Patent Application
20240239278
The present disclosure relates to an information processing device.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-122717 (JP 2022-122717 A) discloses an information processing device associated with a predetermined vehicle. A control unit of the information processing device disclosed in JP 2022-122717 A receives an emergency message that indicates occurrence of a predetermined event. The control unit of the information processing device presents an electronic manual corresponding to the predetermined vehicle to a user when the emergency message is received.
An object of the present disclosure is to improve convenience when a user executes a predetermined function.
An information processing device according to the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to: output an electronic manual relating to a first function executed by a first device; and output a first interface for causing the first device to execute the first function together with the electronic manual.
The present disclosure makes it possible to improve convenience when a user executes a predetermined function.
Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein:
It is assumed that a user browses an electronic manual for a first function executed by a first device, which is output by an information processing device. At this time, if the user wants the first device to execute the first function, the user must perform the operation described in the electronic manual on the first device. Then, the user has to refer to both the electronic manual and the first device, which may be annoying. Therefore, the information processing device according to the present disclosure solves such problems.
An information processing device according to the present disclosure is a device that outputs an electronic manual to a user. A control unit of an information processing device according to the present disclosure outputs an electronic manual regarding a first function executed by a first device. Also, the control unit of the information processing device outputs the electronic manual and the first interface for causing the first device to execute the first function. Here, the interface is a graphical user interface.
This allows the first device to directly execute the first function while browsing the electronic manual without performing an operation according to the procedure for causing the first device to execute the first function. As a result, it is possible to improve convenience when the user executes the first function.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of components described in the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present disclosure to those alone.
A manual display system 1 according to the present disclosure will be described based on
A vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which various in-vehicle devices are mounted. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a plurality of in-vehicle devices such as a car navigation system, an electronic control unit, a sensor for sensing conditions inside the vehicle, and a display.
The first device 100 is an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the first device 100 is a display provided inside the vehicle 10. The first device 100 has a function of displaying television broadcasts to passengers sitting in the rear seats of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “first function”). At this time, the first device 100 is provided at a position where the television broadcast cannot be seen from the driver's seat of the vehicle 10.
The second device 200 is an in-vehicle device mounted on the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the second device 200 is a display provided inside the vehicle 10. The second device 200 has a function of displaying television broadcasts to passengers sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “second function”).
Manual terminal 300 is an in-vehicle device mounted in vehicle 10. The manual terminal 300 has a function of outputting electronic manuals for various in-vehicle devices installed in the vehicle 10 to the user. The manual terminal 300 has a touch panel. As a result, the manual terminal 300 can accept input of various information by the user and output (display) the electronic manual.
Here, it is assumed that the user intends to view the electronic manual for the first function executed by the first device 100, which is output by the manual terminal 300. At this time, when the user wants to cause the first device 100 to execute the first function, the user performs an operation according to the procedure for causing the first device 100 to execute the first function while viewing the electronic manual.
In addition, manual terminal 300 may also serve as an operation interface for causing first device 100 to execute the first function. Furthermore, while the manual terminal 300 is displaying the electronic manual, there are cases where it does not accept operations other than those related to the electronic manual. Then, the user interrupts the display of the electronic manual, and then performs an operation on the manual terminal 300 to cause the first device 100 to execute the first function. At this time, if the user forgets the procedure for executing the first function, the manual terminal 300 is caused to output the electronic manual again, and the electronic manual must be viewed for the procedure for causing the first device 100 to execute the first function. In this way, when the user tries to cause the first device 100 to execute the first function, the user may feel annoyed.
Therefore, when the manual terminal 300 outputs the electronic manual for the first function executed by the first device 100 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “specific manual”), the manual terminal 300 outputs the specific manual and an interface (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “first interface”) for causing the first device 100 to execute the first function.
In this embodiment, the manual terminal 300 identifies the second function by the second device 200 as a function related to the first function by the first device 100. That is, manual terminal 300 identifies the function of displaying television broadcasts to the driver by second device 200 as a function related to the function of displaying television broadcasts to passengers in the rear seats by first device 100. Then, manual terminal 300 outputs an interface (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “second interface”) for causing second device 200 to execute the second function together with the specific manual. As shown in
In this embodiment, whether to output the first interface or the second interface is determined according to the running condition of the vehicle 10. The details of how the manual terminal 300 outputs the specific manual will be described later.
