JP4905832B2 - Driver state determination device and driving support device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a driver state determination device that determines the state of a driver and a driving support device that performs driving support using the driver state determination device.

There is a technique for estimating a driver's arousal level, fatigue, feelings, and the like while driving by measuring biological information such as heartbeat and sweating.
For example, in Patent Document 1, driving assistance that determines a driver's consciousness level based on the driver's heartbeat information obtained from a heart rate sensor and issues a warning via an alarm when it is determined that the consciousness level is low. Technology has been proposed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-184558

Conventionally, including the device described in Patent Document 1, the state of the driver is uniformly determined based on the determination condition of predetermined biological information.
However, the relationship between biometric information such as heartbeat and sweating and the driver's condition depends on the personality (nature) of the driver. For this reason, if the driver's state is uniformly determined under the same determination condition for biometric information as in the prior art, the determination result may deviate from the actual driver's state.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to perform a more accurate driver state determination.
In addition, a second object of the present invention is to provide driving assistance with higher accuracy using a driver state determination device.

(1) The invention described in claim 1 is a determination threshold value for determining the driver's state from the driver's biological information, and a plurality of different determination threshold values are set for each driving operation type of the driver. The storage means for storing the determination table, the operation type acquisition means for acquiring the driver's driving operation type , the biological information acquisition means for acquiring the driver's biological information, and the driving operation acquired from the state determination table comprising: a threshold value determining means for determining a plurality of decision thresholds corresponding to the type, the biometric information acquired by collating the plurality of determination threshold with the determined, thereby determining the state of the driver, the There is provided a driver state determination device characterized by the above.
(2) In the invention according to claim 2, driving operation information acquisition means for acquiring one driving operation information among at least an accelerator operation amount, a brake operation amount, a steering wheel operation frequency, an inter-vehicle distance, and a speed change amount in vehicle traveling. The driver type determination device according to claim 1, wherein the operation type acquisition unit acquires the driving operation type by making a determination based on the acquired driving operation information.
(3) In the invention according to claim 3, driving operation information acquisition means for acquiring one driving operation information among at least an accelerator operation amount, a brake operation amount, a steering wheel operation frequency, an inter-vehicle distance, and a speed change amount in vehicle traveling. When the operation type determining means for determining a driving operation type based on the obtained driving operation information, comprising a storage means for storing driving operation type history of the determined, the operation type acquisition means, said The driver state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the driving operation type is acquired from a history.
(4) The invention according to claim 4 provides the driver state determination device according to claim 3, wherein the operation type acquisition means acquires based on the determined driving operation type and the history. .
(5) In the invention according to claim 5, according to the driver state determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the state of the driver determined by the driver state determination device. And a driving support means for performing the driving support.

According to the present invention, it is a determination threshold value for determining the driver's state from the driver's biological information, and stores a state determination table in which a plurality of determination threshold values different for each driving operation type of the driver are set. By determining a plurality of determination threshold values corresponding to the driving operation type from the state determination table and collating the biological information with the plurality of determination threshold values, it is possible to perform a more accurate driver state determination. And more accurate driving assistance can be performed by using the more appropriate driver state determination result.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the driver state determination device and the driving support device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.
(1) Outline of Embodiment In this embodiment, driving operation information (accelerator / brake / steering operation amount and operation frequency, vehicle speed, distance between vehicles, acceleration, etc.) during traveling is measured, and based on these measurement results. The driver's driving operation type (attack type, speed securing type, following type, careful type) is determined. The determination of the driving operation type is performed based on a predetermined determination condition. For example, when the vehicle speed level is high and the speed change and the accelerator / brake operation amount are both large, it is determined that the vehicle is “attack type”.
Then, based on the determined driving operation type, a determination threshold value that is a determination criterion for determining the state (mental state) of the driver is determined (set).
The determination threshold may be determined in consideration (considering) a past determination history of the driving operation type.

In the present embodiment, the driver's biological information (heart rate, sweating amount, myoelectric potential, brain wave, pupillary state, etc.) while the vehicle is running is measured, and the measurement result of the biological information is set as the set determination threshold value. The driver's condition is determined by checking.
Then, a driving support mode (refresh mode / warning mode / relaxation mode / support mode) corresponding to the determined driver state is specified, and appropriate driving support by a feedback device is provided based on the specified driving support mode. Do.

(2) Details of Embodiment [First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support apparatus includes an ECU (electronic control unit) 10 that controls the entire driving support apparatus according to various programs and data.
The ECU 10 includes a current position detection unit 11, a biological information detection unit 12, an environment information acquisition unit 13, a driving operation detection unit 14, a data storage unit 15, a program storage unit 16, a feedback device 17, a display device 18, and an input device 19. Is connected.

