JP2021082354A - Information providing device for automatic driving vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique for enabling a driver to sufficiently prepare psychologically or physiologically for switching from automatic driving to manual driving.SOLUTION: An information providing apparatus comprises: an information presentation unit (700) for presenting information to a driver in a vehicle; and an information provision control unit (230) for presenting information to the driver using the information presentation unit. The information provision control unit is arranged to set a higher degree of interruption of information provided by the information presentation unit than when the vehicle is in a manual driving state, under the condition that the vehicle is in an automatic driving state; and when the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving to the manual driving, the information provision control unit performs a switching preparation processing including reducing a degree of information interruption before switching to the manual driving state, so that the driver recognizes to be switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to an information providing technique when switching from automatic driving to manual driving of a vehicle.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for accustoming to a driving operation by stopping a part of the automatic driving function and having the driver practice switching when the vehicle switches from automatic driving to manual driving. There is.

JP-A-2017-199299

However, in the prior art, the actual situation is that sufficient ingenuity has not been made in providing information in consideration of the psychological or physiological state at the time of switching from automatic driving to manual driving.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an information providing device provided in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is provided. This information providing device reaches the driver from the outside of the vehicle without the vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the equipment in the vehicle and the equipment in the vehicle. Information provision control for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver by using the information presenting unit for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver among the information including the vehicle external information including visual information and auditory information. It has a part. When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the information providing control unit sets a higher degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information provided by the information presenting unit than when the vehicle is in the manual driving state. When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, by executing a switching preparatory process including reducing the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information, the driver is notified from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state. It is configured to recognize that a switch to the manual operation state is being performed.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an information providing device provided in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is provided. This information providing device reaches the driver from the outside of the vehicle without the vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the equipment in the vehicle and the equipment in the vehicle. Information provision control for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver by using the information presenting unit for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver among the information including the vehicle external information including visual information and auditory information. It has a part. When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the information providing control unit sets a higher degree of blocking of the vehicle external information provided by the information presenting unit than when the vehicle is in the manual driving state. When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, by executing a switching preparatory process including reducing the degree of blocking of the vehicle external information, the driver is notified from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state. It is configured to recognize that a switch to the manual operation state is being performed.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an information providing device provided in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving is provided. This information providing device uses an information presenting unit for presenting the vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the device in the vehicle to the driver. It is equipped with an information providing control unit that presents vehicle internal information. When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the information providing control unit sets a higher degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information provided by the information presenting unit than when the vehicle is in the manual driving state. When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, the switching preparatory process including lowering the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information is executed before switching to the manual driving state. It is configured to make the driver aware that the automatic operation state is switched to the manual operation state.

According to the information providing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the degree of blocking of information provided to the driver before switching from automatic driving to manual driving is reduced, so that the driver is psychologically affected by the switching of the driving state. Alternatively, it is possible to prepare sufficiently physiologically.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the automatic operation control system as 1st Embodiment. The explanatory view which shows the example of the in-vehicle equipment in 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of an automatic operation section and a manual operation section. Explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle interior environment at the time of automatic driving in 1st Embodiment. The explanatory view which shows the example of the switching preparation process to the manual operation in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the operation switching processing in 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the automatic operation control system as a 2nd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the in-vehicle equipment in 2nd Embodiment. Explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle interior environment at the time of automatic driving in 2nd Embodiment. The explanatory view which shows the example of the switching preparation process to the manual operation in 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the operation switching processing in 2nd Embodiment.

A. First embodiment:
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 50 of the first embodiment includes an automatic driving control system 100. The automatic driving control system 100 includes an automatic driving ECU 200 (Electronic Control Unit), a vehicle control unit 300, a front detection device 410, a rear detection device 420, a support information acquisition unit 500, a driver status monitoring unit 600, and the like. It is provided with an information presentation unit 700. These devices are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network). In addition, in this specification, a vehicle 50 is also referred to as "own vehicle 50".