Manual terminal 300 includes a computer having processor 310, main memory 320, auxiliary memory 330, communication interface (communication I/F) 340, and touch panel 350. Processor 310 is, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a Digital
Signal Processor (DSP). The main storage unit 320 is, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM). The auxiliary storage unit 330 is, for example, Read Only Memory (ROM). Also, the auxiliary storage unit 330 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a disc recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disc, or a Blu-ray disc. Also, the auxiliary storage unit 330 may be a portable storage medium (removable medium). Examples of the removable medium include a USB memory or an SD card. The communication I/F 340 is, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN) interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. Touch panel 350 is a touch panel display.
In the manual terminal 300, the auxiliary storage unit 330 stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various information tables, and the like. In manual terminal 300, processor 310 loads a program stored in auxiliary storage unit 330 into main storage unit 320 and executes it, thereby realizing various functions as described later. However, some or all of the functions of manual terminal 300 may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASIC or FPGA. Note that the manual terminal 300 does not necessarily have to be realized by a single physical configuration, and may be configured by a plurality of computers that cooperate with each other. Further, the vehicle 10, the first device 100, and the second device 200, like the manual terminal 300, each include a computer.
Next, the functional configuration of the manual terminal 300 that constitutes the manual display system 1 will be described with reference to
The manual terminal 300 includes a control unit 301, a communication unit 302, an input/output unit 303, and a device information database 304 (device information DB 304). The control unit 301 has a function of performing arithmetic processing for controlling the manual terminal 300. Control unit 301 can be realized by processor 310 in manual terminal 300. The communication unit 302 has a function of connecting the manual terminal 300 to the in-vehicle network. Communication unit 302 can be realized by communication I/F 340 in manual terminal 300.
The input/output unit 303 has a function for the user to input various information to the manual terminal 300. The input/output unit 303 also has a function of displaying various information to the user. Input/output unit 303 can be realized by touch panel 350 in manual terminal 300.
The input/output unit 303 acquires information about an electronic manual that the user desires to output (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “input information”) through input by the user. The input information includes information for specifying the in-vehicle device for which the user wishes to output the electronic manual and its function. Here, the user may acquire the input information by, for example, receiving an operation of designating the in-vehicle device for which the user wishes to output the electronic manual and its function on the screen displayed on the input/output unit 303. Further, if the input/output unit 303 has a microphone, the input information may be acquired by acquiring the user's speech for displaying the electronic manual desired by the user.
The device information DB 304 has a function of holding device information. The device information is information about the correspondence between the in-vehicle device installed in the vehicle 10, the function executable by the in-vehicle device, and the information for the input/output unit 303 to output a manual for the function (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “manual information”). In addition, the device information includes information on conditions under which the in-vehicle device mounted in the vehicle 10 can execute the function. Further, the device information is information about association between an in-vehicle device (related device) capable of executing a function related to the function executed by the in-vehicle device mounted in the vehicle 10 and a function (related function) related to the function executed by the in-vehicle device. The device information also includes information about the conditions under which the associated device can perform the associated function. Device information DB 304 can be realized by auxiliary storage unit 330 in manual terminal 300.
The manual field stores manual information about the function corresponding to the function ID by the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID. When outputting the electronic manual for the function corresponding to the function ID of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID, the control unit 301 outputs the electronic manual based on the manual information stored in the manual field.
The first condition field stores information about conditions under which the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID is inappropriate to execute the function corresponding to the function ID. In the present embodiment, the first condition field stores information about the driving conditions of the vehicle 10 that make it inappropriate for the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID to execute the function corresponding to the function ID. Here, if the function corresponding to the function ID can be executed regardless of the running condition of the vehicle 10, a null value may be stored in the first condition field.
