JP7089885B2 - Driving support device and driving support method - Google Patents

Description

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

Conventionally, there are known vehicles capable of switching between automatic driving control that automatically performs various operations such as steering and acceleration / deceleration, and manual driving control that performs various operations according to operations by the driver. In this vehicle, a device that provides driving support to the driver during automatic driving control has been proposed.

For example, in Patent Document 1, in order to maintain a state in which the driver can take over from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control, the driver has an utterance sentence according to the level of possibility that the automatic driving control cannot be continued. It is disclosed that it will continue to be provided to. In Patent Document 2, in order to make the driver recognize the stability of automatic driving, an image showing the operating state of the operation unit (for example, an image of steering and the driver's hand) is changed according to the stability of automatic driving. It is disclosed to let you. In Patent Document 3, in order to confirm that the driver can take over from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control, a response action is periodically executed to the driver during the automatic driving control. It is disclosed that a request is made and it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a response to the request.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-209174 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-182624 International Publication No. 2015/145606

When switching from automatic driving control to manual driving control, it is necessary for the driver to be able to perform manual driving. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the utterance sentence is continuously provided to the driver, in Patent Document 2, the driver is made to visually recognize the stability of automatic driving by display, and in Patent Document 3, the driver is requested to respond. This is intended to keep the driver in a state where he can operate manually.
However, there are various factors that make it impossible for the driver to perform manual driving during automatic driving control, and it may be difficult for the driver to deal with these factors.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and assists in dealing with a factor that makes it impossible for the driver to switch to manual driving control when switching from automatic driving control to manual driving control is not possible. It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving support device and a driving support method that can be used.

In order to achieve the above object, the driving support device of the present invention is a driving support device used in a vehicle and assists in switching the driving control of the vehicle from automatic driving control to manual driving control, and is the automatic driving support device. A determination unit for determining whether or not the manual switching condition, which is a condition for switching from the operation control to the manual operation control, is satisfied, and the determination when the automatic operation system is executed for the vehicle. When the unit determines that the manual switching condition is not satisfied, the unit notifies the prospective driver who drives the vehicle by the manual driving control of the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied. The manual switching condition includes a notification control unit, a vehicle running state recognition unit that recognizes the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed, and the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver. The speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is within the threshold value, and the notification control unit determines that the speed difference is within the threshold value. When the determination unit determines that the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is not within the threshold value. As the notification of the countermeasure information, the vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle that changes according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver are notified, and the notification is performed. The control unit determines that the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is not within the threshold value. When the determination is made, the response information is notified by a sound of a predetermined frequency, and the predetermined frequency is changed according to the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver. And.

Further, the operation information recognition unit for recognizing the information about the scheduled driver is provided, and the manual switching condition is that the scheduled driver satisfies a predetermined driver condition, and the determination unit determines the operation information. Based on the information recognized by the recognition unit, it may be configured to determine whether or not the prospective driver satisfies the driver condition.

Further, the information about the planned driver is whether or not the planned driver has a driver's license, and the driver's condition is that the planned driver carries the driver's license. good.

Further, the information about the planned driver is the alcohol concentration in the exhaled breath of the planned driver, and the driver condition is such that the alcohol concentration in the exhaled breath of the planned driver is less than a predetermined concentration. May be good.

Further, the information about the planned driver is information about the physical condition of the planned driver, and the driver condition may be configured such that the physical condition of the planned driver corresponds to a preset physical condition.

In order to achieve the above object, the driving support method of the present invention is a driving support method used in a vehicle and assists in switching the driving control of the vehicle from automatic driving control to manual driving control, and is the automatic driving support method. The determination step for determining whether or not the manual switching condition, which is a condition for switching from the operation control to the manual operation control, is satisfied, and the determination when the automatic operation control is executed for the vehicle. If it is determined by the step that the manual switching condition is not satisfied, the manual switching condition is not satisfied for the prospective driver who will be the driver of the vehicle when the manual operation control is switched to. The notification control step for notifying the cause of the problem and notifying the countermeasure information for eliminating the factor for which the manual switching condition is not satisfied, the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed, and the driving. The manual switching condition includes the vehicle running state recognition step of recognizing the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned person, and the manual switching condition includes the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the accelerator pedal by the planned driver. The speed difference from the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the vehicle is within the threshold value, and in the notification control step, the determination step is the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the driving. When it is determined that the speed difference from the estimated vehicle speed according to the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal by the prospective person is not within the threshold value, the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed are used as notification of the countermeasure information. The estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle, which changes according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver, is notified, and the notification control step is the determination step of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed. When it is determined that the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is not within the threshold value, the notification of the countermeasure information is performed by sound of a predetermined frequency. The vehicle is characterized in that the predetermined frequency is changed according to the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver .

According to the present invention, when the manual switching condition for switching from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control is not satisfied, the cause of the failure of the manual switching condition is notified to the prospective driver, so that the automatic operation is performed. When it is not possible to switch from control to manual operation control, it is possible to assist the driver in dealing with factors that make it impossible to switch to manual operation control.