The automatic driving ECU 200 realizes the functions of the automatic driving control unit 210, the situation recognition unit 220, and the information provision control unit 230 by executing a computer program stored in a storage unit (not shown). In addition, a part of the functions of the automatic operation ECU 200 may be realized by a hardware circuit.

The automatic driving control unit 210 controls the automatic driving of the own vehicle 50 by using various situations recognized by the situation recognition unit 220. Specifically, the automatic operation control unit 210 transmits a drive instruction value indicating the operating state of the drive unit (engine or motor) to the drive unit control device 310, and brake controls the brake instruction value indicating the operating state of the brake mechanism. It is transmitted to the device 320, and a steering angle instruction value indicating the steering angle of the wheel is transmitted to the steering angle control device 330. Each of the control devices 310, 320, and 330 executes the control of the respective controlled target mechanism according to the given indicated value. It should be noted that various functions of the automatic operation control unit 210 can be realized by artificial intelligence using machine learning such as deep learning.

In the present specification, the "automatic operation" means an operation in which the driver (driver) automatically executes all of the drive unit control, the brake control, and the steering angle control without performing a driving operation. Therefore, in automatic driving, the operating state of the drive unit, the operating state of the brake mechanism, and the steering angle of the wheels are automatically determined. "Manual operation" refers to the operation for controlling the drive unit (depressing the accelerator pedal), the operation for controlling the brake (depressing the brake pedal), and the operation for controlling the steering angle (rotation of the steering wheel). , Means the operation performed by the driver.

In the present embodiment, as the automatic operation, automatic operation at SAE level 4 is assumed. That is, in the preset automatic operation section, the automatic operation control system 100 executes all the operation tasks, and when the automatic operation section ends, the operation is switched to the manual operation.

The situation recognition unit 220 uses the front detection device 410, the rear detection device 420, the support information acquisition unit 500, and various information and detection values provided by the general sensors 340 to use the own vehicle 50 and other vehicles. Recognize the driving situation of 60 and the surrounding environment.

The information providing control unit 230 uses the information presenting unit 700 to execute control for presenting information suitable for an operating state such as an automatic driving state or a manual driving state to the driver. In the present embodiment, the information presentation unit 700 includes a meter panel 710, a navigation panel 720, and an audio device 730. The navigation panel 720 is a part of the navigation device 520, but in the present embodiment, it also functions as a part of the information presentation unit 700. The details of the operations of the information providing control unit 230 and the information presenting unit 700 will be described later.

The vehicle control unit 300 is a part that executes various controls for driving the vehicle 50, and is used in both automatic driving and manual driving. The vehicle control unit 300 includes a drive unit control device 310, a brake control device 320, a steering angle control device 330, and general sensors 340. The drive unit control device 310 has a function of controlling a drive unit (not shown) that drives the wheels of the vehicle 50. As the wheel drive unit, one or more prime movers of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor can be used. The brake control device 320 executes the brake control of the vehicle 50. The brake control device 320 is configured as, for example, an electronically controlled brake system (ECB). The steering angle control device 330 controls the steering angle of the wheels of the vehicle 50. The "steering angle" means the average steering angle of the two front wheels of the vehicle 50. The steering angle control device 330 is configured as, for example, an electric power steering system (EPS). The general sensors 340 include a vehicle speed sensor 342, a steering angle sensor 344, and a yaw rate sensor 346, and are general sensors required for driving the vehicle 50. The general sensors 340 include sensors used in both automatic operation and manual operation.

The front detection device 410 uses an in-vehicle sensor to acquire information on various objects such as objects existing in front of the own vehicle 50 and road equipment (lanes, intersections, traffic lights, etc.). In this embodiment, the forward detection device 410 includes a camera 412 and a radar device 414. As the camera 412, a stereo camera or a monocular camera can be used. Further, the camera 412 is preferably a color camera in order to distinguish the color of the object (for example, the track marking line of the white line and the track marking line of the yellow line). As the radar device 414, various radars that radiate electromagnetic waves, such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that radiates light and a radar that radiates radio waves (for example, millimeter-wave radar), can be used. The rear detection device 420 acquires information on various objects such as objects and road equipment existing behind the own vehicle 50. The rear detection device 420 can also be configured to include an in-vehicle sensor similar to the front detection device 410.

