The present invention relates to an apparatus which executes communication with a driver of a vehicle.
In recent years, a technique which allows a computer to estimate emotion (feeling) of a human based on speech uttered from the human and expression has been developed. It is expected that such an emotion estimation technique is applied to realization of smooth dialogue, or the like, by returning a response based on emotion of a human, for example, in the case where the human interacts with a computer. As the emotion estimation technique, for example, a technique has been proposed in which emotion is determined by extracting a characteristic amount corresponding to emotion from a speech signal and detecting an amount of deviation from a reference speech signal (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H05-12023). Further, a technique for estimating a psychological state by obtaining a level of certainty of emotion with respect to a plurality of types of basic emotion set in advance for an image of expression of a human, particularly, a shape of the eyes and the mouth has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-65969),
An information system which collects information relating to a satisfaction rate (degree) from people who have already visited a specific area such as an event and shopping, and releases the information on a network has been proposed (see Japanese Patent No. 4296411). When an information center transmits a question relating to a satisfaction rate of a passenger of a vehicle, the information center selects a vehicle which is stopped based on velocity information and transmits the question to the vehicle. In the case where the information center judges that the vehicle is moving, the information center transmits a question only in the case where it is judged that there is a passenger other than a driver on the vehicle based on information relating to the passenger. As such, it is possible to prevent transmitting a question when there is no passenger other than the driver and the vehicle is moving, so that it is possible to secure safety of a respondent.
However, there is a case where estimation accuracy of a satisfaction rate of a passenger with respect to a facility becomes low only from a question to the passenger of the vehicle and a reply from the passenger. For example, even if a passenger of the vehicle is satisfied with the facility the passenger has visited, there is a case where the passenger may utter a word against his or her intention because he or she does not want to end conversation with other passengers or does not want to ruin the atmosphere of enjoying the afterglow.
Therefore, the present invention is directed to providing an apparatus which can realize estimation accuracy of a satisfaction rate (degree) of a passenger of a vehicle with respect to a facility.
A facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention includes a visit determining unit configured to determine whether or not a vehicle has visited a facility, an emotion estimating unit configured to estimate emotion of one or more passengers of the vehicle based on information relating to a state of the one or more passengers, an index value evaluating unit configured to, in a case where it is determined by the visit determining unit that the vehicle has visited the facility, evaluate an index value of a satisfaction rate of the one or more passengers with respect to the facility based on emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit within a designated period since the vehicle has left the facility, a number estimating unit configured to estimate a number of passengers of the vehicle, and a questioning unit configured to, in a case where it is estimated by the number estimating unit that there is only one passenger on the vehicle, output a question to the passenger.
In the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention, in a case where it is determined by the visit determining unit that the vehicle has visited the facility and it is estimated by the number estimating unit that there are a plurality of passengers on the vehicle, it is preferable that the questioning unit outputs a question to the passengers under a condition that a degree of certainty of estimation of emotion of the passengers by the emotion estimating unit does not become equal to or higher than a predetermined value within the designated period.
In the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the index value evaluating unit evaluates the index value of the satisfaction rate of the one or more passengers with respect to the facility based on emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit within a predetermined period before the vehicle has arrived at the facility in addition to emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit within the designated period since the vehicle has left the facility.
In the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the information relating to a state of the one or more passengers of the vehicle is at least one of expression and action of the one or more passengers photographed by a camera and speech of the one or more passengers collected with a microphone.
According to the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to realize improvement of estimation accuracy of a satisfaction rate of a passenger of a vehicle with respect to a facility.
A facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 as an embodiment of the present invention (see
For example, as illustrated in
The GPS sensor 111 of the sensor unit 11 calculates a current position based on a signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The vehicle speed sensor 112 calculates speed of a vehicle based on a pulse signal from a rotating shaft of the vehicle speed sensor 112. The gyro sensor 113 detects angular velocity. It is possible to accurately calculate a current position and orientation of the vehicle with these GPS sensor, vehicle speed sensor and gyro sensor.
