JP6332838B2 - Driving assistance device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device that performs driving support using a driver state determination device.

  There is already a technique for determining (estimating) a driver state such as a driver's arousal level, fatigue, and emotions by measuring biological information such as heartbeat and sweating while driving.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support technology that determines a driver's consciousness level based on a 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. Has proposed.

  Patent Document 2 prepares a plurality of different determination threshold values corresponding to a plurality of driving operation types as a determination threshold value for determining the driver state, and sets a determination threshold value corresponding to each driving operation type of the driver. It is disclosed that a more appropriate driver state determination can be realized by using.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-184558 JP 2008-217274 A

  The present inventor has intensively studied to change the mode of driving support for each driver state based on the driver state determined by the driver state determination device.

  According to the knowledge of the present inventor, the degree of driver's burden (stress) and the performance related to driving do not constitute a simple proportional relationship. In other words, there is just a good range for the degree of burden (stress) on the driver when realizing suitable performance related to driving.

  FIG. 5 illustrates such findings by the present inventors. As shown in FIG. 5, even if the degree of concentration is too high (even if the tension is too high), the adverse effect of having no margin appears and the driving performance is not good (area C in FIG. 5), and there is margin. Even if it is too much, the adverse effect that the degree of concentration is too low (too much tension) appears and the performance related to driving is not good (area A in FIG. 5), that is, the degree of concentration and margin are moderate respectively. Sometimes the driving performance is best (area B in FIG. 5).

  Based on the knowledge of FIG. 5, the present inventor provides driving assistance for shifting a driver in the state of the region A to the state of the region B and / or a driver in the state of the region C in the region B. We thought that driving performance could be improved if driving assistance for shifting to a state could be realized.

  The present invention has been created based on the above background. The purpose of the present invention is to encourage the driver to shift from a state where the degree of concentration is too high (tension is too high) and there is no margin to a state where the degree of concentration and margin is moderate, And / or to encourage the driver to move from a state where the concentration level is too low (too much tension) and there is a margin to a state where the degree of concentration and margin are moderate respectively, It is to provide a driving support device.

The present invention relates to a driver state determination device that determines a driver's state, a travel environment determination device that determines a travel environment, a driver state determined by the driver state determination device, and a determination that is performed by the travel environment determination device. A support content determination unit that determines driving support content based on the travel environment and a support main body unit that provides the driver with the driving support content determined by the support content determination unit , the driver state The determination device includes (1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and no margin, (2) a state where there is too much margin and the degree of concentration is too low, and (3) the degree of concentration and the margin are medium. When the driver state determination device determines (1) a state in which the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, the driving environment determination device The driving environment is complicated It is the driving support device according to claim adapted to determine whether.

  According to the present invention, the driving assistance content is determined based on (a combination of) the driver state determined by the driver state determination device and the driving environment determined by the driving environment determination device, so that the concentration and margin are increased. Driving assistance that enables the driver to shift to a state where the vehicle is moderate can be effectively realized.

  According to the study by the present inventors, (1) if the driving environment is complicated when the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, it is considered that such driving environment is the cause of the driver's stress. Therefore, while the driving environment is so complex, it is necessary to take a break to enjoy driving and leave the driving (part of) to the automatic driving function or driving assist function until the driving environment is no longer complicated. Should be recommended.

  That is, when the driver state determination device determines (1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, and the driving environment determination device determines that the driving environment is complicated, the support content determination is performed. The department decides on the driving assistance content, the automatic driving function or the driving assistance function proposal, and the supporting body sends a message to the driver to recommend the automatic driving function or driving assistance function. It is preferable to display and / or provide voice guidance.

  In addition, according to the study by the present inventors, (1) when the driving environment is not complicated when the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, the driver's own personality and anxiety about driving technology may cause stress. It is believed that there is. Therefore, in such a case, it is considered that there is no room for consideration of the surrounding environment, and therefore, alerting regarding the surrounding environment should be supported.