The ECU 10 is composed of a computer system including CPU, ROM, RAM, and interface units.
The ECU 10 determines a driving operation pattern (driving operation tendency) based on the acquired information of the driving operation detection unit 14, sets a determination threshold based on the driving operation pattern, the acquired information of the biological information detection unit 12, and the driver's based on the determination threshold Determination of the state and instructions to the feedback device 17 for driving assistance based on the state of the driver are performed. Further, the ECU 10 reads out and supplies data necessary for each determination process from the data storage unit 15.

The current position detection unit 11 includes a GPS sensor 111, a vehicle speed sensor 112, and a gyro sensor 113.
The GPS sensor 111 is for detecting the current position (absolute coordinate value composed of latitude and longitude) of the vehicle on which the driving support device is mounted, and uses GPS (Global) to measure the position of the vehicle using an artificial satellite. (Positioning Systems) receiving device.
The vehicle speed sensor 112 detects the vehicle speed, and the gyro sensor 113 detects the acceleration of the vehicle.
Note that the current position detection unit 11 includes a vehicle speed sensor 112 and a gyro sensor 113 as devices for supplementing the current position detection by the GPS receiver, but in addition, a geomagnetic sensor that detects geomagnetism and obtains the direction of the vehicle. Etc. may be provided.

The biological information detection unit 12 includes a heart rate sensor 121, a sweat sensor 122, a myoelectric potential sensor 123, an electroencephalogram sensor 124, a temperature sensor 125, and an image processing device 126 as devices for acquiring a driver's biological information.
The biological information detection unit 12 supplies detection values of these sensors to the ECU 10 at predetermined time intervals when the vehicle starts running. The ECU 10 stores these detected values in a predetermined area of the data storage unit 15.
The heart rate sensor 121 is a sensor that detects the heart rate of the driver, and detects the heart rate from the pulse rate of the driver. The heart rate sensor 121 according to the present embodiment detects a heart rate by collecting a heart rate signal from the hand of a driver who is driving by an electrode disposed on a steering wheel (handle). The heart rate sensor 121 may be provided with a dedicated sensor on the driver's body such as a wrist.

The sweat sensor 122 is disposed on the steering wheel (steering wheel), and detects the sweat state from the change in the current value that flows depending on the sweat state.
The myoelectric potential sensor 123 is disposed on the driver's arm or the like and measures changes in the myoelectric potential.
The electroencephalogram sensor 124 measures the electroencephalogram and measures how many waves (beta wave, alpha wave, delta wave, and theta wave) are emitted.
The beta wave is an electroencephalogram of 13 to less than 40 Hz and appears in a part where mental activity is performed.
Alpha waves are brain waves below 8-13 Hz and appear in the occipital region of healthy adults at rest, relaxation, and closed eyes.
A delta wave is an electroencephalogram of less than 0.5-4 Hz and appears when sleeping well.
Theta wave is an electroencephalogram below 4-8 Hz, and appears when it becomes sleepy.

The temperature sensor 125 is disposed in the steering and the driver's seat (seat), and detects a temperature difference (body temperature difference) between a peripheral part such as a driver's fingertip and a central part such as a trunk part.
The temperature difference between the peripheral part and the central part may be detected by using a thermography device instead of the temperature sensor 125.
The image processing device 126 performs image processing of the driver's face image captured by an image input device such as a camera provided inside the vehicle, and detects changes in the pupil.

The driver's blood pressure may be detected by a blood pressure sensor as biometric information.
In the present embodiment, the blood pressure sensor, for example, shows a correlation between a pulse wave transmission time (PWTT: Pulse Wave Transmit Time) until the blood pulse wave accompanying the contraction of the heart reaches the fingertip from the heart and the blood pressure. It is used to measure blood pressure.
The blood pressure sensor detects an electrical potential change that occurs when the heart beats and detects the heart contraction timing, and the timing when the pulse wave reaches the fingertip by detecting a change in blood flow at the fingertip using infrared rays. An infrared sensor for capturing (pulse) is provided, and blood pressure is measured by calculation based on the pulse wave propagation time detected by these sensors.
As described in JP 2000-107141 A, pulse sensors that measure a pulse by using a difference in distance from the heart may be arranged in both sensor units.