The block diagram of the operation support device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows a series of operations of a driving support device. Display example when the driver's license cannot be confirmed. Display example when the driver is drunk. Display example when the driver lacks sleep. Display example when the driver is in poor physical condition. Display example when the vehicle is running at high speed. Display example when the vehicle is traveling on a curve. Display example when the area around the vehicle is not safe. A display example showing the vehicle speed of automatic driving control and the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation. Display example when switching from automatic operation control to manual operation control.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the operation support device 10 of the present embodiment.
The driving support device 10 of the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 and used to control the operation of the mechanical unit (drive mechanism, braking mechanism, steering mechanism, etc.) 2 of the vehicle 1.

The driving support device 10 executes automatic driving control and manual driving control of the vehicle 1. Here, the automatic driving control includes not only fully automatic driving control that controls the running of the vehicle 1 without relying on the driver's operation, but also partial automatic driving control that assists the driver's operation to drive the vehicle 1. Will be. The partially automatic driving control includes, for example, lane keeping control for preventing the vehicle 1 from protruding from the traveling lane, and inter-vehicle distance control for traveling while maintaining a constant distance from the vehicle in front.
In the following, a person sitting in the driver's seat (not shown) of vehicle 1 during fully automated driving control, a driver performing some driving operations during partially automated driving control, and all driving operations during manual driving control are performed. The driver who performs the driving and the driver who will become the driver of the vehicle 1 when the automatic driving control is switched to the manual driving control are all referred to as "drivers".

The driving support device 10 executes the automatic driving control only when the vehicle 1 is traveling in a preset automatic driving section (a section in which the execution of the automatic driving control is permitted). When the driving support device 10 is traveling in a section other than the automatic driving section (non-automatic driving section), the driving support device 10 prohibits the execution of the automatic driving control. In the present embodiment, for example, a highway is set as an automatic driving section, and a general road other than the highway is set as a non-automatic driving section.

The driving support device 10 does not always perform automatic driving control when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the automatic driving section, but by automatic driving control according to the operation of executing and stopping the automatic driving control by the driver. It is possible to switch between a state in which the running of the vehicle 1 is controlled and a state in which the running of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the manual driving control while the automatic driving control is prohibited.

The vehicle 1 includes an operation unit 40 operated by an occupant (mainly a driver), a speaker 41, a display 42, a driver's license insertion unit 43, a vehicle speed sensor 44, a steering angle sensor 45, a vehicle peripheral camera 46, a sonar 47, and an alcohol concentration. It is equipped with a measuring instrument 48, a biometric authentication device 49, a driver's camera 50, an activity meter 51, a pulse wave sensor 52, and a blood pressure monitor 53.

The operation support device 10 is an electronic circuit unit composed of a CPU 20, a memory 30, various interface circuits (not shown), and the like. By reading and executing the control program 31 of the driving support device 10 stored in the memory 30, the CPU 20 reads and executes the driving information recognition unit 21, the vehicle running state recognition unit 22, the determination unit 23, the notification control unit 24, and the running. It functions as a control unit 25.

The driving support device 10 includes an operation unit 40, a speaker 41, a display 42, a driver's license insertion unit 43, a vehicle speed sensor 44, a steering angle sensor 45, a vehicle peripheral camera 46, a sonar 47, an alcohol concentration measuring device 48, and a biometric authentication device. 49, a driver's camera 50, an activity meter 51, a pulse wave sensor 52, and a sphygmomanometer 53 are connected.

The operation unit 40 has a switch operated by the driver, and transmits an operation signal indicating the operation status of the switch to the operation support device 10. The operation unit 40 has, for example, a switch for instructing the operation support device 10 to switch between manual operation control and automatic operation control, and a switch for canceling this instruction.

The sound output of the speaker 41 is controlled by the voice output control signal transmitted from the driving support device 10. The screen display of the display 42 is controlled by the display control signal transmitted from the driving support device 10.

The driver's license insertion unit 43 is a device into which a driver's license of an automobile is inserted. The driver's license is, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, and the fingerprint data and facial photograph data of the owner of the driver's license are stored in the IC. The driver's license insertion unit 43 has an IC card reader, and when the driver's license is inserted, it reads fingerprint data and facial photograph data from the IC of the driver's license and outputs a driver's license information signal including each of these data. It is transmitted to the driving support device 10.

The vehicle speed sensor 44 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 and transmits a vehicle speed signal to the driving support device 10. The steering angle sensor 45 detects the steering angle of the vehicle 1 and transmits a steering angle signal to the driving support device 10.

The vehicle peripheral camera 46 is a camera that captures the periphery of the vehicle 1, and transmits a vehicle peripheral image signal indicating the captured image data to the driving support device 10. The vehicle peripheral camera 46 is composed of, for example, a plurality of cameras that capture images of the front, rear, and the like of the vehicle 1.

The sonar 47 measures the distance to an object around the vehicle 1 using ultrasonic waves or the like, and transmits a sonar signal indicating the measured distance data to the driving support device 10. The sonar 47 is composed of, for example, a plurality of sonars that detect the front, the rear, and the like of the vehicle 1. In addition, instead of the sonar 47, a radar such as a millimeter wave radar may be provided.

