JP2022120852A - vehicle control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle control system which enables improvement of safety when automatic operation is switched to manual operation.

SOLUTION: A vehicle control system includes: an operation control part 1 which switches operation of a vehicle V between automatic operation and manual operation; a seat 10 which can be changed into forms different between the automatic operation and the manual operation; and a seat control part 2 which controls operation of the seat 10 when the form is changed. The operation control part 1 can be controlled so that switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation of the vehicle V is not conducted when the seat 10 is in a form taken during the automatic operation.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle control systems.

In recent years, technologies related to autonomous driving have been developed that allow vehicles such as automobiles to maintain or change lanes, avoid obstacles, and stop or drive depending on the situation while grasping the surrounding conditions. It is Various technologies related to such automatic driving have been proposed. There is also known a vehicle that allows a seat arrangement in which the passenger and the driver are seated facing each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-039468

In a vehicle capable of automatic driving, it is conceivable that there will be situations where driving is switched from automatic driving to a driver depending on the situation. At this time, the seat on which the driver sits must be returned from the posture during automatic driving to a posture suitable for manual driving.
However, for example, the timing at which manual operation should be started does not match the time required for the seat to return to a posture suitable for manual operation, or even if the seat returns to a posture suitable for manual operation, the driver In some cases, manual operation cannot be started depending on the state of the vehicle, and improvement in safety has been desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle control system capable of improving safety when switching from automatic driving to manual driving.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a vehicle control system,
A driving control unit that switches between automatic driving and manual driving of the vehicle;
A seat that can be changed into different forms during automatic operation and during manual operation,
a sheet control unit for controlling the operation of the sheet when changing the form;
a protective means operable to protect an occupant;
When the seat is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit can control not to switch the vehicle from automatic operation to manual operation,
The seat control unit is characterized by also functioning as a protective means control unit for controlling the operation of the protective means in a situation where protection of a seated occupant is required.

The invention according to claim 2 is the vehicle control system according to claim 1,
a protective means controlled by the seat controller;
Said protective means are:
a first enclosing means having a first movable mechanism for operating a first cushion member constituting a side support of the seat back of the seat, and enclosing the body of the occupant by changing the angle of the side support inward;
It has a second movable mechanism that operates a second cushion material that constitutes both side ends of the headrest of the seat, and surrounds the occupant's head by changing the angle of the both side ends of the headrest inward. a second enclosing means;
The seat control unit selects at least one of the first enclosing means and the second enclosing means and controls the operation when the vehicle is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit. and

The invention according to claim 3 is the vehicle control system according to claim 1 or 2,
a protective means controlled by the seat controller;
Said protective means are:
an airbag curved to cover from the side support in the seat back of the seat to the front surface of the occupant's body;
an airbag operating unit that operates an airbag according to the control of the seat control unit;
The seat control unit operates the third surrounding means when the vehicle collides or is expected to collide.

The invention according to claim 4 is the vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a protective means controlled by the seat controller;
Said protective means are:
an airbag provided at a side end of the headrest of the seat and surrounding the occupant's head when activated;
an airbag operating unit that operates the airbag according to the control of the seat control unit;
The seat control unit operates the fourth surrounding means when the vehicle collides or is expected to collide.

The invention according to claim 5 is a vehicle control system,
A driving control unit that switches between automatic driving and manual driving of the vehicle;
A seat that can be changed into different forms during automatic operation and during manual operation,
a sheet control unit for controlling the operation of the sheet when changing the form;
a seat rotation unit that rotates the seat,
When the seat is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit can control not to switch the vehicle from automatic operation to manual operation,
The seat control section is characterized by also functioning as a protection means control section for controlling the operation of the seat rotation section according to the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle from the outside.

The invention according to claim 6 is the vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The seat control unit
a movement amount in the operation of the seat when changing from a mode during manual operation to a mode during automatic operation;
and an operation speed when changing the form of the sheet.

The invention according to claim 7 is the vehicle control system according to claim 6,
The operation control unit performs control based on a forced switching mode that forcibly switches between automatic operation and manual operation, and a voluntary switching mode that switches between automatic operation and manual operation according to the driver's selection,
The seat control unit is characterized in that it controls the speed of the operation of the seat separately in the forced switching mode and the voluntary switching mode.

The invention according to claim 8 is the vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a driver state detection unit for detecting whether or not the driver is seated on the seat,
The driving control unit can control not to switch the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving according to a detection result of whether or not the driver is seated by the driver state detection unit. It is characterized by

The invention according to claim 9 is the vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The vehicle comprises a plurality of seats,
The seat control unit
When the vehicle is switched from automatic driving to manual driving by the driving control unit, the seat for the driver and the other seats are controlled so as to change from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. is possible and
It is characterized in that the operation of the seat for the driver among the plurality of seats can be preferentially controlled.

The invention according to claim 10 is the vehicle control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The sheet is
a seat cushion that holds the kidneys of the occupant;
a seat back having a lower end supported by the seat cushion;
a headrest provided at the upper end of the seatback for supporting the head of the occupant;
a footrest provided at the front end of the seat cushion for supporting the feet of the occupant;
The seat cushion and the seat back each have a frame serving as a skeleton.

