JP2005319872A - Driving operation assist device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an uneasy feeling from being given to a driver of a vehicle in a constitution for assisting a driving operation according to a driving technique of a driver. <P>SOLUTION: A driving operation by a driver of a vehicle is detected, and a driving technique of the driver of the vehicle is judged on the basis of the detected driving operation (S320). Whether the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle should be assisted on the basis of the driving technique is judged (S330). When it is judged that the operation should be assisted (S330: YES), assist of the driving operation is started (S380, S460) after an intention of the driver for allowing assist of the driving operation is presented (S340, S350: start is needed). This can prevent start of the assist of the driving operation while the driver does not know it, and prevent an uneasy feeling from being given to the driver. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for assisting a driving operation by a driver of a vehicle.

Conventionally, in order to improve safety, comfort, fuel consumption, and the like in traveling of a vehicle, a technique for assisting a driving operation by a driver has been proposed.
On the other hand, there are individual differences in the driving skill of the driver, and it is highly necessary to assist the driving operation for a driver with a low driving skill. The necessity is scarce, and it is conceivable that the driver feels troublesome if the driving operation is assisted regardless of the driving skill.

Therefore, there is one in which the auxiliary timing is changed according to the driving skill of the driver (for example, see Patent Document 1). That is, a gaze point detection sensor that detects a position (gaze point) that the driver of the vehicle is looking at is provided, and the driver's driving operation is detected based on the driver's gaze point detected by the gaze point detection sensor. Determine the driving skill. The information providing control and the risk avoidance control are performed in accordance with the driving skill of the driver by providing the information and the risk avoiding operation early to the driver having a low driving skill.
JP 2001-163082 A

  By the way, when assisting the driving operation according to the driving skill of the driver, for example, it is possible to determine the driving skill of the driver and to assist the driving operation only for the driver having a low driving skill. . However, with this configuration, it is conceivable that the driver of the vehicle feels anxiety without being able to grasp whether or not the driving operation is assisted and the timing of the assistance.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the driver of the vehicle from feeling uneasy in a configuration that assists the driving operation in accordance with the driving skill of the driver. .

  In the vehicle driving operation assisting device according to claim 1, which is made to achieve the above object, the driving operation detecting means includes a driving operation (for example, a steering operation, an accelerator operation, a brake operation, a winker operation) performed by a vehicle driver. ) And the driving skill determination means determines the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving operation detected by the driving operation detection means. Further, it is determined whether or not the auxiliary start determining means is in a state where the driving operation by the vehicle driver should be assisted based on the driving skill determined by the driving skill determining means (for example, a state where the driving skill is lower than the reference). Then, when it is determined by the auxiliary start determination means that the driving operation should be assisted, the auxiliary processing start means starts the driving operation assisting process for assisting the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle. In the vehicle driving assistance device, the start notification means starts the assistance that the driving operation assistance processing is started for the driver of the vehicle before the driving operation assistance processing is started by the auxiliary processing start means. Notification is performed (for example, notification by light such as character display or lamp, notification by sound such as voice or buzzer).

  For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, driving operation can be assisted according to the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle. In particular, according to the driving operation assistance device for a vehicle, since the driver is notified that the assistance is started before the assistance of the driving operation is started, the driving operation is performed without the driver's knowledge. Can be prevented from starting. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uneasy.

Here, as the driving operation assisting process for assisting the driving operation, for example, a process as claimed in claim 2 or 3 can be considered.
That is, in the vehicle driving operation assisting device according to claim 2, the auxiliary process starting means controls the driving operation device mounted on the vehicle (for example, steering, accelerator, brake, etc.) as the driving operation assisting process. To control). That is, the driver's driving operation is directly assisted. For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle can be effectively assisted.

  In the vehicle driving operation assisting device according to the third aspect, the auxiliary process starting unit notifies the vehicle driver of an appropriate driving operation as the driving operation assisting process (for example, timing of stepping on the brake, etc.) Process to notify. That is, the driver's driving operation is indirectly assisted. For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, the driving operation can be assisted without hindering the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle.