The alcohol concentration measuring device 48 measures the alcohol concentration contained in the driver's exhaled breath, and transmits an alcohol concentration signal indicating the measured alcohol concentration to the driving support device 10. For example, when the driver sits in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1, he blows on the alcohol concentration measuring device 48.

The biometric authentication device 49 detects the fingerprint of the driver and transmits a fingerprint signal indicating the detected fingerprint data to the driving support device 10. The biometric authentication device 49 is provided, for example, at a predetermined position on the steering or shift lever held by the driver.

The driver camera 50 captures an image of at least a portion including the face of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1, and transmits a driver image signal indicating the captured image data to the driving support device 10.

The activity meter 51 detects the activity amount of the driver and transmits an activity amount signal indicating the detected activity amount to the driving support device 10. The activity meter 51 is individually attached to, for example, a driver or the like. The amount of activity detected by the activity meter 51 is, for example, the number of steps, the distance traveled, the calories burned, and the sleep time.

The pulse wave sensor 52 detects each information of the driver's pulse wave (for example, pulse, hardness of blood vessel), and transmits a pulse wave signal indicating each information of the detected pulse wave to the driving support device 10. The sphygmomanometer 53 detects the upper blood pressure (systolic blood pressure) and the lower blood pressure (diastolic blood pressure) of the driver, and transmits a blood pressure signal indicating each detected blood pressure to the driving support device 10. The pulse wave sensor 52 and the sphygmomanometer 53 are provided on a member such as a seat belt in contact with a part of the driver's body seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1, for example.

The driving support device 10 includes an operation signal, a driver's license information signal, a vehicle speed signal, a steering angle signal, a vehicle peripheral image signal, a sonar signal, an alcohol concentration signal, a fingerprint signal, a driver image signal, an activity amount signal, and a pulse wave signal. And receive blood pressure signals.

The driving support device 10 provides support for switching from automatic driving control to manual driving control. During automatic driving control, the driving support device 10 determines, for example, when the driver requests switching to manual driving control by operation by the operation unit 40, or the distance to the end point of the automatic driving section of the vehicle 1. When the distance is less than the distance, it is determined whether or not the manual switching condition, which is a condition for switching from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control, is satisfied, and if not, the occupant of the vehicle 1 (for example, driving). Person) will be notified. This manual switching condition includes a plurality of driver conditions relating to the driver and a plurality of vehicle traveling conditions relating to the traveling state of the vehicle 1.

In the driving support device 10, the driver information recognition unit 21 outputs various information about the driver in order to determine whether or not the driving operation by the driver is possible when the automatic driving control is switched to the manual driving control. recognize.

The vehicle running state recognition unit 22 recognizes various running states of the vehicle 1 in order to determine whether or not the running state of the vehicle 1 is suitable for switching from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control.

The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the manual switching condition is satisfied based on various information about the driver recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21 and various driving states of the vehicle 1 recognized by the vehicle driving state recognition unit 22. Is determined.

When the determination unit 23 determines that the manual switching condition is not satisfied, the notification control unit 24 takes measures to eliminate the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied or the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied. Information notification control is performed. In this notification control, control for displaying each information on the display 42 and control for outputting each information by voice from the speaker 41 are performed.

By controlling the mechanism unit 2, the travel control unit 25 selectively executes the travel control of the vehicle 1 by the well-known automatic driving control and the travel control of the vehicle 1 by the well-known manual operation control. In particular, the travel control unit 25 executes manual operation control when it is determined by the determination unit 23 that switching from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control is possible during the automatic operation control, and the determination unit 23 automatically operates the vehicle. If it is determined that switching from control to manual operation control is not possible, automatic operation control is continued.

A series of operations of the driving support device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of the driving support device 10. This series of operations is performed, for example, when there is an instruction operation for switching from automatic operation control to manual switching control by the driver.

The driver information recognition unit 21 recognizes the driver's fingerprint detected by the biometric authentication device 49 based on the fingerprint signal, and the driver's license inserted into the driver's license insertion unit 43 based on the driver's license information signal. Recognize the fingerprint data of the driver's license. The determination unit 23 collates the driver's license recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21 with the driver's license fingerprint data in order to confirm whether or not the driver has a driver's license, and the driver ( It is determined whether or not the driver's license of the person himself / herself is inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 (step S1). In this case, the fact that the driver carries a driver's license corresponds to the manual switching condition and the driver's condition.

When it is determined that the driver's license is not inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 (step S1: NO), the notification control unit 24 determines that the driver's manual switching condition is not satisfied. A display to notify you of information indicating that the driver's license has not been inserted and information prompting the driver to insert the driver's license as coping information to eliminate the cause of the failure of the manual switching condition. A predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the 42, and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 (step S2).