The support information acquisition unit 500 acquires various support information for automatic driving. The support information acquisition unit 500 includes a GNSS receiver 510, a navigation device 520, and a wireless communication device 530. The GNSS receiver 510 positions the current position (longitude / latitude) of the own vehicle 50 based on the navigation signal received from the artificial satellites constituting the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The navigation device 520 has a function of determining a planned route in automatic driving based on the destination and the position of the own vehicle detected by the GNSS receiver 510. In addition to the GNSS receiver 510, other sensors such as a gyro may be used to determine or modify the planned route. The wireless communication device 530 can exchange status information regarding the status of the own vehicle 50 and the surrounding conditions by wireless communication with the intelligent transport system 70 (Intelligent Transport System), and also has a vehicle with another vehicle 60. It is also possible to exchange status information by performing inter-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside radio installed in road equipment. The support information acquisition unit 500 may acquire a part of the information regarding the traveling status of the own vehicle by using the status information obtained via such wireless communication. Various types of support information acquired by the support information acquisition unit 500 are transmitted to the automatic operation ECU 200.

The driver condition monitoring unit 600 has a function of detecting the driver's condition by using a sensor such as a camera or a pulse sensor. For example, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 monitors the movement of the driver's eyes, the opening of the eyelids, the movement of the head, and the like with a camera to determine whether or not the driver is sufficiently awake. It is possible to estimate a plurality of items such as whether or not the vehicle is concentrated in front of the vehicle 50. Further, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 is configured to estimate the driver's condition including the sleep rhythm by using a biological sensor that detects biological information such as the driver's heart rate, body temperature, and respiratory rate. It may have been done.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, as the in-vehicle equipment of the vehicle 50, the dashboard 10, the air conditioner air outlet 14, the meter panel 710, the navigation panel 720, and the driver condition monitoring unit 600 are provided. , Are provided. The driver condition monitoring unit 600 includes a camera capable of monitoring the movement of the driver's eyes and head. A rear-view mirror 460 is provided above the front window 40. Further, the left and right doors 20 are provided with speakers as an audio device 730, respectively. FIG. 2 shows a state during manual operation, and the instrument panel 710 and the navigation panel 720 are displayed.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the vehicle 50 is traveling in the automatic driving section ADA and enters the manual driving section MAD when the automatic driving section ADA ends. The automatic operation section ADA is provided with evacuation areas such as a parking area and a service area. The in-vehicle environment as the operating state of the in-vehicle equipment is set to a different state during automatic driving and manual driving.

As shown in FIG. 4, the information providing control unit 230 stops the display of the meter panel 710 and the navigation panel 720 during automatic operation, masks a part of the display screen, or determines the brightness and saturation of the display screen. By lowering the contrast, the "shielding degree" of the display screen is controlled. For example, in the state of manual driving shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle speed is displayed on the instrument panel 710, but the display of information including the vehicle speed is stopped during automatic driving. The information providing control unit 230 may further stop issuing the navigation voice using the sound device 730 or lower the volume. It can be considered that the stop of the display of the instrument panel 710 and the navigation panel 720 enhances the degree of shielding of visual information. Further, it can be considered that the control of stopping the operation of the audio device 730 or lowering the volume increases the "shielding degree" of the auditory information.

In the example of FIG. 4, the information whose degree of shielding is increased during automatic driving is information transmitted to the driver via the device in the vehicle 50. The information transmitted to the driver via the device in the vehicle 50 in this way is called "vehicle internal information". Vehicle internal information includes visual information such as vehicle speed and auditory information such as navigation voice. In the first embodiment, it can be considered that the degree of shielding of vehicle internal information is higher during automatic driving than during manual driving. In the present specification, the term "driver" means a person who does not perform a driving operation during automatic driving but performs a driving operation during manual driving.