By the way, depending on the running condition of the vehicle, it may be unfavorable to start assisting the driving operation.
Accordingly, a vehicle driving operation assisting device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle driving operation assisting device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein an input operation from a vehicle driver (for example, a button pressing operation, Operation means for receiving a touch operation on the touch panel and a voice input operation by voice recognition are provided. In the vehicle driving operation assisting device, the start notifying unit prompts the vehicle driver to input an operation permitting the start of the driving operation assisting process (for example, by text display or voice) as the assist start notification. Notification), and when the auxiliary process start means determines that the driving operation should be assisted by the auxiliary start determination means, the operation means allows the start of the driving operation auxiliary process. When the input operation to the effect is not performed, the driving operation assisting process is not started. That is, in this vehicle driving operation assistance device, driving operation assistance is not started unless permitted by the vehicle driver. For this reason, according to the driving operation assistance device for a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the driving operation assistance from being forcibly started until it is not preferable to start the driving operation assistance.

  Next, in the vehicle driving operation assistance device according to claim 5, in the vehicle driving operation assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the auxiliary end determination means performs the driving operation assistance processing. It is determined whether or not the driving operation assisting process should be terminated in a state (for example, the driving skill of the driving operation detected by the driving operation detecting unit satisfies a standard), and the auxiliary end determining unit When it is determined that the driving operation assisting process is to be terminated, the assisting process ending unit ends the driving operation assisting process. In the vehicle driving operation assisting device, the end notification means indicates that the driving operation assisting process is completed for the driver of the vehicle before the driving operation assisting process is terminated by the assisting process ending unit. Notification is performed (for example, notification by light such as character display or lamp, notification by sound such as voice or buzzer). As described above, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, since the driver is notified that the assistance is finished before the assistance of the driving operation is finished, the driving is performed without the driver's knowledge. It is possible to prevent the operation assistance from being terminated. As a result, it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uneasy.

  Next, in the vehicular driving operation assist device according to claim 6, in the vehicular driving operation assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the driving skill notification means is a driving determined by the driving skill determination means. The skill is notified to the driver of the vehicle (for example, by text display or voice). For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, the driver can be made aware of his / her driving skill. As a result, the driving skill of the driver can be improved.

  By the way, the determination of the driving skill of the driver can be performed, for example, by comparing the driving operation by the driver with a certain criterion. For example, when the angular speed of the steering operation by the driver is remarkably higher than the angular speed as the determination criterion, it is determined that the steering wheel is sharp (that is, the driving skill is low). However, an appropriate driving operation may differ depending on the traveling state of the vehicle (for example, the state of a traveling road such as a slope).

  Therefore, in the vehicular driving operation assisting device according to claim 7, in the vehicular driving operation assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the travel path information detecting means includes travel path information (current position of the vehicle) ( For example, the curve degree of a curved road, the slope of a slope, and the distance to an intersection) are detected. Then, the driving skill determining means compares the appropriate driving operation according to the traveling road information detected by the traveling road information detecting means with the driving operation detected by the driving operation detecting means, and Determine driving skill. For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, it is possible to appropriately determine the driving skill of the driver according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vehicle driving assistance device according to an embodiment.
This vehicular driving operation assisting device is mounted on a vehicle and is configured integrally with a navigation device. Specifically, as shown in the figure, the position detector 10, the map data input unit 20, the operation unit 21, the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, the blinker sensor 25, the storage unit 26, and the display unit 27. , Speaker 28, steering control unit 30, accelerator throttle control unit 40, brake control unit 50, navigation control unit 60, and the like.

  The position detector 10 is for detecting the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of a vehicle on which the driving operation assisting device for the vehicle is mounted. The position detector 10 is a well-known geomagnetic sensor 11, gyroscope 12, distance sensor 13, It has a GPS receiver 14 and the like.

  The map data input unit 20 inputs map data from a map data recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. In particular, in this vehicle driving assistance device, map data including altitude information is used so that the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is traveling can be grasped.

The operation unit 21 includes a plurality of operation buttons for receiving input operations of various commands by a vehicle driver.
The steering sensor 22 detects a steering operation amount (steering angle) of the vehicle.

The accelerator sensor 23 detects the accelerator operation from the position (depression amount) of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle.
The brake sensor 24 detects a brake operation from the position (depression amount) of the brake pedal of the vehicle.

The turn signal sensor 25 detects an on / off operation of the left and right turn signals of the vehicle.
The storage unit 26 (for example, EEPROM) stores various information necessary for the operation of the navigation control unit 60.