FIG. 3 is a display example when the driver's license cannot be confirmed. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the message 60 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a around the current position of the vehicle 1 on the display 42. On the map 42a, a road 42b, a mark 42c indicating the vehicle 1 (own vehicle), and the like are displayed. The message 60 is automatic driving because the insertion of the driver's license into the driver's license insertion unit 43 cannot be confirmed, saying "Since the driver's license cannot be confirmed, the driver's license will be switched to manual driving." This is information indicating that the driver's license is to be continued. The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, "Please insert the driver's license into the device.", Which is coping information for not being able to confirm the driver's license. In response to these notifications, the driver inserts his / her driver's license into the driver's license insertion unit 43.

When it is determined that the driver's license is inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 (step S1: YES), the driver information recognition unit 21 determines the driver's face portion based on the driver image signal. The image of the driver's license is recognized, and the driver's license face photograph data inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 is recognized based on the driver's license information signal. The determination unit 23 performs authentication processing of the driver's face image based on the driver's license face photo data recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21, and the driver's license is the driver's license insertion unit. It is determined whether or not it is inserted in 43 (step S3). In this case, the fact that the driver carries a driver's license corresponds to the manual switching condition and the driver's condition.

When it is determined that the driver's license is not inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 (step S3: NO), the notification control unit 24 displays the same message as in step S2 on the display 42, and at the same time, displays the same message as in step S2. A similar message is output from the speaker 41 by voice (step S4).

When it is determined that the driver's license is inserted in the driver's license insertion unit 43 (step S3: YES), the driver information recognition unit 21 is in the exhalation of the driver based on the alcohol concentration signal. Recognize alcohol concentration. The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the driver is drunk by determining whether or not the alcohol concentration recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21 is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration (step S5). The predetermined concentration is a reference value of the alcohol concentration when determining drunk driving. The predetermined concentration is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 30. In this case, the fact that the alcohol concentration in the exhaled breath of the driver is less than the predetermined concentration corresponds to the manual switching condition and the driver condition.

When the driver is determined to be drunk (step S5: YES), the notification control unit 24 determines that the driver is drunk as a factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied, and information indicating that the driver is drunk and information on how to deal with it after a predetermined time. In order to notify the information indicating that the driver's state is to be reconfirmed, a predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42, and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 (step S6).

FIG. 4 is a display example when the driver is drunk. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the message 61 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 61 is information indicating that the vehicle is drunk, saying, "Alcohol has been detected, so automatic operation will be continued." The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, information on how to deal with drunkenness, such as "Please check the condition again after about a predetermined time." In response to these notifications, the driver performs, for example, an operation of canceling the switch to the manual operation and an operation of instructing the switch to the manual operation after a predetermined time has elapsed.

When it is determined that the driver is not drunk (step S5: NO), the driver information recognition unit 21 recognizes the driver's sleep time based on the activity amount signal. The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the driver is sleep deprived by determining whether or not the sleep time recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21 is less than a predetermined time (step S7). In this case, the sleep time of the driver is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, which corresponds to the manual switching condition and the driver condition.

When the driver is determined to be sleep deprived (step S7: YES), the notification control unit 24 provides information indicating that the driver is sleep deprived as a factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied and information on how to deal with it. In order to notify the information prompting to take a rest or change the driver, a predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42, and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 (step S8).

FIG. 5 is a display example when the driver lacks sleep. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the message 62 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 62 is information indicating that sleep deprivation is present, such as "Since a lack of sleep time has been detected, automatic driving will be continued as it is." The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, coping information for lack of sleep, such as "Please take a rest or replace driving with a person who is in good physical condition." In response to these notifications, the driver may, for example, take a rest or have another person take over the driving.

When it is determined that the driver does not lack sleep (step S7: NO), the driver information recognition unit 21 recognizes the driver's pulse and blood vessel hardness based on the pulse wave signal, and based on the blood pressure signal. Recognize the driver's upper and lower blood pressure. The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the pulse recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21 is equal to or higher than the predetermined pulse, whether or not the hardness of the blood vessel is equal to or higher than the predetermined hardness, and the upper blood pressure recognized by the driver information recognition unit 21. By determining whether or not the blood pressure is equal to or higher than the predetermined upper blood pressure and whether or not the lower blood pressure is equal to or higher than the predetermined lower blood pressure, it is determined whether or not the driver's physical condition is abnormal (step S9). The predetermined pulse is, for example, 120 times per minute. The predetermined hardness is, for example, 9.0. The predetermined blood pressure is, for example, 140 mmHg. The predetermined blood pressure is, for example, 90 mmHg. The predetermined pulse, the predetermined hardness, the predetermined upper blood pressure, and the predetermined lower blood pressure are stored in advance in the memory 30. In this case, the physical condition of the driver corresponds to four conditions: the pulse is less than the predetermined pulse, the hardness of the blood vessel is less than the predetermined hardness, the upper blood pressure is less than the predetermined upper blood pressure, and the lower blood pressure is less than the predetermined lower blood pressure. That corresponds to the manual switching condition and the driver condition.