The vehicle information unit 12 acquires vehicle information through an in-vehicle network such as a CAN-BUS. The vehicle information includes information of, for example, ON or OFF of an ignition SW and an operation state of a safety apparatus system (such as an ADAS, an ABS and an air bag). The operation input unit 16 detects input of an operation amount of a steering, an accelerator pedal or a brake pedal which can be utilized to estimate emotion (feeling) of a passenger, operation of a window and an air conditioner (such as temperature setting), or the like, in addition to operation such as switch depression.
The near field wireless communication unit 141 of the radio unit 14 is, for example, a communication unit for Wi-Fi: Wireless Fidelity (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like, and the wireless communication network communication unit 142 is a communication unit connected to a wireless communication network typified by a so-called mobile telephone network such as 3G, cellular and LTE communication.
For example, as illustrated in
The mobile terminal apparatus 2 includes components in common with the agent apparatus 1. While the mobile terminal apparatus 2 does not include a component which acquires the vehicle information (see the vehicle information unit 12 in
The facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 as an embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
The facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 includes a storage unit 13 (23), an imaging unit 191 (291), a sound input unit 192 (292), a sound output unit 17 (27) (or an audio unit) and a navigation unit 18. The facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 includes an information acquiring unit 41, a visit determining unit 42, an emotion estimating unit 43, an index value evaluating unit 44 and a number estimating unit 45.
The information acquiring unit 41 acquires information relating to a state of a passenger such as a driver of the vehicle X as passenger state information based on output signals from the imaging unit 191 (291), the sound input unit 192 (292), the navigation unit 18 and a clock 402.
A moving image indicating behavior of a passenger imaged by the imaging unit 191 (291), such as an aspect where the passenger (particularly, the driver or a main passenger (first passenger) of the vehicle X) periodically moves part of the body (for example, the head) in rhythm to music output from the audio unit 17 may be acquired as the passenger state information. A moving image indicating behavior of a passenger imaged by the imaging unit 191 (291), such as an aspect where the passenger (particularly, a fellow passenger or a sub-passenger (second passenger) of the driver (first passenger) of the vehicle X) keeps his eyes closed, an aspect where the passenger views outside of the vehicle and an aspect where the passenger manipulates a smartphone may be acquired as the passenger state information. A moving image indicating reaction such as movement of the line of sight of the passenger (first passenger) in reaction to change of an output image or sound output of the navigation unit 18, imaged by the imaging unit 191 (291), may be acquired as the passenger state information.
Humming of the passenger detected by the sound input unit 192 (292) may be acquired as passenger information. Information relating to music content output from the audio unit 17 may be acquired as the passenger information. Conversation between the first passenger and the second passenger or content of utterance of the second passenger detected by the sound input unit 192 (292) may be acquired as in-vehicle state information.
Traveling cost (a distance, required traveling time, a level of traffic jam or an energy consumption amount) of a navigation route or roads included in a region covering the navigation route or links constituting the navigation route, transmitted from the server 3 to the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 may be acquired as the passenger state information (traffic condition information). The navigation route is configured with a plurality of links which are successive from a current point or a starting point to a destination point, and is calculated by the navigation unit 18 or a navigation function of the mobile terminal apparatus 2 or the server 3. The current point of the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 is measured by the GPS sensor 111 (211). The starting point and the destination point are set by the passenger through the operation input unit 16 (26) or the sound input unit 192 (292).
The visit determining unit 42 determines whether or not the vehicle X has visited a facility. The emotion estimating unit 43 estimates emotion of one or more passengers of the vehicle X based on information relating to a state of the one or more passengers. In the case where it is determined by the visit determining unit 42 that the vehicle X has visited the facility, the index value evaluating unit 44 evaluates an index value of a satisfaction rate (degree) of the one or more passengers with respect to the facility based on emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit 43 within a designated period since the vehicle X has left the facility. The index value evaluating unit 44 evaluates the index value of the satisfaction rate of the one or more passengers with respect to the facility based on the emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit 43 within a predetermined period before the vehicle X has arrived at the facility in addition to the emotion of the one or more passengers estimated by the emotion estimating unit 43 within a third designated period since the vehicle X has left the facility.