  That is, when the driver state determination device determines (1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, and the driving environment determination device determines that the driving environment is not complicated, the support content determination is performed. The section determines the alerting about the surrounding environment as the driving support contents, and the support main body section displays information on the surrounding environment and / or provides voice guidance. preferable.

  In this case, the support main body unit obtains information on the surrounding environment based on information transmitted from the roadside camera installed on the road, displays the information, and / or provides voice guidance. More preferably.

  Further, according to the study by the present inventors, (2) the state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low means that the driving environment continues to be tedious (there are few factors that can threaten safety) for a certain period of time. It is thought that. Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to perform driving support in such a manner as to distract the driver from being bored.

  For example, the driver state determination device determines (2) a state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low, and the driving environment determination device determines that the current driving environment continues for a predetermined time or more. When doing so, the support content determination unit decides to propose the operation of the evaluation function of driving behavior as driving support content, and the support main body recommends the driver to operate the evaluation function of driving behavior It is preferable to display a message and / or provide voice guidance. The predetermined time is, for example, 15 minutes.

  The evaluation function of driving behavior includes, for example, evaluation of fuel consumption, evaluation of speed fluctuation degree, evaluation of travel locus (for example, evaluation of deviation amount with respect to lane), and the like. Since the driver is conscious about such an evaluation item, boredom is distracted and a transition from the state of region A described with reference to FIG. 5 to the state of region B is prompted.

  On the other hand, the driver state determination device determines (2) a state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low, and the driving environment determination device does not continue the current driving environment for a predetermined time or more. When the determination is made, the support content determination unit determines to provide the destination periphery information as the driving support content, and the support main body unit displays the destination periphery information and / or audio. It is preferable to guide.

  In this case, the driver recognizes that the current driving environment will end soon, and is conscious of the destination surrounding information, so that the boredom is distracted, and the driver of the area A described with reference to FIG. The transition from the state to the state of region B is prompted.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the driving assistance device of one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the output result of the skin conductance measuring apparatus which is a driver | operator state determination apparatus. It is the schematic explaining the communication state with a roadside camera. It is a schematic flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the driving assistance apparatus of one embodiment of this invention. It is the analysis result of the relative relationship between the driving burden and the performance related to driving.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a driving support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support device 10 of the present embodiment includes a driver state determination device 11 that determines a driver's state, a travel environment determination device 12 that determines a travel environment, and a driver state determination device. 11 is determined by the support content determination unit 13 that determines the driving support content based on (combination) of the driver state determined by 11 and the driving environment determined by the driving environment determination device 12. And a support main body 14 that provides the driver with the details of driving support.

  The driver state determination device 11 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a skin conductance measurement device that measures a skin conductance (SCL) corresponding to a sweating state of a palm of a driver who holds a steering wheel. The amount of sweat (height of skin conductance) is increased by the action of the sympathetic nerve that is dominant during tension, and conversely, it is decreased by the action of the parasympathetic nerve that is dominant when relaxing. The driver's degree of tension can be evaluated by evaluating the height).

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output result of the skin conductance measurement device. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the state with high conductance corresponds to the state of being too tense, and in the driving operation, (1) the state of concentration is too high and there is no margin. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2B, the low conductance state corresponds to the relaxed state, and the driving operation corresponds to (2) the state where there is too much room and the concentration degree is too low. As shown in FIG. 2 (c) and FIG. 2 (d), the state in which the conductance fluctuates within a predetermined range corresponds to a moderately tensioned state. It corresponds to the state where the margin is also moderate.

  Based on these output results, the driver state determination device 11 according to the present embodiment has (1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and no allowance, and (2) a degree of concentration because there is too much room for the driver state. Is determined to be too low, and (3) a state where the degree of concentration and the margin are medium.

  In addition, as the driver state determination device 11, a device that photographs the driver's pupil and evaluates the pupil diameter by image analysis can also be used. The pupil diameter is increased by the action of the sympathetic nerve that is dominant during tension, and conversely, the pupil diameter is decreased by the action of the parasympathetic nerve that is dominant when relaxing. can do. Alternatively, as the driver state determination device 11, a device that directly evaluates the heart rate can be used.