The display unit 27 (liquid crystal display in this embodiment) displays information such as a road map.
The speaker 28 outputs a vehicle driving guidance voice and the like.
The steering control unit 30 performs control for assisting the steering operation by the driver (for example, control for changing the reaction force during the steering operation).

The accelerator throttle control unit 40 performs control for assisting the accelerator operation by the driver (for example, control for changing the reaction force when the accelerator pedal is depressed).
The brake control unit 50 performs control for assisting the brake operation by the driver (for example, control for changing the braking force generated when the brake pedal is depressed).

  The navigation control unit 60 is a known microcomputer mainly composed of a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and controls each of the above-described components by executing various programs.

  By the way, this vehicle driving operation assisting device has a driving assist function for assisting the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle. Specifically, two operation modes, an assist control mode and an assist notification mode, are prepared as operation modes for driving assistance, and one of the operation modes is selected by an input operation from the operation unit by the user (driver). Can be set.

  Then, in the state where the driving assist operation mode is set to the assist control mode, the vehicle driving operation assisting device performs processing for controlling the driving operation device mounted on the vehicle (in the case of this device, steering and A process for controlling the accelerator and the brake, which corresponds to a driving operation assisting process), assists the driving operation by the vehicle driver. On the other hand, in the state where the operation mode for driving assist is set to the assist notification mode, driving of the vehicle is performed by performing processing (equivalent to driving operation assisting processing) for notifying the driver of the vehicle of an appropriate driving operation. Assisting the driver in driving. That is, one of the assist control mode that directly assists the driving operation and the assist notification mode that indirectly assists the driving operation can be selected.

  Further, in the vehicle driving operation assisting device, the driving assist function itself can be set on / off by an input operation from the operation unit 21 by the user. For this reason, for example, in a state where the driving assist function is set to OFF, the driving operation by the vehicle driver is not assisted.

Here, specific processing contents performed by the navigation control unit 60 will be described.
First, an assist function setting process performed by the navigation control unit 60 in order to make the user set on / off of the driving assist function will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The assist function setting process includes a predetermined input operation for starting on / off setting of the driving assist function (for example, a plurality of items displayed on the display unit 27 by pressing a menu button of the operation unit 21). The operation unit 21 starts the operation of selecting the item “ON / OFF of the driving assist function” from among the operations.

  When the assist function setting process is started, first, in S110, a setting screen for allowing the user to set on / off of the driving assist function is displayed on the display unit 27. Here, for example, the on / off state of the currently set driving assist function is displayed as the driving assist function on / off setting screen, and the displayed on / off state is displayed from the operation unit 21. The thing which can be changed by operation is considered.

  Subsequently, in S120, it is determined whether or not a determination operation for determining the on / off state of the driving assist function (for example, a pressing operation of the determination button of the operation unit) is performed on the operation unit 21, and the determination operation is performed. When it is determined that the process has been performed, the process proceeds to S130.

In S130, after setting the on / off state of the driving assist function to the determined on / off state, the assist function setting process ends.
Next, an assist mode setting process performed by the navigation control unit 60 in order to allow the user to set an operation mode for driving assistance will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The assist mode setting process is a predetermined input operation for starting the setting of the operation mode for driving assistance (for example, a plurality of items displayed on the display unit 27 by pressing a menu button of the operation unit 21). The operation is started by the operation unit 21 performing an operation of selecting an item “setting of an operation mode for driving assistance” from the inside.

  When the assist mode setting process is started, first, in S210, a setting screen for selecting either the assist control mode or the assist notification mode as the operation mode for driving assistance is displayed on the display unit 27. Here, as the operation assist setting mode setting screen, for example, the currently set operation assist operation mode is displayed, and the displayed content can be changed by an operation from the operation unit 21. Things can be considered.

  Subsequently, in S220, it is determined whether or not a determination operation (for example, a pressing operation of the determination button of the operation unit 21) for determining the operation mode for driving assistance has been performed on the operation unit 21, and the determination operation is performed. If it is determined that it has been broken, the process proceeds to S230.

