JP3915520B2 - Driver fatigue reduction device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for reducing fatigue of a vehicle driver.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, various techniques for improving the safety of vehicle occupants are known.
For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-142321, the risk level of an accident of the host vehicle is calculated based on information such as the inter-vehicle distance from surrounding vehicles, the brake operation state by the driver, and the calculated risk level. Accordingly, an occupant protection support device that activates an occupant protection device such as a seat belt pretensioner (a device that winds up the seat belt to increase the restraint force) and an airbag is disclosed.
[0003]
According to this occupant protection support device, it is possible to minimize the damage of the accident by operating the occupant protection device before the accident actually occurs.
In addition to the technology that improves safety in the event of such an accident, as a technology that can prevent the occurrence of the accident itself, automatic control of the traveling speed of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “automatic traveling control”). ) Is known, and one of the devices for performing such automatic traveling control is an inter-vehicle control device.
[0004]
Here, general control performed by the inter-vehicle distance control device will be described.
The inter-vehicle control device measures the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle (the own vehicle) on which the device is mounted and the preceding vehicle (preceding vehicle) that is the subject of tracking of the own vehicle, and maintains the measured inter-vehicle distance at the target inter-vehicle distance. Thus, automatic traveling control (so-called inter-vehicle cruise control) is performed such that the acceleration / deceleration is adjusted within a range in which the traveling speed of the host vehicle does not exceed a preset set speed. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a rear-end collision caused by carelessness of the driver. The inter-vehicle distance control device performs automatic travel control (so-called constant speed cruise control) in which the host vehicle travels at a constant speed at the set speed in the state where no preceding vehicle exists.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the state where such automatic traveling control is performed, there is a problem that the driver is likely to get tired due to acceleration / deceleration of the own vehicle. The driver keeps his or her foot away from the accelerator pedal during the automatic driving control, but the presence of the accelerator pedal does not provide an appropriate place for the foot to support the body sufficiently. This is because the body is shaken back and forth.
[0006]
On the other hand, the present applicant has already proposed a technique for increasing the reaction force of the accelerator pedal during automatic traveling control in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-54860. According to this, since the driver can put his / her feet on the accelerator pedal even during the automatic traveling control, the driver can easily support the body. However, if the reaction force of the accelerator pedal is increased or decreased depending on whether or not automatic driving control is performed, the feeling of accelerator operation changes depending on whether or not automatic driving control is performed, and the driver feels uncomfortable. There is a risk that.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce fatigue generated in the driver during the automatic traveling control without giving the driver an uncomfortable feeling with respect to the driving operation.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
The driver fatigue reduction device according to claim 1, which has been made to achieve the above object, is provided in a vehicle provided with a travel control means for automatically controlling the travel speed of the host vehicle.
[0009]
The driver fatigue reducing device further includes body holding means for preventing the driver's body from leaving the seat when an operation instruction is received. Further, in the present apparatus, the driving control means uses the vehicle control means. When the travel speed is automatically controlled, the instruction means gives an operation instruction to the body holding means.
[0010]
In other words, the driver fatigue reducing device according to claim 1 prevents the driver's body from leaving the seat when automatic control of the traveling speed of the host vehicle (that is, automatic traveling control) is being performed.
According to the driver fatigue reducing device of the first aspect, it is possible to prevent the driver's body from shaking back and forth during the automatic traveling control, and to reduce fatigue generated in the driver.
[0011]
In addition, the driver fatigue reduction device does not increase the reaction force of the accelerator pedal as in the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-54860 shown as the prior art. Does not give a sense of incongruity to
Furthermore, this driver fatigue reduction device does not allow the driver to support his / her body with his / her own power, but the body holding means prevents the driver's body from leaving the seat, so automatic driving control is in progress. Can be further reduced. That is, in the configuration described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-54860 described above, the driver needs to support his / her body with his / her own power by placing his / her feet on the accelerator pedal. Because there is no need.
[0012]
By the way, if the driver's body is not separated from the seat in this way, for example, the car stereo or the air conditioner operation panel cannot be reached, so that the vehicle can easily shake the driver's body. Otherwise, it is preferable to limit the movement of the driver's body as much as possible.
