JP2023047673A - Operation assisting device and operation assisting method - Google Patents

Abstract

To realize an operation assisting device capable of automatically changing a driving posture according to a travel condition of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An operation assisting device (12) according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a biological information acquisition section (121) which acquires biological information of a driver of a vehicle; a travel information acquisition section (122) which acquires travel information of the vehicle; a selection section (123) which selects a driving position from a plurality of driving positions on the basis of the travel information of the vehicle; and a control section (125) which controls a seat position of the vehicle on the basis of the biological information of the driver and information indicating the selected driving position so as to realize a driving posture of the driver corresponding to the selected driving position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method.

The driving posture of the vehicle driver when driving the vehicle is important for suppressing a decrease in concentration when driving the vehicle, and is preferably a posture that does not cause fatigue. For example, the seat device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a solar rack adjustment mechanism operated by the driver so that the driving posture of the vehicle driver is the solar rack support posture.

Japanese Patent No. 2664604

In the seat device of Patent Document 1, the driver operates the solar rack adjustment mechanism to set the driving posture of the driver to the solar rack support posture, so that the driving posture is automatically changed according to the running conditions of the vehicle. not

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to realize a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method capable of automatically changing the driving posture according to the running conditions of the vehicle.

A driving support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
a biometric information acquiring unit that acquires biometric information of a vehicle driver;
a travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information of the vehicle;
a selection unit that selects a driving position based on driving information of the vehicle from among a plurality of driving positions;
A control unit for controlling the seat position of the vehicle based on the biological information of the driver and the information indicating the selected driving position so that the driving posture of the driver corresponding to the selected driving position is realized. and,
Prepare.

A driving support method according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
obtaining biometric information of the driver of the vehicle;
a step of acquiring travel information of the vehicle;
a step of selecting a driving position from among a plurality of driving positions based on driving information of the vehicle;
controlling the seat position of the vehicle based on the biological information of the driver and the information indicating the selected driving position so that the driving posture of the driver corresponding to the selected driving position is realized; ,
Prepare.

According to the present invention, the driving posture can be automatically changed according to the running conditions of the vehicle.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving support system according to Embodiment 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram showing the flow of a driving support method according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram showing the flow of a driving support method according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a first driving position; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a second driving position; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving support system according to Embodiment 2; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow chart diagram showing the flow of a driving support method according to Embodiment 2;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

<Embodiment 1>
First, the configuration of the driving support system of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system of this embodiment. The driving support system 1 includes, for example, an imaging unit 2, a state detection unit 3, a load detection unit 4, a navigation system 5, a first actuator 6, a second actuator 7, and a third actuator 8, as shown in FIG. , a fourth actuator 9 , a fifth actuator 10 , a notification unit 11 , a driving support device 12 and a storage unit 13 .

The imaging unit 2 is a camera for imaging the driving posture of the driver of the vehicle. The imaging unit 2 is arranged in front of the driver inside the vehicle so that, for example, the driver's upper half of the body and above can be imaged. However, the imaging unit 2 may be configured by a camera of a drive recorder, etc., regardless of its arrangement as long as it can image the driving posture of the driver.

The state detection unit 3 is a sensor for detecting the state of the driver. The state detection unit 3 is, for example, a wearable terminal worn by the driver, and detects eye blinks, movements, electrooculography, and the like. However, the state detection unit 3 may be a sensor that detects the driver's pulse, skin temperature, respiration, or the like, and may be configured by the imaging unit 2 .

The load detection unit 4 is provided on the seat of the vehicle and is a load sensor for detecting the load of the driver acting on the seat. The load detection unit 4 may be provided on, for example, a seat cushion, a seat back, a headrest, and an armrest.

The navigation system 5 displays information indicating the input route on the display unit when the driver inputs the route from the departure point to the destination using the operation unit. At this time, the navigation system 5 is preferably capable of inputting the driver's height and the like via the operation unit. Further, it is preferable that the navigation system 5 be capable of inputting whether or not to execute the driving assistance mode via the operation unit.

Furthermore, the navigation system 5 uses the operation unit to select a seat position, a steering wheel position, a pedal position, a side mirror position as a reference driving position (that is, a driving position corresponding to a preset driving posture) according to the driver. and rearview mirror position. However, an input unit for inputting the height of the driver, whether or not to execute the driving assistance mode, the reference driving position, and the like may be separately provided.