When it is determined that the driver's physical condition is abnormal (step S9: YES), the notification control unit 24 provides information indicating that the driver's physical condition is abnormal as a factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied and its countermeasures. In order to notify the information prompting the person to take a rest or change the driver as information, a predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42, and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 (step S10).

FIG. 6 is a display example when the driver is in an abnormal physical condition. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the message 63 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 63 is information indicating that the physical condition is abnormal, such as "Since the physical condition is abnormal, the automatic operation will be continued as it is." Since the determination is made based on a plurality of parameters of pulse, blood vessel hardness, and blood pressure, the specific content of the physical condition abnormality may be displayed for each of these parameters. The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, information on how to deal with an abnormal physical condition, such as "Please take a rest or replace driving with a person who is in good physical condition." In response to these notifications, the driver may, for example, take a rest or have another person take over the driving.

When the physical condition of the driver is determined to be normal (step S9: NO), the vehicle traveling state recognition unit 22 recognizes the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 based on the vehicle speed signal. The determination unit 23 determines whether the vehicle 1 is driving slowly or at a low speed, or is stopped by determining whether the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined vehicle speed (step S11). The predetermined vehicle speed is, for example, a speed slightly higher than that of driving. The predetermined vehicle speed is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 30. In this case, the fact that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 is less than the predetermined vehicle speed corresponds to the manual switching condition and the vehicle traveling condition.

When it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined vehicle speed and the vehicle 1 is traveling at a higher speed than the low speed traveling (step S11: NO), the notification control unit 24 causes the manual switching condition to be unsatisfied. In order to notify the information indicating that the vehicle is traveling at high speed and the information indicating that the vehicle is decelerating as its countermeasure information, a predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42 and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 (step). S12).

FIG. 7 is a display example when the vehicle is traveling at high speed by automatic driving control. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the message 64 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 63 is information indicating that the vehicle is traveling at high speed and information on how to deal with it, such as "Because the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the vehicle is switched to manual operation at low speed or after stopping." The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, "decelerate and switch to manual operation at a tollhouse 500 m away", which is more specific information on how to deal with high-speed driving. In response to these notifications, the driver waits, for example, for the vehicle 1 to travel at low speed or stop due to automatic driving control.

When it is determined that the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined vehicle speed and the vehicle 1 is driving slowly, traveling at a low speed, or stopped (step S11: YES), the vehicle traveling state recognition unit 22 determines the steering angle of the vehicle 1 based on the steering angle signal. recognize. The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling straight by determining whether or not the steering angle is less than the predetermined steering angle (step S13). The predetermined steering angle is, for example, approximately 0 ° to several ° (steering angle within the range of steering play). The predetermined steering angle is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 30. In this case, the fact that the steering angle of the vehicle 1 is less than the predetermined steering angle corresponds to the manual switching condition and the vehicle traveling condition.

When it is determined that the steering angle is equal to or greater than the predetermined steering angle and the vehicle 1 is not traveling straight or traveling in a curve (step S13: NO), the notification control unit 24 considers that the manual switching condition is not satisfied. A predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42 and a predetermined voice is output from the speaker 41 in order to notify the information indicating that the vehicle is traveling on a curve and the information indicating that the vehicle is traveling straight ahead as the countermeasure information (the display 42 displays a predetermined message on the screen). Step S14).

FIG. 8 is a display example when the vehicle is traveling on a curve. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the message 65 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 65 is information on how to deal with the fact that the vehicle is traveling on a curve, such as "Because the vehicle is traveling on a curve, the operation will be switched to manual operation as soon as the vehicle returns to straight driving." The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, information on how to deal with more specific curve driving, such as "Switch to manual driving at a tollhouse 500 m away, which is a straight-ahead driving." In response to these notifications, the driver waits for the vehicle 1 to travel straight, for example, by automatic driving control.

When it is determined that the vehicle 1 is traveling straight ahead when the steering angle is less than the predetermined vehicle speed (step S13: YES), the vehicle traveling state recognition unit 22 is located around the vehicle 1 based on the vehicle peripheral image signal and the sonar signal. It recognizes the existence status of obstacles (for example, other vehicles) and the distance to each obstacle. The determination unit 23 determines whether or not the situation around the vehicle 1 is safe based on the situation of each obstacle with respect to the vehicle 1 (step S15). The conditions for determining that the vicinity of the vehicle 1 is safe are, for example, that the obstacle detected by the sonar 47 does not exist within a predetermined distance, and that the surroundings of the vehicle 1 are determined to be safe among other vehicles recognized from the captured image of the vehicle peripheral camera 46. It is possible to drive straight ahead from the shape of the lane (white line) recognized from the image captured by the vehicle peripheral camera 46 that there is no other vehicle approaching the vehicle 1 after an hour. The predetermined distance is, for example, about several meters to several tens of meters. The predetermined time is, for example, about several seconds. The predetermined distance and the predetermined time are stored in the memory 30 in advance. In this case, the fact that the situation around the vehicle 1 is these preset safe situations corresponds to the manual switching condition and the vehicle traveling condition.

