JP2024037353A - Vehicle controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle controller that can satisfactorily inform a driver of a change in the mode of automatic driving.

SOLUTION: A vehicle controller 50 comprises: an automatic driving control unit 51 that switches the mode of automatic driving according to a state around a traveling vehicle; a determination unit 52 that, based on a picked-up image of a driver in the vehicle, determines whether the line of sight of the driver is directed to a predetermined direction; a light emission control unit 53 that, when the mode of automatic driving is switched by the automatic driving control unit 51 from a first automatic driving level in which the driver has no obligation to monitor the periphery of the vehicle to a second automatic driving level in which the driver has an obligation to monitor the periphery of the vehicle, causes a light-emitting device 30 to emit light, which is arranged at a position in the vehicle visible to the driver; and an alert output unit 54 that, after the emission of light from the light-emitting device 30, when the determination unit 52 determines that the line of sight of the driver is not directed to the front of the vehicle, outputs a first alert to the driver.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in automatic driving, a system is known that notifies a driver when a predetermined automatic driving level is changed to another automatic driving level (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP2022-040967A

In automated driving, when the mode changes from a mode where the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings to a mode where the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, the driver must look ahead and pay attention. However, if the driver is looking downward, for example, there is a problem in that the driver cannot be clearly informed that the automatic driving mode has been changed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can effectively notify a driver of a change in an automatic driving mode.

A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an automatic driving control unit that switches an automatic driving mode according to the surrounding situation of a running vehicle, and an automatic driving control unit that switches an automatic driving mode according to the surrounding situation of a running vehicle; A determining unit that determines whether the line of sight is directed in a predetermined direction, and the automatic driving control unit change the automatic driving mode from a first automatic driving level in which the driver has no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a level in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. a light emission control unit that causes a light emitting element disposed in a position in the vehicle that is visible to the driver to emit light when the automatic driving level is switched to a second automatic driving level that has a monitoring obligation; and after the light emitting element emits light, the judgment an alert output unit that outputs a first alert to the driver when the unit determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing forward of the vehicle.

The alert output unit may transmit the first alert to a user terminal in the vehicle.

The alert output unit determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing forward of the vehicle and the amount of movement of the driver's hand or arm is below a predetermined threshold continues for a predetermined period of time. If it is determined that the driver has done so, a second alert may be output to the driver.

The light emitting element includes a lower light emitting element disposed at a position lower than the instrument panel of the vehicle, and the light emission control unit is configured to change the automatic driving mode from the first automatic driving level to the second automatic driving level. The lower light emitting element may be caused to emit light when the determination unit determines that the driver's line of sight is directed downward of the vehicle.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device that can effectively notify a driver of a change in an automatic driving mode.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control system. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of light emitting elements. 3 is a flowchart of an example of the operation of the vehicle control system.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of light emitting elements.

The vehicle control system S100 is, for example, a system mounted on a commercial vehicle such as a truck, and as shown in FIG. We are prepared.

The sensor unit 10 detects the surrounding situation of the vehicle. The sensor unit 10 includes, for example, a camera that images the front of the vehicle, a camera that images the rear of the vehicle, and a millimeter wave radar. The sensor unit 10 may further include a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, or a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor.

The in-vehicle camera 20 is a camera that is placed inside the vehicle and photographs the driver while driving. The in-vehicle camera 20 has, for example, a two-dimensional detector configured with an array of photoelectric conversion elements sensitive to infrared light. In this embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 20 is arranged to photograph, for example, the upper body of the driver. The in-vehicle camera 20 photographs the driver at predetermined photographing intervals (for example, 1/30 seconds) and outputs a captured image of the driver.

The light emitting element 30 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) placed inside the vehicle. The light emitting element 30 is placed in a position within the vehicle that is visible to the driver. Specifically, the light emitting element 30 is arranged, for example, in front of the driver's seat. The number of light emitting elements 30 is arbitrary, and as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of light emitting elements 30 may be provided.

In the example of FIG. 2, specifically, the upper light emitting element 31 is arranged at the same height as the instrument panel 62 or above it, and the lower light emitting element is arranged at a lower position than the instrument panel 62. 32 are provided. The upper light emitting element 31 may be placed inside the instrument panel 62 or on the dashboard 61, for example.

The lower light emitting element 32 may be disposed at a position where the driver who is looking downward rather than forward while the vehicle is running can recognize the light emission. Specifically, as an example, the first lower light emitting element 32 and the second lower light emitting element 32 may be arranged at the left and right positions of the driver's seat. Similarly, the upper light emitting elements 31 may be placed at the left and right positions of the driver's seat.

The storage unit 40 stores various programs for operating the vehicle control device 50. The storage unit 40 stores map information, for example. The storage unit 40 also stores the color, light emission pattern, and light emission time of the light emitting element when the light emission control unit 53 causes the light emitting element 30 to emit light, in association with the conditions for causing the light emitting element 30 to emit light.