The first actuator 6 is adjusting means for adjusting the seat position of the seat on which the driver sits. The first actuator 6 is, for example, the front-rear position, inclination and vertical position of the seat cushion, the inclination of the seat back and the forward protrusion amount of the lumbar support provided on the seat back, the front-rear position, inclination and vertical position of the headrest. , and the vertical position and inclination of the armrest can be adjusted.

The second actuator 7 is adjusting means for adjusting the handle position. The second actuator 7 is preferably capable of adjusting the front-rear position and inclination of the handle. A third actuator 8 is an adjustment means for adjusting the pedal position. The third actuator 8 is preferably capable of adjusting, for example, the longitudinal position, inclination, and vertical position of various pedals.

The fourth actuator 9 is adjusting means for adjusting the side mirror position. The fourth actuator 9 is preferably capable of adjusting the tilt of the side mirror, for example. The fifth actuator 10 is adjusting means for adjusting the rearview mirror position. The fifth actuator 10 is preferably capable of adjusting the tilt of the rearview mirror, for example.

As will be described later, the notification unit 11 is a means for notifying the driver that the driver is tired, and is, for example, a speaker provided in the vehicle. However, the notification unit 11 only needs to be able to notify the driver that the driver is tired, and may be configured by the display unit of the navigation system 5, for example.

The driving support device 12 includes a biometric information acquisition unit 121 , a travel information acquisition unit 122 , a selection unit 123 , a calculation unit 124 and a control unit 125 . The biological information acquisition unit 121 obtains, as the biological information of the driver, information indicating an image obtained by capturing the driving posture of the driver from the imaging unit 2, information indicating the state of the driver from the state detection unit 3, and driving force acting on the seat. Get information indicating the weight of the person.

The travel information acquisition unit 122 acquires information indicating a route input via the operation unit of the navigation system 5 as vehicle travel information. Although the details will be described later, the selection unit 123 selects a driving position from among a plurality of driving positions based on the traveling information of the vehicle. The calculation unit 124 calculates the degree of fatigue of the driver based on the information indicating the image of the driver, the information indicating the state of the driver, and the information indicating the load.

The control unit 125 controls the first actuator 6, the second actuator 7, the third actuator 8, the fourth actuator 9 and the fifth actuator 10 based on the information indicating the selected driving position. Also, the control unit 125 controls the notification unit 11 based on the information indicating the degree of fatigue of the driver.

The storage unit 13 stores information indicating the driver's height and the like. Further, the storage unit 13 stores, as information indicating a plurality of driving positions, information indicating a reference driving position set by the driver, and a driving posture in which the driver's pelvis is forward-rotated with respect to the driving posture of the reference driving position. information indicating a first driving position and information indicating a second driving position in which the driver's pelvis is turned backward with respect to the driving posture of the reference driving position.

Next, the flow of the driving assistance method of this embodiment will be described. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the flow of the driving support method according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the first driving position. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the second driving position. 4 and 5 representatively show the driver's driving posture, seat position, steering wheel position, and pedal position.

First, when the driver turns on the accessory power source of the vehicle, the navigation system 5 is activated, and the operation section of the navigation system 5 becomes ready for input (S1). Then, the driving assistance device 12 determines whether or not execution of the driving assistance mode has been selected via the operation unit of the navigation system 5 (S2).

When execution of the driving assistance mode is not selected, the control unit 125 of the driving assistance device 12 sets the seat position, the steering wheel position, the pedal position, the side mirror position, and the rearview mirror position to the reference driving positions. After controlling the actuator 6, the second actuator 7, the third actuator 8, the fourth actuator 9 and the fifth actuator 10, the process ends (NO in S2).

When execution of the driving assistance mode is selected, the driving assistance device 12 starts executing the driving assistance mode and determines whether information indicating a route has been input from the navigation system 5 (S3). If the information indicating the route is not input within the preset period, the driving assistance device 12 terminates the driving assistance mode (NO in S3).

When the information indicating the route is input within a preset period, the selection unit 123 of the driving support device 12 selects a section of the road on which the vehicle travels from a general road based on the input information indicating the route. A section of the expressway is distinguished (S4).

Then, the selection unit 123 selects the first driving position as the driving position when driving on the section of the general road, and selects the second driving position as the driving position when driving on the section of the expressway (S5 ).