When the situation around the vehicle 1 is unsafe and it is determined that the situation is unsuitable for switching to the manual operation control (step S15: NO), the notification control unit 24 considers that the manual switching condition is not satisfied. In order to notify the information indicating that the surroundings of the vehicle 1 are unsafe and the information indicating that the situation around the vehicle 1 is safe as the countermeasure information, a predetermined message is displayed on the screen of the display 42 and the speaker 41 is displayed. To output a predetermined sound from (step S16). The situation in which the vicinity of the vehicle 1 is not safe is, for example, a situation in which an obstacle exists within a predetermined distance of the vehicle 1 or a situation in which another vehicle approaching the vehicle 1 exists.

FIG. 9 is a display example when the area around the vehicle is not safe. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the message 66 is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a on the display 42. This message 66 is information indicating that the surroundings of the vehicle 1 are not in a safe situation, such as "Since there are many obstacles around the vehicle, switch to manual driving in a safe place.", And countermeasure information. The message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, information on how to deal with an unsafe situation around the vehicle 1, such as "Switch to manual operation when the vehicle is stopped next time." In response to these notifications, the driver waits, for example, until the area around the vehicle 1 is in a safe condition.

When it is determined that the situation around the vehicle 1 is safe (step S15: YES), all the manual switching conditions are satisfied by each of the determinations of steps S1, S3, S5, S7, S9, S11, S13, and S15 described above. Therefore, the determination unit 23 determines that the automatic operation control can be switched to the manual operation control, and proceeds to the switching process (step S17). In the process of step S17, the determination unit 23 determines the current actual vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 by the automatic driving control and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount (accelerator opening degree) of the accelerator pedal operated by the driver of the vehicle 1. Determine if the speeds are approximately the same. In this determination, for example, it is determined whether or not the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed is within the threshold value. The threshold value is a speed at which the actual vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed can be regarded as substantially the same vehicle speed. The threshold value is stored in advance in, for example, the memory 30. While determining that the actual vehicle speed and the estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 are not substantially the same speed, the notification control unit 24 notifies the driver of guidance for adjusting the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation to the actual vehicle speed. In order to do so, the guidance is displayed on the screen of the display 42, and a predetermined sound is output from the speaker 41.

FIG. 10 is a display example showing the vehicle speed of the automatic driving control and the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation. In the example shown in FIG. 10, on the display 42, a guide 67 showing a comparison of vehicle speeds is superimposed and displayed on the map 42a. The guide 67 shows a graph 67a showing the current actual vehicle speed by automatic driving control and a graph 67b of the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation of the driver. In addition, the message output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, when the estimated vehicle speed is lower than the actual vehicle speed, "Please step on the accelerator slowly." Is. At this time, for example, a beep sound of a predetermined frequency (for example, 500 Hz) is output from the speaker 41 as the actual vehicle speed by automatic driving control, and gradually approaches the predetermined frequency as the vehicle speed increases according to the accelerator operation by the driver. A frequency beep may be output. In response to these notifications, the driver changes the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal. As a result, the estimated vehicle speed changes according to the accelerator operation, and the graph 67b of the estimated vehicle speed approaches the graph 67a of the actual vehicle speed in the guide 67 displayed on the display 42.

In the process of step S17, when the determination unit 23 determines that the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 and the estimated vehicle speed are substantially the same, the determination unit 23 instructs the travel control unit 25 to switch from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control. In response to this instruction, the travel control unit 25 switches from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control and executes the manual operation control. In this case, the fact that the actual vehicle speed by the automatic driving control of the vehicle 1 and the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation become substantially the same speed corresponds to the manual switching condition and the vehicle traveling condition.

FIG. 11 is a display example when switching from automatic operation control to manual operation control. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the message 68 is superimposed and displayed on the vehicle speed comparison guide 67 on the display 42. This message 68 is "The automatic operation has been canceled and the operation has been switched to the manual operation." The message to be output by voice from the speaker 41 is, for example, "The manual operation will start from this point." At this time, for example, when the speaker 41 outputs a beep sound of a predetermined frequency as the actual vehicle speed by the above-mentioned automatic driving control, the beep sound of the same predetermined frequency is output as the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation by the driver. To. In response to these notifications, the driver performs an accelerator operation, a brake operation, a steering operation, and the like.

When the notification was performed in any one of steps S2, S4, S6, S8, S10, S12, S14, and S16, any of the manual switching conditions was not satisfied, so that the determination unit 23 automatically operates. It is determined that the control is continued (step S18). Then, the determination unit 23 determines whether or not there is a cancel operation for the operation of switching to the manual operation by the driver based on the operation signal (step S19). When it is determined that there is a cancel operation (step S19: YES), the driving support device 10 ends this series of operations. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no cancel operation (step S19: NO), the operation support device 10 returns to step S1. At this time, the notification of any one of steps S2, S4, S6, S8, S10, S12, S14, and S16 is continuously performed.