According to the first aspect of the invention, when the seat is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit can control not to switch the vehicle from automatic operation to manual operation, It is possible to prevent the automatic operation from being switched to the manual operation before the seat is changed from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode. Therefore, it is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to protect the occupant in a situation where protection of the occupant sitting on the seat is required.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since at least one of the side supports of the seat back to surround the occupant's body and the side ends of the headrest to surround the occupant's head can be performed, the occupant is held. and protect the occupants.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the occupant's body can be surrounded in a wide range by the airbag that is activated when the vehicle collides or is expected to occur, so that the occupant can be protected more reliably. can be done.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the occupant's head can be covered in a wide range by the airbag that is activated in the event of a vehicle collision or when a collision is expected, so that the occupant can be protected more reliably. be able to.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the seat is rotated by the seat rotating portion so as to match the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle from the outside. can be strongly opposed to

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the amount of movement of the seat when switching from the mode during manual operation to the mode during automatic operation is limited to an amount in consideration of the time required to switch from automatic operation to manual operation. Therefore, it is possible to match the timing of switching from automatic driving to manual driving with the timing of changing the seat from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. Therefore, it is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
Further, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the seat control unit controls the operation speed when changing the form of the seat. can be adjusted to the switching timing, and safety can be improved when switching between automatic operation and manual operation.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the sheet control section controls the sheet movement speed separately in the forced switching mode and the voluntary switching mode, so that the sheet is moved at a speed suitable for each mode. It is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the driver state detection unit detects whether or not the driver is seated on the seat. It is possible to prevent switching from driving to manual driving, and to improve safety when switching from automatic driving to manual driving.

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, when the vehicle is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit, the seat control unit switches the driver's seat and other seats from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode. Since the operation can be controlled to change to the driving mode, a plurality of seats can be simultaneously changed from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode.
Further, according to the ninth aspect of the invention, the driver's seat can be changed to the mode during manual operation earlier than the other seats, and the safety at the time of switching from automatic operation to manual operation is improved. can be improved.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the seat back can be changed from an inclined state to a flat state.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system; FIG. It is a flow chart at the time of switching from automatic operation to manual operation. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the form of a sheet; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the form of a sheet; It is a figure explaining the outline|summary of an occupant protection system. It is a figure explaining the outline|summary of an occupant protection system. It is a figure explaining the outline|summary of an occupant protection system.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below have various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. do not have.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system.
The vehicle control system of the present embodiment includes a driving control unit 1 for switching between automatic driving and manual driving of a vehicle V, and a seat 10 that can be changed into different modes during automatic driving and during manual driving. a seat control unit 2 for controlling the operation of the seat 10 during driving; a seat configuration changing unit 20 for changing the configuration of the seat 10 based on the control of the seat control unit 2; a driver state detection unit 30; , each connected to an in-vehicle network. The vehicle V is provided with a plurality of seats 10 .

[About the operation control unit]
The operation control unit 1 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. Various devices such as brake lights, auxiliary devices (for example, direction indicator lights, headlights, wiper devices, etc.) and actuators are connected to the operation control unit 1 .
The operation control unit 1 expands a program stored in advance in the ROM into the RAM, executes the program in the CPU, and controls automatic operation by controlling the operation of various devices and the like. The operation control section 1 may be composed of a plurality of electronic control units.

Specifically, the operation control unit 1 controls switching between automatic operation in which the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V and the condition of the vehicle V are determined and the vehicle V is controlled, and manual operation by the occupant. During automatic driving, the operation control unit 1 judges the own vehicle and its surroundings based on the information obtained from the surroundings detection unit 3, such as various sensors and surroundings shooting cameras, in order to allow the vehicle V to run independently. do. Then, according to the determination result, an automatic driving control process is performed to control the actuators that drive the accelerator amount, the brake amount, the steering angle, and the like. In the automatic driving control process, a driving plan along a preset target route is generated based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle V and map information, and the driving is controlled so that the vehicle V runs independently according to the generated driving plan.

For example, the driving control unit 1 can automatically start the automatic driving control process according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding conditions to assist the driver in driving the vehicle V while the driver is manually driving the vehicle. In this case, the operation control unit 1 outputs information indicating the start of the automatic operation control process. In addition, in the case of switching from the manual operation of the occupant to the automatic operation by the automatic operation control process according to the instruction of the occupant, the operation control unit 1 receives information indicating that the sovereignty of driving is to be transferred, that is, the start of the automatic operation control process. Predetermined information that is information to be displayed is output.

During execution of the automatic driving control process, the driving control unit 1 automatically terminates (cancels) the automatic driving control process according to the behavior of the vehicle V and the surrounding conditions, and allows the passenger to manually drive the vehicle V. Prompt processing can be performed. In this case, the driving control unit 1 outputs information indicating the end of the automatic driving control process in order to prompt the occupant to manually drive the vehicle V. Further, in the case of switching from automatic driving by the automatic driving control process to manual driving by the crew according to instructions from the crew, the driving control unit 1 receives information indicating that the driving sovereignty will be transferred, that is, the end of the automatic driving control process. Predetermined information that is information to be displayed is output.