Next, the driving support device 12 determines whether or not the vehicle is stopped based on the information indicating the vehicle speed pulse input to the navigation system 5 (S6). NO), the control unit 125 of the driving support device 12 returns to the step of S6.

On the other hand, if the vehicle is stopped (YES in S6), the control unit 125 of the driving support device 12 assumes a posture corresponding to the first driving position or the second driving position selected by the driver. , the first actuator 6, the second actuator 7, the third actuator 8, the fourth actuator 9 and the fifth actuator 10 are controlled (S7).

At this time, the control unit 125 can derive and refer to the driver's posture from the information indicating the captured image of the driver's driving posture acquired from the imaging unit 2 and the information indicating the driver's load acting on the seat. can.

Specifically, for example, as a first driving position, as shown in FIG. 4, the pelvis is rotated forward compared to the state in which the pelvis is rotated backward, and the back muscles are stretched substantially vertically. A plurality of coordinates, handle position, pedal position, side mirror position, and rearview mirror position are set for the upper half of the body and above for a typical physique, based on a posture in which the current posture is difficult to collapse.

Here, in FIG. 4, the dashed line indicates the driver's driving posture, the handle position and the pedal position in the reference driving position, and the solid line indicates the driver's driving posture, the handle position and the pedal position in the first driving position. ing.

Based on the information indicating the first driving position and the information indicating the height of the driver, the control unit 125 controls a plurality of parts above the upper body of the driver in the physique of the driver corresponding to the first driving position. coordinates, steering wheel position, pedal position, side mirror position and rearview mirror position.

To give a typical example of various positions in the first driving position, the seat position in the first driving position is such that the seat cushion is tilted forward, the seat back is tilted forward, and The lumbar support protrudes forward.

The steering wheel position in the first driving position is a state in which the steering wheel is tilted forward and arranged forward with respect to the reference driving position. Further, the pedal positions in the first driving position are such that the various pedals are tilted forward and arranged rearward with respect to the reference driving position.

At this time, the side mirror position and rearview mirror position may be appropriately tilted according to changes in the driver's eye point by moving the seat position, steering wheel position, and pedal position.

As described above, the control unit 125 generates information indicating an image of the driver so as to realize a plurality of coordinates of the driver's upper body and above, the steering wheel position, the pedal position, the side mirror position, and the rearview mirror position. A first actuator 6, a second actuator 7, a third actuator 8, a fourth actuator 9, and a fifth actuator while referring to a plurality of pieces of coordinate information of parts of the driver's upper body and above derived based on control 10. As a result, the vehicle can be driven in a posture that is difficult to lose its posture on a general road.

On the other hand, for example, as a second driving position, as shown in FIG. 5, it is generally known that the pelvis is tilted backwards and the chin is pulled compared to the state in which the pelvis is tilted forward. A plurality of coordinates, handle position, pedal position, side mirror position, and rearview mirror position for the upper half of the body and above are set based on a posture that is less likely to cause fatigue during driving.

Here, in FIG. 5, the dashed line indicates the driver's driving posture, the handle position and the pedal position in the reference driving position, and the solid line indicates the driver's driving posture, the handle position and the pedal position in the second driving position. ing.

Based on the information indicating the second driving position and the information indicating the height of the driver, the control unit 125 controls a plurality of parts above the upper body of the driver in the physique corresponding to the second driving position. coordinates, steering wheel position, pedal position, side mirror position and rearview mirror position.

A representative example of the various positions in the second driving position is that the seat position in the second driving position is such that the seat cushion is tilted rearward and the seat back is tilted rearward with respect to the reference driving position. , and the amount of forward protrusion of the lumbar support is small.

The steering wheel position in the second driving position is such that the steering wheel is tilted rearward and arranged rearward with respect to the reference driving position. Further, the pedal positions in the second driving position are such that the various pedals are tilted rearward and arranged forward with respect to the reference driving position.

At this time, the side mirror position and rearview mirror position may be appropriately tilted according to changes in the driver's eye point by moving the seat position, steering wheel position, and pedal position.

As described above, the control unit 125 generates information indicating an image of the driver so as to realize a plurality of coordinates of the driver's upper body and above, the steering wheel position, the pedal position, the side mirror position, and the rearview mirror position. A first actuator 6, a second actuator 7, a third actuator 8, a fourth actuator 9, and a fifth actuator while referring to a plurality of pieces of coordinate information of parts of the driver's upper body and above derived based on control 10. As a result, the vehicle can be driven on the expressway in a state in which fatigue is less likely to occur.