The environment information acquisition unit 13 includes an image processing device, performs image processing of an image outside the vehicle captured by the image input device, and displays a front visibility situation (weather, rain, snow, fog, etc., and ambient brightness level) Etc.) are detected.
The environment information acquisition unit 13 includes a time sensor as a sensor for determining the current time.
The environment information acquisition unit 13 is a sensor for determining weather and ambient brightness, in addition to (or instead of) the image processing of the image processing apparatus, a wiper sensor that detects the operating state of the wiper, A vehicle width light sensor for detecting the on state of the vehicle width light and a head lamp sensor for detecting the on state of the head lamp are provided.
In addition, the environment information acquisition unit 13 receives, as driving environment information, the type of road (highway, national road, local road, narrow street ...) and traffic information (congestion level, regulation state ...) from the information center, etc. Communication means.

The driving operation detection unit 14 includes an accelerator sensor 141, a brake sensor 142, a steering angle sensor 143, and an inter-vehicle distance sensor 144 for detecting a driving operation state by the driver.
The accelerator sensor 141 detects the speed at which the accelerator pedal is depressed, the depression force, the number of depressions, and the like.
The brake sensor 142 detects the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed, the depression force, the number of depressions, and the like.
The steering angle sensor 143 detects the steering angle by the steering wheel operation and the steering frequency.
The inter-vehicle distance sensor 144 is configured by a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, or the like disposed in front of or behind the vehicle, and detects the inter-vehicle distance or relative speed with the front vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance or relative speed with the rear vehicle, The presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle is determined.

The data storage unit 15 includes a driving environment DB (data base) 151, a personal characteristic DB 152, a biological information DB 153, a driving environment determination data 154, a personal characteristic determination data 155, a biological information determination data 156, a mode determination data 157, and the like. Various data and tables used in the driver state determination and driving support processing are stored.
In the driving environment DB 151, detection results detected by the driving operation detection unit 14, for example, vehicle speed (km / h), vehicle acceleration (G), steering wheel operation torque (N · m), steering wheel operation status (N · m). / Ms), accelerator pedal force (N · m), brake pedal force (N · m), brake operation status (N · m / ms), and the like are stored.
The data stored in the driving environment DB 151 is read and used during driving operation type determination processing described later.
The driving environment DB 151 also stores environment information (weather, vehicle amount, signal amount, road type, number of lanes, etc.) including information on the forward visibility status detected by the environment information acquisition unit 13.
These pieces of environmental information are used for detailed setting of determination conditions referred to during driving operation type determination processing and driving support processing.
In the personal characteristic DB 152, the driving operation type determined (specified) by the driving operation type determination process described later is stored in a state linked to the identification information of the driver.
Since information is accumulated in the personal characteristic DB 152 every time a driving operation type is determined, the information stored in the personal characteristic DB 152 can function as history information.
The information (data) that can be stored in the personal characteristic DB 152 is not limited to the information processed in the driving support device, for example, history information processed by a device mounted on another vehicle. Can also be imported via an external storage device or data communication.

In the biological information DB 153, detection values of various sensors detected by the biological information detection unit 12 are stored as biological information.
The driving environment determination data 154 stores data for determining the driving environment that is currently running, that is, data acquired by the environment information acquisition unit 13.
In the driving environment determination data 154, for example, determination data for setting a determination condition for a driving operation amount, which will be described later, such as visibility conditions including weather information, road conditions, and traffic information is stored.

The personal characteristic determination data 155 stores determination conditions data for driving operation status used when determining personal characteristics, specifically, a driving operation type (driving operation tendency).
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of determination condition data for a driving operation situation.
As shown in FIG. 2, conditions for determining the degree (degree) of driving operation items such as an accelerator operation amount, a brake operation amount, a steering wheel operation frequency, an inter-vehicle distance, a vehicle speed, and a speed change amount are set. However, the set values of these determination conditions are appropriately changed depending on conditions such as the driving environment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing state classification of biological information.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of determination conditions for determination values in each piece of biological information.
The biological information determination data 156 stores determination condition data for biological information detected by the biological information detection unit 12 as shown in FIGS.
In the present embodiment, when the determination condition data as shown in FIG. 4 is used, for example, when the heart rate per minute is less than 50, the determination value “−3”, and when the heart rate is 50 to 60, the determination value “ −2 ”, 60 to 90, the judgment value“ 0 ”, 90 to 100, the judgment value“ +1 ”, and 100 or more, the judgment value“ +3 ”.