In S230, the operation mode for driving assistance is set to the determined content, and then the assist mode setting process ends.
Next, driving assistance processing performed by the navigation control unit 60 to assist the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The driving assistance process is started by turning on the accessory switch (ACC switch) of the vehicle (in other words, by turning on the power of the driving assistance device for the vehicle).

  When the driving assist process is started, first, in S310, it is determined whether or not the driving assist function is set to ON. If it is determined that the driving assist function is set to ON, the process proceeds to S320. That is, when the driving assist function is set to OFF, the subsequent processing (S320 to S500) is not performed.

In S320, a process for determining the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle is performed.
Here, in the process of S320, the driving skill related to the steering operation, the driving skill related to the accelerator operation, the driving skill related to the brake operation, and the driving skill related to the blinker operation are individually determined. Specifically, the driving operation of the driver is detected for a predetermined time by the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25, and each driving skill is determined based on the driving operation. For example, the degree of sudden steering is detected based on the steering operation amount detected by the steering sensor 22, the degree of sudden acceleration is detected based on the accelerator operation detected by the accelerator sensor 23, and the brake operation detected by the brake sensor 24 is detected. The degree of sudden braking is detected on the basis of the turn signal, and the deviation degree of the turn-on timing of the turn signal is detected based on the turn-on / off operation of the turn signal detected by the turn signal sensor 25.

  Determination of whether or not the driving operation detected in this way is appropriate (determination of driving skill) can be performed by comparing with a predetermined determination reference value set in advance. For example, it can be determined that the driving skill is higher as the difference between the angular speed of the steering operation detected by the steering sensor 22 and the angular speed as the determination reference value is smaller.

  Further, in this vehicle driving operation assisting device, a second variable that changes in accordance with the travel route information of the current position of the vehicle, apart from the above-mentioned fixed determination reference value (referred to as “first determination reference value”). A determination reference value is set, and the driving skill is determined using the second determination reference value. That is, the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle is determined by comparing an appropriate driving operation according to the travel route information and the driving operation detected by the sensors 22 to 25. Specifically, based on the current position detected by the position detector 10 and the map data input from the map data input unit 20, the current road state (curve state, distance to the intersection, gradient) Etc.) and an appropriate driving operation (steering operation amount, accelerator pedal depression amount, brake pedal depression amount, turn signal on / off, etc.) according to the state of the road is assumed. The smaller the difference between this appropriate driving operation and the actual driving operation detected by the sensors 22 to 25, the higher the driving skill is determined. In addition, in the driving assistance device for a vehicle, when the vehicle has traveled on the same road before, the driving skill is determined using information stored for the road. That is, vehicle operation data including the amount of driving operation and the amount of assistance by the driver is stored in the storage unit 26 (processing of S440 described later), and when passing through the same road, the storage unit 26 (E.g., correct the appropriate driving operation assumed based on the current position and map data as described above based on the data stored in the storage unit 26) The skill is judged.

As described above, in S320, the driving skill is determined by comprehensively considering the driving operation detected within a predetermined time.
Subsequently, in S330, based on the driving skill of the driver determined in S320, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to assist the driving operation by the driver (whether or not the driving operation should be assisted). In the present embodiment, if any one of the driving skills determined in S320 (the driving skill related to the steering operation, the driving skill related to the accelerator operation, the driving skill related to the brake operation, and the driving skill related to the blinker operation) is less than the reference value, It is determined that the driving operation needs to be assisted.

If it is determined in S330 that it is not necessary to assist the driving operation, the process returns to S310.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S330 that it is necessary to assist the driving operation, the process proceeds to S340 and a message for confirming to the driver whether or not the process for assisting the driving operation may be started. Is displayed on the display unit 27 (corresponding to an auxiliary start notification), and an operation from the operation unit 21 is prompted. In other words, the driver is requested to indicate his intention to permit driving assistance.

Subsequently, in S350, the content of the operation performed on the operation unit 21 with respect to the message displayed in S340 is determined.
If it is determined in S350 that the operation performed on the operation unit 21 is an operation not starting the process for assisting the driving operation, the process returns to S310.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S350 that the operation performed on the operation unit 21 is an operation for starting the process for assisting the driving operation, the process proceeds to S360, and the operation mode for driving assist is set. It is determined whether or not the assist control mode is set.