The related device ID field stores an identifier (related device ID) for specifying an in-vehicle device capable of executing the function corresponding to the function ID executed by the in-vehicle device related to the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID. The same identifier is stored as the device ID and the related device ID when the in-vehicle device is the same. The related function ID field stores an identifier (related function ID) for identifying the function executed by the related device ID. Here, the identifier of the same in-vehicle device may be stored in the device ID field and the related device ID field. That is, the same in-vehicle device (in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID) may be stored as a related device of the in-vehicle device corresponding to the device ID.
The second condition field stores information about the conditions under which the in-vehicle device corresponding to the related device ID is inappropriate to execute the function corresponding to the related function ID. In the present embodiment, the second condition field stores information about the driving conditions of the vehicle 10 in which the in-vehicle device corresponding to the related device ID is inappropriate to execute the function corresponding to the related function ID. Here, if the function corresponding to the related function ID can be executed regardless of the driving condition of the vehicle 10, a null value may be stored in the second condition field.
Based on the input information, the control unit 301 identifies the in-vehicle device for which the user wishes to output the electronic manual and its function. Then, based on the device information held in the device information DB 304, the control unit 301 identifies the device ID and the function ID corresponding to the in-vehicle device to which the user wishes to output the electronic manual and the function thereof, which are included in the input information. Further, control unit 301 acquires manual information and first conditions corresponding to the specified device ID and function ID based on the device information. Also, based on the device information, the control unit 301 acquires the related device ID, the related function ID, and the second condition corresponding to the specified device ID and function ID. As a result, based on the device information, the control unit 301 can grasp the manual information and the first condition regarding the in-vehicle device for which the user desires to output an electronic manual and its functions. In addition, the control unit 301 can grasp the related device, the related function, and the second condition corresponding to the in-vehicle device and its function for which the user wishes to output the electronic manual.
In the present embodiment, the control unit 301 acquires the running status of the vehicle 10 from the vehicle 10 via the communication unit 302. Specifically, the control unit 301 acquires the driving conditions of the vehicle 10 from an electronic control unit provided in the vehicle 10, a sensor that senses conditions inside the vehicle, or the like. Then, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies the first condition. Further, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies the second condition. Then, control unit 301 determines whether to output an interface for executing a function together with the electronic manual, based on whether the running condition of vehicle 10 satisfies the first condition and the second condition.
Here, it is assumed that the user wishes to output an electronic manual for the first function of the first device 100. In this case, while the vehicle 10 is running, even if a passenger sitting in the rear seat views the television broadcast displayed by the first device 100, the running of the vehicle 10 is not affected.
However, when the vehicle 10 is running with the fuel or battery remaining at a predetermined level or less, the first device 100 may further consume the fuel or battery by executing the first function. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is running with the remaining amount of fuel or drive battery below a predetermined level, the execution of the first function by the first device 100 is inappropriate. Further, when no passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10, the television broadcast displayed on the first device 100 is not viewed even if the first device 100 executes the first function. Therefore, when no passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10, execution of the first function by the first device 100 is inappropriate. Therefore, in the device information held in the device information DB 304, the first condition field for execution of the first function by the first device 100 stores information indicating that the fuel or drive battery of the vehicle 10 is in a state of being below a predetermined remaining amount. Information indicating that no passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10 is stored in the first condition field for execution of the first function by the first device 100. In other words, the first condition is set so that the first function by the first device 100 cannot be executed when the fuel or driving battery of the vehicle 10 is below a predetermined remaining amount, or when the passenger is not seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10.
On the other hand, assume that the second device 200 performs the second function. In this case, if a passenger seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 10 views the television broadcast displayed by the second device 200 while the vehicle 10 is not stopped, the vehicle 10 may run dangerously. Also, similar to the first function performed by the first device 100, the second function performed by the second device 200 is inappropriate when the amount of fuel or drive battery in the vehicle 10 is below a predetermined level. Therefore, information indicating that the vehicle 10 is not stopped is stored in the second condition field for execution of the second function by the second device 200 in the device information held in the device information DB 304. The second condition field for execution of the second function by the second device 200 stores information indicating that the remaining amount of fuel or drive battery of the vehicle 10 is below a predetermined level. In other words, when the vehicle 10 is not stopped, or when the amount of fuel or drive battery in the vehicle 10 is below a predetermined remaining amount, the second function by the second device 200 cannot be executed.
