# US 12,594,949 B2 · Notification device, notification method, and nontransitory recording medium provided with computer program for notification device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,594,949 B2 - Document ID: US12594949B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/537,932 - Filed: 2023-12-13 - Published: 2024-09-19 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2023-03-14 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Aisin Corporation - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha; Aisin Corporation - Inventors: Hiroshi Morimoto; Takuhiro Omi; Udara Eshan Manawadu; Kenta Yamada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594949B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/14: Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B60W 60/00: Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles - B60W 60/00133: {for resting} - B60W 2540/229: Attention level, e.g. attentive to driving, reading or sleeping - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A notification device is provided with an output device configured to notify information to a driver of a vehicle and a control device configured to control the output device. The control device detects behavior of the driver based on driver data expressing the state of the driver, calculates a score showing a degree by which the driver is relaxing based on the behavior of the driver, notifies the score, calculated based on behavior of the driver during automated driving by which driving operations of the vehicle are automatically performed, through the output device when a predetermined timing is reached, and does not notify the score when a predetermined condition stands even when the predetermined timing is reached. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A notification device comprising: a display or a speaker configured to notify information to a driver of a vehicle; and a processor configured to control the display or speaker, wherein the processor is configured to: detect behavior of the driver based on driver data expressing the state of the driver; calculate a score showing a degree by which the driver is relaxing based on the behavior of the driver; notify the score, calculated based on behavior of the driver during automated driving by which driving operations of the vehicle are automatically performed, through the output device when a predetermined timing is reached; and not notify the score when a predetermined condition stands even when the timing is reached, wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of the score be higher than a predetermined notification upper limit value, a number of times of running on a road run on by automated driving for calculating the score be less than a predetermined number of times, and a number of times of utilization of automated driving by the driver is less than a predetermined number. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the timing is a predetermined time period before a scheduled time of end of automated driving. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the timing is during automated driving or when stopping the vehicle after the end of automated driving. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the timing is before the start or at the time of start of automated driving when next running by automated driving on a road run on by automated driving for calculating the score. ### Claim 5 A notification method by a notification device for notifying information to a driver of a vehicle through an output device, wherein the notification method comprises: detecting behavior of the driver based on driver data expressing the state of the driver; calculating a score showing a degree by which the driver is relaxing based on the behavior of the driver; notifying the score, calculated based on behavior of the driver during automated driving by which driving operations of the vehicle are automatically performed, through the output device when a predetermined timing is reached; not notifying the score when a predetermined condition stands even when the timing is reached, wherein the predetermined condition is that the score be higher than a predetermined notification upper limit value. ### Claim 6 A nontransitory recording medium provided with a computer program for a notification device comprising a display or a speaker for notifying information to a driver of a vehicle through an output device, the nontransitory recording medium provided with a computer program for a notification device making the notification device: detect behavior of the driver based on driver data expressing the state of the driver; calculate a score showing a degree by which the driver is relaxing based on the behavior of the driver; notify the score, calculated based on behavior of the driver during automated driving by which driving operations of the vehicle are automatically performed, through the output device when a predetermined timing is reached; and not notify the score when a predetermined condition stands even when the timing is reached, wherein the predetermined condition is that the score be higher than a predetermined notification upper limit value.