In this way, the information providing control unit 230 sets the degree of blocking of the information provided by the information presenting unit 700 higher when the vehicle 50 is in the automatic driving state than when the vehicle 50 is in the manual driving state. ing. By doing so, the driver can take a rest in a more relaxed state during automatic driving.

As shown in FIG. 5, the information providing control unit 230 starts displaying the meter panel 710 and the navigation panel 720 as a switching preparatory process when switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation. In the switching preparation process, the operation of the audio device 730 may be further started. These switching preparatory processes are executed while the automatic operation is being performed before switching to the manual operation. In other words, the information providing control unit 230 lowers the degree of blocking information before switching to the manual operation state. In this way, the driver can be made aware that the switching from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state is performed, so that the driver is sufficiently prepared psychologically or physiologically for the switching of the driving state. Is possible.

As the switching preparatory process before switching the operation state from the automatic operation to the manual operation, other processes may be executed in addition to the reduction of the information blocking degree. This specific example will be described in the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the operation switching process from automatic operation to manual operation, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 detects the driver's condition in step S110, and the automatic operation control unit 210 reads the travel plan in step S120. .. The travel plan is a plan of how far the vehicle travels in the automatic driving section ADA, is determined in advance before starting traveling in the automatic driving section ADA, and is stored in a storage device (not shown) in the automatic driving ECU 200. In step S130, the automatic operation ECU 200 determines whether or not switching from automatic operation to manual operation is necessary. This determination is performed, for example, by determining whether or not the track has reached a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes) before the time when the automatic driving section ADA is switched to the manual driving section MDA. Distance may be used instead of time. If it is not necessary to switch the operation, the process returns to steps S110 and S120, and if it is necessary to switch the operation, the process proceeds to step S140.

In step S140, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 determines whether or not the driver's condition is in a state where the information provided by the information presentation unit 700 can be received. For this determination, for example, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 may estimate the goodness of fit of the driver and execute the determination based on whether or not the goodness of fit reaches a predetermined goodness-of-fit threshold. The “driver's goodness of fit” is a value indicating the degree to which the driver has reached a state where the information provided by the information presentation unit 700 can be received. The goodness of fit of the driver is, for example, whether or not the driver is sufficiently awake by monitoring the movement of the driver's eyes, the opening of the eyelids, the movement of the head, etc. with a camera. It is possible to estimate a plurality of items such as whether or not the vehicle is concentrated in front of the vehicle 50, and determine the goodness of fit from these estimation results. When the goodness of fit of the driving vehicle reaches a predetermined goodness-of-fit threshold, it is determined that the driver is in a state of receiving the information provided by the information presenting unit 700, while the goodness of fit is the goodness-of-fit threshold. If it does not reach, it is determined that this is not the case.

If the driver is not in a state of being able to receive the information provided by the information presenting unit 700, the process proceeds to step S180, and it is determined whether or not there is a sufficient margin in the automatic driving section ADA. Whether or not there is a sufficient margin can be determined, for example, by whether or not the predicted time from the present time to the end point of the automatic operation section ADA is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. If there is sufficient margin, the process returns to step S140 described above. If there is not enough room, the process proceeds to step S190, and the automatic driving ECU 200 guides the vehicle 50 to a shelter such as a service area or a parking area to park the vehicle.

In step S150, it is determined whether or not the timing for switching the operating environment has been reached. This timing means the timing of changing from the in-vehicle environment during automatic driving as shown in FIG. 4 to the in-vehicle environment as shown in FIG. This switching timing is determined in advance in consideration of the time before reaching the end point of the automatic driving section ADA and when the driver can sufficiently prepare psychologically / physiologically for manual driving. If the switching timing of the operating environment has not been reached, the process returns from step S150 to step S140. On the other hand, when the switching timing of the operating environment is reached, the process proceeds to step S160, and as described with reference to FIG. 5, the degree of shielding of the information provided by the information presenting unit 700 is lowered to drive more information. Present to the person.

After that, when the automatic operation section ADA ends and the manual operation section MDA starts, the switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation is executed in step S170.