It should be noted that the control unit 125 can control each position within a range that does not hinder safety during traveling. For example, each position can be controlled to ensure a certain distance from the steering wheel that will not receive a strong impact even if the airbag is deployed. In addition, it is possible to control each position within a range that does not cause the body to slip under the seat belt or the head position to drop and the viewing angle to be lost during sudden braking due to backward rotation of the waist.

Next, the calculation unit 124 of the driving assistance device 12 calculates the degree of fatigue of the driver based on the information indicating the image of the driver, the information indicating the state of the driver, and the information indicating the load (S8). The calculation unit 124 calculates the degree of fatigue of the driver from, for example, shaking of the driver's upper body and head, lateral movement of the eyes, number of eye blinks, electrooculography, distribution of the load on the driver's seat, and the like. do. Note that a general method can be used as a method for calculating the degree of fatigue of the driver, and for example, it may be calculated based on the degree of concentration of the driver.

The control unit 125 of the driving support device 12 determines whether or not the calculated degree of fatigue of the driver is equal to or greater than a preset threshold (S9). If the calculated degree of fatigue of the driver is equal to or greater than the preset threshold value (YES in S9), the control unit 125 controls the notification unit 11 to notify the driver of the fatigue (S10). On the other hand, if the calculated degree of fatigue of the driver is less than the preset threshold value (NO in S9), the controller 125 returns to the step of S9.

Next, based on the information indicating the position of the vehicle and the information indicating the route of the navigation system 5, the driving support device 12 determines whether the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling is from a general road to a highway, or from a highway to a general road. (S11). Then, if the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling has changed (YES in S11), the driving support device 12 returns to the step of S5.

On the other hand, if the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling has not changed (NO in S11), the driving assistance device 12 determines the destination based on the information indicating the position of the vehicle and the information indicating the route of the navigation system 5. is reached (S12). When the destination is reached, the driving assistance device 12 terminates the driving assistance mode. On the other hand, if the destination has not been reached, the driving assistance device 12 returns to the step of S11.

As described above, the driving assistance device 12 and the driving assistance method of the present embodiment automatically change the seat position and the like so as to realize the driving posture of the driver corresponding to the driving position according to the running conditions of the vehicle. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to automatically achieve an appropriate driving posture according to the running conditions of the vehicle.

Moreover, the driving assistance device 12 and the driving assistance method of the present embodiment notify the driver that he/she is tired when the degree of fatigue of the driver is equal to or higher than a preset threshold value, so that the driver should take a rest. It can prompt and contribute to safe driving.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system of this embodiment. Since the driving support system 201 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the driving support device and the driving support method of the first embodiment, overlapping explanations are omitted, but a stretch menu and a training menu are proposed according to the driver's fatigue. It is configured to For example, for a person who tends to stoop, a stretching menu that encourages stretching of the lower back or a training menu that strengthens the back muscles is proposed.

The driving assistance system 201 has substantially the same configuration as the driving assistance system 1 of Embodiment 1, but includes a creation unit 203 in the driving assistance device 202 . The creation unit 203 generates, for example, the biological information of the driver, such as the shaking of the driver's upper body and head, the movement of the eyes to the left and right, the number of eye blinks, the electrooculogram, the distribution of the load on the driver's seat, and the like. to identify the fatigued part of the driver's body.

Then, the creation unit 203 creates a stretch menu for reducing fatigue of the specified part and a training menu for training the specified part. The control unit 204 controls the notification unit 11 to notify the driver of the created stretch menu or training menu.

Next, the flow of the driving assistance method of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the driving support method according to this embodiment. Since the driving support method of the present embodiment is the same as the driving support method of the first embodiment up to step S10, it is omitted in FIG.

After the step of S10, as shown in FIG. 7, the creation unit 203 of the driving support device 202 identifies the fatigued part of the driver's body based on the driver's biological information, A stretch menu for reducing fatigue is created (S21). Then, the control unit 204 controls the notification unit 11 to notify the driver of the created stretch menu (S22).

After that, when the destination is reached through steps S11 and S12 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the creating unit 203 of the driving assistance device 202 creates a training menu for training the specified body part (S23). Then, the control unit 204 controls the notification unit 11 to terminate the driving assistance mode in order to notify the driver of the created training menu (S24).