  If it is determined in S360 that the operation mode for driving assistance is set to the assist control mode, the process proceeds to S370 and the timer T for measuring the elapsed time is reset to zero.

  Subsequently, in S380, assist control is started. Specifically, by giving instructions to the steering control unit 30, the accelerator throttle control unit 40, and the brake control unit 50, the driving operation by the driver is assisted. Here, the assistance of the driving operation is performed according to the driving skill determined in S320. That is, the lower the driving skill, the larger the assistance ratio, and the higher the driving skill, the smaller the assistance ratio. Further, for example, when the driving skill related to the accelerator operation is low, assistance corresponding to the contents of each driving skill is performed such that the accelerator operation is intensively assisted.

  Subsequently, in S390, it is determined whether or not a cancel state has occurred. Here, the canceled state is a state where the assist control should not be continued, and in this embodiment, a sudden brake operation or a sudden handle operation is performed.

If it is determined in S390 that a cancel state has occurred, the process proceeds to S420.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S390 that the cancel state has not occurred, the process proceeds to S400.

In S400, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer T has reached a predetermined time T1 or more.
If it is determined in S400 that the time measured by the timer T is not equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1 (less than the predetermined time T1), the process returns to S390. That is, if the cancel state does not occur, the assist control process is continued for a predetermined time T1.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S400 that the time measured by the timer T has reached the predetermined time T1, the process proceeds to S410, and it is determined whether or not the assist control can be released. Specifically, based on the driving operation detected by the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25, it is determined whether or not the driving operation has been improved and the assistance should be terminated. is there.

  If it is determined in S410 that the assist control cannot be released, the process returns to S370. Thereby, the timer T is reset to 0 in S370, and the assist control is continued.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S410 that the assist control can be released, the process proceeds to S420.
In S420, a message for notifying the driver that the process for assisting the driving operation is ended is displayed on the display unit 27 (corresponding to an auxiliary end notification).

Subsequently, in S430, the assist control is ended.
Subsequently, in S440, the storage unit 26 stores vehicle driving data and the like in consideration of the driving operation amount and the assist amount by the driver. Thereafter, the process returns to S310.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S360 that the operation mode for driving assistance is not set to the assist control mode (set to the assist notification mode), the process proceeds to S450 and the timer T for measuring the elapsed time is determined. Is reset to 0.

  Subsequently, in S460, an assist notification process is started. Specifically, the driver is notified by displaying the content of an appropriate driving operation on the display unit 27. For example, the detected values such as the angular speed of the steering operation, the accelerator pedal depression speed, and the brake pedal depression speed are displayed in a bar graph (for example, like a graphic equalizer), and the values for the appropriate driving operation are displayed on each bar graph. Let Thereby, the driver can grasp the difference between the appropriate driving operation and the actual driving operation based on the content displayed on the display unit 27, and can correct the driving operation.

Subsequently, in S470, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer T has exceeded a predetermined time T1.
If it is determined in S470 that the time measured by the timer T is not equal to or longer than the predetermined time T1 (less than the predetermined time T1), the process returns to S460. That is, the assist notification process is continued for a predetermined time T1.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S470 that the time measured by the timer T has reached the predetermined time T1 or more, the process proceeds to S480, and it is determined whether or not the assist control can be released. Specifically, based on the driving operation detected by the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25, it is determined whether or not the driving operation has been improved and the assistance should be terminated. is there.

  If it is determined in S480 that the assist control cannot be released, the process returns to S450. Thereby, the timer T is reset to 0 in S450, and the assist notification process is continued.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S480 that the assist control can be released, the process proceeds to S490, and a message for notifying the driver that the process for assisting the driving operation is terminated is displayed on the display unit. 27 (corresponding to an auxiliary end notification).

Subsequently, in S500, the assist notification process is terminated. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S440.
In the vehicle driving operation assistance device of the present embodiment, the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25 correspond to driving operation detection means, and the operation unit 21 corresponds to operation means. The position detector 10 and the map data input unit 20 correspond to a travel path information detection unit. Further, the process of S320 in the driving assist process (FIG. 4) corresponds to the driving skill determination means, the process of S330 corresponds to the auxiliary start determination means, and the processes of the display unit 27 and S340 correspond to the start notification means. The process of S380 and the process of S460 correspond to auxiliary process start means, respectively. The process of S410 and the process of S480 correspond to auxiliary end determination means, respectively. The process of S420 and the process of S490. Are equivalent to end notification means, and the processing of S430 and the processing of S500 are equivalent to auxiliary processing end means, respectively.