The driving control unit 1 can be provided with a communication device for transmitting and receiving information such as surrounding conditions between the vehicle V and the outside of the vehicle V. As shown in FIG. An example of a communication device is a communication device that receives road conditions through road-to-vehicle communication, such as a radio communication device that uses DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) short-range communication.
Information indicating road conditions received by road-to-vehicle communication, which is surrounding conditions, includes the curvature of the driving lane, the shape and condition of the lane and road such as road surface cant, the positional relationship of the vehicle V with respect to the lane, and the vehicle V during travel. Information indicating the positional relationship of other vehicles, the traffic volume in the vicinity, and the like can be given. Further, the operation control unit 1 can include a navigation system as an example of a device for obtaining surrounding conditions.

The surrounding situation detection unit 3 has a plurality of types of sensors, a surrounding shooting camera, and the like, and detects the surrounding situation of the vehicle V so that the driving control unit 1 can automatically drive the vehicle. The surrounding situation detection unit 3 detects, as the surrounding situation of the vehicle V, for example, imaging information from a surrounding shooting camera, obstacle information from a radar, obstacle information from a lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), and the like. The surrounding conditions include, for example, the position of the white line of the driving lane with respect to the vehicle V, the position of the center of the lane, the road width, the shape of the road, the conditions of obstacles around the vehicle V, and the like. Note that the road shape includes, for example, the curvature of the driving lane, changes in the gradient of the road surface that are effective in estimating the line of sight of the sensor, and swells. Further, the status of obstacles around vehicle V includes, for example, information for distinguishing between fixed obstacles and moving obstacles, the position of obstacles with respect to vehicle V, the direction of movement of obstacles with respect to vehicle V, and the obstacles with respect to vehicle V. There is a relative velocity of

[Regarding sheet control unit and sheet]
The seat control unit 2 is for changing the position, orientation, and posture (that is, form) of the seat 10 provided in the vehicle V, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a microcomputer including RAM (Random Access Memory). In addition to the driving control unit 1 and the seat control unit 2, the vehicle control system of the present embodiment includes storage means for storing various information and programs, input means for transmitting the intention of the passenger to the system, and various Assume that various means necessary for changing the configuration of the seat 10, such as output means for transmitting information to the occupant, are provided.
Further, the seat control unit 2 is connected to the driving control unit 1 and can control the configuration of the seat 10 in conjunction with the control related to the driving of the vehicle V by the driving control unit 1 . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the driving control section 1 and the seat control section 2 may be integrated into one control section.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the seat 10 includes a seat cushion 11 that holds the buttocks of an occupant, a seat back 12 whose lower end is supported by the seat cushion 11, and an upper end of the seat back 12. A headrest 13 for supporting the occupant's head, and a footrest 14 provided at the front end of the seat cushion 11 for supporting the occupant's feet.
The seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 have a frame that serves as a frame of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 (not shown). Further, the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 each have side supports 11a, 12a that are obliquely protruded at the left and right ends to hold the occupant.
The frame of the seat cushion 11 is supported on the floor of the vehicle body by a support mechanism (not shown).
The headrest 13 has a pillar 13a attached to the frame of the seatback 12, as shown in FIG.
The footrest 14 has a frame that serves as a frame of the footrest 14 (not shown).

The seat configuration changing unit 20 includes a support mechanism, an actuator, and the like for changing the configuration of the seat 10 with respect to the vehicle V, and the seat configuration changing unit 20 can change the seat arrangement of the seat 10 . In this embodiment, the seats 10 are arranged in two rows in each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the shape of each seat 10 can be changed by the seat control unit 2 and the seat shape changing unit 20.
Each of the plurality of seats 10 has a configuration that can be changed into a plurality of forms, and can be changed into a plurality of forms based on the seat control section 2 and the seat form changing section 20 .

The plurality of configurations of the seat 10 include configurations suitable for manual operation and configurations not suitable for manual operation.
In this embodiment, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from automatic operation to manual operation, the seat control unit 2 causes the seat configuration changing unit 20 to change to the seat arrangement for manual operation (a configuration suitable for manual operation). Control. On the other hand, at the timing when the operation control unit 1 switches from manual operation to automatic operation, the seat control unit 2 controls the seat configuration changing unit 20 to change the seat arrangement for automatic operation (a configuration not suitable for manual operation). In other words, the mode not suitable for manual driving means that when the vehicle V is switched from manual driving to automatic driving by the driving control unit 1, the seat configuration changing unit 20 operates and changes based on the control of the seat control unit 2. It is the form of the sheet 10 which is carried out.
It should be noted that the seat 10, which has been changed into a form suitable for manual driving, can be adjusted by the passenger's manual operation. That is, the occupant can make fine adjustments according to the occupant's physical characteristics.

There are a plurality of patterns for the configuration of the seat 10 that is not suitable for manual driving, and the operation of the seat 10 is controlled by the seat controller 2 so that the configuration of the seat 10 is selected by the occupant from among the plurality of patterns. That is, although not shown, for example, a plurality of forms (a plurality of patterns) of the seat 10 during automatic driving may be displayed on the display for the navigation system described above so that the occupant can make a selection. A button that can select a plurality of forms may be installed in the interior of V. In other words, the vehicle control system stores a plurality of options (a plurality of patterns) in advance and incorporates selection means (input means) for selecting the form of the seat 10. An arbitrary pattern of the form of the sheet 10 can be selected from options (a plurality of patterns).
Then, the seat control section 2 operates the seat configuration changing section 20 so as to change the configuration of the seat 10 according to the selection made by the occupant using the selection means.
In order to change the form as described above, the seat 10 includes a first angle changing portion 21, a second angle changing portion 22, a third angle changing portion 23, a fourth angle changing portion 24, It has a fifth angle changing portion 25, a seat rotating portion 26, a seat sliding portion 27, and a seat attitude detecting portion 28 (see FIG. 1).

