JP2018122647A - Vehicular warning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular warning device which outputs switching of a driving mode of a vehicle so as to easily recognize the switching.SOLUTION: A vehicular warning device E is mounted in a vehicle capable of releasing automatic driving. The vehicular warning device includes: a notification section 4 for issuing a warning; and a control section 3 which performs a state determination of a degree until the state of an occupant is transferred to a manual operation on the basis of information from detection sections 1 and 2 for detecting the state of the occupant during the automatic driving of the vehicle and selects a warning level issued from the notification section 4 and the warning timing on the basis of a result of the state determination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an alarm device mounted on a vehicle, and is suitable, for example, as a device for notifying an occupant when an automatic operation is canceled.

  Conventionally, there has been a proposal regarding automatic driving control of a vehicle. For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when automatic driving mode is canceled, pedal control is performed to facilitate the transition to manual driving by the driver. There is.

JP 2000-326759 A

  However, when the vehicle is in the automatic driving mode, it is conceivable that the occupant serving as the driver is not in an attitude that can immediately shift to driving. For this reason, before canceling automatic driving, it is necessary to inform the passenger of this fact and shift to a driving posture.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular alarm device that pays attention to the above-described problem and that easily outputs that the driving mode of the vehicle is switched.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A vehicle alarm device mounted on a vehicle capable of releasing automatic driving,
A notification unit that issues a warning;
Based on information from the detection unit that detects the state of the occupant during the automatic driving of the vehicle,
A state determination unit that determines a degree until the state of the occupant shifts to manual operation, and a control unit that selects an alarm level and an alarm timing issued from the notification unit based on a result of the state determination. Features.

The control unit inputs information from the detection unit including an imaging unit that detects the sight line and behavior of the occupant by an image.

  According to the present invention, a vehicle alarm device that easily recognizes that the operation mode of the vehicle is switched is output.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the driving assistance system in embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the detection range of embodiment same as the above. The flowchart which shows the process sequence of embodiment same as the above. The figure which shows the alerting | reporting example of embodiment same as the above.

  Hereinafter, the vehicle alarm device of the present invention will be exemplified as an embodiment applied to a vehicle occupant monitoring device equipped with a driving support system that supports by switching between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, and the accompanying drawings will be used. I will explain.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system A.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system A detects a front situation of the host vehicle, and based on the front situation, determines whether to cancel the driving support of the host vehicle, and a driving support determination unit B. Based on the determination of the determination unit B, when the driving support unit C cancels the driving support of the host vehicle and the driving support unit C cancels the driving support, the state of the occupant, particularly the driver, is determined, and the determination result is determined. And an occupant monitoring device D for performing the notification.

  The driving support determination unit B determines whether to cancel the driving support from the front situation of the host vehicle. In this case, the driving support determination unit B determines whether to cancel the driving support by analyzing the forward situation acquired by the forward situation acquisition unit B1 that acquires the forward situation of the host vehicle and the forward situation acquisition unit B1. Forward situation analysis part B2. For example, the forward situation acquisition unit B1 includes a navigation system including lane information related to the lane on which the host vehicle travels, and the forward situation analysis unit B2 determines whether driving assistance needs to be canceled based on the lane information. Note that there may be two or more types of driving support items performed by the driving support unit C to be described later. In this case, the driving support determination unit B selects a driving support item (driving support item) to be released from the front situation of the host vehicle. select.

  The forward situation acquisition unit B1 includes a communication device that communicates with an external server, infrastructure, and the like, and acquires the lane information, lane current information including the current lane condition, traffic regulation information, and the like through external communication. May be. The forward situation acquisition unit B1 may detect a situation in the vicinity of the host vehicle. For example, a camera (visible camera, infrared camera), sonar, ultrasonic sensor, millimeter wave radar provided in the host vehicle. Etc. may be configured.

  Further, the forward situation analysis unit B2 determines whether to cancel the driving support by analyzing the situation in the vicinity of the host vehicle (for example, analyzing a captured image captured by the camera). In this case, the forward situation analysis unit B2 calculates an optimal time for canceling the driving assistance, and uses the time information together with the determination result to be canceled for the driving assistance, the control unit for the driving assistance unit C or the occupant monitoring device D. Output to 3.