Sweating is determined by the amount of sweat per minute per unit area (one square centimeter). When the amount is less than 0.1 mg, the determination value is “−1”, and when it is 0.1 mg or more and less than 0.5 mg, the determination value is “0”. In the case of 0.5 mg or more, the determination value is “+2”.
In biometric information items such as myoelectric potential, brain waves, pupils, and body surface temperature differences, determination values are defined for each condition as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a “+ (plus)” evaluation of a judgment value (evaluation value) indicates that the sympathetic nervous system is dominant, while a “− (minus)” evaluation of a judgment value is a parasympathetic nerve. Indicates that the system is superior.
In the present embodiment, the state of the driver is determined based on the total value of the determination values of each piece of biological information detected by the biological information detection unit 12.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table for determining a driver's state in which a different threshold value is set for each driving operation type of the driver.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table for specifying a driving support mode corresponding to the driver's state.
The mode determination data 157 stores information used in the driver mode determination process as shown in FIGS.

The program storage unit 16 stores a driving environment acquisition determination program 161, a personal characteristic acquisition determination program 162, a biological information acquisition determination program 163, a mode determination program 164, a feedback control program 165, and other various programs according to this embodiment. Yes.
The driving environment acquisition determination program 161 is a program for storing the current driving environment information acquired through the environment information acquisition unit 13 in the data storage unit 15.
The personal characteristic acquisition determination program 162 is a program for determining the driving operation type (driving operation tendency) of the driver based on the detection result of the driving operation detection unit 14.
The biometric information acquisition determination program 163 is a program for storing the current biometric information acquired via the biometric information detection unit 12 in the data storage unit 15.
The mode determination program 164 is a program for determining the support mode based on the driver's driving operation type (driving operation tendency) and the driver's biological information.
The feedback control program 165 is a program that controls the feedback device 17 based on the support mode.

The data storage unit 15 and the program storage unit 16 include a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, and a magnetic tape, a semiconductor recording medium such as a memory chip and an IC card, a CD-ROM, an MO, Examples include a recording medium on which information is optically read, such as a PD (phase change rewritable optical disc), and a recording medium on which data and a computer program are recorded by various methods.
Further, different recording media may be used according to the recording contents.

The feedback device 17 includes an alarm (warning) device, a vibration warning device, a cold air injection device, an oxygen concentration adjustment device, a vibration massage device, a temperature adjustment device, a vehicle control device, a driving assistance (assist) device, and the like.
The operation of the feedback device 17 is executed based on the operation mode determination result by the mode determination program 164.
As the display device 18, various display devices such as a liquid crystal display device, a CRT, and a head-up display are used.
In the case of personal authentication, information on a person who has already been registered is displayed.

As the input device 19, various devices such as a touch panel (functioning as a switch), a keyboard, a mouse, a light pen, a joystick, an infrared remote controller, a touch panel attached to the display screen of the display device, a remote controller, and a voice recognition device can be used. It constitutes an input means for inputting various information.
Further, the input device 19 includes an image input device such as a CCD camera. The driver's face image input from the image input device is processed by the image processing device 126 described above, thereby obtaining biological information related to changes in the pupil. To do.
In this embodiment, the input device 19 functions as an input unit used when the driver inputs and sets his / her information (name, age, driving history, etc.) when performing the driver authentication process. To do.

Next, the processing operation of the driving support process in the driving support apparatus configured as described above will be described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of driving support processing based on the driving support mode.
When the ignition is turned on in the vehicle equipped with the driving support device, the driving support device first performs a driver authentication process (step 11).
In the driver authentication process, for example, a driver list registered in advance is displayed on the display device 18, and the input device 19 is operated from this display to select and input a driver corresponding to the driver. Then, the ECU 10 authenticates (recognizes) the selected driver as the current driver.
The driver authentication method is not limited to this. For example, a fingerprint authentication device may be provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat and the current driver may be identified by reading the driver's fingerprint. In addition, a method such as vocal cord authentication or face authentication may be used.

The ECU 10 controls the environment information acquisition unit 13 to acquire information on the forward visibility situation detected by the environment information acquisition unit 13 and store the information in the data storage unit 15 (step 12).
Subsequently, the ECU 10 controls the biological information detection unit 12 to acquire the detection result of each biological information and store it in the data storage unit 15 (step 13).
Further, the ECU 10 controls the driving operation detection unit 14 to acquire detection results of each driving operation state and store them in the data storage unit 15 over a predetermined measurement period (for example, 1 minute) (step 14).

Next, the ECU 10 executes a personal characteristic acquisition determination program 162 to perform a predetermined driving operation type (driving operation tendency) determination process (step 15).
Here, by performing the driving operation type determination process described later, the current driver's driving operation type can be any of “careful”, “following”, “speed securing”, or “attack” Determine if it applies.
Then, the ECU 10 specifies the driving support mode based on the determined driving operation type of the driver and the detection result of each biological information (step 16).