The first angle changer 21 is controllable by the seat controller 2 to change the angle of the seat cushion 11, and is incorporated in the support mechanism described above. That is, the support mechanism that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to change the angle of the seat cushion 11 .
The angle of the seat cushion 11 can be changed by the first angle changer 21 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the seat cushion 11 can be changed from a state in which the front end portion is positioned higher than the rear end portion as shown in FIG. 3(a) to a flat state as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The second angle changing section 22 is controllable by the seat control section 2 and changes the angle of the seat back 12 . It has a rotatable rotating shaft 22a and an actuator (not shown) that drives to rotate the rotating shaft 22a.
The angle of the seat back 12 can be changed by the second angle changer 22 from an angle suitable for manual driving to a flat state. That is, the seat back 12 can be changed from the inclined state shown in FIG. 3(a) to the flat state shown in FIG. 3(b).

The third angle changing unit 23 is controllable by the seat control unit 2 and changes the angles of the side supports 11a and 12a in the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12. Equipped with a movable mechanism that opens to That is, the movable mechanism is built in the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 .
The angle of the side supports 11a and 12a can be changed by the third angle changer 23 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 are changed from a state in which the side supports 11a and 12a bulge obliquely as shown by solid lines in FIGS. The side supports 11a and 12a can be in a flat state as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

The fourth angle changing unit 24 is controllable by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the headrest 13, and can rotate the pillar 13a of the headrest 13 and the headrest 13 with respect to the seatback 12. and an actuator (not shown) that drives to rotate the rotating shaft 24a.
The angle of the headrest 13 can be changed by the third angle changer 24 until the seat back 12 is in a flat state. That is, the headrest 13 can be changed from an angle suitable for supporting the occupant's head as shown in FIG. 3(a) to a flat state as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The fifth angle changing unit 25 is controllable by the seat control unit 2 to change the angle of the footrest 14, and allows the frame of the footrest 14 and the footrest 14 to rotate with respect to the seat cushion 11. and an actuator (not shown) that drives to rotate the rotating shaft 25a.
The angle of the footrest 14 can be changed by the fifth angle changer 25 from an angle suitable for manual operation to a flat state. That is, the footrest 14 can be changed from the state of being stored in the front end portion of the seat cushion 11 as shown in FIG. 3(a) to the flat state as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The seat rotation section 26 is controllable by the seat control section 2 to rotate the seat cushion 11 (and thus the entire seat 10), and is incorporated in the support mechanism described above. That is, the support mechanism that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to change the angle of the seat cushion 11 .
The seat cushion 11 can be rotated from a position suitable for manual operation to a position facing completely rearward by a seat rotating portion 26 .

The seat slide portion 27 can be controlled by the seat control portion 2 to slide the seat cushion 11 (and the seat 10 as a whole) in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction, and is incorporated in the support mechanism described above. . That is, the support mechanism that supports the seat cushion 11 is configured to be able to change the position of the seat cushion 11 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction.
The seat cushion 11 can be slid from a position suitable for manual operation to a position not suitable for manual operation by means of the seat slide portion 27 .

The first to fifth angle changing sections 21 to 25, the seat rotating section 26, and the seat sliding section 27 can be controlled separately by the seat control section 2. 25 , a seat rotating portion 26 and a seat sliding portion 27 can be controlled simultaneously by the seat control portion 2 .

The seat posture detection unit 28 includes a plurality of sensors (not shown) that detect the positions of the respective parts of the seat 10, and the seat control unit 2 detects the posture and position of the seat 10 based on detection signals from the plurality of sensors. The position and orientation can be calculated and derived. That is, after the configuration of the seat 10 is changed, the seat orientation detection unit 28 can grasp the state of the seat 10 .

Note that the driving control unit 1 can vertically move a steering wheel H for driving the vehicle V, as shown in FIG. 3(a). The vehicle V includes a handle moving section 4, which is a movable mechanism for vertically moving the handle H (see FIG. 1). By moving the steering wheel H up and down, it is possible not only to adjust the position of the steering wheel H but also to expand the space inside the vehicle during automatic driving.

[When switching from manual operation to automatic operation]
The operation control unit 1 performs control based on a forced switching mode in which the automatic operation and the manual operation are forcibly switched, and a voluntary switching mode in which the automatic operation and the manual operation are switched by the driver's selection. That is, switching from manual operation to automatic operation may be performed forcibly or may be performed voluntarily.
Note that the forced switching may occur, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the health condition of the occupant, or when the timing of switching from manual driving to automatic driving is reserved in advance.

When the vehicle V is voluntarily switched from manual operation to automatic operation, the occupant selects an arbitrary form of the seat 10 by the above-described selection means. The seat control section 2 controls the operation of the seat configuration changing section 20 so as to change the configuration of the seat 10 according to the selection of the passenger.
The first to fifth angle changing sections 21 to 25 and the seat rotating section 26 of the seat configuration changing section 20 operate appropriately so that the configuration selected by the occupant is achieved.