  The driving support unit C is composed of an ECU (electronic control unit) provided in the host vehicle, and performs driving support of the host vehicle. The driving support unit C determines whether the state of the occupant detected by the occupant monitoring device D, which will be described later, is a state required for releasing the driving support, and the state detected by the occupant monitoring device D is If the condition for canceling driving support is satisfied, the predetermined driving support determined to be canceled by the driving support determination unit B is canceled. Further, the driving support unit C may include one or more driving support items for driving support of the host vehicle, and the release operation may be different for each driving support item. Depending on the driving support item, there may be an item that does not require the release operation. The cancellation of the driving assistance is executed based on the time calculated by the forward situation analysis unit B2, but if necessary, the occupant monitoring device D gives a determination result that allows the occupant to perform manual driving. Can be postponed until.

  The driving assistance items include, for example, lane maintenance assistance (steering operation assistance) for assisting steering and maintaining the relationship between the lane and the host vehicle, controlling the braking / driving force of the host vehicle, and keeping the distance from the preceding vehicle constant. Maintains or keeps the vehicle speed constant at the set vehicle speed, controls the vehicle's steering and braking / driving force, automatically supports parking, controls the vehicle's steering and braking / driving force, and automatically changes lanes Support for lane change, control of steering or / and braking / driving force of own vehicle at merging / dividing points of lanes, merging / dividing support for smoothly merging / dividing own vehicle, and own vehicle trying to turn right / left at other than appropriate timing at intersection If this happens, a warning is output or the steering or / and braking / driving force of the host vehicle is controlled so that the host vehicle turns right and left appropriately, the braking / driving force of the host vehicle is controlled, and the host vehicle is automatically controlled. Started Automatic start / stop assistance to stop or stop, keep the distance to the preceding vehicle constant or keep the vehicle speed constant at the set vehicle speed, if there is a high possibility of collision with obstacles in the traveling direction of your vehicle, There are obstacle damage reduction / avoidance assistance that outputs a warning or controls the steering or / and braking force of the host vehicle to avoid a collision with an obstacle.

  The occupant monitoring device D includes a foot detection unit 1, a posture detection unit 2, a control unit 3, and a notification unit 4. From the viewpoint of whether or not the driver who is the occupant can handle manual driving. The state is detected and an alarm is activated according to this.

  The foot detection means 1 is a detection unit that can apply an infrared sensor and outputs a detection signal (a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of an object reaction) that reacts to an object existing in a predetermined area to the control unit 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the foot detecting means 1 detects the presence or absence of foot or footwear in a nearby area including a foot pedal such as a brake pedal P1 and an accelerator pedal P2 provided in the driver's seat and a footrest base P3. A detection area S, an installation position, a detection direction, and the like are set so that detection is possible. It should be noted that by using a plurality of infrared sensors, it is possible to detect the left and right feet, and to detect which pedal is near the foot.

  Further, as the foot detection means 1, in addition to the infrared sensor, a pressure sensor is provided on the floor surface F or the base P3, and the presence or absence of the stepping pressure or the position is provided in the control unit 3 as a detection signal. It can also indicate whether or not it is within the detection area S.

  The posture detection means 2 is a detection unit for detecting the posture of the driver by taking an image of the driver. For example, a camera that is provided on the instrument panel and shoots facing the driver's seat can be applied. Imaging data (detection signal) from the attitude detection unit 2 that is an imaging unit is transmitted to the control unit 3. For example, a gaze detection device can be applied to the posture detection means 2, and by reading the driver's gaze, the driver's state such as behavior such as a sidewalk and the presence / absence of confirmation of the display 41 described later can be seen. Can do. Further, image data for detecting whether the driver is facing forward or holding the steering wheel is emitted to the control unit 3 by a method such as image pattern matching. Note that the analysis of the image data may be performed by the posture detection unit 2 and the result may be transmitted to the control unit 3.

  Further, the posture detection means 2 can additionally detect whether or not the driver is awake. For example, it is possible to measure the elapsed time since operating the switch on the instrument panel of the vehicle, to detect changes in the driver's face direction and line of sight, or to measure the pulse, brain waves, etc. with a separate sensor Conceivable.