When the driving support device 10 continues the automatic driving control in step S18, when the vehicle 1 is approaching the end point of the automatic driving section, the driving support device 10 places the vehicle 1 in a safe place (for example, a parking area, etc.) by the automatic driving control. Stop at the service area). By the way, when the end point of the automatic driving section is a toll station on the expressway and the manual switching condition shown in each determination of steps S11, S13, and S15 changes from unsatisfied to established when passing through the toll station, the driving support device 10 Switches from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control without stopping the vehicle 1 by the automatic driving control.

In the present embodiment, each determination of steps S1, S3, S5, S7, S9, S11, S13, and S15 corresponds to the determination step of the driving support method of the present invention. Further, in the present embodiment, each process of steps S2, S4, S6, S8, S10, S12, S14, and S16 corresponds to the notification control step of the driving support method of the present invention.

According to the driving support device 10, when the manual switching condition for switching from the automatic driving control to the manual driving control is not satisfied, the driver is notified of the cause of the failure of the manual switching condition, so that it is automatic. When it is not possible to switch from operation control to manual operation control, it is possible to assist the driver in dealing with factors that make it impossible to switch to manual operation control.

According to the driving support device 10, when the manual switching condition is not satisfied, the driver is notified of the countermeasure information for eliminating the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied, so that the driver operates manually. You can take necessary measures to switch to control, and you can know when to switch to manual operation control.

According to the driving support device 10, by recognizing information about the driver in order to determine the manual switching condition (particularly, the driver condition), when the manual switching condition is not satisfied based on the recognized information, the manual switching condition is not satisfied. It is possible to make the driver aware that the cause of the failure of the manual switching condition is the driver himself / herself. This tells the driver that in order to switch to manual driving control, the driver's own state needs to be in a state suitable for manual driving, or the driver needs to be replaced by another person.

According to the driving support device 10, if the driver's license cannot be confirmed by determining whether or not the driver has a driver's license, the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied is the factor. It is possible to make the driver recognize that it is a driver's license.

According to the driving support device 10, by determining the alcohol concentration of the driver, when the alcohol concentration of the driver is equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration, the reason why the manual switching condition is not satisfied is that the driver is drunk. Can be recognized by a person.

According to the driving support device 10, the driver's physical condition is abnormal because the manual switching condition is not satisfied when the driver's physical condition is not suitable for the driving operation by determining the driver's physical condition. Can be made to be recognized by the driver.

According to the driving support device 10, by recognizing the running state of the vehicle 1 in order to determine the manual switching condition (particularly, the vehicle running condition), the manual switching condition is not satisfied based on the recognized running state. It is possible to make the driver recognize that the driving state of the vehicle 1 is the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied. This shows that the driver needs to change the traveling state of the vehicle 1 to a traveling state suitable for switching to the manual driving control in order to switch to the manual driving control.

According to the driving support device 10, by determining the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1, when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined vehicle speed, the driver is made to recognize that the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied is that the vehicle is traveling at high speed. be able to.

According to the driving support device 10, by determining the steering angle of the vehicle 1, when the steering angle is equal to or larger than the predetermined steering angle, the driver indicates that the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied is that the vehicle is traveling on a curve. Can be recognized by.

According to the driving support device 10, by determining the situation around the vehicle 1, if the surrounding situation is not a safe situation, the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied is the situation around the vehicle 1. It is possible to make the driver aware of this.

According to the driving support device 10, when the vehicle speed by the automatic driving control is less than the predetermined vehicle speed, the manual driving control is continued as long as the vehicle speed by the automatic driving control and the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation by the driver are not substantially the same. By switching to manual driving control when the vehicle speed by automatic driving control and the estimated vehicle speed according to the accelerator operation become substantially the same, the change in vehicle speed of vehicle 1 is suppressed when switching to manual driving control. You can smoothly switch to manual operation.

According to the driving support device 10, by notifying the driver by the display by the display 42 and the voice output by the speaker 41, it is possible to surely inform the driver of the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied.

The above embodiment shows a specific example to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, it is applied when the automatic driving control is possible only in the automatic driving section such as a highway, but it is also applicable when the automatic driving control is possible on all the roads.

Further, in the above embodiment, the driver's fingerprint, face, alcohol concentration, activity amount (sleep time), pulse wave, and blood pressure are recognized as information about the driver, and each of these information can be used to switch to manual operation control. Although it is configured to determine each condition, it may be configured not to recognize a part of the information, or it may be configured to recognize other information. For example, in order to confirm whether the driver's license is the driver's license, the two pieces of information, the fingerprint and the face, are collated, but only one of the information may be used. Further, the drowsiness of the driver may be recognized by using a captured image of the driver's face or the like instead of the amount of activity, and it may be determined whether or not the drowsiness is high.

Further, in the above embodiment, the vehicle speed, steering angle, and surrounding objects of the vehicle 1 are recognized as the traveling state of the vehicle 1, and each condition for switching to manual operation control is determined using each of these information. However, it may be configured not to recognize some of the information in the configuration, or it may be configured to recognize other information. For example, the map information may be used to recognize the position of the tollhouse on the expressway and determine whether or not the vehicle 1 is passing through the tollhouse.