Specifically, the ECU 10 compares the detection result of each biological information acquired in the process of step 13 with the determination condition table of the biological information shown in FIG. 3, and determines the determination value (evaluation value) of each detected biological information. Ask. And the total value which totaled the judgment value of each biological information is calculated.
Next, the ECU 10 compares the driving operation type determined in the process of step 15 and the calculated sum of the biometric information determination values with the driver state determination table shown in FIG. The mental state of the child (sleepiness, distraction, normality, stress, tension) is determined.
For example, when the driving operation type is determined to be “speed securing type” and the sum of the determination values of the biological information is “−8”, the driver is determined to be in the “sleepiness (danger)” state. The

After the driver's state is determined in this manner, the ECU 10 compares the driver's state determination result with the driver's mode determination table shown in FIG. 6 and corresponds to the driver's state determination result. That is, the corresponding driving support mode (refresh mode, warning mode, relax mode, support mode) is specified.
For example, when the driver's state determination result is “sleepiness”, “refresh mode” is specified as the driving support mode.
If the driver's state determination result is “normal”, it is determined that driving assistance is not required, and the process directly proceeds to step 18 without specifying any driving assistance mode.

Next, the ECU 10 executes a driving support process based on the driving support mode specified in the process of step 16 (step 17).
Specifically, the ECU 10 activates the feedback control program 165 and operates the feedback device 17 corresponding to the identified driving support mode.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the refresh mode, for example, a warning sound of an alarm (warning) device is sounded at a fast tempo, a vibration warning device is activated, or a cold air injection device. Or the oxygen concentration control device is operated to increase the indoor oxygen concentration.
When the corresponding driving support mode (corresponding mode) is specified, even if all the operations of the feedback device 17 shown in the specific example of FIG. 6 are executed, any one of the specific examples is executed. May be. A plurality of operations shown in the specific examples may be combined.

After the driving support process by the feedback device 17 is executed, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the driver continues to get on, that is, whether or not the driver is getting on (step 18).
The determination as to whether or not the driver is on board is performed based on the detection result of a weight sensor, an objective sensor, or the like provided in the driver's seat, for example.
When the driver is on board (step 18; Y), the ECU 10 continues to return to the process of step 12, and obtains the driving environment information.
On the other hand, when the driver is not on board (step 18; N), that is, when the driver is getting off, the ECU 10 ends the driving support process as it is.
The driving support process continues to be executed while the driver is in the vehicle, but may be started when the ignition is turned on and may be ended when the ignition is turned off.

Next, the driving operation type determination process performed in step 15 in the driving support process described above will be described.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the driving operation type determination process.
First, the ECU 10 activates the personal characteristic acquisition determination program 162 and determines whether or not the current vehicle speed is at the “high” level (step 21).
The vehicle speed level is obtained by comparing the driving operation status acquired in the processing of step 14 in the above-described driving support processing with reference to the determination condition data of the driving operation status shown in FIG.
Specifically, the ECU 10 calculates the average value of the vehicle speed during the measurement time (1 minute) based on the detection result of the driving operation situation stored in the data storage unit 15.
Then, the ECU 10 collates the calculated average value with the determination condition shown in FIG. 2 to determine (specify) the vehicle speed level (high, medium, low).
The vehicle speed level is determined based on the legal speed. The legal speed is determined based on the driving environment acquired in step 12 of the driving support process, specifically, the type information of the road being traveled. Set based on.

When the current vehicle speed is not the “high” level (step 21; N), that is, when the vehicle speed level is “medium” or “low”, the ECU 10 determines whether or not the current inter-vehicle distance is the “short” level. Is determined (step 22).
Similarly to the vehicle speed level determination, the ECU 10 calculates the average value of the inter-vehicle distance during the measurement time (1 minute) based on the detection result of the driving operation status stored in the data storage unit 15. The calculated average value is checked against the determination condition shown in FIG. 2 to determine (specify) the inter-vehicle distance level (long, medium, short).
The determination condition of the inter-vehicle distance level is based on the braking distance and the idling distance, but these distances are set based on the current vehicle speed information, for example, the average value of the vehicle speed calculated in step 21. Is done.