Options (patterns) that can be selected by the occupant are not particularly limited, and various patterns are set in advance, including the form in which the seat 10 is flat as shown in FIG. 3(b).
Other options include a sleep pattern suitable for sleeping, a viewing pattern suitable for watching videos displayed on the display, a desk work pattern suitable for work and writing, etc. mentioned.

In the sleep pattern described above, the seat back 12 is inclined slightly upward from the flat state shown in FIG. 3(b).
In the viewing pattern, the entire seat 10 turns toward the display, and the angles of the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 are changed.

In the desk work pattern, the side supports 11a and 12a are opened, and the angle is changed to be suitable for sitting desk work. Further, although not shown, a table is placed in front of the occupant so that the occupant can easily work while sitting on the seat 10 .
The table is provided as an auxiliary functional unit for assisting the work of the passenger seated on the seat 10, and is incorporated in the interior near the seat 10 in this embodiment. Further, the table can be moved by a table moving unit 5 which is a movable mechanism for moving the table.
In this embodiment, the table is incorporated in the interior near the seat 10, but is not limited to this, and is incorporated in a storage portion (not shown) formed in the seat 10 itself. may

The auxiliary function unit such as the table described above may have a function for assisting the work of the occupant. In addition, for example, a drink holder is provided as an auxiliary functional part, and the drink holder is moved to a position that is easily accessible to the passenger in the viewing pattern.

After the seat 10 is changed to the form selected by the occupant, the angle of each part such as the seat cushion 11 and the seat back 12 and the direction of the seat 10 can be finely adjusted.

[When switching from automatic operation to manual operation]
As described above, the operation control unit 1 performs control based on a forced switching mode that forcibly switches between automatic operation and manual operation, and a voluntary switching mode that switches between automatic operation and manual operation according to the driver's selection. Is going.
In addition, when the vehicle V is voluntarily switched from automatic driving to manual driving, the occupant voluntarily switches it. That is, when the occupant determines that manual operation is necessary, the occupant switches from manual operation to automatic operation.

For example, when the vehicle V is forced to move from an expressway to a general road, or when approaching a road with a complicated shape. However, when forcibly switching from automatic driving to manual driving, for example, if the driver is not seated on the seat 10 or the driver's health condition is abnormal, the forced switching to manual driving is performed. I don't like it.
Therefore, when the seat 10 is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit 1 can perform control so as not to switch the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation.

The vehicle control system of this embodiment includes a driver state detector 30 for detecting the state of the driver. Then, the driving control unit 1 can perform control so as not to switch the vehicle V from automatic driving to manual driving according to the detection result of the driver's state by the driver state detection unit 30 .

More specifically, the driver state detection unit 30 has a seating state detection unit 31 that detects whether or not the driver is seated on the seat 10, as shown in FIG.
The seating state detection unit 31 is a sensor that is incorporated in at least the driver's seat 10 and detects the seating of the passenger, and employs, for example, a pressure sensor.
The operation control unit 1 can switch the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation when the seating state detection unit 31 can confirm that the passenger is seated. To continue automatic operation without switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
In this embodiment, a pressure sensor is used as the seating state detector 31, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the seating state of the occupant may be confirmed by photographing with a camera.

Furthermore, the driver's condition detection unit 30 has a health condition detection unit 32 that detects the health condition of the driver, as shown in FIG.
As the health condition detector 32, a sensor that is incorporated in at least the driver's seat 10 and detects the health condition of the occupant is employed. Biosensors such as blood pressure sensors and pulse sensors can be used as such sensors.
The operation control unit 1 can switch the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation when the health condition detection unit 32 confirms that there is no problem with the health condition of the occupant. , the automatic operation of the vehicle V is continued without switching from the automatic operation to the manual operation.

In the present embodiment, a biosensor is used as the health condition detection unit 32, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the health condition of the occupant may be confirmed by photographing with a camera. For example, the pupils are checked, and the state in which the hand is not placed on the steering wheel H is checked.
A combination of sensors and cameras can also determine if the occupants are simply asleep. That is, if there is no health problem but the eyes are not open, it is determined that the person is dozing off.

Also, a microphone that collects the driver's voice may be employed, and the presence or absence of the driver's consciousness may be confirmed by using both the biosensor and the microphone. That is, the driver is encouraged to speak, and if the driver's voice is not detected, it is determined that the driver is unconscious.
Additionally, an alcohol sensor may be employed. If the alcohol sensor detects alcohol in the driver's breath, the automatic operation is not switched to manual operation. Depending on the situation, the vehicle V may be parked in a place where it can be parked, and control may be performed to prevent the vehicle from starting until alcohol is no longer detected from the breath. In this case, the driver may be changed to an occupant whose alcohol is not detected so that the call can be made.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.
As shown in such a flowchart, when switching from automatic operation to manual operation, first, the seating state of the passenger on the driver's seat 10 is detected by the seating state detection unit 31 (step S1).