  The control unit 3 can be a microcomputer, and includes a CPU that calculates a predetermined program, a storage unit that includes a RAM and a ROM that stores data such as a predetermined program and parameters, the detection means 1 and 2 and the notification unit described above. 4, an input / output interface for exchanging signals is provided.

  Further, the control unit 3 is connected to the in-vehicle LAN, and can communicate with the driving support determination unit B and the driving support unit C in both directions.

  The notification unit 4 includes a display 41, a speaker 42, and a vibration unit 43 that are driven based on a control signal from the control unit 3. As the notification unit 4, an in-vehicle instrument provided in the instrument panel or a head-up display that projects a display image on the windshield can be applied. In addition to the vehicle information such as the vehicle travel speed and the accumulated distance, the notification unit 4 notifies a notification image for notifying the cancellation of the driving support in advance and the completion of the cancellation when the driving support unit C cancels the driving support. It is possible to display a completed image and output an alarm. The control unit 3 and the notification unit 4 constitute a vehicle alarm device E.

  The display 41 can be a display panel that can output an image based on a control signal from the control unit 3 by using a TFT liquid crystal display element.

  The speaker 42 is a sounding unit that emits an alarm sound for gazing at the display 41. For example, a buzzer can be substituted. Further, when the speaker 42 is used as the sounding means, the alarm content can be issued by voice or guidance or instruction for driving operation can be performed under the control of the control unit 3.

  The vibration unit 43 can be applied to a seat surface of a driver's seat, a vibration element mounted on a steering wheel, a vibration motor, and the like. The state can be notified to the driver who is a passenger in the driver's seat.

  Next, a processing procedure by the control unit 3 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control unit 3 waits for reception of determination information and release time information issued when it is determined by the driving support determination unit B that the driving support should be canceled (step S1), and when the determination information is issued. Performs foot state determination processing for determining whether or not the driver's foot is near the foot pedals P1 and P2 based on the detection signal from the foot detection means 1 (step S2). In this case, determination can be made based on each detection signal from an infrared sensor and a pressure sensor provided as the foot detection means 1, and the detection value of the sensor, the fluctuation of the detection value (movement of the foot), the pressure change accompanying this fluctuation, etc. It can be included in the determination condition, and the presence or position of the foot can be detected with higher accuracy.

  The control unit 3 considers that the driver can immediately operate the foot pedal at the driver's foot position by the foot state determination process of step S2, and detects the detection signal from the posture detection means 2. An input determination is performed to determine whether or not the driver's posture can be properly steered (step S3).

  When it is determined by the determination processing in steps S2 and S3 that the mode can be shifted to the manual operation mode, that is, the driving operation by the driver is possible, the control unit 3 releases the release time information from the driving support determination unit B. Based on the above, a time determination process (step S4) is performed to determine whether or not a predetermined time before this time (in this case, one minute before) is reached.

  When the condition of the time determination process in step S4 is satisfied, the control unit 3 sends a control signal that prompts the notification unit 4 to alert the user to cancel the automatic driving or to shift to the manual operation mode (notification processing). Output (step S5). For example, on the display 41 and the speaker 42, as shown in FIG. 4A, from the display state of normal vehicle information (vehicle speed and integrated travel distance), as shown in FIG. You can output text such as “Please prepare for manual operation”, and “You should switch to manual operation after about 1 minute. Please prepare for manual operation”. . At this time, specifically, it is possible to guide the steering operation and the pedal depression amount.

  The control unit 3 urges the user to be alerted, and transmits a permission signal for canceling the driving support (automatic driving mode) to the driving support unit C (step S6).

  Further, when it is determined by the determination processing in steps S2 and S3 that the shift to the manual operation mode is impossible, that is, the driver's foot, body direction, line of sight, etc. are not in the predetermined driving posture, the predetermined driving posture is determined. Is determined, that is, the degree until the passenger's state shifts to manual operation (step S7). For example, whether or not the steering wheel is gripped, whether the line of sight is ahead of the vehicle, whether the foot pedal can be operated immediately, etc. Divide the level of proximity to the posture.