  As described above, in the vehicle driving operation assistance device of the present embodiment, the driving operation (steering operation, accelerator operation, braking by the vehicle driver) is performed by the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25. Operation, turn signal operation) is detected, and the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle is determined based on the detected driving operation (S320). Then, based on this driving skill, it is determined whether or not the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle should be assisted (S330). If it is determined that the driving operation should be assisted (S330: YES), the driver After receiving an intention to permit driving operation assistance by (S340, S350: start required), driving operation assistance is started (S380, S460). For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, driving operation can be assisted according to the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle. In particular, according to the vehicle driving assist device, it is possible to prevent driving assistance from being started without the driver's knowledge and to prevent the driver from feeling uneasy. In addition, since assistance of the driving operation is not started unless permitted by the driver of the vehicle (S350), the assistance of the driving operation is forcibly started until it is not preferable to start the assistance of the driving operation. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the vehicle driving operation assistance device, as an operation mode for driving assistance, one of an assist control mode for directly assisting the driving operation and an assist notification mode for indirectly assisting the driving operation is provided. Can be selected (FIG. 3). For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, driving operation can be assisted in a form according to the driver's preference.

  Furthermore, in this vehicle driving assist device, the on / off of the driving assist function can be set (FIG. 2). For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, the driver determines whether or not the process for assisting the driving operation may be started even though the driver thinks that the driving operation is not necessary. It is possible to prevent the message (S340) for confirmation to the person from being displayed on the display unit 27.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the driving operation assistance should be finished (S410: YES, S480: YES), the vehicle driving assistance device notifies that the driving operation assistance is finished. After that (S420, S490), the assistance of the driving operation is ended (S430, S500). For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the assistance of the driving operation from being terminated without the driver's knowledge, and to prevent the driver from feeling uneasy.

  Further, in this vehicle driving operation assisting device, based on the current position detected by the position detector 10 and the map data input from the map data input unit 20, the state of the travel path of the current position is grasped. An appropriate driving operation according to the condition of the road is assumed. Then, the driving skill of the vehicle driver is determined by comparing this appropriate driving operation with the actual driving operation. For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, it is possible to appropriately determine the driving skill of the driver according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

  In addition, in the driving operation assisting device for the vehicle, the driving skill is determined by comprehensively considering the driving operation detected within a predetermined time. For this reason, according to the driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, it is possible to prevent the driving skill from being determined to be low due to the temporary driving operation.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention can take a various form.
For example, the driver's driving skill may be notified to the driver. That is, for example, after determining the driving skill of the driver in S320 in the driving assist process (FIG. 4) of the above embodiment, the driving skill is displayed on the display unit 27 or is output by voice from the speaker 28. Notice. Here, if the driving skill is determined in a plurality of stages, the driver can be made to accurately grasp the level of the driving skill. Specifically, for example, it is expressed as an image like a 5-stage bar graph, expressed by a score (for example, a score when 100 points are full), or by a sentence (for example, “the brake operation is sudden”) Can be expressed. Further, the difference between the proper driving operation and the actual driving operation may be displayed in real time (for example, the difference between the appropriate accelerator depression speed and the actual depression speed is displayed as a numerical value). Thus, according to the structure which notifies a driving skill, a driver | operator can be encouraged to improve a driving skill. The configuration for notifying the driving skill corresponds to the driving skill notifying means.

  Further, during the assist control, the driver may be notified of the degree of assist control (the degree of assistance). Specifically, for example, after the assist control is started in S380, the degree of the assist control is displayed on the display unit 27 or notified by voice output. In this way, the driver can be made aware of how much assist control is being executed.

  In the vehicle driving operation assisting device of the above embodiment, the driving skill related to the steering operation, the driving skill related to the accelerator operation, the driving skill related to the brake operation, and the driving skill related to the blinker operation are individually determined (S320). ), Not limited to this. For example, each driving operation may be determined as a combined driving skill. However, if the driving skill is determined for each driving operation as in the above-described embodiment, it is advantageous in that assistance according to each driving skill can be performed.