Therefore, when the user desires to output a specific manual, the control unit 301 acquires from the vehicle 10 information as to whether the vehicle 10 is stopped, information for specifying the running mode of the vehicle 10, and information as to whether or not a passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10. Here, the information as to whether the vehicle 10 is stopped and the information for specifying the traveling mode of the vehicle 10 are obtained from an electronic control unit that controls traveling of the vehicle 10, for example. Further, the information as to whether or not a passenger is on the rear seat of the vehicle 10 is acquired from, for example, a sensor that detects the seating of the passenger provided in the rear seat. A sensor that detects the seating of a passenger provided in the rear seat is, for example, a weight sensor provided in the rear seat. At this time, the weight sensor detects whether the passenger is seated in the rear seat by detecting the weight of the passenger on the rear seat.
In this way, the control unit 301 determines whether to output the first interface together with the specific manual, based on whether or not the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies the first condition for the first function of the first device 100. Further, control unit 301 determines whether to output the second interface together with the specific manual, based on whether or not the running condition of vehicle 10 satisfies the second condition for the second function of second device 200. In this way, the control unit 301 determines whether or not the first device 100 can be caused to execute the first function and whether or not the second device 200 can be caused to execute the second function, based on the running condition of the vehicle 10. Based on the determination result, the control unit 301 determines whether to output both or one of the first interface and the second interface together with the specific manual, or not to output both. Then, based on the determination result, control unit 301 transmits to input/output section 303 specific information for causing input/output section 303 to output a specific manual. As a result, the input/output unit 303 can output the specific manual based on the specific information to the user.
Next, processing executed by the control unit 301 of the manual terminal 300 in the manual display system 1 will be described with reference to
In the process shown in
When it is determined in S104 that the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies the first condition and the second condition, specific information is output in S105. Specifically, this determination is made when the amount of fuel or drive battery in the vehicle 10 is below a predetermined level. Here, the specific information output in S105 is specific information for the input/output unit 303 to output a specific manual that does not include the first interface and the second interface. Next, in S109, the output specific information is transmitted to the input/output unit 303, and the processing shown in
Further, when it is determined in S104 that the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies only the second condition, the specific information is output in S106. Specifically, the determination is made when the following conditions are satisfied: that the fuel or drive battery of the vehicle 10 is not below a predetermined remaining amount, that the vehicle 10 is not stopped, and that a passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10. Here, the specific information output in S106 is specific information for the input/output unit 303 to output only the first interface together with the specific manual. Next, in S109, the output specific information is transmitted to the input/output unit 303, and the processing shown in
Further, when it is determined in S104 that the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies only the first condition, the specific information is output in S107. Specifically, the determination is made when the following conditions are satisfied: that the fuel or driving battery of the vehicle 10 is not in a state of a predetermined residual amount or less, that the vehicle 10 is stopped, and that no passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10. Here, the specific information output in S107 is specific information for the input/output unit 303 to output only the second interface together with the specific manual. Next, in S109, the output specific information is transmitted to the input/output unit 303, and the processing shown in
Further, when it is determined in S104 that the running condition of the vehicle 10 satisfies only the first condition, the specific information is output in S108. Specifically, the determination is made when the following conditions are satisfied: that the fuel or drive battery of the vehicle 10 is not in a state of a predetermined residual amount or less, that the vehicle 10 is stopped, and that a passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10. Here, the specific information output in S108 is specific information for outputting the first interface and the second interface together with the specific manual. Next, in S109, the output specific information is transmitted to the input/output unit 303, and the processing shown in
As described above, the manual display system 1 according to the present embodiment enables the first device 100 to directly execute the first function while browsing the specific manual without performing an operation according to the procedure for causing the first device 100 to execute the first function. Also, the second device 200 can directly execute the second function while browsing the specific manual without performing an operation according to the procedure for executing the second function by the second device 200 related to the first function by the first device 100. Further, it is determined whether to output each of the first interface and the second interface together with the specific manual, based on the running condition of the vehicle 10. This makes it possible to suppress the output of the first interface and/or the second interface when the first function and/or the second function are inappropriate, depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle 10. As a result, it is possible to improve convenience when the user executes a predetermined function.