When the current inter-vehicle distance is not at the “short” level (step 22; N), that is, when the inter-vehicle distance level is “medium” or “long”, the ECU 10 determines that both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “small” level. It is judged whether or not (step 23).
The accelerator operation amount level and the brake operation amount level are also determined in the same manner as the above-mentioned inter-vehicle distance level and vehicle speed level.
Specifically, the ECU 10 calculates the average value of the accelerator and brake pedal depression force during the measurement time (1 minute) based on the detection result of the driving operation status stored in the data storage unit 15, and displays the calculated average value. The operation amount level (large, medium, small) is determined (specified) in comparison with the determination condition shown in FIG.

  If both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “small” level (step 23; N), the ECU 10 determines that the driver's operation type is “careful” (step 24), and the determination result is After being stored in the data storage unit 15 in association with the identification information of the driver, the process returns to the main routine.

If it is determined in step 21 that the current vehicle speed is at the “high” level (step 21; Y), and it is determined in step 22 that the current inter-vehicle distance is at the “short” level. If so (step 22; Y), the ECU 10 determines whether or not the current speed change amount is at the “large” level (step 25).
Similarly to the vehicle speed level and the like described above, the ECU 10 also determines the average value of the vehicle speed change amount during the measurement time (1 minute) based on the detection result of the driving operation status stored in the data storage unit 15. And the calculated average value is checked against the determination condition shown in FIG. 2 to determine (specify) the vehicle speed change level (large, medium, small).

When the current speed change amount is not the “large” level (step 25; N), that is, when the speed change amount is “medium” or “small”, and in the processing of step 23, the operation amount of the accelerator and the brake Are determined not to be at the “small” level (step 23; N), the ECU 10 determines whether both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “large” level and the steering operation frequency is at the “large” level. It is determined whether or not (step 26).
The ECU 10 counts the number of handle operations with a handle operation torque of αN · m or more during the measurement time (1 minute) based on the detection result of the driving operation status stored in the data storage unit 15. 2 is compared with the determination condition shown in FIG. 2 to determine (specify) the handle operation frequency level (large, medium, small).

  If both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “large” level and the steering wheel operation frequency is not at the “large” level (step 26; N), the ECU 10 determines that the driver's driving operation type is “follow-up type”. (Step 27), the determination result is stored in the data storage unit 15 in association with the identification information of the driver, and the process returns to the main routine.

If it is determined in step 25 that the current speed change amount is at the “large” level (step 25; Y), the ECU 10 determines whether both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “large” level. Is determined (step 28).
When both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are not at the “large” level (step 28; N), and in the process of step 26, both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “large” level and the steering operation frequency is When it is determined that the level is “high” (step 26; Y), the ECU 10 determines that the driver's driving operation type is “speed securing type” (step 29), and the determination result is used to identify the driver. After being associated with the information and stored in the data storage unit 15, the process returns to the main routine.

  On the other hand, when both the accelerator and brake operation amounts are at the “large” level (step 28; Y), the ECU 10 determines that the driver's driving operation type is “attack type” (step 30). After being stored in the data storage unit 15 in association with the identification information of the driver, the process returns to the main routine.

Thus, in this embodiment, the type of driving operation type is determined based on the current driving operation status. Then, based on the determined driving operation type, a determination threshold value for determining the state of the driver can be set. In other words, the state of the driver can be determined with higher accuracy based on an appropriate determination threshold corresponding to the driving operation tendency.
Therefore, since a more appropriate driving support mode can be set based on the driver's state determination result, more accurate driving support by the feedback device 17 can be performed.

[Second Embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the determination threshold value for determining the type of the driving operation type, that is, the driver's state is set based on only the current driving operation state has been described. The determination threshold value determination (setting) method for determination is not limited to this. For example, the determination threshold value is determined in consideration of the driving operation type determined in the past, that is, the determination history information of the driving operation type. May be.
Therefore, in the second embodiment, a determination threshold value determination method considering a driving operation type determination history will be described.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the driving support process based on the driving support mode in the second embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a threshold map for determining the state of the driver in the second embodiment.
In addition, the driving assistance apparatus shown in 2nd Embodiment shall have the structure similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and demonstrates a different part here.
Further, the processing contents of steps 41 to 45 and steps 49 to 51 shown in FIG. 9 overlap with the processing of steps 11 to 18 shown in the first embodiment (FIG. 7) described above. Omitted.

