Conditioning system, stimulus applying system, conditioning method, stimulus applying method, non-transitory storage medium, and mobile object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12115998-B2
Application number	US-202117486255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A conditioning system includes a prediction unit and a stimulus applying unit. The prediction unit is configured to predict, based on a state related to a user, an occurrence of an event to be caused by the state related to the user. The stimulus applying unit is configured to apply, when the prediction unit predicts that the event occurs in future, a stimulus associated with the event to the user in advance of the event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conditioning system, comprising a processor configured to implement:
a predictor configured to predict, based on a state related to a user in a vehicle, an occurrence of an event related to a vehicle control which is to be caused by the state related to the user and by which the user is to obtain a reward; and
a stimulus applicator configured to apply, when the predictor predicts that the event related to the vehicle control occurs in future, a stimulus previously associated with the event related to the vehicle control to the user at an earlier time than a time at which the event related to the vehicle control is predicted to occur.

2. The conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising the processor configured to implement a determiner configured to determine whether or not the event related to the vehicle control occurs after the stimulus is applied to the user.

3. The conditioning system of claim 2 , wherein the determiner generates a conditioning data when the event related to the vehicle control and the stimulus are conditioned, and
the stimulus applicator applies, when the predictor predicts that the event related to the vehicle occurs in the future, the stimulus conditioned to the event related to the vehicle control to the user based on the conditioning data.

4. The conditioning system of claim 3 , wherein
a threshold is used by the predictor to predict the event related to the vehicle control occurs in the future,
the predictor predicts that the event related to the vehicle control occurs in the future when a measured value representing the state related to the user is larger than the threshold, and
a first threshold that is a threshold before the generation of the conditioning data is larger than a second threshold that is a threshold after the generation of the conditioning data.

5. The conditioning system of claim 3 , wherein
the stimulus applicator is configured to start applying the stimulus to the user within a first prescribed time from a start time point of the event related to the vehicle control predicted before generating the conditioning data,
the stimulus applicator to start applying the stimulus to the user within a second prescribed time from a start time point of the event related to the vehicle control predicted after generating the conditioning data, and
the second prescribed time is longer than the first prescribed time.

6. The conditioning system of claim 5 , wherein the first prescribed time and the second prescribed time are set within a range of 0.1 seconds to 10.0 seconds.

7. The conditioning system of claim 3 , further comprising an identifier configured to identify the user, wherein the stimulus applicator is configured to change the stimulus to be applied per user in accordance with an identification result of the identifier.

8. The conditioning system of claim 3 , wherein the stimulus applicator is configured not to apply the stimulus to the user when no occurrence of the event related to the vehicle control is predicted.

9. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein
the stimulus applicator starts applying the stimulus to the user before a prescribed time with respect to a starting time point of when the event related to the vehicle control is predicted.

10. The conditioning system of claim 9 , wherein the prescribed time is set within a range of 0.1 seconds to 10.0 seconds.

11. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein
the stimulus applicator is configured to change the stimulus to be applied to the user in accordance with a kind of the event related to the vehicle control.

12. The conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising the processor configured to implement an identifier configured to identify the user, wherein the stimulus applicator is configured to change the stimulus to be applied per user in accordance with an identification result from the identifier.

13. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus applicator is configured to stop applying the stimulus after an elapse of a prescribed time from starting of applying the stimulus to the user, or at a timing of an occurrence of the event related to the vehicle control.

14. The conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising the processor configured to implement an environment controller configured to control an environment providing system that provides an environment inducing the event related to the vehicle control.

15. The conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus applicator is configured to control a lighting system or a fragrance generating system to start applying the stimulus to the user.

16. The conditioning system of claim 15 , wherein the stimulus is light or fragrance.

17. A conditioning method, comprising:
a prediction step including predicting, based on a state related to a user in a vehicle, an occurrence of an event related to a vehicle control which is to be caused by the state related to the user and by which the user is to obtain a reward; and
a stimulus applying step including applying, when the prediction step predicts that the event related to the vehicle control occurs in future, a stimulus previously associated with the event related to the vehicle control to the user at an earlier time than a time at which the event related to the vehicle control is predicted to occur.

18. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program designed to cause one or more processors to perform the conditioning method of claim 17 .

19. A mobile object, comprising:
the conditioning system of claim 1 ; and
a main body where the conditioning system is provided.

20. A mobile object, comprising:
the stimulus applying system of claim 3 ; and
a main body where the stimulus applying system is provided.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd
• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakaoka Hideaki

Classifications

• G06N5/02

  Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation · CPC title

• B60R16/037

  for occupant comfort {, e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel} · CPC title

• B60H1/00742

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title

• B60Q3/80

  Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) · CPC title

• G06N7/01

  Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks · CPC title