[0013]
  Therefore, in the driver fatigue reducing device according to claim 1, the traveling state determination means further determines whether or not the host vehicle is in a specific traveling state (that is, a state in which the driver's body is easily shaken). If the vehicle state is determined not to be a specific driving state by the driving state determination means,Even during the automatic control of the traveling speed by the traveling control means,The instruction means does not give an operation instruction to the body holding means.
[0014]
  That is, the claim1In the driver fatigue reduction device, even if the automatic driving control is being performed, the movement of the driver's body is not restricted unless the own vehicle is in a specific driving state in which the driver's body is easily shaken.
  Such claims1According to the driver fatigue reducing device, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of movement of the driver's body while reducing fatigue generated in the driver.
[0015]
  And driving conditions that can easily shake the driver's body(Specific driving conditions)Specifically, the determination of whether or not can be made with the configuration as in claims 2 to 6.
  That is, in the apparatus for reducing driver fatigue according to claim 2, in the apparatus according to claim 1,The traveling state determination means determines a state where the preceding vehicle exists as a specific traveling state.
[0016]
  That is, in the driver fatigue reduction device according to the second aspect, the state in which the preceding vehicle is present is determined as a traveling state in which the driver's body is easily shaken. This is because acceleration and deceleration of the host vehicle is easily performed in a state where the preceding vehicle exists.
  Moreover, in the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 3, in the apparatus of the said Claim 1,The traveling state determination means determines a state where the host vehicle is decelerating as a specific traveling state.
[0017]
  That is, the claim3In this driver fatigue reduction device, the state in which the host vehicle is decelerating is determined as a traveling state in which the body of the driver is easily shaken. This is because when the host vehicle accelerates, the movement of the driver's body is limited by the backrest surface of the seat, but when the host vehicle decelerates, the body moves forward.
[0018]
  Furthermore, in the driver fatigue reduction device according to claim 4, in the device according to claim 1,The traveling state determining means determines a state where the preceding vehicle is decelerating as a specific traveling state.
[0019]
  That is, the claim4In the driver fatigue reduction device, the state in which the preceding vehicle is decelerating is determined as a traveling state in which the driver's body is easily shaken. This is because when the preceding vehicle decelerates during automatic traveling control, the host vehicle also decelerates. In particular, in the automatic traveling control based on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, the deceleration of the host vehicle is performed later than the deceleration of the preceding vehicle.3Thus, the determination can be made earlier compared to determining the deceleration of the host vehicle.
[0020]
  On the other hand, in the driver fatigue reduction device according to claim 5, in the device according to claim 1,The traveling state determination means determines a state where the host vehicle is traveling on a road other than the expressway as a specific traveling state.
[0021]
  That is, the claim5With this driver fatigue reduction device, a state where the vehicle is traveling on a road other than an expressway (a so-called general road) is determined as a traveling state in which the body of the driver is easily shaken. This is because the frequency of acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle is higher on ordinary roads than on highways.
[0022]
  On the other hand, in the apparatus for reducing driver fatigue according to claim 6, in the apparatus according to claim 1,The traveling state determination means determines a state where the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference speed as a specific traveling state.
[0023]
  That is, the claim6In this driver fatigue reduction device, the state in which the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than the reference speed is determined as a traveling state in which the body of the driver is easily shaken. This is because the acceleration / deceleration increases when the traveling speed is low compared to when the traveling speed is high.
[0024]
  And the above claims2~6According to the driver fatigue reduction device, the degree of freedom of movement of the driver's body can be increased when the driving state is not easy to shake the driver's body.
  By the way, the body holding means is specifically claimed.7Or claim9It can be configured as follows.
[0025]
  That is, the claim7In the driver fatigue reduction device described in 1), the body holding means prohibits the withdrawal of the seat belt for the seat on which the driver is seated, thereby preventing the driver's body from leaving the seat. Note that prohibiting the withdrawal of the seat belt is not limited to merely locking the seat belt, and for example, the seat belt may be retracted in a state where the seat belt cannot be pulled out.