As described above, in the first embodiment, when the vehicle 50 is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, a switching preparation process including lowering the degree of blocking of information before switching to the manual driving state is executed. By doing so, the driver is made aware that the automatic operation state is switched to the manual operation state. In this way, the degree of blocking of the information provided to the driver before switching from automatic driving to manual driving is reduced, so that the driver can be sufficiently prepared psychologically or physiologically for the switching of the driving state. It is possible.

B. Second embodiment:
As shown in FIG. 7, the automatic operation control system 100a of the second embodiment adds a preparation promotion unit 800 and a motivation promotion unit 900 to the automatic operation control system 100 of the first embodiment, and also adds an information presentation unit 700. As the equipment included in the above, an electronic mirror 740, a head-up display 750, and a transmittance changing glass 760 are added, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. The configuration of the front detection device 410 and the support information acquisition unit 500 is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the internal configuration is omitted in FIG. 7.

The preparation promotion unit 800 has a warning generation unit 810 and a seat vibration unit 820. The warning generation unit 810 issues a voice warning to the effect that the operation will be switched to manual operation. The seat vibrating unit 820 vibrates the seat. The warning generation unit 810 and the seat vibration unit 820 have a function of promoting the driver's preparation so that the driver can receive the information provided by the information presentation unit 700 when switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation. Have. That is, the warning generation unit 810 can accelerate the preparation of the driver by issuing a warning that the operation is switched to the manual operation before switching to the manual operation. Further, the seat vibration unit 820 can accelerate the preparation of the driver by vibrating the driver's seat before switching to the manual operation.

The motivation promoting unit 900 has an internal display 910 and a sound effect unit 920, and has a function of promoting the driver's motivation for manual driving when switching from automatic driving to manual driving. The interior display 910 corresponds to an interior state changing portion that visually changes the interior of the vehicle. The sound effect unit 920 corresponds to an auditory information transmission unit that transmits auditory information suitable for a manual driving state to the driver. The operation and function of the motivation promotion unit 900 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 8, the in-vehicle equipment of the vehicle 50 of the second embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in the following points.
(A) The rearview mirror 46 has been replaced by an electronic mirror 740.
(B) A head-up display 750 has been added.
(C) The glass of the front window (windshield) has been changed to the transmittance changing glass 760. Instead of the transmittance changing glass 760, a blind or a curtain may be used to change the degree of shielding of visual information in the outside world.
(D) The interior display 910 is used as the interior of the dashboard 10 and the door 20. The interior display 910 is, for example, a sheet-shaped display device capable of displaying various images. Alternatively, a projection device may be used to realize a display similar to that of the internal display 910.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the second embodiment, the following control is executed during automatic operation.
<Increasing the degree of information shielding by controlling the information providing control unit 230>
(A1) The display of the instrument panel 710 is stopped or partially masked, or the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the display are lowered.
(A2) The display of the navigation panel 720 is stopped or partially masked, or the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the display are lowered.
(A3) The display of the electronic mirror 740 is stopped, a part of the display is masked, or the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the display are lowered.
(A4) The display of the head-up display 750 is stopped or partially masked, or the brightness, saturation, and contrast of the display are lowered.
(A5) The issuance of navigation voice using the sound device 730 is stopped or the volume is lowered.
(A6) Transmittance change The transmittance of the glass 760 is reduced.
(A7) The sound device 730 is made to perform an active noise canceling operation to reduce noise from outside the vehicle and road surface vibration noise.
<Operation under the control of the motivation promotion unit 900>
(A8) The display of the internal display 910 is changed for automatic operation.

The information in which the operation is stopped or the like in the above items (A1) to (A5) is all information transmitted to the driver via the equipment in the vehicle, and therefore corresponds to "vehicle internal information". On the other hand, in the item (A6), the scenery of the outside world visually recognized by the driver through the transmittance changing glass 760 is visual information transmitted to the driver without going through the equipment in the vehicle. Further, the noise outside the vehicle and the vibration noise of the road surface, which are reduced in the item (A7), are also auditory information transmitted to the driver without going through the equipment inside the vehicle. Information transmitted to the driver without going through the equipment inside the vehicle in this way is called "vehicle external information". In the second embodiment, not only the information inside the vehicle but also the information outside the vehicle during automatic driving has a higher degree of shielding than during manual driving.