  Moreover, in the vehicle driving operation assistance device of the above embodiment, the driving skill is determined by comprehensively considering the driving operation detected within a predetermined time, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the detected driving operation is temporarily below the criterion (when it is determined that the driving skill is low), it may be determined that the driving operation needs to be assisted. In this way, driving operation can be assisted immediately.

  Further, the determination criterion is not limited to one corresponding to each driving operation, and may be one corresponding to a combination of a plurality of driving operations. That is, for example, it can be determined that the driving skill is higher as the difference between the time from when the turn-on operation is performed until the steering operation is performed and the time as the determination criterion is smaller.

  In the vehicle driving operation assisting device of the above embodiment, the driving operation of the vehicle driver is detected by the steering sensor 22, the accelerator sensor 23, the brake sensor 24, and the turn signal sensor 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is not a thing. For example, when the vehicle is a manual mission vehicle, a mission position sensor that detects the position of the shift lever may be provided, and the driving operation of the driver of the vehicle may be detected by the mission position sensor. In this configuration, for example, it is possible to determine that the driving skill is low when the speed is the third speed despite the situation where the speed should be the fourth speed.

  In addition, the vehicle driving operation assisting device according to the above embodiment is configured integrally with the navigation device, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured as a separate device from the navigation device. .

It is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a driving operation auxiliary device for vehicles of an embodiment. It is a flowchart of an assist function setting process. It is a flowchart of an assist mode setting process. It is a flowchart of a driving assistance process.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Position detector, 11 ... Geomagnetic sensor, 12 ... Gyroscope, 13 ... Distance sensor, 14 ... GPS receiver, 20 ... Map data input part, 21 ... Operation part, 22 ... Steering sensor, 23 ... Accelerator sensor, 24 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Brake sensor, 25 ... Winker sensor, 26 ... Memory | storage part, 27 ... Display part, 28 ... Speaker, 30 ... Steering control part, 40 ... Accelerator throttle control part, 50 ... Brake control part, 60 ... Navigation control part

Claims (7)

Driving operation detecting means for detecting a driving operation by a driver of the vehicle;
Driving skill determination means for determining the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle based on the driving operation detected by the driving operation detection means;
Auxiliary start determination means for determining whether or not the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle is to be assisted based on the driving skill determined by the driving skill determination means;
An auxiliary process starting means for starting a driving operation assisting process for assisting the driving operation by the driver of the vehicle when it is determined that the driving operation should be assisted by the auxiliary start determining means;
Start notifying means for notifying the driver of the vehicle that the driving operation assisting process is started before the driving operation assisting process is started by the assisting process starting unit;
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1,
The auxiliary process starting means performs a process of controlling a driving operation device mounted on the vehicle as the driving operation auxiliary process,
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1,
The auxiliary process starting means performs a process of notifying the driver of the vehicle of an appropriate driving operation as the driving operation auxiliary process.
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle. In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An operation means for receiving an input operation from a driver of the vehicle;
The start notification means is configured to perform a notification prompting an input operation to permit a driver of the vehicle to start the driving operation assisting process as the auxiliary start notification,
The auxiliary process starting means performs an input operation for permitting the operation means to start the driving operation auxiliary process even when the auxiliary start determining means determines that the driving operation should be assisted. If not, do not start the driving assistance process,
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle. The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An auxiliary end determination means for determining whether or not the driving operation assisting process should be ended in a state where the driving operation assisting process is being performed;
An auxiliary process ending unit for ending the driving operation auxiliary process when it is determined by the auxiliary end determining unit that the driving operation auxiliary process is to be ended;
An end notifying means for notifying the driver of the vehicle that the driving operation assisting process is terminated before the driving operation assisting process is terminated by the assisting process ending unit;
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle, comprising: The driving assistance device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Driving skill notification means for notifying the driver of the vehicle of the driving skill determined by the driving skill determination means;
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle characterized by the above. In the driving assistance device for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Comprising travel path information detecting means for detecting travel path information of the current position of the vehicle;
The driving skill determination means compares an appropriate driving operation according to the driving road information detected by the driving road information detection means with a driving operation detected by the driving operation detection means, and drives the vehicle. Determining the driver's driving skill,
A driving operation assisting device for a vehicle.

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