[0026]
  Claims9In the driver fatigue reduction device described in 1), the body holding means changes the angle of the seating surface of the seat (driver's seat) on which the driver is seated so that the traveling direction side of the host vehicle on the seating surface becomes higher. Keep the driver's body away from the seat.
[0027]
  And the above claims7According to the driver fatigue reducing device, the driver's body can be reliably restrained to the seat by the seat belt. Furthermore, the claim7In the configuration in which the driver's body is restrained by the seat belt as in the apparatus of8As described above, it is preferable that the body holding means is configured to fix the shoulder on the same side as the foot on which the driver operates the accelerator by the seat belt. This is because during automatic traveling control, the same side as the foot on which the accelerator pedal is operated becomes particularly unstable.
[0028]
  Meanwhile, the above claims9According to the driver fatigue reduction device, since only the angle of the seating surface is changed, it is possible to make it difficult to give the driver a sense of restraint.
[0029]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a driver fatigue reduction device according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an inter-vehicle control device 10 in which the driver fatigue reduction device of this embodiment is incorporated. The inter-vehicle distance control device 10 performs general control as the inter-vehicle distance control device as described in the prior art. That is, inter-vehicle cruise control is performed in a state where a preceding vehicle (a preceding vehicle to be followed by the host vehicle) exists, and constant speed cruise control is performed in a state where no preceding vehicle exists.
[0030]
The inter-vehicle distance control device 10 includes a laser radar sensor 12 that detects an inter-vehicle distance, an angle, a relative speed, and the like with a vehicle existing in front of the host vehicle, a main switch 14 that is a power switch of the inter-vehicle distance control device 10, and an automatic A set switch 16 for starting the travel control, a target inter-vehicle setting switch 18 for setting the target inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle used for inter-vehicle cruise control, and a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the travel speed of the host vehicle 20, a steering sensor 22 that detects the steering angle of the host vehicle, a yaw rate sensor 24 that detects the yaw rate of the host vehicle, and a navigation control device (hereinafter referred to as “navigation ECU”) 26.
[0031]
Further, the inter-vehicle distance control device 10 issues a warning during an automatic travel control, and an engine electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as “engine ECU”) 28, a brake electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as “brake ECU”) 30. Alarm buzzer 32, a meter electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as "meter ECU") 34, a seat belt adjuster 36, and an inter-vehicle distance control electronic control device (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle distance control ECU") 38. . The ECUs 26, 28, 30, 34, and 38 are configured with a microcomputer as a center.
[0032]
The navigation ECU 26 determines whether the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is a highway based on the current position information of the host vehicle obtained by a GPS sensor (not shown) and road map information stored in a storage device (not shown). And information on the determination result is output to the inter-vehicle distance control ECU 38.
[0033]
The engine ECU 28 drives a throttle actuator (not shown) according to the required throttle opening degree from the inter-vehicle control ECU 38.
The brake ECU 30 drives a brake actuator (not shown) according to the required brake pressure from the inter-vehicle control ECU 38.
[0034]
The meter ECU 34 displays information related to automatic travel control (presence / absence of preceding vehicle, set speed, target inter-vehicle distance, etc.) on a display on the meter panel.
By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the seat belt 42 for the driver's seat 40 of the vehicle on which the present apparatus 10 is mounted is a three-point type, and the driver H operates the accelerator pedal 44 (right foot). The shoulder on the same side (right shoulder) is fixed.
[0035]
On the other hand, the seat belt adjuster 36 winds up the seat belt 42 and includes an electric motor that rotates the take-up shaft of the seat belt 42. When the seat belt adjuster 36 receives an operation signal (corresponding to an operation instruction) from the inter-vehicle distance control ECU 38, the seat belt adjuster 36 restrains the body of the driver H by the seat belt 42 so as not to leave the driver seat 40. Perform the action. Specifically, the winding shaft of the seat belt 42 is rotated by an electric motor to wind up the seat belt 42 by a predetermined length, and then the winding shaft of the seat belt 42 is fixed by the electric motor. The belt 42 cannot be pulled out. Thereby, the seat belt 42 is locked in a state without slack, and the movement of the body of the driver H is restricted. The seat belt adjuster 36 is provided with an emergency lock mechanism that is activated spontaneously when the host vehicle suddenly decelerates due to a collision accident or the like and makes it impossible to pull out the seat belt 42, in addition to the electric motor.