  In this state determination (step S7), when it is determined that the vehicle is close to the predetermined driving posture to some extent, the control unit 3 is based on the release time information from the driving support determination unit B (this time) In this case, a time determination process (step S8) is performed to determine whether or not to reach 5 minutes ago. At this time, a predetermined time longer than the predetermined time which is the condition of step S4 is set.

  When the condition of the time determination process in step S8 is satisfied, the control unit 3 outputs (notification process) as an alarm (first alarm) that the automatic operation is canceled or the shift to the manual operation mode. Then, a control signal for prompting the notification unit 4 is issued (step S9). At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the display 41 is driven and controlled. Note that the driving support (automatic driving mode) release permission signal is not transmitted to the driving support unit C. Based on the control signal from the control unit 3, the notification unit 4 notifies the warning of a message indicating the transition to the manual operation mode and an instruction to take a driving posture. For example, an audio output such as “There are no feet in the vicinity of the pedal. Please prepare for manual operation” can be emitted from the speaker 42. At this time, the alarm state is notified in an easy-to-recognize manner, for example, the sound pressure is higher than the above-mentioned alerting or blinking is displayed. Further, the control unit 3 vibrates the vibration unit 43 with a predetermined vibration pattern to notify the driver of the alarm state.

  Further, when it is determined in the state determination (step S7) described above that the vehicle is not close to the predetermined driving posture, the control unit 3 drives and controls the notification unit 4 so as to immediately issue an alarm (second alarm) ( Step S10). At this time, depending on the level of the driving posture, the driver may increase the sound pressure more than the alarm output (first alarm) in step S9, increase the vibration area of the vibration unit 43, or increase the vibration. Make output easier to recognize. In addition, as time passes in the alarm state of step S10, the sound pressure of the speaker 42 can be gradually increased, or the vibration strength of the vibration unit 43 can be gradually increased so that an output that can be easily noticed by the occupant can be performed.

  The control part 3 can cancel | release the alerting | reporting process and automatic driving | operation according to a driver | operator's state by repeating the process of the above step S1 to S10. Further, the vehicle alarm device E does not issue a troublesome alarm when the driver is in a predetermined driving posture.

  According to such a vehicle alarm device E, the vehicle alarm device E is mounted on a vehicle capable of releasing the automatic driving, and the alarm unit 4 that issues a warning and the state of the occupant during the automatic driving of the vehicle Based on the information from the detection units 1 and 2 that detect the state of the vehicle, the state of the occupant until the state shifts to manual operation is determined, and the alarm level issued from the notification unit 4 based on the result of the state determination And a control unit 3 for selecting alarm timing.

  Therefore, the vehicle alarm device that easily recognizes that the operation mode of the vehicle is switched is output.

  In addition, since the control unit 3 can input detailed information from the posture detection unit 2 including an imaging unit that detects the line of sight and behavior of the occupant with an image, the state of the line of sight and the behavior of the occupant can be determined in detail. It is possible to select a notification process that is optimal for the degree of posture and is not bothersome than necessary.

  Although the vehicle alarm device of the present invention has been described by way of example in the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and other configurations depart from the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that various improvements and display changes can be made without departing from the scope.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle alarm device, and is particularly suitable as a device mounted on a moving body such as an automobile or a motorcycle having a driving support function in an automatic driving mode.

A driving support system B driving support determination unit C driving support unit D occupant monitoring device 1 step detection means (detection unit)
2 Attitude detection means (detection unit)
3 Control unit 4 Notification unit 41 Display unit 42 Speaker (ringing means)
43 Vibration part

Claims (2)

A vehicle alarm device mounted on a vehicle capable of releasing automatic driving,
A notification unit that issues a warning;
Based on information from the detection unit that detects the state of the occupant during the automatic driving of the vehicle,
A state determination unit that determines a degree until the state of the occupant shifts to manual operation, and a control unit that selects an alarm level and an alarm timing issued from the notification unit based on a result of the state determination. A vehicular alarm device. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit inputs information from the detection unit including an imaging unit that detects the line of sight and behavior of the occupant with an image.

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