As described above, the driving assistance device 202 and the driving assistance method of the present embodiment propose a stretching menu or a training menu based on the part of the driver's body that is fatigued. can contribute to the reduction of fatigue.

However, the driving support system 201 may be configured to suggest at least one of the stretching menu and the training menu.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in Embodiments 1 and 2 above, the driving position is selected based on whether the road is a general road or a highway. If the applied acceleration is less than a preset threshold, select the first driving position, and if the acceleration expected to act on the driver is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, select the second driving position. You may In this case, for example, it may be determined whether or not the average value of the acceleration expected to act on the driver within a preset section is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.

Further, for example, based on the information indicating the route, if the section less than the preset steering angle of the steering wheel is longer than or equal to the preset distance, the second driving position is selected, and in other cases, the first driving position is selected. You can choose a position. That is, the driving position may be selected based on the shape of the road or the like.

For example, in the driving support systems 1 and 201 of Embodiments 1 and 2, the state detection unit 3 and the load detection unit 4 used to detect driver fatigue, and the creation unit 203 for creating a stretch menu and a training menu. , and the notification unit 11 for notifying the driver that he is tired may be omitted. In short, any configuration may be employed as long as it is possible to select an appropriate driving position from among a plurality of driving positions based on the running conditions of the vehicle.

For example, the creation unit 203 may derive the driver's driving posture habits based on the driver's biological information, and may create a stretch menu or a training menu in consideration of the derived habits.

For example, the first driving position and the second driving position are not limited to those described above. Any driving position may be used as long as it can realize a driving posture suitable for the driving conditions of the vehicle, and the number of driving positions is limited. not. At this time, the driving position may be set by machine learning. Further, it is sufficient that at least the seat position can be controlled so as to realize a driving posture suitable for the running conditions of the vehicle.

For example, in the driving support systems 1 and 201 of Embodiments 1 and 2 above, various positions are adjusted while the vehicle is stopped. may be

For example, depending on whether the automatic driving function is activated, the driving position may be selected, and the relaxation mode (relaxed position) may be selected.

For example, in the above embodiments, the present invention has been described as a hardware configuration, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also implement arbitrary processing by causing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a computer program.

A program includes instructions (or software code) that, when read into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media or tangible storage media may include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drives (SSD) or other memory technology, CDs -ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disc storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example, and not limitation, transitory computer readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

1 driving support system 2 imaging unit 3 state detection unit 4 load detection unit 5 navigation system 6 first actuator 7 second actuator 8 third actuator 9 fourth actuator 10 fifth actuator 11 notification unit 12 driving support device 121 biological information acquisition unit 122 travel information acquisition unit 123 selection unit 124 calculation unit 125 control unit 13 storage unit 201 driving support system 202 driving support device 203 creation unit 204 control unit

Claims (5)

a biometric information acquisition unit that acquires biometric information of a vehicle driver;
a travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information of the vehicle;
a selection unit that selects a driving position based on driving information of the vehicle from among a plurality of driving positions;
A control unit for controlling the seat position of the vehicle based on the biological information of the driver and the information indicating the selected driving position so that the driving posture of the driver corresponding to the selected driving position is realized. and,
A driving support device. The travel information acquisition unit acquires route information along which the vehicle travels as the travel information of the vehicle,
Based on the route information, the selector selects a first driving position in which the driver's pelvis is forward-rotated with respect to a preset driving posture, or a first driving position with respect to the preset driving posture. 2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the driver selects a second driving position in which the pelvis of the driver is rotated backward. A calculation unit that calculates the degree of fatigue of the driver based on the biological information of the driver,
The control unit controls a notification unit provided in the vehicle to notify the driver that the driver is fatigued when the driver's degree of fatigue is equal to or greater than a preset threshold. 3. The driving support device according to 1 or 2. A creation unit that identifies a fatigued part of the driver's body based on the biological information of the driver and creates a stretch menu for reducing fatigue in the identified part or a training menu for strengthening the identified part. with
4. Driving assistance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said control unit controls a notification unit provided in said vehicle in order to notify said driver of the created stretch menu or training menu. Device. obtaining biometric information of the driver of the vehicle;
a step of acquiring travel information of the vehicle;
a step of selecting a driving position from among a plurality of driving positions based on driving information of the vehicle;
controlling the seat position of the vehicle based on the biological information of the driver and the information indicating the selected driving position so that the driving posture of the driver corresponding to the selected driving position is realized; ,
A driving assistance method comprising:

Images