If the seating of the passenger cannot be confirmed in step S2, the operation control unit 1 notifies the passenger in the vehicle and prompts them to sit on the seat 10 in step S3.
When it is confirmed that the passenger is seated in step S2, the operation control unit 1 detects the health condition of the passenger using the health condition detection unit 32 (step S4).

If it is confirmed in step S5 that there is no problem with the health of the occupant, the seat control unit 2 activates protective means, which will be described later, to protect the occupant (step S6).
Subsequently, the operation control unit 1 switches the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation (step S7). At this point, the vehicle V is operated by the passenger seated on the driver's seat 10 . After that, manual operation is continued (step S8).

If it is confirmed in step S5 that there is a problem with the physical condition of the occupant, the operation control unit 1 continues the automatic operation (step S9).
When the automatic driving is continued, for safety reasons, the surrounding situation detection unit 3 detects a place where the vehicle V can be parked or stopped (step S10). Then, if no parking place is found, automatic driving is continued. On the other hand, if a place where the vehicle can be parked is found, the vehicle V is stopped or parked at that place (step S11).
When switching from automatic operation to manual operation, the above flow is performed.

The vehicle V includes a plurality of seats 10 as described above. Then, when the vehicle V is switched from automatic driving to manual driving by the operation control unit 1, the seat control unit 2 changes the seat 10 for the driver and the other seats 10 from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. The behavior can be controlled to change to
If all the seats 10 in the vehicle are operated at once, it may not be preferable due to the limited space in the vehicle. to control.

Further, when the passenger is in a relaxed state during automatic driving, and the seat 10 is in a form suitable for the relaxed state of the passenger, the seat 10 can be adjusted to be suitable for manual driving by the timing when manual driving should be started. It is also possible that it cannot be returned to its original position.
Therefore, even when the seat 10 is in a mode during automatic operation and the seat 10 cannot be returned to the position suitable for manual operation by the timing at which manual operation should be started, the operation control unit 1 controls the vehicle. It is possible to control not to switch from V automatic operation to manual operation.

In addition, in order to prevent the seat 10 from being returned to a position suitable for manual operation by the timing at which manual operation should be started, the seat control unit 2 controls when changing from the mode during manual operation to the mode during automatic operation. It controls the amount of movement in the operation of the seat 10 .
That is, when trying to switch from manual operation to automatic operation, for example, if the seat 10 faces directly behind and is in a flat state, it takes time to return to a position suitable for manual operation, and manual operation is started. It is conceivable that it may not be in time. Therefore, originally, by restricting the amount of movement of the seat 10 when changing from the mode during manual operation to the mode during automatic operation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which manual operation is not started in time. Become.

Further, the sheet control section 2 controls the operation speed when changing the form of the sheet 10 . That is, under the control of the seat control unit 2, the operating speed of the seat 10 when changing from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, and the seat speed when changing from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode. 10 movement speed can be increased or decreased.
In this way, when switching from manual operation to automatic operation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the configuration of the seat 10 is not changed in time to start manual operation. In addition, it is possible to change the operation speed when changing the form of the seat 10 not only when switching from manual operation to automatic operation but also in other situations.

In addition, the seat control unit 2 extends the required time by controlling the speed at which the seat 10 operates when changing from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode. In other words, the operation of the seat 10 is delayed under the control of the seat control unit 2 to secure the time until the occupant in the relaxed state is ready for manual operation.
By doing so, the operation of the seat 10 when changing the form can be delayed to match the timing of switching from automatic operation to manual operation, and the occupant can face manual operation with a sense of leeway. .

Further, as described above, the operation control unit 1 has a forced switching mode that forcibly switches between automatic operation and manual operation, and a voluntary switching mode that switches between automatic operation and manual operation according to the driver's selection. The seat controller 2 separately controls the speed of the seat 10 in the forced switching mode and the voluntary switching mode.
In this way, when switching from manual operation to automatic operation, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the configuration of the seat 10 is not changed in time to start manual operation. Furthermore, the seat 10 can be operated at speeds suitable for each mode.

As described above, the seat 10 can be changed from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode, and the vehicle V can be switched from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode.
Since the timing of switching from automatic driving to manual driving is, so to speak, the timing when the sovereignty of driving the vehicle V is transferred from the computer to the human, it is desired to ensure the safety of the occupants. Needless to say, it is necessary to ensure not only the timing of switching from automatic driving to manual driving, but also the safety of passengers during automatic driving. An occupant protection system for ensuring the safety of occupants will be described below.

[About the occupant protection system]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7, the seat 10 includes protection means for protecting the occupant in a situation requiring protection of the occupant seated on the seat 10, and protection means for controlling the operation of the protection means. and a control unit.
Since the protection means control section controls the operation of the protection means incorporated in the seat 10, the above-described seat control section 2 also serves as the protection means control section.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the protection means includes surrounding means 23, 41, 42, and 43 for surrounding and protecting the occupant seated on the seat 10. As shown in FIGS.
The surrounding means 23, 41, 42, 43 have a plurality of patterns with different degrees of protection depending on the situation requiring protection of the occupants. In this embodiment, the protection means comprises first enclosing means 23 , second enclosing means 41 , third enclosing means 42 and fourth enclosing means 43 .