After determining the driving operation type based on the current driving operation status in the process of step 45, the ECU 10 stores the determination history information of the driving operation type corresponding to the driver authenticated (recognized) in the process of step 41. It is determined whether it is stored in the storage unit 15 (step 46).
ECU10 searches the predetermined area (personal characteristic DB152) of the data storage part 15 based on the identification information of the present driver.
When the determination history information of the driving operation type of the corresponding driver is stored in the data storage unit 15 (step 46; Y), the ECU 10 determines the determination history information of the driving operation type of the corresponding driver, that is, the retrieved past. Data is extracted from the data storage unit 15 (step 47) and read into a predetermined area of the RAM.
Next, the ECU 10 corrects the driving operation type based on the extracted driving operation type determination history information (step 48). Here, based on the past data, the position of the horizontal axis of the driving operation type that determines the determination threshold value for determining the state of the driver shown in FIG. 10 is corrected.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, each driving operation type (attack type, speed securing type, following type, careful type) is given a width around the reference point (0 point), and the driver's condition (drowsiness / A determination threshold map for determining a determination area of diffuse / normal / stress / tension, that is, a driver's state is set. In the threshold map shown in FIG. 10, the position of the reference point for each driving operation type indicates the driving operation type determined in step 45.
For example, a case will be described in which a driving operation type different from the driving operation type determined in the processing of step 45 (hereinafter referred to as the current driving operation type) is determined in the previous driving operation type determination processing.
In this case, the position of the horizontal axis of the driving operation type is corrected to an intermediate point between the current driving operation type and the previous driving operation type.

Specifically, if the current driving operation type is “attack type” and the previous driving operation type is “follow-up type”, the “speed securing type” that is the intermediate point, that is, “speed securing” The horizontal axis at the reference point of “type” is the horizontal axis of the driving operation type for determining the corrected determination threshold value.
Also, if the current driving operation type is “attack type” and the previous driving operation type was “speed securing type”, the boundary point between “attack type” and “speed securing type” which is the middle point The horizontal axis at is the horizontal axis of the driving operation type for determining the corrected determination threshold.

The driving operation type horizontal axis correction method is not limited to the above-described method.
For example, in the past driving operation type determination history information, when the determination frequency of a specific driving operation type is high, the horizontal axis for determining the determination threshold is driven with a high determination frequency from the reference point of the current driving operation type. You may make it perform the correction | amendment shifted (it moves) by a predetermined scale in the direction of the operation type.
Specifically, when the current driving operation type is “speed securing type” and the determination frequency of “attack type” is high in the past driving operation type determination history information, the horizontal axis for determining the determination threshold is expressed as “ Correction that shifts by one or two scales from the reference point of “speed securing type” to the “attack type” direction, that is, the + (plus) direction in FIG.
The amount of the scale for shifting the horizontal axis for determining the determination threshold can be arbitrarily set according to the degree of determination frequency in the past driving operation type determination history information.

Further, for example, in the past driving operation type determination history information, when the driving operation type determination result is not biased toward a specific driving operation type and is dispersed, the horizontal axis for determining the determination threshold value The correction amount may be set to 0 and no correction may be performed.
In the second embodiment, the horizontal axis is corrected to determine the determination threshold based on the current driving operation type. For example, driving with a high determination frequency in the past driving operation type determination history is performed. A correction based on the current driving operation type may be performed on the operation type.

Then, the ECU 10 determines a determination threshold value for determining the state of the driver based on the driving operation type corrected in the processing of step 48, specifically, the horizontal axis of the corrected driving operation type.
The ECU 10 specifies the driving support mode based on the determined determination threshold value and the detection result of each biological information (step 49).
As described above, in the second embodiment, in the threshold map shown in FIG. 10, the position of the horizontal axis of the driving operation type for setting the determination threshold value for determining the driver's state is added to the determination history information of the driving operation type. Can be corrected (changed).
That is, the determination threshold value for determining the driver's state can be set in consideration of the driver's past driving operation situation.
Thereby, based on the more suitable determination threshold value corresponding to the driving | operation tendency of a driver | operator, a driver | operator's state can be determined with a higher precision.

[Modification]
The setting of the determination threshold value for determining the driver's state is not only the determined current driving operation type and the past determination history information as described above, but also the driver's self-report, that is, the driver sets himself / herself It may be set based on the driving operation type.
When the driver himself / herself sets the driving operation type, for example, when the driver authentication process is first performed, the ECU 10 displays the driving operation type options on the display device 18. Then, the driver is caused to operate the input device 19 to select a corresponding driving operation type. The ECU 10 receives an input of the selected driving operation type and stores it in a predetermined area of the RAM.