As the information for changing the degree of shielding between automatic driving and manual driving, at least one of vehicle internal information and vehicle external information can be selected. For example, the type of information for which the degree of shielding is changed may be registered in advance in the information providing control unit 230 according to the driver's preference. In this way, it is possible to appropriately switch the environment between automatic driving and manual driving according to the driver's preference.

In the above item (A8), the image displayed on the interior display 910 is not directly related to the driving of the vehicle, and gives the driver a favorable in-vehicle environment according to the driving state (automatic driving or manual driving). It is used as a means of providing. For example, during automatic driving, the display of the interior display 910 can be set so as to create an in-vehicle environment such as that of a living room at home.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the second embodiment, when switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation, a switching preparation process including various processes as described below is executed.
<Reduction of information shielding degree by control of information provision control unit 230>
(B1) The display of the instrument panel 710 is started, the mask is stopped, the brightness of the display is increased, and the contrast is increased again.
(B2) The display of the navigation panel 720 is started, the mask is stopped, the brightness of the display is increased, and the contrast is increased again.
(B3) The display of the electronic mirror 740 is started, the mask is stopped, the brightness of the display is increased, and the contrast is increased again.
(B4) The display of the head-up display 750 is started, the mask is stopped, the brightness of the display is increased, and the contrast is increased again.
(B5) Start issuing navigation voice using the sound device 730, or raise the volume.
(B6) Transmittance change Increases the transmittance of the glass 760.
(B7) The sound device 730 stops the active noise canceling operation or reduces the noise canceling effect.
<Preparation promotion operation under the control of the preparation promotion unit 800>
(B8) The warning generation unit 810 is used to generate a warning to the effect that the operation is switched to manual operation.
(B9) The seat is vibrated by using the seat vibrating unit 820.
<Motivation promotion operation under the control of the motivation promotion unit 900>
(B10) The display of the internal display 910 is changed to a specific display content or image indicating switching to manual driving, and the motivation of the driver to manual driving is improved.
(B11) The sound effect unit 920 is used to provide auditory information such as specific music indicating switching to manual driving from the sound device 730 to improve the driver's motivation for manual driving.

The operations of the above items (B1) to (B7) are operations in which the information providing control unit 230 lowers the degree of information blocking before switching to the manual operation state. In this way, the driver can be made aware that the switching from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state is performed, so that the driver is sufficiently prepared psychologically or physiologically for the switching of the driving state. Is possible.

The operations of the above items (B8) and (B9) are operations that promote the driver's ready state so that the driver's goodness of fit reaches a predetermined goodness-of-fit threshold. As described in the first embodiment, the goodness of fit of the driver is a value indicating the degree to which the driver can receive the information provided by the information presenting unit 700.

The operations of the above items (B10) and (B11) are operations that promote the motivation of the driver for manual operation. As in these examples, as the motivation promoting operation, an operation of visually changing the interior of the vehicle and an operation of transmitting auditory information suitable for switching to the manual driving state to the driver can be used. By performing such a motivation promoting operation, the driver's motivation for manual driving can be promoted before switching from automatic driving to manual driving, so that the driver is psychologically or physiologically sufficiently prepared for the switching of the driving state. It becomes possible to do.

As shown in FIG. 11, in the operation switching process in the second embodiment, steps S310 and S320 are added between steps S130 and S140 in FIG. 6, and steps S330 are added between steps S160 and S170. The other steps are the same as in the first embodiment.