The first surrounding means 23 is the third angle changing portion 23 for changing the angle of the side support 12a in the seat back 12, and as shown in FIG. It is configured to surround the body of the occupant.
That is, the first enclosing means 23 has a movable mechanism that operates the cushioning material that constitutes the side support 12 a , and the operation of the movable mechanism is controlled by the seat control section 2 .
According to the first surrounding means 23, the side supports 12a of the seat back 12 can surround the occupant's body, so that the occupant can be held and protected.
In this embodiment, the occupant's body is surrounded by the side supports 12a of the seat back 12, but the occupant's buttocks may be surrounded by the side supports 11a of the seat cushion 11.

The second enclosing means 41 changes the angle of the left and right side ends 13b of the headrest 13, and as shown in FIG. It is designed to surround the head.
That is, the second enclosing means 41 has a movable mechanism that operates the cushion material forming the side ends 13 b of the headrest 13 , and the operation of the movable mechanism is controlled by the seat controller 2 .
According to the second surrounding means 41, the head of the occupant can be surrounded by the side ends 13b of the headrest 13, thereby protecting the occupant.
In the present embodiment, the second enclosing means 41 changes the angle of both side end portions 13b of the headrest 13 inward to enclose the occupant's head, but this is not the only option. is not. For example, side support members that protrude (or bulge) forward within a range that does not block the field of vision may be provided at both side ends of the headrest 13 and used as the second surrounding means 41 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the third enclosing means 42 is provided on the side support 12a of the seat back 12. When activated, the airbag 42a surrounds the occupant's body to the front side, and the seat control unit 2 controls the airbag 42a. and an airbag actuating portion 42b that actuates the airbag 42a in response to.
The third enclosing means 42 provides a higher degree of protection than the first enclosing means 23, which also uses the side supports 12a, and operates when the vehicle V collides or is expected to collide.
The airbag 42a is curved to cover from the side support 12a of the seat back 12 to the front of the occupant's body.
According to the third surrounding means 42, the body of the occupant can be surrounded in a wide range by the airbag 42a which is activated at the time of collision of the vehicle V or when a collision is expected. can be protected.

The fourth surrounding means 43 is provided at the side end portion 13b of the headrest 13, and includes an airbag 43a that surrounds the occupant's head when activated, and an airbag that activates the airbag according to the control of the seat controller 2. and an operating portion 43b.
The fourth enclosing means 43 provides a higher degree of protection than the second enclosing means 41, which also uses the headrest 13, and operates when the vehicle V collides or is expected to collide.
The airbags 43a are formed to protrude forward from both side ends of the headrest 13 .
According to the fourth enveloping means 43, the head of the occupant can be encircled in a wide range by the airbag 43a which is activated when the vehicle V collides or is expected to collide. can be protected.

FIG. 7 shows an example of other protective means, and the protective means in FIG. 7 includes seat rotating means for rotating the seat 10 in accordance with the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle V from the outside. The sheet rotating means is composed of the sheet rotating portion 26 described above.
Not only the seat 10 according to the present embodiment, but also any vehicle seat including a seat cushion and a seat back can be seated in a state in which it is possible to stand against the impact load from the front. Therefore, by rotating the seat 10 by means of the seat rotating portion 26, which is a seat rotating means, and aligning it with the direction of the impact load applied to the vehicle V from the outside, the occupant sitting on the seat 10 can be in a state of being able to hold on to the impact load. can be strongly opposed to
Considering the protection of passengers, it is desirable that the seat 10 rotates so as to completely match the direction of the impact load. do.

In this embodiment, only the seat rotating portion 26 is used as the seat rotating means. seat slide portion 27 may be used.

The protection means shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is controlled in operation by a seat control section 2 which is a protection means control section. There are a variety of situations that require occupant protection, such as those described below.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection means control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection means described above when the vehicle V is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit 1.
When the automatic driving is switched to the manual driving, as described above, it is the timing when the driving sovereignty of the vehicle V is transferred from the computer to the human.
It should be noted that protective means (first enclosing means 23, second enclosing means 41) as shown in FIG. preferable.

A seat control unit 2, which is a protection means control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection means described above when the operation control unit 1 detects an abnormality in the system relating to automatic operation.
When an abnormality of a system related to automatic driving is detected, the manner in which the vehicle V travels differs depending on what kind of abnormality is detected. is selected.
For example, if an abnormality in a system related to automatic operation switches from automatic operation to manual operation, protection means (first enclosing means 23, second enclosing means 41) as shown in FIG. 5 are selected. Further, if the abnormality of the system related to automatic driving is such that the operation of the vehicle V becomes impossible, the protective means (the third enclosing means 42 and the fourth enclosing means 43) shown in FIG. 6 are selected. be. That is, since there are a plurality of patterns of surrounding means with different degrees of protection depending on the situation requiring protection of the occupant, the surrounding means is selected according to the situation.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection means control unit, activates at least one of the above-described protection measures according to the detection result of the driver's condition by the health condition detection unit 32 of the driver condition detection unit 30. controls the behavior of
The health condition detector 32 detects the health condition of the driver as described above, and appropriate protection measures are selected according to the health condition of the driver. In particular, it is desirable to select a protective measure depending on whether or not the driver is conscious, or to use several protective measures in combination.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection means control unit, controls the operation of at least one of the various protection means described above when the vehicle V during automatic operation collides with an obstacle S or the like.
When the vehicle V collides with an obstacle S or the like, an impact load is applied to the vehicle V from the outside.
As protection means when such a vehicle V collides with an obstacle S or the like, the protection means (the third enclosing means 42 and the fourth enclosing means 43) shown in FIG. 6 or the protecting means shown in FIG. 26) is selected. Alternatively, both may be selected.