The ECU 10 basically determines the state of the driver based on the driving operation type set by the driver.
However, in this case, the driving operation type determination process is periodically executed, and the determination result is compared with the driving operation type set by the driver. And when both driving operation types differ, a driver's state is determined giving priority to driving operation type determination processing.
Thus, the load on the ECU 10 can be reduced by determining the state of the driver based on the driving operation type set by the driver.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the determination of the driving operation type and the specification of the driving support mode are continuously performed in the driving support process. That is, the determination result of the driving operation type and the driving support mode is obtained one after another at an interval of 1 minute (measurement time of driving operation status). And whenever ECU10 obtains a determination result, the process which updates the setting of a driving operation type and driving assistance mode is performed.
However, the timing for updating the driving operation type and the driving support mode obtained through the predetermined processing is not limited to this.
For example, the driver's driving operation type is roughly determined in a direction that tends to be different depending on the person, such as the driver's personality. The nature is different.
Therefore, the update (setting change) of the driving operation type of the driver may be performed by setting a relatively long span, for example, when the driver gets on or when N hours elapse.

In addition, even when the driving operation type update process is not performed for a long time, the above-described driving operation type determination process is periodically performed, and the determination result is stored in the data storage unit 15 (personal characteristic DB 152). Are stored as driving operation type history information.
Then, during the next driving operation type update process, the driving operation type may be determined based on the history information, and the updating process may be performed based on the determined driving operation type.
On the other hand, the update (setting change) of the driving support mode is preferably performed at intervals as short as possible since it is desired to respond in real time to changes in the driver's biological information. For example, the driving support mode is preferably updated every time a measurement time (one minute) of biometric information necessary for acquiring a driving support biometric information determination value (total value) elapses.

It is a figure showing the structure of the driving assistance device in this embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the judgment condition data of a driving operation condition. It is a figure showing the state division of biometric information. It is the figure which showed an example of the judgment conditions of the judgment value in each biological information. It is a figure showing an example of a table for judging a driver's state in which a different threshold (threshold) value was set for every driving operation type of a driver. It is the figure which showed an example of the table which specifies the driving assistance mode corresponding to a driver | operator's state. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement procedure of the driving assistance process based on driving assistance mode. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement procedure of the determination process of a driving operation type. It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement procedure of the driving assistance process based on the driving assistance mode in 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which showed an example of the threshold value map for determining the driver | operator's state in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 ECU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Current position detection part 12 Biological information detection part 13 Environmental information acquisition part 14 Driving | operation operation detection part 15 Data storage part 16 Program storage part 17 Feedback apparatus 18 Display apparatus 19 Input device 111 GPS sensor 112 Vehicle speed sensor 113 Gyro sensor 121 Heart rate sensor 122 Sweat sensor 123 EMG sensor 124 EEG sensor 125 Temperature sensor 126 Image processing device 141 Acceleration sensor 142 Brake sensor 143 Rudder angle sensor 144 Inter-vehicle distance sensor 151 Driving environment DB
152 Personal characteristics DB
153 Biological information DB
154 Driving environment determination data 155 Personal characteristic determination data 156 Biometric information determination data 157 Mode determination data 161 Driving environment acquisition determination program 162 Personal characteristic acquisition determination program 163 Biometric information acquisition determination program 164 Mode determination program 165 Feedback control program

Claims (5)

A storage means for storing a state determination table that is a determination threshold for determining the state of the driver from the driver's biological information, and in which a plurality of determination thresholds different for each driving operation type of the driver are set;
An operation type acquisition means for acquiring the driving operation type of the driver;
Biometric information acquisition means for acquiring the driver's biometric information;
Threshold determining means for determining a plurality of determination thresholds corresponding to the acquired driving operation type from the state determination table ;
The biometric information acquired by collating the plurality of determination threshold with the determined, thereby determining the state of the driver,
A driver state determination device characterized by comprising: Driving operation information acquisition means for acquiring at least one of the accelerator operation amount, the brake operation amount, the steering wheel operation frequency, the inter-vehicle distance, and the speed change amount in driving the vehicle,
The driver state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the operation type acquisition unit acquires the driving operation type by making a determination based on the acquired driving operation information. Driving operation information acquisition means for acquiring at least one accelerator operation amount, braking operation amount, steering wheel operation frequency, inter-vehicle distance, and speed change amount in vehicle traveling;
Operation type determining means for determining a driving operation type based on the acquired driving operation information;
Storage means for storing a history of the determined driving operation type ,
The driver state determination device according to claim 1, wherein the operation type acquisition unit acquires the driving operation type from the history. The driver state determination device according to claim 3, wherein the operation type acquisition unit acquires the operation type based on the determined driving operation type and the history. The driver state determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A driving support device comprising driving support means for performing driving support according to the state of the driver determined by the driver state determination device.

Images