[0036]
The inter-vehicle control ECU 38 performs an automatic travel control process and a seat belt adjustment process described below.
Here, the automatic traveling control process performed by the inter-vehicle distance control ECU 38 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The automatic traveling control process is periodically performed in a state where the main switch 14 and the set switch 16 are turned on.
[0037]
When the automatic travel control process is started, first, in S100, the degree of curve of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling based on the steering angle detected by the steering sensor 22 and the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate sensor 24. An estimated R (curve radius of curvature) is calculated.
[0038]
Next, the process proceeds to S110, and the preceding vehicle is selected from the preceding vehicles detected by the laser radar sensor 12. Here, the vehicle selected as the preceding vehicle is the inter-vehicle distance to the own vehicle among the vehicles determined to be traveling in the same lane as the own vehicle is traveling based on the estimated R calculated in S100. Is the shortest vehicle. If no vehicle traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle is detected, it is determined that there is no preceding vehicle.
[0039]
Next, the process proceeds to S120, and a target acceleration that is a target value of acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle is calculated. That is, when there is a preceding vehicle, the acceleration / deceleration for causing the host vehicle to travel so as to keep the inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle as the target inter-vehicle distance as the target acceleration for the inter-vehicle cruise control is determined by the laser radar sensor 12. Is calculated based on the inter-vehicle distance and the relative speed with the preceding vehicle detected by the above. On the other hand, when there is no preceding vehicle, an acceleration / deceleration for keeping the traveling speed of the host vehicle at the set speed as a target acceleration for constant speed cruise control is based on the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 20. Calculate. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper limit value of the target acceleration (the upper limit value of the absolute value of acceleration / deceleration) is set so as to decrease as the traveling speed of the host vehicle (own vehicle speed) increases.
[0040]
Next, in S130 and S140, the required throttle opening and the required brake pressure for obtaining the target acceleration calculated in S120 are calculated and output to the engine ECU 28 and the brake ECU 30.
Next, the process proceeds to S150, and it is determined whether or not a warning to the driver H is necessary. Specifically, if the current inter-vehicle distance is shorter than the alarm distance calculated based on the relative speed with the preceding vehicle and the traveling speed of the host vehicle, it is determined that a warning is necessary. If it is determined that a warning is required, the alarm buzzer 32 is activated. That is, when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the preceding vehicle is significantly shortened due to sudden deceleration of the preceding vehicle, the alarm buzzer 32 is sounded to notify the driver H.
[0041]
Next, the process proceeds to S160, and after performing a seat belt adjustment process to be described later, the automatic traveling control process is terminated.
Next, the seat belt adjustment process executed in S160 of FIG. 3 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. The seat belt adjustment process is performed when it is determined that the host vehicle is in a driving state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken based on the determination results of a plurality of determination processes (S200, S220 to S240) described later. This is a process for performing a driver restraining operation by the belt adjuster 36.
[0042]
When this seat belt adjustment process is started, it is first determined in S200 whether or not a preceding vehicle is detected. That is, whether or not there is a preceding vehicle is used as one criterion for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a driving state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken. This is because the acceleration / deceleration control of the host vehicle is easier when the preceding vehicle exists (that is, during inter-vehicle cruise control) than when the preceding vehicle does not exist (that is, during constant speed cruise control).
[0043]
If it is determined in S200 that the preceding vehicle has not been detected, the process proceeds to S210, the operation signal to the seatbelt adjuster 36 is set in a non-output state, and the seatbelt adjustment process is terminated.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S200 that the preceding vehicle is detected, the process proceeds to S220, and whether or not the preceding vehicle is decelerating is determined relative to the preceding vehicle detected by the laser radar sensor 12. Judge based on speed. That is, whether or not the preceding vehicle is decelerating is used as one determination criterion for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a driving state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken. This is because if the preceding vehicle decelerates during inter-vehicle cruise control, the host vehicle also performs deceleration control.