The seat control unit 2, which is a protection means control unit, controls the operation of at least one protection means among the various protection means described above when the vehicle V during automatic driving takes action to avoid an obstacle S or the like. .
When the vehicle V makes an action to avoid an obstacle S or the like, for example, the vehicle V makes a sharp curve or brakes suddenly, so that the occupants need to be protected.
As protection means for the vehicle V to avoid the obstacle S or the like, the protection means (first enclosing means 23, second enclosing means 41) shown in FIG. It is preferable to resist the centrifugal force at the time of curve or to suppress the forward movement of the occupant by selecting the protection means (the third surrounding means 42) as shown in FIG.

The occupant protection system (vehicle control system) is provided with the surrounding situation detection unit 3 for detecting the surrounding situation of the vehicle V as described above, and the surrounding situation detection unit 3 detects the presence or absence of an obstacle S or the like. be able to. Therefore, the various protective measures described above are selected based on the information obtained from the peripheral situation detection section 3 .

The vehicle V incorporates the occupant protection system configured as described above, and can protect the occupant in situations where protection of the occupant seated on the seat 10 is required.

According to the present embodiment as described above, when the seat 10 is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit 1 can perform control so as not to switch the vehicle V from automatic operation to manual operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the automatic operation from being switched to the manual operation before the seat 10 is changed from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode. Therefore, it is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

In addition, the amount of movement of the seat 10 when switching from the mode during manual operation to the mode during automatic operation can be limited to an amount that takes into account the time required for switching from automatic operation to manual operation. , and the timing at which the seat 10 is changed from the mode during automatic operation to the mode during manual operation. Therefore, it is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

Further, since the seat control unit 2 controls the operation speed when changing the form of the seat 10, the operation when changing the form of the seat 10 can be matched with the timing of switching between automatic operation and manual operation. , it is possible to improve safety when switching between automatic operation and manual operation.

In addition, the operation of the seat 10 when changing the mode can be delayed to match the timing of switching from automatic operation to manual operation, and the occupant can approach manual operation with a sense of leeway. Therefore, safety can be improved when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

In addition, since the seat control unit 2 separately controls the speed of the operation of the seat 10 in the forced switching mode and the voluntary switching mode, the seat 10 can be operated at a speed suitable for each mode. It is possible to improve safety when switching from driving to manual driving.

Further, when it is not desirable to switch from automatic driving to manual driving according to the detection result of the driver's state, it is possible to control the vehicle V not to switch from automatic driving to manual driving. It is possible to improve safety when switching to

In addition, since the seating state detection unit 31 in the driver state detection unit 30 detects whether or not the driver is seated on the seat 10, when the driver is not seated on the seat 10 (driver's seat), automatic It is possible to prevent switching from driving to manual driving, and to improve safety when switching from automatic driving to manual driving.

In addition, since the health condition detection unit 32 in the driver condition detection unit 30 detects the health condition of the driver, it is possible to prevent switching from automatic driving to manual driving when the driver is in a state of health that prevents driving. It is possible to improve safety when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

Further, when the vehicle V is switched from automatic operation to manual operation by the operation control unit 1, the seat control unit 2 switches the seat 10 for the driver and the other seats 10 from the automatic operation mode to the manual operation mode. , the plurality of seats 10 can be simultaneously changed from the mode during automatic operation to the mode during manual operation.

In addition, since the seat control unit 2 preferentially controls the operation of the driver's seat 10 among the plurality of seats 10, the driver's seat 10 can be set to manual operation earlier than the other seats 10. , and safety can be improved when switching from automatic operation to manual operation.

1 operation control unit 2 seat control unit (protection means control unit)
3 Peripheral situation detection unit 10 seat 11 seat cushion 11a side support 12 seat back 12a side support 13 headrest 13a side end 14 footrest 20 seat form changing unit 21 first angle changing unit 22 second angle changing unit 22a rotating shaft 23 third angle changing Part 24 Fourth angle changing part 24a Rotating shaft 25 Fifth angle changing part 25a Rotating shaft 26 Seat rotating part 27 Seat sliding part 28 Seat attitude detecting part 30 Driver condition detecting part 31 Seating condition detecting part 32 Health condition detecting part 40 Protection Means 41 Second surrounding means 42 Third surrounding means 42a Airbag 42b Airbag operating portion 43 Fourth surrounding means 43a Airbag 43b Airbag operating portion

Claims (1)

A driving control unit that switches between automatic driving and manual driving of the vehicle;
A seat that can be changed into different forms during automatic operation and during manual operation,
a sheet control unit that controls the operation of the sheet when changing the form,
When the seat is in the mode of automatic operation, the operation control unit can control not to switch the vehicle from automatic operation to manual operation,
The vehicle control system, wherein the seat control unit also serves as a protective means control unit for controlling the operation of protective means for protecting a seated passenger in a situation requiring protection of the passenger.

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