The number estimating unit 45 estimates the number of passengers of the vehicle X. The number of passengers may be estimated by detecting people from an image photographed by the imaging unit 191 (291) or may be detected with seating sensors (not illustrated) mounted on seats or an apparatus (not illustrated) which detects fastening of seat belts. In the case where it is estimated by the number estimating unit 45 that there is only one passenger on the vehicle X, the questioning unit 46 outputs a question to the passenger. In the case where it is determined by the visit determining unit 42 that the vehicle X has visited the facility and it is estimated by the number estimating unit 45 that there are a plurality of passengers on the vehicle X, the questioning unit 46 outputs a question to the passengers under the condition that a degree of certainty of estimation of the emotion of the passengers by the emotion estimating unit 43 does not become equal to or higher than a predetermined value within a designated period.
Operation or functions of the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus 4 having the above-described configuration will be described.
The information acquiring unit 41 acquires information indicating a state of a passenger of the vehicle X as the passenger state information (
The emotion estimating unit 43 estimates emotion of one or more passengers of the vehicle X based on the passenger state information acquired by the information acquiring unit 41 (
The visit determining unit 42 determines whether or not the vehicle X has arrived at the facility (
In the case where it is determined that the vehicle X has not arrived at the facility (
In the case where it is determined that the vehicle X has arrived at the facility (FIG. STEP 106 . . . YES), the visit determining unit 42 determines whether or not the vehicle X has started from the facility (
In the case where it is determined that the vehicle X has started from the facility (
In the case where it is estimated that there are a plurality of passengers (
The emotion estimating unit 43 determines whether or not a degree of certainty of estimation of the emotion of the passengers is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (
In the case where it is determined that the degree of certainty of estimation of the emotion of the passengers is equal to or higher than the predetermined value (
The “designated period” and the “predetermined period” may he the same or different. The “designated period” may be adaptively set based on the estimated emotion of the passengers within the predetermined period before the vehicle has arrived at the facility.
In the case where it is determined that the degree of certainty of estimation of the emotion of the passengers is less than the predetermined value (
In the case where it is determined that the designated period has elapsed, the questioning unit 46 outputs a question to the passengers (
The information acquiring unit 41 acquires the passenger state information (
The index value evaluating unit 44 then evaluates an index value of the satisfaction rate of the passenger with respect to the facility based on the estimated emotion of the passenger (
In the case where it is estimated that there is one passenger (
While, in the above-described embodiment, the emotion of the passenger is estimated after it is distinguished whether or not to output a question according to the number estimation result (see
While, in the above-described embodiment, in the case where it is estimated by the number estimating unit 45 that there are a plurality of passengers on the vehicle X, a question is output to the passengers under the condition that a degree of certainty of estimation of the emotion of the passengers by the emotion estimating unit 43 does not become equal to or higher than the predetermined value within the designated period (see
While, in the above-described embodiment, the index value of the satisfaction rate (degree) of the passenger with respect to the facility is evaluated based on the estimated emotion of the passenger within the predetermined period before the vehicle X has arrived at the facility in addition to the estimated emotion of the passenger within the designated period after the vehicle X has started from the facility, stored in the storage unit 13 (23) (see
Further, while a question is output in the case where there is one passenger (
Further, as another embodiment of the present invention, the collected index values of the satisfaction rate with respect to the facility are utilized. For example, it is possible to tally index values of the satisfaction rate with respect to the facility at the server 3 a plurality of times, create an analysis report as user evaluation with respect to the facility and further, matters to be improved, and sell the analysis report to the facility. The revenues obtained as a result of sale may be returned to the passengers who cooperate with provision of the index values of the satisfaction rate with respect to the facility by cash or also can be reduced by providing a wireless communication usage amount, content such as music and video, and further, information which is originally paid information, such as more detailed facility information, without charge or at a low price.
Further, as another embodiment of the present invention, the collected index values of the satisfaction rate with respect to the facility are utilized in a different manner. For example, the index values of the satisfaction rate with respect to the facility are tallied at the server 3 a plurality of times, and the navigation unit 18 preferentially sets a facility for which the index values are evaluated as high values as a destination when the navigation unit 18 selects a route. By performing setting in this manner, it is possible to easily set a so-called “good facility” which is highly evaluated by a plurality of people as the destination.
According to the facility satisfaction rate calculating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to realize improvement of estimation accuracy of a satisfaction rate of a passenger of a vehicle X with respect to a facility.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2016-193254 | Sep 2016 | JP | national |