[0044]
If it is determined in S220 that the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, the process proceeds to S210, the operation signal to the seatbelt adjuster 36 is set to a non-output state, and the seatbelt adjustment process is terminated.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S220 that the preceding vehicle is decelerating, the process proceeds to S230, and it is determined based on information from the navigation ECU 26 whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on the highway. That is, whether or not the vehicle is traveling on a highway is used as one criterion for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a driving state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken. This is because the frequency of acceleration / deceleration control is lower during traveling on a highway than when traveling on a general road.
[0045]
If it is determined in S230 that the vehicle is traveling on the expressway, the process proceeds to S240, where the traveling speed of the host vehicle is determined based on a predetermined reference speed (in this embodiment, 50 [km / h]). Whether it is low or not is determined based on the traveling speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 20. In other words, whether or not the traveling speed is lower than the reference speed is used as one determination criterion for determining whether or not the traveling state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken. This is because the upper limit value of the target acceleration decreases as the traveling speed increases.
[0046]
If it is determined in S240 that the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or higher than the reference speed, the process proceeds to S210, the operation signal to the seat belt adjuster 36 is set to a non-output state, and the seat belt adjustment process is performed. finish.
On the other hand, if it is determined in S240 that the traveling speed of the host vehicle is lower than the reference value, it is determined that the vehicle is in a traveling state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken, and the process proceeds to S250. The operation signal is set to the output state, and the seat belt adjustment process is terminated.
[0047]
On the other hand, if it is determined in S230 that the vehicle is not traveling on a highway (that is, traveling on a general road), it is determined that the vehicle is in a traveling state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken, and the process proceeds to S250. Then, the operation signal to the seat belt adjuster 36 is set to the output state, and the seat belt adjusting process is ended.
[0048]
That is, in S230 and S240, if any of the conditions that the vehicle is traveling on a general road or the traveling speed is less than the reference value is met, the process proceeds to S250 and the operation signal is set to the output state. It has become.
Next, an operation example of the inter-vehicle distance control device 10 will be described.
[0049]
[When the vehicle is driving on a general road]
When the driver H turns on the main switch 14 and further turns on the set switch 16, the inter-vehicle control device 10 starts the automatic travel control of the host vehicle. For this reason, the accelerator operation and the brake operation are unnecessary, and the driver H is in a state where his / her foot is not placed on the accelerator pedal 44 (for example, a state where his / her foot is placed on the floor in front of the accelerator pedal 44).
[0050]
In a state where no preceding vehicle is present, constant speed cruise control is performed as automatic travel control. During this constant speed cruise control, the driver restraining operation by the seat belt adjuster 36 is not performed (S200: NO, S210).
On the other hand, in the state where the preceding vehicle exists, inter-vehicle cruise control is performed as automatic traveling control, and the host vehicle travels following the preceding vehicle. During the inter-vehicle cruise control, the driver restraining operation by the seat belt adjuster 36 is not performed unless the preceding vehicle decelerates (S200: YES, S220: NO, S210). On the other hand, when the preceding vehicle decelerates, the host vehicle also decelerates, so that a forward inertial force acts on the body of the driver H. In this case, a driver restraining operation is performed, and the seat belt 42 causes the driver H to The body is restrained so as not to leave the driver's seat 40 (S200: YES, S220: YES, S230: NO, S250).
[0051]
That is, when the host vehicle is traveling on a general road, when the preceding vehicle decelerates, the body of the driver H is restrained to the driver seat 40 by the seat belt 42.
[When the vehicle is driving on an expressway]
When the driver H turns on the main switch 14 and the set switch 16, the automatic traveling control of the host vehicle is started, and the driver restraining operation is performed during the constant speed cruise control as in the case of traveling on the general road described above. Is not performed (S200: NO, S210).
[0052]
On the other hand, during inter-vehicle cruise control, if the preceding vehicle is not decelerating, the driver restraining operation is not performed (S200: YES, S220: NO, S210). If it is 50 [km / h] or more, the driver's restraining operation is not performed because the deceleration is small (S200: YES, S220: YES, S230: YES, S240: NO, S210). On the other hand, in a state where the traveling speed of the host vehicle is less than 50 [km / h], when the preceding vehicle decelerates, a large inertial force that moves the body of the driver H forward may work. In this case, the driver restraining operation is performed, and the body of the driver H is restrained from being separated from the driver seat 40 by the seat belt 42 (S200: YES, S220: YES, S230: YES, S240: YES, S250).
