the risk assessment unit 801, data related to the vehicle's traveling, environmental information, and statistical information on the driver's attributes. In S802, the notification providing unit 415 generates notification information such that the intensity of the notification increases as the accident risk increases. The operation of the notification providing unit 415 may correspond the magnitude of the accident risk to the poor driving skill described in embodiment 1. In S608, the control unit 402 provides (transmits) the generated notification information to the communication device 120, as in embodiment 1. When the provision of the notification information is completed, the control unit 402 ends this series of operations.

As described above, in this embodiment, data related to the vehicle's travel is obtained from the vehicle, and location information for the communication device carried by the traveler is also obtained. Then, using a machine learning model that inputs data related to the vehicle's travel and outputs an estimated value for the risk of an accident caused by the vehicle's driver, the risk of an accident caused by the vehicle's driver is calculated. If a vehicle is approaching the communication device within a predetermined range, notification information is generated so that the notification to the traveler by the communication device varies depending on the calculated risk of the accident, and the generated notification information is provided to the communication device. Even in this way, when a vehicle approaches a traveler, it is possible to distinguish between cases where the driver of the vehicle is at high risk of an accident (high risk) and cases where the risk of an accident is low (low risk) and notify the traveler accordingly. In other words, information related to a higher risk can be more clearly notified of the danger, reducing the traveler's habituation to notifications and appropriately supporting the traveler in avoiding danger.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Information processing device, 412...running data acquisition unit, 413...behavioral information acquisition unit, 414...athletic skill determination unit, 415...notification provision unit 415

Claims (12)

a first acquisition means for acquiring data related to the running of the vehicle from the vehicle;
a second acquiring means for acquiring location information of a communication device carried by the mobile person;
a determining means for determining the driving skill of a driver of the vehicle based on data related to the running of the vehicle;
providing means for providing notification information to the communication device, for causing the communication device to notify the moving person;
The information processing device is characterized in that, when a vehicle is approaching the communication device within a predetermined range, the providing means provides the communication device with the notification information that causes the notification to the moving person by the communication device to differ depending on the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides the communication device with notification information that increases the volume of the notification to the moving person by the communication device the lower the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides the communication device with notification information that increases the frequency or length of the notification to the moving person by the communication device the lower the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle. The information processing device of claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides the communication device with the notification information that makes the notification to the moving person perceptible by the communication device through sound and vibration when the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle is lower than a predetermined threshold. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the providing means provides the communication device with the notification information that makes the notification volume of the notification to the moving person by the communication device imperceptible when the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the providing means further provides the communication device with notification information that causes the communication device to provide different notifications to the moving person depending on the movement direction of the communication device and the movement direction of the vehicle. The information processing device of claim 6, wherein the providing means provides the notification information to the communication device such that, when the direction of movement of the communication device and the direction of movement of the vehicle are the same, at least one of the volume, frequency, and duration of the notification made by the communication device to the moving person is increased compared to when the direction of movement of the communication device and the direction of movement of the vehicle are different. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the determination means determines the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle further based on statistical information on the attributes of the driver. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the determination means determines the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle based further on information regarding the environment in which the vehicle is traveling. a first acquisition step in which a first acquisition means acquires data related to the traveling of the vehicle from the vehicle;
a second acquisition step in which second acquisition means acquires location information of a communication device carried by the mobile person;
a determination step in which a determination means determines the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle based on data related to the traveling of the vehicle;
a providing step in which the providing means provides the communication device with notification information for causing the communication device to notify the moving person,
In the providing step, when a vehicle is approaching the communication device within a predetermined range, the notification information is provided to the communication device, which allows the notification to the moving person by the communication device to differ depending on the driving skill of the driver of the approaching vehicle. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 . 10. A storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to claim 1.