The vehicle control device 50 is a calculation resource including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The vehicle control device 50 functions as an automatic driving control section 51, a determination section 52, a light emission control section 53, and an alert output section 54 by executing a program stored in the storage section 40.

The automatic driving control unit 51 switches the automatic driving mode according to the surrounding situation of the traveling vehicle. The automatic driving control unit 51 detects various information necessary for automatic driving, for example, based on the captured image from the sensor unit 10 using known image analysis techniques. The automatic driving control unit 51 detects, for example, vehicles traveling around the vehicle. The automatic driving control unit 51 may detect the distance between the detected object and the vehicle.

The automatic driving control unit 51 also controls the operation of the vehicle according to a predetermined automatic driving mode that has been set. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 51 changes the speed of the vehicle by controlling the output of the engine or motor, or by operating the brakes. The automatic driving control unit 51 also changes the direction in which the vehicle travels by controlling the operation of the steering mechanism.

The determining unit 52 determines whether the driver's line of sight is directed in a predetermined direction based on the captured image of the driver captured by the in-vehicle camera 20. The line-of-sight direction is expressed by the angle between the vehicle's traveling direction and the driver's line-of-sight with respect to the horizontal or vertical direction. For example, the determination unit 52 performs the above determination within a predetermined time (for example, within a preset X seconds) after the light emission control unit 53 causes the light emitting element to emit light in response to the switching of the automatic driving mode. conduct.

The determination unit 52 also determines whether a state in which the amount of movement of the driver's hand or arm shown in the captured image is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold continues for a predetermined period of time. The determination unit 52 performs the above determination based on, for example, the amount of movement of the skeletal model over time estimated from the image of the upper arm of the driving vehicle. As an example, the determination unit 52 performs the above determination within a predetermined time (for example, within a preset Y seconds) after the alert output unit 54 outputs the first alert.

The light emission control section 53 controls light emission of the light emitting element 30. Specifically, when the automatic driving mode is switched, the light emission control unit 53 causes the upper light emitting element 31 and/or the lower light emitting element 32 to emit light in a predetermined color and in a predetermined pattern at a predetermined time. Let it emit light.

For example, the light emission control unit 53 controls the light emitting element 30 when the automatic driving mode is switched from automatic driving "level 3" (first automatic driving level) to "level 2" (second automatic driving level). Make it emit light. "Level 3" is a first automatic driving level in which the driver has no obligation to monitor the surrounding area. "Level 2" is a second automatic driving level in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surrounding area. With such a configuration, the vehicle control device 50 can notify the driver that the automatic driving mode has been switched.

The alert output unit 54 generates a predetermined alert. In this embodiment, the alert output unit 54 issues a first alert to the driver when the determination unit 52 determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing forward of the vehicle after the light emitting element 30 emits light. Output. The "first alert" may be an alert by causing the light emitting element 30 to emit light, an alert by sound, an alert by a displayed image or message, an alert by vibration, or a combination thereof. In the case of an alert by causing the light emitting element 30 to emit light, the light emission control unit 53 may cause the light emitting element 30 to emit light, as described above.

The alert output unit 54 may transmit the above alert as a first alert to a user terminal in the vehicle. A possible reason for the driver not facing forward is, for example, that the driver is performing a predetermined task on a user terminal such as a tablet terminal during automatic driving.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as an example, the alert output unit 54 transmits an alert to the user terminal, and the user terminal performs an operation according to the alert. Specifically, the user terminal may output an alert by light emission, an alert by sound, an alert by a displayed image or message, an alert by vibration, or a combination thereof, as an operation in response to the alert. According to the configuration in which an alert is displayed also on the user terminal in this way, it is possible to more reliably notify the driver that the automatic driving mode has been switched.

The alert output unit 54 also outputs an alarm when the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the front of the vehicle and the amount of movement of the driver's hands or arms continues to be below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time. A second alert may be issued to the person. This alert is output, for example, after a predetermined period of time has passed after the first alert is output.

When a driver is performing some kind of work on a user terminal, a hand movement occurs, such as operating a touch panel, for example. On the other hand, if the driver is dozing off, no such movement occurs. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 52 determines whether the amount of movement of the driver's hand or arm continues to be less than or equal to a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time, and if this determination is Yes, the driver Since there is a possibility that the person is dozing off, a second alert different from the first alert is generated. The "second alert" may be an alert that is easier for the driver to recognize than the first alert. For example, the first alert may be only the lighting of an LED, and the second alert may be a combination of the lighting of the LED and the generation of a predetermined sound.

[Example of operation of vehicle control system S100]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example of the operation of vehicle control system S100. An example of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

First, in step S1, the automatic driving control unit 51 switches the automatic driving mode according to the surrounding situation of the vehicle that is running. As an example, the automatic driving control unit 51 switches the automatic driving mode from a first automatic driving level in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surrounding area to a second automatic driving level in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surrounding area.