  Next, the travel environment determination device 12 according to the present embodiment uses map data as a travel environment when at least the driver state determination device 11 determines “(1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room”. Based on this, the route currently being traveled is determined. Specifically, for a route that is currently running, if the road width is narrower than a predetermined width, or if the current time is a time zone with a large amount of traffic from information on traffic volume for each time zone in the driving environment, or When there is no right / left turn lane or right / left turn signal, it is judged that the driving environment is complicated, and conversely, when the road width is equal to or larger than the predetermined width, or from the traffic information for each time zone in the driving environment, etc. If the current time is a time zone with a small amount of travel, or if there is a right / left turn lane or a right / left turn signal, it is determined that the travel environment is not complicated.

  When the concentration is too high and there is no room, the road width is narrower than the predetermined width, or the current time is a time zone with a large amount of traffic based on information on the traffic volume for each time zone in the driving environment, or right When there is no left turn lane or right / left turn dedicated signal (that is, when the driving environment is complicated), such driving environment is considered to be the cause of the driver's stress. Therefore, while the driving environment is so complex, it is necessary to take a break to enjoy driving and leave the driving (part of) to the automatic driving function or driving assist function until the driving environment is no longer complicated. Is preferably recommended.

  Therefore, the support content determination unit 13 according to the present embodiment determines that the driver state determination device 11 determines that “(1) the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room”, and the driving environment determination device 12 determines that “driving” When it is determined that the environment is complicated, an automatic driving function or a proposal for operating the driving assist function is determined as the driving support content. The support main body 14 displays a message for recommending the driver to operate the automatic driving function or the driving assist function and / or provides voice guidance.

  On the other hand, when the degree of concentration is too high and there is no allowance, if the road width is greater than the predetermined width, or if the current time is a time zone with a small amount of travel from information such as traffic volume for each time zone in the driving environment, Alternatively, when there is a right / left turn lane or right / left turn signal (that is, when the driving environment is not complicated), the cause of the stress is considered to be anxiety about the driver's own personality and driving skills. Therefore, in such a case, it is considered that there is no room to consider the surrounding environment information, so it is preferable to alert the surrounding environment.

  Therefore, the support content determination unit 13 according to the present embodiment determines that the driver state determination device 11 determines that “(1) the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room”, and the driving environment determination device 12 determines that “driving” When it is determined that the environment is not complicated, a warning about the surrounding environment is determined as the driving support content. The support main body 14 displays information on the surrounding environment and / or provides voice guidance.

  At this time, the support main body 14 obtains information on the surrounding environment based on information transmitted from the roadside camera 20 installed on the road as shown in FIG. 3, and displays the information, and / or More preferably, voice guidance is provided. Specifically, for example, it is preferable that information or a state of the rear vehicle 40 is displayed on a monitor screen or is voice-guided based on a running image around the host vehicle 30 captured by the roadside camera 20. Furthermore, a warning sound may be generated when it is detected that the rear vehicle 40 is close to the inter-vehicle distance.

  Furthermore, the travel environment determination device 12 according to the present embodiment further determines that the current travel environment is more predetermined when the driver state determination device 11 determines that “(2) there is too much room and the concentration level is too low”. It is determined whether or not to continue for more than time. Specifically, for example, a route corresponding to a predetermined time is extracted from the recommended route from the current position to the destination, and it is determined whether or not the route includes a complicated route. Yes. The predetermined time is, for example, 15 minutes.

  The state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low is considered to be a state where a boring driving environment (the number of elements that can threaten safety) continues for a certain period of time. Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to perform driving support in such a manner as to distract the driver from being bored. Therefore, the support content determination unit 13 according to the present embodiment determines that the driver state determination device 11 determines “(2) a state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low”, and the driving environment determination device 12 determines “ When it is determined that the current driving environment further continues for a predetermined time or more, a driving action evaluation function is proposed as driving assistance content. The support main body displays a message that recommends the driver to operate the driving behavior evaluation function and / or provides voice guidance.