Further, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the functional configurations of the driving support device 10 classified according to the main processing contents in order to make the invention of the present application easy to understand, and the configuration of the driving support device 10 is a processing. Depending on the content, it can be classified into more request elements. It can also be categorized so that one component performs more processing. Further, the processing of each component may be executed by one hardware or may be executed by a plurality of hardware. Further, the processing of each component may be realized by one program or may be realized by a plurality of programs.
For example, in FIG. 1, components such as the notification control unit 24 and the travel control unit 25 provided in the driving support device 10 may be provided in a device different from the driving support device 10.

Further, in the operation support device 10 of FIG. 1, the control program 31 executed by the CPU 20 is downloaded from, for example, an external server or the like via a communication network, then loaded onto a memory 30 such as a RAM, and executed by the CPU 20. It may be done. Further, it may be directly loaded from an external server into a memory 30 such as a RAM via a communication network and executed by the CPU 20. Alternatively, the storage medium connected to the driving support device 10 may be loaded onto the memory 30 such as RAM.

Further, the processing unit of the flowchart of FIG. 2 is divided according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate understanding of the processing by the driving support device 10. The invention of the present application is not limited by the method and name of division of the processing unit. The processing of the operation support device 10 can be further divided into more processing units according to the processing content. Further, one processing unit can be divided so as to include more processing. Further, the processing order of the flowchart of FIG. 2 is not limited to the illustrated example as long as the same processing result can be obtained.

1 Vehicle 2 Mechanical unit 10 Driving support device 20 CPU
21 Driving information recognition unit 22 Vehicle driving state recognition unit 23 Judgment unit 24 Notification control unit 25 Driving control unit 30 Memory 31 Control program 40 Operation unit 41 Speaker 42 Display 43 Driver's license insertion unit 44 Vehicle speed sensor 45 Steering angle sensor 46 Vehicle Peripheral camera 47 Sonar 48 Alcohol concentration measuring device 49 Biometric device 50 Driver's camera 51 Activity meter 52 Pulse wave sensor 53 Blood pressure monitor

Claims (6)

A driving support device used in a vehicle that assists in switching the driving control of the vehicle from automatic driving control to manual driving control.
A determination unit for determining whether or not the manual switching condition, which is a condition for switching from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control, is satisfied.
If the determination unit determines that the manual switching condition is not satisfied while the automatic driving control is being executed for the vehicle, the vehicle is scheduled to be driven by the manual driving control. A notification control unit that notifies a person of a factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied and a notification control unit that notifies a person about a countermeasure information for eliminating the factor that the manual switching condition is not satisfied.
A vehicle running state recognition unit that recognizes the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver.
Equipped with
The manual switching condition is that the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is within the threshold value.
In the notification control unit, the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver is not within the threshold value of the determination unit. When it is determined that the response information is notified, the vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle that changes according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver are notified. And
In the notification control unit, the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver is within the threshold value. When it is determined that this is not the case, the response information is notified by a sound having a predetermined frequency, and the predetermined frequency is changed according to the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver.
A driving support device characterized by this. It is equipped with a driving information recognition unit that recognizes information about the prospective driver.
The manual switching condition is that the planned driver satisfies a predetermined driver condition.
The driving support according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the prospective driver satisfies the driver condition based on the information recognized by the driving information recognition unit. Device. The information about the prospective driver is whether or not the prospective driver has a driver's license.
The driving support device according to claim 2 , wherein the driver condition is that the prospective driver carries a driver's license. The information about the prospective driver is the alcohol concentration in the exhaled breath of the prospective driver.
The driving support device according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the driver condition is that the alcohol concentration in the exhaled breath of the prospective driver is less than a predetermined concentration. The information about the planned driver is information about the physical condition of the planned driver.
The driving support device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein the driver condition is that the physical condition of the prospective driver corresponds to a predetermined physical condition. It is a driving support method used in a vehicle and assists in switching the driving control of the vehicle from automatic driving control to manual driving control.
A determination step for determining whether or not the manual switching condition, which is a condition for switching from the automatic operation control to the manual operation control, is satisfied.
If it is determined by the determination step that the manual switching condition is not satisfied while the automatic driving control is being executed for the vehicle, the vehicle is driven when the manual driving control is switched to. A notification control step that notifies the planned driver of the cause of the failure of the manual switching condition and informs the coping information for eliminating the factor of the failure of the manual switching condition. ,
A vehicle running state recognition step that recognizes the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver.
Including
The manual switching condition is that the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver is within the threshold value.
In the notification control step, the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver is not within the threshold value in the determination step. When it is determined that, as notification of the countermeasure information, the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle that changes according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver. Notify and
In the notification control step, the speed difference between the actual vehicle speed of the vehicle on which the automatic driving control is executed and the estimated vehicle speed according to the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the prospective driver is within the threshold value in the determination step. When it is determined that this is not the case, the response information is notified by a sound having a predetermined frequency, and the predetermined frequency is changed according to the change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal by the planned driver.
A driving support method characterized by that.

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