Next, in step S2, the light emission control unit 53 causes the light emitting element 30 to emit light in response to the automatic operation mode being switched to the second automatic operation level. The light emission control unit 53 causes the light emitting element 30 to emit light in a predetermined color and light emission pattern for a preset predetermined time. In this way, by the light emitting element 30 emitting light, it is possible to notify the driver that the automatic driving mode has been switched.

Next, in step S3, within a predetermined time after the light emitting element emits light, the determination unit 52 determines whether the driver's line of sight is directed toward the front of the vehicle. If it is determined that the line of sight is directed toward the front of the vehicle ("No" in step S3), the process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the line of sight is not facing forward of the vehicle ("Yes" in step S3), the process advances to step S4. Note that step S3 is performed, for example, while the light emitting element is emitting light, but may be performed after issuance.

Next, in step S4, the alert output unit 54 outputs a first alert to the driver. The first alert may be caused by the light emission control unit 53 causing the light emitting element 30 to emit light. By issuing an alert in this way, it is possible to notify the driver of the vehicle that the driving mode has been switched.

Next, in step S5, within a predetermined time after the first alert is issued, the determination unit 52 determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing forward and the amount of movement of the hand or arm is below a predetermined threshold. Determine whether or not. If "No" in step S5, the process ends. On the other hand, if "Yes" in step S5, the process advances to step S6.

Next, in step S6, the alert output unit 54 outputs a second alert to the driver. The second alert may be caused by the light emission control unit 53 causing the light emitting element 30 to emit light in a different color and/or pattern than the first alert. By issuing an alert in this way, even if the driver falls asleep, the vehicle control system S100 notifies the driver's vehicle that the driving mode has been switched by the second alert. be able to.

[Effects of embodiment]
In the configuration of this embodiment described above, after the automatic driving mode is switched and the light emitting element emits light, if it is determined that the driver's line of sight is not facing the front of the vehicle, the first An alert is output. Therefore, the change in the automatic driving mode can be clearly communicated to the driver.

In addition, as an example, an alert is also sent to the user terminal and displayed on the user terminal, so for example, a driver who is operating the user terminal and is not facing forward can be prompted to change the mode of automatic driving. Can communicate well.

Further, in this embodiment, after the first alert, a second alert is further output based on the movement of the driver's hands and arms. Therefore, changes in the automatic driving mode can be more reliably communicated to the driving vehicle.

<Modified example>
In the flowchart of FIG. 3, after the first alert is output in step S4, a determination is made in step S5, but a determination similar to step S5 is made in step S3, and the first alert is output in accordance with the result. may be done.

Regarding the light emission of the light emitting element in step S2, the light emission control unit 53 controls the automatic driving mode to switch from the first automatic driving level to the second automatic driving level, and thereafter, within a predetermined period of time, the driver's line of sight is directed downwards of the vehicle. If it is determined that it is facing the target, only the lower light emitting element 32 may be made to emit light. In such a configuration, by causing the lower light emitting element 32 to emit light to the driver who is facing downward, it is possible to effectively make the driver aware of the light emission. Further, since the upper light emitting element 32 does not need to emit light, power consumption can be suppressed.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist. be. For example, the specific embodiment of dispersion/integration of devices is not limited to the above embodiments, and all or part of the devices may be configured by functionally or physically distributing/integrating them in arbitrary units. Can be done. In addition, new embodiments created by arbitrary combinations of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiment resulting from the combination have both the effects of the original embodiment.

10 Sensor section 20 In-vehicle camera 30 Light emitting element 31 Upper light emitting element 32 Lower light emitting element 40 Storage section 50 Vehicle control device 51 Automatic driving control section 52 Judgment section 53 Light emission control section 54 Alert output section 61 Dashboard 62 Instrument panel S100 vehicle control system

Claims (4)

An automatic driving control unit that switches the automatic driving mode according to the surrounding conditions of the running vehicle;
a determination unit that determines whether the driver's line of sight is facing a predetermined direction based on a captured image of the driver in the vehicle;
When the automatic driving control unit switches the automatic driving mode from a first automatic driving level in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surrounding area to a second automatic driving level in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surrounding area, the automatic driving mode a light emission control unit that causes a light emitting element placed in a position within the vehicle that is visible to a person to emit light;
an alert output unit that outputs a first alert to the driver when the determination unit determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing forward of the vehicle after the light emitting element emits light;
Equipped with
Vehicle control device. The alert output section is
transmitting the first alert to a user terminal in the vehicle;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1. The alert output section is
When the determination unit determines that the driver's line of sight is not facing the front of the vehicle and the amount of movement of the driver's hand or arm is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold continues for a predetermined period of time; , outputting a second alert to the driver;
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. The light emitting element includes a lower light emitting element disposed at a lower position than the instrument panel of the vehicle,
The light emission control section includes:
When the automatic driving mode is switched from the first automatic driving level to the second automatic driving level, and the determination unit determines that the driver's line of sight is directed downward of the vehicle, the lower part Make the side light emitting element emit light,
The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.