In the present embodiment, the first condition regarding the running condition of the vehicle is whether the fuel or driving battery of the vehicle 10 is at or below a predetermined remaining amount, and whether or not a passenger is seated in the rear seat of the vehicle 10. Further, the second condition regarding the running condition of the vehicle is whether the fuel or driving battery of the vehicle 10 is at or below a predetermined remaining amount, and whether the vehicle 10 is stopped.
However, the first condition and the second condition regarding the driving situation of the vehicle do not necessarily have to be these conditions. Here, it is assumed that the driving mode of the vehicle 10 is set to the autonomous driving mode. In this case, when the vehicle 10 is traveling on a general road, it is assumed that the risk of using the autonomous driving mode is higher than when the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway. Therefore, if the first function of the first device 100 is to set the driving mode of the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode, the first condition may be, for example, that the vehicle 10 is driving on a general road. Further, when the second function of the second device 200 is a function of changing the traveling mode of the vehicle 10 to the autonomous driving mode, the second condition may be that the vehicle 10 is traveling on a general road. Manual terminal 300 acquires position information of vehicle 10 from a car navigation system or the like in vehicle 10, and determines whether vehicle 10 is traveling on a general road based on the position information.
In this embodiment, the manual terminal 300 determines whether to output each of the first interface and the second interface together with the specific manual, based on the driving conditions of the vehicle 10. However, manual terminal 300 may determine whether to output each of the first interface and the second interface together with the specific manual based on factors other than the driving conditions of vehicle 10. Here, there are cases where the in-vehicle device mounted in each vehicle is different. For example, in the vehicle 10, either the first device 100 or the second device 200 may not be installed. Also, the manual terminal 300 may not hold different manual information depending on the in-vehicle device installed in each vehicle. In other words, manual terminal 300 may be able to output an electronic manual for first device 100 or second device 200 even when first device 100 or second device 200 is not mounted on vehicle 10.
In this case, manual terminal 300 determines not to output the first interface together with the specific manual when first device 100 is not installed in vehicle 10. Further, manual terminal 300 determines not to output the second interface together with the specific manual when second device 200 is not installed in vehicle 10.
Further, even if the vehicle 10 is equipped with the first device 100 and the second device 200, there are cases where the first device 100 cannot execute the first function and cases where the second device 200 cannot execute the second function. If the first device 100 is a device that cannot perform the first function, the manual terminal 300 determines not to output the first interface together with the specific manual. Also, if the second device 200 is a device that cannot execute the second function, the manual terminal 300 determines not to output the second interface together with the specific manual.
In this embodiment, the first device 100 and the second device 200 were displays. However, the first device 100 and the second device 200 do not necessarily have to be displays. As long as the second device 200 is an in-vehicle device in which the second function by the second device 200 is related to the first function by the first device 100, the first device 100 and the second device 200 may be arbitrary in-vehicle devices.
In this embodiment, the first device 100, the second device 200 and the manual terminal 300 are in-vehicle devices mounted in the vehicle 10. However, first device 100, second device 200, and manual terminal 300 do not necessarily have to be in-vehicle devices mounted in vehicle 10. The first device 100, the second device 200, and the manual terminal 300 may be, for example, devices installed in facilities associated with users.
The above-described embodiments are mere examples, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not departing from the scope thereof. Moreover, the processes and units described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented unless technical contradiction occurs.
Further, the processes described as being executed by one device may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices. Alternatively, the processes described as being executed by different devices may be executed by one device. In the computer system, it is possible to flexibly change the hardware configuration (server configuration) for realizing each function.
The present disclosure can also be implemented by supplying a computer with a computer program that implements the functions described in the above embodiment, and causing one or more processors of the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the system bus of the computer, or may be provided to the computer via a network. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium include a random disk (such as a magnetic disk (a floppy (registered trademark) disk an HDD, and the like) or an optical disc (such as a CD-ROM, a DVD disc, and a Blu-ray disc)), a ROM, a RAM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and a random type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-003989 | Jan 2023 | JP | national |
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-003989 filed on Jan. 13, 2023, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