[0053]
That is, when the host vehicle is traveling on an expressway, the preceding vehicle is decelerating and the traveling speed of the host vehicle is less than 50 [km / h] (that is, the deceleration is large). Only when the deceleration control is expected), the body of the driver H is restrained by the driver's seat 40 by the seat belt 42.
[0054]
According to the inter-vehicle control device 10 of the present embodiment, the seat belt 42 restrains the driver H's body to the driver's seat 40 to prevent back-and-forth shaking, thereby reducing fatigue caused to the driver H. can do. In addition, even during the automatic driving control, the driver H's body is not restrained unless the driving state easily shakes the body of the driver H, so that the degree of freedom of movement of the driver H is not unnecessarily impaired. Can be.
[0055]
Furthermore, in this inter-vehicle distance control device 10, by restraining the body of the driver H by the seat belt 42, it is not necessary for the driver H to support the body with his own power. Therefore, there is no need to increase the reaction force of the accelerator pedal 44, and the driver H does not feel uncomfortable with respect to the driving operation. In addition, the right part of the body of the driver H who tends to become unstable because the right foot cannot be placed on the accelerator pedal 44 can be reliably stabilized by fixing the right shoulder with the seat belt 42.
[0056]
  In the inter-vehicle distance control device 10 of the above embodiment, the processes of S200 and S220 to S240 in FIG.HaveThe
[0057]
Further, the processing of S250 in FIG. 5 corresponds to the instruction unit, and the seat belt adjuster 36 corresponds to the body holding unit.
On the other hand, the laser radar sensor 12, the vehicle speed sensor 20, the steering sensor 22, the yaw rate sensor 24, the engine ECU 28, the brake ECU 30, and the processing of S100 to S140 in FIG. .
[0058]
  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention can take a various form.
  For example, in the inter-vehicle control apparatus 10 according to the above-described embodiment, whether or not the host vehicle is in a traveling state in which the body of the driver H is easily shaken based on the determination results of a plurality of determination processes (S200, S220 to S240 in FIG. 5). However, the content of the determination process is not limited to this. For example, in the determination process of S220 in FIG. 5, it is determined whether or not the preceding vehicle is decelerating. Instead, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is decelerating. AnywayYes.In other words, in the inter-vehicle cruise control, when the preceding vehicle decelerates, the host vehicle also decelerates. Therefore, although any determination process is performed, the result is that there is not much difference, but the driver H's body moves forward. However, since the host vehicle is being decelerated to the last, it is possible to make a more direct determination by determining whether or not the host vehicle is decelerating. However, it is preferable to determine whether or not the preceding vehicle is decelerating in terms of detecting the deceleration of the host vehicle earlier.
[0059]
Further, how to combine a plurality of determination processes in order to determine whether or not the driving state in which the driver H is easily shaken is not limited to the method of the above embodiment. For example, in the inter-vehicle control apparatus 10 of the above embodiment, in the determination process of S230 in FIG. 5, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on an expressway, and it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on an expressway. However, for example, when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on the expressway, the process proceeds to S210, and it is determined that the host vehicle is not traveling on the expressway. In some cases, the process may proceed to S240. In other words, in the above embodiment, when “traveling on a general road” or “traveling speed is less than the reference value”, the process proceeds to S250. If “is less than the reference value”, the process may be changed to shift to S250.
[0060]
Furthermore, in the inter-vehicle distance control device 10 of the above-described embodiment, whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on the highway is determined based on information from the navigation ECU 26. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Absent. For example, for a vehicle running in parallel in front of the vehicle detected by the laser radar sensor 12, the lateral distance between the vehicles can be calculated, and the lane width can be estimated from that value. This is because the highway has a wider lane than a general road.