When it is determined in step S130 that switching from automatic operation to manual operation is necessary, the preparation promotion unit 800 determines the operation timing of the preparation promotion operation in step S310. The operation timing of the preparation promotion operation may be determined only by the time or distance until switching to the manual operation section MDA, for example, but it is preferable to change the operation timing according to the driver's condition. For example, when the driver is sleeping during automatic driving, the driver condition monitoring unit 600 estimates the driver's sleep state and determines that the preparation promotion operation is started according to the sleep rhythm. You may. For example, it may be determined that the preparation promotion operation is started at the timing estimated to be in the state of REM sleep in which awakening is likely to occur. The sleep rhythm of the driver may change depending on the individuality of the driver. In consideration of such a case, the conditions for determining the operation timing of the preparation promotion operation may be registered in advance for each driver, and the operation timing of the preparation promotion operation may be determined according to the registered conditions. Good.

In step S320, at the timing determined in step S310, the preparation promotion unit 800 executes the preparation promotion operation for promoting the preparation of the driver. As described above, as the preparation promotion operation, the generation of a warning, the vibration of the seat, and the like are executed.

After step S320, the process proceeds to step S140, and it is determined whether the driver's state is in a state where the information provided by the information presenting unit 700 can be received. Similar to the first embodiment, this determination can be made based on whether or not the goodness of fit of the driver estimated by the driver condition monitoring unit 600 has reached a predetermined threshold value. If the driver is not ready to receive the information provided by the information presenting unit 700, the process proceeds to step S180, and if there is a margin in the automatic driving section ADA, the process returns to step S320 to continue the preparation promotion operation. .. The preparation promotion operation in step S320 may increase the operation intensity as it approaches the end point of the automatic operation section ADA. For example, the vibration of the driver's seat may be increased as it approaches the end point of the automatic driving section ADA.

In this way, when the driver is in a state of being psychologically and physiologically ready and the timing of switching the driving environment is reached in step S150, the operation of reducing the degree of shielding of information described in FIG. 10 is executed in step S160. Will be done. Further, in step S330, the motivation promoting unit 900 promotes the motivation of the driver to manual operation, and in step S170, switching to manual operation is executed.

As described above, also in the second embodiment, when the vehicle 50 is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, the degree of information blocking is reduced before switching to the manual driving state, as in the first embodiment. By executing the switching preparatory process including the operation, the driver is made to recognize that the switching from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state is performed, so that the driver can psychologically or physiologically respond to the switching of the driving state. It is possible to prepare well.

Further, in the second embodiment, in the switching preparation process, the preparation promotion operation by the preparation promotion unit 800 so that the goodness of fit of the driver to the manual operation estimated by the driver state monitoring unit 600 reaches a predetermined goodness threshold. Is executed, and after the goodness of fit reaches the goodness-of-fit threshold, the degree of blocking of information is lowered, so that it is possible to sufficiently prepare the driver's state psychologically or physiologically for the switching of the driving state. Is.

Further, in the second embodiment, in the switching preparatory process, the motivation promoting unit 900 is operated to promote the driver's motivation for manual driving, so that the driver psychologically or physiologically responds to the switching of the driving state. It is possible to prepare well.

C. Other embodiments:
In the first embodiment described above, the degree of shielding of vehicle internal information is changed in automatic driving and manual driving, and in the second embodiment, the degree of shielding of both vehicle internal information and vehicle external information is changed. As the information for changing the degree of shielding between automatic driving and manual driving, at least one of vehicle internal information and vehicle external information may be selected. For example, the type of information for which the degree of shielding is changed may be registered in advance in the information providing control unit 230 according to the driver's preference. This point is the same as the operation of the preparation promotion unit 800 and the operation of the motivation promotion unit 900 in the switching preparation process. In this way, it is possible to appropriately switch the environment between automatic driving and manual driving according to the driver's preference.

Further, in the switching preparation process, the timings for lowering the degree of information shielding may be set to be the same, or may be set to different timings according to the information. Setting different timings according to the information has the advantage that the driver is more likely to make better psychological or physiological preparations. Further, the timing of lowering the degree of information shielding may be changed according to the driver's condition detected by the driver condition monitoring unit 600. Again, it is expected that the driver will be more likely to be better able to make psychological or physiological preparations.