  The evaluation function of driving behavior includes, for example, evaluation of fuel consumption, evaluation of speed fluctuation degree, evaluation of travel locus (for example, evaluation of deviation amount with respect to lane), and the like. Since the driver is conscious about such an evaluation item, boredom is distracted and a transition from the state of region A described with reference to FIG. 5 to the state of region B is prompted.

  On the other hand, the support content determination unit 13 of the present embodiment determines that the driver state determination device 11 determines “(2) a state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low”, and the driving environment determination device 12 determines “ When it is determined that the current driving environment does not continue for a predetermined time or longer, the provision of destination peripheral information is determined as the driving assistance content. The support main body 14 displays destination periphery information and / or provides voice guidance.

  In this case, the driver recognizes that the current driving environment will end soon, and is conscious of the destination surrounding information, so that the boredom is distracted, and the driver of the area A described with reference to FIG. The transition from the state to the state of region B is prompted.

  The traveling environment determination device 12 of the present embodiment can be configured as, for example, a circuit device or a computer device that works in conjunction with a car navigation system. Further, the support content determination unit 13 of the present embodiment can also be configured as a circuit device or a computer device that performs the above-described functions. The support main body 14 of the present embodiment can be configured as a control device for displaying an image or message on a monitor screen in a vehicle, or generating voice guidance or a warning sound from a speaker in the vehicle.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The driver state determination device 11 of the present embodiment measures skin conductance, for example, every predetermined sampling time (STEP 01), and compares the two threshold values A and B to determine the driver state (STEP 02). , STEP03).

  When the driver state determination device 11 determines “(1) a state in which the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room” (“NO” in STEP02 and “NO” in STEP03), the driving environment determination device 12 sets the driving environment as the driving environment. Based on the map data, it is determined whether the route currently being traveled is narrower than a predetermined width or whether the number of right / left turns is greater than a predetermined number (STEP04, STEP05).

  When the driving environment is complicated (“YES” in STEP 05), the support content determination unit 13 determines an automatic driving function or a proposal of operation of the driving assist function as the driving support content, and the support main body unit 14 automatically A message for recommending the driver to operate the driving function or the driving assist function is displayed and / or voice guidance is provided (STEP06).

  When the driving environment is not complicated (“NO” in STEP 05), the support content determination unit 13 determines alerting about the surrounding environment as driving support content, and the support main body unit 14 displays information about the surrounding environment. And / or voice guidance (STEP08). If necessary, information on the surrounding environment is detected by the roadside camera 20, other radar sensors, sonar, etc. (STEP07) prior to STEP08.

  When the driver state determination device 11 determines “(2) a state in which there is too much room and the concentration level is too low” (“YES” in STEP02), the driving environment determination device 12 further determines that the current driving environment is a predetermined time. It is determined whether or not to continue (STEP 11). Specifically, only a route corresponding to a predetermined time is extracted from a recommended route from the current position to the destination, and it is determined whether or not the route includes a complicated route.

  When the current driving environment continues for a predetermined time or longer (“YES” in STEP 11), the support content determination unit 13 determines a driving action evaluation function operation proposal as the driving support content, and the support main body unit 14 However, a message for recommending the driver to operate the driving action evaluation function is displayed and / or voice guidance is provided (STEP 12).

  If the current driving environment does not continue for a predetermined time or longer (“NO” in STEP 11), the support content determination unit 13 determines to provide destination surrounding information as driving support content, and the support main body unit 14 The surrounding area information is displayed and / or voice guidance is provided (STEP 13).

  After STEP12 or STEP13, the driver state determination device 11 determines the driver state again (STEP15). As a result of driving support (support for increasing the driver's consciousness level) by STEP12 or STEP13, "(1) the degree of concentration is When it has shifted to “a state where it is too high and there is no room” (“NO” in STEP 15), the driving support by STEP 12 or STEP 13 is suspended (STEP 16).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the driving support content is determined based on the combination of the driver state determined by the driver state determination device 11 and the driving environment determined by the driving environment determination device 12. As a result, it is possible to effectively realize driving support that allows the driver to shift to a state where the concentration and margin are moderate.