[0061]
On the other hand, in the inter-vehicle control device 10 of the above embodiment, when the seat belt adjuster 36 receives the operation signal from the inter-vehicle control ECU 38, the seat belt 42 restrains the body of the driver H so as not to leave the driver's seat 40. However, the body of the driver H may be prevented from leaving the seat by other methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when an operation signal is received, a seat angle changing device that tilts the driver's seat 40 backward by a predetermined angle as shown by an arrow a is used instead of the seat belt adjuster 36 in the above embodiment. Also good. In this way, the angle of the seating surface of the driver's seat 40 is changed to a direction in which the traveling direction side of the host vehicle on the seating surface becomes higher, so that the body of the driver H moves forward due to the deceleration of the host vehicle. Can be prevented, and the same effect as when the seat belt adjuster 36 is used can be obtained. The seat angle changing device may operate together with the seat belt adjuster 36.
[0062]
On the other hand, the present invention can be applied to any vehicle that does not require the accelerator operation of the driver H by automatic traveling control. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the inter-vehicle cruise control and the constant speed cruise control are performed as the automatic traveling control of the host vehicle, but the vehicle may be subjected to other automatic traveling control. Here, as other automatic traveling control, for example, based on the acceleration information transmitted from the leading vehicle of the vehicle group that performs platooning, the following vehicle travels at the same acceleration as the leading vehicle (so-called vehicle group traveling control). ). Further, it is more effective if applied to a vehicle that performs not only automatic control of traveling speed but also automatic control of steering, for example. This is because in a vehicle that performs automatic steering control, the driver H has released his / her hand from the steering wheel and cannot support the body sufficiently.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an inter-vehicle distance control apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a seat belt for a driver's seat.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an automatic travel control process.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a running speed and an upper limit value of a target acceleration.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a seat belt adjustment process.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a seat angle changing device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle distance control apparatus, 12 ... Laser radar sensor, 14 ... Main switch, 16 ... Set switch, 18 ... Target vehicle distance setting switch, 20 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 22 ... Steering sensor, 24 ... Yaw rate sensor, 26 ... Navigation ECU, 28 ... Engine ECU, 30 ... Brake ECU, 32 ... Alarm buzzer, 34 ... Meter ECU, 36 ... Seat belt adjuster, 38 ... Inter-vehicle control ECU, 40 ... Driver's seat, 42 ... Seat belt, 44 ... Accelerator pedal

Claims (9)

A driver fatigue reduction device provided in a vehicle provided with a traveling control means for automatically controlling the traveling speed of the host vehicle,
Body holding means for preventing the driver's body from leaving the seat when receiving an operation instruction;
Instructing means for giving the operation instruction to the body holding means when automatic control of the traveling speed of the host vehicle is performed by the traveling control means;
Traveling state determination means for determining whether or not the host vehicle is in a specific traveling state;
With
Even if the travel control means is automatically controlling the travel speed, if the travel state determination means determines that the host vehicle is not in a specific travel state, the instruction means moves the motion to the body holding means. Not to give instructions,
Driver fatigue reduction device characterized by In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 1,
The driver fatigue reduction device, wherein the driving state determination means determines a state where a preceding vehicle is present as the specific driving state . In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 1,
The driver fatigue reduction device, wherein the traveling state determination means determines a state where the host vehicle is decelerating as the specific traveling state . In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 1,
The driver fatigue reduction device, wherein the traveling state determination means determines a state where the preceding vehicle is decelerating as the specific traveling state . In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 1,
The apparatus for reducing driver fatigue characterized in that the traveling state determination means determines that the vehicle is traveling on a road other than an expressway as the specific traveling state . In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 1,
The driver fatigue reduction device, wherein the traveling state determination means determines a state where the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference speed as the specific traveling state . In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6,
The body holding means prevents the driver's body from leaving the seat by prohibiting the withdrawal of the seat belt for the seat on which the driver is seated;
Driver fatigue reduction device characterized by In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of Claim 7,
The body holding means is configured to fix the shoulder on the same side as the foot on which the driver operates the accelerator by the seat belt,
Driver fatigue reduction device characterized by In the driver | operator fatigue reduction apparatus of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6,
The body holding means prevents the driver's body from leaving the seat by changing the angle of the seating surface of the seat on which the driver is seated to a direction in which the traveling direction side of the own vehicle on the seating surface becomes higher. thing,
Driver fatigue reduction device characterized by

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