In the second embodiment, the generation of a warning and the vibration of the driver's seat are exemplified as the preparation promotion operation by the preparation promotion unit 800, but other preparation promotion operations may be performed. For example, the driver's preparation may be promoted by blowing a strong wind from the air outlet 14. In addition, the driver's preparation may be promoted by generating a specific odor.

In the second embodiment, the degree of blocking of information is reduced after the driver reaches a state in which the information provided by the information presenting unit 700 can be received, but instead, the degree of suitability of the driver is adjusted. The timing for lowering the degree of blocking of information may be adjusted accordingly. For example, if the driver's goodness of fit is low, it may take time for the driver to receive the information provided by the information presentation unit 700. Therefore, the lower the driver's goodness of fit, the more information the information is. The timing for lowering the degree of blocking may be delayed. On the contrary, the lower the goodness of fit of the driver, the earlier the timing of lowering the degree of blocking of information may be made. Alternatively, the rate of decrease in the degree of blocking of information may be adjusted according to the degree of suitability of the driver. For example, the lower the goodness of fit of the driver, the lower the rate of decrease in the degree of information blockage, and conversely, the lower the goodness of fit of the driver, the greater the rate of decrease in the degree of information blockage. May be good.

In the second embodiment, as the motivation promotion operation by the motivation promotion unit 900, the change of visual information such as the display of the interior and the provision of auditory information such as specific music are exemplified. You may go. For example, information (for example, tourist information) regarding the destination of manual driving may be displayed using a display unit such as a head-up display 750. Further, as a motivation promoting operation, an odor generator may be used to generate a specific odor (aroma) or the odor of the outside air.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, and can be implemented in various embodiments without departing from the gist thereof.

230 ... Information provision control unit, 600 ... Driver status monitoring unit, 700 ... Information presentation unit, 800 ... Preparation promotion department, 900 ... Motivation promotion department

Claims (4)

An information providing device installed in a vehicle that can be driven automatically.
Vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the device in the vehicle and visual information and auditory information reaching the driver from the outside of the vehicle without going through the device in the vehicle. Among the information including the vehicle external information including, the information providing control unit (230) that presents the vehicle internal information to the driver by using the information presenting unit (700) for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver. ),
With
The information provision control unit
When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information provided by the information presenting unit is set higher than in the case where the vehicle is in the manual driving state.
When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, by executing a switching preparatory process including reducing the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information, the driver is notified from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state. An information providing device configured to recognize that a switch to a manual operation state is being performed. An information providing device installed in a vehicle that can be driven automatically.
Vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the device in the vehicle and visual information and auditory information reaching the driver from the outside of the vehicle without going through the device in the vehicle. Among the information including the vehicle external information including, the information providing control unit (230) that presents the vehicle internal information to the driver by using the information presenting unit (700) for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver. ),
With
The information provision control unit
When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the degree of blocking of the vehicle external information provided by the information presenting unit is set higher than when the vehicle is in the manual driving state.
When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, by executing a switching preparatory process including reducing the degree of blocking of the vehicle external information, the driver is notified from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state. An information providing device configured to recognize that a switch to a manual operation state is being performed. An information providing device installed in a vehicle that can be driven automatically.
The vehicle internal information transmitted to the driver in the vehicle via the device in the vehicle is presented to the driver by using the information presenting unit (700) for presenting the vehicle internal information to the driver. Information provision control unit (230),
With
The information provision control unit
When the vehicle is in the automatic driving state, the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information provided by the information presenting unit is set higher than when the vehicle is in the manual driving state.
When the vehicle is switched from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state, the switching preparatory process including lowering the degree of blocking of the vehicle internal information is executed before switching to the manual driving state. An information providing device configured to make the driver aware that a switch from the automatic driving state to the manual driving state is performed. The information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a motivation promoting unit (900) for promoting the motivation of the driver for manual driving.
The information providing control unit is an information providing device that promotes the motivation of the driver for manual operation by operating the motivation promoting unit after lowering the degree of interruption in the switching preparation process.

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