  In particular, if the driving environment is complicated when the concentration level is too high and there is no room, according to the present embodiment, such driving environment is considered to be the cause of the driver's stress. Since the content determination unit 13 determines the driving assistance content as the automatic driving function or the proposal of the operation of the driving assist function, it is possible to effectively promote the shift to the state where the concentration and margin of the driver are medium. .

  If the driving environment is not complicated when the concentration level is too high and there is no room, the driver's own personality and anxiety about driving skills may be the cause of stress. For example, since the support content determination unit 13 determines the alert regarding the surrounding environment as the driving support content, it is possible to effectively promote the shift to a state where the concentration and margin of the driver are medium.

  Moreover, the state where there is too much room and the degree of concentration is too low is considered to be a state in which the driving environment continues to be boring (there are few factors that can threaten safety) for a certain period of time. According to this, when the current driving environment further continues for a predetermined time or more, the support content determination unit 13 determines the driving action evaluation function as a driving support content, so that the driver When consciousness is made and boredom is distracted, that is, the driver's concentration and margins are effectively promoted to a transition state, while the current driving environment does not continue for more than a predetermined time Since the support content determination unit 13 determines the provision of the destination surrounding information as the driving support content, the driver recognizes that the current driving environment will soon be finished and is conscious about the destination peripheral information. Is made, boring is Magirawasa, again, migration effectively urged to state a moderate concentration and margin of the driver.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Driving assistance apparatus 11 Driver state determination apparatus 12 Running environment determination apparatus 13 Support content determination part 14 Support main body part 20 Roadside camera 30 Own vehicle 40 Rear vehicle

Claims (7)

A driver state determination device for determining the state of the driver;
A traveling environment determination device for determining a traveling environment;
A support content determination unit that determines driving support content based on the driver state determined by the driver state determination device and the driving environment determined by the driving environment determination device;
A support main body for providing the driver with the driving support content determined by the support content determination unit;
Equipped with a,
The driver state determination device, for the driver state,
(1) Concentration is too high and there is no room
(2) There is too much room and the degree of concentration is too low
(3) State where concentration and margin are moderate
It is designed to determine which of
When the driver state determination device determines (1) a state in which the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, the driving environment determination device determines whether or not the driving environment is complicated. driving support apparatus according to claim <br/> Being. When the driver state determination device determines (1) a state in which the degree of concentration is too high and there is no room, and the driving environment determination device determines that the driving environment is complicated,
The support content determination unit is adapted to determine an operation proposal of an automatic driving function or a driving assist function as driving support content,
2. The driving support according to claim 1 , wherein the support main body is configured to display a message and / or provide voice guidance for recommending the driver to operate the automatic driving function or the driving assist function. apparatus. When the driver state determination device determines (1) a state where the degree of concentration is too high and there is no margin, and the driving environment determination device determines that the driving environment is not complicated,
The support content determination unit is configured to determine alerting regarding the surrounding environment as driving support content,
The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the support main body unit displays information on the surrounding environment and / or provides voice guidance. The support main body is configured to obtain information on the surrounding environment based on information transmitted from a roadside camera installed on the road, display the information, and / or provide voice guidance. The driving support apparatus according to claim 3 . When the driver state determination device determines (2) a state where there is too much margin and the concentration level is too low,
The driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the driving environment determination device determines whether or not the current driving environment continues for a predetermined time or more. The driver state determination device determines (2) a state in which there is a margin and the concentration level is too low, and the driving environment determination device determines that the current driving environment continues for a predetermined time or more. when doing,
The support content determination unit is adapted to determine a driving action evaluation function operation proposal as driving support content,
6. The driving support apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the support main body is configured to display a message and / or provide voice guidance for recommending the driver to operate the driving behavior evaluation function. The driver state determination device determines (2) a state where there is too much room and the concentration level is too low, and the driving environment determination device does not continue the current driving environment for a predetermined time or more. When judging
The support content determination unit is adapted to determine the provision of information around the destination as driving support content,
6. The driving support apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the support main body displays destination periphery information and / or provides voice guidance.

Images